As you may remember, many tequila distillers in Mexico repurpose American oak barrels because they are readily available, and relatively inexpensive. U.S. laws mandate that bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels.
Consequently, once bourbon is aged, these barrels become surplus (and take up a lot of space!). This led to a cross-border partnership whereby bourbon and whiskey makers sell their used barrels to tequila makers. Everybody wins!
When bourbon and whiskey are aged, the charred oak contributes vanilla, cinnamon, butterscotch, caramel, and toasty notes. Along with oak flavor, of course. When these barrels are then used for tequila aging, those residual flavors come along for the ride, giving the natural sweetness of the agave more depth and character..
Today, as tequila aged in used barrels becomes more elevated and nuanced, many whiskey fans are becoming tequila curious, and seeking agave options that might scratch their bourbon itch.
Different, but similar.
It’s important to note here that tequila doesn’t necessarily taste like bourbon. Certainly, unaged blanco tequila is dissimilar to unaged whiskey. It’s made from very different raw materials, after all.
But, the longer tequila stays in oak barrels, the more bourbon-ish it becomes, generally speaking. There is no question that many great tequila brands are not necessarily trying to mimic or copy bourbon flavors per se, but certainly want to create a spirit that will be enjoyed by the whiskey community.
So if you’re a bourbon drinker, where do you start with tequila selections?
First, you want a fair bit of aging. There are a few reposado tequilas that are vaguely bourbon adjacent even though they’ve been aged less than one year in oak. That’s usually due to the char level in the barrels, and it’s definitely an exception.
Thus, bourbon fans should seek out añejo and extra añejo tequilas.
Añejo must - by regulation - be aged at least 12 months in oak. Extra añejo needs at least a three-year nap in oak. There are a few tequilas that are aged 8, 10, 12 years but it is very rare.
Unlike whiskey, agave flavors do not progress linearly with age, and it’s VERY easy to overdo tequila aging once you get past four years. Agave is a little too dainty to stand up to so much wood contact.
If you’re coming from the whiskey world, you might think “geez, only 1-4 years of age, how much flavor could it even have?” The same reason you can overoak tequila is the same reason you can get a lot of flavor with just 18 months in wood. Tequila is very adept at flavor absorption!
Extra añejo is going to be the most familiar to bourbon drinkers, but because of the tequila boom there isn’t much extra añejo on the shelves right now, and it can be pricey.
So for now, let’s stick with añejo (1+ years aging), which is easier to find and easier to afford.
9 Tequila Picks for Bourbon Lovers
Alma del Jaguar is a terrific tequila brand (just named #2 new brand of 2024 in the Tequila Jay Baer awards). Their recently released añejo has all the moves whiskey folks will know. In fact, brand owner McCauley Williams was formerly a whiskey broker.
La Pulga is another fantastic new brand out of Fort Worth, Texas. They make a full lineup of tequila, plus mezcal and sotol. All have a balanced, robust character, with a spicy and dusty vibe. Their añejo is a nice choice if you like rye.
Arette is made by the legendary Orendain family in Tequila, Jalisco (yes Tequila is named after the town of Tequila - which is named after the volcano Tequila - but that’s maybe an article for a different day!). The brand is named for a one-eyed famous Mexican horse that won an Olympic gold medal in jumping at the 1948 games, in London. They collaborated with Seelbach’s on a fantastic, single-barrel añejo at 92-proof that adds amazing citrus and vegetal tones on top of the aged agave backbone. Just 238 bottles made.
Paladar is also made by the Orendains at the same distillery, El Llano (founded in 1900). Paladar uses different distillation cuts (includes more heads and tails), and is fermented in pine instead of steel. This creates more minerality, but also more earthy funkiness. Seelbachs has an exclusive single barrel Paladar añejo too, at 92-proof. Just 246 bottles made. Want a really fun assignment? Do a head-to-head with the Arette and Paladar single barrels!
Cazcanes is one of the fastest-growing new tequila brands of the past decade. Perfectly balanced, they use their own water source - a tiny spring located 2+ HOURS away from their distillery. Every two or three days, they truck in this special water to make more Cazcanes. Their #7 añejo is a delightful bottle, perfect for folks that prefer a lighter/sweeter whiskey profile.
ArteNOM is a very cool brand from Jake Lustig that makes tequila from several different distilleries. Their ArteNOM 1414 is a reposado and is very good indeed. For whiskey lovers, however, I recommend the ArteNOM 1146, made at the same distillery that makes Cierto, Don Fulano, and Tears of Llorona. Unlike the others on this list, they first age the tequila in French oak wine barrels, and THEN transfer it into ex whiskey and rye barrels. Creates a very sophisticated expression!
El Tesoro is part of the Suntory Global Spirits group, so has an amazing opportunity to engage in many exciting collaborations with their sister brands. The El Tesoro 85th anniversary aged in Booker’s barrels is one of the best tequilas I’ve had in years. And, their new añejo aged in Knob Creek barrels is a supremely good offering that’s very bourbon-forward.
Similarly, Tequila Ocho (like El Tesoro, made by Carlos Camarena in Arandas, Jalisco) is under the same ownership umbrella as some whiskey superstars, most notably Widow Jane. It can be hard to find, but if you see a bottle of the Tequila Ocho añejo aged in Widow Jane barrels….buy it!
Less rare is the series from Corazon tequila whereby they release limited batches aged solely in well-known bourbon brand barrels. The two most recent to hit the market are Corazon aged in Blanton’s barrels, and Corazon aged in Weller barrels. And at a price under $60, they are an absolute bargain for whiskey drinkers.
Certainly, if you drink whiskey neat, or with a rock, these tequilas will feel familiar. But don’t neglect the opportunity to sub tequila for whiskey in your favorite cocktail. A tequila old fashioned, tequila manhattan, or tequila sazerac can be transformative!
Salud!
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Jay Baer is a tequila educator and a marketing and business consultant to tequila brands. He and his business partner, Maddie Jager, produce 20+ videos per month about all things tequila on Instagram (@tequilajaybaer) and TikTok (@tequila.jay)
Get their list of 75 top recommended tequila brands at JayTequila.com