2024 was an era of innovation for the tequila industry. No longer can you slap a celebrity name on a bog-standard blanco and call it a day; this year, brands were forced to think outside the box with all manner of cask finishes, high-proof touches and unusual production methods to stand out from the crowd.
We tried a whole lot of these experiments to varying results. Some soared for the sky with wonderfully rich flavors of roasted agave, fresh fruits and caramel. Others, not so much. Sorting the wheat from the chaff, we've put together a list of eight fantastic tequilas that piqued our interest in 2024.
Methodology: For this list, only tequilas released in 2024 or during the latter portion of 2023 (but that we tasted in 2024) are considered.Bottles are ranked by the house scores given by our spirits critics. Should a tie occur in house scores, it is broken by our Raided Score®, a number that is a calculated average of notable critic scores. If two spirits’ Raided Scores® are equal, the tequila with the highest number of aggregated reviews receives a higher ranking. When all of those factors are equal, alphabetization is used as a final tiebreaker.
El Tequileño recently toasted its 65th anniversary with the unveiling of its first extra añejo. Rather than go the straightforward route, the brand opted to take note from the scotch world with a blended batch of goodies. This towering $800 decanter contains spirits gathered from three batches: one matured for four years and nine months in ex-Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels, another aged three years in French Oak casks that previously held El Tequileño reserves and a third spent four years and one month in unused French Oak.
The attention to detail shows. Subtle aromas of smoke, apricot and flower petals pave the way for a tequila that's remarkably light on its feet for an extra añejo. The palate dives headfirst into big notes of roasted agave and caramelized orange, eventually making room for a mix of honey, earth and hazelnut. It all rounds out with a lovely crème brulée finish.
If you're a collector who doesn't mind shelling out nearly $1,000 for a single bottle, consider giving this a shot. If you don't fall into that category, it might be best to save your money for a different recommendation on the list.
7. La Pulga Añejo
[caption id="attachment_97683" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: La Pulga)[/caption]
La Pulga is one of several tequilas founded in the Lone Star state over the past few years. Fort Worth natives Sarah Castillo, Stephen Slaughter and Andrew De La Torre — a restauranteur, former bar owner and real estate developer, respectively — designed it as an homage to the historic Pequeño Mexico flea market in their hometown.
The brand's añejo evidences a clear mastery of the craft. Aged for 18 months in ex-bourbon casks, the nose is crammed with characteristically whiskey-like aromas of caramel, cherry, banana and Butterfinger candy. The palate provides much the same to excellent effect, folding in flavors of roasted agave, cinnamon raisin and sugar. Of all the tequilas rested in ex-bourbon casks, this is one the best at marrying those flavors into the final product.
You can pick up La Pulga Añejo at $80. In addition to its blanco and reposado, the brand also produces a mezcal Salmiana and sotol that are well worth checking out.
Tequila Ocho reunited with Brooklyn's Widow Jane distillery at the beginning of last year for another treat. The brands had previously collaborated from across the border on a reposado aged for eight weeks and eight days (lest they remind you that Ocho translates to "eight" in English). For their second team-up, the distillers opted for a 12-month bourbon-finished añejo bottled at 48% ABV.
And would you look at that — it even clocks in at a Raided Score® of 88. This is a decidedly sweet sipper loaded with flavors of cinnamon, clove, Werther's hard candies, dried fruit and honey. The aroma and finish bring an unusually mineral-forward kick brimming with salinity and black pepper.
Sadly this is one of a few limited-edition picks on this list that now demands higher prices than at launch. If you're hoping to add it to your collection, bottles of Tequila Ocho Widow Jane Barrel Select will cost you around $180 among resellers.
If you're launching a new tequila brand from scratch in 2024, you've got to do a lot to make it stand out from the crowd. The agave wizards over at Alto Canto, Spanish for "High Song," took the challenge in stride.
The brand is the sole product of the recently constructed Tequila El Rocio distillery, which claims to distill its spirits at the highest altitude of any in Mexico (9,000 feet). There, agaves are roasted in traditional brick ovens, macerated with a volcanic stone tahona and malolactic fermented with endemic yeast for 80 hours. In the wrong hands, this grab bag of trendy production techniques might turn into a tequila that's all bark and no bite.
But not Alto Canto. Bottled at a none-too-overwhelming 48% ABV, the brand's High Proof Blanco flies out of the glass with a wonderful mix of sweet and savory flavor. Aromas of roasted agave, moss and lemon rind dominate the nose. The palate is a touch more vegetal, introducing hints of honeydew, bell peppers, mint and lactic funk usually reserved for a mezcal. The finish takes a turn for the spicy with notes of white pepper and cinnamon.
Alto Canto is slowly expanding its distribution across the U.S. In the meantime, you can find bottles of its High Proof Blanco online at $89.99.
Chef John des Rosiers hit the ground running late last year with a tequila that defies expectations. On the one hand, Cambio pays homage to all of the good ol' techniques: additive-free recipe, tahona-crushed agave and a pleasantly high 46% ABV. On the other, the brand's blanco makes the unusual choice of resting 45 days in French oak barrels — just a couple of weeks shy of a reposado.
We're always a fan of an experiment that turns out tasty. Agave is the star of the show from beginning to end, popping with a hint of spice, citrus and light earthiness on the nose. The palate provides a meaty mix of pepper, crushed stone and pear followed by a slate-heavy finish. If you're a fan of mineral-forward blancos, Cambio Blanco is a great choice.
Best of all, the expression is widely available online at just $49.99. If you're interested in learning more about Cambio, check out our interview with founder John Des Rosier here.
Tres Generaciones, a ubiquitous mid-budget sight on liquor store shelves across the country, decided it’d go back to square one in honor of its 50th anniversary at the end of 2023.
Rarely do you see a brand foray quite so far outside its comfort zone. Recruiting help from the critically acclaimed Cascahuin distillery, Tres Generaciones designed an ode to all things old-school: agaves were slow roasted in masonry ovens, crushed with a tahona and double distilled in copper pot stills. The añejo was then aged 14 months in charred American white oak and bottled at a welcomely high 45% ABV.
The final product proves that the industry’s biggest names still have plenty of room to make big innovations. A toasty nose of brown sugar, baked apples, mango and kiwi fruit gives way to flavors of tropical fruit, cinnamon and ginger. The finish is arguably the star of the show, reveling in a spicy mix of pepper, maple and pear punctuated by a hint of char and minerality. The $200 bottling is like apple pie in a glass.
Up until recently, LALO specialized exclusively in a single expression. And a remarkably successful one at that. It feels like the brand's blanco is everywhere these days; whether it's being chatted up by your favorite tequila influencer or poured into a gourmet margarita, LALO Blanco has dominated the additive-free discourse for all the right reasons.
LALO High Proof takes the same formula and notches it up to 54% ABV. As is often the case with higher-proofed blancos, the mouthfeel adopts a creamy quality that coats the mouth with honeyed sweetness. The aroma is a medley of tropical fruits like papaya and mango, while the palate delivers gobs of squeezed grapefruit, lavender and a vegetal character not unlike cactus. It lives up to the hype and then some. Though it was unveiled as a limited-edition drop in November, LALO High Proof can still be purchased at a reasonable $80 from most retailers online.
If you want to learn more about the brand, find our interview with founder Eduardo "Lalo" Gonzalez here.
Bespoke cask finishes are everywhere these days. From the wine barrel-rested Rosado to the orange liqueur-finished GuachiMonton, the technique has taken over the tequila scene and shows no sign of slowing down. For our money, no brand does it better than Quintaliza.
After maturing its reposado in ex-bourbon American white oak, the brand transfers the spirit to casks that previously held roasted organic coffee made from beans harvested in Chiapas, Mexico. Make no mistake, this is not one of those coffee liqueurs you've been hearing so much about lately. The double barrel process infuses coffee flavor in hints, not gobs, amounting to an evenly balanced spirit that makes plenty of room for agave.
Quintaliza just introduced a 45% High Proof that elevates the concept to new heights. The palate offers robust layers of roasted coffee, dark chocolate, tobacco and cinnamon that are virtually unheard of in a reposado expression. The finish tastes like a mocha cappuccino mixed with the last puff of a high-end cigar. It's heady stuff, absolutely worth seeking out even if you prefer tea over coffee.
Most retailers have already sold out of this $79 expression, so keep an eye out if it's restocked anytime soon.
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(Photo: La Pulga)[/caption]
(Photo: Tequila Ocho)[/caption]
(Photo: Quintaliza)[/caption]