The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2025
We tasted plenty of great tequila this year — and lots of good mezcal, too. For 2025, we’ve got three mezcals on our list of the top agave spirits released this year, a record since we started compiling this top 10 list in 2019. No lime and salt required today, but a hearty snack won’t hurt as we delve into 2025’s list of the best tequilas and mezcals to hit the market.
For more great picks, see also our top tens from 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019.
1. Mijenta Tequila Blanco Maestra Selection No. 1
Bright and fruity, with salty mineral notes on the nose, this high-proof blanco tequila is reportedly the first ever made solely from agaves de semilla, or agaves grown from seed. The palate features a sunny mix of lemon and grapefruit, a powerful but not overly hot jalapeno kick, and a surprising sweetness that recalls grapefruit soda and peaches. Touches of cinnamon and caramel surprise for a blanco — and are wholly welcome. 100 proof. $100 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
2. Espolon Tequila Flor de Oro
This unique offering from Espolon is a reposado infused with extract from marigold flowers, a traditional component of Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations. The result isn’t overly perfumed, though there’s a pleasant floral edge to it that works perfectly with its notes of vanilla, tobacco leaf, and gentle oak overtones. The finish is citrusy with more of a yellow flower bent, touched with notes of café au lait. 80 proof. $44 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
3. Cazcanes Nuestras Raices Still Strength Blanco 2025
A limited edition version of Cazcanes’s blanco, this release is made with what they call “jungle juice,” made with a wild fermentation of traditionally distilled agave, bottled at still strength. It’s expressive but not explosive, a grassy and peppery silver that pours on chili peppers and winds its way to lime and grapefruit peel in the end. A bit sweet but stuffed with serranos, making for a spicy yet approachable tequila that mixes really well. 94 proof. $120
4. LM&V Palenqueros Valente Garcia Madrecuishe
Our favorite mezcal from La Maison & Velier’s drop of six expressions earlier this year, this is a single Palenque bottling that is made from madrecuishe agave, a fairly uncommon species. Peppery to start and even more so as it develops, melding spice notes with chewy green vegetables, jalapenos, and green onion. The smoke is extremely mild here, as a dusting of lemon oil brightens everything up beyond its savory origins. 97.8 proof. $90
5. Tequila Herradura Blanco
Did you know: Herradura’s Blanco has never been available in the U.S. until this year? What you’ve been drinking is Harradura Silver, which is actually aged for 45 days before bottling, almost making it a reposado. This Blanco is a true unaged tequila, crisp and clean and built around notes of cooked agaves and minty herbs. Notes of lemon and white pepper add nuance whether you’re sipping it straight or in a margarita. 92 proof. $45 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
6. Cachasol Tequila Blanco Epic Strength
Still strength? Nah. Epic strength. This odd tequila is made with IPA yeast and made with agaves grown from Nayarit, an obscure region that nonetheless seems to be a solid source for the stuff. Surprisingly sweet (on purpose, but not through additives), the roasted agave showcases its creamier qualities at this higher abv, leading to a complex and lengthy finish where lemon and pepper linger. 96 proof. $70
7. Lalo Tequila Blanco High Proof (2025)
Lalo has become our go-to blanco tequila for cocktails at Drinkhacker HQ, and its high-proof expression is equally interesting. Originally released in 2024, the expression became an annual affair this year, complete with a reformulation and new abv vs. the original bottling. The 2025 High Proof is unique in that it is distilled to proof — 100 proof — with no water added before bottling. So it’s still strength, but also right on the 50% abv line. It’s a more mild expression than the biting 2024, but that’s no complaint, as all of Lalo’s classic blanco character — gentle herbaceousness, lemon, some nutty chocolate on the end — are all in full view, maybe even clearer than in the harder-edged ’24. 100 proof. $75 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
8. Fosforo Mezcal Tobala Penca
This is a special edition of Fosforo Mezcal Tobala, aged in glass vessels for a few months with the leaf of the agave plant, known as a penca. This adds some color drawn from vegetation rather than a barrel, but it provides some nuance in the form of a creamier body and a sweeter, butterscotch-driven quality on the tongue. While earthy with subdued smoke, notes of tropical pineapple offer a counterbalance to make this one of the more enigmatic and unique mezcals we tasted all year. 86 proof. $130 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
9. The Lost Explorer Maestro Madre Cuishe
The Lost Explorer makes a range of mezcals and (more recently) tequilas, but our favorite from its lineup is this 2025 special edition, made from the “mother” maguey, madre cuishe. Explosive with flavor in a way that few other mezcals can showcase, this spirit undulates with loads of fresh fruit, herbs, and a mineral-laced finish that folds in earth and subtle smoke. A couple drops of water helps open everything up. 90 proof. $120
10. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo Tequila 2025 Edition
We finish things off with an old friend, Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia, one of the original extra anejo expressions and a tequila we have reviewed — and loved — no less than six times over the years. The tequila remains just as good as it’s been every time we’ve encountered it, and after 30 years on the market you’d hope they had the formula figured out. Fans looking for a special edition sipper laden with winter spices but still perking up plenty of balancing agave herbal character need look no further. 80 proof. $200 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
I loved the article you did with the Top 20 Bourbons under $20, any chance of doing something similar for tequilla?