The Best Cristalino Tequilas

Which is the Best Cristalino Tequila? This post contains a list of the 7 Best Cristalino Tequilas that you can buy.

Herradura Ultra

• Nose: Vanilla, caramel, agave
• Palate: Agave syrup, vanilla, agave
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Herradura Silver

Taste:

The nose offers a blast of vanilla, followed by caramel and agave.

On the palate, Ultra hits with an overly sweet taste of agave syrup, vanilla and just a tad of agave.

The finish is short and sweet with no warmth or bad bite.

Is it good?

Herradura Ultra is quite smooth and extremely sweet with a very high vanilla note.

It must be noted that this tequila was artificially sweetened with agave syrup which you can tell due to its strong hint.

This is a good dram for those who love smooth and sweet liquors but it barely tastes like Tequila, perhaps it should be offered as a specialty alcohol and not as Tequila despite being made from agave.

Drink it neat, drink it rocks or keep one in the fridge.

If you are looking or a mixer Herradura offers a silver Tequila which is way more affordable and makes a better mixer as it has a traditional tequila profile.

1800 Cristalino Añejo

• Nose: Vanilla, anise
• Palate: Cherry, vanilla, oak, black pepper
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: 1800 Añejo, Casamigos Blanco

Taste:

On the nose, 1800 Cristalino is quite smooth with just a bit of vanilla scent and a note that reminds of anise.

On the palate, a strong cherry note hits first, followed by vanilla, subtle oak and just a tad of black pepper.

The finish is short, leaving a sweet aftertaste with a bit of black pepper and no burn.

Is it good?

1800 Cristalino is quite smooth and sweet with a strong hint from the ex-port barrels in which it was aged.

It goes down nicely as it has no burn but lacks complexity and agave flavors.

Overall, this is a good, sweet and smooth dram although it does not taste like Tequila, as it tastes more like a flavored Vodka.

If you privilege smooth and sweet drinks you are going to like it, but If you are fond of tequila’s agave flavors 1800 Cristalino won’t be much of your liking.

Volcan de Mi Tierra Cristalino Añejo

• Nose: Agave, vanilla, caramel
• Palate: Agave, black pepper, vanilla, caramel
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Volcan de Mi Tierra Blanco

Taste:

The nose is rich in agave, along vanilla and caramel.

On the palate, Volcan de mi Tierra has a velvety feel providing a good mouthfeel.

Flavor provides agave and black pepper up-front, followed by vanilla, caramel and a tad of oak.

The finish has a decent length, with very little warmth to it making an easy and pleasant sip.

Is it good?

Volcan is crafted by Ana María Romero Mena one of the few women in the Tequila business.

Besides that, what makes this tequila interesting is that this a blend of Añejo Tequila which ages in ex-whisky casks and Extra Añejo Tequila aged in ex-cognac barrels.

After aging, the blend remains separated while the color is removed.

Before blending, the añejo and extra añejo Tequilas are finished with a cask wash in the barrel they were matured in. 

Maestro Dobel Diamante

• Nose: Lemongrass, vanilla, agave
• Palate: Agave, oak, black pepper
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Casamigos, Patron Silver

Taste:

Maestro Dobel provides great value for the money, making a great alternative to Don Julio 70.

On the nose, I get a pleasant scent of lemongrass, along vanilla, agave, oak and just a whiff of alcohol.

On the palate, Maestro Dobel has a nice mouthfeel as it feels overly smooth yet tasty.

Flavor is rich in agave, along hints of vanilla and oak with a bit of black pepper.

The finish is medium to long, pleasantly warm, sweet, with with oak and a bit of black pepper.

Is it good?

Maestro Dobel is nicely rounded, as it strikes a good balance between the sweet agave notes of tequila, along vanilla with oak and pepper.

Another plus is that it tastes legit as I don’t get any artificial flavors or sweeteners.

This Tequila is so smooth that you can easily drink it neat.

But I have found that the best way of drinking it is rocks.

Somehow, ice finds a way to tune-down the light peppery notes it has making it a tad sweeter delivering a nicer drinking experience.

Partida Roble Fino Reposado Cristalino

• Nose: Vanilla, oak
• Palate: Agave, vanilla, almonds, dried fruit, oak
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Patron Silver

Taste:

Nose is rich in vanilla along a note of oak.

Flavor provides agave and vanilla at first, followed by almonds, dried fruit and oak.

It finishes a bit short, yet quite pleasant with very little warmth.

Is it good?

Partida is aged for six months in ex-bourbon barrels.

Then the tequila is shifted to ex-Scotch whisky single malt sherry-seasoned casks for two additional months.

This is the first time a tequila is aged in ex-Scotch single malt vessels.

Those bourbon and sherry notes are present in this tequila along the agave and vanilla flavors typical of tequila.

It finishes with a pleasing peppery note making Partida a quite satisfying Tequila.

Tequileño Cristalino

• Nose: Agave, citrus, oak
• Palate: Agave, citrus, vanilla, pepper, oak
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Don Julio 70

Taste:

This tequila is an incredible option for those who want to enjoy the agave flavors as it is full of it.

Tequileño comes with a creamy body, extremely smooth, rich in citrus and vanilla notes and the delicious roasted agave flavor.

Is it good?

This Cristalino is the same as the Reposado which is aged for 4 months in American oak barrel before bottling.

Tequileño is one of my favorite Mexican-owned brands as they deliver additive-free drams preserving the character of this spirit.

It was founded in 1959 by Don Jorge Salles and his grandson is in charge of the business.

This distiller is barely known outside of a few loyal fans but this brand crafts some of the best Tequilas in the market.

Don Julio 70

• Nose: Vanilla, oak
• Palate: Vanilla, agave, caramel, oak
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink? Neat or rocks
• Similar to: Don Julio Blanco, 1942

Taste:

Beautiful nose of bright flowers, honey, blue agave, vanilla.

On the palate, Don Julio 70 is incredibly smooth, rich in vanilla, oak and caramel and a tad of agave.

Finish remains smooth, with vanilla, oak and a bit of black pepper, with very little warmth.

This Tequila smells and tastes like an Añejo Tequila but looks like a Blanco Tequila.

Is it good?

Don Julio 70 was the first Cristalino and remains the best.

DJ 70 is the product of filtering Don Julio Añejo through charcoal before bottling.

This process removes hard edges from the spirit making it easier to drink.

This type of tequila is known as Cristalino, and makes a perfect choice for those who want an overly easy yet tasty dram.

Don Julio 70 is dangerously smooth as it gets drained quite fast and is quite yet flavorful with literally no burn or bad bite.

It has most of the tasting notes of an añejo Tequila such as vanilla, oak and fine spices although it lost most of the agave flavor in the filtration process.

Don Julio 70th Anniversary makes a great sipper even for those new to Tequila and can easily be drunk straight or rocks.

I would not use a mixer due to its price, as a general rule I stick to more affordable options when making cocktails.

From my experience the best way of drinking Don Julio 70 is chilled.

Keep it in the freezer and don’t worry as the alcohol content won’t allow it to freeze.

Which is the best Cristalino Tequila?

Don Julio 70

Don Julio 70 is the first and still the best cristalino Tequila you can buy today.

This tequila is quite flavorful, full of agave flavors and yet dangerously smooth as it goes down with no harshness.

If you are a price conscious buyer or are drinking on a tight budget the Maestro Dobel makes a great option, as it offers a solid flavor profile and is quite affordable.

It also makes the best sipper for new drinkers to Tequila!

Cristalino Tequila Price Comparison

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Tequila	Price
Herradura Ultra	$41
1800 Cristalino Añejo	$59
Volcan de Mi Tierra Cristalino Añejo	$62
Maestro Dobel Diamond	$41
Partida Roble Fino Reposado	$120
Tequileño Cristalino	$70
Don Julio 70	$65

What makes a Tequila a Cristalino?

Cristalino is an aged Tequila filtered through activated charcoal

This process removes the characteristic amber hue aged tequilas have making it appear as crystal clear as a silver (blanco) tequila.

As a result of filtering through activated charcoal flavor also becomes smoother making cristalinos easier to sip while retaining the sweet and oaky notes offered in aged tequilas.

How to drink Cristalino Tequila?

Neat or rocks

Cristalinos are easy to drink, have them either rocks or neat. You can also pour it in a cocktail although is a bit pricey for those purposes; use a Blanco instead.

You can also keep your cristalino in the fridge with the certainty that it won’t freeze.

Is Cristalino Tequila good with Margaritas?

Yes, but Blanco is better

Aged Tequilas add deeper flavors to margaritas making them more spicy and oaky. A regular complain about mixing aged Tequilas is that they change the color of cocktails due their amber tones.

There is when cristalinos come handy as they will add those aged tequilas deep flavors without changing the color of your beloved margarita.

Hence feel confident to pour a cristalino in a margarita, however choose a low-priced such as Maestro Dobel Diamante.