In tequila circles, the word “smooth” is a contentious one. And I get it — great tequila, with its bright and spikey agave-rich flavors, isn’t exactly smooth the way something like a high-quality and twice-filtered Irish whiskey might be. On tequila boards across the internet, I’ve seen posters get angry at other posters for simply requesting a “smooth tequila recommendation,” by telling them “If you want smooth go drink whiskey!”
Because you know, people on the Internet can be so helpful.
I get where the tequila snobs are coming from. But I think when someone is looking for smoothness, in relation to alcohol, they’re identifying a spirit that lacks a harshness. In relation to tequila, I prefer the term “mellow,” but I’m not going to jump down people’s throats for wanting something “smooth.” The point is that they want something that is easy to drink.
There are a lot of great tequilas that fit that bill (and a lot of great ones that don’t), so to help guide you in the right direction, we’re building out a list of delicious reposado tequilas that strike a balance between being smooth (mellow) and agave-forward. These bottles still have that agave bite, but that note been smoothed out a bit via light barrel aging.
Let’s drink!
8. Suerte — Tequila Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $35.99
The Tequila:
Suerte is another affordable bottle that covers a lot of the same ground as Cimmaron (sweet, affordable, easy to drink) but leans even sweeter. Produced at NOM 1530, Tequilera Simbolo, this tequila utilizes agave harvested from a single estate and cooked low and slow in stone ovens before being extracted via a tahona, fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks, and aged in American ex-bourbon barrels for seven months to reach the repo state.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The oak character wafts from the glass backed with caramelized agave and butterscotch candies.
Palate: A strong emphasis on the caramel here backed with agave, some citrus, cinnamon, and a hint of earthy cracked black pepper.
Finish: Agave and oak, it echoes the nose surprisingly well with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet with a strong dessert-like baking spice influence. Despite its syrupy quality, it still has some palpable agave flavor.
7. Arette — Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $23.99
The Tequila:
At well under $30, Arette’s Reposado is an absolute steal. Everyone should have this bottle on their bar cart. It’s additive-free, made at a distillery that bears its name, and strikes a good balance between agave-forward and mellow barrel-aged flavors.
Produced at NOM 1109, Tequila Arette de Jalisco, Arette cooks its agave in a high-pressure autoclave before roller mill extracting the juices, fermenting in open-air stainless steel tanks, and distilling twice in a stainless pot with a copper coil.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A rich blend of caramelized agave and vanilla contrasted by a bit of ethanol burn.
Palate: That burn is absent on the palate, instead what we have here is a bouquet of vanilla and black pepper, a hit of floral honey, and a grassy vegetal character.
Finish: The oak comes out on the finish, which is smooth and supple. Very easy to drink.
The Bottom Line:
There is a lot of caramel, vanilla, and honey sweetness here, but just enough grassy green character to keep it from coming across as too sweet.
6. Cimarron — Tequila Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29.99 (1L)
The Tequila
Budget-friendly and delicious Cimarron is going to be your best bet if you’re after that balanced flavor profile.
Yes, it’s a touch harsher than the other bottles on this list but for the money, you’re getting a lot here, this bottle is additive-free and made using estate-grown agave that is slow-cooked in an autoclave, roller mill extracted, and rested for three to six months in American white oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Spicy cinnamon, roasted agave, and just a bit of oak. There is a very mellow and pleasing quality to this inviting tequila.
Palate: The smell translates directly to the palate. Agave and cinnamon dominate with some caramel notes, a bit of brown sugar molasses, and some of that barrel.
Finish: Floral with a mix of vanilla and dry oak.
The Bottom Line:
Surprisingly mellow and smooth for the price. It leans heavily on cinnamon and oak influence.
5. Tapatio — Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $41.99
The Tequila:
Additive-free, traditionally made, affordable — what’s not to love here? This tequila fits the bill perfectly for what we’re looking for with this list.
Produced at NOM 1139, the famed La Alteña, Tapatio cooks agave in stone brick ovens, extracts the juice via a roller mill, and ages the liquid in bourbon barrels for a mellow tequila that still retains some of that characteristic agave bite.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave, some warmth from oak, rich vanilla and a gentle hint of banana peel.
Palate: Agave and earth, with some caramel, cinnamon, and creamy butter. There is a confection quality to the flavor here.
Finish: Mellow and soft with a bit of citrus.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and mellow with just enough agave in there for a bite on the finish.
4. Siete Leguas — Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $51.49
The Tequila:
Straight up, Siete Leguas Reposado is one of the best bottles of tequila you’ll ever drink, regardless of price range. It also fits the bill of our search for well-balanced flavors perfectly. Hailing from NOM 1120, Tequila Siete Leguas, where it is the only brand in production, this tequila is cooked low and slow in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and aged for eight months in American white oak barrels.
It is an additive-free tequila (noticing a trend here?).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm agave notes waft from the pour with an inviting herbaceousness and some zesty citrus.
Palate: More warmth on the palate with some vanilla and citrus notes mingling with oak and the slightest hint of wet grass.
Finish: The finish has this wonderful dry quality to it as notes of oak, earth, and a little eat linger on the tongue.
The Bottom Line:
Mellow and comforting with just a hint of agave character. This one leans much more toward the sweet and smooth, so keep that in mind.
3. Don Fulano Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $63.99
The Tequila:
Don Fulano is an interesting brand. It’s produced at NOM 1146, Tequileña, that same distiller that is home to higher-end (more expensive) brands like Cierto and Tears of Llorona, yet it’s nearly half the price of those expensive bottles. We consider that a steal!
Don Fulano’s repo is made from agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco that are cooked for 28 to 32 hours, extracted with a screw mill, and fermented in open tanks for 72 to 96 hours before being aged for 8 to 11 months in French Limousin oak casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Crushed black pepper tickles the nose with rich vanilla undertones and a strong agave presence.
Palate: Sweet stone fruit mixed with coconut, cinnamon, caramel, and orange zest. It’s almost dessert-like but has a vegetal quality and some herbs and grass keep it from tasting too sweet and overwhelming.
Finish: Soft oak notes with a nice kick of spice on the backend that slowly fades. Once that spice is off the tongue, that’s your cue to take another sip.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, yet vegetal, with a long spicy finish that masks some of the typical harshness of tequila.
2. Tequila Ocho — Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $55.99
The Tequila:
Tequila Ocho doesn’t miss, but its reposado is the best expression in the lineup because of its balance of agave and barrel characteristics.
Produced at NOM 1474, Tequilera Los Alambiques, the agave is simmered in brick ovens, extracted via a roller mill, and fermented in open-air wood vats before being twice distilled in a copper pot and rested for 8 weeks and 8 days in American white oak, old whiskey and used barrels. It is an additive-free tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You get a lot of the oak character on the nose mingling with rich caramelized agave, crushed black peppercorn, zesty orange rind, and earthy rainwater.
Palate: A light sense of vanilla hovers over a green and grassy flavor with hints of warm caramel, rosemary, citrus, and some minerality.
Finish: Dry and oaky contrasted with tropical coconuts and a slight creaminess.
The Bottom Line:
Well-balanced between rich dessert-like tones and natural grassiness.
1. G4 — Reposado
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $54.99
The Tequila:
G4 is a favorite amongst tequila snobs, and while my expression of choice from this brand is the blanco (and still strength) don’t sleep on the reposado — it’s amazing. But keep this in mind, in my experience, there is a lot of variation in flavor between lots, so sometimes this is going to edge more toward the agave character than the more mellow tones.
This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1579, Destileria El Pandillo, using agave cooked in a traditional stone oven before being crushed by a tahona and proofed down with rainwater. The liquid is then fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled in a copper pot and rested in George Dickel Tennessee whiskey barrels for six months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The bottle I have has a lot of oak on the nose, with a touch of vanilla and a bit of a tickle of black peppercorn.
Palate: A bitter cocoa character with some caramel, butter, and citrus zest.
Finish: Long and smooth with a lot of herbaceous mint character mixed with citrus and minerals.
The Bottom Line:
Fantastic, herbaceous, and sweet, while still providing some spikiness characteristic of agave.