11 Essential Blanco Tequilas to Stock in Your Liquor Cabinet

The best blanco tequilas — Photo:
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No home bar is complete without at least a handful of good blanco tequilas. Unlike reposado, which is aged for between two months and 364 days, and añejo, which sees at least a year of rest, blanco is all about the spirit itself without the overt impact of wood. It’s typically a vibrant expression of tequila, with flavors that tend to find their footing in citrus and stone fruit, as well as herbs and occasionally vegetal notes; hints of spiciness are also often detected. Whether you’re looking to sip it neat or on the rocks, or to mix it into a cocktail like a Margarita, a Paloma, or a Bloody Mary, blanco options seem to be growing all the time. The 11 below would all be worthy additions to your collection, no matter how new or extensive it might be.

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El Tesoro

This is a notably elegant and silk-textured tequila, with touches of roasted green bell peppers lending depth to lime and peppercorn spice. There is a whisper of coriander seed that peeks through the finish, lending it even further complexity.

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Espanita Blano

There is a subtle note of vanilla cookies to this tequila, a warm toastiness that re-frames blanco in deliciously fascinating ways. Appealing suggestions of mint, chamomile, and almond blossom emerge, making this excellent both sipped on its own as well as working brilliantly as a base for a range of tequila cocktails.

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Roca Patrón

Unlike standard Patrón, the Roca line is produced using old-fashioned methods — all the agave is baked in brick ovens and then crushed by a volcanic stone tahona wheel. The result is a wonderfully textural tequila with a peppery sizzle, noticeably more complex than Patrón's signature counterpart.

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Siempre

The Siempre Exclusivo Edición Especial Vivo Blanco is an absolutely fascinating tequila. It’s fermented using wild yeasts (whose fermentation was stopped before it finished) and utilizing what’s known as the Mozart Method, which involves playing classical music during the fermentation, the vibrations of which are purported to impact the process. The result, in this liquid at least, is fascinating: There is an ebullience to the earthy, funky, gorgeously sour character here, a deeply fermentative character that fans of lambic beers will likely love. It’s a totally different expression of blanco, and all the more noteworthy as a result. Notes of oxidized green and yellow apples, shiso, and hints of tarragon blossom in remarkable ways.

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Don Julio

One of the classics. A Highlands tequila that showcases that region's typical flavors — it's light and vibrant with notes of citrus and pepper. Perfect in a Paloma or Margarita.

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Casa Noble

Casa Noble has a terrific lineup of tequilas (their reposado is particularly lovely), and their blanco is also excellent. It’s a beautiful specimen of a lowland tequila, grassy and savory with a lingering finish.

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Tequila Ocho

The Single Estate La Ladera Tequila Plata Puntas 2021 is a distiller’s cut that rings in at 101 proof. It’s a wonderfully exuberant expression, the flamed lemon oils and lemon blossoms joined by baked pears, cinnamon stick, roasted green and jalapeño peppers, sun-warmed hay, and a nice core of minerality.

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Teremana

This is a linear, pure tequila whose core of minerality lends almost oyster-shell brininess to taut, energetic flavors of lime pith, peppermint leaf, peppercorn, and white tea.

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Espolòn

You may recognize Espolòn from your local craft cocktail bar. It's been embraced by the mixology world for a reason: Bright and crisp with a little spice, it's delicious in just about any cocktail you'd want to stir or shake it into.

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Tres Agaves

Distinctly spicy, with a green peppercorn and jalapeño kick to the hard green melon and Seckel pear notes, as well as spearmint and charred lime-peel flavors that hover throughout.

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Tres Genaraciones

The excellent “Legacy Edition: Cenobio’s Batch Vol. 1 Plata” is not the newest release, but it speaks to the work that the Tres Generaciones team has done, and why their tequilas belong on your shelf. This one is marked by hints of quince and honey, with a heather-like finish and just a touch of spice. The velvety texture is very appealing, too.

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