I couldn’t tell you exactly when it happened, but Target’s liquor aisle is stacked. What used to consist of a shelf’s-worth of a handful of spirits from some of the biggest brands has expanded into a whole aisle of gin, vodka, whiskey, and tequila options. Yes, what’s there still mostly comes from the biggest brands in the industry, but in that group there are a lot of gems. Especially when it comes to the tequila.
While we like to see a lot of brand diversity in the aisle, more brands also equals more choices, and it can be difficult to separate the good stuff from the great.We’re here to help by naming the 10 absolute best bottles of tequila commonly found at Target and ranking them from good to great.
A quick word about this list of 10 — these are all bottles that we stand behind. The sort of stuff that we’d feel comfortable recommending to friends or picking up ourselves. Are they our 10 favorite bottles of tequila ever? No, but at Target you can’t go wrong with anything on this list, so check for sales and buy whatever works for your budget.
Let’s drink.
8. Milagro Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25.99
The Tequila:
You’ll find all three expressions of Milagro at Target but if you’re looking for the absolute best, it’s got to be the Reposado. Advanced tequila drinkers might find this a bit too additive-heavy, but if you’re just starting your tequila journey, you’re going to find a lot to like here.
Hailing from NOM 1559, Tequila Milagro, this brand stone cooks its agave before crushing it in a roller mill, ferments the juice in stainless steel tanks, and twice distills through a stainless steel pot. The tequila is then aged in American white oak barrels for 2-4 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Agave and oak dominate, rich confection-like notes pull you in and a hint of cinnamon lurks underneath the layers.
Palate: Unfortunately that sweetness doesn’t completely translate to the flavor, you get the roasted agave flavor and an overpowering bit of oak, but there is an ethanol-like body that weighs the whole thing down.
Finish: It ends with a burn and a small vanilla lift with a hint of zesty citrus.
The Bottom Line:
Nicely balanced with vanilla sweetness and zesty citrus notes with a slight burn on the backend.
7. Espolòn — Tequila Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $27.99
The Tequila:
By now I hope that Espolòn is a staple of everyone’s bar cart, if it’s not, remedy that sh*t immediately. This is simply good tequila and for the price, one of the best in its range. This should be your go-to tequila for taking shots with friends or mixing up a cocktail without breaking the bank.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, where it is one of three brands. The agave is cooked in an autoclave and roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled in a stainless pot with a copper coil. To reach the repo state, the tequila is aged for three months in American white oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mellow and warm with a rich caramelized agave character.
Palate: Juicy pineapple and crushed black pepper. The more natural notes are backed by a rich caramel character.
Finish: Butter and oak, with a very pleasing finish.
The Bottom Line:
A mix of juicy tropical notes with a mellow easy-to-drink finish.
6. Herradura Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42.99
The Tequila:
Herradura set the standard for mellow slightly aged tequila back in 1974 when it was the first brand to produce a reposado tequila. Now fifty years later, it’s still a pretty solid reposado.
Herradura’s repo is aged for 11 months in charred American white oak barrels giving the liquid a smooth sweet finish with a beautiful rich amber color.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cotton candy sweet, slightly floral.
Palate: Strong notes of cinnamon and maple mingle with notes of cotton candy. Confection-like, very sweet.
Finish: Vanilla and butter on the finish with a fantastic silky mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and syrupy smooth, a bit too much if you like additive-free tequila, but if you don’t know where you fall on the additive vs non-additive debate, give it a try!
5. Olmeca Altos — Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29.99
The Tequila:
Olmeca Altos reminds me a lot of Espolòn. It’s affordable, straightforward, and tasty. But I like this a bit more because I prefer blancos to reposados generally (Espolón’s Blanco is a bit too harsh, hence its exclusion from this list).
Olmeca Altos is produced at NOM 1111, Pernod Richard Mexico, using traditional practices like slow-cooking the agave in brick ovens, crushing the juice with a tahona, and distilling in copper pots. The tequila is made using well water which gives it some palpable minerality.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm roasted agave wafts from the glass. It’s shockingly pleasant and inviting for a tequila in this price range.
Palate: Heavy on the citrus zest mixed with fresh green peppers.
Finish: Initially herbal and smooth but after a while the heat starts to build.
The Bottom Line:
Zesty and agave forward, and particularly ideal for cocktails.
4. Codigo 1530 Reposado
ABV: 40%
Price: $73.99
The Tequila:
You aren’t going to find many celebrity tequila brands on this list, and that’s very much by design. But I’m making an exception for country singer George Strait’s Código 1530 simply because it’s additive-free, and there aren’t many additive-free tequilas at Target.
Produced at NOM 1616, Varo Destileria, where it is the only brand in production, the agave is sourced from the Jalisco lowlands and cooked in a low-pressure autoclave before being roller mill extracted and fermented in stainless steel tanks. The juice is then distilled twice in a stainless steel pot before being rested for six months in French White Oak ex-Napa Valley Cabernet wine barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mellow oak and sweet vanilla mingle over a peppery roasted agave body.
Palate: An initial brightness hits your palate first, with some green vegetal character and slight minerality. Those brighter tones are quickly masked by sweet caramel and the slighest hint of smokiness.
Finish: Citrus and oak with a warmth that sticks to the tongue.
The Bottom Line:
A gem of a tequila and one of the few additive-free bottles at Target.
3. Don Julio 1942 Añejo
ABV: 40%
Price: $159.99
The Tequila:
There aren’t many great bottles of añejo on Target’s shelves but what is there, namely Don Julio 1942, more than makes up for that. This is some premium stuff, yes there are better bottles out there if you love aged expressions, but not at Target.
The tequila here is produced at NOM 1449 and uses agave cooked in stone brick ovens before being roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in bourbon barrels for two and a half years, giving it some noticeable whisky-esque qualities.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The color is faint and straw-like but the rich aroma makes it clear we’re dealing with an añejo. You’ll get a sense of chocolate, caramel, and vanilla mingled with a warm roasted agave scent and a bit of the barrel.
Palate: Smooth and cinnamon spicy, the vanilla is a strong and dominating presence with rich toffee notes. There is a noticeable luxuriousness here that is a joy to drink.
Finish: The finish is pure oak and agave, most of the sweetness dissipates at the end but it has a pleasing smoothness. This is wince-free tequila.
The Bottom Line:
If you love that smooth whiskey experience, you’re going to love Don Julio. It has a pleasing dessert-like quality to it that is easy to fall in love with.
2. LALO Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $44.99
The Tequila:
LALO seems to be quickly growing in popularity and it’s easy to see why. It’s great, additive-free, and affordable. What’s not to love here?
Using agave sourced from the Jalisco highlands, this tequila utilizes deep well water, is double distilled, and uses a proprietary champagne yeast. The agave is cooked in stone steam ovens for 20 to 32 hours and rested for an additional 18 hours.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and zesty citrus on the nose.
Palate: Buttery with hints of cooked agave and caramel.
Finish: Fruity, bright, vegetal, there is a very pure quality to this tequila.
The Bottom Line:
Transparent, bright, vegetal, and agave forward. If you’re looking for pure unaltered tequila, you won’t find a better blanco on Target shelves.
1. Tequila Ocho Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $57.99
The Tequila:
Is it crazy that I’m ranking Tequila Ocho over the mighty Don Julio? No, not really. Sure if you like that dessert-like quality to your tequila that Don Julio offers, by all means, go for it. But I want it to have an agave-forward flavor that reminds me that I’m drinking tequila, not, you know, dessert. So I stand by this ranking, this is the better tequila.
Does that mean I would suggest it to a friend? Depends on the friend. If they’re a seasoned tequila drinker, definitely, but if they’re just beginning to explore the expression, I’d probably point them in another direction.
Produced at NOM 1474, Tequilera Los Alambiques, the agave here is slow-cooked in brick ovens, extracted via a roller mill, and fermented in open-air wood vats before being twice distilled in a copper pot. Finally, the tequila is rested for 8 weeks and 8 days in American white oak, old whiskey, and used barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You get a lot of the oak character on the nose mingling with rich caramelized agave, crushed black peppercorn, zesty orange rind, and earthy rainwater.
Palate: A light sense of vanilla hovers over a green and grassy flavor with hints of warm caramel, rosemary, citrus, and some minerality.
Finish: Dry and oaky contrasted with tropical coconuts and a slight creaminess.
The Bottom Line:
Creamy and easy to drink, with a lot of zesty, earthy, and oaky character.
