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The best tequila for sipping (not slamming!) in 2025, expert-tested
Tried and tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute
Tested by Callum BlackFood and Drink Testing Manager
So much more than the slamming spirit of our youth, today’s tequila is an altogether classier affair.
These high-quality spirits demand we take them seriously, whether sipped neat or mixed into your favourite cocktail recipes, the Good Housekeeping Institute got sipping to find the best tequila to stock up on.
Best tequila 2025
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Looking to replenish your drinks trolley? Read on for more expert-tested reviews:
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Whether you’re new to tequila, or an agave old-timer, we have options ranging from the entry level price of £11.99 (thanks Aldi!) right up to the more luxe £51. But does expensive always mean better? Find out below.
To help you find the very best bottle for your drinks trolley, the Good Housekeeping Institute enlisted a panel of WSET-accredited experts and consumers to try a range of the market leaders, including the very latest releases.
El Mayor Tequila Anejo
Score: 90/100
Our top-rated tequila won our panel over with its alluring aroma, bringing spicier hints of clove, ginger, caramel and vanilla to the fore. The mouthfeel is rich and velvety, making it a standout sipper at this price point. No self-confessed tequila connoisseur should be without a bottle on their drinks trolley.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 89/100
Aldi’s own-brand tequila is bursting with vibrant lime on the nose, while the mouthfeel is slightly sharper, with a unique spicy profile, mineral undertones and hints of Parma Violets. Fresh and floral, it’s an affordable choice for making margaritas.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 84/100
Hacien is on a mission to shake up your cocktail game, with fun flavours including coffee and pineapple. However, first you need to nail the basics, and we love the brand's blanco expression for spicy margaritas, palomas and more. It's super smooth on the palate, with a peppery rocket-leaf, lemon-zest brightness that had us going back for more.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 82/100
Crafted by esteemed Master Distiller and third generation Tequilero de Primera, Carlos Camarena, Ocho Blanco is as crisp and clean as they come. With notes of fennel, anise, lemongrass, white pepper and freshly-cut grass on the palate, it’s best sipped straight up but makes a stellar margarita, too.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 80/100
Casa Rayos stands out with its citrus-forward flavour and sweet floral lilt, balanced by a touch of spicy cracked black pepper and pink peppercorn. The subtle earthier notes, characteristic of the agave's region, add depth, making it the perfect choice for longer drinks like a paloma.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
VIVIR Tequila Reposado
Score: 80/100
Our winning tequila reposado is a high-quality, golden-hued "rested" style that uses 100% blue weber agave. It has spent six months in bourbon barrels, which gives it extra complexity — think nutty, caramel, vanilla and peppercorn notes.
With a super-smooth mouthfeel and long, memorable finish, our testers thought this tequila was worthy of the price tag.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 79/100
Born in the highlands of Jalisco, Espolòn’s distinctive bottle, wrapped in Day of the Dead-style artwork by José Guadalupe Posada, offers a citrus-forward pour that’s perfect for palomas.
The smooth sipper leads with bright lime and lemon peel, layered with vegetal, grassy bitterness, and finishes with herbaceous notes and a lingering green, unripe agave flavour.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 78/100
Cazcabel’s reposado was popular with our experts, thanks to the combination of spice, fresh citrus notes and sweet caramel.
The peppery finish means this spirit is better suited to cocktails, rather than sipping neat — so try it in a classic margarita to enjoy the saline note.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 76/100
For a fruity twist in tropical cocktails, try this top-rated, coconut-tinged tequila blanco. It smells sweeter than it tastes and has a super-smooth finish. We think those who enjoy rum will appreciate this, especially when paired with pineapple juice for instant summer refreshment all year round.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 76/100
With soft cinnamon spice, sweet vanilla and pronounced woody notes, El Jimador Reposado may not be as complex as some tequila we tested, but we think it’s a solid drinks trolley staple for cocktail experimentation.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 75/100
It was love at first sniff with Teremana’s añejo tequila, which our testers described as having a “premium” aroma. With notes of vanilla, coconut, and caramel leading to a spicy, woody finish, it’s smooth and easy to drink.
Perfect for sipping neat or crafting an indulgent margarita if you prefer your cocktails with a deeper, more complex flavour.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 74/100
It’s highly likely you’ll be familiar with the Jose Cuervo brand, given it produces the best-selling tequila in the world. This is its silver variety, which is made in limited quantities each year.
With a subtle earthiness, sweet touch and excellent balance of spice, pepper and vanilla, we can see why it's such a crowd pleaser.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Olmeca Altos Plata Tequila
Score: 74/100
This may not be such a well-known name, but for something a little more exclusive, Olmeca is made in the top tequila-producing region of Mexico.
Expect a powerful smoky flavour and bags of complexity — with some testers likening it to cognac. It’s perfect for after-dinner sipping or would make a fresh twist on an old fashioned cocktail.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
Score: 74/100
Aged for 30 days in oak, before being filtered through charcoal for a purer taste, this high-quality tequila is made from 100% agave. On the palate, our testers enjoyed notes of tobacco, delicate vanilla and a smooth, spicy finish. Designed with cocktails in mind, we’d suggest a refreshing paloma, to allow the sweetness to really sing.
Plus, a percentage of profits go towards supporting butterfly conservation across the US and Mexico. Win-win.
Key specifications
| Volume | 50cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 40% |
Score: 73/100
With its little sombrero hat, this uncomplicated tequila is instantly recognisable. It’s a great price, with notes of lime, salt and butterscotch and a warming finish. We’d suggest picking a bottle up for your next taco night.
Key specifications
| Volume | 70cl |
|---|---|
| ABV | 38% |
These also passed...
- Volcan De Mi Tierra Blanco Tequila, £42.67 for 70cl, Score: 73/100
- El Rayo Plata Tequila, £34 for 70cl, Score: 72/100
- Patron Silver Tequila, £41.95 for 70cl, Score: 70/100
- Rooster Rojo Reposado Tequila, £23.89 for 70cl, Score: 70/100
- Lost Explorer Blanco Tequila, £55.50 for 70cl, Score: 70/100
How we test tequila
Our panel – made up of 10 WSET accredited spirits experts and tequila-loving consumers – put 51 blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas to the test.
Each was tried neat and blind, to avoid brand bias, allowing the full flavours — fresh citrus to warming oak — to shine through. Our experts were on the lookout for smooth, easy-drinking styles, with well-balanced sweetness and added complexity.
Why trust the Good Housekeeping Institute?
The Good Housekeeping Institute has been testing products for over 100 years, so we have plenty of experience when it comes to finding the best products within a category.
Whether it’s devouring mince pies or quaffing champagne, our dedicated teams are experts in their fields. They design strict testing protocols based on how you use and enjoy products at home, to ensure fair and unbiased results.
Senior food and drink editor, Stacey Smith, looks after all food and drink reviews, drawing on her extensive knowledge of the wine and spirits industry. She works closely with Callum Black, the Good Housekeeping Institute's food and drink testing manager, who organises the taste test with his team, and together, they find the best bottle for every budget, occasion and cocktail.
What are the different types of tequila?
Like the best champagne, tequila production is a closely guarded secret and must be made and bottled within a specific area in Mexico. It can only be made from blue agave (unlike smoky mezcal, which can be created from over 30 different varieties).
The best tequilas are produced with 100% agave, but the legal minimum is just 51%, with the rest allowed to be made up by a neutral spirit.
Unlike wine, with its complex classification systems, tequila is simply categorised by age as follows.
Blanco
Tequila blanco (or silver as it’s sometimes called) is clear in colour and un-aged. As such, you can expect a fresh, agave, citrus-spiked flavour.
Reposado
Aged for at least two months and up to one year, here the colour changes to more gold and amber tones. You should find a more well-rounded flavour and smoother finish with sweeter vanilla and oak notes.
Anejo
This type of tequila is aged for at least one year and as long as three. Here, you’d expect to see fuller, more complex notes, depending on the different casks used. Ex-cognac, bourbon and red wine barrels are all popular.
What are the best tequila cocktails?
Tequila is a versatile spirit and can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks or in cocktails. If you’re going down the latter route, we’d recommend using blanco in a classic margarita or with the best tonic water (as recommended by our experts) and saving aged styles for after-dinner cocktails, such as an old fashioned or espresso martini.
Verdict on the best tequilas
El Mayor Añejo Tequila is a premium bottle, taking the top spot with its anejo expression.
For something a little more every day, Aldi's tequila blanco offers great value. But if you can't make it to a store, we recommend the best-selling Hacien Blanco Tequilla, which is delicious in its own right, and also excellent in an array of cocktails.
Stacey looks after all food and drink reviews — from coffee pods and veg boxes, to natural wine and tequila. Stacey is also founder of Crummbs, where she’s written nearly 2,000 restaurant and hotel reviews since 2013. Prior to this, Stacey wrote hundreds of in-depth buying guides for the Independent, i newspaper and BBC Good Food, as well as reviewing restaurants and interviewing celebrities in her column at Balance Magazine. Stacey has also appeared in BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary Blood, Sweat & Takeaways, where she investigated South East Asia's food production industry, appearing on both Newsnight and BBC World Service to share her findings. Regularly checking out the latest restaurants, bars and product launches, Stacey also loves experimenting with recipes at home, and is a WSET-certified wine and spirits expert, with over 10 years of experience in the business. You can follow Stacey on Instagram @crummbs_uk
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
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