Try These Top 10 Tequila Cristalino Picks in 2024
Written by Emma C | Updated April 2023
For those who appreciate the finer nuances of tequila, cristalino represents the pinnacle of refinement and complexity. These tequilas start as añejos or extra añejos and undergo a charcoal filtration process that removes color while maintaining (and sometimes enhancing) the flavor. The result is a crystal-clear spirit that's as beautiful to behold as it is delightful to sip.
In 2024, Taster's Club has once again brought together a panel of seasoned tequila experts to taste and evaluate a variety of cristalinos. After rigorous tastings and debates, we've narrowed it down to the top 10 selections now available in our bottle shop. Here's what made the cut:
Top 10 Tequila Cristalino Recommendations In Our Bottle Shop
1. Maestro Dobel Tequila Diamante
Maestro Dobel Diamante is the original Cristalino. Blended extra añejo, añejo, and reposado tequilas are aged in Balkan new white wood barrels, then filtered again to retain an elegant flavor. This Cristalino tequila has a mild oak aroma with a touch of vanilla, along with citrus and prickly pear flavor and a smooth, crisp, clean finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Citrus, Prickly Pear | ABV: 40%
2. El Tequileño Tequila Cristalino Reposado
El Tequileño Cristalino begins with premium, mature Blue Agave from the Los Altos region of Jalisco. This is combined with the mineral rich water from El Volcan de Tequila and distilled in copper pot stills. The spirit is rested for four months in American oak and expertly filtered to produce a tequila crystal clear in appearance. It has elegant notes of cooked agave, caramel, mango, and orange on the nose, and cooked agave, vanilla, light oak, tropical fruit, and caramel on the palate.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Vanilla, Oak, Fruit, Caramel | ABV: 40%
3. Don Ramon Tequila Añejo Cristalino
Tequila Don Ramón Platinium Cristalino Añejo is double-distilled and aged in American oak barrels for 12 months. Further time spent with a proprietary finishing method results in a smooth, richer taste and robust profile. Made from 100% Blue Agave from the highlands of Jalisco, this cristalino clear spirit is buttery, aromatic, and well-defined. A sip reveals a meritage of spices and wood, while the long rest awakens the deeper notes of nuts and vanilla.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Wood, Spice, Nut, Vanilla | ABV: 35%
4. Tierra Noble Tequila Cristalino
The mixture of the rarest and most peculiar reposados is the whim of the master distiller who gives life to Tierra Noble Cristalino. The spirit’s unique attributes appear in the distillation process after its idyllic time in the barrel. The result is a combination of cooked agave, black pepper, and mineral flavors.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Pepper, Minerals | ABV: 40%
5. 1800 Cristalino
1800 is a groundbreaking next step in the chapter of tequila. It's aged for 16 months in two batches of American and French oak barrels, blended and finished in port wine casks, rested for another six months, and carefully filtered for clarity and smoothness. You’ll get smooth aromas of anise and vanilla, flavors of white oak, cherry, vanilla, and black pepper, and a short, sweet, slightly peppery aftertaste and finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Oak, Cherry, Vanilla, Pepper | ABV: 40%
6. Herradura Cristalino
Beyond smooth, the crisp taste of Herradura Ultra starts with one of the maker's finest añejos, filtered to remove color and enhance smoothness. Prior to filtering, a subtle hint of pure agave nectar is added, giving ultra subtle notes of cooked agave, caramel, and honey with toasted almonds and a finish that’s beyond smooth.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Agave, Caramel, Honey, Almond | ABV: 40%
7. Don Julio 70 Cristalino
Don Julio 70 Cristalino marks the world’s first clear añejo, pioneered by its founder Don Julio González’s 70th anniversary of tequila making. The expression embodies the rich complexity of a traditional añejo in a spirit that’s twice-distilled and aged to perfection for 18 months in American white oak barrels, then carefully charcoal filtered to restore the crop’s agave flavor found in blanco tequila. You’ll get floral, honey, agave, and vanilla aromas, followed by smooth vanilla, oak, and caramel flavors.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Oak, Caramel | ABV: 40%
8. Maestro Dobel Tequila 50 Extra Añejo Cristalino
Maestro Dobel 50 Extra Añejo Cristalino is aged in American and Eastern European oak barrels for a minimum of 3 years. The quality of the liquid is evident from the long drops that collect to form pronounced legs on the sides of the glass. On the nose, caramel, honey, cooked agave, and dried fruit emerges, with hints of chocolate, tobacco, and sweets that make for an enticing, aromatic scent. You’ll taste more dried fruit, pineapple, pumpkin, vanilla, and spice, followed by herbal notes and a touch of freshness and lightness with a hint of lingering vanilla and nutmeg on the finish.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Dried Fruit, Pineapple, Vanilla, Spice | ABV: 40%
9. Volcan De Mi Tierra Tequila Añejo Cristalino
Crafted by Master Distiller Anna Maria Romero Mena, this tequila is a blend of one-year-old tequila aged in ex-whisky barrels and three-year-old extra añejo tequila aged in cognac casks. It’s then filtered until it's clear again. You’ll get soft floral aromas along with clove and celery on the nose, followed by similar flavors and oak, almond, and hazelnut.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Floral, Clove, Oak, Nut | ABV: 40%
10. El Mayor Tequila Cristalino
This cristalino is an añejo tequila aged for a minimum of 12 months and filtered using ultra fine charcoal. The result is a spirit with the complexity and character of an añejo and the crisp, bright notes and color of a blanco. On the nose, you’ll get fruity aromas with agave, and on the palate you’ll get notes of vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, chocolate, and char.
Region: Jalisco | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Cinnamon, Chocolate, Char | ABV: 40%
Now that you have this helpful Taster’s Club best cristalino tequila list for Valentine's day, you'll be prepared at a moment's notice with the top bottles for any occasion, all easily available from our online shop. 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.
Tequila Cristalino FAQs
What is tequila cristalino?
Tequila cristalino is like an añejo (aged) tequila, but it's filtered (often through charcoal) to remove the colors it naturally takes on from aging in a barrel. This process also removes some of the woodsier notes yet still retains the rich flavors and mouthfeel from the barrel. The final product has an añejo's character and complexity and a blanco's brightness.
How is tequila made?
To make tequila, ingredients are first collected to create "Puro” tequilas, which are entirely made from 100% Blue Weber agave, or “mixto” tequilas, which are composed of at least 51% agave with the rest being sugars. Then, the tequila wash gets mixed and fermented for about 5-7 days and strained to remove solid material that can affect its purity.
From there, the wash goes through a first distillation without separating the heads, hearts, and tails, and second, separate, distillation. If the tequila is aged, like an añejo or extra añejo, it happens at this stage.
What is tequila's history?
Around 1,000 B.C., pulque - a fermented, milky beverage from agave sap - was enjoyed by the Olmecs. Later, the Aztecs made their own version during the 1400s and the Spanish invasion. Spirits were distilled with mud and agave until the 1600s, centuries later, in Tequila, Jalisco, when Marquis de Altamira built the first mass distillery. In 1758, the Cuervo family began making tequila, followed in 1873 by the Sauza family. Today, the two family businesses are still prominent in the industry.
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Tequila Cristalino FAQs
What is tequila cristalino?
Tequila cristalino is like an añejo (aged) tequila, but it's filtered (often through charcoal) to remove the colors it naturally takes on from aging in a barrel. This process also removes some of the woodsier notes yet still retains the rich flavors and mouthfeel from the barrel. The final product has an añejo's character and complexity and a blanco's brightness.
How is tequila made?
To make tequila, ingredients are first collected to create "Puro” tequilas, which are entirely made from 100% Blue Weber agave, or “mixto” tequilas, which are composed of at least 51% agave with the rest being sugars. Then, the tequila wash gets mixed and fermented for about 5-7 days and strained to remove solid material that can affect its purity.
From threre, the wash goes through a first distillation without separating the heads, hearts, and tails, and second, seperate, distillaton. If the tequila will be aged, like an añejo or extra añejo, it happens at this stage
What is tequila's history?
Around 1,000 B.C., pulque - a fermented, milky beverage from agave sap - was enjoyed by the Olmecs. Later, the Aztecs made their own version during the 1400s and the Spanish invasion. Spirits were distilled with mud and agave until the 1600s, centuries later, in Tequila, Jalisco, when Marquis de Altamira built the first mass distillery. In 1758, the Cuervo family began making tequila making, followed in 1873 by the Sauza family. Today, the two family businesses are still prominent in the industry.
Now that you have this handy top 10 tequila cristalino list, you'll be prepared at a moment's notice for friends, family, or other unexpected guests you may want to impress. Or, pick a bottle, put your feet up, and enjoy it for yourself. You can also join our tequila club, which makes the entire decision, order, and shipment effortless, every month. You get a fun surprise, we take care of the rest.
