Happy Cinco de Mayo! Is it safe to say Cinco de Mayo is America’s favorite underdog holiday to celebrate, even though 95% of people celebrating it don’t know the significance of the holiday? Now granted, there is a case to be made that July 4th is technically the ultimate underdog’s holiday, being that it marks the formal declaration of independence from the British Empire, but what sounds better? Hot dogs, hot weather and fireworks, or tequila, Mexican beer and tacos at the height of spring? Cinco de Mayo wins on all fronts, and that’s not just the bias of my Mexican heritage talking.

So to celebrate the country’s best — and tastiest — underdog holiday, we’re shouting out the 10 absolute best additive-free tequilas your money can buy this Cinco de Mayo. This list features a mix of blancos, high proof expressions, reposados, and añejos, so hopefully we have a little bit of something for every kind of tequila drinker. Unless of course you like cristalinos, but let’s face it, nobody likes cristalinos (we’re kidding, we love them).

Here are all the tequilas you should sip this Cinco de Mayo and beyond.

10. Dulce Vida — Añejo

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40.99

The Tequila:

An organic additive-free aged tequila for just $40.99? Sign us up! Dulce Vida’s entire line of expressions are worth checking out, but our absolute favorite right now is the añejo thanks to its smooth finish, and sweet character.

Dulce Vida is produced at NOM 1443, Grupo Industrial Tequilero de Los Altos de Jalisco, and uses agave that is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, finished with well water, and aged in select American Oak whiskey barrels.

Aged in select American Oak whiskey barrels, rich golden amber color, aroms of vanilla and cinnamon, full-bodied flavor, and smooth finish. Agave from the highlands of Jalsico, 100% oraanic Bourbon note, fruity and vanilla, sweet and smooth

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet vanilla and agave massively dominate here. There is a thick syrupy vibe that is very inviting.

Palate: More vanilla on the palate, joined by caramel tones, some barrel spice, and cinnamon. I’m not getting a lot of green or vegetal notes, but I don’t miss them, this is very pleasing.

Finish: The finish is clean. You taste hints of oak, hints of alcohol, and some chili pepper spice, but none of it sticks around too long.

The Bottom Line:

A high-quality, additive-free organic añejo full of sweet dessert tones that are a pleasure to sip.

9. Alto Canto — High Proof Blanco

ABV: 48% (96 Proof)
Price: $89.99

The Tequila:

High proof, yet surprisingly tame and inviting, Alto Canto has quickly become my go-to bottle on days I want a little more heat than your typical 80-proof tequila, but is not so hot that it’s easy to misjudge how much you’re drinking.

This addtive-free blanco offers a silky smooth experience and is made from stone oven cooked agave that is tahona extracted and mixed with natural spring water at NOM 1636, Tequila El Rocio.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamy and a bit lactic with notes of rich cocoa and raw agave.

Palate: Surprisingly soft with a grassy green agave forward quality. As those initial flavors pass the palate, I’m getting some asparagus and green pepper with a tart green apple skin that hovers gently on the backend.

Finish: Buttery with a kiss of roasted agave that produces a gentle heat on the aftertaste.

The Bottom Line:

Buttery, a bit spicy, and very agave forward with a gently hot finish.

8. Cazcanes — Rosa Reposado No. 9

ABV: 50% (100 Proof)
Price: $96.99

The Tequila:

Another hot sipper, right now we’re feeling higher proof tequilas and Cazcanes Rosa Reposado is one the finest on the market.

This additive-free agave forward tequila is produced at the famed NOM 1614, Tequilera Tap, using agave that is cooked in an autoclave, roller mill extracted, mixed with spring water, and aged for 82 days in French Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon barrels, which give it a nice blush pink tone.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich layers of roasted agave, leather, cocoa, cinnamon, and ripe cherries.

Palate: A blend of vegetal flavors and rich stone fruits. Think cherry, plum, any fruit with a tart dark skin and flesh. I’m also getting roasted jalapeño and vanilla.

Finish: Dry with more plum on the finish.

The Bottom Line:

Cazcanes Rosa Reposado is as eye-catching as it is delicious. Its dark and fruity flavors will keep you coming back for more, and it excels equally as a sipper and a liquid that’ll elevate and add lots of nuance to your cocktail.

7. Valor — Tequila Reposado

ABV: 42%
Average Price: $79.99

The Tequila:

If you’re a fan of the delicate floral and herbaceous flavors of Valor’s blanco — or just fans of that flavor profile in general — you’re going to love Valor’s reposado.

This tequila takes the base blanco and ages it for four months in white oak barrels, adding some spicy cinnamon and sweet honeyed notes to an agave-forward, herbaceous, and citrusy foundation.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rosemary, sage, and citrus, with a wet earth quality to it.

Palate: Agave hits the palate first, with a bit of citrus and black pepper, joined by notes of floral honey.

Finish: Citrus, minerality, and cinnamon join notes of roasted agave and barrel oak.

The Bottom Line:

Agave forward and earthy, yet wonderfully mellow. Simply one of the best reposado tequilas you’ll drink all year.

6. Volans — Tequila Reposado

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $66.99

The Tequila:

Volans offers a mix of warm, earthy flavors and smooth dessert-like mellowness that makes it one of those rare reposados that serve equally as a great sipper and mixer.

This tequila is produced at NOM 1579, El Pandillo Distillery, using agave that is steamed for three hours before being slow roasted for 19 to 22 hours, rested for 24 to 36, and then tahona crushed. The tequila utilizes well and rain water, which gives it a nice minerality.

To reach the repo state, it is then rested in American White Oak bourbon barrels for just under a year.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: A rich mix of caramel and roasted agave with a strong oak character and the slightest hint of wet grass.

Palate: Cinnamon, caramel, and vanilla mingle with lots of minerality, a bit of salt, and wet soil quality. It’s earthy and warm, but rich and luxurious. A real bouquet of experiences here.

Finish: A mix of dessert-like sweetness and black pepper with an oily buttered mouthfeel. It leaves the tongue wanting more.

The Bottom Line:

Volans strikes the perfect balance between natural earthy flavors, and sweet palate pleasing tones that’ll keep you coming back for sip after sip.

5. Tears of Llorona — Tequila Extra Añejo

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $279.99 (1L)

The Tequila:

If you’re looking to impress someone or appeal to whiskey drinkers who claim that they aren’t fans of tequila, serve them a pour of Tears of Llorona. This extra añejo is made from agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco that is cooked in a low pressure autoclave, screw mill extracted, mixed with deep well water, and aged for five years in Scotch, sherry, and brand barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Lots of chocolate and dessert flavors with some dark berry characteristics and some herbal notes.

Palate: There is a lot of sweetness here in this wonderful mix of vanilla and winter spice flavors. Underneath that is a warm roasted agave base with a twist of citrus.

Finish: Savory and deep, you get a lot of the barrel here with a smooth finish that is a joy to sip.

The Bottom Line:

A heavy dessert tequila crafted for slow sipping. The quintessential tequila for bourbon fans.

4. Tequila Ocho — Plata Puntas 108

ABV: 54% (108 Proof)
Average Price: $80.99

The Tequila:

Released last year, Tequila Ocho’s Plata Puntas 108 is the brand’s highest proof expression, so if you love Tequila Ocho and high-proof tequilas (we do), this is a no-brainer pick up. Generally, I suggest someone new to the brand start with the typical blanco, but right now this one is taking precedence, despite the higher price point.

Plata Puntas 108 is produced at NOM 1474, Tequilera Los Alambiques, with agave cooked in stone ovens, roller mill extracted, and mixed with deep well water. It is then fermented in open-air wooden vats, and twice distilled through a copper pot.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave, dry earth and lime, with a hint of green olive.

Palate: Buttery and earthy, with a briny-olive flavor, and a lot of black pepper.

Finish: A nice warm heat with a touch of mint.

The Bottom Line:

Tequila Ocho’s Plata Puntas captures everything great about the brand, and filters it into one near-perfect expression. It’s earthy, green, and briney flavors cut through any cocktail, and infuse each drink with an agave-forward quality that tequila lovers will fall head over heels over.

3. Fuenteseca — Reserva Extra Añejo 8-year

ABV: 42%
Average Price: $329

The Tequila:

Now granted, putting a tequila that costs upwards of $300 is flat out unfair — we get that, but we said we were going to point you in the direction of the best of the best, and without a doubt, Fuenteseca 8 year is one of the greatest tequilas we’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking.

This tequila hails from NOM 1146, the famed Tequileña, where 75% of the liquid was distilled in a double copper column still with plates removed for lower distillation proof, and the other 25% distilled through alembic pot stills. It is then rested in two casks, one ex-wine American white oak and a dark French oak, and aged for eight years in a damp-climate cellar. It is supremely smooth and stunningly flavorful.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Warm toasty caramel notes joined by a sweet coconut vibe, a hint of maple syrup, and chocolate. It’s warm and inviting, definitely a late night sipper, I can tell from the nose alone.

Palate: Those warm dessert tones translate to the palate, with some added zesty interest via citrus and black pepper notes. After a few sips, I started to get a fruity red apple vibe, more cinnamon, and vanilla.

Finish: A super smooth finish with warm oak tones and some lingering heat that begs to be satiated by another sip.

The Bottom Line:

A warm, sweet, slow sipper with a lot of addictive spiced notes. The way it lingers on the palate makes it clear that this is tequila designed to be savored. Simply one of the finest extra añejo tequilas on the market.

2. Mijenta — Maestra Selection No. 1 Blanco

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99.99

The Tequila:

This new expression from Mijenta dropped late last year, and for months I’ve been trying to get my hands on a bottle. Once I acquired a bottle it not only exceeded my expectations, but has quickly become my favorite expression by the brand.

The Maestra Selection No.1 is a high proof blanco tequila made from single estate, eight-year-old agave (grown from seed) that is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, made from deep well water, and twice distilled through a stainless steel pot, resulting in a focused and rewarding flavor that is a joy for the palate to explore.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A warm rush of agave joined by charred honey dew, chocolate, and caramel.

Palate: That fruity flavor translates to the palate, I’m tasting pineapple, more melon with a layer of anise and mint, some vegetal interest and a crack of black pepper.

Finish: More fruit and pepper on the finish. This one ends with a sweet kiss.

The Bottom Line:

Mijenta has knocked it out of the park with this one. The Maestra Selection No. 1 is the brand’s all time best expression, it’s sweet, fruity, and a true joy for the palate.

1. Wild Common — Tequila Añejo

ABV: 47%
Average Price: $95

The Tequila:

Our number one spot as the absolute best additive-free tequila to start sipping on right now goes to Wild Common’s Añejo. This is the newest expression on this list, released just this year, and is produced at NOM 1123, Tequila Cascahuin, using agave that is slow roasted for 72 hours in brick ovens, tahona and roller mill crushed, and rested for one year in ex-bourbon barrels.

The results are nothing short of masterful. This is one of the best tequilas released all year, easily.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Flecks of jasmine, vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom, with a light tinge of fruitiness lurking beneath the dessert notes. There is a lot to explore here!

Palate: That nose doesn’t lie, there are a lot of shifting and blooming flavors here. An herbaceous licorice note is joined by a floral rush of honey, stone fruit, caramelized agave sweetness, spicy ginger, and cinnamon, with a subtle sweet and tangy kiss.

Finish: Lots of bourbon sweetness on the finish with a mix of barrel spice and a bit of heat that sizzles gently on the tongue.

The Bottom Line:

Spice, herbaceous, floral, Wild Common’s Añejo is the best kind of tequila. The sort that takes you on a journey and leaves you somewhere surprising. This is the kind of liquid worth getting lost in.