It feels like tequila prices keep on getting higher and higher. $100 for a bottle of Cazcanes Rosa? $300 for a bottle of Fortaleza Blanco? And don't even get us started on Tears of Llorona.
The hype cycle surrounding agave spirits over the past decade has given birth to a cutthroat market, one increasingly oriented toward collectors and hardcore nerds rather than the everyday consumer. The old adage that it's "worth paying a little more for tequila" only goes so far. Great as many of these products may be, your wallet deserves a rest from time to time — especially when there are so many affordable alternatives to be found.
Tasting our way through last year's tequila offerings, we've narrowed in on five bottles under $60 that showcase the spirit at its finest. Some of these make for killer cocktail mixers, others are best enjoyed over the rocks. Whatever your persuasion, a tequila suited to each and every palate can be found below.
Rarely do you find a new tequila so exciting in all the finer details.
Lágrimas del Valle is one out the latest projects out of NOM 1123, the always excellent distillery behind favorites like Cascahuín, Wild Common and Montagave. Unlike those brands, however, Lágrimas is an ever-changing experiment in single estate terroir. Each year's release spotlights a different agave harvest with an eye for differences in soil, flora and altitude that'll affect the final batch. In other words, it's an agave nerd's dream tequila through and through.
For its 2024 "La Loma," the brand opted to harvest a field in Michoacán, bring it back to Jalisco and process it using a combination of tahona and roller mill extraction. Whatever secret sauce they're working with over at Tequila Cascahuín, we only encourage them to keep it up. The nose on this is jam-packed with dense aromas of freshly roasted agave, hibiscus-like florality and an inviting tropical fruit note. The palate provides much the same while honing in on a fine balance of minerality and citrus rinds. It goes down all too well, doubly so for something that's bottled a touch above normal at 46% ABV.
Best of all, it only costs $60. This is hands down one of our favorite tequilas of the year, and we can't wait to see what Lágrimas has cooking up in months to come.
Not a Celebrity Tequila
[caption id="attachment_102907" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Not A Celebrity Tequila)[/caption]
No, this isn't a joke — "Not A Celebrity Tequila" is exactly what's printed on the label.
Sure to stand out on crowded liquor store shelves, this latest release from NOM 1517 acts as a pointed response to the Hollywood trend we all know (but perhaps don't love) in the spirits industry. And this brand sure has a whole lot to say on the topic. Peruse its website, and you'll find a bevy of on-the-nose slogans like "focused on what's *inside* the bottle" and "built on ingredients, not IMDB." Robb Report writer Jonah Flicker even called out a handful of well-known celebrity tequilas by name, declaring Not A Celebrity better than all of them. Gutsy stuff.
Tongue-in-cheek as it may all be, the brand also has an evident touch for transparency. The back of each bottle lists out each and every factoid you need to know about the spirit: highlands agave, autoclave cooked, roller mill extraction, stainless steel pot stills and 100% agave.
Expect earthy aromas of black pepper and taragon that segue into a distinct palate of roasted coffee, cinnamon and fennel. It's surprisingly dark and bitter in all the right ways, almost bringing to mind the bite of an after-dinner digestif. Quite tasty as a solo sipper and cocktail mixer alike. Considering it clocks in at just $40, it's a pretty easy bottle to justify — especially if you've grown tired of all the celebrity-backed slop saturating the market.
Don Gato Reposado
[caption id="attachment_102919" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: Don Gato)[/caption]
Allow us to make a quick pivot from Not A Celebrity Tequila to definitely a celebrity tequila.
In October, Danny McBride became the latest Hollywood star to splash headfirst into the agave spirits industry. Best known for his roles in "Pineapple Express" and "The Righteous Gemstones," the actor has sought to differentiate his venture from the crowd with a heavy serving of irreverent humor. The brand is oriented around the eponymous Don Gato, a fictional feline-loving luchador who apparently loves disco parties and motorcycle rides as much as he does failed pyramid schemes. There are reams of imaginary backstory fleshing out the brand but, arguably, that's about the least important aspect of the spirit itself.
More importantly, Don Gato is distilled using an additive-free recipe. And the result came out pretty good. Its Reposado, matured a slim two months in American oak, pops with pleasant whiffs of raw agave, golden raisins and banana on the nose. The palate gives way to dry and spicy flavors of tilled earth, lemon peel and chamomile, more akin to what you'd find inside a typical blanco rather than an aged expression. It's easygoing, a smidge herbaceous and a dependable buy if you're looking for something just under $50.
The Lost Explorer Blanco
[caption id="attachment_102921" align="aligncenter" width="600"] (Photo: The Lost Explorer)[/caption]
The Lost Explorer recently made the jump from award-winning mezcal to additive-free tequila with a helping hand from Enrique de Colsa, the former master distiller at Don Julio. Consider us intrigued. The brand has done some pretty great stuff since its founding in 2020, particularly its limited-edition Madre Cuishe expression that dropped a few months back.
Though blanco tequila is of course an entirely different ball game, The Lost Explorer pulled off the transition with a deft touch. Unlike its mezcals, which lean toward smoke and a heady savory character, the brand's blanco is all about tropical fruits and florality. Inviting aromas of guava, vanilla and lime give way to an agave-forward palate tingling with tart lemon, lavender, anise and subtle spice. The finish, though brief, leaves you with just enough rose and orange blossoms to demand another sip.
The other big difference from The Lost Explorer's mezcals is that this is remarkably budget-friendly. If you're looking for a springtime sipper, $50 on a bottle of this blanco won't steer you wrong.
Herradura 46 isn't exactly a new tequila. If anything, it's the precise opposite. This is the original blanco recipe that Herradura hit the ground running with way back in 1870 and has reportedly remained completely unchanged in the decades since. Up until January, this 46-proof blanco was available exclusively in Mexico. Now — thanks in part to the burgeoning high-proof trend, we imagine — it has finally been launched stateside.
It's an intriguing move from one of the best-known legacy brands in the industry. And a more than welcome change of pace. You'll start to understand what's going on here at first whiff; the aroma is decidedly vegetal, packed with hints of raw agave, fresh-mowed grass and parsley that tingle with the slightest ethanol burn. The palate expands with flavors of jalapeño, white pepper and a distinct celery note that several reviewers have called out in the write-ups. The finish is brief and peppery, lingering with a touch of rosemary that works excellently inside a paloma or ranch water cocktail.
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(Photo: Not A Celebrity Tequila)[/caption]
(Photo: Don Gato)[/caption]
(Photo: The Lost Explorer)[/caption]
(Photo: Herradura)[/caption]