Best Tequilas to Order at the Bar

Looking for the best Tequilas to order at the bar? The truth is, the top small-batch options can be hard to come by.

These are the best commercial and widely available options.

Espolon Blanco – Best for Shots & Cocktails

Don’t fall for the lie that you need to buy a top Tequila to make cocktails as you can do just as well with a cheap Tequila.

• Nose: Agave, black pepper, citrus, alcohol
• Palate: Agave, black pepper, citrus
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Cocktails

Taste:

The nose is light displaying an earthy aroma, with a dash of black pepper and a bit of ethanol.

On the palate, Espolon Blanco is a bit warm at first, but as you let it develop it becomes somewhat sweet with some fruity notes and vanilla.

The finish has a medium-length, with citrus and a peppery and warming note.

Is it good?

Espolon has the right flavor profile to deliver good Margaritas, Palomas, Tequila Sour or any cocktail of your liking.

It’s also ideal as a Tequila for shots while at a hard to beat price given the quality of the pour.

Espolon Blanco is good, making a solid tasting tequila at this value; for the price is absolutely incredible.

Don Julio Blanco – Best for Sipping

• Nose: Agave, alcohol, citrus, earth
• Palate: Agave, black pepper, citrus, alcohol
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Rocks

Don Julio Blanco is no longer the best Blanco Tequila as it has been widely surpassed.

Yet is easy to find and quite competent and offered at most bars and pubs across the globe.

Taste:

On the nose, Don Julio Blanco is boozy as it has a high alcoholic note making you think that this is a warm tequila.

On the palate, you get a smooth and sweet tequila, rich in citrus, along an earthy note, minerals, and just a dash of black pepper.

There is very little heat to it although lacks a bit in texture.

The finish has a decent length, mostly sweet with just a bit of bite that reminds you that you are drinking tequila.

Is it good?

Overall, Don Julio Blanco is solid, approachable to those who are new to Tequila while offering a classic unaged tequila flavor profile that those who are familiar with this agave spirit will enjoy.

No wonder why this one of the best-selling tequilas in Mexico and Don Julio’s best-seller.

Olmeca Altos Reposado – Best for Reposado Cocktails

• Nose: Fruity notes, agave, oak
• Palate: Agave, oak, caramel
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Cocktails

If you want a cocktail with a light caramel note and subtle oak this is your best choice.

Nicely priced making it a no-brainer.

Taste:

Nose offers agave forward, with hints of vanilla and oak.

On the palate, crisp apple and lime flavors give way to strong and sweet blue agave taste and finishing with spices and a tad of oak.

The finish has a decent length with very little warmth, caramel and a light peppery touch.

Is it good?

This is a nicely rounded Tequila, rich in agave, with just a touch of vanilla and oak from the short aging period in oak barrels making a decent sipper but a better mixer in the mood for an oaky Margarita.

Casamigos Reposado – Best Repo for Sipping

• Nose: Vanilla, caramel, agave
• Palate: Agave, vanilla, almond, caramel
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Neat, rocks

Casamigos Reposado is quite good and widely available making the best sipping Reposado at bars.

Taste:

The nose is quite sweet and rich in vanilla at first, followed by a note of roasted agave.

Casamigos Reposado has on oily and soft mouthfeel, is smoky upfront with a taste of honey, vanilla, baking spices, salted caramel and agave sweetness; its well balanced.

Sweet, tasty and smooth with a bit of heat and spice on the tail that plays nicely.

Is it good?

Overall, this is a smooth easy sipper, more interesting than Casamigos Blanco but a bit warmer making it a good choice for bourbon aficionados.

It drinks nicely neat or rocks but I would not use it as a mixer due to its price. There are several better options to make cocktails.

1800 Añejo – Best Añejo for cocktails

• Nose: Oak, vanilla, caramel
• Palate: Oak, ripe fruit, vanilla
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Cocktails

1800 is a Tequila brand owned by Jose Cuervo who has wide distribution abilities so this an easy find at bars across the United States.

Not the best for sipping but works wonders in cocktails such as Tequila Old Fashioned.

Taste:

Smells and tastes like whiskey but it’s made from agave.

This is a sweet and smooth Tequila, fruity and enjoyable to drink neat.

I get the vanilla, spice and caramel notes that I would expect from a bourbon, with a light bitter note on the finish and almost no burn.

Is it good?

1800 Añejo is neither complex nor deep and does not offer memorable tasting notes but makes a solid option when drinking on a budget.

1800 Añejo is good and attractively priced.

Likable by those that are not into Tequila, yet can be appreciated by Tequila lovers.

It ticks all the right boxes as it achieves a good balance between agave, oak and caramel where nothing stands out.

It drinks nicely with no burn or bad bite making a Bourbon drinkers’ Tequila.

Patron Añejo – Best Añejo for Sipping

• Nose: Caramel, agave, oak, vanilla
• Palate: Caramel, almond, tobacco, oak
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Rocks

Taste:

Patron Añejo has a pleasing aroma full of oak, vanilla, and roasted agave. 

Flavor brings caramel up-front, followed by almond, tobacco and a bit of oak, although it lacks in agave flavor.

Finish lingers with pleasing heat on the way down and a touch of caramel.

Is it good?

This Añejo is not elite as it lacks agave flavor favoring caramel notes but is better Tequila than Patron Silver and Patron Repo and is an easy find across the nation.

This is a good Añejo Tequila and it’s price makes it along Patron Extra Añejo the Best Patron in value.

Maestro Dobel Diamante

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

Cristalino Tequilas are increasingly popular as they are quite smooth.

This is the type of Tequilas that has been filtered through activated charcoal making it easier to drink.

Cristalinos work well as sippers and can be used as mixers making them quite versatile.

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.

Avion Reserva 44

• Taste: Agave, earth, grass, caramel
• Palate: Caramel, agave, vanilla, lime, oak
• Alcohol content: 80 proof (40% ABV)
• How to drink: Neat

Extra Añejo is Tequila’s premium category as they have a long aging of 3+ years making them quite smooth and sweet.

Avion Reserva 44 is one of the best value plays within this category as it’s attractively priced.

Taste:

Rich in flavors without being overly rich in oak as it happens with most aged spirits.

The finish is a bit short but the sweetness does last making it a an enjoyable sip.

The oaky and vanilla notes will ring bells among bourbon drinkers.

Is it good?

Definitely highly recommendable to seasoned and beginner Tequila drinkers alike.

Avion Reserva is aged for 43 months before spending an additional month in small barrels that are rotated daily.

This Tequila is a good alternative to Don Julio 1942 and Clase Azul Reposado!

Best Tequilas to Order at the Bar: Price per Shot

Prices are approximate and stated in USD:

Tequila	Price
Espolon Blanco	$15
Don Julio Blanco	$19
Altos Reposado	$16
Casamigos Reposado	$27
1800 Añejo	$18
Patron Añejo	$28
Maestro Dobel	$21
Avion Reserva 44	$32

When it comes to ordering Tequila at the bar or pub, there are several options to choose from making it hard for the uneducated consumer.

While small-batch Tequilas are often considered the best, they can be difficult to find at your local bar.

Fortunately, after extensive research and taste-testing, I found the top commercial Tequilas that are sure to satisfy even the most demanding palate.

No matter which Tequila you choose, be sure to drink it slowly and enjoy the unique flavors and aromas that each one has to offer.

With the right Tequila in hand, you’re sure to have a memorable night out at the bar.