Tequila is a drink for all times of the year and all drinking occasions. Gone are the days of shotting it with salt and lime (bleurgh!). Whether you like it neat to sip, with a simple mixer or as something more sophisticated like your own version of a margarita, you can’t go wrong with these wonders below. In my opinion, they are the best 7 tequilas you need in your life right now.
Casamigos Añejo
It used to be owned by George Clooney and let’s not beat around the agave bush, that’s reason enough to give it a go. Seriously though, this is an outstanding tequila. It may be widely available but their master distiller (who’s never actually been named) is working wonders. It’s a strong game. They use 100% Blue Weber agave with an age of 7-9 years, slow cooking the piñas for 72 hours in their traditional brick ovens. The 80-hour fermentation process coupled alongside a signature yeast blend give this tequila its refined flavour. The Añejo (which means aged or similar to ‘vintage’), then sits in American white oak casks for 14 months to elevate its game even further. Pure agave, soft caramel, gentle vanilla and a sweet spiced oak fill your mouth with joy. Sip this one neat before attempting to mix it as it’s glorious just by itself.
Vivir Blanco
One of the best Blanco’s on the market right now. This 100% agave beauty is produced from 9-year-old Weber Blue Agave on their estate. One smell gives you fresh clean agave with a floral burst. Super easy drinking and premium in nature you can sip or turn into one of the best margaritas you’ll ever have. Just avoid the salt-rim, this is a tequila you WANT to taste.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: £35.90
Pancho Datos Reposado Tequila
Don’t you love it when people do something and do it really bloody well. Enter, Pancho Datos with their Reposado. We’re talking 100% Blue Weber Agave aged in American white oak barrels which had previously held mature bourbon whisky. The result is an ultra-smooth sip-worthy tequila with a pure agave, vanilla-caramel flavour. Perfect either by itself or enjoyed in the form of cocktail creativity such a Tequila Old Fashioned.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: £49.50
Tequila Dobel Diamante
This complex spirit is made with 100% pure blue agave, using a blend of Extra-Añejo, Añejo and Reposado tequilas. It is then filtered to remove the colour leaving you with a a mix of sweet flavours – caramel, honey and maple alongside a nutty, creamy vanilla finish. It is a beauty and will certainly leave you wanting more.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £54.90
Don Fulano Imperial
This particular expression is an absolute treat and a fantastic example of an aged expression. Each batch is aged between 5-12 years and finished Oloroso sherry casks giving it an incredibly smooth and rich texture. Dark rich and fruity flavours of coffee, agave spice, cinnamon and nutmeg jump from the glass. Taking a sip gives you a sticky maraschino cherry with dark chocolate, spice and vanilla. A beautifully long finish is what I love most about the Imperial, reminiscent of dark cocoa and stewed meadow fruits. Nom.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40% ABV
Find here: €157 // US $197.99
Casa Dragones Blanco
These guys create another one of the ultimate sipping tequilas and arguably one of the ‘purest’ looking bottles I’ve seen too. I love to use these as water bottles once I’ve finished the nectar inside. Small batch, 100% blue agave which has been around for 7-9 years ripened to perfection in the rich lands of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. The water is pretty neat too, beneath the earth’s surface in hundreds of 70-meter natural aquifers straight from the Volcano of Tequila! Perhaps that what gives it such a pure and distinct taste…
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £88.95 // US $78.52
Gran Patrón Platinum Tequila
I love a good tequila, it seems to be one of the spirits I’ve really found an appreciation for over the last few years. If I was to name one house that consistently delivers quality across its whole portfolio, my mind takes me straight to Patrón. It seems there’s a little something for everyone and while I’ll happily get my hands on a Reposado for my margarita needs (quick tip, avoid the salt rim, it ruins the drink), I love nothing more than to sip on something of premium quality. That brings me to Gran Patrón Platinum, arguably the world’s first ulta-premium tequila. With each bottle taking around 30 people to create, quality is of the utmost level. Agave is individually sourced for its rich sugar content before being harvested, triple distilled and left for 30 days in oak tanks to create pure elegance. The result is a smooth and seductive nectar of agave, orange, vanilla, lime and white peppercorns. Pure bliss if you ask me and don’t even get me started on a Mexican Martini (google it, you won’t be disappointed).
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: UK £209.65 // US $199.99
For more tequila fun why not check out The World’s Best Sipping Tequilas or check out these 3 Delicious Tequila Cocktails