The 30 Best Tequilas for 2026

As with bourbon, obituaries for the tequila industry have already been queued up. The boom is supposedly over and no one is drinking it any more. Time to move onto BuzzBallz…

And yet, premium tequila offerings continue to be eagerly pursued, new brands continue to arise, Kendall Jenner is still hawking 818 at Coachella, and, yes, the tequila market continues to grow, predicted to be up to a reported $14 billion by the end of 2026.

To be fair, and again, in a tune similar to bourbon, a certain kind of get-rich-quick playbook in tequila has also clearly vanished. Sales in certain categories have softened. Many once well-promoted bottles now gather dust on shelves. Everyone is suing everyone else. And George Clooney has moved onto NA beer.

Nevertheless, the bottles we tasted for this year’s roundup made for one of the most exciting spirits tastings we’ve had in awhile. Not just numbers-wise — we tasted nearly 200 submissions — but in the amount of surprises still out there.

Many of the longtime “big” brands are as good as ever, continuing to push the envelope whether through higher proofs or in more interesting production processes. While we likewise discovered quite a few upstart brands that showed commitment to terroir, agave-sourcing, and artisan techniques that can quickly get your bottle on any true tequila fan’s radar. That’s not to mention the brands trying new forms of barrel-aging, blending, and infusions to create spirits as good as we’ve ever tried.

After tasting through everything the category has to offer at the moment, we’ve whittled it down to the 30 bottles you should actually be buying right now. Here are VinePair’s 30 best tequilas for 2026.

Why You Should Trust VinePair

Every year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our “Buy This Booze” roundups, highlighting the best products across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories. As part of this work, VinePair’s tasting team and editorial staff sample thousands of bottles annually. This ensures we have a close eye on what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also ensures we have the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly remarkable, whether from quality or value-for-money perspectives — or both.

Ultimately, our mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking. (Learn more about VinePair’s tastings and reviews department here.)

How We Taste

We conduct tastings as our readers would: with full awareness of the producer and, crucially, the price of each product. As such, our tastings are not performed blind.

For this tequila roundup, all samples were poured in Glencairn glasses and given five minutes to breathe before tasting. We analyzed each tequila’s aromas, flavors, texture, and finish, while appearance did not factor into the equation unless there was a notable flaw or irregularity.

How We Compiled This List

In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best tequilas to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.

Not only would such an agreement contradict our editorial ethics and samples policy, it simply wouldn’t be possible to include everything we received. For this roundup, we tasted 180 new submissions and also retasted around a dozen other bottles that were sent to VinePair over the prior 12 months.

During tasting, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based on the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. We then reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially driven list that meets our criteria of 30 best tequilas to buy right now. It’s important to note that these are not the 30 highest-scoring tequilas we tasted during this exercise. Instead, this list showcases the best bottles across every price and for every scenario.

The 30 Best Tequilas to Drink in 2026

The Best All-Rounder Tequila

Siembra Alteño Blanco

A collaboration between legendary master distiller Carlos Camarena and importer/restaurateur David Suro, this highland tequila was produced at the famed La Alteña Distillery in Arandas, Jalisco. Agave is roasted in brick ovens for three days, crushed by roller mill, then open-fermented in pine vats, before being distilled twice in copper pots. Bottled at 46 percent ABV, the result is an oily tequila heavy on grassy and vegetal notes; there are some tropical hints (lime, pineapple) in the aroma, and plenty of spices — cinnamon, pepper, fennel, celery salt — before being rounded out by a sweet finish with just a hint of burn. This is blanco at its best.

Average price: $70
Rating: 94

The Best Tequila to Seek Out and Splurge On

El Tesoro Mundial: Yamazaki Edition

With the continued conglomeration of the industry, synergistic portfolio collaborations are to be expected — though most of them somehow end up being less than the sum of their parts. Not the case here where Suntory finishes its top tequila in sherry and wine casks previously used for its top Japanese whisky. Released in limited supply (about 30,000 bottles) in late 2025, this is hardly a gimmick. El Tesoro’s standard añejo — incidentally, also produced at La Alteña Distillery, by Carlos’s sister, master distiller Jenny Camarena — is produced from estate-grown Blue Weber agave that is cooked in stone ovens, double-distilled, and aged in American oak. The Yamazaki finish adds surprising nuance. The nose remains pure cooked agave, vegetal with some minerality, and just a hint of sherry and wood; the palate offers berries, a certain nuttiness, baking spices, and some Mexican chocolate before moving toward a peppery, warming finish. This is truly what we like to see in an añejo with the agave accented — not overwhelmed — by barrel aging. Worth every penny if still found at MSRP.

Average price: $200
Rating: 95

The Best High-Proof Tequila

Zumbador Overproof Blanco Tequila

Produced at Destileria El Sabino in Jesús María, Jalisco, 6-year-old agave is cooked in masonry ovens, crushed by tahona, and fermented in wood and stainless steel before being distilled on copper and stainless steel. At 108 proof it’s extremely tropical with strong banana notes alongside grapefruit and lime. There’s an almost agricole rum-like quality that is extremely appealing, especially at such a friendly price.

Average price: $40
Rating: 93

The Best Tequila for Cocktails

Azul Force Blanco Tequila

The economy size and pricing clues you in that this is for cocktails; the producer, however, PM Spirits, lets you know this is going to aspire to be a little more than value Margarita fuel. Working with Jose Luis Gutierrez, agave from his family’s land is cooked in an autoclave, fermented with ambient yeast, and distilled on a column before being proofed down to 40 percent ABV. If “autoclave” and “column still” are often treated as bad words by tequila geeks, and NOM1615 is currently of little online acclaim, this release is proof that active involvement in all steps of production might actually be the most important step (and that the internet doesn’t know everything!). Fine for sipping, but world-class for Palomas and other long sippers.

Average price: $28 (1 L)
Rating: 92

Best Tequila That Can’t Be Labeled a Tequila

Tlamati Destilado de Agave, Tequilana Weber

While meeting every criteria for being a tequila, this “spirit distilled from agave” can not be legally classified as a tequila for the pure fact that it was produced in Puebla, Mexico, which is not one of the five regions of tequila production. That little nit aside, this was by far the best “tequila” of our entire tasting and perhaps the best blanco we’ve ever had. Produced by the Salas family in San Miguel Atlapulco, more ancestral, mezcal-like methods are used for production. The 100 percent Blue Weber agave is cooked in a “Prehispanic” conical earthen oven, crushed using a wooden mallet inside a canoa (a hollowed out tree trunk that looks like a canoe), fermented with ambient yeast, and distilled on traditional copper pots. Immediately from the nose, you know something special is before you; there’s fire-charred peppers, apples and cinnamon, and some citrus. The palate offers an pleasing agave sweetness, caramel syrup, applesauce, baking spices, and a sort of sourdough bread finish. It’s extremely small-batch; only 80 bottles were created of this particular run, but they are well worth seeking out despite the higher-than-usual price for a blanco. Tequila or not tequila, this is an extraordinary experience not to be missed.

Average price: $139
Rating: 97

The Best Tequilas Under $50

Tapatío Tequila Blanco

Yet another tequila on this list produced by the Camarena family at La Alteña, and imported by famed California craft distillery Charbay, this is one of the true stalwarts in the tequila game. It’s clean and crisp, with the flavors of cooked agave, citrus zest, and just a hint of pepper and cinnamon. No frills and authoritative in flavor, it lets you know it’s there.

Average price: $40
Rating: 92

Tres Agaves Tequila Añejo

An additive-free añejo this good for this price is virtually unheard of. Organic Blue Weber agave tequila is aged for 18 months in bourbon and whiskey barrels. There is a light touch of baking spices and vanilla on the nose. The palate leans toward orchard fruits, earthiness, and a hint of caramel, finishing with a slight bite.

Average price: $40
Rating: 92

Luna De Jalisco Reposado Tequila

Bottled under Total Wine’s Spirits Direct program, this is better than you might expect. Distilled at Hacienda Capellania, it has a strong minerality, and almost a public swimming pool note that we swear is a compliment.

Average price: $47
Rating: 90

Curado Tequila Blanco (Cocido)

Infused tequilas seemed to be the name of the game this year and we were sent ones infused with coffee, Carolina Reapers, ghost peppers, grilled pineapple, coconut, Mexican candy, and even peanut butter (honestly, not bad!). But the Curado series of agave-infused tequilas is by far the most sophisticated and best of the bunch — and this is the best of the Curados. A blanco produced at Tequila Ocho’s Destilería Los Alambiques is infused with cooked Blue Weber agave. The tequila is very grassy, earthy and a bit vegetal, sweet but not too much so, and with a robust mouthfeel. Pleasant to sip, and would soar in a Tommy’s Margarita.

Average price: $49
Rating: 91

The Best Tequilas Under $100

Lost Lore Tequila Reposado

Resting in oak for two to 12 months gives just a kiss of barrel character (vanilla and caramel) to this tequila. The agave remains vibrant, with floral and honey notes on the nose and cooked agave on the palate, leading to a crisp, light finish.

Average price: $53
Rating: 92

Patrón 100

The newest permanent addition to the Patrón lineup is made entirely from tahona-crushed agave (as opposed to the blend of roller mill and tahona-crushed they typically use). A bit more earthy and vegetal than typical Patrón, the palate still offers the sweet agave, citrus, and peppery notes you might expect. Distilled to 100 proof, it remains drinkable neat, but would play in cocktails quite well.

Average price: $54
Rating: 91

Maestro Dobel Tahona Tequila Blanco

Indeed, if “still strength” was the industry buzz word a few years black, “tahona” is unquestionably the name of the game this year. Putting “tahona,” a large stone wheel used to crush the roasted agave, on the label used to be a nerdy signal to tequila connoisseurs that a brand was committed to artisanal production techniques and not compromising in flavor. (That’s not 100 percent the case any more, as the marketers have clearly learned.) This Proximo Spirits brand has gotten into the tahona game with this new release, creating a tequila bright and citrusy on the nose, with a palate packed with sweet agave, minerality, and an herbal finish.

Average price: $56
Rating: 91

Tequila Ocho Reposado

This single estate tequila uses “mature, overripe” agave from La Mesa, in the highlands of Jalisco. Distilled by Carlos Camarena, it is matured in ex-American whiskey barrels for two months. The nose has just a hint of barrel, vanilla, and butterscotch, leading to a palate where the pepperiness of the agave blends beautifully with the spiciness of the oak barrel.

Average price: $60
Rating: 93

Arette Fuerte Artesanal 101 Blanco

Produced by the Orendain family at their El Llano distillery, this is an extremely drinkable high proof. It’s vegetal and peppery on the nose, with a pleasing black licorice note. The palate is grassier and more herbal, with a touch of jalapeño and a slight alcohol burn.

Average price: $60
Rating: 92

Laelia Tequila Blanco

The claim of “tahona-crushed” agave on the label is certainly meant to appeal to tequila nerds, but it doesn’t feel like it was taken quite far enough. It is just a touch earthy with the expected flavors and aromas of cooked agave and citrus, but it remains fairly clean and crisp. I’d love for it to have a little more rustic character, but it is indeed solid and worth your time.

Average price: $60
Rating: 90

Partida Cristalino Añejo Tequila

The only cristalino on this year’s list, Partida’s is an 18-month añejo aged in ex-bourbon barrels before undergoing charcoal filtration to obtain, as the brand claims, the “clarity of the diamond.” (OK, slow down.) There’s the head trip of a tequila grassy on the nose, but barrel-rich on the palate with notes of vanilla, honey, and German chocolate cake, all of it going down like bottled water.

Average price: $60
Rating: 89

Manuscrito Reposado High Proof – Chapter 4

 

Produced at the same Destileria El Sabino as our high-proof superlative Zumbador, this is something less seen on the market: a high-proof reposado. Estate agave is cooked in brick ovens, extracted via roller mill, and open-fermented with fibers, before being distilled in copper pots. It is then aged in ex-Chardonnay French oak barrels for over three months and bottled at 51.55 percent ABV. It’s bright on the nose with a palate leaning more toward bananas, baking spices, and brownies; very drinkable for the proof with little burn.

Average price: $65
Rating: 93

Don Fulano Reposado

Aged for eight to 11 months in French Limousin casks, this reposado is full-bodied and slightly smoky. But there’s also an incredible acidity on the palate, with some spice and herbal notes and a hint of anise. The finish is a touch sweet like chocolate-covered strawberries, balancing the entire tequila.

Average price: $65
Rating: 93

Tierra de Ensueño Blanco

This unusual blanco is rested for two weeks in ex-bourbon casks (which is indeed stylistically legal). There’s a sharp, cactus note on the nose, while the palate is a little more sweet, both from the cooked agave and the vanillin of the barrel. For those looking into sipping blancos neat, this would work as a good bridge.

Average price: $65
Rating: 91

Tequila General Gorostieta Blanco

Produced at Destileria El Pandillo — where the acclaimed Tequila G4 is also made — using agave from selected estates, cut with leaves, before being cooked in brick ovens and crushed with mechanical tahona. The result is a blanco that’s vegetal and rustic. There’s a slight sourness on the palate, leading to a sweet, tropical, banana-heavy finish.

Average price: $70
Rating: 92

Entremanos Tequila Blanco ‘Primavera 2025’

This limited release for spring is produced from over 7-year-old agave harvested in February of 2025 and then separated into extended fermentations in American oak and stainless steel. Afterward, each is distilled to different strengths before being blended and proofed down over six days. There’s a lovely sweetness on the palate, with elote, buttermilk, tropical fruit, and an overwhelming note of lemon pound cake.

Average price: $76
Rating: 92

Viva Mexico Tequila Blanco ‘Madera’

This limited release was produced by Sergio Cruz at Destilería el Ranchito in Arandas. 100 percent estate-grown agave is roasted in brick ovens for 48 hours before being open-air, wild fermented using sonic harmonization, a.k.a. “the Mozart Method” (classical music is played during the process) in madera vats, before distillation on copper pots. There’s a lot going on here: freshly mowed grass, cactus, citrus and tropical fruits, cooked agave sweetness… and a faint hint of “Requiem” in D Minor.

Average price: $80
Rating: 92

Solento Organic Tequila Añejo

Don’t dismiss the cologne-bottle packaging as the liquid inside is a bit more sophisticated. The 100 percent USDA certified organic Blue Weber agave, harvested in small batches from a single estate, gives this tequila (distilled at Tequila Las Americas) a wonderful cooked agave intensity. The 18 months of American oak barrel aging injects some maple syrup and butterscotch notes that are just enough to make this a worthwhile sipper.

Average price: $80
Rating: 91

La Pulga Tequila Añejo

This añejo is aged for 18 to 22 months in ex-American oak barrels and, indeed, it has a bourbon-y quality to it, though not completely. There is still roasted agave to be found, along with plenty of baking spices, and hints of dark fruits as well. In a way, it tastes like a sort of tequila Manhattan topped with a brandied cherry. Quite enjoyable.

Average price: $80
Rating: 90

Leyenda 1925 Reposado

You have to wonder if the towering bottle design and 20th-century date in the name are meant to trick Don Julio 1942 seekers. The whole Leyenda lineup is pretty good but the reposado offers a happy medium between barrel sweetness and agave notes. (Though the tall, tapered bottle is a bit of a pain to pour.)

Average price: $90
Rating: 91

Cazcanes No. 7 Joven

The only joven — a blend of unaged and aged tequila — to make our list this year, this 100 percent agave example has it all. Composed of 59 percent blanco, 13 percent 10-month-old reposado, 26 percent 17-month-old añejo, and 2 percent 38-month-old extra-añejo, there is complexity for days. The blanco surely adds brightness and an agave-forward vibrancy, while the barrel-aged components inject hints of vanilla, caramel, and coconut cream pie all wrapped in a faint wisp of campfire smoke. For those who eschew aged tequila, they might want to give this joven a chance.

Average price: $100
Rating: 92

Tequila Herradura Legend Añejo

If many will claim Brown-Forman’s top tequila line ain’t what it used to be — certainly in its lower end — its higher-end stuff is still pretty tasty… for a certain kind of drinker. This release is aged in charred American oak barrels that have been grooved to increase wood contact on the liquid. With that pedigree you get, no shocker, a very bourbon-y tequila, loaded with barrel sugars and sweetness, though not in any sort of synthetic, additive-packed way. It’s lacking in depth, and there’s not much agave flavor to be found, but one can’t deny that it’s an enjoyable drinker and will be loved by more neophyte tequila fans.

Average price: $100
Rating: 90

The Best Tequilas Over $100

Amatiteña Tequila ‘Barrancas’

A truly one-of-a-kind offering in a multitude of ways. Single-estate agave is harvested in the same family farmlands that grow mangoes, mameys, and plums. It is cooked in mesquite wood-fired stone ovens, crushed by tahona, and fermented with fibers in open-air wood tanks before distillation. Those aforementioned fruits get added on the second distillation on a wood-fired copper still before the liquid is rested for one year in glass demijohns. This was without question the most sui generis tequila we tasted all year, with notes of roasted carrots, candied yams, tropical fruits, cooked agave, and BBQ potato chips. Probably a love-it-or-hate-it tequila for most people, but we absolutely loved it.

Average price: $118
Rating: 93

Mijenta Añejo Gran Reserva

This high-end añejo is aged for around 18 months in, according to the brand, four “bespoke” casks — American white oak, French oak, acacia, and cherry. Packaged in a sleek, matte-finished bottle, the liquid is a bit more one-note than you’d hope for the price, but it’s a good note. A certain sort of mocha meets cooked agave, with less barrel influence than you might expect.

Average price: $200
Rating: 92

Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo

Aged in sherry, Scotch, and Cognac casks, this extra añejo is matured for a total of five years — two years longer than is standard or required for the style. Despite that age, the final spirit is not consumed by the casks, offering the distinctive presence of vegetal agave from beginning to finish. The influence of the different barrels mainly comes into play on the palate, providing richness, a velvety texture, and a persistent finish.

Average price: $280
Rating: 94

FAQs

What type of tequila is the smoothest?

While any expression of tequila can be considered “smooth,” many believe that extra añejo tequilas — which are barrel-aged for a minimum of three years — are particularly smooth, complex, and best for sipping.

What are the best-selling tequilas?

The popularity of tequila has exploded in recent years, and as the spirit has evolved, so, too, has the number of brands on the market. In addition to a number of other brands, Don Julio, 1800, Patrón Tequila, Jose Cuervo, and El Jimador are among the best-selling tequilas. (Check out the full list of the top 10 best-selling tequilas in the world.)

What is the best tequila for shots?

Any tequila on this list can be the best tequila for shots if you really put your mind to it. While we at VinePair prefer our tequila mixed into cocktails or served neat, if you’re taking shots, opt for a quality tequila around the $25 price point.

What are silver and gold tequila?

Often labeled as “blanco” or “plata,” silver tequila is typically unaged and is clear as a result. Many tout silver tequila as agave’s most undiluted expression and the best measure of a brand’s range. Gold tequila, often labeled as “joven” or “oro,” is also typically unaged, though can include a blend of unaged and aged tequilas. In some cases, gold tequilas get their color from the addition of caramel colorings and other flavors.

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