Review: Siempre Tequila, Complete Lineup (Updated 2025)
Our first experience with Siempre Tequila was not wholly memorable — and that fact was perhaps not lost on its Canadian brand owners, which, since that 2019 review (below), dumped its original distillery and upgraded to a new NOM, the well-regarded but fairly busy NOM 1414, Feliciano Vivanco. The new expressions also carry “vintage” production information that the old bottles lack.
Today, Siempre makes six tequila expressions — the three traditional bottlings plus two unique, “wild” blancos and a single-barrel aged tequila. Here we review all but the single barrel “Rebel Cask.” Additional special editions have appeared over time, which we’ve added to the bottom of the review.
Here you will find reviews of Siempre under three(!) different NOMs, and the differences are immediately striking. To find out more, read on.
Update: We’ve consolidated all Siempre tequila coverage into this post and will update it over time as new expressions arrive.
Siempre Tequila Plata (2019) Review
The tequila is made in the town of Jesus Maria in Jalisco’s Valle region — which, as the name implies, makes this a Lowlands-based spirit. The nose is bright and heavy with lemon pepper, and herbal character that almost evokes bitter quinine developing in the glass. I get hints of slightly smoky burnt toast here, too. On the palate, the tequila is appropriately fresh and lightly creamy, almost buttery at times, making for a quite silky body. Fresh agave and more citrus leads the way to a finish that hints at coconut, but on the whole the experience is quite clean and gentle. All told, it’s a versatile tequila that’s fine on its own, and which would work beautifully as a mixer.
NOM 1438. 80 proof. B+ / $38
Siempre Tequila Plata (2024) Review
Unaged. Very bold agave punch, laden with pepper, turned earth, and mixed greenery. Lemony aromas emerge with time in glass, followed by a racy jalapeno quality. Extremely spicy on the palate, biting with both red and black pepper in a way that few other blanco tequilas can manage. The sharp, green agave notes are unrelenting, with turns of jalapeno and serrano pepper both coming on strong. The only respite from all of this comes late in the game, after some time in glass. Notes of vanilla and white chocolate inform the finish in a surprising way that, at last, takes the foot off the gas. A much different tequila than the 2019 expression, and some amazing margarita fodder.
NOM 1414. 80 proof. Vintage 5/23. A- / $38
Siempre Tequila Reposado (2024) Review
Aged in American oak for an unstated length of time. Fresh and spicy, with aromas of ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon all prominent. The peppery agave provides a strong through-line, here showing as moderately green, almost like aloe. Ample vanilla and some milk chocolate round things out with ample sweetness. On the palate, the tequila is immediately sweet and immersive, showcasing vanilla, dark chocolate, and ground coffee. The agave notes are mellow but still present, taking a back seat to an increasingly festive palate. Brown sugar, more cinnamon, and just a pinch of red pepper hang on for the finish. This is a straightforward reposado, but one which feels made well and with a specific point of view.
NOM 1414. 80 proof. Vintage 11/23. A- / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Siempre Tequila Anejo (2024) Review
Old NOM production; American oak, but no other aging information. Clearly a harsher product, more vegetal than expected, with more of a muddy than earthy quality on the nose. The sweetness on the nose is akin to melted butterscotch candies, maybe with a few in the mix that didn’t get the cellophane wrappers off in time. Indistinct on the palate, with a gummy quality to the body that grows more persistent with time in glass. Notes of vanilla, coconut, and milk chocolate all feel candylike and waxy, though there’s a spicy, bittersweet quality to the finish that redeems the experience to some degree.
NOM 1438. 80 proof. B- / $69 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Siempre Tequila Anejo (2025) Review
New NOM production; aged more than 12 months in “a careful blend of oak casks.” Quite peppery on the nose, featuring ground black pepper that sharpens up the nostrils, ultimately obscuring some of the more delicate notes in the spirit — including rosemary, Thai basil, and some green onion. The pastoral qualities continue on to the palate, which does not let up on its flavors of stir-fried brassicas and scorched onions. Even extended time in glass doesn’t break the spell that the boldly herbal and grassy qualities have over the fairly thin-bodied tequila, though eventually the finish finds room for some lightly sweet notes of toasted coconut and a dulce de leche character — at last showing off some anejo elements. I’m not sure what happened here, but the reposado turns out to be a much better anejo.
NOM 1414. 80 proof. Batch #01. B / $69 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Siempre Tequila Supremo Blanco 2024 Review
Blanco tequila, wild yeast fermented with no added yeast, agave crushed in a traditional tahona. Basically: The rustic silver experience. (And made at a different distillery than the above.) Big, wild, and racy on the nose. Giant green agave notes, hugely peppery, with a fresh jalapeno punch. Thanks to a slightly higher abv, it pinches and bites at the nostrils even more than expected. The palate feels appropriately rustic but engaging. There’s some family DNA shared here with the Plata, but more of a funky, gamy quality that indeed feels a little wild. The palate’s core of green agave again evokes notes of jalapeno, but also yellow and green onion (in the best possible way), followed by some maritime seaweed notes. The finish is sharp and lengthy, which allows for plenty of flavor. If you’re not prepared for it, that might be an issue, however. Note that a 110 proof version of this tequila, not reviewed here, also exists.
NOM 1137. 86 proof. Reviewed: Batch #3. A- / $59 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Siempre Exclusivo Vivo Blanco 2024 Review
An even wilder silver tequila, distilled using live yeast, “a technique that has either been lost or not applied in the tequila world until now.” From the nose, you might think this was mezcal, with a bright salinity and a slight smokiness and earthiness evident. Sharp, peppery, and agave-forward, the nose quickly evokes green bell pepper infused with the punchy bite of lemon peel. The palate finds few diversions awaiting the drinker: punchy and again quite sharp at 47.5% abv, with more notes of lemon and chopped green herbs. Some late-game astringency fades fairly quickly, leaving behind notes of crushed black pepper, rosemary, and a curious pinch of fresh ginger. More salinity clings to the aggressive — and again, slightly smoky — finish, bringing everything full circle.
NOM 1414. 95 proof. Reviewed: Batch #1. A- / $120 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Siempre Tequila Exclusivo Muerto 2024 Review
Siempre Tequila’s Exclusivo Muerto is the follow up to Exclusivo Vivo, a unique blanco made with live yeast. Exclusivo Muerto is a much different expression; in fact it’s quite the opposite, made using a Caribbean-style malolactic fermentation method, wherein the fermenting yeast died but “found an afterlife by remaining in the tank for 3 additional weeks before distillation.”
Two batches were produced using this technique:
Batch One: Agave from the Puerta de la Carreta fields, wild-fermented for 28 days.
Batch Two: Agave from Capulin Verde, wild-fermented with fibers for 32 days.
These batches are combined at still-strength, filtered through volcanic rocks, and bottled at a powerful 109 proof without dilution. The result is a rich, bold tequila with layered complexity, perfect for aficionados who appreciate the raw, unfiltered expression of artisanal tequila.
The story’s interesting but let’s give it a taste before we offer our blessing. 4,500 bottles produced.
Clean as a whistle on the nose at the start, with vibrant aromas of fresh lime, rosemary, white peppercorns, and a hint of floral incense. The lattermost element wafts from the glass alongside a spritz of citrusy perfume and — with time — a touch of charred marshmallow that nods at campfire smoke. Really full-figured from the jump.
The palate is light on its feet and dangerously drinkable at full strength — which is 54.5% abv, as a reminder. Again it’s bold with notes of lime and baking spice, then a rush of green herbs and a back-end of black pepper and dried green herbs. Despite the overflow of flavor, it’s a very creamy spirit which slides down the throat with no regard for its alcohol level. The underlying agave makes an appearance on the finish, but this is a long time coming and, frankly, a nicely savory touch to balance out some of the sharper fruit tones up top. Late-game finishing notes evoke almond paste and a hint of hazelnut. Fantastic stuff.
NOM 1414. 109 proof. A / $130
Siempre Exclusivo Vivo Blanco
USD120
