See full version: These Are The 10 Best Tequilas, According To The Masses
Ah, tequila. We love tequila so much that 80 percent of all tequila exports arrive in the United States. The likelihood is, you’ve had a few shots in your day, followed by salt and a lime. If not, surely there’s been a margarita or two, chasing down a Mexican meal.
A bottle of the blue agave distillate from Jalisco Mexico is must in any home bar. But which bottle? There are hundreds of distilleries to choose from. So Ranker asked it’s users which tequila is the fairest of them all. And ten-thousand people voiced their opinion on the matter, leading to a list of ten bottles of tequila worth a try and maybe even worth some space in your home.
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"There are many factors that create a great blanco tequila," explains Jay Turner, senior marketing director of Trinchero Family Estates. "The agave source, the agave crushing method, the agave cooking method, the yeast strain used in fermentation, the fermentation tank, the type of still, the number of times distilled, the water source, and, of course, the master distiller, who utilizes an 'art and science' approach to making a distinctive blanco tequila." here
Organic , delicious and environmentally friendly (the company bottles its spirits in hand-blown recycled glass and labels them with soy ink-printed , recycled paper labels)—what more could you want? 123 Organic Tequila is the brainchild of David Ravandi, a long-time agave grower and artisanal tequila producer. This easy-drinking blanco is produced from 10-year-old agave plants that cook for two days in traditional stone ovens. The juice is then double-distilled for purity and bottled shortly after. Notes of lemon zest, fresh agave, pepper and crushed rocks burst from the spirit’s clean and precise palate. Sip neat, stir into cocktails or do both.
When making cocktails, using a high-quality, yet affordable bottle is key to allow your drink to shine. Don Abraham Organic Blanco offers a happy medium. Flavor-packed, certified organic and estate-grown, this floral-driven tequila is loaded with flavors of peppery fruit, crushed rocks and sweet spice. Pro tip: pour a little on the side and enjoy solo to really experience the tequila’s flavor—then dump a hearty pour into your next cocktail creation. [links]
Who says that great tequila needs to cost a fortune? Espolòn's 100% blue agave blanco is an excellent value. Notes of tropical fruit, citrus zest, ginger and grilled pineapples lead to an elegant, spice-laden finish. At less than $30 a pop, you won’t feel bad mixing this into a cocktail, though the quality is good enough to sip on its own.
Patrón helped to define premium tequila when it launched over a quarter century ago. Everything from the bottle design to the marketing to the higher price tag was meant to reinforce its position as a higher-end spirit, and it worked. Nowadays the premium tequila category is thriving, and Patrón remains one of the best bottles, with the Roca range at the forefront. Roca differs from the standard Patrón lineup in that the piñas are crushed solely using a traditional tahona stone instead of a mill, resulting in a more agave-forward flavor. (Patrón uses a combination of the tahona and mill for its core range.) There are also some limited edition and expensive expressions to try, like Patrón En Lalique, which is aged for eight years in American oak, French oak, and sherry barrels, and comes in a crystal decanter. And check out the Estate Release, a silver tequila made solely from agave grown on the grounds around the distillery. more
Hardcore tequila fans tend to believe diffuser-cooked tequila is an inferior product, but there's an argument to be made that using this technology actually makes tequila cheaper and therefore accessible to more people. For this list, we tried to focus on brands that use traditional methods, with some exceptions. And we couldn't include everything—even George Clooney's baby Casamigos, which was sold off for close to a billion dollars in 2017, didn't make the cut. Ultimately, regardless of whether a brick oven, stainless steel autoclave, or diffuser was used, it's all about taste. So here are ten of the best tequila brands available right now. Try them all and decide for yourself. more
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El Tesoro has the power of Beam Suntory behind it as far as ownership, but the tequila stands strong on its own with a history dating back to the 1930s. From blanco to añejo, El Tesoro produces excellent sipping tequilas, with vegetal notes that play nicely with the sweet agave undercurrent. For something truly special, try El Tesoro Paradiso (featuring a newly redesigned label), a complex extra añejo tequila aged for five years in French oak ex-cognac barrels, which pops on the palate with bursts of vanilla and fruit. El Tesoro claims to be the first tequila brand to use cognac casks for maturation, as well as to create the first extra añejo in the '80s, which it called "muy añejo" at the time. Another extra añejo expression joined the lineup in recent years, a tequila aged for four to five years in ex-bourbon barrels, and there are single barrel reposado bottles available that were selected by master distiller Carlos Camarena himself. more
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Silver tequila is probably the most well-known, and it typically appears perfectly clear in the bottle. This is tequila that’s only aged for a few months, so it doesn’t have time to develop the color and characteristics that come from a longer aging process. Silver tequila is great to drink on its own, but it’s great for mixed drinks as well. It will typically taste sweeter and more refreshing, with a smooth, silky finish.
Añejo tequila can often be recognized by its rich, caramel color, and it must be aged for at least one year (though most are aged three years) to bear the “Añejo” name. This tequila is complex and full-bodied, and is recommended for sipping, though it works great for tequila-oriented takes on classic drinks like a Moscow Mule or Negroni as well.