5 Best Additive-Free Tequilas To Try Instead of Clase Azul

(Photo: Clase Azul)

Clase Azul is emblematic of a very specific kind of tequila. Founded in 1997 by a then-23-year-old Arturo Lomeli, the brand has developed a reputation for giant bottles and giant price tags. It’s the sort of unobtainable goodie that’s stashed behind a glass display case at your local liquor store, more likely to be seen in the hands of a celebrity or influencer than an everyday consumer. Whether or not you gravitate toward the brand for its glitz and glamor, there’s no denying that Clase Azul is, and probably always will be, a status symbol.

But there are plenty of other tequilas on the market that match beautiful bottles with delicious liquor. And plenty more that are additive-free. If you’re tired of shelling out $150-plus for a reposado that, according to some critics, falls way short of expectations, here are five excellent tequilas that double as centerpiece and solo sipper.

1. Volcan de Mi Tierra X.A

(Photo: Volcan de Mi Tierra)

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Volcan de Mi Tierra X.A is the brainchild of LVMH, the French luxury powerhouse behind Moët & Chandon, Hennessy and Louis Vuitton. From its slender decanter to its light-up bottle (yes, there’s a toggleable LED attached to the bottom), it’s clear that this was imagined as a club-friendly splurge, the kind that demands a triple-digit price tag and decorative sparklers up the wazoo. Conveniently, and perhaps surprisingly, Volcan X.A also happens to be one of the best upscale additive-free tequilas on the market.

The liquid is a blend of reposado, añejo and extra añejo reserves aged in proprietary Grace casks forged from American oak. If we had to pick a single descriptor, we’d say it resembles early autumn in a glass. Aromas of fresh-sliced apple, cherries, nutmeg and allspice sparkle on the nose, followed by a palate that dives headfirst into dried apricots, raisins and vanilla. It hits an admirable tightrope between sweetness and distinct agave flavor, one that many bottles in the tall-and-flashy category still haven’t quite figured out. Volcan de Mi Tierra X.A costs $189 at most retailers.

2. Tequila Partida Roble Fino Añejo

(Photo: Tequila Partida)

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The crown jewel of Tequila Partida’s Roble Fino lineup is undeniably its Añejo. Produced at the Autentica Tequilero distillery using lowland agaves, the juice is aged 18 months in American oak that previously held Jack Daniel’s, before resting an additional five months in ex-single malt, sherry-seasoned casks. Those casks are rumored to be Macallan, though the brand has never explicitly said so.

It’s powerful stuff from front to end. The nose opens with heaps of sherry wine personality; dried fruit, sour cherry, banana, cinnamon and a sticky-sweet vibe akin to cream soda. Some might say it’s overwhelming. We’d describe it as decadent. The same goes for the palate, which spotlights dense flavors of grape, cocoa nibs, brown butter and barrel spice with an emphasis on cloves and cinnamon. The single-malt scotch casks put in some heavy lifting, resulting in a spirit that sits halfway between agave and fortified wine in the best way possible. If you’ve got $150 to spare, Roble Fino Añejo is worth the gamble.

3. Volteo Reposado

(Photo: Tequila Volteo)

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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has been a frequent sight in the headlines as of late. One detail that’s somehow fallen through the cracks: He made time to co-found a tequila brand in late 2024. Created in partnership with the American arm of Spain’s Zamora Company. Tequila Volteo begins with brick-oven-cooked lowland agaves, which are then extracted via roller mill and, in the case of its Reposado, aged three months in ex-bourbon American oak. Turned on its side, the bottle almost looks like an elongated football. Probably not intentional, but we thought it warranted a mention.

The Reposado is an approachable sipper through and through, opening with aromas of peach, banana runts and oak that perfectly mirror the spirit’s yellowish hue. The palate makes space for buttery flashes of honey, butterscotch and vanilla, followed by a straightforward finish defined by a crackle of black pepper. In other words, it hits every note that a lightly aged tequila should. This is an easy recommendation for agave skeptics and connoisseurs alike, especially if they harbor an affinity for the Lone Star State. Volteo Reposado is currently being rolled out at liquor stores across the U.S., where it can be purchased for around $70.

4. Trulussó Reposado

(Photo: Trulussó)

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A tombstone? The prehistoric monolith from “2001: A Space Odyssey”? Whatever the inspiration for Trulussó’s giant slab of a ceramic bottle, it sure makes a statement. This is the latest release from the much-loved Feliciano Vivanco y Asociados distillery, best known in additive-free agave circles for producing Alma Del Jaguar, Lost Lore and De Nada. Much like those tequilas, Trulussó begins with a great recipe. A mash of highland agaves undergoes open-air fermentation with Champagne yeast, before aging eight months in American white oak (a few months shy of an añejo) to make the brand’s Reposado.

The nose, palate and finish each deliver a remarkably different vibe. At first whiff, you’d be mistaken for thinking the tequila is all about springtime lavender and rose petals. Oak takes the reins after a few sips, giving way to hints of pineapple, almond and charred agave that feel at once earthy and tropical. But it isn’t until the finish that those roasty notes truly reveal themselves, driven by a double-whammy of dark chocolate and nuts that emerge as the star of the show. It’s a rollercoaster of a tequila that does well to justify its $150 price tag.

5. El Tequileño Limited Edition Extra Añejo

(Photo: El Tequileno)

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Launched in celebration of the brand’s 65th anniversary, El Tequileño Limited Edition Extra Añejo is by far one of the most expensive tequilas we’ve tasted in recent years. Whether or not it deserves a $700 asking price is for you to decide. The ornate decanter contains a blend of three batches: one matured for four years and nine months in ex-Jack Daniel’s whiskey barrels, another aged three years in French Oak casks that previously held El Tequileño reserves and a third that spent four years and one month in unused French Oak. It’s meticulously crafted stuff, no doubt, but a surprise change of pace for a distiller best known for its $25 Blanco.

But oh, how tasty the extra añejo turned out. In place of the brooding, over-oaked vibe that sometimes dominates these kinds of releases, is breezy charm, beginning with hints of apricot, flowers and caramel on the nose. The palate segues into big flavors of roasted agave and orange, underlined by a tasty crème brulée note that lingers long after the finish. The experience is surprisingly light on its feet, adding up to the rare extra añejo that eases you in glass after glass. Sure, you probably won’t be picking this bottle up anytime soon, but if you spot it on the shelf of a collector, there’s no harm in asking for a try.