We love keeping our finger on the pulse of the tequila world, and each year we dive into the latest releases to see what\u2019s worthy of your glass\u2014and your money. This time, we zeroed in on 10 blanco tequilas that are relatively new to the market and seem destined for the spotlight.<\/p>\n
We sent them to 21 members of our tasting panel, and guess what? We\u2019ve never seen so many high scores in a blind tasting before!<\/p>\n
Three of the ten products scored above 90 points<\/strong>, which is an average score we rarely see in blind tastings. In fact, all the scores trended higher than in previous blind tastings. The lowest-scoring tequila still hit an average above 85 points.<\/p>\n This means that there are plenty of aficionados-level tequilas entering the market, and there\u2019s still room for exploration and surprises. <\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it all broke down:<\/p>\n It\u2019s made by master distiller Enrique De Colsa at a distillery that gets very little attention from aficionados and content creators, Destileria El Magnifico NOM (1258)<\/a>, in Amatitan, Jalisco \u2014 proof that \u201cunknown\u201d distilleries are worthy of consideration.<\/p>\n Agaves are cooked slowly in brick ovens, then extracted with a roller mill. Fermentation is open-air using champagne yeast, and distillation is done in a stainless steel pot still.<\/p>\n You can get a bottle online from both Sip Tequila<\/a><\/strong> and Old Town Tequila<\/a><\/strong> for $49.99<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A blind tasting score over 92 is a big deal. If you haven\u2019t tried this tequila yet, what are you waiting for?<\/p>\n It also grabbed Double Gold in the 2025 Agavos Awards<\/a>, and even won a prize for best bottle design<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Aside from the presence of cooked agave, its cinnamon note also jumped. Tasters also detected anise, mint, floral, and grassy\/herbal notes.<\/p>\n \u201cThis blanco is so incredibly smooth and well balanced,\u201d one taster noted. \u201cThere\u2019s something for everyone in this one.\u201d<\/p>\n Agaves are cooked in a brick oven, extraction is via roller mill, fermentation is in stainless steel tanks, and distillation happens in a stainless steel pot still with copper coils. Then, it is aerated prior to bottling.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s complex and flows well from nose to tongue to finish. Yum!,\u201d one taster noted.<\/p>\n It won a gold medal at the 2025 Agavos Awards, and you can get it for $49.99 at the brand\u2019s website<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I (smelled) this, I smiled. It\u2019s all that I love in a tequila. It\u2019s not fancy or flashy, it\u2019s just delicious,\u201d wrote one taster.<\/p>\n There\u2019s some interesting complexity here, too: Mineral-rich, black pepper, honey, floral, earth, anise, and bell pepper all come to the party.<\/p>\n All of this complexity is a result of a rustic, small-batch production process involving small brick ovens, a tahona, open air wood fermentation tanks, ambient yeast, and spontaneous fermentation with agave fibers. Distillation is then done in copper pot stills.<\/p>\n What\u2019s not to love?!<\/p>\n Of course, a true small-batch product with old school production methods is going to cost more, but we think you definitely get what you pay for. It\u2019s currently selling at Sip Tequila for $79.99<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s made at Tequilera Puerta de Hierro (NOM 1477)<\/a>, in El Arenal, Jalisco. (Yes, in the same place as Amatite\u00f1a, another rustic and traditional aficionado favorite.)<\/p>\n Tasters found the smoke, along with agave, earth, minerals and a slight malolactic funk. There\u2019s also some citrus, anise, and grass in the mix.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tequila is unique, the nose is a knockout. It\u2019s fun, it\u2019s complex. It just keeps opening up as you dive in,\u201d raved one taster.<\/p>\n You can get it from Old Town Tequila for $54.99<\/a><\/strong>, which is a great price for a truly small batch product.<\/p>\n \u201cFinish is good. Tequila is good. I would definitely drink this again,\u201d commented one taster.<\/p>\n Los Altos agaves are cooked in a brick oven, and then crushed with a tahona. Open air fermentation happens in both wood and stainless steel tanks, and then it is first distilled in stainless steel pots, followed by a second distillation in a copper pot still.<\/p>\n There\u2019s been some aficionado buzz about this tequila lately, so we weren\u2019t surprised to see that it was awarded a gold medal in the 2025 Agavos Awards.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also well-priced, at around $25 at Old Town Tequila<\/a><\/strong>. Where else can you find a tahona-crushed tequila for such a great price?<\/p>\n Mat\u00edari Blanco is made there, using a brick oven, and a blend of tahona and roller mill. It\u2019s fermented in stainless steel tanks and distilled in copper pots.<\/p>\n \u201cAroma is a little sweet, like candy, and a little flowery. The taste has some cooked agave sweetness,\u201d noted one panel member. <\/p>\n Others found citrus (lime, orange zest), pepper (black and white), melon, anise, olive and brine.<\/p>\n However, several tasters noted alcohol on the finish, giving it a slight ding in the ratings.<\/p>\n You can get it online at High-Time Wine Cellars for just $35 USD<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s made at the Hacienda de Oro distillery (NOM 1522)<\/a><\/strong>, in Amatitan, Jalisco, using agave from the Tequila Valley. Cooking is done with an autoclave, extraction is with a small roller mill, fermentation is spontaneous open air, and distillation happens in a stainless steel pot still.<\/p>\n \u201cThis tequila has some upfront sweet notes that blend with the pepper and mild cinnamon to create a great balance and harmony. Great sipper\u2026 I\u2019d highly recommend it,\u201d wrote one taster.<\/p>\n Tasters found cooked agave, vegetal notes like jalape\u00f1o, bell pepper, celery, grass, anise, citrus, limestone, and brine.<\/p>\n There are a lot of solid tequila coming from Hacienda de Oro lately, and this is one of them. This tequila isn\u2019t widely available yet, but it\u2019s coming. We paid $25 for the bottle, which means this could very well become an affordable, regular sipper once again.<\/p>\n Tasters found all sorts of agave here, both raw and cooked. There\u2019s some pronounced black pepper spiciness going on, along with celery, grass, banana, and melon.<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, I enjoyed this and could see myself pulling it out to show people (its) unique flavors,\u201d wrote one taster.<\/p>\n The finish is pretty clean, somewhat short, which makes it easy to drink, and great for cocktails. It\u2019s made at Productores de Agave y Derivados de Degollado (NOM 1514)<\/a><\/strong>, in Degollado, which is located in the Ci\u00e9nega region of Jalisco.<\/p>\n Agaves are cooked in an autoclave, and extraction is via roller mill. Distillation happens in a stainless steel pot still with a copper coil.<\/p>\n This is yet another versatile well-priced option for you to consider, so if you see it, give it a try and let us know what you think.<\/p>\n \u201cThis one is really nice! Agave, minerals, and brine on (the) nose and palate,\u201d commented one taster.<\/p>\n Aside from cooked agave, the tasters tended to comment most about the sweet vanilla, honey, and caramel aromas, followed by the overall minerality of its flavor, calling out limestone, wet earth, rainwater, and even chalk.<\/p>\n But, it maintains some subtlety and our tasters identified it as a workhorse regular sipper.<\/p>\n The production process has all of the things that tequila geeks look for: Agaves are cooked in a brick oven, extraction is via a roller mill, and it\u2019s distilled twice in a copper pot still.<\/p>\n We bought bottles from their website for $39 USD<\/a><\/strong>. for a 750ml bottle, and raters scored it above average in value.<\/p>\n We put this into the lineup because it\u2019s a profile that Grover enjoys because it is \u201can honest and real example of a fermentation process that allows the yeast to show a unique personality.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOn the palate, bold anise and peppermint lead the way, joined by cocoa and a continued lactic note,\u201d wrote one taster.<\/p>\n Made at Tequila El Tepozan, in San Julian, Jalisco, this 48% abv sipper uses single estate agaves and a traditional production process. Cooking happens in brick ovens, fermentation is in stainless steel tanks, extraction is a roller mill\/screw mill combination, and distillation uses stainless steel pot stills.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in a tequila that has its own personality, give this a try. It might help you discover a new realm of tequila possibilities.<\/p>\n![\"Lost](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/the-lost-explorer-blanco-1-1-1.jpg\")
There is a lot of buzz about this tequila, and for good reason. The first time we tasted Lost Explorer tequila we knew it was something special. Packed with tons of cooked agave flavor, it also carries minerals, earth, citrus, floral, and cinnamon notes. Its rich mouth feel makes it a pleasing sip.<\/p>\n![\"Carreta](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/carreta-de-oro-blanco-4-1.jpg\")
This tequila is made at Destiladora Juanacatl\u00e1n (NOM 1551)<\/a>, in central Jalisco. This distillery was founded in 2004 by 40 agave farmers, who formed a collective and shared use of the facility to turn their agave into tequila. In 2020, the product was reformulated and released in a new bottle. It\u2019s just now starting to gain wider distribution in the USA, and that\u2019s why we included it in the lineup.<\/p>\n![\"Alto](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/alto-canto-blanco-2-1.jpg\")
Made at the brand new Tequila El Rocio distillery (NOM 1636)<\/a>, the highest altitude distillery in the state of Jalisco, towering above the town of Mazamitla, this tequila shines with its unique and rich profile. It leads with cooked agave, citrus, and mint.<\/p>\n![\"Lote](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/lote-m77-noban-tequila-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
This newcomer is aiming to define micro-batches \u2013 every lot has just 1,077 bottles. They\u2019re also dedicated to old school production processes. Agaves are slowly cooked in stone ovens directly heated by burning wood, and then whole agave pi\u00f1as are tahona crushed. They use open air spontaneous fermentation and small copper pot stills, which are also heated by direct flame.<\/p>\n![\"Zumbador](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/zumbador-tequila-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
This tequila, made at the new Destileria El Sabino (NOM 1643)<\/a> in the Highlands of Jalisco, in Jesus Maria, caught the tasters\u2019 attention with its minty and peppery notes, followed by citrus, minerals, and a little brine.<\/p>\n![\"Matiari](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/matiari-tequila-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
Tequilera Tateposco (NOM 1632)<\/a><\/strong> is a fairly new distillery in Amatitan that not many people get to visit, which is a shame. We don\u2019t expect that to last for long, because if they keep making products like this one the aficionado crowd will start knocking on the distillery door. This is a distillery both brick ovens and autoclaves, tahona and roller mills, copper and stainless steel stills, and it\u2019s conveniently located on the highway just as you enter Amatitan.<\/p>\n![\"El](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/el-ultimo-agave-blanco-2-1.jpg\")
If you\u2019re an old time tequila drinker, you may remember this brand. It was a popular and affordable sipper that many of our friends would drink in California. It seemed to disappear from shelves for a while, until recently, when Iliana Partida took over the distillery and brought it back.<\/p>\n![\"Puro](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/puro-potro-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
This budget-conscious product comes from the team behind Tequila Cabal, and is designed to work great in cocktails and sipping neat. The 1-liter bottle sells for just $29.99 at Old Town Tequila<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Bonus points: It\u2019s 42% abv (84-proof).<\/p>\n![\"Pedro](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/pedro-furtivo-tequila-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
Made in the town of Tequila by yet another distillery that doesn\u2019t get much time in the spotlight, Corporacion Ansan (NOM 1360)<\/a><\/strong>, Pedro Furtivo Blanco pleased tasters with its clean agave and subtle aromas.<\/p>\n![\"Madre](\"https:\/\/tastetequila.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/madre-tequila-blanco-1-1.jpg\")
This tequila\u2019s \u201cfunky\u201d aromas \u2013 some said sour, others said malolactic \u2013 grabbed tasters\u2019 attention, followed by grassy, herbal, and brine notes. This is the profile that the Tequila El Tepozan distillery (NOM 1584)<\/a><\/strong> is known for, and it can be often divisive, but definitely unique.<\/p>\n