Tequila

The Best Luxury Tequilas

If you’re a real tequila drinker, you skip the lime and salt and head straight for the blends that have aged for years. These luxury tequilas have complex flavor profiles and long, smooth finishes.

By 

Emily Singer & Meyme Nakash

 |  May 6, 2024

Good things come to those who wait, and this is especially true of tequila. Most luxury tequilas age for some time, meaning they sit for several years in various types of barrels before tequila brands bottle them for our enjoyment. There are five major types of tequila: blanco, reposado, añejo — and extra añejo — cristalino, and joven. Each type of tequila has a different color and flavor nuance it inherits from the barrels it aged in. These blends are pure and smooth, meant to be sipped slowly from a proper tequila glass so you can savor their rich flavor profile. While there are many top-shelf tequilas, here are our favorite luxury tequilas of the moment.

What Are the Best Luxury Tequilas to Buy?

Clase Azul Ultra Tequila

It takes five years of aging in ex-sherry casks to produce Clase Azul Ultra, and it’s well worth the wait. This extra añejo tequila has a dark amber color, a full body, and a powerful nose. It features scents of fruit, sherry, and vanilla. Not to mention, it comes in a spectacular decanter that takes two weeks to handcraft and features three precious metals. Artisans hand-paint the decanters with liquid platinum, the label is made from 24K gold, and the brand’s signature sterling silver agave medallion tops it off.  

Código 1530 Origen Extra Añejo Tequila

Código 1530 Origen puts the “extra” in extra añejo. This premium tequila has aged for six years in ex-Cabernet Sauvignon French white oak barrels — three years longer than required — making it one of the oldest tequilas there is. The extra aging time gives it a refined and smooth taste with notes of sweet oak, vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon. 

Deleón Leóna Tequila

Deleón Leóna tequila comes from the house’s private reserves and ages in American oak for five years before resting in French Sauternes casks for another year. This aging process gives Leóna a unique flavor profile with notes of crème brûlée and baking spices, in addition to a long and smooth finish.  

Don Julio 1942 Tequila

The go-to for many luxury tequila connoisseurs, Don Julio 1942 is a small-batch blend that ages for a minimum of two and a half years. It rests in American white oak barrels before it is bottled, giving it a rich flavor with notes of vanilla and baked caramel. The name is an homage to the year when Don Julio Gonzalez first began making tequila at just 17 years old. If you’re looking for something with a more intense flavor, Don Julio Real Añejo Tequila ages for five years in American white oak, which adds chocolate and almond undertones. 

Gran Patrón Burdeos Tequila

Gran Patrón, not to be confused with classic Patrón tequilas, is a range of four luxury tequilas crafted in limited quantities. The bottle design of Burdeos is striking, with a stunning bee-shaped crystal topper. The blend matures in American and French oak barrels, before finishing in vintage Bordeaux wine barrels. The añejo tequila is silky smooth and has notes of vanilla and raisins. 

Herradura Selección Suprema Tequila 

Herradura Selección Suprema Tequila spends 49 months in American white oak barrels. Casa Herradura handcrafts its own barrels and naturally ferments all of its tequilas. Selección Suprema has a delicious and complex flavor profile, consisting of cooked agave, floral notes, and a smooth finish with a touch of sweetness. 

Tears of Llorona Extra Añejo Tequila

Tears of Llorona is an extra añejo tequila made of 100% blue agave plant. The brand handpicks agaves grown in the volcanic highlands of Jalisco to craft this smooth blend. It also rests in three different barrels, giving it a very distinct and complex flavor. What makes this tequila unique is that Master Distiller Germán Gonzalez bottles it at 43% specific gravity — a measurement of alcohol density — resulting in a nice balance of sweetness and acidity.

Dos Artes Reposado Tequila

Dos Artes Reposado Tequila is an incredibly smooth blend made of 100% estate-grown Blue Weber agave. It is a reposado tequila, which means it has aged for a long time in oak barrels. The tannins in the barrels give this type of tequila an amber color and a smoky flavor while maintaining the freshness of the agave. It has a smooth finish and hints of vanilla and oak on the palate. What’s more, the luxury tequila is housed in a beautiful, hand-painted ceramic bottle that will liven up a tablescape. 

Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila

Casa Dragones Blanco Tequila is made of 100% Blue Weber agave and is additive-free. Considered more healthy and authentic than others, additive-free tequilas cut down on sweeteners and chemicals that “enhance” the color and flavor of tequila. This blend is a blanco tequila, meaning it hasn’t aged in barrels. Therefore, its citrus, agave, and floral notes can shine through without the flavors of aged wood. 

Qui Platinum Extra Añejo Tequila

Qui is one of the first brands to bring luxury tequila to the U.S. market. Its Platinum Extra Añejo Tequila has aged for a minimum of three and a half years in American whiskey and French Bordeaux barrels. It is a cristalino tequila, which is a filtered reposado or añejo tequila, giving it a transparent appearance (learn more by reading our full guide to cristalino tequila). The blend has a very smooth finish and notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and oak.

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