I won’t lie to you, finding a good bottle of tequila under $30 is tougher than I first suspected. The sweet spot for a great bottle of tequila hovers just under $50; if you want something that really impresses, you can get there for under $100. But if you’re on a budget or you’re entertaining guests and you need a lot of tequila for a small amount of money, well, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices on flavor and overall experience.
While a good bottle under $30 is hard to find, don’t worry, there are a few out there — so you won’t have to succumb to the super cheap stuff that’ll burn your guest’s palates and cause wincing or worse, retching (looking at you, Cuervo Gold). Really, it all comes down to how the agave is cooked. In short, there are three popular ways agave is cooked, the best brands go the traditional route, cooking the agave in stone or brick ovens, a lengthy process that takes around 36 hours and requires a resting period. Behind that you have autoclave cooking, a high-pressure (sometimes low) steam situation that can cook a higher yield of agave in less than half the time. And then you have the most efficient method, the diffuse — blasting agave with high-pressure hot water and sometimes hydrochloric acid to essentially chemically cook often unripened agave at an incredibly fast pace.
Which of the three methods sounds like it’ll produce the best tequila? If time is money, we’re willing to bet that flavor comes from time. That doesn’t necessarily mean all oven-cooked tequilas are good, or better than something made in an autoclave, but diffuser-made tequila rarely results in a very good bottle. So for this list, we’ve made sure to give you only diffuser-free suggestions.
Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of them out there for us to suggest 10 bottles, so we’re going to have to keep his list a bit on the lighter end — no compromising quality for entries, sorry! At least you’ll know that no matter where you land on this list (we suggest you buy whichever is on sale) you’re going to get a truly solid and Uproxx tested bottle of tequila.
Something shootable. Nice in a cocktail. Probably not for sipping, unless you’re in a pinch. Let’s dive in!
8. Milagro Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $21.49
The Tequila:
You’ve no doubt seen bottles of Milagro at the bar or a friend’s bar cart and wondered to yourself: is that stuff any good? Well, yes! As great as the marketing and bottle design is, it doesn’t look like this brand spent all of the money on trying to trick you.
Hailing from NOM 1559, Tequila Milagro, this brand stone cooks its agave, utilizes roller mill extraction, and rests the produce in American white oak barrels for 2-4 months to reach the reposado state.
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:
Pleasant on the nose, a bit harsh on the palate, with a burning but generally pleasant close that’ll justify another shot or two. These issues tend to disappear in a cocktail.
7. Gran Centenario Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29.99
The Tequila:
In college, while smoking weed on a porch with a classmate, I was told that Gran Centenario was actually very expensive tequila but due to some importing issue (I can’t remember, I was high) vendors had to sell it for a much cheaper price than it was worth. I don’t know why this person told me that, but for years I had been parroting that information to friends and buying this bottle. I’m pretty sure it’s not true.
Gran Centenario is good, don’t get me wrong, but it costs what it’s worth and I’d probably only pick it up now if it was on sale. Produced at NOM 1112, the famed Casa Cuervo, this autoclave-cooked tequila is rested in new oak casks and aged for six months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You can really smell the wood on this one, it has a deep and rich aroma, and a strong and steady whiff will reveal chocolate and caramel under all the oak.
Palate: It hits the palate with an earthy bite and some cracked pepper notes before revealing sweeter vanilla and clove flavors. Still, a heavy alcohol taste muddies up the finer notes, but they’re there!
Finish: Cinnamon on the back end that is quickly interrupted by a dry and oaky finish.
The Bottom Line:
Don’t believe what stoned college friends tell you! Having said that, this is a good bottle of tequila that leans heavily on richer tones and woody flavors.
6. Lunazul Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $18.99
The Tequila:
Lunazul is made from hand-harvested estate-grown Blue Weber agave from the red clay soil of Jalisco, cooked in an autoclave, fermented with proprietary yeast and twice distilled in copper coil stills at NOM 1513, Tierra De Agaves, home to just one other brand.
The result is a crystal clear blanco tequila in a beautiful thick glass bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose:
Vanilla and roasted agave dominate the nose with an earthy dry vibe.
Palate:
It’s rare to get strong vegetal notes in a tequila this cheap, but there are here! This tequila has a noticeable fruity character mingling with vanilla notes and agave.
Finish:
That dry vibe latches onto the finish, there is a strong sense of pepper here and a sort of chemical mint aftertaste that lingers a little too long.
The Bottom Line:
Bright and biting, but in a harsh way. It’s fine in a cocktail, shooting it will burn your throat.
5. Espolòn Blanco
ABV:
Average Price: $29.89
The Tequila:
At this point, Espolòn is famous for being one of the best cheap bottles of tequila on the market. Believe the hype, there is a reason this is on every bar shelf and lands on numerous tasting lists, it’s no-nonsense tequila. It’s good, not great, but it knows what it is and doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, so it gets extra points.
Produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, home to just three brands, Espolòn relies on autoclave cooking and roller mill extraction.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Alcohol and juicy citrus. That’s it, it’s pretty flat on the nose.
Palate: The flavor delivers much more, a strong pineapple flavor comes to the forefront transitioning to dry pepper notes and some roasted agave. It’s trying to be vegetal and green, but the alcohol drowns it out.
Finish: Almost oily, like melted butter with a spicy pineapple finish.
The Bottom Line:
A versatile tequila, great for shooting and mixing. It punches above its weight and tastes even better on sale.
4. Mi Campo Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25.29
The Tequila:
This brand is fairly new to me, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised so far. When a brand has a flashy label like this, more often than not it feels like a lot of money went to great design and little else, but Mi Campo delivers.
Produced at NOM 1137, the famously crowded La Cofradia, Mi Campo utilizes blue Weber agave that is cooked in stone brick ovens, screw mill extracted, fermented among local citrus trees, and aged in oak wine casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Very sweet, dominated by sweet vanilla and rich deep cocoa notes.
Palate: Oak forward, there are some earthy pepper notes, but without bright citrus tones to balance it out, it comes across as a bit harsh, but there is a nice spicy kick to it that piques the curiosity and inspires repeat sips.
Finish: Oily on the finish with a nice vanilla kiss.
The Bottom Line:
You’re going to get a lot of different sensations here, it offers the sort of journey a more expensive bottle will give you, but it tastes very geared toward those who like their tequila to bite back. If you’re looking for something smooth, look elsewhere.
3. Olmeca Altos Plata
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29.99
The Tequila:
Simple tequila. Olmeca Altos hails from NOM 1111, Pernod Richard Mexico, and is slow-cooked in brick ovens, crushed by a tahona roller mill, and fermented in copper pots. It’s simple, direct, and delicious. There is a reason we chose $30 as the price point for this article, and that’s to ensure we can include quality brands like this one.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm roasted agave, little else.
Palate: Citrusy, bright, vegetal, and biting. This tequila comes off as surprisingly natural.
Finish: Herbal before a hot alcohol burn fizzes on the palate. It’s juicy and mouthwatering, but hot on the finish.
The Bottom Line:
A very natural-tasting classic unaged tequila.
2. Corazón Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $23.99
The Tequila:
Part of Corazón’s mid-tier Single Estate line, Corazón Blanco is, as the name would suggest, is made from single estate blue weber agave produced at NOM 1103. The agave is slow-cooked in stone and back ovens, roller mill extracted, and fermented open-air style in stainless steel tanks.
There is something very inviting about this clear unaged tequila and that glittering blue label.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Agave, citrus, and pineapple dance on the nose. The aroma is juicy and mouthwatering.
Palate: Jasmine and orange zest twirl into vegetal notes of green bell pepper and Anaheim chili. There is a mild spice here that is very unique to this brand.
Finish: The roasted agave lives on the finish mingling with orange citrus notes.
The Bottom Line:
A very bright and vegetal unaged tequila with a mild pepper spice to it.
1. Cimmaron Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $28.99
The Tequila:
Cimmaron is overseen by famed Master Distiller Enrique Fonseca at HOM 1146, Tequileña, and is the only tequila on this list that is completely additive free. Using estate-grown blue weber agave, this tequila is slow-cooked in an autoclave, screw and roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless still tanks, double distilled, and rested in American white oak for three to six months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon, oak, and warm roasted agave with a subtle kiss of vanilla lingering.
Palate: Suspiciously good, roasted agave and cinnamon hit the palate initially before the oak notes appear. The woody notes mingle with caramel and brown sugar.
Finish: Vanilla and honey. Almost mouthwatering.
The Bottom Line:
Far and above the best bottle of tequila you’re going to drink for under $30. Not even all that close.
