An anejo tequila is a 100% agave tequila rested in oak for one to three years — long enough for the barrel to trade places with the agave, so vanilla, caramel and dried fruit move to the front. Del Mesa Liquor, a family-owned liquor store in San Diego, California, stocks an anejo shelf that runs from a $54.99 estate-grown classic to a 49-month extra anejo. Every bottle below is in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor today.
The classic anejos
- Herradura Anejo Tequila — $54.99 (in stock). The benchmark, from the last true tequila-producing hacienda. Estate-grown blue Weber agave at Casa Herradura in Amatitan, Jalisco (NOM 1119) is brick-oven cooked, fermented with wild yeasts from the estate's own fruit trees, double-distilled, and then rested 25 months in American white oak — thirteen months past the anejo minimum. 40% ABV, 750mL.
- Siete Leguas Anejo Tequila — $64.99 (in stock). The highlands traditionalist. Siete Leguas blends spirit from its two Atotonilco el Alto distilleries (NOM 1120) — one still crushed by a mule-drawn tahona, the other a roller mill — then ages the blend 24 months in American white oak barrels that previously held bourbon. Masonry-oven cooked and double-distilled in copper pot stills, as the house has done since 1952. 40% ABV, 700mL.
- Don Julio Anejo Tequila — $69.99 (in stock). The crowd-pleaser with real depth. Don Julio's anejo ages 18 months or more in small batches in ex-bourbon American white-oak barrels, from 100% Blue Weber agave grown in Jalisco's Los Altos highlands and distilled at La Primavera. Rich and honeyed, it is the bottle our anejo tequila collection regulars reach for first. 40% ABV, 750mL.
- El Tesoro Anejo Tequila — $79.99 (in stock). The tahona purist's anejo. At La Altena in Arandas (NOM 1139), El Tesoro still cooks agave in stone ovens and crushes it with a two-ton volcanic stone tahona wheel, ferments with the fibers in wooden tanks and double-distills in copper pot stills. The anejo then rests two to three years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels — a Double Gold winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. 40% ABV, 750mL.
The extra anejo ceiling
- Herradura Seleccion Suprema Extra Anejo Tequila — $329.99 (8 in stock). The bottle that created a category. Released by Casa Herradura in 1995 as the first extra anejo, Seleccion Suprema ages 49 months in American white oak — a full year beyond the extra-anejo minimum — from estate agave harvested about a decade after planting. It sits on our Rare & Top Shelf shelf for a reason; for the full long-aged lineup, see our extra anejo guide. 40% ABV, 750mL.
New to aged tequila? Work up the ladder: start with the Herradura or Siete Leguas, then compare against the tahona-made El Tesoro. If you are coming from the other direction, our reposado tequila guide covers the lighter six-to-twelve-month rest, and the full tequila collection holds everything between. Orders ship under our shipping and return policy.
Frequently asked questions
What is anejo tequila?
Anejo is 100% agave tequila aged in oak barrels for at least one year and up to three (barrels no larger than 600 liters, by Mexican regulation). The rest turns clear blanco amber and layers vanilla, caramel, baking spice and dried fruit over the agave — it is a sipping tequila, not a mixing one.
What is the difference between anejo and extra anejo?
Time. Anejo rests one to three years in oak; extra anejo rests a minimum of three years. Herradura Seleccion Suprema goes further — 49 months — which is why it pours darker, softer and more dessert-like than a classic anejo.
Should anejo tequila be served neat or on ice?
Neat, at room temperature, in a stemmed glass or flute that lets the aromatics open. A single large cube is fine if you prefer it slightly chilled, but skip the salt, lime and mixers — the barrel has already done that work.
Can I buy anejo tequila online?
Yes — every bottle in this guide is in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, a family-owned store in San Diego, California. Shipping details are on our shipping and return policy page.