A further followup to Tequila 101 is my ever changing list of my personal favorite tequilas:

Fortaleza Reposado - $54

Called Los Abuelos is Mexico, Fortaleza is the rebirth of the Sauza family’s tequila. What we currently know as Sauza is a multinational brand that makes terrible tequila, much of it “gold.” The full story behind Sauza however is of a family that has been making tequila for generations and who sold the rights to the name many years ago. Guillermo E. Sauza, Great-Great-Grandson of the original tequila producer has reopened his family’s distillery in Jalisco, is making Tequila in the old style and is my current newest favorite. A rich balance of spicy and sweet, this vanilla heavy Reposado is an easy and yet complex drink.

Tequila Ocho Anejo 2010 -$55

The latest effort of the Camarena family, who also make El Tesoro tequila, Ocho is the first Tequila to focus on the terroir of Jalisco through vintages. They are bottling individual estates of agave and labeling each bottle with the name of the estate and the year of production highlighting the differences in terroir. They are on their third year of bottlings and the 2010 Anejo is my current favorite. Fairly spicy and complex, it makes for a great tasting experience.

Clase Azul Reposado -$90

In it’s beautiful hand painted ceramic vase shaped bottle, Clase Azul is the tequila I reach for when customers tell me they can’t drink tequila. Honey sweet with a heavy vanilla nose it is the opposite of the fiery gold tequilas. This Reposado is a blend of Whiskey, Cognac and Sherry casks, though I think the Sherry is the most pronounced.

Casa Noble Anejo - $60

Casa Noble is an organically made tequila aged in French Oak. It has become a favorite of the bartenders at Colibri and offers a sweet profile with a pronounced Vanilla nose. The Reposado is also quite nice, but the Anejo is rich and silky and my favorite.

Partida Reposado - $50

Partida Reposado is the wife’s favorite and I agree. Aged in American Whiskey barrels, this Reposado seems to have one of the best balances of flavors, working to integrate fresh agave, bourbon spice, caramel and vanilla. A beautiful drink.

4 Copas Anejo - $80

Organic 4 Copas is fairly new to me, but has been around for a while. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m tasting in this tequila, but it keeps me coming back for more. I get a surprising amount of stone fruit combined with earthy minerality I don’t see very often. It’s an intriguing tequila. I also love their blanco which is also rare for me.

Espolon Blanco and Reposado - $20

Espolon is an older brand that has seen a resurgence since being bought by Campari Group’s Skyy Sprits portfolio. I normally don’t get excited about Corporate buyouts as they usually lead to inferior products, but Skyy took a great, but expensive tequila, changed the bottle for the better and sells it at half the price. They swear the “juice” is the same and for now I believe them. At 20 bucks for both the blanco and repo, it’s a steal.

7 Leguas Reposado - $40

I outlined 7 Leguas in my tequila rant the other day. It’s a spicy and complex tequila that was the foundation of Patron’s rise in global dominance. It is a great tequila.

Tres Agave Reposado - $35

Another bargain priced, awesome tequila. Tres Agaves was started by the owners of The Tres Agaves tequila bars and has since spun out into it’s own company. They make tequila designed for margaritas, but I love them neat as well. The Reposado is particularly nice. The company also makes a line of cocktail ready agave nectar and their Margarita mix is the only one on the market I would recommend as it uses actual lime juice and agave nectar in place of fake juice and high fructose corn syrup.

Chinaco Anejo - $60

One of the few Tequilas from outside Jalisco, Chinaco is a great blend of spice, honey, and vanilla. The Anejo is my far and away favorite and works very well in cocktails as well.

Don Julio 1942 anejo - $120

The only product from Don Julio that I love, 1942 is something special. A rather expensive tequila, it is surprisingly heavy on the vanilla and soft on the spice, but complex and round. If you’re going to spend a bit more on a bottle this is a great buy.

Herradura Selection Supreme Extra Anejo - $350

The most expensive on this list, it is the only ultra premium tequila I think that is worth the money if you have it to spend. Selection Supreme is delicious and complex. Very woody with little left over agave flavor, it is full of flavor, spice and caramel.