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There’s no question that tequila is one of the hottest spirits among drinkers right now. Anyone who has walked into a cocktail bar recently could tell you, but the numbers also back it up. If growth continues, sales of agave spirits are set to overtake vodka as America’s favorite spirit.
With that kind of growth, there has also been a massive surge in new brands. The market has been flooded with tequilas owned by celebrities and with flashy marketing campaigns. Many of these new tequilas don’t do the spirit justice — some have additives or don’t contain 100% agave-based spirit.
We spoke to a handful of tequila experts and bartenders to find out which bottles are worth picking up and backed up their recommendations with our own taste tests. Here are the best bottles of tequila out there, according to the experts and our testing. Quick tip: When shopping for tequila, look for the four-digit NOM (Norma Oficial Mexicano) code on every bottle.
This number is assigned by the Mexican government as assurance that the spirit in the bottle is authentic Mexican tequila. You can use Tequila Matchmaker to enter the NOM and learn where the tequila was distilled and what other brands are distilled there. What are the different types of tequila and how do they differ?Tequila comes in a few different styles.
These are differentiated by the methods in which they are aged in barrels. The most common styles of tequila are:Blanco: Also known as silver or plata in Spanish, this style of tequila is crystal clear and completely unaged. Reposado: Reposado tequilas are aged in barrels for at least 60 days and up to one year.
These tequilas are often a light gold or straw color and have a hint of vanilla and caramel from the barrel. Añejo: Añejo tequilas are aged for one year and up to three. These tequilas have an amber color and often flavor notes of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel imparted from the longer barrel age.
Extra Añejo: Any tequila aged for over three years is called extra añejo, or extra aged. Any flavors the tequila gets from the barrel are amplified Joven: Joven tequilas are a blend of an unaged blanco tequila and a reposado or añejo tequila. Best tequila overallTequila Ocho Plata; Anna Kim/InsiderOur top pick is the Tequila Ocho Plata La Cañada 2022, a single-estate tequila that’s perfect for sipping.
Tequila Ocho is all about terroir – the influence the land and climate have on the flavor of the finished tequila. “I love the transparency that Ocho brings to consumers by labeling each bottle with the field where the agaves were picked,” says agave spirit educator and content creator Mireille Olivo. This specific bottle, from the La Cañada farm, has a bright, floral flavor profile with a touch of sweetness and an irresistible hint of cinnamon.
If you can’t find this bottle, all of Tequila Ocho’s offerings are carefully crafted and worth your attention. Best tequila blancoSiembra Azul Blanco Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderSiembra Azul Blanco is an exemplary tequila blanco from the highlands of Jalisco. From Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco, Siembra Azul also places an emphasis on transparency and terroir.
Agave cultivated in Los Altos grows in red clay soil at a lower temperature, producing a sweeter tequila when compared to that made in the valleys. “This is a great example of Los Altos tequila,” says bartender and content creator Lucas Assis. Siembra Azul is an excellent sipping tequila.
It’s smooth and mildly sweet with a bright, fresh agave flavor with just a hint of minerality to balance it out. Best tequila reposadoFortaleza Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderFortaleza Reposado is a legendary tequila among aficionados, as well as a great entry point for novices. Among agave experts, Fortaleza is one of the most revered brands in tequila.
The distillery is steeped in a rich history, tracing its lineage all the way back to Don Cenobio, who was the first to export tequila to the United States. Since the founding of Fortaleza, they have maintained many traditional practices, like open-air fermentation, stone rolling with a tehona, and cooking the agave in brick ovens. For many, Fortaleza is the gold standard for a reposado.
“It’s not overly influenced by the barrel with a balanced cooked agave flavor with a bit of caramel,” says long-time bartender Ashly Levi. “This bottle is always a winner for my guests. ” This reposado also has flavor notes of vanilla, and butterscotch, while making sure the agave takes center stage.
Best tequila añejoEl Tesoro Anejo Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderOur favorite tequila añejo was El Tesoro Añejo, with its rich mouthfeel and balanced flavor profile. El Tesoro is an authentically made and agave forward añejo. “El Tesoro Añejo is one of my favorite tequilas to recommend to anyone but especially to whiskey lovers,” says Olivo.
This tequila is produced using a stone wheel, or tahona, for processing, which is the traditional method of crushing the cooked agave. The El Tesoro Añejo has flavor notes of sweet cooked agave and a hint of cinnamon. Sometimes a longer barrel aging can overpower a spirit, but this tequila stands out with its balanced flavor profile.
“It’s not too caramel or oak forward, and not as sweet as some other Añejos,” says Levi. Best tequila jovenCazcanes Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderOur favorite Joven tequila was the Cazcanes Joven No. 9 for its unique fermentation process and singular flavor profile.
The Cazcanes Joven No. 9 is an unusual and well-crafted tequila perfect for the adventurous spirit-lover. The people behind Cazcanes come from a wine background, so they take yeast and fermentation very seriously.
This Joven blend uses a malolactic fermentation, which gives the tequila a completely singular scent and flavor profile. “It’s one of the most unique tequilas ever,” Assis says. The first thing you notice with this tequila is the scent.
It has a noticeable funk to the aroma that’s reminiscent of parmesan cheese or buttered popcorn. The taste has the classic cooked agave flavor but with a unique banana bread note. “It may be an acquired taste, however, it’s definitely worth a try,” says Levi.
Right now, Cazcanes is a bit difficult to get outside of California, but if you want a singular bottle that’s like nothing else in your liquor cabinet, you can order a bottle directly from their website. Best tequila for margaritasArette Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderWhen it comes to shaking up a margarita, we love the depth of flavor and reasonable price of the Arette Blanco. This affordable tequila comes from the valley region of Jalisco, so it has a slightly more earthy flavor that holds up well when mixed.
It’s crafted in one of the oldest distilleries in the region by the Orendain family. “Arette is a foolproof selection for cocktails and sipping,” says Olivo. “It’s a great tequila to have at home to share with friends served neat or used for cocktails,” says Levi, “It’s also a great well tequila for a bar.
” Try mixing this tequila up in a margarita, Paloma, or in a simple tequila soda. Best tequila for shotsSiete Leguas Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderOur favorite tequila for shots is the smooth, people-pleasing Siete Leguas Blanco. When it comes to taking tequila shots, it’s best to use an affordable, quality tequila that also tastes good.
Siete Leguas is a smooth, middle-of-the-road tequila that is guaranteed to go down easy and is still tasty enough to be sippable. “It’s a confirmed additive-free, great tequila full of citrus and fruit notes,” says Assis “Siete Leguas is the no-frills, blue-collar, traditionally-made tequila that impresses everyone,” says Olivo. If you’re buying a round of shots for your friends, you can’t go wrong with Siete Leguas.
Best sipping tequilaCascahuin Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderOur favorite sipping tequila is the Cascahuín Tahona Blanco, which uses the traditional stone wheel to enhance the depth of flavor. “This is one of the best tequilas out there,” says Levi. The Cascahuin Tehona takes the classic Cascahuín recipe and improves it by crushing the agave with a tahona, which adds more minerality to the finished tequila.
It’s a smooth, complex, and agave-forward tequila that’s wonderful to sip on. “It has notes of sweet agave, minerals, earth, and citrus zest. It is one of my personal favorites,” says Olivo.
Tequila is traditionally sipped neat at room temperature, but is also nice served chilled over a large ice cube. Best cheap tequilaEl Tequileño; Anna Kim/InsiderThe El Tequileño Blanco takes no shortcuts, but still delivers an affordable and delicious tequila. Because of how long it takes agave to mature, how labor-intensive the production process is, and because it has to be imported, good tequila is not cheap.
Often, the most affordable bottles use additives to cut costs, but not El Tequileño. “I love that they can reach many people by showing them what real tequila is instead of cutting corners,” says Assis. Often described as a classic and a bar cart staple, this tequila is set at an easy-to-stomach price point, while maintaining everything that imparts quality to a pricier tequila.
This tequila has flavor notes of cooked agave with a bit of pepper and citrusy brightness. Levi and Olivo both recommend mixing up a Batanga cocktail using El Tequileño. Best top-shelf tequilaFortaleza Tequila; Anna Kim/InsiderWhen investing in a top-shelf tequila, we recommend the Fortaleza Winter Blend 2021 for its exclusivity and wine cask finish.
The Fortaleza Winter Blend is not an easy bottle to get ahold of but is worth investing in if you can find it. “The winter blend has become Fortaleza’s yearly limited release that showcases how tequila reacts to different types of barrels,” says Assis. The 2021 Winter Blend is finished in French oak barrels that once held Marsala wine.
These barrels impart the tequila with a floral bouquet and added depth of flavor. “You get notes of sweet roasted agave, baking spices, honey, and stone fruits that make for an impressive and refreshing approach to a reposado,” says Olivo. Since it’s an annual release, the 2021 expression may be difficult to find, but the 2022 Winter Blend should make its way to the United States this November.
This year’s blend takes the classic Fortaleza Reposado and mixes it with tequilas aged in Oloroso sherry and uses Hungarian oak barrels that previously aged Tokaji wine. What else we testedHere’s a quick rundown of some of the other tequilas we tasted and why they didn’t quite make the cut:Blanco tequilaTapatio Blanco: A classic highland tequila with notes of cooked agave and pepper. We just barely preferred Siembra Azul in a side-by-side taste test.
Herradura Blanco: Herradura was one of the first 100% agave tequilas available in the United States. It works great for mixing but falls short when sipped neat next to some of the other blancos we sampled. Camarena: A solid blanco tequila at an affordable price point.
It’s a good value, but we preferred the taste of Arette and El Tequileño. Olmeca Altos Plata: The Olmeca altos is an affordable tequila blanco that is well suited for mixing. It stands up well in a cocktail, but we preferred the depth of flavor of Arette.
Cazcanes Still Strength: This is an excellent blanco tequila, but it’s bottled at still proof, which means it’s much stronger in flavor and alcohol content than other unaged tequilas. This Cazcanes expression is not for the faint of heart. Añejo tequilaGran Centenario Añejo: This añejo is affordable and easy to find, but isn’t as smooth or complex as other similar tequilas.
Tapatio Añejo: Tapatio and El Tesoro are made in the same distillery, so it’s no surprise that these two añejos share some similarities. Both are agave-forward and delicious, but the El Tesoro añejo has a prominent vanilla note that we preferred. Tequila Ocho Añejo La Laja 2019: This is another delicious agave-forward añejo that we enjoyed.
In a side-by-side taste test, the El Tesoro just barely edged this one out. 1800 Cristalino Añejo: We found this tequila to be overly sweet with strong vanilla notes and not much character from the agave. Calirosa Añejo: We found this tequila to be overly sweet with notes of chocolate and butterscotch that overwhelmed any agave flavor.
Cazcanes Añejo: Although we loved this añejo expression from Cazcanes, it’s hard to find outside of Southern California. El Tesoro is more widely available and just as good. Reposado tequilaTequila Ocho Reposado La Ladera 2021: The entire Tequila Ocho line is worth checking out, including this delicious reposado.
However, the Fortaleza Reposado is singular in the tequila world. JAJA Reposado: This bottle was citrusy and sweet, but lacked the complexity and depth of the stellar Fortaleza Reposado. Clase Azul Reposado: This tequila is famous for the beautiful ceramic bottle it comes packaged in, but at its high price point, there are much better reposados available for significantly less.
Our tequila testing and research methodologyLisa Romerein/Getty ImagesTo decide on the best tequilas, we talked to bartenders and tasted 30 different tequilas. We began by reaching out to three bartenders and experts on agave spirits: bartender and agave expert Lucas Assis, tequila educator and influencer Mireille Olivo, and agave-focused bartender of 7 years Ashly Levi. They spoke to us about their favorite bottles and what category each type of tequila stood out in.
Production method: The ingredients used and production methods greatly affect the quality of the final product. Was the tequila 100% agave or were there additives? Was the brand transparent about which distillery made the tequila and how it was made? Did they use traditional methods like tahonas (stone rollers,) open-air fermentation, and copper stills?Taste testing: When tasting the tequilas, we tried each tequila neat, noting the color, scent, and taste of each. We looked for any surprising or interesting flavor notes along with overall balance and smoothness.
For each category, to determine our favorites, we sampled multiple tequilas side-by-side when possible. Ultimately, taste is subjective, but every tequila we recommend meets a baseline standard of quality and showcases the depth of flavor and nuance possible with agave spirits. Tequila FAQsWhat’s the difference between tequila and mezcal?Much like how bourbon is a style of whiskey, tequila is a type of mezcal.
Mezcal refers to a broader category of agave-based spirits that can be made in a wide geographical range in Mexico from different varieties of agave. Tequila can legally only be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other nearby municipalities. It can also only be made from Blue Weber agave.
What is tequila made of?Tequila is made from the Blue Weber agave plant. The agave is harvested and then cooked in either a stone oven or an autoclave. It is then ground and fermented with yeast and water.
After the yeast has converted the sugar in the agave to alcohol, it is distilled into a more concentrated spirit with high alcohol content. What cocktails are made with tequila?The most popular tequila cocktails are by far the Margarita and the Paloma. But there are many other tequila-based cocktails, like El Diablo and the White Dragon, that go beyond those two classics.
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From: insider
URL: https://www.insider.com/guides/kitchen/best-tequila
