Types of Tequila:
A Complete Guide for Beginners

New to tequila? Each type of tequila offers its own unique character and drinking experience, from crisp unaged blancos to rich and complex extra añejos.

This comprehensive guide breaks down everything you need to know about the different types of tequila. You'll learn about the distinct aging processes, flavor profiles, and best ways to enjoy each variety.

Plus, we'll share expert recommendations to help you find your perfect bottle whether it’s for yourself or for a gift.

Table of Contents

• What is Tequila?
• The Types of Tequila
• How to Discover the Best Tequila
• Additive-Free vs Organic Tequila
• Frequently Asked Questions About Tequila
• Elevate Your Tequila Experience

What is Tequila?

Tequila is a premium alcoholic spirit that can only be produced in specific regions of Mexico. By law, authentic tequila must be made from at least 51% Blue Weber agave and can only come from five designated states:

• Jalisco,
• Guanajuato,
• Michoacán,
• Nayarit, or
• Tamaulipas.

Jalisco produces the vast majority of tequila, with most distilleries located in the state's distinctive highland and lowland regions.

The basics of production

Tequila is distilled with at least 51% agave and no more than 49% sugar. It gets bottled anywhere from 35% to 55% ABV (alcohol by volume), but in the US it must be sold with at least 40% ABV.

The Rules behind every bottle

All of this is spelled out in a single document: NOM-006-SCFI-2012, the Official Mexican Standard for tequila. It's enforced by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT), and it governs everything from where the agave can be grown to how long each style has to sit in oak.

Interestingly, not all bottles and “types” are captured within these regulations. The standard recognizes five official categories: blanco, joven, reposado, añejo, and extra añejo. Whereas cristalino and still strength are styles the industry created within those rules, rather than separate legal categories of their own.

Ensuring bottles are certified

When you’re shopping for your next bottle, you can check the NOM number to verify it’s a certified bottle, as every certified distillery carries a four-digit NOM number. Two bottles sharing a NOM number came out of the same distillery, no matter how different the branding looks.

Tequila's Fascinating History

During the 1600s, Don Pedro Sánchez de Tagle, known as “the Father of Tequila”, produced “mezcal de tequila” at Mexico’s first large-scale distillery in Jalisco. This early version was essentially the same as mezcal until a major discovery in the 1870s changed everything.

Distillers found that Blue Weber agave produced the best-quality spirit, and the modern tequila industry was born! The spirit gained popularity in the United States during Prohibition, when American tourists discovered it in Tijuana bars and bootleggers smuggled it across the border. This marked the beginning of tequila's journey to becoming the beloved spirit we know today.

The Types of Tequila

We're going to be diving into each type of tequila, but here is a high-level overview. 

Tequila Blanco

Blanco tequila, also known as Plata, silver, or white, is not aged in oak. So, it carries the agave’s natural flavor and characteristics in their purest form, along with the terroir of the region in which it was grown.

Distillers can briefly age this type of tequila in steel or neutral oak tanks for less than two months. This lets flavors settle in while still bringing forward the strongest notes once bottled.

Flavor profile

Blanco tequila has a strong profile and is hotter than other tequilas. It delivers notes of vegetal, grassy, citrus, black pepper, and other spices, along with sweetness from the agave.

How to drink blanco

This type of tequila works well in cocktails, like a Paloma, Margarita, or Ranch Water, since it stands up next to nearly any mixer.

For beginners, blanco is an excellent choice that can seem harsh when sipped neat, so look for extra-smooth brands that deliver complexity without overwhelming heat.

Top Tequila Blanco Bottle Highlights

• Tequila Ocho Plata
• G4 Tequila Blanco
• Volans Tequila Ultra Premium Blanco

Discover other top tequila blanco

Tequila Joven

Joven, which means "young" in Spanish, and sometimes labeled oro or gold, is the one category that’s defined by blending rather than by aging. Distillers take a blanco tequila and blend it with a reposado, añejo, or extra añejo to build a specific flavor profile.

Also, if you’re concerned about what’s added to the tequila, it’s worth knowing that the joven category allows abocantes, the mellowing agents allowed under NOM-006 (technically an additive). That said, a well-made 100% agave joven is a completely different spirit that is elegant in how it provides a different flavor profile from blending.

Flavor profile

Joven tequila provides that beautiful agave profile but with a unique palate and finish. The nose comes with agave, citrus, and vanilla. On the palate, you’ll find more pronounced agave that smooths out with caramel, honey, and a touch of oak. With a medium finish.

How to drink joven

Joven is an excellent type of tequila to have around when you’re looking for an easy mixer that’s your “regular-day” pour. It’s just up from a blanco, so you have slightly more complexity, so it works well in a Tequila Old Fashioned or Tequila Mule. Great for beginners.

Top Tequila Joven Bottle Highlights

• Cazcanes Tequila No.7 Joven
• Montelobos Mezcal Artesanal Ensamble Joven
• Tres Papalote Mezcal Artesanal Joven

Tequila Reposado

Reposado (meaning "rested" in Spanish) bridges the gap between blanco's brightness and añejo's richness. This tequila ages in oak barrels for anywhere from two months to one year, developing incredible complexity while retaining its agave character.

As it ages, it retains the original agave juice notes while developing a unique flavor all its own. The liquid turns to a dark gold as the wood tannins turn to honey and caramel notes, sometimes with a toastiness.

Flavor profile

The natural spicy, citrusy flavors of the tequila still hold but help to create more complex flavors like chili, chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon. You’ll still find agave on the nose and palate, but the aging creates robust nuances that a blanco cannot compete with.

How to drink reposado

This makes reposado an excellent choice for beginners who want to experience aged tequila's complexity without the intensity of longer-aged varieties. Some bottles work well in cocktails, while others shine when savored neat or on the rocks. Great for an elevated cocktail on the weekend, or a sipping experience after dinner.

Top Tequila Reposado Bottle Highlights

• Wild Common Reposado
• ArteNOM 1414 Reposado
• Lagrimas Del Valle Tequila Reposado La Loma

Discover other top tequila reposado

Tequila Añejo

Añejo takes the aging to another level and spends between 1 and 3 years in oak barrels. This is where tequila starts to expand into a highly-elevated sipping experience.

Añejo also happens to be the sweet spot for value in aged tequila. You get real barrel complexity without the price jump that comes with extra añejo's longer maturation.

Flavor profile

Throughout each sip, the agave is apparent but much more subtle, with added layers of vanilla, dried fruit, and baking spice build on top of it. The best añejos hold that balance throughout the nose, palate, and finish.

How to drink añejo

While añejo works well to elevate your cocktails and can substitute in popular rye whiskey cocktails, it’s also aged long enough that you can sip amongst friends and family, like a beautiful whiskey.

Top Tequila Añejo Bottle Highlights

• El Tesoro Añejo Tequila Mundial Collection Yamazaki Edition
• Tequila Ocho Añejo
• Don Julio Tequila 1942

Discover other top tequila añejo bottles

Tequila Extra Añejo

When tequila is aged in oak for over 3+ years, it is considered extra or ultra añejo. Extra añejo represents the pinnacle of aged tequila. Perfect for gifting and wowing any tequila connoisseur.

Classified as a type of tequila in 2006, the relatively new extra añejo needs to be cut with water to reduce its high proof and make it an even smoother spirit.

Flavor profile

This tequila type can be expensive and is often compared to a quality Scotch due to its long aging time, caramel quality, and peatiness. On the nose, you’ll find flavors that other tequilas cannot provide, like darker oak notes, dried charry, and leather that transitions to a more velvety palate and long finish.

How to drink extra añejo

Because of the deep flavor profile and complexities that extra añejo provides, this is almost strictly for enjoying neat or on the rocks, maybe with a couple drops of water, rather than mixed into a cocktail.

Top Tequila Extra Añejo Bottle Highlights

• Jose Cuervo Tequila Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo
• Casa San Matias Tequila Gran Reserva Extra Añejo
• Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo

Discover other top tequila extra añejo

Tequila Still Strength

Still strength tequila offers an authentic, unfiltered experience by bottling the spirit exactly as it comes off the still, without dilution.

This category is defined not by aging but by how it’s distilled. This means higher proof and more intense flavors that showcase the distiller's pure craft. They're perfect for serious enthusiasts who want to experience the spirit's full potential and complexity.

Flavor profile

Tequila Still Strength delivers maximum flavor impact and represents tequila in its most natural state. You’ll get strong agave, black pepper, and citrus throughout the nose and palate, with a long finish.

How to drink still strength

This type of tequila is best used in cocktails that have lots of strong or sugary mixers, as it’ll hold up to several ingredients with a backbone that won’t disappear easily. Or, if you want a cocktail with heavy ice, Still Strength works very well.

Top Tequila Still Strength Bottle Highlights

• Siete Leguas 47 Blanco Tequila Still Strength
• El Tequileño Tequila Still Strength Blanco
• Suerte Tequila Still Strength Blanco

Tequila Cristalino

Tequila cristalino is like an añejo or slightly aged tequila, but it's filtered, usually through charcoal, so that the colors it naturally develops from barrel aging are removed. Woodsy notes are also removed during this process, though the rich mouthfeel and flavors from the barrel remain.

Flavor profile

With a cristalino, you get almost the best of both worlds, with an agave-forward tequila sip that’s slightly soft and also has notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak through the palate and finish.

How to drink cristalino

Cristalino works beautifully in cocktails like Spritzers and Bloody Marys, This type of tequila offers unprecedented versatility and is an amazing choice for beginners who want to expand outside the “safe” bounds and into something with a bit more luxury behind it.

Top Tequila Cristalino Bottle Highlights

• Tierra Noble Tequila 4 Cuarto Cristalino
• Mijenta Tequila Cristalino
• Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila Añejo Cristalino

Discover other top tequila cristalino

How to Discover the Best Tequila

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The best way for beginners to experience tequila

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Flexible options

Choose from flexible subscription options including, 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month plans. And receive carefully selected premium bottles each month. From smooth blancos to rich añejos and complex reposados, the finest sipping tequilas available.

A subscription for connoisseurs that’ll impress

Looking for something even more exceptional? Our Tequila Pro subscription offers the highest quality tequilas and an unparalleled tasting experience, perfect for serious connoisseurs who demand the very best.

Additive-Free vs Organic Tequila

Organic and additive-free are often used like they mean the same thing, but they don’t, and here’s what to actually look for as a beginner or intermediate explorer.

The differences

Organic is a USDA farming certification and it's all about how the agave was grown, which must include no synthetic pesticides, no synthetic fertilizers, and no GMOs.

Additive-free, on the other hand, is about what happens after distillation. NOM-006 lets producers add up to 1% by weight of sweeteners, colorants, glycerin, or flavorings without ever putting it on the label. So a certified organic bottle can still contain them.

Verification is even harder to now, too. In August 2024, the CRT barred brands from printing "additive-free" on their labels. So, the independent Additive Free Alliance launched to inspect distilleries and confirm production methods.

A bottle with both certifications is the gold standard. But if you're only going to check one thing, check additive-free. That's the one shaping what you actually taste.

Discover The Best Additive-Free Tequila Picks from Taster’s Club

Commonly Asked Questions About Tequila

What is the smoothest type of tequila?

Extra añejo typically offers the smoothest drinking experience due to extended aging that mellows harsh edges and creates incredible depth.

However, premium blancos and well-crafted reposados can also provide exceptional smoothness.

The key is choosing high-quality selections that prioritize craftsmanship over mass production.

Pro Tip: If you want to find expertly curated tequila, join the Tequila Subscription from Taster’s Club.

Which Type of Tequila is Best?

The "best" tequila depends entirely on your preferences and intended use! Blanco excels in cocktails and offers pure agave character.

Reposado provides perfect balance for both sipping and mixing.

Añejo and extra añejo shine when savored neat.

Cristalino offers unique versatility.

Is Mezcal a Type of Tequila?

No, mezcal is not a type of tequila, though they share similar origins. All tequila is technically mezcal (since mezcal means "agave spirit"), but not all mezcal is tequila.

Tequila must be made from Blue Weber agave in specific Mexican states, while mezcal can use various agave species and comes from different regions. Mezcal often has smokier flavors due to different production methods.

Discover The 10 Best Mezcals for Beginners, Explorers, & Enthusiasts

What Are Other Affordable Tequila Options?

If you're looking for high-quality tequila that won’t break the bank, there are plenty of great options available! A great beginners bottle for cocktails is Espolón Tequila Blanco. Or check out Astral Blanco Tequila.

Want more? Here are some other bottles under $50. Making it easier than ever to find a top tequila that fits your budget.

Elevate Your Tequila Experience

If you’re ready to elevate your tasting experience, head over to Taster’s Club to discover our curated Tequila selections. Explore the finest tequila spirits and bring a slice of Jalico to your glass today!

Or check out our other Tequila resources:

• How to Drink Tequila: All You Need to Know
• The 11 Best Tequilas for Cocktails
• The Best Gifts for Tequila Lovers
• How is Tequila Made?
• A Taster’s Club Guide to Tequila Glasses

Final Thoughts

Each type brings its own personality and perfect occasions for enjoyment. Remember, the best way to truly understand tequila is through tasting and exploration. Start with different types, pay attention to flavors and aromas, and discover what speaks to your palate.

Ready to explore premium tequilas delivered right to your door?