Your 10 Favorite Extra Añejo Tequilas

Extra añejo tequila is a vibe.

All that time spent in wood transforms a blanco tequila into something decidedly different. Drinking certain extra añejos blind, you might not even recognize them as tequila, such is the impact of the char and whatever spirit was previously stored in the barrel.

That’s why restraint is often the hallmark of great extra añejo. Enough barrel character to justify the time (and expense) of aging for 36 months or more, but not so overwhelmingly intense that it tastes like liquid sawdust.

It’s also true that extra añejo is typically the most expensive tequila expression. This is due to the operating costs of storing and caring for the barrels for years, and even more so, evaporation.

Approximately 1% of the volume is lost every month. So a 300-liter barrel may be only about half-full after four years of aging. That’s a tough business proposition.

But on a wintry day, with a cigar or dark chocolate, the expense of a great extra añejo can be very, very worth it.

Late last year, we asked The Tequila Report readers (formerly Tequila Jay Baer readers) to vote on their favorite tequilas. More than 1,000 of you did, making this the largest independent poll of tequila preferences.

Here are your top 10 favorite extra añejo tequilas:

The pride of Casa San Matías, Rey Sol was launched in 1998 and has always featured the incredible “sun face” glass decanter, designed by famous Mexican artist Sergio Bustamante.

Rey Sol means “sun king,” and this tequila is a tribute to the sunshine required for agave cultivation.

Aged in French oak for 6-10 years, depending on the release, this is a rich and complex tequila with dark chocolate, toffee, and raspberry notes.

The link below is for a very special, 10-year, 45% ABV edition of Rey Sol, hand-selected by me (Jay Baer, co-founder of The Tequila Report).

The top of the Jose Cuervo lineup is very different from the bottom rung, as evidenced by the Reserva de la Familia extra añejo.

This special expression was introduced in 1995 to commemorate the 200-year anniversary of the Spanish crown’s royal authorization to produce tequila (then called “vino de mezcal”) in 1795.

Now, each year brings a new edition of Cuervo Reserva in a signature commemorative wooden box. The most recent 2025 version was designed by artist Ana Segovia.

Always featuring a blend of American and French oak aging, this tequila is a favorite of collectors.

The signature ceramic blue bottle is just one of the gorgeous characteristics of Don Fulano Imperial Extra Añejo.

Aged for more than 5 years in European oak and then finished in sherry casks, this tequila is the pinnacle of the masterful blending skills of Enrique Fonseca and his team.

Agaves are sourced from the Fonseca family estates in The Highlands and then transformed into this gorgeous spirit at their distillery in the town of Tequila.

Flavors of dried fruit and leather are prominent and delicious!

If you like these tequilas, you might also be interested in our complete list of bottles for bourbon fans!

When I can find it, this is a tequila I often gift to friends who are early in their tequila journey.

Made by Chava Rosales at the Cascahuín distillery in El Arenal in the Tequila Valley, this is a luminous and luxurious expression that’s perfectly balanced.

Aged for 4 or more years in American oak, this tequila is typically found at 43% ABV and maintains a surprising amount of agave notes cutting through the oak and honey.

Aged three years, which is less than most extra añejos recognized here, but aging for near-minimum periods is a signature of Tequila Ocho, where they prefer the agave to be the star.

Tequila Ocho is known for bottling tequila by single estate and harvest year (vintage), and this XA follows the same approach. As a result, each version will have a distinct aroma and flavor. The link below is for the 2021 “La Mula” edition. You may find other releases at retail locations near you.

This tequila is always aged in used American oak whiskey barrels, and is a very different flavor than Rey Sol, for example.

G4 produces a three-year extra añejo and has released limited edition five, six and seven-year versions as well. Exceedingly hard to find at present, the newly expanded barrel room at El Pandillo—where G4 is made in The Highlands—will likely result in greater availability of this exceptional tequila.

All of the G4 XAs exhibit very light barrel notes, despite the time spent in wood. This is because the brand uses very old ex-bourbon barrels (usually George Dickel) that are not re-charred. This highlights the agave, perhaps even more so than the Tequila Ocho extra añejo mentioned above.

You’ll find agave, pepper, vanilla, and caramel here.

This might be your favorite tequila nerd’s favorite tequila.

Rare and elusive, this is a unicorn bottle that’s most easily found in Mexico (though still not easy). The crowning achievement of the renowned distillery La Alteña (where El Tesoro, mentioned below, is also produced), this extra añejo is aged for five years in first-use American oak and further mellowed for 10 years in glass demijohn jugs.

The result is unusual and delicious, especially for bourbon/rye fans, as the heavy char imparts a smokiness and astringency that is a significant departure from the sweeter extra añejos, like Don Fulano Imperial.

If you can find it, you need to try this one, for anthropology purposes, if nothing else.

El Tesoro produces two distinct extra añejo editions. The "regular" extra añejo honors Don Felipe J. Camarena, founder of La Alteña, in 1937.

Aged four to five years in used American oak, this is a delightful - and comparatively affordable - extra añejo that doesn’t rely on exotic aging or finishing techniques. It's simply a rock-solid tequila, aged beautifully, with more nuttiness than most XAs.

The Paradiso extra añejo is quite different, as it is aged for five years in French oak Cognac barrels. It is much more fruity and earthy than the core extra añejo.

If you can locate both, they would provide a truly delightful side-by-side tasting experience.

The newest extra añejo to receive a Readers’ Choice Award, Cazcanes XA has made a significant impact in a short period of time.

Made at Tequila Tap in the Tequila valley, like all Cazcanes expressions, this extra añejo features proprietary spring water, transported specifically for use in Cazcanes’ production.

The current release is a “#7,” which, in Cazcanes’ terminology, means it is standard, 40% ABV. There is a lot of complexity to be found in this bottle, especially as it opens up and warms, including an intriguing clove note.

It is aged for over 37 months in a combination of American and French oak barrels.

It’s rare to find such unanimity about the merits of a tequila bottle, but there’s little argument about Tears of Llorona.

Created by master distiller Germán González, it was first released in 2014. Made to appeal to bourbon and whiskey fans (among others), Tears of Llorona is aged for about 5 years and blended from tequilas matured in Scotch whisky, Sherry, and Cognac/Brandy barrels.

Typically bottled at 43% ABV, this tequila is made at NOM 1146, where Don Fulano is crafted, but by a different master distiller. Prominent flavors include black cherry and crème brûlée. Try it at least once!

Also, while Tears of Llorona is pricey, it’s almost always sold in a full liter size, instead of 750ml, which helps a bit.