5 Best Tequilas of 2025, So Far

Spirits releases generally fall into one of two windows: the weeks and months leading up to summer, and the snowy, holiday-gifting occasions of October and November. With one of those windows now firmly behind us, we can finally take a breather and start evaluating what some of the best tequilas of the year might look like by the end of 2025. And we’ve already got some great contenders.

From IPA yeast to Napa Valley cabernet wine barrels, the finest tequilas we’ve tried so far this year have excelled in unconventional production methods and bold, in-your-face flavors. Prices on the below recommendations range from $60 to $130, and, as usual for our roundups, all are additive-free.

Cachasol Epic Strength

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It’s rare to find a truly innovative approach to tequila — a spirit that’s generally limited to five states, three expressions and one base ingredient. Cachasol shakes up the formula with the signature inclusion of India Pale Ale yeast in the distillation process. It’s an odd choice, but one that makes perfect sense within the context of the brand’s story. The tequila was brought to market earlier this year by industry regular James Montero, an alum of Dogfish Head Brewing, alongside fifth-generation master distiller Jimmy Villalobos Sauza. No surprise, then, that their brainchild is a synthesis of traditions built north and south of the border.

And what a synthesis it is. Cachasol’s extravagantly titled “Epic Strength” Blanco, bottled at 48% ABV, pops with a buttery garden patch of aromas spanning mint, basil, raw agave and dilly beans. A hint of white vinegar brings to mind pickles in the best way possible. It’s an influence that continues onto the palate as hearty flavors of okra, artichoke and black licorice sweetness take center stage. Though you may find this dark green profile in hints and pieces across other tequilas, to discover all these flavors in the same place — and imposingly strong at that — is a rare occasion. If we were handing out an innovator of the year award, no doubt it’d go to Cachasol.

The brand’s Epic Strength is currently available online at $80. It’s also worth noting that Cachasol has plans to roll out a raicilla and a handful of bespoke cask-finished reposados, so be sure to keep on the distiller’s movements in months to come.

Loca Loka Tequila Reposado

(Photo: Loca Loka)

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Celebrity-owned tequilas are a dime a dozen in the current liquor landscape. Though Loca Loka doesn’t reinvent the concept, per se, it does expand its scope. The brand comes from the imagination of Tollywood actor Rana Daggubati and musician Anirudh Ravichander, who set out to create a spirit that fused Mexican and Indian sensibilities — hence “Loca” (Spanish for “crazy”) and “Loka” (Sanskrit for “world”). It all comes in a neat $60 bottle that, as of April, is now widely available across the U.S.

We found a lot to like in its Reposado, aged in a combination of French and American oak between four to six months. The nose is surprisingly reminiscent of a scotch whisky, brimming with a distinct mix of caramel, melon, pineapple and cedarwood smoke. The palate, meanwhile, takes a sharp turn toward dried fruit flavors. Apricots, prunes, pear and orange combine with a smidge of pistachio nuttiness and spiced undertones of nutmeg and clove. The overall vibe leans autumnal in a warm, bear-hug sort of way that demands fireside sipping — and we’re not just saying that because there’s a sombrero-donned bear on each label.

Wild Common Añejo

(Photo: Wild Common)

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Enthusiasts have been recommending Wild Common to us for a while. But it wasn’t until the brand debuted its inaugural añejo, aged 12 months in ex-bourbon American white oak, that we had a chance to see if it lived up to the hype. Suffice it to say that expectations were high. The Cascahuin distillery is inarguably one of the best in the industry, with Wild Common widely considered its up-and-coming darling. Another recent launch from the facility, Lágrimas del Valle, was hands down one of our favorites from 2024. But how do you elevate a concept beyond already stellar heights?

Tasting glass in hand, it all started coming together. This is a whiskey lover’s tequila through and through, opening with gorgeous, orange-soaked aromas of honey, vanilla pudding, caramel and toasted coconut. Hint of apple pie, cooked agave and marzipan are peppered across the palate, leading into a knock-out finish defined by allspice and brown sugar. We said in our review that this would work perfectly in some sort of Butterfinger candy cocktail, but that’s vastly underselling how great of a solo sipper it is. Doubly so since it’s bottled at 47% ABV, a surprisingly rare choice for aged tequila expressions.

This is another brand to keep an eye on down the road. Founded by Andy Bardon, a former National Geographic photographer and professional mountain guide, Wild Common has steadily expanded its portfolio with a handful of tequilas and mezcals. Its añejo is available at a suggested retail price of $90.

Campo Azul 1940 Still Strength Blanco

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The high-proof blanco trend has defined all things tequila over the past couple of years. What began as a niche subgenre pioneered by brands like Fortaleza and Tapatio has evolved into a market-defining force with a few too many competitors to count. Even for distillers that have been in the game for decades, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle.

Campo Azul 1940, an established though arguably overlooked brand, quietly dropped one of the best bottles in the genre earlier this year. The recipe begins with mineral-rich lowland agaves that are distilled to a still strength of 53% ABV, just two notches shy of the legal maximum. It might sound like a throat burn, but we promise it’s not. Instead, this is a high-proof blanco that dials up agave to the absolute max, boasting a caramelized, almost charred quality that brings out gobs of amber sweetness. Subtle flavors of honeysuckle, white pepper, limestone and bell peppers add a welcome complexity. On the finish, creamy hints of brine, aloe and honey that wash it all down with a nice touch. Works equally well over the rocks or in a swelteringly strong paloma cocktail.

At a budget-friendly price of $60, it’s a shock that this one hasn’t found its way into the recommendation list of more tequila influencers.

Codigo 1530 Cowboys & Dreamers Edition Añejo

(Photo: Codigo 1530)

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We’ve been heaping a lot of praise on this añejo recently, so we’ll try to keep it relatively succinct. Cowboys and Dreamers is the latest limited-edition drop from Codigo 1530, a tequila founded back in 2017 by ex-Crocs CEO Ron Snyder and country music superstar George Strait. They make for an unconventional duo, no doubt, but with some great spirits to boot.

What we have here is the latest in a long, long line of special edition drops, this time aged for two years in hand-charred French oak previously used to age Napa Valley cabernet wine. But you wouldn’t know it from the nose alone. It’s a potently oaky, decidedly whiskey-inspired affair, stuffed with tons of baking spice, apples, stewed plums and cocoa nibs right at home within an older age statement. It’s on the palate where those red wine influences come to the fore with pangs of cherry, perfumed rose petals, vanilla and raspberry. And yet again, it zigs just when you think it’s going to zag, introducing thick flavors of chocolate, cinnamon and macadamia that place it back firmly in añejo territory.

It’s a wonderful experience bundled up with an admittedly steep $130 price tag. We recently ranked it the best red wine-aged tequila currently available on the market, and we stand by that high praise.