This is where the series started. The 2024 Día de Muertos bottle was the first Don Julio 70 Artist Edition, and the first time the distillery handed its flagship cristalino over to a designer rather than simply commissioning a campaign around it. Willy Chavarria took it and worked entirely in monochrome. Skeleton figures in wide brimmed hats and formal dress, calaveras and roses are rendered as fine black line illustration wrapping the clear glass, with no colour anywhere, which gives the bottle a restraint the later editions deliberately moved away from. Chavarria drew on his upbringing in California's San Joaquin Valley and on the Chicano culture that runs through his fashion work, and the release carries the phrase Por Amor, for love, addressed to the people who live by it. It was unveiled in late August 2024 ahead of the holiday and sold through quickly, and Don Julio's own materials now describe that debut as highly sought after. Inside is Don Julio 70 Añejo Cristalino, introduced in 2012 to mark seventy years since Don Julio González began distilling at seventeen in Atotonilco El Alto, and recognised as the world's first clear añejo. It is made from 100 percent Blue Weber agave grown in the Highlands of Jalisco, aged eighteen months in American white oak, then charcoal filtered to strip the colour while leaving the maturation intact. Bright agave and vanilla on the nose, silky roasted agave, honey and dried fruit across the palate, and a crisp clean finish carrying oak and citrus zest. Bottled at 40 percent alcohol by volume. The first of what has become an annual series, and the hardest of them to find.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
40% |
| Proof |
80 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
Mexico |
| Region |
Highlands of Jalisco (Los Altos) |
| Producer |
Tequila Don Julio, Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco |
| Category |
Tequila Añejo Cristalino |
| Expression |
Don Julio 70 |
| Edition |
Día de Muertos 2024, Willy Chavarria Artist Edition |
| Series |
First edition in the Día de Muertos artist series |
| Agave |
100% Blue Weber Agave |
| Age |
18 Months |
| Maturation |
American white oak barrels |
| Filtration |
Charcoal filtered to crystal clarity |
| Released |
August 2024 |
Tasting Notes
Color: Crystal clear.
Nose: Bright agave and vanilla lead, with toasted oak, caramel and soft floral undertones.
Palate: Silky and smooth. Roasted agave, honey and dried fruit carry into caramel and butterscotch, with ripe citrus and a touch of spice.
Finish: Crisp and clean, with lingering oak and citrus zest.
FAQ
Q: How do I tell this edition from the others?
A: The 2024 debut is entirely black and white with no colour. The 2025 edition adds red roses, and the 2026 edition by Patricio Campillo uses orange marigolds.
Q: Is this the first Artist Edition?
A: Yes. It launched in August 2024 and was the first Don Julio 70 bottle designed by an artist, beginning what has become an annual series.
Q: Who designed it?
A: Willy Chavarria, the CFDA Men's Designer of the Year, drawing on his upbringing in California's San Joaquin Valley and on Chicano culture.
Q: Is the tequila different from standard Don Julio 70?
A: No. The liquid is the same Añejo Cristalino. What is exclusive to this release is the bottle design.
Q: Is it clear because it is unaged?
A: No. It is fully aged eighteen months as an añejo, and the colour is removed afterward through charcoal filtration.
Q: Where can I buy Don Julio 70 Día de Muertos 2024 online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
