Tequila Reviews

El Tesoro Reposado is the tequila I hand to bourbon drinkers who claim they don't like tequila. Carlos Camarena's tahona-crushed, copper-pot reposado has converted skeptics in blind tasting after blind tasting. Here's why ex-bourbon barrels and 9-11 months of patience produce the most balanced reposado at any price near $45.

Tapatio Blanco 110 has won more of my blind tastings than any other tequila — 7 of 9 sessions over two years. At 110 proof from Carlos Camarena's La Alteña, the agave concentration is staggering. Here's why traditional production methods produce the flavor density lower-proof blancos can't touch.

From the same Jalisco distillery as some of tequila's biggest names, Wild Common is the boutique brand that's earned its spot at the grown-ups' table.

Bottled at 108 proof—nearly the legal maximum—G4's high-proof blanco is an unfiltered, undiluted expression of what highland agave can truly deliver.

Cascahuin makes tequila for some of the biggest boutique brands. Now their own house expression is demanding—and deserving—the spotlight.

Deep well water from 150 meters underground gives Terralta an earthy, mineral complexity unlike anything else in tequila. This is liquid terroir.

Single-estate, vintage-dated, and terroir-driven—Tequila Ocho is the wine lover's tequila, proving that where agave grows matters as much as how it's distilled.

In the late 1980s, Siete Leguas produced tequila under contract for a new brand called Patron. They parted ways when Patron's growth required compromises Siete Leguas refused to make. Patron became a billion-dollar brand. Siete Leguas became better tequila. Here's why this $50 blanco makes my final-three list.

I blind-tasted Don Julio 1942 against three other añejos, including bottles at one-third the price. The $160 club tequila finished third. Here's what the blind reveals about the difference between authentic tequila character and engineered mass appeal.

The grandson of Don Julio himself returns to traditional roots. Three ingredients, no shortcuts, and the fastest-growing upscale tequila in America.

The most Instagram-famous tequila in the world. That hand-painted ceramic decanter is undeniably gorgeous. But what about the liquid inside? We investigate.

Made by the same master distiller behind ultra-premium Fuenteseca, Cimarron delivers $40 flavor at a $20 price. In a liter bottle. The math is absurd.

Created by bartenders, priced for everyone. At roughly $20, Olmeca Altos is the additive-free workhorse that every home bar needs and every cocktail deserves.

From the third-oldest distillery in the town of Tequila itself, Arette is rapidly replacing Espolon as the budget blanco every enthusiast recommends. And at $20, the math is irresistible.

I tasted Casamigos blind alongside five blancos ranging from $20 to $55. It finished dead last — not because it's offensive but because there's so little to evaluate. Here's why this $45 Clooney-Diageo bottle is engineered for people who don't actually like tequila.