Extra añejo is the longest-aged official category of tequila. If you have seen bottles labeled "extra añejo" next to regular añejo and wondered what the extra means, here is what the rules require, how it differs from añejo, and a few bottles we carry that show the range of the category.
What the rules say
The Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) created the extra añejo category in 2006. The requirements are short:
- Aged at least three years in oak.
- The oak containers can hold no more than 600 liters.
- The type of oak, and whether the barrels previously held bourbon, wine or something else, is up to the producer.
For comparison, añejo must spend at least one year in oak containers of the same 600-liter maximum. So the difference between the two categories is mainly time: an extra añejo has spent at least three times as long in wood. If you want the younger categories explained, see our guide to reposado vs añejo tequila.
What longer aging does
More time in small barrels means more contact between the tequila and the wood. Extra añejos are usually darker and carry more of the barrel: vanilla, caramel, baking spice and dried fruit, with the cooked agave further in the background than in a blanco or reposado. Because the oak a producer uses is open, the barrel choice shapes each bottle a lot. Ex-bourbon barrels, wine casks and new oak all give different results, which is why two extra añejos can taste very different.
Most people drink extra añejo neat or with a single large ice cube, the way you would a well-aged whiskey or Cognac. A small tulip glass or snifter works well.
Extra añejo bottles to try
Espolòn Extra Añejo
Espolòn Extra Añejo 3 Year spends two and a half years in American oak, then six months in ex-French Chardonnay wine casks. It is bottled at 40% ABV and is one of the more affordable ways into the category.
Lunazul Extra Aged Añejo
Lunazul Extra Aged Añejo is aged in Elijah Craig bourbon barrels, a good pick for bourbon drinkers trying tequila.
Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo
Reserva de la Familia launched in 1995 as an extra-aged tequila, before the extra añejo category officially existed. It is produced by the Beckmann family, who also own Jose Cuervo, and is bottled at 40% ABV. Shop Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo.
Calirosa Extra Añejo
Calirosa Extra Añejo is aged 36 months in California red wine barrels and bottled at 40% ABV. The tequila is made by the Real family, with Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo as partners in the brand.
Tequila Ocho Extra Añejo La Estancia 2022
Tequila Ocho was founded in 2008 by Carlos Camarena and Tomas Estes. Each batch is made from agave from one specific field, and the label names the field and the vintage year. Tequila Ocho Extra Añejo La Estancia 2022 is a good example of that single-estate approach.
El Cristiano Extra Añejo
El Cristiano Extra Añejo is aged three years in American oak barrels, made with agave from the Jalisco highlands.
Buying tips
- Look for "100% agave" on the label, which means the tequila was made only from blue agave.
- Check the barrel. Bourbon barrels lean toward vanilla and caramel; wine casks add fruit and color.
- Extra añejo is a common gift for tequila fans, and the holidays are coming. Order early, since every delivery requires an adult signature (21+). We ship to 44 states, but not to Alaska, Hawaii, Michigan, South Dakota, Tennessee or Utah.
Browse the full extra añejo collection or all tequila at Shop Buzzed.
