Savor These Superb Additive-Free Tequilas
Go all natural this year with these unadulterated agave gems.
As we touched on briefly in coverage of Cazcanes’ latest blanco, there is a cold war brewing for the soul of tequila. The revolution is fomenting from tequila makers who are legitimately 100 percent additive-free per their label and Mexico’s governing CRT (Tequila Regulatory Council), who, as of this year, no longer allow brands to express their additive-free nature anywhere on their label.
Currently the CRT allows brands to use up to 1 percent by weight of mellowing agents dubbed abocantes, after which they have to label the expression as a “flavored tequila.” These additives—including caramel coloring, natural oak extract, glycerin and sugar/flavoring syrup—allow volume makers to exercise better control and homogeny for their product, and offer a consistent profile for consumers. Some argue, however, they can also cover up for inferior juice and create misleading and/or unnatural flavor profiles.
We want to stress there’s nothing intrinsically wrong with these agents: They allow for better consistency for large volume brands, are cheaper to produce—artisanally producing tequila is time consuming, laborious and expensive—and can offer flavors some consumers prefer. See the current popularity of highly sweet and vanilla-touched tequila, which some refer to as “cupcake bombs.”
“A growing number of tequila aficionados argue that transparency is always better for the consumer.”
But a growing number of tequila aficionados argue that transparency is always better for the consumer. And there is power in the movement, as a recent Nielsen report revealed that sales of such additive-free tequilas grew more than ten-times faster than the broader tequila market in the same period last year. This trend grows even more pronounced in predictive “tequila bellwether markets” such as New York (20 times faster) and Florida (19 times faster). In total, additive-free tequilas represent no less than 14 of the top 20 fastest-growing tequila brands in America.
As lovers of pure agave, we want to highlight over a dozen of our favorite 100 percent additive-free tequilas in celebration of National Tequila Day. With a wide price range from $30 to $800, there’s an option for nearly every budget below.
Alma Del Jaguar Nocturna
Launched by McCauley Williams with a vision of preserving the art of true tequila making, Alma del Jaguar came out of the gates with a blanco and reposado and have now added a high-proof blanco they dub Nocturna to their portfolio. Utilizing 100 percent wild yeast, the idea of Nocturna is to allow seasonality to enter the equation, so their spring release should differ from the upcoming version coming in fall. Bottled at 101 proof, Nocturna’s extra punch allows for the herbaceous agave flavors to really shine. Moreover, Williams donates a portion of all proceeds to wild jaguar conservation projects like the Northern Jaguar Project and Malpai Borderlands Group. $65
Cascahuín Plata 48
Cascahuín Master Distiller Don Salvador Rosales Torres and his sons “Chava”and Benjamin are nothing short of legends for tequila fanatics. Founded back in 1904, the family-run distillery (NOM 1123) not only crafts their own eponymous brand but many highly respected labels in the game, including Lagrimas del Valle, Montagave and Siembra Valles. We visited the remote distillery a couple years back in the village of El Arenal, Jalisco, to witness with our own eyes the magic the Rosales clan conjures. Eschewing most industrialized shortcuts, Cascahuín utilizes time-honored approaches such as cooking in stone and brick ovens, crushing via tahona wheels and open-air fermentation in wooden tanks. Look out for their over-proofed Cascahuín Plata 48, bottled at or near still proof of 48 percent ABV. This is about as close to an ancestrally made tequila as you’re likely to taste. $64
Ocho Plata
After helming El Tesoro to great heights, Carlos Camarena left the company in his sister Jenny’s capable hands to launch Ocho with famed restaurateur Tomas Estes, the man credited with spreading the popularity of the spirit across Europe from his first eateries in Holland. After Tomas passed in 2021, his son Jesse took over—together, he and Carlos craft world-class, all-natural tequila. Ocho takes transparency and terroir to the next level by focusing on single fields and labeling them plainly on every single bottle, so serious agave-heads can choose several different bottles on any given year and taste the subtle differences there within. We’ve had the honor of walking Camarena’s fields with the academic agronomist, who considers himself more of an agave farmer than tequilero, and witnessed the care he pours into his plants. Camarena even allows many of his agaves to fully mature to pollination for the health of the Blue Weber Agave species, a rare practice as those agaves are unusable once the quiotes (stalks) grow. Not only one of our favorite tequilas period, but also a superb value. $40
Loco Puro Corazón
While in Europe with his two partners at an event honoring French culture, design, legacy and craftsmanship, Loco co-founder Juan Pablo Torres Padilla thought it’s a pity there’s so much of the above in Mexico, but that so few people are aware. After pondering what Mexican product to focus on to share with the world, Juan Pablo and his partners settled on tequila. And if the point is to shine a light on Mexican culture, legacy and craftsmanship you better do so naturally. Loco tends for and farms over 200 acres of their own agave fields all within three miles of their Hacienda La Providencia—a 200-year old distillery which they are fully renovating and should be up and running full-bore this year. Make no doubt Loco is going the fancy route, launching in Mexico City in 2019 in top culinary destinations like Quintonil and Pujol and spreading to America from there. Of their three expressions, we preferred Loco Puro Corazón, the rarest of their bottles focusing strictly on the “pure heart” of the distillate. $349
Santo 110 Proof Blanco
Some dub Santo a celebrity tequila because Sammy Hagar launched it with Guy Fieri. But that’s unfair to Sammy, who is a true tequila pioneer, celebrity or not, as he was just the second premium American tequila brand after Patron when he launched Cabo Wabo in the 1990s. And since day one, the Red Rocker has been committed to additive-free juice, decades before it was even a thing. His new endeavor Santo is a terrific all-around tequila, and the duo have just released their 110 Proof Blanco—a still-strength expression bursting with grassy notes of cilantro and celery. Winner of a Double Gold at the 2024 SIP Awards, insert an “I Can’t Drive 55 percent ABV” pun in here somewhere and let her rip. We also love their Mezquila, an innovative tequila and mezcal blend that once again prioritizes earthy agave notes. $58
El Velo Blanco
As El Velo was developed by bartenders for bartenders, cost is paramount—especially when talking cocktails. But despite the aggressive price, El Velo cuts no corners: They promise no additives, industrial practices or shortcuts; their tequila is always cooked in stone and clay ovens and is screw mill extracted; bottled at higher ABV (44.5 percent) than most, all while being distilled in one of Jalisco’s best artisanal distilleries. Deservedly El Velo was awarded “Best Tequila Under $40” so they’re doing something right. Clean, simple, no nonsense tequila with enough agave flavor to survive a cocktail—which is exactly what El Velo was imagined for. Both the Blanco and Reposado are great values…and will leave you with plenty of pesos to make bad decisions elsewhere. $36
Cierto Reserve Collection Extra Añejo
Cierto founders Sergio Mendoza and Enrique Fonseca achieved international acclaim in 2020 when their juice was named “World’s Best Tequila.” Coming from a lineage deeply rooted in agave cultivation—Mendoza as a fourth-generation and Fonseca as a fifth-generation agavero (agave farmer)—they oversee every aspect from planting and nurturing to harvesting the agaves that ultimately become tequila. In a market often strained by shortages and commercial pressures, Cierto stands out by adhering to a commitment to harvest their piñas only when fully ripe.
This dedication stems from their extensive generational knowledge, allowing them to discern the precise moment of readiness for their agaves. Cierto’s Reserve Collection Extra Añejo is a testament to this craftsmanship, aged for four years in French Limousin oak which previously held fine wines, Cognacs, and Armagnacs. This aging process imparts a luxurious mouthfeel akin to Cognac, accompanied by a rich aroma and a golden hue.
The smoothness, viscosity and sweetness of many XA expressions is often because they are rife with sweeteners, but not Cierto—its polish, mouthfeel and sweetness is strictly the gift of French oak and time, not vanillin and glycerin. Think notes of tobacco, sweet cherry and honey, perfectly complementing the natural essence of cooked agave, earning it 117 awards to date. “’Cierto’ translates as ‘true,’ so we take transparency really seriously,” says Cierto founder Mendoza. “We have an open-door policy at our distillery and in our agave orchards, where anyone can come see every single step of the process, from field to glass. There’s not a question we won’t answer.
“Ultimately, though, the proof is in the product and one sip of Cierto is usually all it takes to solidify Cierto’s purity, agave forwardness and craftsmanship,” the proud agavero continues. “Additive-free status isn’t the end-all-be-all—the tequila still needs to taste exceptional. We like to say our focus lies with what Cierto is, versus what it isn’t.” $279
Cazcanes No.9 Blanco
Underscoring Cazcanes’ dedication to rabid tequila fans, the label offers no less than three Blanco options in their core portfolio. Why? Because they want to provide lovers of unaged agave, that is tequila without the influence of oak, a surfeit of flavor profile options. It all starts with their “No. 10” Still Strength, bottled without any proofing at 54 percent ABV (108-proof). They then proof their juice down with natural spring water they truck in from the mineral rich Navichi Springs. You can get it at 50 percent ABV (100 proof) in their “No. 9” label or traditional 40 percentABV (80 proof) as the “No. 7.”
“We offer three different blancos to cater to individuals at various stages of their tequila journey and everyone’s unique palate,” explains founder Colin Edwards. “Like the Goldilocks story, there’s a Cazcanes tequila that is ‘just right’ for everyone.” Of the trio our nod goes to the 100-proof No. 9 bottle, which won Double Gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition all three years it’s been entered (and also Best Blanco Tequila in 2018). $90
Lagrimas del Valle 2023 El Sabino Plata
While distilled by the expert hands of the Rosales clan over at the aforementioned Cascahuín, what separates Lagrimas del Valle from the other NOM 1123 brands is its “Rancho Unico” approach—meaning each bottling will be made from a single field or ranch/farm’s agaves. Sort of like Ocho’s Single Estate philosophy, except Lagrimas del Valle’s agave won’t always be from the family’s own fields, so therefore cannot be called “Single Estate.” Starting with 2022 vintages, Lagrimas del Valle’s latest is a 2023 El Sabino, using agaves harvested from a 4,000-foot high altitude field near Teuchitlan that reflects the lowland’s mineral-rich soil. Aromas of eucalyptus and mint waft over its herbal agave profile, powerful when bottled at 46% ABV. $59
El Tequileño Extra Añejo
Established in 1959 by a scion of the most famous family in tequila, Don Jorge Salles Cuervo’s El Tequileño eventually helped make him an icon of his own. Don Jorge’s roots dug so deep into the red clay soil, he named his new brand in honor of its birthplace, and only two years after launching his blanco was hand-picked by legendary bar La Capilla as the prime ingredient in their Batanga cocktail—the actual official cocktail-of-choice for thirsty Jalisco locals. Last year Don Jorge’s son—and a Gran Tequilero himself—Juan Antonio Salles, along with grandson and third-generation Master Distiller Jorge Antonio “Tony” Salles launched their Extra Añejo expression. The only tequila produced at La Guarreña distillery (NOM 1108), El Tequileño has been confirmed Additive-Free by Tequila Matchmaker since the program’s inception in 2020. $800
El Tesoro Mundial: Knob Creek Rye Edition
The Camarena family has been crafting some of the finest tequila since 1937 from their La Alteña distillery. Their premier El Tesoro de Don Felipe label sits at the top of the La Alteña mountain, and even unknowingly created the Extra Añejo category back in 1994 with their El Tesoro Paradiso expression. While all their bottles are a welcome sight, the second installment of their Mundial Collection is a current favorite. The aptly named El Tesoro Mundial: Knob Creek Rye Edition ages their blanco in Knob Creek Rye barrels for a full year, rendering it officially an Añejo. Given those charred-oak barrels soaked in Knob Creek Rye for no less than seven years, the wood adds rye notes of oak, dark cacao, vanilla, cinnamon and orange peel to El Tesoro’s cooked agave. $150
Cambio Reposado
Chef John des Rosiers channeled his 30 years culinary experience, including running a 1,500 bottle wine list, into a vintner-focused tequila project. Cambio employs all the traditional methods—cooking his agaves “slow and low” in stone ovens, fermenting with wine yeast, double-distilling in copper pot stills—before continuing the experiment with a unique combination of wood. For his Reposado des Rosiers ages his juice for one month in Burgundy and Bordeaux barrels, and then pours it into French oak Chardonnay casks for an additional five months. The flavors attained, all naturally, are quite outstanding, unlike any other reposado you might try. If it weren’t for their confirmed Additive-Free certification from Tequila Matchmaker, you might suspect some flavoring agents, but its notes of mandarin, guava and chile de Agua are all legitimately earned. Bottled at 46% ABV there’s still plenty of cooked agave punch. $60
Dulce Vida Blanco
While Dulce Vida’s Blanco, Reposado, Añejo and 100-Proof Extra Añejo are all proudly made USDA-certified organic without additives in the village of San Ignacio Cerro Gordo at Campanario (NOM 1443), the young label also provides a quartet of infused tequilas, all made with only real fruit: Pineapple Jalapeno, Lime and Grapefruit. Our nod goes to their Blanco, which is the most affordable 100 percent confirmed additive-free tequila we could find. $30
Quintaliza High-Proof Coffee Reposado
A coffee teased tequila, that is still 100 percent additive-free? It sounds paradoxical, but that’s because Quintaliza does not flavor or infuse their all natural, all organic tequila with coffee flavors or beans—but rather ages their juice in barrels previously seasoned with organic coffee. Crafted by fourth-generation Maestra Tequilera Iliana Partida in Amatitán, Valle del Tequila, Quintaliza was born out of a desire to develop something new and distinctive in the category without the use of any additives, vowing to follow sustainable practices while using only high-quality mature organic agaves. So Quintaliza take their blanco and pour it in oak that soaked in artisan-roasted organic coffee beans harvested in Chiapas, Mexico. The process adds subtle roasted coffee and dark chocolate notes to the caramelized agave reposado, creating a unique bitter-over-sweet juxtaposition. Imaginative bartenders should have a blast with this. Just earlier this month Quintaliza added a limited edition High-Proof version, with only 480 units available, bottled at 45% ABV. $80
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
