Taster’s Club’s Tequila Blanco Choices for 2023
Written by Emma C | Updated March 2023
Let Taster’s Club help you discover the versatility of pure, unaged blanco tequilas, perfect for crafting your favorite cocktails or savoring on their own this holiday season. In the sea of new brands, finding the perfect tequila gift can be overwhelming. Ease the uncertainty with our thoughtfully curated Taster's Club top 10 tequila blanco list for 2023. Our experts have tasted through many blanco tequilas to bring you these knockout recommendations that will excite any tequila drinker this holiday. All of these are available in our bottle shop, and in the spirit of the holiday season, we are extending a 5% discount storewide until the end of the year. You can’t go wrong with any of these picks, so grab one or multiple bottles to celebrate during this festive season. Happy holidays!
Best Blanco Tequila Bottles In Our Bottle Shop
1. Próspero Blanco
Rich in aromas and bright tones, Próspero Blanco provides a refreshing, unparalleled flavor of exceptional quality for the price. Created by singer Rita Ora, this San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 Double Gold winning expression contains 100% blue agave from Jalisco’s Lowlands. You’ll get soft, peppery, herbaceous notes, anise, and plenty of agave flavors.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Pepper, Spice, Anise, Herb | ABV: 40%
2. El Tesoro Blanco
This blanco tequila is unaged and bottled immediately after distillation to capture the essence of the maker’s Highland Blue Weber agave. The minerality of the soil and water shines through in this traditional, agave-forward tequila. On the nose, you’ll get aromas of lime, agave, basil, and dill. Flavors are similar, along with cinnamon, spice, and ginger followed by a long, spicy finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Lime, Agave, Spice | ABV: 40%
3. Casa Dragones Blanco
Casa Dragones Blanco is crafted to showcase the purity of the agave and water used in its creation, delivering a tequila that is so crisp and smooth, it’s perfect for sipping on the rocks or for upgrading your favorite signature cocktails. Crystal clear in color and a bit sweet, it contains flavors of pepper, agave, green apple, and clover and aromas of herbs, grapefruit, and green apple. You’ll enjoy a nice, bright, soft, crisp finish with almond notes.
Region: San Miguel de Allende | Tasting Notes: Pepper, Cloves, Apple | ABV: 40%
4. 123 Blanco
Organic agaves are harvested for up to 10 years to create 123 Organic Blanco (Uno) tequila, from which reposado (Dos) and añejo (Tres) tequilas are made. Mature agaves are hand-harvested and the hearts are slowly cooked in stone ovens before being pressed to release their sugary juice. The blanco tequila comes once the natural fermentation and small-batch distillation are done.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Pepper, Vanilla, Pepper | ABV: 40%
5. Tequila Ocho Plata
Tequila Ocha Plata comes from a single-field estate in Jalisco's highlands and is made from the finest, overripe agaves with maximum flavor. In this sipping tequila full of character, you’ll get grassy, vegetal aromas, with a bit of floral, too. Expect deep, concentrated, yet energized flavors and a spicy pepper finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Grass, Floral, Pepper | ABV: 40%
6. Casamigos Blanco
Award-winning Casamigos Blanco Tequila rests for 2 months and is crisp and clean. On the nose, you’ll get smoky, sweet, fruity aromas, followed by a smooth, medium-bodied palate with hints of citrus, vanilla, apple, honey, pepper, and sweet agave, and a medium-length, smooth finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Citrus, Honey, Apple, Vanilla | ABV: 40%
7. Don Julio Tequila Blanco
Don Julio Blanco Tequila is the base from which all of the maker’s other variants are derived. Commonly referred to as “silver” tequila, its crisp agave flavor and hints of citrus make it an essential component to a variety of innovative drinks including margaritas. It can also be enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Citrus, Agave, Grass, Pepper | ABV: 40%
8. Espolón Tequila Blanco
Espolon Blanco is handcrafted with single-sourced 100% pure Blue Weber agave at Destiladora San Nicolas, an artisan distillery owned by Gruppo Campari located in the Los Altos (Highlands) region of Jalisco, Mexico. Master Distiller Cirilo Oropeza brings multiple decades of expertise to the craftsmanship of Espolón, applying as much artistry to the liquid as is found on the label. Espolón was awarded “Best Silver Tequila” and a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Region: Los Altos | Tasting Notes: Agave, Tropical Fruit, Citrus, Pepper, Vanilla Bean | ABV: 40%
9. Herradura Silver
This tequila goes through an extra long American white oak barrel aging process of 45 days past industry standard to deliver its distinctly sweet taste of agave, citrus, black pepper, and subtle oak notes. This creates a light straw color with a unique, robust aroma of cooked agave, earth, vanilla, olive brine, and wood that leaves your mouth feeling smooth and refreshed.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Citrus, Black Pepper, Oak | ABV: 40%
10. Clase Azul Plata
This bright, crisp, and fresh artisinal blanco is from Clase Azul offers smooth, irresistible notes with a touch of sweetness. On the nose, you’ll get aromas of orange, lemongrass, mint, vanilla, green apple, and green tea. Flavors include lemon, vanilla, mint, and a bit of guava.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Lemon, Mint, Guava | ABV: 40%
With Taster’s Club’s best blanco tequila choices for 2023, you can take your pick from our bottle shop with more than enough to choose from whenever the mood strikes. If you’re looking for a more curated experience, though, you can always sign up for a Taster's Club Tequila membership. The club has two tiers to choose from, each offering award-winning selections from today's top tequila makers.
FAQ: Best Blanco Tequila Frequently Asked Questions
What is tequila?
Tequila is a distilled alcoholic spirit made from the agave plant. This mezcal type is only made with Blue Weber agave, also known as agave tequilana, which grows in Mexico. Once the blue agave matures (which usually takes over seven years), jimadors (agave farmers) harvest it by removing the leaves and exposing the hearts (piñas). The hearts are then sent to distilleries to be made into tequila.
Similarly to how bourbon must be produced in the US to be called bourbon, Mexican law states that tequila is only allowed to be produced in Mexico (specifically in the Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán, and Tamaulipas regions).
How is tequila made?
The tequila-making process goes something like this:
- Collect ingredients. There are two main tequila categories, “puro” tequilas made from 100% Blue Weber agave and “mixto” tequilas made from at least 51% agave (and the remaining 49% sugars).
- Ferment. The wash is mixed and the tequila is fermented for 5-7 days. Once it’s ready, it no longer produces vapors or tastes sweet.
- Distill. The tequila is strained to remove any solid material, which can affect its purity. Pot stills are fired up, and the tequila wash goes through two distillations. In the first, there is no separation of the heads, hearts, and tails, while in the second, the distillate is separated.
- Collect distillate. The first 35% of the distillate is discarded (foreshots and heads), the next 30% is kept (hearts), and the remaining 35% is removed from the wash but kept to become its own wash later.
- Age. There is no legal aging requirement, and different tequilas have different aging timelines. That said, blancos typically aren’t aged but rest for up to 60 days, jovens are mixed with aged tequilas, reposados are aged from 2 months to under 1 year, añejos are aged for 1-3 years, and extra añejos are aged for longer than 3 years.
What is the history of tequila?
Tequila goes back to 1000 B.C. when the Olmecs enjoyed a sweet, milky fermented drink called pulque, which came from the agave plant's sap. Later on, the Aztecs adapted pulque for themselves, but it was taken over and appropriated by the Spanish in the 1400s, during their invasion of the Aztecs. They distilled spirits with agave and mud and then, around the early 1600s, the first mass distillery was built by the Marquis de Altamira in Tequila, Jalisco. In 1758, the Cuervo family started to distill tequila, and in 1873 the Sauza family followed suit. Today, Cuervo and Sauza are still two prominent tequilas on the market.
Look no further than Taster’s Club for the Best Monthly Tequila Club!
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