Tequila Glossary

If the front label doesn't say "100% agave," assume it's a mixto. This is the single most important thing to read on any tequila bottle.

“100% agave” still allows up to 1% undisclosed additives — so it guarantees the sugar source, not purity. It is a floor, not a gold star.

It's the first thing we look for. In our tastings, verified additive-free bottles like Fortaleza and El Tesoro taste of real cooked agave — earthy, peppery, mineral — where additive-heavy tequilas read smooth-but-hollow, like agave-flavoured candy.

Tequila regulations (the NOM, enforced by the CRT) permit up to 1% additives without any label disclosure. “Additive-free” is a voluntary claim, best confirmed by independent testing such as Tequila Matchmaker's.

“Smooth” is not a sign of quality — it's often the additives talking. Sugar and glycerin exist precisely to soften and sweeten a spirit.

Agave is not a cactus. It's closer to a lily, and its slow maturity is why great agave spirits cost what they do.

Pot-distilled tequilas tend to keep more agave weight and texture than lighter column-distilled ones — part of why the traditional producers we rate highest lean on them.

The best añejos never bury the agave under wood. El Tesoro Añejo is our benchmark — a year-plus in ex-bourbon oak, still unmistakably agave underneath.

The 1–3 year window is set by the CRT. Barrels must be oak and no larger than 600 litres.

Autoclaves aren't automatically “bad” — plenty of good tequila uses them — but the fastest, hottest cooking can strip nuance. Slow horno cooking is prized for a reason.

Blanco is our favourite way to judge a distillery. With no oak to lean on, quality is naked: Fortaleza, Siete Leguas, and G4 all shine here.

Want to know if a brand can actually make tequila? Taste the blanco. Barrels can flatter mediocre spirit; blanco can't.

Column distillation isn't a shortcut like a diffuser — it's a legitimate method — but pushed too far it thins out the agave character that makes tequila interesting.

“Cooked agave” is the note we chase in every tasting — that sweet-roasted, slightly earthy character. Its absence is often the first sign of a diffuser-made or additive-smoothed spirit.

Sip good tequila neat from a copita or a small tulip glass, at room temperature. Skip the shot, the lime, and the salt — those exist to mask cheap mixto.

Cristalinos are frequently additive-forward; the sweet, soft profile many carry is a classic sign of permitted additives at work.

Cristalinos are a marketing category, not a quality one. Filtering removes character along with colour, and many are sweetened to compensate — you often pay añejo money for less.

The CRT audits distilleries and inspects agave and production against the Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM). Its oversight is what makes 'tequila' a protected, verifiable term.

This is why an 'agave spirit' from outside the zone isn't tequila — same plant, different (or no) rules. The DO is a guarantee of place.

Diffuser tequila often tastes thin and generically sweet, leaning on additives to fill the gap. It's the opposite of the tahona-made bottles we recommend.

The diffuser is the biggest quality shortcut in modern tequila. It maximises sugar yield and slashes cost, but strips the agave character that cooking and crushing develop. Many big brands rely on it and never say so.

Estate control shows. Producers like El Tesoro and Fortaleza that grow and harvest their own agave tend to deliver the most consistent, expressive spirit year to year.

A great extra añejo rivals fine brandy. Tears of Llorona (five years, multi-cask) is a standout; Tapatio Excelencia proves you don't need celebrity money to drink one.

Requires more than 3 years in oak barrels no larger than 600 litres, certified by the CRT.

You can taste the region. Highland bottles like El Tesoro read bright, citrusy, and floral, where Valley agave runs earthier and more mineral.

Slow horno cooking builds the deep, sweet-roasted agave flavour we prize. It's a hallmark of the traditional producers that top our tequila rankings.

Timing is everything: harvest too early and the agave lacks sugar; too late and it turns. A good jimador's judgement directly shapes the final spirit.

A bottle that just says 'Tequila' (not '100% agave') is a mixto. Put it back.

Mixto is where the 'tequila gives me a hangover' reputation comes from. The added cane sugars and lower agave content — not tequila itself — are usually to blame.

The NOM number is a decoder ring. Multiple 'different' brands sharing one NOM were made at the same distillery — look it up before paying a premium for a story.

The NOM is enforced by the CRT and sets the rules for agave content, region, aging categories, and labelling.

A single piña can weigh 40–100+ lbs. When you taste sweet-roasted agave, you're tasting a cooked piña.

The best reposados let oak support the agave, not smother it. Fortaleza Reposado is our benchmark; El Tesoro keeps things bright and floral.

The 2–12 month window is defined by the CRT.

Distilling or bottling near full strength keeps weight and intensity. Tapatio and El Tesoro's approach shows in the density and length of the finish.

Tahona-crushed tequila often carries a savoury, mineral, almost briny depth. It's the through-line of our favourite bottles — Fortaleza, El Tesoro, Cascahuín all use one.

The tahona is the opposite of the diffuser: maximum character, minimum efficiency. It's why tahona bottles cost more and taste like more.

Fortaleza, a Valley icon, is our shorthand for the style: savoury, peppery, olive-brine agave rather than Highland fruit and florals.