Review: Tequilas of Cazcanes (Updated 2025)
Tequila brand Cazcanes was founded in 2015 with its first product hitting shelves in 2017. It may be fairly new to the wide world of agave spirits, but the brand story goes way back. The name honors the last native Mexicans conquered by the Spaniards, and the tequila itself is reportedly based on a 300-year-old indigenous recipe discovered inside a jungle still.
Cazcanes tequilas are additive-free, crafted in Amatitan, Jalisco from only 100% organic, lowlands Blue Weber Agave and single-source natural spring water. Individual expressions are differentiated by a numbering system that corresponds with alcohol strength (80 proof for No. 7, 100 proof for No. 9, and still strength for No. 10). Thoughts follow.
NOM 1614.
Cazcanes No. 10 Blanco Still Strength Review
This blanco tequila was bottled at still strength after resting in stainless steel for 1 to 3 months. It’s a beautifully bold and expressive blanco, channeling the more gritty and herbal dimensions of agave that are often drowned in water or overshadowed by barrel aging. The nose is bright and green with agave pulp, bell pepper, basil, and a bit of pine sap. As it opens, things sweeten with pineapple, dried mango, and plantain chips, but that earthy quality remains, enlivened with a bit of baking spice and pink peppercorn.
The palate is even more vegetal and fresh with a big smack of green agave accompanied by a bold, peppery heat that remains consistently piquant across the sip. Undertones of lime peel and fresh-squeezed orange juice offer up a bright sweetness on the midpalate, but cracked black pepper, chicory, and fennel keep things earthy and well-spiced into a long, honeyed finish of agave syrup and dried tropical fruits. A game changer for classic tequila cocktails but equally enjoyable over ice. 108 proof.
A / $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Cazcanes Nuestras Raices Still Strength Blanco 2025 Review
Nuestras Raíces is Spanish for “our roots,” and this limited-edition, still-strength bottling of blanco tequila eschews the “No.” naming convention to focus instead on the ancestral methods and wild fermentation used to make it. Per Cazcanes: “We call it ‘Jugo de la Selva’ — Jungle Juice — a raw and unfiltered expression of agave in its wildest form… capturing the untamed character of agave in its purest state.”
It is for sure an expressive blanco, though not nearly as in-your-face with agave as I was expecting based on its backstory. The nose exudes classic notes you get from a bigger blanco — grassy, herbal, and very peppery, here running from jalapeno to a more racy serrano note, all very green and decidedly pungent. Bitter-sour notes of lime and grapefruit peel add a slight tempering element to all that greenery, but the focus remains pedal-down on the peppery and vegetal notes.
The palate does not shift focus all that much, though grapefruit eventually winds its way to a touch of pineapple, which tones down some of the peppery heat, particularly if given time in glass to settle down. Those serrano notes find some ground white pepper to complement them, while the finish eventually tempers everything with some white chocolate and a bit of shredded coconut, a little touch of sugar to calm the palate down.
While I was expecting a rustic, rough tequila here based on its description, I was surprised to find Nuestras Raices to be surprisingly refined, approachable, and even mixable. Mexican Martinis are on me!
Note the lower “still strength” than the No. 10: 94 proof. -CN
A / $120
Cazcanes No. 9 Rosa Reposado Review
This tequila begins life as still strength blanco before aging for 82 days in French oak barrels that previously held Cabernet Sauvignon from an unspecified Napa Valley winery. It is then cut to a slightly lower proof before bottling. The nose is transformed by the wine cask, showing sultry top notes of dark berries, raisins, and cocoa alongside undertones of cooked agave, orange blossom honey, and baking spice. As it opens in the glass, the agave notes build modestly, finding better balance, but the aroma remains heavily laced with dark fruits and gentle tannins.
On the palate, things are well-integrated from the outset with an impressive, silky mix of berry compote, fig jam, and agave syrup that drinks more easily than the proof would suggest. On the midpalate, bright, candied citrus notes add a bit of welcome energy before a soothing, medium-length finish of cinnamon sugar and raspberry chocolate. An impressive, complex sipping tequila. 100 proof.
A- / $130 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Cazcanes Tequila No. 7 Extra Anejo Review
Our first taste of Cazcanes earlier this year was impressive, and now we’re back with a look at the boutique tequila producer’s most luxe offering, No. 7 Extra Anejo. As extra anejo tequilas go, this one is very extra. While the minimum for the category is 12 months of barrel-aging, this expression spends an average of 37 months in recharred American oak barrels sourced from three American whiskey producers: Jack Daniel’s, Jim Beam, and Four Roses. In addition, a small portion of the tequila is finished with French oak staves and incorporated into the final blend for added depth of flavor. Thoughts follow.
The aroma is dry and barrel-driven but not nearly as sweet or vanilla-heavy as many extra anejo expressions. Notes of cocoa powder, toffee, sandalwood, and ginger are gentle and enticing. The agave, however, is harder to find. A bit of agave syrup and cooked bell pepper arrive in time, but they take some digging to pull from the glass. The palate is similarly woody, which is no surprise given all that time in recharged casks and a French oak top dressing. Notes of salted caramel, custard, and bruleed sugar are moderately sweet, accented with a healthy dash of cracked pepper and Ceylon cinnamon. A flourish of honeyed agave on the midpalate is a welcome reminder of the tequila underneath all that oak even if it is a bit short-lived, giving way to a warm, generous finish of dried lime peel and oak. It’s a unique extra anejo expression that’s definitely worth exploring. 80 proof.
A- / $200 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Cazcanes No. 10 Blanco Still Strength
USD100
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