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A guide to tasting tequila
Tequila is a liquor that’s ready to be taken seriously. We are here to help you discover how to experience this versatile spirit and the diversity of its flavour profiles.
Tequila has something of a reputation – based on slinging back shots and everything that follows. But this is unjustified; treated with respect, the finest tequilas can be enjoyed every bit as much as a mature and elegant scotch or bourbon.
Trying to give tequila a general flavour profile would be as wrong as doing the same to a single malt; the diversity of flavours is just as staggering and varied.
Tasting tequila
Tequila is made from the heart – or piña – of the agave plant, specifically the agave tequilana weber, also known as agave blue weber. Tequila must be made in Mexico, in the state of Jalisco and in limited areas of the states of Nayarit, Guanajuato, Michoacán and Tamaulipas.
The following are common types of tequila made from 100 per cent agave blue weber:
Blanco – Also known as silver or plata, this clear tequila is not aged and has a pure, smooth and simple flavour. You can sip this straight or use it in cocktails in place of vodka.
Reposado – This is aged (most often in barrels) for more than 60 days. It is a medium amber coloured spirit with a light, but complex flavour. Meant for sipping or mixing.
Joven – Also known as oro or gold, this light amber tequila is a mixture of blanco and reposado. It is aged fewer than 60 days (often in vats) and is not as smooth as either of its components. It usually has a higher alcohol content, too.
Añejo – This is the most complex flavoured of tequilas. It is aged for at least a year (‘extra añejo’ is aged more than three) in oak, giving it a robust and smoky flavour. This is the tequila to drink simply for the taste.
How to drink tequila
The best way to experience tequila is to sip it pure and learn what speaks to you. You can apply the same rules as you would to whisky – a couple of fingers in a tumbler, served at room temperature or over ice. Take your time to enjoy it. A good tequila should linger as long as any other premium spirit.
Below we have collected 5 special tequilas to help you start exploring the varied flavours of tequila.
Patrón Silver Tequila
Using only the finest 100 per cent weber blue agave, Patrón Silver tequila is handmade in small batches to be smooth, flavourful and easily mixable. With sweet fruity notes and a light peppery finish, this super premium liquid is best enjoyed in a classic Patrón margarita, Patrón and tonic, or neat over ice.
Casamigos Blanco Tequila
Casamigos was founded in 2013 by George Clooney and his friends Rande Gerber and Mike Meldman. Grown in the highlands of Jalisco, small-batch distilled and aged for two months, it is a very smooth tequila with a clean and crisp mouthfeel, hints of citrus and vanilla and undertones of fresh bread.
Tromba Blanco Tequila
Made exclusively from hand-selected blue agave and lovingly crafted in small batches, the result is a silky, light, sweet and refreshing tequila that is wonderfully pure and spicy.
1800 Añejo Tequila
Aged in French and American oak for six months, this añejo is exceptionally smooth with a soft agave taste. It shows spice, oak and a hint of butterscotch in its flavour profile.
Espolòn Tequila Blanco
Produced in the San Nicolas distillery in Los Altos, Jalisco, master distiller Cirilo Oropeza uses both pot and column stills for this superb spirit with an unusually floral flavour profile. Sip it on the rocks or shake it in a tequila cocktail.
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