We Tasted Hundreds of Tequilas. These Are the Best for Sipping Neat
The signature spirit of Jalisco, Mexico, tequila is on the tips of everyone’s tongues—literally. It’s poised to become the top liquor category in the U.S. before the end of the year, according to the 2023 Growth Brands Awards.
“Tequila is one of the fastest-growing spirits globally, and experts anticipate this growth to continue into the next decade," says Lander Otegui, SVP of marketing at Proximo Spirits, producer of Jose Cuervo. "In fact, according to IWSR, tequila recently overtook whiskey to become the second most valuable spirit in the United States, and it is set to surpass vodka by the end of 2023.”
To be sure, it’s buoyed by our aggressive margarita consumption and a slate of celebrity brands hitting the market, seemingly every other week. (Earlier this year, The Rock celebrated selling one million cases of his tequila, Teremana.)
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The truth of the matter is good sipping tequila is downright delicious—and there happens to be more top shelf stuff to choose from than ever before. Our top pick for the 2023 Men's Journal Spirits Awards, El Tequileño Reposado Rare, is the perfect middle ground between the best añejo and reposado tequilas on the market.
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Best Sipping Tequila at a Glance
- Overall Best Sipping Tequila: El Tequileño Reposado Rare
- Best Blanco Sipping Tequila: Tequila Ocho Plata Puntas
- Best Reposado Sipping Tequila: Quintaliza Reposado
- Best Añejo Sipping Tequila: Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva
- Best Celebrity Sipping Tequila: Flecha Azul Blanco
- Best Rosa Sipping Tequila: Celosa Rose
- Best Single Barrel Sipping Tequila: El Tesoro Single Barrel Reposado
- Best Craft Sipping Tequila: Lagrimas de Valle 2022 Palo Verde Plata
- Best Delicate Sipping Tequila: Casa Noble Blanco
- Best Complex Sipping Tequila: Fortaleza Tequila Reposado
- Best Refreshing Sipping Tequila: Calirosa Reposado
- Best Sherry-Aged Sipping Tequila: Lobos 1707 Añejo
- Best Impressive Sipping Tequila: Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas Anejo
Best Sipping Tequila of 2024
Best Overall Sipping Tequila: El Tequileño Reposado Rare
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This legendary producer from the actual town of Tequila is crafting a reposado unlike any other. To age this 80-proof elixir, the distillery utilizes a massive, 25,000-liter American oak barrel known as a pipón.
It slumbers in the vessel for some six years, developing a range of funky wildflower honey and caramelized orchard fruit tonalities along the way. On the finish its nimble, with nectarine and candied citrus. All in all, El Tequileño Reposado Rare offers the richness of an añejo but with the firm agave underpinnings of a gently rested reposado.
Best Blanco Sipping Tequila: Tequila Ocho Plata Puntas
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If you’re confused by this tequila’s name, that’s OK. Puntas isn’t a type. It refers to the point of the distillation run in which the spirit is found—right in between the head and the heart. This overproof version of Tequila Ocho Plata (50.5 percent ABV) is loaded with ripe agave flavor as well as tropical fruits, caramel, and toasted vanilla beans.
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Best Reposado Sipping Tequila: Quintaliza Reposado
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This well-crafted repo receives a secondary maturation in ex-coffee barrels. The unique aging process results in a roasted, chocolatey nose, as you might suspect. And yet, Quintaliza Reposado retains a verdant, vegetal essence in each sip. Despite the unconventional cooperage, this is a liquid distilled by a firm traditionalist: fourth-generation maestra tequilera Iliana Partida. Her deep-rooted knowledge and expertise is evident in every sip of this eminently complex 80-proof spirit.
Best Añejo Sipping Tequila: Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva
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We've been eagerly awaiting a special release like Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva, another stunner from the storied brand. The añejo was aged for 18 months in American oak, French oak, acacia wood, and cherry wood barrels. This results in a slightly spicy tequila with notes of cinnamon, chocolate, oak, vanilla, and dried fruits.
Best Celebrity Sipping Tequila: Flecha Azul Blanco
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In a world increasingly populated by white celebrity brand owners, Flecha Azul stands apart. Founded by pro golfer Abraham Ancer and Aron Marquez, Flecha Azul Tequila is produced, owned, and operated by a multi-generational family. They've been making tequila since 1840—starting with Flecha Azul Blanco, which is crisp, refreshing, and bright, leaning on agave’s sweetness.
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Best Rosa Sipping Tequila: Celosa Rose
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Rosa tequila is a popular new subcategory of the spirit. These pink-hued liquors age in red wine barrels. Celosa Rosa, a newcomer to American shelves, is probably the most stellar example so far. Ultra-premium agave from the Jalisco Highlands is distilled and aged in French oak red wine barrels from Napa Valley. There’s an intense cherry top note to this one. But even more magical is the tequila’s velvet-like texture that goes down effortlessly in a neat pour.
Best Single Barrel Sipping Tequila: El Tesoro Single Barrel Reposado
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El Tesoro master distiller Carlos Camarena holds many titles and distinctions. He’s a fifth-generation tequila maker, a third-generation master distiller, and also the CEO of El Tesoro. His liquid is incredible, and perhaps none is so great as the Single Barrel Reposado. Camarena picks a few select barrels of reposado tequila that shine above the rest, meaning they’re both unique and exceptional.
El Tesoro Single Barrel Reposado, which boasts minerality and green nuances on its own, ages in ex-bourbon casks for nine to 11 months before it heads to your shelf. It’s perfectly balanced, and should be consumed neat—and with respect.
Best Craft Sipping Tequila: Lagrimas de Valle Plata
Lagrimas del Valle is a craft brand concerned with the terroir of tequila. Its expressions celebrate the distinct tonalities of a single agave ranch. In fact, each release is a vintage harvested from one specific field of the plant.
This particular Lagrimas de Valle Plata sings soulfully with a true sense of place. It's mineral-forward, with slate, clay, and a tinge of metallic zing that struts along the sides of the mouth. Then, out of nowhere, a touch of tropical fruit flexes its muscles. It all makes for one memorable sip.
Best Delicate Sipping Tequila: Casa Noble Blanco
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Casa Noble recently underwent a rebrand, highlighted by graceful bottles that sit pretty atop any top shelf. But no need to worry—the liquid within is just as elegant as ever. Certified organic blue agave plucked from the fertile soil of Jalisco is responsible for the vegetal underpinnings of the standout Casa Noble Blanco. The liquid also benefits from triple distillation, which adds a soft, creamy mouthfeel and citrus zest to its pleasing finish.
Best Complex Sipping Tequila: Fortaleza Tequila Reposado
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Sure, you’ll pay a premium for this rich and robust Fortaleza Tequila Reposado. In exchange, you’ll be getting the most complex sipping tequila you’re likely to ever encounter. The aromatics are blessed by caramel-coated apples, burning sage, and everything in between.
The actual tasting experience is equally as captivating. There’s vanilla and cinnamon, familiar flavors in the reposado category. But this unique adult beverage adds orchard fruit, hazelnut, and kettle corn into the fold. It appeals to the most seasoned of agave enthusiasts, and yet it’s also perfect for anyone who claims that tequila isn’t for them.
Best Refreshing Sipping Tequila: Calirosa Reposado
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This Adam Levine-backed brand is much more than a pretty face. Yes, Calirosa Reposado looks great in the glass—it glows a grapefruit color thanks to aging nine months in red wine barrels. But that same maturation process results in a tropically inspired booze, brimming with pineapple, guava, and rain-soaked earthiness. It’s not just a joy to drink, it’s also the most refreshing expression on this list.
Best Sherry-Aged Sipping Tequila: Lobos 1707 Añejo
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After more than a year of aging in white American oak, Lobos 1707 Añejo shifts over to PX sherry casks for a substantial secondary finish. It imparts a darker, marmalade hue upon the añejo, which sits pretty within its glass bottle (of which only 9,000 in total have been produced). But more importantly, those sherry butts flex a pleasing array of tobacco and leather, as well as a nutty texture to the tequila's rich mouthfeel.
Best Impressive Sipping Tequila: Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas Anejo
Since 2021, Clase Azul has been gracing our palates with an extremely limited Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas Anejo. The 2023 incarnation is the best yet. An opulent añejo was left to finish in casks formerly reserved for rhum agricole, the native sugarcane spirit of Martinique. The marriage of flavors aligns earthy agave notes with sweetgrass, with a citrus top-note hanging just overhead. It’s a celebration in a glass—or a sugar-skull embossed ceramic decanter, more accurately. This is far and away the most expensive offering on our list, but once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
What to Look for When Choosing the Best Sipping Tequila
As you might have guessed, with a sipping spirit, we’re looking for something that’s enjoyable to sip. On its own, with or without ice—but usually the latter, if we’re being honest. When we sample, we want the liquid to be expressive of its native "terroir," the environment where it's produced. We begin by nosing it, and then apply only a measured amount upon our palates. We want something that brings balance, but also that lets the base ingredient, agave, take center stage. The plant should be the star of the show, and it ought to tell us a story, instead of mere tasting notes. It should leave us wanting more.
Why You Should Trust Us
We sip tequila. Like, a lot of tequila. In fact, between the both of us we’ve clocked somewhere in the ballpark of 330 agave-based expressions this year, alone. Relax, it wasn’t in one sitting. Plus, when we sip—especially the good stuff, like what you see below—it’s our job to savor. We also judge spirits competitions in which you often have to spit out the liquid before swallowing it. There are notepads involved and palate cleansers. So, yeah, we take this stuff pretty seriously. In fact, we’ve spent more than a decade getting to know the category, up close, personal, and on the ground in Jalisco whenever possible.
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