If you’re a whiskey drinker (even a beginner whiskey drinker), you’re likely keenly aware that the aging labeling is fairly self-explanatory. While there are many no-age-statement whiskeys because of their young age or the distillers just not adding an age statement, there are countless that feature easy-to-understand ages like 5, 10, 12, or higher. The same can’t be said for tequila.
You won’t find a tequila labeled as a 10-year-old, 12-year-old, or any other age statement. This is because tequila uses specific terms to designate its age. As a little refresher: Blanco, while often unaged, can be matured for as long as 2 months, reposado is matured between 2 and 12 months, añejo is matured between 1 and 3 years, and extra añejo is matured for more than 3 years. And while we could spend a whole article writing about the different tequila aging terms (and we did), today it’s all about reposado.
For those new to tequila, reposado tequilas are gently aged. As we mentioned before, they only spend between 2 and 12 months in the barrels. This means they do gain a little complexity and nuance from maturation, but they still keep some of the vegetal, agave sweetness tequila drinkers love. Lightly golden in color, reposado tequilas have a flavor profile featuring roasted agave, vanilla beans, toffee, oak, and various spices.
The best reposado tequilas
Perfect for slow-sipping as well as mixing into your favorite cocktails, a few well-made, balanced reposado tequilas are a must-have for tequila drinkers and home cocktail enthusiasts alike. Below, you’ll find some of our favorite reposado tequilas. Keep scrolling to see them all, so you know which expressions to add to your home bar cart or liquor cabinet.
Cimarron Reposado
This reposado tequila begins with agave grown in hilly conditions in Atotonilco in Jalisco. They are slowly roasted at a low pressure and fermented with a yeast normally used by winemakers. The tequila is aged between three and six months in oak barrels. This results in a complex, but mellow tequila with an underlying vegetal, agave sweetness as well as honey, vanilla, ripe orchard fruits, and gentle spices. This is the kind of tequila you’ll always want on hand to warm your bones on an unseasonably chilly night.
Clase Azul Reposado
If you’ve never tried Clase Azul, at the very least you’ve seen its ornately painted white, ceramic bottles. The juice inside begins with 100% Blue Weber agave that’s slow-roasted to perfection. It’s matured for a full eight months in American oak barrels. This creates a surprisingly complex, easy-drinking tequila that you’ll savor all fall long (and the rest of the year as well). It’s highlighted by a nose of roasted agave, citrus peel, vanilla beans, oak, and spices. The palate is loaded with flavors like candied nuts, cinnamon sugar, toffee, vanilla, roasted agave, and rich oaky wood.
Calirosa Reposado
If you’ve only purchased big-name tequilas and you’ve never tried the likes of Calirosa, what are you waiting for? This premium reposado tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave before being slow-roasted. It’s then matured for a minimum of nine full months in barrels that formerly held red wine. The wine barrels give the tequila its memorable rose hue as well as aromas of candied orange peels, vanilla, and agave syrup. Drinking it reveals hints of caramelized pineapple, agave sweetness, toffee, vanilla, citrus peels, and oak.
Casamigos Reposado
Casamigos is more than simply a brand co-founded by famous actor George Clooney; it’s also a complex, well-balanced tequila brand. Its reposado tequila is made using 100% Blue Weber agave. It’s then slow-roasted in traditional brick ovens before being slowly fermented. It aged for at least seven months in American oak barrels to give it aromas of honey, agave, dark chocolate, and vanilla and a palate of oak, roasted agave, light spices, and vanilla beans. It’s a warming, sweet tequila for cold fall nights.
La Gritona Reposado
La Gritona Reposado is made in Valle De Guadalupe, Jalisco, by Melly Barajas and her team of women. The agave is steam-cooked in earthen ovens before resting for twenty-four hours before being crushed. The juice is fermented before being distilled twice. It ages for eight months in barrels that formerly held Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Balcones Texas whiskey. This results in a bold, complex reposado tequila that begins with a nose of caramel, oak, and pepper and moves into a palate of roasted agave, toffee, oak, and gentle spices.
Don Julio Reposado
Don Julio is a big name in the tequila world. This 100% Blue Weber agave-based tequila is matured for at least eight months in American white oak barrels. It’s well-known for its balanced, easy-drinking, yet full-flavored palate. The nose is filled with aromas of stone fruit, candied orange peels, vanilla beans, oak, and honey. One sip and you’ll be transported to a world of cinnamon candy, chocolate, vanilla, vegetal agave, oak, and wintry spices.
Tapatio Reposado
Tapatio is another tequila brand that isn’t a household name. Yet, if you talk to tequila fans or bartenders, you’ll get a ton of people directing you to this expression. This 100% Blue Weber agave tequila is matured between four and six months in American oak casks that previously held bourbon whiskey. This results in a complex, sweet tequila with a nose of orchard fruits, ripe agave, vanilla, and spices and a palate of roasted agave, chocolate, vanilla, candied nuts, and wintry spices.
Casa Dragones Reposado
To say that Casa Dragones Reposado is a unique tequila is a massive understatement. Instead of aging in white oak or even ex-bourbon barrels, this reposado tequila is aged in Mizunara casks, a Japanese oak often used to mature Japanese whiskies. This creates a memorable sipper that starts with aromas of orange peels, honey, oak, and vanilla and moves into a palate of dried apricot, vanilla beans, roasted agave, oak, and spices.
Bottom line
When it comes to versatile tequilas, you’ll have a difficult time beating the appeal of a well-made reposado tequila. While you can spend a lot more for an añejo or extra añejo for sipping, you likely wouldn’t want to mix with it. A balanced reposado is not only well priced, but it’s a perfect base for a margarita, Paloma, or Ranch Water, as well as a decent rainy-day sipper.
