Being a fan of great tequila can be an expensive hobby. While you can find a lot of great bottles between the $30 and $50 price range, there actually is something special about those “over $100” bottles. Yes, that’s right, I’m sorry to say it because I love a good deal as much as the next person, but expensive bottles can provide an experience that a lot of the cheaper bottles just can’t match.
But, and this is important, don’t fall into the assumption that just because a bottle is expensive, it’s great. I don’t want to name any names here, but many of the most popular brands out there charge a premium because of extravagant bottle design or name recognition. And it straight up sucks to shell out a whole lot of money on a bottle only to end up thinking “What’s the big deal?” when you take a sip.
To help guide you to some truly great bottles, we’re pointing you in the direction of our favorite tequilas over $100 and ranking them from great to outstanding. Believe it or not, there is a tier even higher than this once you get into the $200-$300 range, but we’ll save that for another day. Let’s drink!
8. Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia Extra Añejo
ABV:. 40%
Average Price: $154.99
The Tequila:
Jose Cuervo, despite being the best-selling tequila brand in the entire industry, has a less-than-stellar reputation amongst tequila enthusiasts. That’s a shame because of the Reserva De La Familia line, the brand’s top-shelf expressions, are all pretty damn amazing.
For this line, Jose Cuervo uses only the inner portions of hand-harvested agave that is planted in the estate’s rich volcanic soil and cooked a La Rojeña for 40 hours before its roller mill extracted and twice distilled in copper pots. The tequila is then aged for three years in American and French white oak barrels and blended with vintage reserves.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: More oak than anything here, with some sweet vanilla and cinnamon peering through. Let this one breathe for a while after you pour it.
Palate: Toasted almonds with some bitter coffee notes, a rush of sweet vanilla, cinnamon, and dark and rich molasses.
Finish:Toasty and leathery with some oak and caramel.
The Bottom Line:
Toasty and rich, this is the sort of aged tequila that comes across as heavy and decadent.
7. Volcan De Mi Tierra XA Reposado
ABV: 40%
Price: $184.99
The Tequila:
For a time Volcan De Mi Tierra’s XA was a bottle-service exclusive that could cost your table well over $1000 a bottle. Thankfully, those days are over as the XA has hit the retail space in recent years giving us a much more manageable price.
This XA additive-free tequila is crafted at NOM 1523, Agrotequilera de Jalisco, and features a blend of reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas made from agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave that is rested in American White Oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A mix of rich chocolate and roasted agave. Sweet and inviting.
Palate: Devil’s food chocolate with some nutty coffee tones, dark cherry fruitiness, and delicate floral honey. Very pleasing and easy to drink.
Finish: Super smooth with a gentle spice.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth and remarkably easy to drink. It’s not heavy on the agave brightness though, so if that’s what you’re looking for you’ll have to look elsewhere.
6. Cierto — Private Collection Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $124.99
The Tequila:
Cierto is a multi-award winning tequila picking up nearly 100 awards in its brief life including Tequila of the Year 2019 at Intl. Spirits Competition NYC, Best Reposado at Craft Distillers Spirits Competition in 2022, and Double Gold at both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the SIP awards in 2023.
So if you’re coming to this bottle with high expectations, you should, and luckily, it delivers. The tequila is produced at NOM 1146, Tequileña. It is an additive-free tequila using agave cooked in a low-pressure autoclave that is then roller mill extracted, fermented in open-air fermentation fibers, twice distilled in copper pots, and aged for 18 months in French oak casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm roasted agave notes dominate the nose but there is the slightest hint of chili pepper lingering. It’s inviting and sweet.
Palate: Bright mango notes mixed with chili powder with a balance of vegetal qualities and the more mellow notes of oak.
Finish: Chocolate and oak, this tequila finishes with that barrel-aged flavor but doesn’t come across as too woody, there is a lot of sweetness here that owns the finish.
The Bottom Line:
Bright and spicy with a lot of agave character and a subtle mellow finish.
5. Mijenta — Tequila Añejo
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $159.99
The Tequila:
By far Mijenta’s best expression, the añejo is premium sipping tequila through and through.
This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1412, Destiladora de Los Altos, Mijenta’s agave is cooked in low-pressure autoclaves before being roller mill extracted and fermented in stainless steel tanks, double distilled in a stainless still pot and aged for a minimum of 18 months in French Oak, American White Oak, and Cherry barrels and Acacia casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: I’m getting prominent chocolate notes over shifting caramel, roasted agave, cinnamon, and anise qualities. A real bouquet of sensations.
Palate: The flavor begins in juicy sweet cherry territory before morphing into slightly bitter roasted black tea and caramel and a gentle dusting of nutmeg.
Finish: A mix of oak and coffee with a warm melted chocolate flavor that rests on the tongue and grows in intensity between sips.
The Bottom Line:
Deeply complex and delicious, this tequila leans into rich tones with dark fruit character.
4. Valor — Tequila Blanco
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $114.99
The Tequila:
Valor is the only blanco on our list, which might give you pause considering paying over $100 for a blanco is rare. Trust me, it’s worth it.
Produced at NOM 1599, Familia Landeros, Valor’s blanco tequila is additive-free and made from agave cooked in a low-pressure autoclave that is roller mill extracted, fermented in open-air fermentation tanks and twice distilled in a stainless steel pot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A medley of cooked agave, rosemary sage, and citrus, with a tiny hint of rainwater.
Palate: Agave at the forefront with some orange citrus and salt and an earthy dustiness, like fresh crushed black peppercorns.
Finish: Lots of citrus on the backend, with some green pepper, herbs, and a strong minerality.
The Bottom Line:
Agave forward and earthy. A simple pure tequila with a deep flavor worth exploring.
3. El Tesoro — Mundial Knob Creek 2023 Edition Añejo
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $164.99
The Tequila:
Dropped at the tail end of 2023, this special release from El Tesoro was overseen by master distiller Carlos Camarena and was aged for 12 months in charred oak whiskey barrels from Knob Creek.
Those barrels provide a palpable whiskey character, so if you’re a whiskey fan dipping your toes into the world of aged tequila this is a great choice for you. But drink sparingly, this is a limited release so once it’s gone it’s gone.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich cinnamon and dew hover over a roasted agave body.
Palate: Very delicate with a buttery quality, black pepper, citrus zest, more of the cinnamon from the nose, and a floral sweetness.
Finish: Smooth with high minerality, soft oak qualities, and an all-spice aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
A tequila truly worth savoring and one that never gets boring for your tastebuds to explore.
2. Cascahuín — Extra Añejo
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $129.99
The Tequila:
I might’ve given Cascahuín’s Extra Añejo the top spot if it wasn’t so hard to find right now. Hopefully, that’s remedied soon (it’s readily available in Mexico) but if you do manage to come across this bottle pick it up without question. Not convinced. Fine. This additive-free aged expression hails from NOM 1123, Tequila Cascahuin, and is aged for four years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: So peppery it tickles the nose! I’m getting delicate vanilla tones, dried cranberries, and caramel with oak hovering over it all. A lot going on here!
Palate: Caramelized agave mixed with a bit of cocoa bitterness and berries and a gentle kiss of cinnamon.
Finish: A bit spicy and fruity with a lot of oak.
The Bottom Line:
A rich fruity and spicy aged tequila perfect for slow sipping and savoring.
1. G4 — Extra Añejo
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $159.99
The Tequila:
G4 is beloved by tequila enthusiasts for its high quality and relatively affordable blanco. The blanco is additive-free, under $40, and has a wonderful agave-forward flavor that is bright and spikey. So if all you’ve had is the blanco, I don’t blame you, why spend more money when the cheapest bottle is capable of being your favorite? But trust us, if you love tequila you need to try the other expressions because they’re worth the higher price tag.
With this Extra Añejo you still get all of the bright grassy agave forward flavor of the blanco, with just a bit more complexity and a silkier mouthfeel thanks to the three years it spends aging in Tennessee whiskey barrels/
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Really lush tones at the nose, a mix of caramelized agave, delicate jasmine flowers, cracked black pepper, wet earth, and vanilla.
Palate: The agave bite and grassy flavor of the blanco is here joined by a mix of dessert tones like sweet vanilla, spicy cinnamon, and baking spices.
Finish: Silky smooth with a very light barrel influence.
The Bottom Line:
An añejo that still comes across as bright and grassy with some dessert-like complexity and surprisingly light barrel influence. For me, a person whose favorite expression is blanco, that’s a welcome rarity.
