The Hands-Down Best Tequila to Drink Now
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
Americans, particularly the famous ones, are in love with tequila. Year after year, the category continues to grow in the States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. In fact, new data suggests it's overtaken whiskey, and will overtake vodka at some point this year.
Forget about mixto, the subpar blend of agave and sugar juice that inevitably leaves you with a bad hangover. We’re talking 100-percent Blue Weber agave tequila which can only be distilled in five Mexican states, of which the best known is Jalisco. The traditional method of making tequila involves harvesting agave, cooking the piñas (the heart of the plant) in an oven, shredding and crushing them with the tahona (a large stone wheel), and then fermenting and distilling the juice (or mosto). Of course, technology has advanced and many distilleries use more modern methods, replacing the tahona with a roller mill, cooking the pinas using steam in a pressurized autoclave, or even using something called a diffuser to “cook” the agave. A diffuser is basically a giant machine that extracts sugar using hot water (and sometimes sulfuric acid). This results in what some unflatteringly call “agavodka," which is often infused with additives to boost the flavor. Most brands that do this are not open about it, even though it is legally allowed, but there are some that proudly proclaim themselves as being additive-free—you can find a decent list of these here. (We made note of tequilas that claim to be additive-free in this list, but don’t necessarily take their word for it.)
Hardcore tequila fans believe diffuser-made tequila is an inferior product, but some argue that using this technology actually makes tequila cheaper and therefore accessible to more people. Overall, tequila makers aren't very forthcoming about the use of diffusers, which is part of the problem—transparency goes a long way in the spirits industry. For this list, we tried to focus on brands that use traditional methods, with some exceptions. And we couldn't include everything—even George Clooney's baby Casamigos, which was sold to Diageo for close to a billion dollars in 2017, didn't make the cut. Ultimately, regardless of whether a brick oven, stainless steel autoclave, or diffuser was used to make the tequila, it’s all about taste. So here are some of the best tequila brands available right now, followed by some newer entries into the tequila world that are worth knowing about.
Get the latest intel on which bottles of booze are worth your hard-earned cash. Join Esquire Select.
Patrón
Patrón helped define the premium tequila category when it launched over a quarter century ago. Everything from the bottle design to the marketing to the higher price tag was meant to reinforce its position as a higher-end, club-worthy spirit, and it worked. Nowadays the premium tequila category is thriving, and Patrón (now owned by Bacardi) remains one of the best, with the Roca range at the forefront. Roca differs from the standard Patrón lineup in that the piñas are crushed solely using a traditional tahona stone instead of a mill, resulting in a more agave-forward flavor. (Patrón uses a combination of the tahona and mill for its core range.) More recent releases include the Ahumado Silver and Reposado expressions, made to appeal to mezcal drinkers by smoking the agave with mesquite; El Alto, which is a high-end blend of ages from reposado to extra anejo; and El Cielo, another premium expression that is distilled four times instead of twice.
Casa Noble
Casa Noble is one of several organic-certified tequila brands, but that’s not why it’s good. No, this is good tequila because it’s a crisp, spicy, flavorful, and very versatile spirit. The brand underwent a redesign in 2021, changing the bottles from their former squat, boxy shape to more elegant decanter-style glass. The liquid has been updated as well, with a focus on barrel selection and blending, and eliminating the single barrel releases you could once find. According to founder and master distiller Jose “Pepe” Hermosillo, this means the reposado and anejo expressions are created by “selecting different barrels according to characteristics and integrating up to 14 lots to create complexity and balance.” These aged expressions spend a longer amount of time maturing than some other brands, with the anejo aged for two years in French oak barrels and the reposado for 364 days. All of the tequila is triple distilled, and the distillery implements many sustainable practices. Marques de Casa Noble came out in 2022, a blend of 12 extra anejo and 9 anejo tequilas matured from one to five years in specially selected French oak barrels that were aged for three years before being filled.
El Tesoro
El Tesoro, part of the Beam Suntory family, has a long history dating back to the 1930s. From blanco to añejo, El Tesoro produces excellent sipping tequilas, with vegetal notes that play nicely with the sweet agave undercurrent. For something truly special, try El Tesoro Paradiso, a complex extra añejo tequila aged for five years in French oak ex-cognac barrels that pops on the palate with bursts of vanilla and fruit. El Tesoro claims to be the first tequila brand to use cognac casks for maturation, as well as creating the first extra añejo in the '80s, which it called "muy añejo" at the time. The Mundial Collection started out with the Laphroaig Edition, a single barrel reposado finished in scotch casks from that Islay distillery that added a subtle smokey layer to the palate. Last fall, the 85th Anniversary bottle was released in collaboration with Jim Beam master distiller Fred Noe, an extra anejo tequila aged for a full three years in Booker’s 30th Anniversary barrels which previously held bourbon for up to 16 years.
Espolòn
Espolòn, part of the Campari America family, is an inexpensive tequila option that sips far beyond its price point with prominent notes of agave and spice. The distillery, located in the Highlands of Jalisco, cooks the piñas in modern autoclaves instead of traditional ovens. The tequila is then distilled in both pot and column stills, and the aged expressions use smaller virgin American oak barrels with a lighter No. 2 char, although the añejo is rested for an additional two months in heavily charred barrels that once held Wild Turkey (also owned by Campari). The latest permanent addition to the Espolòn lineup is the Cristalino expression, a blend of anejo and extra anejo that has been charcoal filtered to remove the color but keep the flavor picked up from several years in oak barrels. Overall, Espolòn is a solid option if you’re looking for a dependable tequila that doesn’t cost much.
Tapatío
This is another excellent tequila produced at the La Alteńa distillery by the Camarena family, where El Tesoro and other brands are also made. But Tapatío was the first, and has remained a dependable tequila since its founding in 1940. There are expressions ranging from blanco to extra anejo, with a stronger 110 proof blanco in the mix as well. That unaged tequila is spicy, earthy, and full of agave and citrus notes–good enough to sip and fantastic in any cocktail–while the reposado and anejo expressions are aged in used bourbon barrels. The extra anejo is one that you might have to search for, as the first batch from Charbay (Tapatío’s American importer) sold out. According to the brand, it is aged for five years in barrels, and then rests in glass jugs for an additional decade… so it might be a while before this comes out again.
Don Julio
Don Julio is probably best known for its 1942 expression, a high-priced anejo tequila that is a staple of bottle service at clubs around the world. But the brand has a lot more going for it than that, including a core lineup of blanco and aged tequilas, a cristalino, and a few other luxury bottles. Primavera is a reposado that was aged for eight months and then finished in European oak barrels that previously held orange wine. Ultima Reserva is an extra anejo aged using the solera method and finished in madeira wine barrels. And the new Rosado is the latest entry in the expanding pink tequila category–this one was matured in ruby port barrels for four months to infuse it with color and flavor.
El Tequileño
El Tequileño is a respected brand that is sometimes overlooked by tequila drinkers, although some of the newer expressions it has launched are getting more attention. The blanco is a classic, known for being the choice of Don Javier of the La Capilla Cantina to use in his La Batanga cocktail (tequila, lime, Mexican cola). As far as aged expressions, definitely try the Reposado Rare, aged for six years and four months in large American oak pipons (this can’t be called an extra anejo because of the barrel size). And the excellent Anejo Gran Reserva launched in 2021, aged for two years in American and French oak barrels and blended with some extra anejo tequila that spent six years in American oak. If you want to visit the distillery, you can now stay at the Casa Salles Hotel Boutique located just next door.
Código 1530
These days, it wouldn’t be a tequila roundup without at least one celebrity-backed brand on the list. And one of the best in that category is Codigo 1530. Country music legend George Strait is the star power behind the brand, although admittedly his stake is relatively small. The bottom line is that this is good tequila, with the Rosa expression standing out in particular. It’s aged for one month in Napa Valley Cabernet French oak wine barrels that have not been charred, infusing the blanco with both color and flavor. If you have deep pockets, you can now find a 13-year-old extra anejo tequila from Codigo, with just 350 bottles available at $3,300 a pop. This tequila was finished for an additional six months in cognac casks after more than a decade in wine barrels. There’s also the expensive Playboy Rare Hare Anejo Conejo release, another anejo that was initially aged in Cabernet wine barrels and finished in cognac casks.
Teremana
Another celebrity-backed tequila worth mentioning is The Rock’s Teremana, which has exploded in popularity to become one of the fastest growing spirits brands ever since its founding in 2020, according to the brand. In fact, it was recently announced that sales surpassed one million cases, which is a whole lot of tequila. The brand now has its own distillery, which seems to be an offshoot of an already existing location that is dedicated to the production of Teremana. There are three expressions available, but don’t be surprised if you see additions to the lineup in the future.
Tequila Ocho
If you’re interested in the concept of terroir and vintage in tequila, Ocho is a good brand to explore. Each batch of this single estate tequila is produced from a specific field or rancho, and the year of production and the name of that field are both included on the bottle’s label. There are expressions from plata to extra anejo available, as well as some single barrel offerings in the anejo and extra anejo categories that are bottled at cask strength of 109.6 proof. Tequilero Carlos Camarena (also responsible for El Tesoro and Tapatio) created this brand along with the late Tomas Estes, two people who have been involved in the tequila business for quite some time. Check out Puntas, an overproof plata expression made from agave harvested from Camarena’s own family rancho. “Puntas” means distiller’s cut, referring to the spirits taken from a particular point in the distillation process. The brand also recently opened a new distillery called Los Alambiques with a visitor center, restaurant, and underground tasting room in the barrel cellar.
Volcan De Mi Tierra
This brand has been around for about 20 years, but was revamped and relaunched by Moet Hennessy in 2017. There are blanco, cristalino, and reposado expressions available, with the latter spending 135 days in American and European oak casks. According to Volcan, all of the tequila is additive free. The Blanco Smoke expression is said to be inspired by the volcano that towers over the agave fields of the Highlands, and is finished for ten days in peated Islay whisky casks (safe to assume these are from Ardbeg, which is also owned by Moet Hennessy). This gives the tequila a whiff of smoke on the palate, far from the assertive nature of many mezcals but noticeable nonetheless. And Volcan X.A is now available nationwide, a high-end blend of different aged tequilas that is meant to compete with other ultra premium bottles.
G4
This is yet another brand from the Camarena family. The tequila is additive free, it’s made using both rainwater and well water for distillation, and a converted steamroller is employed to crush the agave pinas. There are a range of expressions from blanco to extra anejo to try, including a new six-year-old tequila that was aged in George Dickel Tennessee whiskey barrels. Despite that lengthy maturation period, this tequila is still light and not overly oaky, which according to the brand is due to aging the spirit in the damp cellars underneath the distillery.
Costa Tequila
This tequila launched in 2019, and is made from a “Hi/Lo” blend of agave grown in the Highlands and the Lowlands of Jalisco. According to the brand, each brings different unique flavors to the palate - fruitier, sweeter notes from the Highlands, pepper and spice from the Lowlands. There are three expressions available, a blanco, reposado, and anejo. And most recently a tequila-based coffee liqueur was added to the lineup called Costa Cafe, which is meant to expand your tequila cocktail options past the classic Margarita.
Tequila Zarpado
Latitude Beverage, the company behind Wheel Horse Whiskey, came out with this new tequila brand a few years ago, starting off with a blanco expression. More recently, a reposado was released, aged for three to four months in ex-bourbon barrels. The tequila is made using a combination of traditional practices and “the family’s own methods,” which involves slow cooking in an autoclave and double distillation in alembic stills. This tequila is tasty and is priced right at below $40 per bottle.
Tequila Cenote
This brand, owned by the Stoli Group, launched a few years back in 2018. Master distiller Arturo Fuentes brings a long history in tequila, as well as experience in cognac, to the table for this brand which has a lineup of aged expressions, a cristalino, and the new Ahumudo. This is an interesting release, made more like mezcal than tequila–the agave pinas are roasted in a pit oven using wood fire to infuse it with smoky flavor. It’s then aged for two months in barrels, making this reposado an interesting alternative to try in your next cocktail.
Hiatus Tequila
Hiatus is made at the same distillery as other respected brands like Casa Noble, Mi Campo, and Elvelo. The brand keeps things simple without sacrificing quality, relying on more traditional production methods to produce its blanco, reposado, and anejo tequilas. The blanco is filtered and oxygenated for 24 hours before bottling, which the brand says smooths and balances the flavor out a bit. If you haven’t tried Hiatus before, give this bottle a taste to see what you think.
Cierto Tequila
This is a new luxury tequila brand that launched here in the U.S. this past winter with four Private Collection expressions ranging from blanco to extra anejo. The aged tequilas are all matured in French Limousin oak (which previously held wine, cognac or armagnac) for longer than usual amounts of time, bringing a depth of flavor and notes of oak, spice, and vanilla to the palate. The brand says the tequila is all additive free, meaning the color and flavor came from the wood alone and making these sipping tequilas worth a try if you’re willing to splurge.
Astral Tequila
This brand was founded by sommelier Richard Betts in 2006–fun fact, originally Jonathan Goldsmith (aka the guy from those Dos Equis “most interesting man in the world” commercials) appeared in the ad campaign for the brand. But Diageo acquired it along with some other brands in 2020, and it recently relaunched the tequila and introduced reposado and anejo expressions to the lineup. A combination of traditional and modern processes are used to produce the tequila–so in addition to a tahona stone, a diffuser is also used to extract the sugar from the agave. The reposado is aged for five months and the anejo for 12, so give them both a try to see how they compare to others you might enjoy.
Tequila Komos
This luxury brand, which was also founded by Richard Betts, currently has a lineup of three tequilas: Anejo Cristalino, aged for a year in French oak white wine barrels before being filtered; Reposado Rosa, aged for 65 days in French red wine barrels to infuse it with pink color and fruit flavors; and Extra Anejo, aged in both wine and whiskey barrels. And the release of the Anejo Reserva was just announced, a tequila aged for a full year in white wine, sherry, and bourbon barrels before being blended together.
Cantera Negra
This premium tequila is made at the same distillery as the aforementioned Zarpado, with no sugar or coloring added to the spirit according to the brand. It has been around for decades, but as of last fall Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits has partnered with the brand. There are four core expressions, with the aged tequilas made up of bourbon and cognac cask-matured tequila. The reposado has a bit of anejo in the blend to add some more complexity. And there are a few other products as well, including Viva Agave and Cafe, a blend of coffee and blue agave spirit.
Santo Tequila
Yep, this is the tequila brand founded by Sammy Hagar and Guy Fieri–but the rockstar (who also has his own Cabo Wabo brand) and chef, along with master distiller Juan Eduardo Nunez, have actually created a pretty solid entry into the crowded tequila field. The lineup started out with a blanco, reposado, and what it calls the world’s first mezquila (a blend of tequila and mezcal), but it’s about to launch a new anejo expression as well. Santo is certified additive free by Tequila Matchmaker.
Clase Azul
There are luxury tequila brands, and then there are seriously high-end luxury brands—Clase Azul definitely qualifies as the latter. Every expression, from the blanco to the extra anejo, comes in a handmade ceramic decanter that people often keep as works of art once the liquid is gone. Be prepared to pay top dollar for these bottles, especially when it comes to the aforementioned Ultra extra anejo, or one of the many limited-edition releases like the Dia de Muertos edition.
Mayenda
This new brand comes from Campari, the company that owns the eponymous bright red amaro as well as Wild Turkey and Espolon. What separates this from the rest is that freshly cooked agave is macerated in the base distillate to add some extra flavor, and then miel (syrup from the cooked agave) is blended into the tequila–no sugar or other additives are used, according to the brand. The result is a peppery, earthy, sweet, and citrusy blanco. That’s the only tequila released by Mayenda so far, but there could be more expressions to come in the future.
Lalo
This is one of the best new entries into the tequila world from the past few years. Lalo was founded by the grandson of Don Julio Gonzalez, and is named after him (Eduardo “Lalo” Gonzalez). So far there is only a blanco, and it’s one that is equally good sipped as it is mixed, with a palate that is crisp, earthy, and complex. Lalo says that the tequila is additive free and made using traditional methods.
Espanita
The newest member of the Espanita lineup is the Double Barrel-Aged Reposado, which is aged first in American white oak barrels, and then in “freshly dumped” bourbon barrels for another two to four months. This joins the core family of blanco, reposado, and anejo tequilas, which are double distilled in alembic pot stills. Whiskey fans should give the Double Barrel expression a try to see if they can pick up those extra notes of oak and vanilla.
Corazón
This brand is owned by Sazerac, the same company behind the Buffalo Trace Distillery. So it makes perfect sense that each year there are some limited releases that are matured in barrels used to age some of the most coveted whiskeys from the distillery. The newest are the Eagle Rare 17 Anejo (aged for 17 months in those barrels) and the Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Anejo (which spent 19 months in those casks). The two expressions are very good, with lots of oak and whiskey-like character that doesn’t overpower the agave at the core. If you’re having trouble finding those, give the more readily available lineup a try instead.
Tears of Llorona
This is another expensive brand, but it’s arguably worth the high sticker price. Master Distiller Germán González Gorrochotegui is the man behind this tequila, and he is committed to producing additive free spirits and using his own unique maturation process–the tequila is aged in scotch, brandy, and sherry casks for a total of five years and then blended together. This is definitely a tequila for whiskey drinkers, but that doesn’t mean the agave character is hidden at all.
Alma del Jaguar
This is brand-new tequila entering the scene here in the U.S., an additive-free release that is launching with blanco and reposado expressions, with an anejo to come in the future. Production involves brick ovens, roller mill extraction, and copper pot stills, and fermentation is from a mix of wild and champagne yeast. There are several people behind this new brand, including entrepreneur McCauley Williams who was inspired by his wildlife photographer uncle to donate some of the profits to jaguar conservation efforts in Mexico.
You Might Also Like
