Best tequila 2020

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And thus, Tequila was born. Oddly enough, that basic technique has never changed, in spite of the fact that tequila has now been around for over half a millennium. And yet, it keeps reinventing itself, but never more dramatically than during the past 20 years. Like Cognac and scotch, tequila is geographically protected. Immature agaves produce shallow and bitter-tasting tequilas, and any tequila that uses less than percent agaves is a mixto , a sugary flavored concoction hardly worth pouring.

Best tequila 2020

We now have access to better tequila than ever before, and thus, much better margaritas. However, it should be noted that while tequila's quality has improved in many cases, those positive gains have come at a cost, and not just a higher price tag, which encourage you to read more about that here. Here's a recap on the basics of tequila as covered on the Agave main page:. Tequila is made from the agave plant which looks like a cactus but is actually a relative of asparagus. There are hundreds of species of agave, but only the blue weber agave agave tequiliana , may be used to make tequila. Tequila can only be produced in 5 Mexican states. See the a map. If it doesn't say so, it's a mixto , meaning it's cut with an non-agave distillate. A quality tequila should taste primarily of green or caramelized agave with a clean, and perhaps peppery, finish. Stylistically they can range from fruity to herbaceous to vegetal to earthy. Some are will be slightly sweet, others more dry.

FAQs What makes for a good sipping tequila? But like all spirits, best tequila 2020, quality comes from the producer, not the guidelines of the category. And thus, Tequila was born.

Cutwater Spirits is a San Diego-based distillery known for its award-winning lineup of over 18 canned cocktail classics made from its portfolio of premium bottled spirits, including gin, whiskey, bourbon, vodka, rum, and tequila. He started canning cocktails because he wanted to make drinks he could enjoy while doing the things he likes to do mostly fishing and hiking. In , Cutwater Spirits was established as a separate entity from the brewery and now operates from a 50, square foot distillery and production facility, which includes a seat world-class tasting room offering lunch, dinner, cocktails, and tours. The elegant and precise nature of the Rayador, also known as the Black Skimmer sea bird, served as the inspiration for our Cutwater Tequila. The spirit is then aged in Cutwater whiskey barrels, allowing the rich cooked agave flavor to meld perfectly with hints of vanilla and oak to create this distinctly Cutwater Tequila Reposado. When our founder and master distiller Yuseff Cherney began making spirits, it was just a hobby in the back of his brewery. He custom-built his first pot still from an old beer fermenter to distill rum, vodka, gin, whiskey and more.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Every spirit has its "moment"—sometimes more than once—and just like whiskey in the pre-prohibition era, rum in the midcentury tiki craze, and vodka in the swingin' sixties and seventies, tequila is currently the darling of the spirits world. Nutrition consultants saddle it with various health claims some more dubious than others , and it seems like every day that yet another celebrity again, some more dubious than others is launching a new tequila brand. However, to longtime aficionados like Grover and Scarlet Sanschagrin, the Jalisco-based founders of the website Tequila Matchmaker , there's something to be said for the old, artisan production methods and for the flavors they yield: herbs, spices, and the briny, bittersweet signature of agave.

Best tequila 2020

And thus, the double distillation of this geographically protected spirit has been allowed to continue. Photo: courtesy Riazul. You can practically feel the elegance emanating from this handsomely bottled four-year-old amber tequila, which has spent its first three years maturing in American ex-bourbon barrels before receiving a robust final year in Oloroso Sherry casks.

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Major: Blanco White - Clear, will no barrel influence, though these are often be rested in stainless steel tanks or neutral barrels for up to 2 months to mellow. See the a map. Though mixing with them should certainly not be ruled out, especially in stirred, spirit forward cocktails like a tequila Old Fashioned. Good to Know: How should you drink a sipping tequila? Related: The Best Cocktail Shakers. Partida lowland - A true lowland, earthy and rustic. How long? It sources agave from the highland and lowland regions of Jalisco, Mexico. Blanco Blanco aka plata, platinum, silver or white tequila is the most common tequila used cocktails, including the margarita, the most popular cocktail in the U. Cabeza highland - A wonderfully complex blanco, that's acidic with lots of green fruit flavors. High End Ocho highland - One of my favorites. But, she says, "eventually I would add a bit of water to open it up, so you can see how tequila evolves at different levels of alcohol.

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission. Belying the fact that it has been around for over years—or maybe because of it— tequila is now the second fastest-growing spirit category in the United States, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U. This is one of the most meticulously crafted ultra-premium tequilas to recently make its debut.

Best Sipping Tequila Splurge:. The various barrels used for aging— former cognac casks , heavily charred ex-bourbon barrels—bring a diversity of expression to the spirit. Click here to see the full results. Our top sipping tequila pick for is the Tequila Ocho Plata. Though other expressions have since been added, Tequila Chamucos was founded in as a reposado-only, so you can be sure that its producers are dedicated to the style. Milagro highland - A bit milder, but a great price and wide distribution makes this one of your best bets. Hard to decide whether to use this one in a cocktail or sip it on its own. Reposado Rested - Straw colored. This one also gets those gorgeous hand-sculpted, hand-painted ceramic decanters. Blanco The difference is all in the aging process. Highland vs Lowland Tequila Agaves grown in the mountainous Highlands "los altos" near Guadalajara - the capitol of Jalisco - produce tequilas that are generally cleaner tasting, with delicate, green fruit flavors. The glass is embedded with gold flakes and decorated in wooshing lines composed of Swarovski crystals, which frame the dark amber liquid inside. Tequila Ocho Plata.