Tres Generaciones upgrades its Anejo expression with this third bottle in its Legacy Edition series of tequilas. This 50th Anniversary Añejo “is a unique expression paying homage to Don Francisco Javier Sauza’s original recipe, which he crafted 50 years ago to create a tequila masterpiece celebrating three generations of distilling at La Perseverancia distillery.” This is our second Legacy Edition bottling, following up on the La Colonial Reposado expression we reviewed in late 2022. It’s a different liquid than the standard anejo, featuring 100% Blue Weber Agave roasted in masonry ovens, tah ..read more

Sure, let’s start with the basics: What’s bacanora? In the northern Mexico state of Sonora, bacanora is a type of mezcal traditionally made from a particular strain of agave, Agave angustifolia. Like Tequila, Bacanora is also a town that is the spiritual home of the beverage, though it can be and is made all over Sonora. Bacanora is produced much like mezcal, pinas harvested and cooked in ovens — traditionally heated by mesquite wood, which provides a mezcal-like smokiness, but not necessarily. The roasted/smoked agave is mashed, fermented, and double distilled. While much bacanora is bottled ..read more

You’ve seen the ads. You know the couple behind it. There’s nothing left to do here but toss out an “está bien, está bien, está bien” for Matthew and Camila McConaughey’s tequila, which is named in honor of the pants you are bound to remove upon cracking open the bottle. This is McConaughey’s second foray into spirits, following the 2018 launch of Longbranch bourbon with Wild Turkey. (He’s no longer affiliated with the product.) Pantalones is an organic product made with, of course, 100% blue weber agave, though the origins of the agave aren’t specified. The company donates to the 1% For the ..read more

Codigo 1530 is back with another tequila release, and it’s what you’d expect: A cristalino, albeit one made from a reposado base, not an anejo. As as refresher, the reposado is aged in cabernet sauvignon wine barrels made from French white oak. This cristalino is blended with some 6 year old Codigo 1530 Origin extra anejo, which is finished in Cognac casks — all filtered to clear. Let’s give it a try. The nose certainly evokes a solid Lowlands reposado — Codigo’s is probably the best of its core expressions — with light herbal notes that let the agave speak plenty. Grassy and lemony with touc ..read more

We’ve been big fans of Nosotros Tequila since its 2019 launch, when we enjoyed its blanco and its 2020 reposado follow-up. We’ve been sleeping on the brand since, including its anejo and cider barrel releases as well as its entry into mezcal. We correct that oversight today with a fresh look at all 5 products in the Nosotros lineup. The tequilas are blends of lowland and highland agave Nosotros Tequila Blanco (2024) – Still big and peppery, with a touch of lemon and an earthy underbelly. There’s a nice creaminess here, and the tequila isn’t shy with the spice rack. I get more of a vanilla ove ..read more

Jonathan kicked off our coverage of El Cristiano Tequila last year with a look at the distillery’s silver and reposado expressions. Now we’re jumping ahead to El Cristiano Extra Anejo, “Black Label,” which is aged for three years in ex bourbon barrels. The tequila plays like a selection of greatest hits from the Extra Anejo playbook. Notes of Almond Roca, vanilla custard, coconut, and Mexican chocolate are tempered by an edge of lemon curd which adds some necessary fruit and acidity. The palate is nearly identical, though there’s a certain agave-driven spice in the mix, some red pepper and ja ..read more

Ricava is a new brand of 100% Blue Weber agave tequila that is shaking things up with some unusual aging choices. In addition to a traditional Añejo Tequila, today we’ll be trying an expression that was aged in French oak Burgundy barrels as well as one that was aged in deep-charred American oak barrels. These are some exciting choices. Let’s give them a try. All are 80 proof. NOM 1598. Ricava Tequila Blanco Rosa – This bright pink tequila gets its bold color by spending 30 days in French oak Burgundy barrels after distillation. Technically, it’s still a blanco, but the color is like no other ..read more

Made at Hacienda la Capilla — best known for its production of Cuestion tequilas — Por la Gente (“for the people”) is another 100% agave tequila available in the classic three expressions. There’s rather little information about the tequilas available aside from the aging, though Cuestion is made from Highlands agave, as are other Capilla offerings. Before we get into the reviews, for what it’s worth, I hate the bottles. They’re tough to pour from without spilling quite a bit (unless you hold your glass right up against the mouth of the bottle), and the shape of the cork stopper makes it easy ..read more

Ready for another innovation from the lately-on-fire Don Julio? Alma Miel is a blend of blanco tequila distilled with oven-roasted agave honey plus añejo tequila that has been aged for at least 14 months and finished in Crémant du Limoux (sparkling) wine casks from the Limoux region of France. Officially billed as a Tequila Joven, let’s tuck into this out-there offering. To start things off, the tequila has a slight yellow tint — the photo above is accurate as to the color. Moving into the glass, the nose is much more herbal and agave-forward than expected, boldly green and peppery, with only ..read more

1953 is a new tequila brand with a single expression — anejo. The tequila is “an ultra-premium, additive free anejo founded, farmed, distilled, and led by women.” To that end, the name of the product marks the year that women gained the right to vote in Mexico. Founders and friends Shivam Mallick Shah, Lindsey Davis Stover and Alison Kiehl Friedman came together in search of a consciously crafted, ultra-premium tequila. Together, they sought partners in Mexico who applied the finest craftsmanship utilizing the region’s traditional methods to make a luxurious tequila without additives, and wh ..read more