Taster’s Club Best Tequila for Cocktails

Tequila Ocho Plata comes from the finest, overripe agaves in the Highlands of Jalisco and is made in a traditional, slow-cooked method. The distiller’s single-field estate-grown agaves are looked after carefully by the Camarena family, and they carry the essence – or terroir – of the rancho from which it grew. This unaged tequila contains clean, lively, intense aromas of cooked agave, pepper, citrus, grass, and earth, similar, fresh flavors plus mint and tropical fruit, and a long finish. Try it in a Mexican Martini.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Pepper, Mint, Tropical Fruit, Earth | ABV: 40%

2. El Tesoro Blanco Tequila

This blanco tequila from El Tesoro is unaged and bottled immediately after distillation to capture the essence of the distiller’s Highland Blue Weber agave. The minerality of the soil and water shines through in this traditional, agave-forward tequila. It carries a light, delicate character yet offers many flavors and depth. You’ll get rich, sweet, and spicy aromas of pepper, pineapple, earth, and agave, followed by flavors of spicy floral notes, tropical fruit, and briny olives. This is great in a Tequila Sunrise cocktail.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Pepper, Mint, Tropical Fruit, Earth | ABV: 40%

3. Teremana Anejo Small Batch Tequila

From Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana distillery, this Anejo Small Batch tequila made from Blue Weber agave plants is hand-harvested and trimmed, with just the pinas left behind which are roasted for three days in a brick oven. Once the liquid sugar is extracted and fermented in tanks, the alcohol is distilled in handmade copper pot stills. From there, the spirit rests in ex-bourbon barrels for over 12 months with no sugar added. The resulting tequila is a light golden color, with caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla on the nose, along with lemon, pepper, and agave, followed by a sweet, rich brown sugar flavor. Try it in an Anejo Old Fashioned cocktail.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Butterscotch, Custard, Caramel | ABV: 40%

4. Olmeca Altos Plata

Located in the center of Los Altos, Olmeca Altos is a collaboration between master distiller Jesús Hernandez, engineers from Kentucky, and two acclaimed bartenders from the UK. The brand uses the traditional tahona method with its Highlands agave, 60% of which comes from its own estate. Olmeca Altos Plata is the brand’s most traditional expression.

Unaged, with roasted agave, pepper, citrus, spicy, brine, and grassy notes and a long finish, this tequila is recognized for its natural smoothness when sipped, but also for being a top choice tequila for margaritas (according to a Drinks International poll among the top bartenders around the globe). Try one for yourself.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Lime Peel, Wet Cement, Green Bell Pepper | ABV: 40%

5. Espolón Tequila Blanco

Espolón’s Tequila Blanco is clear, with aromas of herbal, grassy notes, and citrus including lemon and pineapple. You’ll taste vanilla and sweet lemon, followed by dry black pepper, and finally a long, dry finish with a savory, sour aftertaste. The brand’s distiller, Cirilo Oropeza, has been in the business for over 50 years and created the stainless-steel pressure cookers used for cooking the agave and extracting sugars to make his tequila. These cookers give the agave more even caramelizing and an overall cleaner spirit than you’ll find from traditional methods. This blanco tequila works well in an Agave Collins cocktail.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Herb, Earth, Floral, Pineapple, Pepper | ABV: 40%

6. Patrón Silver

Patrón is a huge part of tequila’s history – in 1989, when the brand launched, it succeeded in changing the existing public perception of tequila being a low-quality drink to it being an elevated spirit, much like whiskey. Over the next 20 years or so, the iconic beehive bottle was everywhere in bars and liquor stores. Today, it’s still one of the top-selling tequilas. When it comes to its Silver expression, Patrón’s crystal clear, unaged tequila offers a vegetal, earthy aroma of grass, agave, eucalyptus, and green pepper. You’ll taste dry, savory, mineral notes of pepper, agave, anise, and vanilla, followed by a spicy, dry, agave-forward, long, savory finish. The Batanga cocktail is perfect for this classic silver spirit.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Pepper, Marzipan, Dried Fruit, Citrus, Lavender, Chocolate | ABV: 40%

7. Gran Centenario Reposado

Rested in new oak casks, resulting in the perfect balance of taste and smoothness, Gran Centenario’s Mexican top-selling deep gold reposado provides a touch of fruit, like kiwi, on the nose, with sweet tones of cooked agave and light hints of oak, toasted almonds, caramel, vanilla, and clove. You’ll get spice, oak, agave, citrus, and brown sugar on the palate, with a long, oaky, grassy, peppery, and citrusy finish that lingers a while. The distinct, versatile, yet complex spirit is ideal in an El Diablo.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Fruit, Caramel, Spice, Oak | ABV: 40%

8. El Jimador Tequila Silver

Young and fresh, el Jimador Silver tequila’s character is authentic and crisp. Made with 100% hand-harvested Blue Weber agave and double-distilled with sparkling clarity, the clear tequila is unaged and comes with medicinal and herbal notes like freshly-cut grass along with lemon citrus and agave. The same notes carry into the taste, and black pepper and a bit of vanilla show up, too. The drink finishes short and warm, with a strong alcohol taste and some black pepper again. This one’s fantastic in a Ranch Water cocktail.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Apple, Taffy, Tea, Fruit, Pepper | ABV: 40%

9. Codigo 1530 Rosa Reposado Tequila

Código 1530’s first-ever double barrel-aged Rosa-Reposado tequila was developed with country icon George Strait. George had been drinking this private tequila for years and even wrote a song about it. Now, he’s offering this very limited edition bottle of his new Código 1530 Rosa-Reposado Tequila – a special twist to the original blanco – for fans to enjoy. Código 1530 is the first brand to produce a naturally pink-hued tequila by resting its pure blanco expression in the finest French white oak Cabernet wine barrels, and then finishing it in Spanish sherry wine barrels to add extra character and a soft, sweet finish. Try this one in a Reposado Manhattan.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Floral, Red Wine | ABV: 40%

10. Milagro Tequila Reposado

Milagro Reposado is a 100% blue agave tequila rested in American oak barrels for 2-4 months. You’ll enjoy salty, savory, dry, herbal, and woody aromas. Every sip of the light gold Milagro Reposado and its juicy, smooth body delivers delicious notes of brine, citrus, herbal, oak, pepper, spice, warm caramel, and vanilla. The spirit finishes medium-long, with dry, herbal, citrus notes. Milagro Reposado makes an excellent Paloma Rosada cocktail, a bright & fresh take on a traditional Paloma.

Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Caramel, Peach, Black Pepper | ABV: 40%