A Shot of Blanco Tequila with Lime and Salt
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Blanco Tequilas, the largest Tequila category, have been thoroughly explored by America’s top bartenders. With the assistance of Bartender Magazine, our survey of these experts’ Blanco Tequila picks has produced surprising results and a remarkable consensus on the best available Blanco Tequila.
According to Raymond Tremblay, Director of Beverage at Coje Management, Lalo Tequila was the current best Blanco Tequila in the US. He noted:
Lalo Blanco Tequila
Photo, courtesy Lalo Tequila
LALO Tequila’s founder is the grandson of Don Julio Gonzalez, and this is one of the best new Silver Tequilas I have tasted. They use champagne yeast to bring out the notes of the fully matured highland agaves. It will make a fantastic French 75 if you sub out the gin with Lalo!
He added:
The tequila reveals a vibrant bouquet of bright citrus, floral, and vegetal notes, characteristic of the iron-rich soil of the highlands. Its texture is luxuriously creamy, yet naturally so, and the flavor profile offers a harmonious blend of cooked agave, tropical fruit, black pepper, and a touch of minerality. This is one of those perfect tequilas, but versatile enough for cocktails.
His sentiments were shared by Summer Goff, Bartender, Run For The Roses, Denver, Colorado, who said:
If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve undoubtedly seen Lalo taking shelves and bars by storm. One of my favorite agave products on the market, I find myself reaching for it time and time again.
He also highlighted Tequila Ocho’s Puntas overproof bottling:
Already a fan-favorite brand, Tequila Ocho drummed up quite the anticipation for the highest-proof bottling in the brand’s history. This year’s ‘Puntas’ are produced from a single-field harvest of agaves just outside the brand’s new Tequilera in Arandas.
He added:
Puntas’ is the term agave distillers use for a unique cut of spirit that comes just at the end of the heads and the beginning of the hearts. This cut is prized and usually reserved by the distiller for special occasions. It is known to be highly aromatic and flavorful, and the purest expression of harvested agave. This year’s release is bottled at 108 proof (54% abv), which means less water is added to proof down the spirit, which translates to more flavor concentration.
Lala has also released a High Proof Blanco Tequila at 54% ABV.
Kevin Mabry, Director of Operations, BCB3 + Bina Family Hospitality, and Stuart Weaver, Owner & General Manager, Lady Jane, also chose Lalo as their top choice among Blanco Tequilas. Weaver added, “This additive-free tequila is what tequila should taste like.”
Blanco Tequila is poured from a bottle into shot glasses with salt and lime slices.
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Joe Arakawa, Beverage Director/ Anima by EDO, picked Volcan De Mi Tierra 100% Tahona Blanco as the best new Blanco Tequila, observing:
It showcases the agave and provides so much nuance due to its production process of being all Tahona-milled lowland agave. Cooked agave, herbal notes, a subtle brine, and so much more provide a unique Blanco experience like no other. It is an incredible sipping Tequila but also makes a great cocktail that showcases its natural, additive-free, ancestral style.
Gio Olivera, Service & Beverage Manager, BACKSTAGE and Sirenetta in Hoboken, NJ, selected Cazcanes No. 9 Blanco Tequila as the top Blanco:
Sitting at 100 proof (50% ABV), this tequila drinks with a nice agave sweetness, lovely floral notes, and surprisingly smooth for its proof.
Tequila Fortaleza, chosen by Bethany Alyssa Nardi-Bartender at Hawks Restaurant in Granite Bay, CA, as the best new Blanco Tequila, is a brand steeped in history. Although it was launched in 2005, “it has over 150 years of tradition behind it.”
Don Javier sold the family business in 1976, but the family kept the land with their hacienda and distillery. In 1999, Don Javier’s grandson, Guillermo, began the process of getting there old distillery up and running again making tequila in the same way it was made over 100 years ago – with a small brick oven to cook the agave, a tahona to squeeze the juices out of the agave, wood tanks for fermentation, and the two original copper pots for distillation.
Their goal is to make the best tequila they can, and to this day, they have not changed anything.
Finally, Graham Sutton, Director of Operations, BACKSTAGE, Hoboken, New Jersey, picked Casa Don Ramón Blanco, pointing out that it was:
One of the smoothest Tequila I’ve ever had. It is fresh, clean, and vibrant, with notes of citrus, green agave, and a subtle hint of pepper. It’s a smooth and crisp tequila, perfect for sipping or mixing in cocktails like margaritas.
These six Blanco Tequilas are outstanding, reflecting their terroirs and the essence of the agave from which they are crafted. Several are also higher proof, providing a more intense and flavorful spirit, whether consumed straight up or in a cocktail. If you are a fan of Blanco Tequilas, especially if you consume them straight up, there is much to tempt your palate among these six, cutting-edge Tequilas, and even more to explore.
For some insight into the current market dynamics of the Tequila industry and additional recommendations, see also The Most Awarded Tequilas of 2024.
