Tequila is probably the most understood spirit in the world, and if you want to convert someone to the agave side, then these delicious bottles will just do that.
Forget shots, forget throat burn, and forget salted rims, these are stand-out tequilas in each style that will win doubters around and appeal to agave connoisseurs all the same. Vamos!
Best Blanco Tequila to Gift for Christmas
Gran Centenario Plata Tequila
This beautiful Blanco does the simple things well, using 10-year-old agave cooked in stone ovens, before distillation and oak ageing. It’s such a smooth ride, with cooked agave up front, and very subtle hints of pepper and earth. The bottle makes an instant impression too.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £38.45
Calle 23 Blanco Tequila
This is a deliciously pure expression of premium Blanco, unashamedly thrusting the seductively smooth cooked agave into the spotlight. Tropical citrus, pepper and herbaceous notes do add depth, but the lack of age means it’s all about that agave, delivering a clean and characterful liquid.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £42.95 (usually more!)
Fortaleza Blanco Tequila
The family-run Fortaleza’s Blanco is a well-respected benchmark in tequila, and a go-to of many agave aficionados. 100% stone crushed agave backed up by buttery olive and cracked pepper, combined with one of the most charming bottles going, make this a stellar gift for someone who knows their tequila.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £59.95
Best Reposado Tequila to Gift for Christmas
Cazcabel Reposado Tequila
Cazcabel have a stunning portfolio, and their Reposado is some of the best there is below £30. The spicey warmth of the pepper and the silky caramel really come through from 9 months of oak ageing, pairing with the earthy crispness of the agave flavour wonderfully.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £28.49
Tiempo Tequila Reposado Cristalino
Using Blue Weber agave from Los Altos and Tequila Valley, this is a double distilled Reposado that matures in oak for 8 months. During that time, butterscotch and caramel infuse with juicy agave and unlike many Reposados, it’s filtered after ageing for velvety mouthfeel – the complexity survives though.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £49.45
Casamigos Reposado Tequila
With Clooney originally behind it, this was a trailblazing ‘celebrity drink’ that came through with quality, unlike some. The anonymous master distiller is working wonders, delivering a fresh and vibrant Tequila that’s not far off an añejo profile. Vanilla and sweet tropical fruits come through invitingly, as does a touch of oak-y spice and the gentlest waft of smoke. It's so smooth and complex than many drink it neat.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £62.94
Best Añejo Tequila to Gift for Christmas
El Jimador Tequila Añejo
Onto the añejo now, and El Jimador’s is aged for a year in oak to infuse with those rich, vanilla woody notes, whilst retaining the signature agave flavour. It’s quite light, citrusy, and floral for an añejo, but the spice and caramel does come through towards the finish. It straddles the styles nicely, and is best-selling for a reason.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 38%
Find here: £30£30.9595
VIVIR Tequila Añejo
VIVIR’s Añejo is absolutely saturated with five-star reviews, and we get why. 12-year-old Blue Weber are blended with local volcanic spring water, before 18 months of ex-bourbon cask ageing, and the result is stand-out richness brimming with fudgy butterscotch and buttery vanilla. Thyme and peppermint fill out the profile, but there’s also stoney minerality, peppery heat and of course, that roasted agave. There is so much going on, but everything is softly integrated and so smooth. This is a bottle that will turn even the most doubtful drinker on to tequila.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £58.99
ArteNOM Selección de 1146 Tequila Añejo
This tequila stands out on the shelf, as does the first sip. It’s produced by Tequileña Distillery in Jalisco, and aged partially in Cabernet Franc barrels, before ex rye whiskey casks finish the job. The serious complexity is poised precisely, revealing layers of plentiful vanilla, dark chocolate, fudge, allspice, and fresh zest. Earthy coffee and nuts are there too. It’s very oaky, reminiscent of a whisky in some ways, and would therefore be a great tequila to try for a whisky lover.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Find here: £79.95
Best Extra Blended Tequila to Gift for Christmas
Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila
11 generations of tequila mastery power this tequila, which might be the world’s first crystal clear multi-aged tequila. The colouring of the extra añejo, añejo and reposado is filtered out, but what’s left is the creamy mouthfeel and complexity all that ageing brings. The layers just keep showing themselves, with honey, maple and nuts decorating the great agave flavour. A special blend indeed.
Size: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Find here: £53.76 (usually more!)
If you’re in need of more memorable bottles for Christmas gifts, then we’ve got tonnes of guides up on the website right now. Looking for unique bottles that stand out? Or perhaps gin to gift? Or rum? Find them and more!