Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Tequila Don Julio, Mexico’s most popular ultra-premium tequila, is celebrating Mexican Independence Day by introducing a new addition to its portfolio – the world’s first Anejo Claro, Tequila Don Julio 70.

Created in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the year Don Julio Gonzalez began perfecting the art of tequila making, the innovative new Anejo Claro tequila combines traditional Anejo flavors that result from 18 months of barrel aging with the fresh agave flavor and silver color expected from an unaged Blanco tequila, demonstrating Tequila Don Julio’s continuing commitment to being a leader in the tequila industry.

In 1942, Don Julio Gonzalez began his tequila-making journey in his hometown of El Salvador, Mexico, in the Highlands region Los Altos, which is known for its rich, clay soils and notable micro-climate ideal for growing blue agave. Don Julio Gonzalez spent several decades perfecting his art of tequila making until finally achieving a product with the highest standards of quality — Tequila Don Julio.

Today, Don Julio Gonzalez’s hand selected successor, Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa, is continuing the legacy of innovation by producing a truly unique tequila to honor the original "Don" of Tequila. Tequila Don Julio 70 is a new Anejo tequila that contains the smooth and complex flavor of an Anejo but is specially filtered to bring back the crisp agave flavor typically found in a Blanco. A first of its kind, it is a true representation of the evolution of Anejo tequila and is produced using a process designed by de Colsa.

The finest blue agave plants are first hand selected by La Primavera’s jimadors to ensure quality standards that stem from the source. The blue agave is then distilled and aged for 18 months in reclaimed American White Oak barrels.

Once the tequila has reached maturity, it is carefully filtered through a custom process that restores the citrus and fruity agave flavor notes that are muted during the aging process to a more concentrated strength, resulting in a stronger flavor of the tequila’s raw materials. Another exemplary by-product of the filtration process is that the tequila returns to a clear silver color while maintaining the flavor of an Anejo.

"With a smooth and light character, opening with citrus notes similar to that of a Blanco tequila, yet exhibiting the notes of vanilla, wild honey and sweet toasted oak found in a quality Anejo, Tequila Don Julio 70 combines my favorite characteristics from both tequila varieties," said Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa of his special reserve Anejo Claro.

"Tequila Don Julio has always been a brand that has set the standard for the tequila category and is once again challenging conventions by introducing the world’s first Anejo Claro, Tequila Don Julio 70. Created by our esteemed Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa, this new variant celebrates a momentous anniversary for the creator of Tequila Don Julio," said David Barnett, Vice President of Tequila Don Julio. "This one-of-a-kind bottling is the ideal spirit to savor when toasting life’s celebratory moments. We hope that both aficionados and those new to tequila enjoy Tequila Don Julio 70 responsibly."

Tequila Don Julio 70 will be available beginning Fall 2011. It has a suggested retail price of $70 and will be available in select spirits retailers nationwide. The makers of Tequila Don Julio remind you to enjoy Don Julio in moderation and to drink responsibly.

Additional information on the brand can currently be found on the Tequila Don Julio website at DonJulio.com, on Facebook and on Twitter at @donjuliotequila.