Nicknamed “Mexico’s best kept Secret,” El Tequileño was founded in 1959 by Don Jorge Salles Cuervo, and is still run by his family today.

We recently tasted the Blanco and Reposado and can pronounce them excellent, among the very best tequilas on the market. All El Tequileno tequilas are additive-free.

El Tequileño reposado, $34 a bottle, is aged for a minimum of three months in American oak which brings out hints of vanilla and pear. It’s an excellent example of what a high-end reposado should taste like– buttery, butterscotch and a little oak: agave, sweet, caramel, butterscotch. The finish is sweet, short, a little peppery notes. We tasted minerals, wood and tobacco. Very good body. Cooked agave, cinnamon, black pepper, and a delightful dark chocolate bitterness all combine for success. How they get all these flavors without additives is magic.

The Blanco, about $31 a bottle, is a long-standing favorite, the tequila of choice for locals in the town of Tequila and Guadalajara for the past 60 years. A blend of 70% agave and 30% Piloncillo (handmade unrefined Mexican sugar cane), only the finest ingredients are sourced to make this high quality tequila. El Tequileño uses estate grown Blue Agave from the Los Altos region of Jalisco combined with the mineral rich water sourced from El Volcan de Tequila. El Tequileño is one of only a few distilleries with access to this exclusive water source. Their Blanco is aged for 14 days in American Oak which gives it more balance and complexity. This extremely versatile tequila compliments all of your favorite cocktails such as the Batanga, Margarita or the Paloma and more. Otherwise it can be enjoyed neat or on the rocks on the nose, citrus, like fresh squeezed orange juice, and peel. Then, cooked agave underneath. Some salinity, and a grassy/earthy note.

Both are great values in this crazy era of soaring pricing of tequilas around every corner. https://www.tequileno.com/