As we mark International Tequila Day we lift a glass to the best sipping tequilas that you should be ordering today.
When most people think of tequila, they imagine shots with lime wedges, lively fiestas, and all too often, regret. However, true aficionados know that the finest tequilas are meant to be savoured slowly, much like a great whiskey or a cognac. Whether you’re making a classic cocktail or celebrating a little life moment, leave the hangovers in your wake with these eight exceptional sipping tequilas.
READ: 6 Essential Tequila Cocktails
Patrón Extra Añejo 10 Años
This rare extra añejo from Patrón is aged for a full decade in American oak barrels, offering a deep amber colour and a complex profile that deserves to be explored like a lover under silk sheets. If you slow your roll for a momento, you’ll quickly notice notes of rich caramel, vanilla, and a hint of honeyed oak, all of which are complemented by a delicate touch of spice and dried fruits.
Casa Dragones Joven
A small-batch tequila that blends 100% Blue Agave silver tequila with a hint of extra añejo that’s been aged in American oak barrels, Casa Dragones Joven is renowned for its silky texture and vibrant, nuanced flavours. Thanks to the combination of youthful and matured spirit, you can expect delicate floral notes and citrus zest, as well as a touch of vanilla and almonds, making it a great tequila for sipping or as a building block for a truly refined cocktail.
READ: All Aboard the Tequila Train
Clase Azul Reposado
A favourite with the club hitters and bold ballers (and not without its critics), the beautifully handcrafted bottles of Class Azul contain an equally exquisite tequila, and the Reposado is king among them. Aged for eight months in American oak barrels, Clase Azul Reposado has a creamy, smooth texture with flavours of vanilla, caramel, and a subtle touch of cooked agave, all balanced by a hint of cinnamon and spice.
Don Julio 1942
Named to commemorate the year Don Julio González began his tequila-making journey, this iconic añejo continues one of the tequila world’s longest lasting legacies. Aged for a minimum of two and a half years, this delectable spirit offers a velvety mouthfeel with rich flavours of toffee, vanilla, and roasted agave, with a long, smooth finish that will change your perceptions for tequila for ever.
READ: This is the Ultimate Tequila Vacation Itinerary
Tears of Llorona No. 3 Extra Añejo
This unique and truly coveted tequila is aged in a combination of Scotch, Sherry, and Cognac barrels, imparting a complex, layered flavour profile that has captured the imagination of tequila aficionados (and even converted a few purists). Notes of dark chocolate, dried fruit, and roasted nuts are complemented by a hint of spice and a smoky, oaky finish that will linger like a teenage crush.
El Tesoro Paradiso Extra Añejo
Created in collaboration with master cognac blender Alain Royer, this extra añejo is aged for five years in French oak cognac barrels. The result is a rich, opulent tequila with notes of chocolate, caramel, and butterscotch, balanced by a hint of spice and oak – you’ll want to hide this bottle behind those fake art books in your living room, only to be broken out on special occasions.
READ: Buy Your Tequila by the Cask
Gran Patrón Piedra
Another Patron worthy of this list, and a true masterpiece in its own right, Gran Patrón Piedra is aged for over three years in a combination of American and French oak barrels. This exposure to the cast leaves this extra añejo tequila with a deep amber hue and a velvety texture, with flavours of toasted oak, vanilla, and dried fruit, along with a touch of sweet agave and spice.
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