The 8 best tequilas, according to bartenders and our tests --[Reported by Umva mag]

Tequila comes in a few different styles. These are differentiated by the methods in which they are aged in barrels. The most common styles of tequila are:

• Blanco: Also known as silver or plata in Spanish, this style of tequila is crystal clear and completely unaged. 
• Reposado: Reposado tequilas are aged in barrels for at least 60 days and up to one year. These tequilas are often a light gold or straw color and have a hint of vanilla and caramel from the barrel.
• Añejo: Añejo tequilas are aged for one year and up to three. These tequilas have an amber color and often flavor notes of chocolate, vanilla, and caramel imparted from the longer barrel age.
• Extra Añejo: Any tequila aged for over three years is called extra añejo, or extra aged. Any flavors the tequila gets from the barrel are amplified 
• Joven: Joven tequilas are a blend of an unaged blanco tequila and a reposado or añejo tequila.

Tequila Ocho is all about terroir – the influence the land and climate have on the flavor of the finished tequila.  "I love the transparency that Ocho brings to consumers by labeling each bottle with the field where the agaves were picked," says agave spirit educator and content creator Mireille Olivo.

This specific bottle, from the La Cañada farm, has a bright, floral flavor profile with a touch of sweetness and an irresistible hint of cinnamon. If you can't find this bottle, all of Tequila Ocho's offerings are carefully crafted and worth your attention.

From Los Altos, the highlands of Jalisco, Siembra Azul emphasizes transparency and terroir. Agave cultivated in Los Altos grows in red clay soil at a lower temperature, producing a sweeter tequila when compared to that made in the valleys. 

"This is a great example of Los Altos tequila," says bartender and content creator Lucas Assis. Siembra Azul is an excellent sipping tequila. It's smooth and mildly sweet with a bright, fresh agave flavor with just a hint of minerality to balance it out. 

Another classic highland tequila is Tapatio Blanco, which has notes of cooked agave and pepper. In a side-by-side taste test, we just barely preferred Siembra Azul.

Among agave experts, Fortaleza is one of the most revered brands in tequila. The distillery is steeped in a rich history, tracing its lineage all the way back to Don Cenobio, who was the first to export tequila to the United States. Since the founding of Fortaleza, they have maintained many traditional practices, like open-air fermentation, stone rolling with a tehona, and cooking the agave in brick ovens. 

For many, Fortaleza is the gold standard for a reposado. "It's not overly influenced by the barrel with a balanced cooked agave flavor with a bit of caramel," says long-time bartender Ashly Levi. "This bottle is always a winner for my guests." This reposado also has flavor notes of vanilla, and butterscotch, while making sure the agave takes center stage.

This Fortaleza bottle is unparalleled, but we also think the Tequila Ocho Reposado is worth checking out. 

El Tesoro is an authentically made and agave forward añejo. "El Tesoro Añejo is one of my favorite tequilas to recommend to anyone but especially to whiskey lovers," says Olivo. This tequila is produced using a stone wheel, or tahona, for processing, which is the traditional method of crushing the cooked agave. 

The El Tesoro Añejo has flavor notes of sweet cooked agave and a hint of cinnamon. Sometimes a longer barrel aging can overpower a spirit, but this tequila stands out with its balanced flavor profile. "It's not too caramel or oak forward, and not as sweet as some other Añejos," says Levi. 

We tried another bottle from the same distillery, Tapatio Añejo. it's no surprise that these two añejos share some similarities. Both are agave-forward and delicious, but the El Tesoro añejo has a prominent vanilla note that we preferred.

This affordable tequila comes from the valley region of Jalisco, so it has a slightly more earthy flavor that holds up well when mixed. It's crafted in one of the oldest distilleries in the region by the Orendain family. "Arette is a foolproof selection for cocktails and sipping," says Olivo.  

"It's a great tequila to have at home to share with friends served neat or used for cocktails," says Levi, "It's also a great well tequila for a bar." Try mixing this tequila up in a margarita, Paloma, or in a simple tequila soda.

The Olmeca Altos Plata is another affordable tequila blanco that is well suited for mixing. It stands up well in a cocktail, but we preferred the depth of flavor of Arette.

When it comes to taking tequila shots, it's best to use an affordable, quality tequila that also tastes good. Siete Leguas is a smooth, middle-of-the-road tequila that is guaranteed to go down easy and is still tasty enough to be sippable. "It's a confirmed additive-free, great tequila full of citrus and fruit notes," says Assis 

"Siete Leguas is the no-frills, blue-collar, traditionally-made tequila that impresses everyone," says Olivo. If you're buying a round of shots for your friends, you can't go wrong with Siete Leguas.

"This is one of the best tequilas out there," says Levi. The Cascahuin Tehona takes the classic Cascahuín recipe and improves it by crushing the agave with a tahona, which adds more minerality to the finished tequila.

 It's a smooth, complex, and agave-forward tequila that's wonderful to sip on. "It has notes of sweet agave, minerals, earth, and citrus zest. It is one of my personal favorites," says Olivo.  Tequila is traditionally sipped neat at room temperature, but is also nice served chilled over a large ice cube.

Because of how long it takes agave to mature, how labor-intensive the production process is, and because it has to be imported, good tequila is not cheap. Often, the most affordable bottles use additives to cut costs, but not El Tequileño. "I love that they can reach many people by showing them what real tequila is instead of cutting corners," says Assis.

Often described as a classic and a bar cart staple, this tequila is set at an easy-to-stomach price point, while maintaining everything that imparts quality to a pricier tequila. This tequila has flavor notes of cooked agave with a bit of pepper and citrusy brightness. Levi and Olivo both recommend mixing up a Batanga cocktail using El Tequileño.

Camarena is also a solid blanco tequila at an affordable price point. It's a good value, but we preferred the taste of Arette and El Tequileño.

To decide on the best tequilas, we talked to bartenders and tasted 30 different tequilas. We began by reaching out to three bartenders and experts on agave spirits: bartender and agave expert Lucas Assis, tequila educator and influencer Mireille Olivo, and agave-focused bartender of 7 years Ashly Levi. They spoke to us about their favorite bottles and what category each type of tequila stood out in. 

Production method: The ingredients and production methods used greatly affect the quality of the final product. Was the tequila 100% agave or were there additives? Was the brand transparent about which distillery made the tequila and how it was made? Did they use traditional methods like tahonas (stone rollers,) open-air fermentation, and copper stills?

Taste testing: We tried each tequila neat, noting the color, scent, and taste. We looked for any surprising or interesting flavor notes along with overall balance and smoothness. To determine our favorites in each category, we sampled multiple tequilas side-by-side. Ultimately, taste is subjective, but every tequila we recommend meets a baseline standard of quality and showcases the depth of flavor and nuance possible with agave spirits.

What's the difference between tequila and mezcal?

Much like how bourbon is a style of whiskey, tequila is a type of mezcal. Mezcal refers to a broader category of agave-based spirits that can be made in a wide geographical range in Mexico from different varieties of agave. Tequila can legally only be made in the state of Jalisco and a few other nearby municipalities. It can also only be made from Blue Weber agave.

What is tequila made of?

Tequila is made from the Blue Weber agave plant. The agave is harvested and then cooked in either a stone oven or an autoclave. It is then ground and fermented with yeast and water. After the yeast has converted the sugar in the agave to alcohol, it is distilled into a more concentrated spirit with high alcohol content.

What cocktails are made with tequila?

The most popular tequila cocktails are by far the Margarita and the Paloma. But there are many other tequila-based cocktails, like El Diablo and the White Dragon, that go beyond those two classics. Using the best tequila will take any cocktail to the next level.