Right now the #1 buzzword in tequila is “additive-free.” Drinkers are opting for bottles that are distinctly agave-forward and not full of filler and brands are rushing to declare themselves additive-free ASAP in order to satisfy the demand. This can be… annoying. Mostly because brands aren’t always completely honest about being free of additives and they don’t have to be — according to the Consejo Regulador Del Tequila, producers are allowed to use up to 1% of certain additives including glycerin, sugar-based syrup, caramel coloring, and oak extract without disclosing it. Also because it’s a #trend right now, some people will write off a quite good bottle of tequila just because it isn’t additive-free.
So let us just say this: There are good bottles of tequila with and without additives. You can find some here!
That said, there is a reason a preference for additive-free tequila is growing. Brands like Casamigos and Clase Azul are beloved by casual drinkers because of their ease of drinkability and there’s a sweet, vanilla-forward quality to these tequilas that makes them come across as pleasing to the palate. But as casual drinkers get more and more interested in tequila they start to value the spikey, bright, and earthy flavors of agave — flavors that are softened and even blurred completely by the inclusion of additives that big brands likely use to get those “smooth” and pleasing flavors.
If you’re reading this article, you’re probably interested in bottles with a more agave-forward and unaltered flavor profiles. So to help introduce you to the world of additive-free tequila, we’re running down some of our favorite bottles that fall under $50. We figure this is a good price point to start with to see whether or not you even like additive-free tequila (we have a hunch you will, welcome to the club).
These bottles have all been confirmed additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker, a site that has an official independent additive-free verification program. Please note, that a brand has to actually submit for verification from TMM, so there will always be brands that haven’t taken the time to seek out third-party verification or brands that simply don’t want to open their books to a third party. If you want to confirm the validity of a brand’s claim of being additive-free but can’t confirm it on a site like Tequila Matchmaker, Uproxx’s own Zach Johnston has a pretty neat trick:
“Pour a touch of tequila into your hands and rub them like you’re using hand sanitizer,” he notes. “If your hands are dry at the end, it’s an additive-free tequila. If your hands are a tad sticky or feel soft and oiled, then there are additives like extra glycerin at play.”
Okay, enough talk — let’s drink.
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- Additive Vs. Additive-Free Reposado Tequilas, Blind Tasted And Ranked
- The Best Tequilas For Whiskey Drinkers, Power Ranked By A Whiskey Pro
10. Chamucos Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $39.99
The Tequila:
Chamucos is an interesting brand because, in a weird way, its origins stem from a celebrity. The brand was first conceived in 1992 by Oscar-nominated Mexican film director, Antonio Urrutia, and his friend, the hand-blown glass bottle artist, Cesar Hernandez.
During a visit to Hernandez’s glass factory, US importer Mark Howard saw a concept bottle of Chamucos, and two years later, the brand introduced its first expression, a Reposado. Its celebrity connections are less firm than a brand like 818, Casamigos, or Teremana, but what really sets this brand apart from those is the lack of additives.
Chamucos is produced at NOM 1586, Destileria Casa de Piedra, using stone brick ovens, roller mill extraction, and stainless steel pot distillation. It is an organic, non-GMO, additive-free tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The alcohol is prominent here, it has a scent not unlike nail polish remover, but after that initial aroma pleasing bright agave and lime notes come forward.
Palate: A lot of lime rind, cooked agave, and a slight floral sweetness.
Finish: Salty with more citrus notes and minerality. It comes across as very earthy and natural.
The Bottom Line:
Salty and citrusy, with some natural floral sweetness.
9. Tequila Ocho — Plata
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $34.99
The Tequila:
Tequila Ocho’s agave is hand-harvested sometime between 7-10 years and slow cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours and rested for 24 before being crushed by a roller mill. The juice is then fermented in wood vats and twice distilled, the second time in a small copper pot.
There aren’t many brands in the $30 price range that utilize this slow process, and it gives the tequila a silky quality that punches above its weight.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh-peeled orange rind and roasted agave dance on the nose in equal parts.
Palate: Zesty and earthy, I’m getting cracked black pepper and a rush of fresh herbal flavors. Almost cilantro-like.
Finish: Mint and pepper with a gentle spice that builds on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line: Naturally sweet and fruity, Tequila Ocho is a great starter bottle for those looking to try their first additive-free tequila without spending an inflated price.
8. Tapatio — Tequila Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $34.99
The Tequila:
Produced at NOM 1139, the famed La Alteña distillery, Tapatio is made from agave harvested at peak maturity, and slow-cooked in masonry ovens. Tapatio removes the bud in male plants, which the brand claims “adversely affect the flavor of tequila”.
The cooked agave is roller mill extracted and fermented in open-air wood vats with native wild yeast for 72 to 96 hours, and finally distilled in copper pots.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cooked agave leads to wet grass and a hint of key lime.
Palate: A medley of citrus notes dominates the palate, I’m tasting tangerine, grapefruit, and a bit of orange. There is also a subtle hint of licorice.
Finish: Long and peppery.
The Bottom Line:
A natural grassy and citrus-forward tequila with a mix of licorice-like spices on the aftertaste.
7. El Tequileño Gran Reserva Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $49.99
The Tequila:
El Tequileño is made with agave sourced from the highlands of Jalisco cooked in steam-pressure autoclaves and roller mill extracted. The tequila is made with mineral-rich volcanic spring water that flows through the distillery from the Volcan de Tequila.
To get to its reposado state, the tequila is aged for 8 months in American oak and blended with a touch of the brand’s añejo.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe banana and tropical mango with some cooked agave and a bit of oak.
Palate: Vanilla notes greet the palate before morphing to a black pepper earthiness, some cinnamon, and butterscotch.
Finish: The finish is fast, you don’t really get to savor the flavor here which is a shame. Oak and cinnamon dominate the finish but they fade way too soon.
The Bottom Line:
Tropical fruity flavors, a touch of vanilla, and a smooth oak-rich finish. This is a well-rounded repo that is great for sipping and mixing.
6. Tepozan Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42.99
The Tequila:
Tepozan is a small batch tequila hailing from NOM 1584, Tequila El Tepozan, and is made from estate-grown blue agave that is hand-harvested and peak maturity and cooked in a pressurized brick oven.
The juice from the cooked agave is extracted with a roller mill and fermented in open-air still tanks before being twice distilled. After the first distillation, the tequila is clarified using volcanic rock water, and then further refined.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave gives way to clay and wet earth and a bit of cinnamon that makes it way through the nose and onto the palate.
Palate: An initial spicy hit kicks the palate awake with cooked agave notes, a hint of cracked black pepper, cinnamon, and vegetal brightness.
Finish: That vegetal quality dominates the finish with some minerality and a buttery aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Very natural and earthy with a bright and spiky agave-forward flavor. You can almost taste the purity here.
5. Mijenta — Tequila Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42.99
The Tequila:
I’ve long sung the praises of Mijenta, it’s one of my favorite tequila brands right now but while I’ve said a lot on this site about the reposado and añejo bottles, I haven’t ever highlighted the blanco.
This is a great bottle, though I’ll admit it’s my least favorite expression from the brand. The agave here is harvested from the highlands of Jalisco, cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, and roller mill extracted before being fermented in stainless steel tanks and distilled in a stainless steel pot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: White pepper and agave. There is an initial funkiness to this that shifts into a floral honey tone as you inhale deeper.
Palate: Rich and buttery with cooked agave, black pepper, and a dash of vanilla.
Finish: Cinnamon and anise with a slight fruitiness that lives on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Buttery and earthy with a nuanced level of sweetness. I love this less for mixing in a cocktail.
4. G4 Tequila Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $43.99
The Tequila:
G4 comes from fourth-generation master distiller Felipe Camarena and is produced at NOM 1579, Destileria El Pandillo. The agave is cooked in stone brick ovens, tahona extracted, and made with natural spring and rainwater.
A lot of people tend to write this brand off because of the name and bottle design. That’s a huge mistake, this is a truly great bottle of blanco tequila, and in my opinion, the brand’s best expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A warm and inviting agave aroma swirls above this pour with some sinus-tickling black pepper and citrus notes.
Palate: That smell perfectly translates to the palate, I’m getting a lot of black pepper and citrus, with green grass notes.
Finish: Warm and slightly nutty. The mouthfeel is silky.
The Bottom Line:
Warm and agave rich, with a luxurious finish. A great bottle to sip.
3. LALO Tequila Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $42.99
The Tequila:
LALO has a strict commitment to tequila blanco, and that singular focus is working for them. The agave for this tequila is hand-harvested at 6-7 years from the highlands of Jalisco, it is then cooked in brick steam ovens for 20-32 hours and rested an additional 18 before being roller mill extracted.
The juice is then fermented for 3-4 days using a proprietary Champagne yeast. The result is a wonderfully bright and pure-tasting unaged tequila. If you’re all about the flavor of agave, you’re going to get a lot of that with LALO.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cucumber and citrus rind, there is a noticeable juicy freshness here.
Palate: Agave and citrus with some light caramel notes, a bit of vanilla, and cracked cinnamon.
Finish: The vegetal quality of the finish is strong here. It feels fresh and grassy with more citrus at the back end and some roasted agave.
The Bottom Line:
A vegetal and grassy agave forward tequila. It’s bottles like this that have given “additive-free” tequila its good name.
2. El Tesoro — Tequila Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $45.99
The Tequila:
You don’t have to be a hardcore tequila snob to know about El Tesoro. If someone in your circle knows tequila and you’ve asked for recommendations, no doubt you’ve heard the name “El Tesoro,” and that’s because each expression is pretty great. We recommend you start with the Reposado.
This tequila is produced at NOM 1139, La Alteña, and is made from mature agave cooked in stone and brick ovens and tahona extracted. It is fermented in open-air wood tanks and twice distilled in copper pots. The repo is aged for nine to eleven months in American oak ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A rich oakiness mixed with agave and a warm vanilla.
Palate: Butterscotch and honeydew, a strange but interesting combination of flavors with some cinnamon and citrus.
Finish: Vanilla and roasted agave, with a smooth finish and a lot of oak.
The Bottom Line:
A rich and naturally smooth oak-forward tequila with hints of spices and citrus zest.
1. Fortaleza Blanco
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $47.99
The Tequila:
It feels a little obvious to give Fortaleza the top spot on a tequila ranking but, credit where credit is due, this is simply some of the best tequila you’ll ever have, at any price.
The agave here is slow-cooked in stone brick ovens, stone crushed and double distilled in copper pots before being poured into hand-blown bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There is so much going on here, it’s a real treat for the senses. A bouquet of roasted agave, vanilla bean, citrus, and salt. On the smell alone, it’s mouthwatering.
Palate: Cooked agave with warm vanilla, a hint of lemon, herbs, and a bit of grassiness.
Finish: Buttery with a dry earthy finish and a slightly bitter aftertaste.
The Bottom Line: Citrus forward and stunningly easy to drink.