With National Tequila Day just around the corner (July 24), Elite Traveler has rounded up the best luxury tequilas that you can enjoy on the rocks, as a margarita or paloma or as you please.
Tequila Enemigo 00 Extra Añejo, $170
Tequila Enemigo is one of the newest tequilas on the block, delivering a dark and moody aesthetic and branding than most others on the market. Enemigo (‘enemy’ in Spanish) says it all: According to the brand’s website, the tequila brand is “The enemy of everything that serves marketing over product quality.” So how does Tequila Enemigo 00 Extra Añejo differ from its peers? Age. Its tequila is aged for three years in custom-made American oak barrels. It’s fruity and spicy and meant to be savored. tequilaenemigo.com
Clase Azul Reposado Tequila, $100
Each bottle of Clase Azul is its own work of art, hand-painted and hand-sculpted. It might sit pretty on your bar, but it also delivers top-notch tequila. There are four tequilas (Plata, Reposado, Añejo and Ultra) and one Clase Azul mezcal, and each deliver a different taste and power. Reposado is made from blue agave that is slow cooked in stone ovens for 72 hours before being fermented with yeast and then finally, is distilled. Its rich, woody and silky and always smooth. claseazul.com
Gran Patrón Burdeos Tequila, $510
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Patrón is one of the most well-known tequilas in the world, and the brand’s unique and diverse portfolio of tequilas makes it stand out. Gran Patrón Burdeos is one if its finest. It is an añejo tequila that is finished in Bordeaux wine barrels, hence its deep, rich hue, and has notes of oak, vanilla and raisins with a smooth and velvety finish. While this is one of Patrón’s staple bottles and isn’t considered limited-edition, Patrón has plenty of ultra-luxury collaborations, Patrón en Lalique (available on reservebar.com) being one of them. patrontequila.com
Don Julio Real Tequila, $412
Don Julio Real is the crown jewel in Don Julio’s vast tequila portfolio and its bottle is one of the first signs of how it differs from the rest. The luxurious bottle houses an elixir aged far longer than its other expressions, three to five years, and is meant to be savored and sipped. The extra-añejo expression is aged in American white-oak barrels, resulting in flavors of vanilla, caramel, chocolate and oak. Its smooth and aromatic and utterly enjoyable. donjulio.com
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Tequila Casa Dragones Joven, $285
Tequila Casa Dragones prides itself on its unique history. It gets its name from a cavalry named Dragones, based in San Miguel de Allende, who helped play a role in the independence of Mexico. La Casa Dragones, the original stables of the calvalry are located in San Miguel still today, and the tequila honors this group and this region for fighting for freedom. Tequila Casa Dragones Joven is a silver, extra-aged tequila for sipping. It was taste tested by the brand’s Maestro Tequilero and the Mexican Academy of Tequila Tasters, who found that it had a fresh aroma; taste of vanilla, spices and pear; and has a bright and warm finish of hazelnut. casadragones.com
