Like 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). Aged for at least two months, 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 The best tequilas are made with 100% agave, but the legal minimum is just 51%, with the rest allowed to be made up by a neutral spirit. Also known as silver Tequila, Blanco is the youngest of the spirit types. It is usually not aged, or aged for a very short period.

Reposado tequila is aged in American or European oak barrels for between 2 months and a year. These tequilas have a matured smoky flavour and are stronger compared to Blanco expressions. Our panel – made up of 10-accredited spirits experts and tequila-loving consumers – put 27 blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas to the test.Joven tequila is less well-known than other types of tequila. It simply blends unaged tequila with some aged tequila.

Each has different characteristics, ranging from the fresh and citrusy (there’s a reason you shot with lime and salt), to the more complex styles that display caramel and oak. Broadly speaking, blanco is for shots, anejo is strictly for sipping (like you would with whisky), and reposado is a good option for either. How we test tequila Unlike some wines, with their complex classification systems, tequila is simply categorised by age as follows: Blanco Each was tried neat and blind, to avoid brand bias, allowing the full flavours — fresh citrus to warming oak — to shine through. They were on the lookout for smooth, easy-drinking styles, with well-balanced sweetness and added complexity.

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The ELLE Lab is made up of a panel of 10 WSET-certified (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) experts and consumers. They sipped (no shots here!) their way through 40 blanco, reposado and anejo tequilas. Each was tried neat, before being diluted with a touch of water, which allows the alcohol to soften, bringing out more flavour. They were looking for bright, bold examples, with exceptional complexity. The production of tequila is heavily regulated. Mexican law states that tequila can only be produced in the state of Jalisco and specific areas of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas.