Azulejos Masterpiece Picasso Anejo Tequila

Azulejos Picasso Añejo comes from Jalisco, Mexico, and it's bottled in one of the more recognizable packages in the agave category: hand-decorated ceramic, which is the brand's calling card. As an añejo, it has spent at least a year in oak. That sets it apart from the Blanco, which is unaged and shows raw cooked agave, and from the Reposado, which rests two to twelve months and picks up only a light tint and some wood. The details on hand don't give a specific age, cask type, or tasting profile, so what follows describes what añejos usually do, not measured notes for this bottle. Expect the cooked-agave sweetness of a Blanco to sit under a layer of oak influence. In this style that typically means vanilla, caramel, toasted wood, a touch of baking spice, and a rounder, softer texture than the unaged versions. Añejo falls between Reposado and Extra Añejo, which is aged three years or more and tends toward deeper, more whiskey-like richness. At one to three years, an añejo usually keeps enough of the plant's vegetal and citrus edge to taste like tequila rather than a barrel-driven spirit. That balance makes it better suited to sipping than to mixing. Pour it neat into a caballito, the small tall tequila shot glass, or into a short rocks glass or snifter if you want room for the aroma. Serve it at room temperature, or with a single large cube if you'd like it to open up slowly and loosen the alcohol. Salt and lime aren't a good match for a spirit like this, since they cover the oak and agave notes you're paying for. Orange slices dusted with a little cinnamon are a common match with añejo, as are dark chocolate and aged cheeses. If you do mix with it, choose drinks where the barrel character adds something. A Margarita made with an añejo tastes richer and slightly smoother than the usual bright, grassy version, so go easy on the sugar and keep the lime fresh. An Old Fashioned built on añejo, with a dash of bitters and a little agave syrup in place of sugar, shows off the oak directly. A Paloma or a Ranch Water is better made with a Blanco, because the grapefruit soda or sparkling water and lime will bury the subtler aged notes here.