The 50 Best Tequilas of the 21st Century So Far

Tequila Avion gained fame (and perhaps some notoriety) when it was featured on the HBO show Entourage, but the brand has more than that going for it. It was founded by entrepreneur Ken Austin with some partners in 2009, and has gone on to release some well-received expressions like the high-end Reserva 44. This extra añejo is aged for 36 months in American oak, and while it definitely leans toward the sweeter end of the spectrum with big notes of vanilla and caramel the agave character is present as well.

While some brands shy away from mentioning that its tequila is made with a diffuser—a modern piece of equipment that extracts sugar from agave using high-pressure water instead of cooking it—Casa Dragones doesn’t hide the fact. On the contrary, the brand is proud of this method and touts it as being more sustainable. Whatever you think of that, at least there is a level of transparency here that can be scarce in the tequila industry. The reposado expression is definitely worth trying—it’s aged exclusively in Japanese mizunara oak casks, giving it notes of vanilla, dried fruit, and incense on the palate.

There are more celebrity tequila brands than anyone knows what to do with, although some are better than others. One that deserves a mention here is Lobos 1707, which counts LeBron James among its financial backers, as well as Draymond Green and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Diageo is now a majority owner of the brand). What sets this relatively new tequila apart is the maturation process—the reposado spends seven months in American white oak and is then finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, giving it striking nutty dried fruit notes on the palate.

Tres Agaves was founded in 2008 and launched its first tequila a few years later. This organic brand initially moved around between a few different distilleries, but in 2019 it opened its own facility called Tequilera TAP (a few other brands are currently produced here as well). The reposado expression is aged for up to nine months in Jack Daniel’s and Four Roses barrels, giving it nice notes of vanilla and brown sugar to complement the earthy agave character.

Owned by the same parent company as Wild Turkey, it makes sense that Espolon‘s añejo tequila is aged initially in white oak casks and then finished in heavily charred barrels for a couple of months that were previously used to mature bourbon produced at that Kentucky distillery. That gives an extra boost of flavor to this always dependable añejo, making it a perfect option to use as a whiskey substitute in a cocktail like an Old Fashioned.

Solento was founded in 2019 by surf filmmaker Taylor Steele, who decided to produce a single estate, organic, additive-free tequila at a time when those concepts were becoming more popular and important to consumers. The tequila comes in clear square bottles wrapped in ribbing, but the high-end extra anejo expression is jet black. The liquid within was aged for 40 months in American oak, and each limited-edition bottle comes with a specially curated playlist on vinyl to enjoy while you sip.

Trained as a civil engineer, master distiller Felipe Camarena eventually went into the family business, learning how to make tequila from his grandfather and father and launching Pasote at his own distillery in the Los Altos region of Jalisco. The blanco expression is a true sipping tequila, which is proof of the brand’s high quality and exacting production methods. It’s distilled from estate-grown agave using volcanic rock water, with no flavor or color added, revealing notes of citrus, herbs, grass, vanilla, and sweet roasted agave pinas on the palate.

Mayenda launched a few years ago, and added an upscale tequila brand to the Campari portfolio. Like the blanco, this reposado is infused with roasted agave and agave miel, or honey, before its final distillation. Then it’s put into a combination of American and European oak casks for six months, which explains the “double cask” in the name. The point of this maturation is to balance out spicy, drier notes with richer, sweeter notes, and in that it succeeds.

Yep, there’s another celebrity tequila on this list, and it’s one that deserves a place here based on the jovial and persistent promotion of cofounder Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson alone. Not only that, it’s actually a decent tequila that stands out among many lesser entries in an overcrowded field. Teremana is now produced at its own distillery (Destilería Teremana De Agave), and there are reposado and anejo expressions to try as well. But give the blanco a taste to start–it’s a soft, grassy, citrus-forward sipper.

There are two core blanco expressions in the Cazcanes lineup, No. 7 and No. 9. The latter is said to have “a more refined and more complex” flavor profile, which holds true when tasting them side by side, and it’s also a stronger spirit at 100 proof instead of 80. Less dilution allows the notes of agave, citrus, vanilla, and black pepper to really shine through on the palate, making this a great option for either sipping or using in a cocktail.

The Barrel Select Reserve Añejo from Milagro tequila is a variation on the brand’s core expression. It’s a blend of tequila aged for 12 to 14 months in American oak and 18 to 24 months in French oak. The agave character is still present, but the two different types of wood have profoundly impacted this tequila, making it a great option for sipping with notes of vanilla, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and ripe stone fruit. The oak influence also means this a great tequila to swap for whiskey in a cocktail like an Old Fashioned or a Boulevardier.

Don Julio is one of the most popular tequila brands—its 1942 expression is a bottle service staple at clubs around the world. The brand introduced this pink tequila in 2023, which gets its color after being matured in port casks. There are other rosado tequilas on the market, but most of them are aged in wine barrels which makes this expression stand out. The agave character still shines through, but there’s a nice mix of honey, berries, dried fruit, and just a hint of spice on the palate as well.

Sammy Hagar is credited with being one of the first celebrities to establish a tequila brand in the 1990s with Cabo Wabo Tequila. Years later, he moved on from that and started Santo Tequila with celebrity chef Guy Fieri, and the two have actually put their names behind a high-quality spirit. The blanco is stellar, an additive-free tequila with a palate ranging from spicy to earthy to crisp citrus notes. This is a true sipper that also deserves a place in any cocktail.

This is another tequila that proves that a sherry influence can indeed positively enhance the flavor of the spirit. RF stands for Roble Fino–in this case, that refers to a reposado tequila that was aged in bourbon barrels for six months and then another two months in sherry-seasoned barrels previously used to mature single malt scotch whisky. That unique combination of casks makes this one of the best aged expressions from Partida with notes of dried fruit, baking spice, dark chocolate, and roasted agave on the palate.

As a brand, Don Fulano only dates back to the early 2000s, but the family behind it has a history in tequila that spans generations. Imperial is the oldest expression, an extra añejo aged in French Limousin oak and Oloroso sherry casks for a minimum of five years. Despite that lengthy maturation, there’s a lightness to the tequila and the palate has notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, leather, and some bright herbs on the finish.

Loco Tequila is a luxury brand with bottles priced well above the norm. This reposado expression is arguably worth the cost, however. Ámbar is a limited-edition release that’s aged in a complex and unusual variety of casks, including Irish whiskey, stout beer, port, PX sherry, and French oak. Each component is aged separately, and then they are blended together. The result is lovely, with notes of caramel, roasted malt, dried apricot, spice, and of course grassy and earthy agave at its core.

Well, we’ve got another tequila with a connection to Entourage. Flecha Azul is backed by Mark Wahlberg, the man the HBO show was loosely based on. And though this is yet another celebrity agave brand, this is one that produces high-quality tequila, with the añejo expression standing out in particular. Flecha Azul says it uses no additives, so the flavor and color of this spirit—which is overseen by master distiller Lorena Diaz—comes from the 18 months it spends in ex-bourbon barrels. Look for flavors like caramel and toasted nuts, making it a great sipper or whiskey substitute in an Old Fashioned cocktail.

Upstart luxury tequila brand Komos uses wine barrels to mature most of its aged expressions. The Añejo Reserva, however, is aged separately in three types of wood for at least 12 months—French oak wine casks, bourbon barrels, and sherry butts—and then blended together. In a final step, the tequila is aerated before bottling which the brand says enhances the mouthfeel. This is a decadent sipper with notes of chocolate, dried fruit, and brown sugar swirling around a cooked agave core.

Tequila Cayéya employs what it calls the 9-9-9 maturation method to create this fantastic añejo: nine months in American oak, nine months in French oak, and then a final nine months back in American oak. These are single-cask expressions, not a marriage of many barrels, so this tequila is released in what are truly small batches. That means the flavor will differ slightly depending on the cask, but look for notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, dried apricot, and roasted coffee on the palate. Given its limited production this bottle can be hard to find, but it’s worth hunting down for both tequila and whiskey fans.

While you mostly know Jose Cuervo—the most popular tequila brand in the world—by its bestselling Especial lineup, the distillery’s Reserva De La Familia is something entirely different. This high-end brand launched in 1995, and the extra añejo expression became official about a decade later when the CRT designated the category. The agave pinas for Reserva are cooked in brick ovens at the La Rojeña distillery in the center of the town of Tequila, and it’s matured in matured in new American and French oak barrels. The wood influence is prominent here, with sweet notes of vanilla, baking spice, and maple on the palate.

Hiatus launched in 2018 with a focus on making additive-free tequila that tastes like, well, what tequila is supposed to taste like. It’s produced at the La Cofradía distillery, which produces many other brands (Casa Noble used to be distilled there). The reposado expression spends six months in what the brand calls “reclaimed American whiskey barrels”—a.k.a. bourbon barrels—giving it a light straw color and notes of cinnamon, toasted nuts, and a touch of vanilla on the palate.

Master tequilero Jose “Pepe” Hermosillo selected 21 tequilas for this Casa Noble blend: nine añejos and 12 extra añejos, all aged between one and five years. They were matured in specially selected French oak that was seasoned in the French forest, and then again at a cooperage in the U.S. This is a rich and decadent blend of aged tequila, with notes of orange, allspice, nutmeg, cherry syrup, and dark chocolate on the palate followed by a grassy, peppery finish.

This brand was founded in 2022, and has a few aged and un-aged expressions in its lineup. One of those is this excellent still strength tequila, its second high proof release. This bottle clocks in at 101 proof, so we’re in Wild Turkey territory here, but that extra burst of alcohol doesn’t overpower the palate, which is rich with notes of green pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and agave. And a portion of the proceeds goes to the Northern Jaguar Project, an organization dedicated to helping these wild animals survive.

When Herradura released Legend in 2020, the brand called it a “first of its kind.” That’s because this añejo tequila was aged for 14 months in new heavily charred American white oak barrels with a twist: They had deep grooves on the inside to expose the liquid to more wood as it ages. That makes sense, given that parent company Brown-Forman owned its own cooperages at the time (it recently sold off its last one). The result is a rich sipping spirit with notes of chocolate, almond, caramel, and toasted oak on the palate.

This is the fourth release in luxury tequila brand Clase Azul’s Día de Muertos series, which debuted in 2021. First, the liquid was aged in American whiskey barrels, then it was split into two batches for finishing—one went into casks from the Isle of Skye, the other into casks from the Speyside region. That final step has added some peaty, smoky notes to the sweet agave profile. And the handmade ceramic bottle is surely one to keep in your collection even after its empty.

Chicago-based chef John des Rosiers founded his tequila brand Cambio in 2023, and it’s made at ZB Distillery, which is about 25 minutes from where his wife’s family lives. The tequila is crafted using traditional processes, but the cask finish this expression received is anything but. It’s a single cask bottling that spent four months in a barrel previously used to age rye whiskey and gin from one distillery. This is very unique sipper, with notes of orange, spice, vanilla, and black pepper. There will be older versions released in the future, but in the meantime try making a tequila Martini with this reposado.

The aged tequilas from Cantera Negra are matured in Cognac and bourbon barrels, and are all very good. But give the un-aged silver expression a try to start. This is a crisp, bright, fresh blanco that tones down the spice in favor of sweeter, more citrus-forward flavors, but that doesn’t make it uninteresting or unappealing. Give this a try in your next margarita, you’ll be very pleased with the results.

This brand has existed for years, at least in name, but it was more recently revived by LVMH in 2017 with the launch of a few different expressions. One of the newest is this blanco tequila that is made using a two-ton tahona stone to crush the agave pinas, a very traditional production method. This is supposed to give the tequila flavors that other methods don’t provide, and while that may be a subjective interpretation you can’t argue with the results—this is a spicy, full-bodied blanco.

This brand was founded in 2009, and while it flies under the radar for some the portfolio is made up of a range of tequilas that are worth seeking out (they actually aren’t that hard to find). A tahona stone is just one of the many traditional production steps used to produce the tequila, which comes in anejo, reposado, or plata versions. The latter is full of flavor, with fresh notes of grass and a touch of coconut on the palate that shine in every sip. And this is a tequila that our resident bartender Jason O’Bryan loves using in cocktails.

It’s almost unheard of to find a tequila aged for this long, but Fuentesca has managed to pull it off. The key is the maturation environment: The tequila is aged in different types of barrels that are stored in warehouses located in different climates and at different elevations. The 15-year-old expression is a rich and full-bodied tequila that was aged in American and French oak in an underground cellar about 1,180 meters above sea level. There are even older expressions to try as well, aged for 18 and even 21 years.

Let’s add another worthy celeb tequila to list: the George Strait-backed brand Codigo 1530 (now owned by French company Pernod Ricard). All of the tequila produced by Codigo is aged in wine barrels, including this excellent Rosa expression which spends just one month in un-charred French white oak Napa Valley cabernet wine casks. The color is a light pink, the the palate is subtly fruity and floral, and no additives are used to enhance the mouthfeel or flavor.

Cristalino is an important category to include on this list given how popular it has become over the past few years. The term refers to an aged tequila that’s been filtered to remove color and hopefully not flavor, something that makes some tequila fans scoff but remains a favorite of many bartenders. Mijenta has managed to make a really good version of a cristalino, aging the tequila for eight months in what it calls “symphony barrels” that are assembled from staves from different types of casks before filtering it to remove color. There are some mild barrel notes on the palate, with flavors like maple, burnt orange, and vanilla complementing the agave character.

Alto Canto is a very new brand, having just launched here in the U.S. last year. But it’s already made a splash due to the quality of its tequila, which is fermented using wild yeast, distilled at extremely high altitude, and aged in virgin oak barrels. That last step is fairly uncommon, and despite the reactivity of that type of wood the reposado is relatively light with minimal oak influence. Stay tuned for an anejo expression will be released sometime in the near future to see how that extra time in wood has further transformed this excellent tequila.

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This tequila is the result of some corporate synergy, but the results are inarguably good. Corazón is owned by Sazerac, the same company that owns the Buffalo Trace Distillery. So this añejo tequila was aged in barrels previously used to mature George T. Stagg bourbon, part of the highly coveted Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. That has imbued the tequila with rich notes of maple, brown sugar, and raisin, while keeping the agave’s earthy character intact. Look for other expressions aged in different whiskeys from the BTAC as well.

A collaboration between the late tequila expert Tomas Estes and renowned distiller Carlos Camarena, Curado claims to be the first brand to infuse its blanco tequila with pieces of cooked agave from different varietals to impart it with flavor instead of barrel aging the liquid. This is indeed an unusual technique–the brand sources agave from different areas in Mexico to add new flavors to the spirit (without using additives) while having it remain, legally, tequila. Check out the Cupreata expression for its spicy and peppery notes that intermingle with a subtle sweetness, and compare it to the other expressions to see how each infusion has changed the character of the spirit.

Wild Common just launched a new añejo expression, but this reposado from a few years back is worth including on this list. It’s distilled at the Cascahuin distillery, where some other fantastic brands are produced as well. The pinas are crushed with both a tahona stone and roller mills, and the liquid is aged in ex-bourbon barrels—both standard practice for many high quality tequilas. But the result stands out, a bright and vibrant expression with soft barrel notes that is bottled at a higher than most 86 proof.

Altamar Brands and the Rosales family (Tequila Cascahuin) release this single estate tequila brand in vintages, each made from agave harvested from one field in a specific year to highlight the effects of terroir on flavor. The 2022 Palo Verde Reposado is a highlight of the lineup—the agave comes from a ranch in Amatitan, Jalisco and the tequila was aged for three months in third and fourth-fill bourbon barrels. That means the effects of the oak are subtle, with soft notes of molasses, butterscotch, and almond on the palate.

In early 20th century members of the Rosales family started making tequila, and that’s when Cascahuín was born. In the 1980s, the brand really began to grow, and has released its core lineup and some special expressions over the years. One of those is 11 Brix, a blend of three blanco tequilas distilled to 53 percent ABV. Each spirit was fermented separately to highlight the effects of this crucial step, and it’s bottled at proof without additives. Look for fruity and vegetal notes surrounding the core agave character on the nose and palate here, and the higher ABV gives it a warming finish.

Patron was founded in 1989 when the name was purchased by a group of investors including Paul Mitchell cofounder John Paul Jones DeJoria. Since then it’s become a global behemoth and a leading premium tequila brand, and one of the most notable expressions among many is Gran Patron Piedra. The agave for this extra añejo was crushed using a tahona stone, and it was aged for more than three years in French and American oak giving it a dark brown color and an almost Cognac-like character, with notes of dried fruit, spice, and caramel leading every sip.

Lalo does one thing and one thing only, and it does it very well: blanco tequila. The brand was founded by Eduardo “Lalo” González and David “R” Carballido—the former is the grandson of famed tequila maker Don Julio González—who are committed to producing high-quality un-aged tequila. This is a fantastic new entry into the field, a blanco that is bright and crisp with notes of grass, citrus, spice, and agave on the palate, definitely worthy of sipping but quite tasty in a cocktail as well.

Carlos Camarena has another excellent tequila brand on his hands with Tequila Ocho. He teamed up with the late Tomas Estes to create this single-estate tequila, making each expression from agave grown in a specific field and released as a different vintage. The first extra añejo in two years came out in 2024 and it was a banger, aged for three years in American oak barrels with no additives used to augment the flavor. Look for notes of cherry, expresso, caramel, and deeply roasted agave on the palate.

Siembra is part of the same group that owns Cascahuín, which also made this list. The agave for the Valles lineup comes from the lowlands of Jalisco, and there are several different aged and un-aged expressions in this collection. Ancestral stands out because founder David Suro Piñera says that it pays tribute to early methods of making tequila. That means it’s made more like a mezcal, and the fact that the agave is cooked in a pit in the earth gives the tequila gives it rich smoky flavors.

Tapatío was founded by Don Felipe Camarena, and his grandson, Carlos, is the master distiller today. The brand is very well regarded, and for good reason as the tequila is made using very traditional methods and stands with the best in terms of quality (it wasn’t available here until 2012, however). Excelencia Gran Reserva is the extra añejo expression, which comes out in batches and quickly sells out. Currently, the new batch is still aging and therefore unavailable, but the first batch spent five years in barrels and another 10 in glass jugs, giving it notes of sandalwood, baking spices, and herbs.

Last year, we crowned El Tequileño Extra Añejo the best tequila of the year, but for this lis we went with one of the 66-year-old distillery’s reposado expressions. Reposado Rare is, according to the brand, a first for the industry—it was aged for more than six years in larger 23,000-liter American oak pipons. Because those barrels are so large, it cannot legally be called an extra añejo, despite its age. Instead, they call it Reposado Rare, and it has notes of caramel, apple, and light oak on the palate.

Yet another tequila brand from the Camarena family, G4 lives up to its stellar pedigree. This extra añejo was aged for a full seven years, as you can tell by the name, which is quite a long time for any tequila. It spends its first six years in George Dickel Tennessee whiskey barrels and a final year in French oak wine barrels before being bottled at 84 proof, giving it warm notes of leather, tobacco, stone fruit, and toasted agave on the palate.

Some people like to think of Fortaleza as the Pappy Van Winkle of tequila. That’s an interesting take, but it mostly comes from the fact that this well-regarded tequila can be hard to find and expensive when you do—but it’s worth it. The brand is pretty new, having been founded two decades ago in 2005, but there’s a lot of history behind it, and the tequila is made using traditional methods. This 2019 Winter Blend is a marriage of tequila aged for six months in used whiskey barrels and 11 months in new French oak that was bottled at cask strength of 91.4 proof. This is an expensive bottle, but worth a try if you get the chance to taste.

Master tequilero Germán González brought Tears of Llorona to the U.S. in 2014, and tequila fans are lucky that he did. This is an excellent extra añejo that is aged for five years in three different types of barrels—scotch whisky, sherry, and brandy—before being blended together and bottled at 43 percent ABV. Each type of wood brings a different flavor to the mix, and the result is a rich and complex sipper with notes of dried fruit, spice, cherry syrup, and dark chocolate on the palate.

ArteNOM differs from other tequila brands because each release comes from a different distillery. The point is to highlight the work of established tequila makers, and only the best make the cut for this portfolio. One of those is Selección de 1414. This reposado was distilled by master distiller Sergio Cruz at NOM 1414, aged for four months in third‐fill bourbon barrels, and bottled at 41.2 percent ABV with notes of vanilla, allspice, and black pepper on the palate. Try them all, but start with this particular bottle.

A tequila fan favorite for its use of traditional methods like cooking the agave in stone ovens and using a tahona stone to crush the pinas, Siete Leguas has been around since the 1950s. The 70th Anniversary expression is a blanco tequila made from wild agave that was cooked for a full three days before being milled and fermented with wild yeast. This is a must try for tequila aficionados, with equal parts sweet and spice on the palate as flavors like citrus, black pepper, cut grass, and a bit of anise intermingle.

Produced at the La Alteña distillery by Carlos Camarena (his daughter Jenny just took over as master distiller), El Tesoro is an outstanding tequila. There are many different expressions that are worth trying, but the best is the 85th Anniversary Edition. This is an extra añejo tequila created in collaboration with James B. Beam Distilling Co. master distiller Fred Noe. It’s aged in barrels that were previously used to mature Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon, a very limited release, for more than three years revealing a strong oak influence on the palate that doesn’t obscure the agave as you sip. Balance is the key here, with notes of chocolate, roasted espresso, and maple intermingling with earthy, grassy, peppery bursts of agave from start to finish.