The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2024
Tequila!
If you’re not envisioning Pee-Wee Herman right now, something’s wrong with you. Or maybe the problem is you’re just thirsty. Well, we can fix that for you, thanks to our guide to the 10 best tequilas (and mezcals) we tasted in 2024. So without further ado, grab some chips and salsa and dive in.
For more great picks, see also our top tens from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019.
1. El Tesoro Mundial Collection: Knob Creek Rye Edition
El Tesoro released the second editions of its Mundial Collection anejo this year, which is built around finishing for a full year in specific barrel type. (The first edition, finished in Laphroaig casks, was also fantastic.) The use of rye casks doesn’t seem like a big stretch for a product category that usually ages in bourbon barrels, but the finished product here speaks for itself, taking the creamy lushness of El Tesoro anejo and folding in the gentle herbaceousness that rye whiskey brings. It complements the vanilla and caramel that you expect from a well-aged tequila, culminating in a groovy, seductive after-dinner sipper. 80 proof. $175 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
2. Maestro Dobel Atelier Tequila Extra Anejo, Trajineras Edition 2023
An early 2024 review for us, we’re slipping it in here because, well, we absolutely have to. The hand-painted bottle of this extra anejo, aged in small American and Eastern European oak barrels, provides a talking point on its own, but the tequila inside is a showstopper: Peppery and grassy on the nose – unusual for extra anejo – the tequila eventually gives way to a surfeit of dessert flavors on the palate, dosed heavily with racy spices. A Mexican chocolate analogue would be completely on point. 80 proof. $250 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
3. Casa Obsidiana Tequila Blanco
The abstract art-inspired bottles may look like a gimmick, but Casa Obsidiana from Jean-Charles Boisset is the real deal. The cream of the crop is its unusual blanco, which is actually aged just a touch: 16 days in French oak casks that held Boisset Napa Valley Chardonnay. It’s a blanco with a little color and a lot of flavor: pepper and spice, then vanilla and caramel, finishing with lemon. It lands somewhere between a classic blanco and a reposado, and can work for either side of the fence. 80 proof. $190 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
4. Gran Centenario Gallardo Tequila
Just 679 bottles of this extra anejo monster were produced by Gran Centenario, which was aged in American and French oak barrels for more than 3 years, then finished in Bordeaux wine barrels. It’s nothing like any of Gran Centario’s other tequilas, closer to brandy than any tequila I’ve encountered, as layers of baking spice, cloves, dried figs, and potpourri all climb to the surface. Auster and leathery, it’s a dense and rich experience that evokes Nutella and milk chocolate. Crazy expensive, but worth a sample for a special occasion $600 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
5. The ImpEx Collection Mezcal Felipe Cortes, Bicuixe
Independently-bottled mezcal remains an extremely niche market, but one we applaud. This expression was distilled in 2015 and rested in glass for 7 years before bottling. It’s an outstanded, well-balanced mezcal that features an array of fruit flavors prominently while letting the smoke slowly waft over you. A journey in a glass. 98.8 proof. $160
6. Maestro Dobel 50 1969 Tequila
Another Maestro Dobel extra anejo bottling, part of a trio of tequilas released all at once, each finished in a different type of exotic barrel. The best of the lot is the 1969, which is finished in Sauternes casks. The sweet wine subdues the agave and provides a perfumy sweetness to the spirit, taking a journey through lemon, maple, and cinnamon before settling down on a mint chocolate note to finish. Yes, we know it’s crazy expensive. 80 proof. $950 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
7. El Buho Mezcal Mexicano
Unusual and exciting, with a nose that evokes aromas of candied jalapeno. The level of spice here may be a turn-off for some, but heat-seekers need to give this a shot. Patience finds grassy notes plus green pepper, black pepper, and just the slightest whisper of smoke. In addition to the boldly spicy attack, the higher abv also encourages more cautious sipping. 94 proof. $106
8. Ricava Tequila Black Reposado
What makes a reposado “black”? Aging in heavily charred barrels. That alone isn’t enough to turn this tequila coffee-black in color, but whatever’s going on in the bottle works. The nose is actually quite soft, showing agave prominently, while the palate evokes classic reposado notes of vanilla, nuts, and honey. The color may be a gimmick, but what’s in the bottle is on point. 80 proof. $120
9. Siempre Exclusivo Vivo Blanco
Wild yeast is used to distill this out-there tequila which is so driven by minerals, earth, and smoke that you could easily assume from the nose that it was a mezcal instead of a tequila. Sharp and biting, the palate is punchy and bold, in part thanks to its significant abv of 47.5%. Gingery, herbal, and again a little smoky on the finish, it’s the blanco tequila to reach for when your guests complain that most silver tequilas have lost their sense of character. 95 proof. $120 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
10. Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Reposado
Cierto’s reserve reposado spends 11 months in French Limousin oak, providing a bracing collection of flavors once it reaches your glass: vanilla, lime, red pepper, black pepper, and roasted agave are all well-integrated into the finished product, finishing with a lush, lingering milk chocolate note. 80 proof. $140 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
El Tesoro Mundial Collection: Knob Creek Rye Edition
$175
Pricey list. Not a single selection below $100, which is a bit suspect considering last year’s line-up. This kind of unicorn pushing is irritating at best.
Definitely aware that this year’s list is more luxe, but we really did not encounter many lower-priced tequilas this year. Unfortunately the tequila market is pushing prices upward every year. Hopefully next year we’ll see more value-oriented offerings.
Could check out Mala Mia Mezcal, Christopher gave this glowing review in late December, 2023: https://www.drinkhacker.com/2023/12/24/review-mala-mia-mezcal-ensamble-cuishe-and-tepeztate/
An excellent pick, for sure.