Tequila. The elixir of life. You've heard the stories about how it makes people act crazy. Maybe you want to try it, or perhaps you want to splurge on something nice for the holidays. As the years go on, selections for high quality continue to expand, and finding a good tequila can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

With over 1,000 Mexican-made tequilas to choose from, it can be hard to decide which ones are right for us. There are a lot of brands out there vying for your attention, but only a select few can truly be called the "best.”

Types of tequila

Before we begin, here are a few basic tequila facts to help you decide which bottles to purchase.

Tequila is made from the blue agave plant, which grows in many parts of Mexico. There are three types of 100% agave tequila: blanco, reposado, and Añejo. The flavors of each are heavily influenced by the method of distillation and the duration they are aged in oak barrels.

Blanco

Blanco, or Silver, tequila is the purest. They are referred to as tequila essence by distillers because they are clear in color and bottled shortly after the last distillation. Even though the fermentation and distillation techniques significantly impact the taste profile, there is no oak aging. This kind of tequila is usually best for mixing.

Reposado

Reposado is aged in oak barrels for a few months to a year, giving it a gorgeous subtle hue. This momentary aging process helps balance out the strong agave flavor without masking it. In addition to the agave flavor, you'll detect a delicate harmony between fruits, florals, and spices. The flavors of vanilla, jasmine and citrus work together to soften the tequila's edge, allowing it to be used in cocktails like the tequila old-fashioned, the Mexican mule smokier margaritas with a kick.

Añejo

If you're looking for a premium spirit to enjoy with friends, look no further than Añejo Tequila. This is most known as premium tequila that's best enjoyed sipped.  Its deep golden color comes from being aged in oak barrels for one to three years. In Añejo, the agave flavor is showcased to the fullest extent possible. This tequila is smooth and mellow, with hints of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, and custard, as well as lingering oak and floral notes. It is meant to be sipped neat from a tequila glass. Aejo also works well in cocktails as a whiskey replacement.

Ask yourself, what is your go-to tequila for sipping? What kind of flavors do you enjoy? There are a few key differences between types of tequila that might impact how we drink them. Take note of what you like, and maybe you’ll find a few bottles from our list that’s a perfect match.

Now on to the best sipping tequilas available now at The Bottle Haus

Don Julio Anejo

If you’re looking for a sipping tequila, this is an excellent place to start. Don Julio’s Anejo (ñejo is Spanish for “old”) has been a favorite of liquor drinkers forever, and it’s easy to see why. It’s one of the more balanced añejos, with light sweetness, a hint of peppery spice, and just enough oak and vanilla to fill out the tequila experience.

The Don Julio distillery uses a time-honored process of aging in small oak barrels, which gives the Don Julio Anejo its distinctly flavorful and silky quality. This special tequila is aged for eighteen months in small batches of American white oak barrels. It has an appealing flavor that’s both sweet and spicy - not too much of either, making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced aficionados.

It's truly a unique tequila experience.

Don Julio 1942

Another classic from the Don Julio Distillery--the Don Julio 1942 Tequila. Available in limited editions, this tequila is a total crowdpleaser, and after one sip, you'll get why.

You've probably seen Don Julio 1942 Tequila on the best-seller lists and in the most exclusive bars and restaurants, but what is it all about? Well, Don Julio 1942 has one of the smallest production runs in tequila history because Don Julio refuses to sacrifice quality for quantity – that's why their bottles are rare. Don Julio carefully handcrafts their tequila in small batches using a family recipe. This process ensures that every sip tastes better than the last.

Julio gives you a taste of true Mexican heritage and effortless refinement with each bottle. After all, it only takes one sip to know that this tequila is something special, plus the pleasant herbal flavor will leave you wanting more. Who says you need an occasion for a celebration? Bring the celebration to life with Don Julio 1942 Tequila.

Casa Herradura Seleccion Suprema

Perfect for true Tequila connoisseurs, Casa Herradura Selección Suprema Extra Añejo Tequila is aged for four years in small white oak barrels and then an additional 12 months in large French Limousin oak casks. This special edition bottling brings together the best of Herradura’s Espadín, Tequilana, and Weber Blue agaves. The extra añejo tequila possesses the earthiness of a Reposado but the darker earthy oak tones of an Añejo.

Herradura Selección Suprema is truly a tequila masterpiece that needs to be sipped and savored, to be enjoyed with good company, at a special time, in a special place. It’s perfect for wonderful times remembered.

Clase Azul Reposado

If you’ve ever wished to carry liquid gold around in your hands, here it is. Clase Azul Reposado, as the bottle proudly proclaims, is “a rich and smoky tequila that will give you ripples of pleasure.” This limited-edition collectible carafe contains 100% authentic Weber Blue Agave silver tequila.  It contains hints of Bourbon, Cognac, and Sherry oak casks in which the spirit has been aged for a minimum of eight months.

It’s bottled in a tall ceramic decanter that stands 11¼ inches high. The bottles are hand-painted by over one hundred Mexican artisans whose work reflects the town where the tequila is crafted. The bottle size and design celebrate the heritage of Mexican Talavera pottery.

Gran Patron Platinium Silver

Explore, mix, savor and live life to the fullest with a tequila that’s bold and distinct. Hacienda Patrón Silver is crafted from 100% Weber Blue Agave that has been grown in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, for nearly a century. Each element is crafted by hand and made for extraordinary taste. The spirit is triple distilled, rested in oak tanks for 30 days, and bottled in a crystal bottle with a hand-numbered metal casing - all to guarantee a sublime taste experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Let’s face it; nothing says success and power like a phenomenal tequila. And no other brand has our kind of guts…so what are you waiting for? Go platinum!

Maestro Dobel 50 Cristalino Extra Añejo

Maestro Dobel 50 is a rare liquid that lifts the senses to experience heaven on earth. Really! The totality of aroma and taste, a legend in handcrafted masterpieces, the living essence of Andrés Barbosa’s Maestro Dobel celebrates its founder Juan Domingo Beckmann Legorreta’s 50th anniversary. Maestro Dobel 50 takes you on a journey to discover the complexity of agave revealing its full character with hints of oaky wood and vanilla and a rich, sweet lingering finish.

It features first-rate 100% Weber Blue Agave at 46% alcohol by volume, for a lusciously smooth taste experience. It contributes aromas of honey and caramel, with touches of dried fruit. On the palate, it evokes sweetness sensations balanced by the smoky notes of the roasted hearts.

1800 Cristalino

Meet a tequila that's a contradiction of a spirit. Clear, yet complex. Focused, yet smooth. Intense yet balanced. It's the 1800 Cristalino - a tequila aged in both American and French oak barrels for 16 months, after which is married together and finished in Port Wine casks for an additional 6 months. Hand-crafted and hand-filtered with care, Cristalino maintains the spirit of a true añejo tequila with the silky smoothness one expects from a silver Tequila.

Cristalino is then finished with a 6-month stay in port wine casks, adding to its vibrance and smoothness. The result is complex brown sugar, dark fruit, and vanilla-infused tequila finished with a long delicate finish that stays true to the classically refreshing flavor of 1800.

Avion Reserva 44

The Avion Reserva 44 is the perfect sipping tequila. The patron saint of Avion's agave fields, Don Jesus, helped create this liquid gold. By smoking and roasting the agave plant, Avion begins its transformation into liquid gold. This process helps remove the natural sugars in the agave plant, which gives it a sweeter taste.

The Reserva 44 is aged for twenty-four months in American oak casks before bottling, and it makes a difference. Its silky texture and hints of vanilla, coffee, smoke, and spice make it a wonderful option for sipping neat. With a smoky finish and lots of flavors, this is an all-occasion type of tequila. Savor the flavor without overpowering your tastebuds with the smooth and delectable Avion Reserva 44.

Teremana Reposado

Founder Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson invites you to explore his family's Tequila "TERE MANA." Born from the earth and soul of Maui, Teremana Tequila™ is a premium small-batch tequila handcrafted using 100% Teremana Weber Agaves.  Our agaves are grown on the slope of Haleakala, Maui's dormant volcano, located in the fertile valley between the crater and sea. This volcanic soil and cool climate make our agaves’ perfect growing conditions. Teremana Tequila Reposado is distilled in handmade copper pot stills and matured in French oak barrels before bottling at 80-proof.  Our winery is a family business that has been carefully tended to by three generations of our family's forefathers since 1926. We are dedicated to producing handcrafted spirits reflecting Hawaiian passion, pride and excellence.

Patron Estate Release

Look beyond the beautiful bottle to see what makes this Tequila different. This is an ultra-premium silver tequila made from 100% Weber Blue Agave on the premises of Hacienda Patrón in Atotonilco el Alto, Mexico. Unlike most Tequilas made primarily from agave syrup, Patron Estate release is crafted using an ancient stone wheel called a "tahona". The tahona is used to slowly crush the 100% Weber Blue agave for a flavor that's full of terroir. The process ultimately gives Patron Estate.”, a perfectly robust and complex flavor of herbal and citrus notes.

Casamigos Añejo

Nowhere else but Casamigos can you find a tequila like this. That's because the best barrels we had weren't good enough for George Clooney, Rande Gerber, and Mike Meldman – they rest their award-winning tequila in sherry casks instead.

Casamigos Añejo is a smooth luxury spirit that boasts a complex, robust and pure aroma with soft caramel and vanilla notes; and balanced hints of spice and barrels oak. The taste melds the sweet flavors from the Blue Weber agaves with the pure, warm spice of the barrel oak for a taste that lingers on your tongue for hours. The stunning bottle design was inspired by classic tequila designs, with modern details that serve as subtle nods to its young creators. 

Milagro Select Barrel Reserve Reposado 

In Mexico, tequila is more than just business. They take the art of creating something new and honoring the old with utmost respect and care. Milagro Select Barrel Reserve pays homage to how tequila has been made for generations, mixed with deep tradition and innovative vision.  

Select Barrel Reserve Reposado is the third release in Milagro's line of ultra-premium tequilas, crafted from 100% Weber Blue Agave and bottled immediately following distillation. It is full-bodied with color as deep as mahogany.

It exhibits aromas of seasoned oak and lingering herbaceous spice while the palate nicely follows suit with some sweet pepper to balance off the rest. This is a nice reposado that has a long, gentle finish.