16 Must-Try Sipping Tequilas

Highly ranked by critics and customers, Don Julio 1942 Anejo is an elegant and smooth aged tequila from one of the most well-respected tequila purveyors in the world. It offers a delicious caramel and chocolate nose with a warm oak vanilla and agave finish. I enjoy sipping Don Julio 1942 as a luxurious nightcap dessert. 

A well-spiced and fruity tequila, Maestro Dobel 50 Cristalino Extra Anejo is a small-batch tequila, using singly sourced blue agave plants from a family-owned farm in Jalisco. The aging process in American and European oak barrels instills a unique flavor profile. I get hints of quince and fig combined with honey and caramel with each sip, followed by chocolate, tobacco, and vanilla finishes.

Tequila Ocho delivers a roasted and sweet flavor with hints of citrus, herbs, honey, and pepper. The Camarena family extracts the highest quality tequila from overripe agave plants for an agave-forward tequila. I find Ocho Tequila Plata a brighter and earthier tequila than many of the contenders I list.

Tres Agaves sources their tequila from organic agave farms in Jalisco, Mexico to ensure quality. Tres Agaves ages their Organic Anejo tequila in bourbon and whiskey barrels, imparting a distinct smoky caramel and butterscotch flavor. You’ll also get floral and rosemary spice notes to balance the smoky sweetness, making for a delicious room temperature sip. 

Clase Azul tequila is a unique tequila, from its artisanal hand-painted bottles to the meticulous harvest and extraction methods. It is a medium-bodied tequila bursting with hazelnut, vanilla, cloves, and cinnamon. The orange-cream soda scent alone is enough to convince me. Clase Azul Reposado advises against adding this high-quality tequila to a cocktail. It’s so delicious that you wouldn’t want to muddle its flavor with anything else. 

Casa Dragones Joven is a blend of young or “Joven” tequila silver and extra-aged tequila, creating a full-bodied, super-rich flavor of spiced vanilla and pear with a warm finish of hazelnut. It may be one of the most expensive bottles on my list, but it's certainly worth the price. 

Named for its double charcoal-filtered clear appearance, Avion Reserva Cristalino is a blend of Anejo and extra Anejo tequilas. The clarity speaks to its unparalleled smoothness. Avion has aromas of oak, vanilla, caramel, and spices, which then transform into nutty flavors of pecans, roasted agave, and pineapple. I love to pair a glass of Avion Reserva Cristalino on the rocks with an appetizer of queso flameado.

Another crystal clear Anejo blend, 1800 Cristalino Anejo Tequila uses a blend of 100% blue agave tequilas aged in different oak barrels separately. The two blends come together for a second, short aging process inside port wine casks, thus delivering a unique wine finish to a delightfully nutty and citrusy flavored tequila.

Casamigos Anejo is a classic sipping tequila, using the finest agave aged up to 9 years, slow-cooked, then slow-fermented for unparalleled flavor. Casamigos Anejo gives you a well-balanced flavor of sweet vanilla and spiciness from the oak barrels in which it was aged. I enjoy the versatility of Casamigos Anejo as you can sip it or enjoy it in a spirit-forward cocktail. 

This rich and delicious tequila blend is the result of the marriage between master tequila distillers and master whiskey distillers. El Tequileno select double wood reposado gets a double-barrel aging process in which high-quality tequila ages for 2 years in American whiskey barrels followed by a finishing in French barrels. 

As an extra Anejo tequila, El Tesoro Paradiso is the height of complexity and smoothness. Master Distiller and agave farm owner Carlos Camarena uses French cognac barrels to age this deep amber tequila for five years. You get a rich butterscotch flavor from scent to taste, to finish with a delightful smokiness tacked onto each sip. I enjoy this tequila neat with a lime garnish. 

Gran Patron Burdeos Anejo distinguishes itself through its finishing process. After being aged in American and French whiskey barrels, distillers use a Bordeaux wine barrel to impart a red wine scent and a note of raisins to its rich vanilla flavor. It’s also twice-distilled, giving it an almost velvety texture that is perfect for sipping in my opinion. 

Fortaleza tequila prizes its brand for offering stone-crushed double-distilled tequila using an open-air fermentation. Their Anejo offers scents of caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and fresh agave. The buttery, thick mouthfeel is what sets this tequila apart from the rest. It turns the butterscotch sent into a rich toffee and hazelnut flavor. I like sipping this blend extra slowly to taste the complexity of texture and flavor. 

Riazul Tequila Anejo ages their double-distilled pure agave tequila for two years in cognac barrels made from wood sourced from the Citeaux forests in Burgundy, France. These barrels impart a strong cinnamon aroma and finish punctuated by a medium-bodied flavor profile of caramel, vanilla, agave, and almond. The cinnamon finish adds a warming kick that certainly lights a fire in my throat. 

Undoubtedly the most exclusive bottle of tequila on my list, Tears of Llorona Extra Anejo Tequila is master distiller German Gonzalez’s magnum opus. It’s aged in three different types of barrels over five years and made in batches so small, that you have to put in the time and effort to find it. If you manage to get a taste of this highly praised and sought-after tequila, congratulations! 

Chamucos Reposado tequila has a soft and subtle mouthfeel while offering a very complex flavor profile that includes cooked agave, vanilla, toffee, cinnamon, fennel, and black pepper. Despite a strong scent and rich flavor, the finish is as soft and smooth as the texture, leaving a subtle yet notable heat.