8 of the Best Tequila Brands to Try, From Blanco to Extra Añejo

If you already know your way around a brewery’s lineup, tequila is easier to learn than it looks. Most brands offer a core set of expressions that differ by style, age, and how each bottle is meant to be enjoyed. The same attention to variety can be found across the beer world, where different styles and serving occasions give drinkers plenty of room to explore without changing the focus of the original craft. 

You’ll also see “100% blue agave” on labels across the category, which is a useful detail to look for when comparing bottles. Jalisco comes up often too, since it’s home to many of the brands covered here. Browsing a range of the best tequila brands is an easy way to compare how blanco, reposado, añejo, and cristalino differ.

A Quick Guide to Tequila Styles

Blanco is unaged or barely rested, so it shows the agave most directly. Reposado and añejo spend progressively more time in oak, and extra añejo goes longer still. Cristalino is aged tequila that has been filtered back to a clear color, which gives it a lighter look than its age might suggest.

The list below is numbered for easy reference, not as a ranking. It mixes long-established names with brands that enthusiasts tend to seek out. Each one earns its spot for a different reason.

1. Fortaleza

Fortaleza comes from Guillermo Erickson Sauza, whose family history in tequila goes back to the 1800s. He reopened the family distillery in the town of Tequila in 2005. The lineup is small: Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, and a Still Strength Blanco.

Fortaleza is one of the names tequila fans bring up most often. The Blanco is a sensible first bottle for anyone who wants to understand what an agave-focused tequila tastes like. The Reposado and Añejo then show how the same spirit changes with more time in oak.

2. Siete Leguas

Siete Leguas was founded in 1952 in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco. The brand takes its name from a horse ridden by revolutionary general Pancho Villa. Its core Blanco, Reposado and Añejo are joined by D’Antaño, an extra añejo.

This is a traditional, family-rooted producer with a lineup that runs from blanco to extra añejo. The Blanco and Reposado are versatile enough for cocktails. D’Antaño adds a long-aged sipping tequila to the range.

3. El Tesoro

El Tesoro is made at La Alteña, the distillery the Camarena family founded in 1937. Carlos Camarena serves as master distiller. The range includes Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo and Paradiso, a special extra añejo.

El Tesoro works well for drinkers who like to move through a brand’s lineup one style at a time. The Blanco and Reposado are best enjoyed neat or in a simple cocktail, while Paradiso is more of a slow-sipping bottle.

4. G4

G4 is made at the El Pandillo distillery in Jesús María, Jalisco. The name refers to four generations of the Camarena family, with Felipe Camarena and his sons behind the brand. Expressions include Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo.

G4 also offers a Blanco High Proof for drinkers who like higher-strength bottles. It suits readers drawn to producers with a clear family story and a focused lineup, a preference that can also appeal to beer enthusiasts who appreciate breweries with a distinct identity across their core range. Its Extra Añejo gives the lineup a dedicated sipping option.

5. Tequila Ocho

Tequila Ocho was created by master distiller Carlos Camarena and the late tequila ambassador Tomás Estes. Each release is single-estate and vintage-dated, highlighting agave from an individual field. The brand is now part of Heaven Hill Brands, a name many bourbon drinkers will already know.

Craft beer drinkers who like comparing vintages or single-farm releases will recognize the appeal here. Tasting two Ocho Platas from different estates is an easy way to see how much the source of the agave can matter.

6. Herradura

Herradura is one of the long-established names in the category, with a history the brand traces back to 1870. Its Reposado was unveiled in 1974, and Herradura calls it “the world’s original Reposado.” The lineup also includes Blanco, Añejo and Selección Suprema, an extra añejo.

Herradura is a natural starting point for readers curious about reposado as a style. The Reposado works neat or in a cocktail, and Selección Suprema covers the top end of the aging scale.

7. Don Julio

Don Julio is among the most recognizable tequila brands in the US. Its 1942 is a well-known añejo, while 70 is a filtered añejo that the brand says “marks the world’s first cristalino añejo tequila.”

The brand suggests enjoying 70 Cristalino neat, on the rocks or in classic cocktails. That flexibility makes Don Julio a practical way to try cristalino alongside more traditional aged expressions. Its Blanco and Reposado round out the everyday end of the range.

8. Patrón

Patrón is one of the easiest tequila brands to find, and the brand makes its tequila from 100% Blue Weber agave. Its core Silver, Reposado and Añejo cover the main styles. Patrón also offers Extra Añejo, Cristalino and El Cielo.

For many drinkers, Patrón Silver is a familiar margarita tequila. The wider range lets readers compare several styles within one brand before branching out to smaller producers.

Finding the Right Bottle

The right tequila depends on how you plan to drink it. A blanco or reposado usually covers cocktails and casual pours. Añejo, extra añejo, and cristalino lean toward slower sipping.

A good approach is to pick one style and try it from two or three brands on this list. That comparison will tell you more about your preferences than any single bottle can. The same exploration can be useful for beer drinkers, who may discover new favorites by sampling a familiar style from different breweries. Once you find a style you like, the rest of each brand’s lineup becomes much easier to explore.