Yesterday (January 20), during an appearance on The Louis Theroux podcast, Jade Thirlwall claimed that she and Styles could’ve been a thing. But, Harry Styles “ghosted” her shortly after their first date.
“I think we went on like one date when we were 16 or something,” she said. “He’d just got put in a band, and it was really funny, because we kept in touch. Then the minute they went on live shows, he didn’t message me back.”
Thirlwall says eventually, Styles apologized for his actions (or lack thereof). “He was like, ‘I’m really sorry I ignored you,’” she said. “I was so young, it didn’t really matter. But he was always very, very lovely. He’s gotten himself to where he is because he’s very talented, and he’s very lovely. Very charming.”
The pair met while auditioning for music competition show, The X Factor. Although Thirlwall is primarily known for winning as a member of Little Mix in 2011, she initially auditioned the year prior. At that time, a young Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne nearly swept the competition as One Direction.
The full episode of The Louis Theroux podcast featuring Jade Thirlwall is out now. Find more information here.
Yesterday (January 20), during the second inauguration of President Donald Trump, Musk took the stage and gave “an awkward gesture” that many have likened to the Nazi salute. Now, Grimes fans are calling for the entertainer to be “cancelled.”
In a statement shared to X (formerly Twitter), Grimes slammed the potential boycott as “absurd” while urging supporters to separate her from Musk. Read Grimes’ full statement below.
While I deeply respect your concern-it is unhealthy that people are this upset when I have not even been online yet today and am only just learning about this controversy now. I don’t know what happened, and I will not make a rash statement – I am not a citizen of this country.
I need to go to bed now, I will research the state of affairs tomorrow but until I do, I’m not going to say something that will create an international scandal.
It’s absurd that someone can be this cancelled for something their ex did before they even heard it happened.
I am not him. I will not make a statement every time he does something. I can only send love back into a world that is hurting.
I know your concern comes from a good place. I respect you. I do not ask for sympathy. In a world overstimulated by scandal, I feel a moral imperative to only add to the mess when something positive can be done. Otherwise, I’m just adding to the desensitization.
To be clear I could go talk sh*t and be on a bunch of magazine covers and be a feminist hero and get clout-but it would serve no purpose. I choose my children’s wellbeing. I promise you it doesn’t feel good to be hated all the time for things I don’t even know about, cannot predict and cannot control. But I also chose this path, I accept it. I make the best of it, and I simply wish happiness and health to all.
With prosecutors hoping to cut the felony firearm assault trial short, they supposedly offered the “Riot” rapper a plea deal. However, according to Rolling Stone, ASAP Rocky rejected the plea deal and wishes to move forward with his plan to disprove he harmed former friend, ASAP Relli (real name Terell Ephron) with semiautomatic pistol back in November 2021.
The outlet claims Rocky’s plea deal consisted of three years of probation, a seven-year suspended prison sentence, and 180 days served in county jail, if plead guilty to one count of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Instead, Rocky wants to present his defense.
In a statement to RS, ASAP Rocky’s lawyer Joe Tacopina outlined their forthcoming argument. Tacopina teased that two witnesses will help to exonerate Rocky in addition to the footage of Rocky supposedly holding a firearm. According to Tacopina, the semiautomatic in question is a “starter gun” or prop item not an actual semiautomatic.
“[ASAP Rocky is] eager to tell his story and would love the opportunity to do so,” he said. “He’s very articulate and intelligent, he’s a good human being and that will come out if he testifies. But that’s decision isn’t going to be made yet. And it depends on how the case goes.”
The Peaky Blinders movie will, by all indications, not head into theaters and will simply stream on Netflix (while also airing on BBC). Hey, it worked for El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, and it makes even more sense for Tommy Shelby and his remaining crew to stick with their usual home base. Also, heading straight onto Netflix presumably means a speedier arrival than jockeying for a multiplex spot for what is essentially a super long episode, so let’s not waste any more time getting to the point.
When Will The Peaky Blinders Movie Come Out On Netflix?
Netflix revealed that filming completed on December 19, 2024, and series creator Steven Knight recently spoke with Deadline and fielded the release date subject. As Knight described the situation, “it’s a bit too soon for [a specific date announcement],” but “you can sort of work out that it will be about a year.”
So, Peaky Blinders for the holiday season? That seems like the perfect gift and a handy way to silence uncomfortable family discussions. Then a series binge watch could follow, and we might even receive speedy news of a followup series. After all, Knight has suggested that this movie will launch a spin off, and although everybody would love to see Tom Hardy’s Alfie Solomons receive his own show, that will surely not happen.
Instead, one or more of Tommy’s sons (most likely Duke, which appears to be Barry Keoghan’s mystery role) will be taking over the criminal empire. But if you cannot wait for more of Knight’s underground realm, he will soon unleash another gangster series starring Peaky veteran Stephen Graham. That series, A Thousand Blows, streams via Hulu on February 21.
Central Cee has revealed the tracklist for his upcoming debut album, Can’t Rush Greatness, along with its features — which run the gamut from trap mainstays like 21 Savage and Lil Baby to fellow UK rap pioneers like Dave and Skepta. Drill godfather Lil Durk also appears, but the big surprise is Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko, whose profile skyrocketed in 2024 thanks to collaborations with Bizarrap, Feid, and Netflix’s League Of Legends series, Arcane.
Of the promised collaborations, fans have already heard his songs with Atlanta rappers 21 Savage (“GBP“) and Lil Baby (“Band4Band“), while his 2024 singles “I Will” and “Moi” with British singer Raye do not appear on the tracklist he shared via his Instagram Story. And although he and Dave previously collaborated extensively, resulting in their EP Split Decision and its hit record “Sprinter,” it appears they kept something stashed for Cee’s eventual debut.
You can check out the full tracklist below.
Can’t Rush Greatness is out January 24 via Columbia Records. You can pre-save it here.
Central Cee Can’t Rush Greatness Tracklist
01. “No Introduction”
02. “5 Star”
03. “Gata” Feat. Young Miko
04. “St. Patrick’s”
05. “GBP” Feat. 21 Savage
06. “Top Freestyle”
07. “Up North”
08. “CRG” Feat. Dave
09. “Limitless”
10. “Now We’re Strangers”
11. “Truth In The Lies” Feat. Lil Durk
12. “Then” Feat. Skepta
13. “Band4Band” Feat. Lil Baby
14. “Gen Z Luv”
15. “Walk In Warehouse”
16. “Must Be”
17. “Don’t Know Anymore”
On Thursday, the starters for the 2025 NBA All-Star teams will be announced, as the votes by fans, media, and players will be tallied and averaged out to determine the 10 players locked into All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Next Thursday, we’ll learn the other 14 players that will join them, as selected by the coaches.
This year’s selection process will be pretty fascinating, as some long-time locks of the past either are just on the bubble or aren’t even contenders to make a roster this year. On the other side, there are a lot of up-and-coming young players with strong All-Star resumes, making for some interesting debates between the league’s rising stars and established veterans. Plus the teams at the top of the standings are different than we’ve seen in years past — the Cavs and Thunder have been dominant in each conference and coaches tend to reward that kind of dominance with multiple All-Star selections, while teams like the Rockets and Grizzlies have played well enough it’s going to be hard not to put a player from each on the roster.
That could lead to some really interesting roster crunches, as will the case of LaMelo Ball, who leads fan voting but isn’t a lock for a reserve selection among East guards if he ends up missing a starting spot after player and media voting comes in. With all of that in mind, I wanted to take a stab at predicting this year’s All-Star rosters and look at the most interesting battles for the 12 coveted spots in each conference.
(As a reminder, the teams will not be East vs. West, as the NBA is adopting a new format similar to the Rising Stars game, so the teams will get drafted a little farther down the road.)
I don’t think there is any world where Mitchell, Antetokounmpo, Tatum, and Towns are not voted as East starters. The frontcourt in the East has a pretty clear breakaway with those three, and Mitchell has both the stats and team success that he ought to be top-2 in each voting sector. Ball is the swing spot, as there will be a pretty wide gulf between his top spot in the fan vote and where he lands with the media, meaning it likely comes down to the ever-mercurial player vote. Ball did fairly well in that area a year ago when he played 22 games and was hurt. This year, he’s averaging 29.3 points per game in 28 appearances, and I think he will do just well enough with the players to edge Brunson out of a starting spot — possibly via the fan-voting tiebreaker for the second-straight year.
WEST STARTERS
Shai Gilegeous-Alexander
Stephen Curry
Nikola Jokic
Kevin Durant
LeBron James
I’m going to go chalk on the West when it comes to the most recent fan-voting returns, although I do think there’s a chance Victor Wembanyama is ahead of KD or LeBron in the non-fan vote. Even so, I don’t think this is the year he breaks through as a starter, but we’ll see him in San Francisco as a reserve. Jokic and SGA are stone-cold locks, while Curry has been terrific, has the home All-Star bump, and Luka Doncic’s injury will likely drop him some in the player and media ballots.
EAST RESERVES
Jalen Brunson
Cade Cunningham
Jaylen Brown
Evan Mobley
Pascal Siakam
Damian Lillard
Trae Young
Snubs: Darius Garland, Franz Wagner, Jarrett Allen, Jalen Johnson, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro
I do not envy the coaches when it comes to picking the reserves for either conference. My locks here are Brunson, Cunningham, Brown, Mobley, and Lillard. Cunningham and Mobley have taken notable leaps, with Cade leading Detroit to an above-.500 record as the league’s second-best story behind the Rockets, while Mobley’s jump has been a catalyst for Cleveland running away with the top spot in the East at the midway point. The others — Brown, Brunson, and Lillard — are well-respected stars on top-4 teams having fantastic seasons, and I cannot imagine them not doing well with the coaches.
Then there’s the last frontcourt spot and the last Wild Card. Right now, with the recent surge by the Pacers, I think Siakam has made the strongest case and, fair or not, recency bias tends to play a role in All-Star selections. Wagner was, before his injury, a near-lock in my mind for an All-Star spot, but he’s played just 25 games and I think has probably slipped behind Siakam. Jarrett Allen also will get some love for his role as the anchor of the Cavs defense and steadying presence inside for the offense, but I don’t think we will get a 2015 Hawks situation with the Cavs. For the final Wild Card spot, I think it will almost assuredly be a guard, and while he’s been snubbed before, I just can’t imagine leaving Trae Young off the roster. He’s leading the lead in assists by a hysterical margin (86 more overall than Haliburton and 1.8 more per game than Jokic), the Hawks have been better than expected, and he is the catalyst for that (along with Jalen Johnson, who I also think has a case but won’t get there this year).
That would mean leaving Garland off the roster, which also feels crazy given his play this year. He’s more than deserving of a spot, but that’s the domino effect of the LaMelo Ball starting scenario. However, if Ball isn’t the starter and Brunson is, I think Garland makes it in over LaMelo for the final East roster spot.
WEST RESERVES
Luka Doncic
Anthony Edwards
Victor Wembanyama
Anthony Davis
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jalen Williams
Alperen Sengun
De’Aaron Fox (Injury Replacement for Luka Doncic)
Snubs: Kyrie Irving, Domantas Sabonis, Devin Booker, Norman Powell, Ja Morant
Doncic is going to make it, even with his injury, because his numbers were so insane before he went down. I also think coaches will, at times, vote for an injured guy as a way to create an extra All-Star spot, with Adam Silver filling that (almost always with the next guy on the coaches list). From there, I only think one other guard is going to make it on the coaches voting, as the West feels like the opposite of the East, with frontcourt getting both Wild Card spots. I will guess Anthony Edwards gets the nod over De’Aaron Fox and Kyrie Irving, but it’s a very interesting debate as they have extremely similar resumes. In all honesty, given it’s the coaches vote, I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple coaches feel Fox had a role in Mike Brown’s ouster and leave him off their ballots for that, which is an incredible shame, but just the way this can work. However, I do think Fox has a good shot at being the injury replacement for Doncic when going up against Irving in a resume comparison, especially with Dallas stumbling while the Kings are surging.
In the frontcourt, Wembanyama, Davis, and Jackson Jr. feel like locks. Wemby’s been outrageous on both ends of the floor and has the Spurs ahead of schedule. Davis has been terrific this year on both ends in L.A., while Jackson has taken a leap in Memphis and has been the Grizzlies best player on both sides of the floor. From there, I can’t see OKC only getting one All-Star, and Jalen Williams would be the pick for their second player, while there’s just no way they can leave the Rockets completely unrepresented. The challenge with Houston is there’s not one guy that’s leading the way, but Sengun (somewhat ironically having a slightly worse year than he had in 2023-24) is averaging 19 and 10, which probably gives him the best resume for an All-Star spot, unless they opt for Jalen Green as their top scorer. Personally, I’d stump for Amen Thompson being Houston’s representative, but I have a very hard time seeing a guy averaging 13/8 getting that spot even if I think he’s deserving for his impact.
That would mean Domantas Sabonis misses out (again) as a tough snub, but I can’t see the Kings getting two All-Stars while a team like Houston misses out entirely, and Fox probably has a better shot of getting in over the other guards in the West than Sabonis does against this year’s frontcourt competition. Whether you agree that should be part of the All-Star selection process is its own argument entirely, but knowing how the coaches have voted in the past, team success does matter a lot when it comes to reserves. The other snubs here are guards, but I don’t think any are particularly egregious. Devin Booker is well respected and has solid averages, but the Suns have just not been good enough. Ja Morant is having a down year (and hasn’t played a ton) compared to his previous All-Star seasons, and while Norman Powell has been fantastic for the Clippers (who have been better than expected), I just don’t see his path to a spot.
This year feels like the season where we will have the most arguments about snubs, as there are a lot of guys at a lot of spots that have legitimate cases. Some years there are pretty clear gaps between tiers of players, but things feel muddier than usual this year because of the depth of talent and the rise of some young players and teams. That will almost assuredly lead to some very upset players, teams, and fan bases when reserves are selected and some very deserving players get left out.
Jack White is one of modern rock’s biggest stars, so his latest news should hopefully bring some significant help to Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts: Today (January 21), White announced a benefit concert, to take place in just a few days, on January 25 at the Grove Of Anaheim.
Per White’s announcement shared on social media, a portion of proceeds will go to “providing critical relief and long-term recovery support for individuals, families, and communities impacted by the devastating LA wildfires.”
Tickets for members of the Third Man Records Vault go on sale starting January 22 at noon PT, which will be followed by a general on-sale at 1 p.m. PT, all via White’s website.
Find White’s upcoming tour dates below.
Jack White’s 2025 Tour Dates: No Name
01/25 — Anaheim, CA @ Grove Of Anaheim
02/06 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY
02/07 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
02/08 — Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
02/11 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
02/12 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Paramount
02/17 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
02/18 — Boston, MA @ Roadrunner
02/21 — Paris, France @ La Cigale
02/22 — Paris, France @ Le Trianon
02/23 — Paris, France @ Le Trianon
02/25 — Utrecht, the Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg (Ronda)
02/26 — Utrecht, the Netherlands @ TivoliVredenburg (Ronda)
02/28 — London, England @ Troxy
03/01 — London, England @ Troxy
03/02 — Birmingham, England @ O2 Academy
03/03 — Glasgow, Scotland @ Barrowland Ballroom
03/10 — Hiroshima, Japan @ Blue Live Hiroshima
03/12 — Osaka, Japan @ Gorilla Hall
03/13 — Nagoya, Japan @ Diamond Hall
03/15 — Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu PIT
03/17 — Tokyo, Japan @ Toyosu PIT
04/03 — St. Louis, MO @ The Factory
04/04 — Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
04/05 — Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse Omaha
04/07 — Saint Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
04/08 — Saint Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
04/10 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed (Indoors)
04/11 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed (Indoors)
04/12 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
04/13 — Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple Theatre
04/15 — Grand Rapids, MI @ GLC Live at 20 Monroe
04/16 — Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
04/18 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
04/19 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle
05/04 — Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
05/05 — Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
05/06 — Dallas, TX @ South Side Ballroom
05/08 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
05/09 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
05/10 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Union Event Center
05/12 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
05/13 — Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
05/15 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
05/16 — Oakland, CA @ Fox Theater
05/17 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
05/19 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
05/20 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
05/22 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
05/23 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
05/24 — Troutdale, OR @ Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn
Jpegmafia is currently on tour overseas promoting his new album, I Lay Down My Life For You, where one of his shows ended early, with six people hospitalized, after a release of pepper spray in the venue. According to the Associated Press (via German news agency dpa, as noted by Stereogum), the rapper was performing at Huxleys Neue Welt in Berlin, when an unknown person apparently released pepper spray, forcing police to evacuate the 1,600-capacity venue. Six people reported having problems breathing as a result and were taken to the hospital. Police are still investigating whether the incident was intentional or accidental.
Peggy had a relatively solid 2024, scoring production credits on Kanye West and Ty Dolla Sign’s album (on the tracks “Stars,” “Fuk Sumn,” “Beg Forgiveness,” and “King”), and dropping his own fifth studio album, I Lay Down My Life For You, supported by the singles, “Don’t Rely On Other Men” and “Sin Miedo.” It was his best-received project to date, peaking at No. 102 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and receiving “generally favorable” reviews, according to Metacritic. It was his first solo release since 2021’s LP!, with the Danny Brown collaborative project Scaring The Hoes between them. Meanwhile, Peggy’s tour is set to continue on January 22 in Milan, Italy; he returns to the US in April for Red Rocks Festival.
Yung Lean initially emerged as a bit of a teenage cloud-rap novelty, but since then, he has flexed his staying power and maintained a successful career for over a decade at this point. He has stuck to a consistent and prolific release schedule over the years and he’s continuing that in 2025: Today (January 21), he announced Jonatan, a new album.
Lean announced the project on social media. He shared the cover art and noted that the album is set for release at some point this spring. Beyond that, we don’t know much about the album, aside from the fact that it’s presumably titled after Lean’s real name, Jonatan Aron Leandoer Håstad.
The project will be Lean’s first album since last year’s Psykos, a collaborative project with Bladee. It’ll also be his first solo album as Yung Lean since 2020’s Starz. (In 2023, he released Sugar World under the name Jonatan Leandoer96.)
Meanwhile, the rapper found his way into Charli XCX’s culture-defining Brat universe last year when he and Robyn, a fellow Swede, featured on a remix of “360.” Speaking of Charli, she and Lean were reportedly both cast in the same movie.
If you want that smooth, complex, and mellow experience that reposado tequila offers, it’s going to be hard to find if you aren’t willing to spend more than $30. Hard, but not impossible! There are a lot of reposado tequilas out there under $30, but the vast majority of them are bad, we can think of ten that actually punch above their weight so to help deliver the best bang for your buck we’re naming them, and ranking them from worst to best.
Are you going to find a lot of additive-free tequilas that offer a world of complexities with every sip? Not really, but you will find some bottles that offer up a pleasing mellow experience that’ll go down a lot smoother than a cheap and affordable blanco. Just reserve these bottles for cocktails and shots rather than something you straight-sip.
Let’s dive into the 10 best reposado tequilas under $30.
Kicking off our list is Cazadores, a brand that is readily available pretty much anywhere tequila is sold. It is the only diffuser-made (a bad word amongst tequila snobs) tequila on this list, but unlike other brands that utilize a diffuser, this tequila actually has quite a bit of flavor.
Produced at NOM 1487, Bacardi y Compañia, the agave is cooked and extracted via an autoclave and diffuser before being fermented in stainless steel tanks to the sounds of classical music. Yes, that last bit is something the brand is really proud of, and we suppose it certainly sounds appealing, but c’mon. You have to know that makes no difference to the end product.
Once distilled, the tequila is then rested for two months to a year in virgin American oak barrels to reach the reposado state.
Tasting Notes: Nose: Heavy wafts of vanilla and caramel over nail polish remover.
Palate: That vanilla from the nose is the primary note on the palate joined by caramel candies, a slight hint of pepper and cinnamon, and a
noticeable minerality.
Finish: Smooth oak on the finish, caramel, and an alcohol burn.
The Bottom Line:
Smooth and very vanilla forward, with a somewhat forgettable finish.
If you like your tequila to lean on the vanilla side, while stiff offering some zestyness, Astral strikes that balance.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1607, Grupo Solave, and is made using stone cooked agave that is tahona crushed, twice distilled through copper pots, and aged for five months in American oak ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A heavy dose of vanilla weakened slightly by some ethanol notes.
Palate: Peppery and zesty with some perfumed vanilla flavors, a touch of roasted agave, and a bit of floral honey.
Finish: A strong burn at the finish with some dull oak notes.
The Bottom Line:
With its sweet vanilla and peppery tones, Astral works best as a mixing tequila.
You’ve no doubt seen Corralejo’s beautiful glittering sapphire bottle and wondered if it’s any good, so we’re happy to report that yes. Sometimes (not often) a bottle can telegraph quality before you even take a sip, and Corralejo’s reposado is one of those bottles.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1369, Tequilera Corralejo, using agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave before being roller mill extracted, double distilled and aged in American oak barrels for four months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A whiff of smoke hovers over a base of roasted agave and bright lime notes.
Palate: Cinnamon and vanilla dominates the flavor balanced out with raw green pepper flavors and oak.
Finish: There is a slight burn here, but the oak helps to mellow that out.
The Bottom Line:
A balance of dessert and vegetal tones that work excellently in a margarita or paloma.
For affordable tequila that punches above its weight, you can always count on Milagro.
Of Milagro’s expression, the repo is by far the brand’s masterpiece, so including it in this list was a no-brainer. This tequila is produced at NOM 1559, Tequila Milagro, with agave slow-cooked in stone ovens, roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and aged for 2-4 months in American white oak barels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Agave and oak dominate, rich confection-like notes pull you in and a hint of cinnamon lurks underneath the layers.
Palate: Unfortunately that sweetness doesn’t completely translate to the flavor, you get the roasted agave flavor and an overpowering bit of oak, but there is an ethanol-like body that weighs the whole thing down.
Finish: It ends with a burn and a small vanilla lift with a hint of zesty citrus.
The Bottom Line:
A bit harsher on the finish than other tequilas in this price range, but what you lose in smoothness you gain in nuance and complexity. A fair trade!
You may have clicked on this article thinking, “what else is out there besides Espolòn,” and that’s fair. Almost anybody who drinks tequila knows that this brand is pretty solid, but just because that’s well known, that doesn’t mean it should be left off this list.
And you may know that Espolòn is great tequila for the price, but you may not know that the brand’s absolute best expression is the reposado.
Produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, the agave in this tequila is harvested at peak maturity before being autoclave cooked, roller mill extracted, and twice distilled in a stainless pot with a copper coil. For the repo state, the tequila is rested in American oak barrels for three months, mellowing it out to perfection.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mellow and warm with a rich caramelized agave character.
Palate: Juicy pineapple and crushed black pepper. The more natural notes are backed by a rich caramel character.
Finish: Butter and oak, with a very pleasing finish.
The Bottom Line:
Espolòn reposado is tropical, zesty, juicy — and best of all versatile. Use this for shots and mixed drinks.
When it comes to blanco tequilas, Olmeca Altos goes down as one of the best brands for the money, so how does the repo stack up? Like its unaged counterpart, it’s pretty great for the price.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1111, Pernod Ricard Mexico, and follows traditional production methods like stone cooking the agave, and extracting the piñas with a tahona.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dusty grapefruit notes with a slight woody character.
Palate: More citrus on the palate, with hints of toasty caramel, creamy buttery, and a touch of dry lemon grass.
Finish: Smooth at first, but a subtle burn will build on the tongue the more you drink.
The Bottom Line:
While not quite as focused as its blanco counterpart, Olmeca Altos’ reposado offers smooth and mellow flavors for a price that is impossible not to be thrilled with.
Mi Campo is a solid, workhorse tequila that is perfect for shots, big-batch margaritas, and more focused complex cocktails.
Produced at NOM 1137, La Cofradia, Mi Campo uses classic low and slow cooking methods before being roller mill extracted, open-air fermented among local citrus trees (it remains to be seen if this really makes a difference), and finished in oak wine casks, which give it a rich color and a sort of fruity vibe.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Very sweet, dominated by floral vanilla and rich deep cocoa notes.
Palate: Oak forward, there are some earthy pepper notes, but without bright citrus tones to balance it out, it comes across as a bit harsh. But there is a nice spicy kick to it that piques the curiosity and inspires repeat sips.
Finish: Oily on the finish with a nice vanilla kiss.
The Bottom Line:
Rich cocoa tones, sweet vanilla, a smooth finish — Mi Campo is a real crowd-pleaser.
While it is from the brand’s lowest tier, Corazón’s Single Estate reposado is an absolute steal at this price point! Produced at NOM 1103, Tequila San Matias de Jalisco, this single-estate tequila is made using agave cooked low and slow, before being roller mill extracted and aged in American white oak barrels for 6-8 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm and spicy at the nose. Alongside roasted agave and barrel notes, I’m getting a bit of sage and cardamom.
Palate: Juicy orange citrus kissed with soft vanilla tones, a hint of almond, and herbaceous notes of thyme.
Finish: Wet oak, but a blunt quality that falls off quickly. You don’t get to savor the flavors, unfortunately.
The Bottom Line:
Complex, nuanced, spicy and warm. One of the best tequilas in its price range.
In our ranking of the best blanco tequilas under $25, we gave Arette blanco the top spot, and we came incredibly close to giving the brand’s additive-free reposado tequila the top spot again.
Produced at NOM 1109, Tequila Arette de Jalisco, the agave here is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, fermented in stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled 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:
A balance between dessert and grassy tones with a smooth and supple finish.
Without a doubt, our pick for the best reposado tequila under $30 is Cimarron. The flavors are nuanced, complex, and ever-shifting, and the finish is easily the smoothest and most pleasing in this lineup. Also, its only $30 for a whole liter! You’re really getting a lot of bang for your buck here.
This additive-free tequila is made from single-estate agave that is autoclave cooked, roller mill extracted, mixed with well water, and rested for three to six months in American 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:
Spicy and cinnamon forward with a smooth and supple finish, and the right amount of barrel characteristics. Cimarron is easily the best tequila in its price range.
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