Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Lydia Martin
Tequila prices are skyrocketing for some reposado brands. The law of supply and demand is why tequila-makers are stepping up in their game.
If you want to know which brands are worth your money, check our list of the best reposado tequila brands.
Top 15 Reposado Tequilas To Sip
1. AquaRiva Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
AquaRiva is a reposado owned by the English comedian Cleo Rocos who starred in The Kenny Everett Television Show.
Her Master Distiller focused on removing the burn from the fermented 8-year-old Blue Weber agave fruit.
It is one of the best reposado tequilas for sipping, but it is also perfect for a balanced cocktail. Priced roughly at $35 per 750 ml (Wine Searcher), this can be a good spirit in your bar.
2. ArteNom 1414 Reposado Tequila
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
ArteNom 1414 is made from Tequilana Weber agaves. It has blends of sweet flavors of butterscotch notes, caramel, and vanilla notes.
These are aged four months in ex-bourbon barrels and do not contain additives.
It has natural ingredients with full flavors but light and smooth texture. It has floral notes mixed with oak and a clear cooked agave taste. ArteNom’s 750 ml is roughly $75.59 (Drizly).
3. Casamigos Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Casamigos is a brand previously co-owned by George Clooney. This brand does have one of the best flavors of sweet cooked agave.
They have these agaves cooked for 72 hours in brick ovens and 80 hours on fermentation before resting in ex-bourbon barrels.
Reposados are aged for seven months. It has tropical fruit, vanilla [1], and oak flavors perfectly blended with the agave flavor, making cocktails even tastier. The price of their 750 ml bottle is around $61.59 (Drizly).
Read: Casamigos Blanco vs Reposado
4. Clase Azul Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Clase Azul is an ultra-premium tequila. The founder of this tequila, Arturo Lomeli, ensured that his brand represents Mexican culinary and artisan traditions.
These bottles are aged for eight months in an American oak barrel.
It developed a blend of hazelnut and vanilla that blends very well with the roasted agave. The creamy vanilla taste is a good fit for cocktail mixes.
At roughly $153.99 per 750 ml (Drizly), the price fits this high-quality tequila’s taste, texture, and smoothness.
But is Clase Azul reposado available at Costco?
5. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Corralejo is among the oldest reposado brands from Guanajuato, Mexico, at Jalisco hills.
They aged this variant in three wood flavors, White oak, French oak, and American oak casks.
You can taste hints of vanilla, caramel, and notes of black pepper in this smooth and mild reposado because of its unique aging method.
This smooth and mellow reposado is roughly $28.59 per 750 ml bottle (Drizly). So which tequila color is the smoothest?
6. Don Julio Reposado Tequila
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Don Julio Reposado is an authentic Mexican brand of tequila from Jalisco highlands. It is also popular for its incredibly smooth texture and the parade of flavors.
Don Julio has vegetal flavors with hints of smoky vanilla, spices, fruity notes, and sweet agave.
This bottle was stored in American white oak barrels for eight months, adding the oak notes.
Don Julio Reposado is a top-shelf brand priced at around $59.99 per 750 ml (Drizly). Let’s see how Don Julio compares with Casamigos here.
7. Fortaleza Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Fortaleza is another famous reposado brand because of its complex flavors.
It has a burst of flavors of citrus, butter, caramel, and sage blended with roasted agave flavors. The aging process ensures the flavors are perfect.
These are aged in American oak barrels that are re-chipped and re-charred, adding character. The price of every 750 ml is around $65.99 (Drizly).
8. G4 Tequila Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
G4Tequila is from El Pandillo, a distillery with a long history of tequila-maker family members. What they pride in this drink is its unique but traditional process.
They mix the fruit of the agave plant with equal amounts of collected rainwater and spring water.
They age these agave spirits in ex-bourbon barrels. This tequila is priced roughly at $54.95 per 750 ml (Drizly).
9. Herradura Reposado Tequila
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Herradura is one of the top-shelf reposado brands. It is a sipping tequila, great on the rocks, and elevates a simple margarita cocktail.
You can taste rich flavors of agave, vanilla, caramel, spiced cinnamon, and black pepper.
The flavors are rich yet balanced, making it great to sip neat. It has a very affordable price at roughly $47.99 per 750 ml (Drizly).
10. Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Jose Cuervo is a very popular brand in the tequila industry. They gather their ingredients from Jalisco highlands.
These reposados are aged three years and blended with 30-year-old spirits, a special Extra-Añejo tequila.
They produce mellow flavored spirits with vanilla notes and the taste of cognac. This brand also serves high-quality silver tequila.
Priced at around $77.99 per 750 ml (Drizly), this is one of the best tequila brands.
11. Mijenta Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Mijenta is a product of Casa Tequilera De Arandas, a known distillery in Mexico. It is an artisanal tequila with a full and round flavor of agave and a hint of oak.
The agave fruits are harvested at the peak of their ripeness and slowly roasted in stone ovens.
These are aged for six months in oak barrels. Their 750 ml bottles are priced roughly at $57.99 (Drizly).
12. PaQuí Tequila Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Pa Qui is one of the few reposado variants that showcase the natural flavor of agave.
Instead of creating complex blends of flavors, the manufacturers focused on enhancing its natural taste.
There are hints of mint, grassy-earth tones, and vanilla taste acquired during aging. Every 750 ml is priced at around $49.99 (Drizly).
13. Roca Patrón Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 42%
Why We Like It:
Roca Patron reposado is a top-shelf reposado brand. Manufacturers age this reposado drink for five months with a specific 84-proof finish with flavors of the sweet taste of agave, vanilla, and hints of oak.
Considered one of the best reposado tequilas, you can sip it neat or drink it mixed in margaritas or other cocktails. Their 750 ml bottles are priced at around $79.99 (Drizly).
14. Santera Tequila Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Santera is also a crowd favorite. This reposado is aged in oak for seven months. However, the wood flavor is not very strong on either nose or palate.
The rich taste of smoked peppery notes with hints of herbs and saltiness is more evident.
Its neutral flavors are great with margaritas and sipping it neat. Their 750 ml bottles are priced roughly at $48.39 (Drizly).
15. Villa One Reposado
Average Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Villa One is made from the known distillery Fabrica de Tequila Finos. It comes with a mixture of flavors, from pineapple to nuts to notes of dried fruit, all blended in this variant.
This spirit also comes with a smooth finish, so you can easily sip it neat or on the rocks. It also elevates margarita cocktails. Each 750 ml is priced at around $41.99 (Drizly).
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Factors To Consider
Smoothness
You wouldn’t want to drink tequila relying on mixers or lemon juice.
The harsh finish is expected in these spirits, but a good few, such as El Tesoro and the rest on the list, manage to tame it down.
You can easily drink smooth spirits straight or in cocktails without worrying about harshness when swallowing them like most Blanco tequilas.
Agave Flavor
Agave-based spirits are the pride of Mexico, where the best Weber Blue agave is grown in Tequila valley, Jalisco, Mexico [2].
These fruits are nurtured for at least seven years before they are harvested and processed.
You should pick the brand that does not overdo the added flavors that tend to overpower the natural taste of agave.
All manufacturers from Mexico choose to use these piñas, such as El Tesoro tequila.
NOM Number
NOM Number or Norma Oficial Mexicana number proves the authenticity of the tequila you are buying.
NOM points you to the distillery in Mexico that manufactured it.
Technically, the only time these spirits are considered legitimate is if they are made in Mexico, using agave grown from Jalisco highlands.
You can track these spirits through its NOM.
Price
Prices vary depending on how reposados are made and what ingredients are used.
A certified organic tequila brand may have lower prices because they do not use additives. However, some brands use a more complex process that lengthens production.
Additional ingredients and extra processes require additional human resources and expenses, resulting in a higher tag price.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is reposado tequila best for?
Reposado tequila is best for sipping neat. The best tequilas are aged just enough to smoothen the edges of the liquor, not to cause any burn when swallowed. You can still taste the alcohol’s flavor.
However, since it has rested for some time, the harshness is no longer felt when drank.
Which tequila is better, Añejo or reposado?
Añejo is better than a reposado because it develops more character and flavor due to the long aging process compared to a Blanco tequila.
It has a stronger flavor, but the alcohol has rested, making tequila easier to swallow because of its smooth texture.
So, What’s the Best Reposado Tequila?
The best reposado tequilas have an incredibly smooth texture, the finest flavors, and just the right amount of alcohol bite. Our list includes bottles we tasted and found surpassing other competitors because of their unique traits.
Other brands outside the list are also exceptional, such as El Tesoro. We decided on the names on the list based on how other tequila drinkers perceive them too. This list proves that price is no longer the basis of how these brands operate but in delivering the best reposados to their patrons.
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