The Tequila & Mezcal Masters 2024 results

Economic pressures have slightly taken the heat out of the Tequila and mezcal market. But while customers may be tightening their belts, for the ones that are buying the bottles, there are amazing expressions to be had.

At the start of 2023, Tequila looked like an unstoppable force in the US. It had already nudged American whiskey sales by value, and was tipped to topple vodka from the top spot by the end of the year (IWSR Drinks Market Analysis). But updated IWSR insights shared towards the end of 2023 painted a different picture.

After several years of double-digit growth, volume growth of premium-plus Tequila in the US slowed to 4% during the first six months of 2023 compared with the same period the year before. In contrast, the standard, value-and-below segments started growing at a similar pace to their premium-plus counterparts after previously having declined. A cocktail of economic factors have contributed to this change, including increased living expenditures, as consumers grapple with rising costs worldwide.

IWSR also noted, however, that as Tequila has matured as a category, the quality of its offerings at all price points has improved, “justifying trade down”, said Marten Lodewijks, consulting director – US, IWSR.

Assess the entrants

The category was put through its paces, along with other agave-based spirits, including mezcal, during this year’s Tequila & Mezcal Masters blind tasting. Two panels of judges gathered at 42 Holborn in London on a frosty but sunny January day to assess the 2024 entrants. Matt Chambers, whisky writer and co-founder of the Whisky For Everyone blog, and Eduardo Gomez, Tequila & Mezcal Fest founder, made up the first panel. They were joined by Melita Kiely, editor of The Spirits Business, and chair of The Global Spirits Masters Competitions, who led the panel.

A second panel consisted of: Evan Prousaefs, bar manager at Sexy Fish in London; Ruchira Neotia, founder of Neo Margarita, and drinks designer at London’s Darjeeling Express; Anne Jones, director and founder of Limestone & Jones; and David T Smith, spirits writer, consultant and co-founder of the Craft Distilling Expo, who chaired the team. Chambers and Kiely also judged a selection of entries at a later date.

The first flight put under the microscope was 100% Agave Tequila – Premium Blanco, which looked at Tequilas priced up to £26 (US$33). Two Gold medals and two Silvers were awarded in this flight. Cabo Wabo Tequila Blanco was awarded a Gold medal for its “green fruit and characterful” aroma, leading to some “berry fruitiness and agave sweetness” on the palate.

Gold-winning Espolòn Tequila delivered “earthy, rooty notes” on the nose, complemented by “good texture, creaminess and chocolate” on the palate. The judges agreed that this flight offered great value for money. Jones said: “This was a small flight but very encouraging – great quality at the price point, typical character, and sound, well-made examples.”

Hints of vanilla

More Gold and Silver medals were enjoyed in the following 100% Agave Tequila – Super-Premium Blanco flight – four Golds and three Silvers. One of these Golds went to Proximo Spirits for its “delicious” 1800 Blanco.

Tequila Cazadores Blanco also collected a Gold medal for its “vibrant nose” and flavours of “pepper, fudge, toffee, and citrus” on the palate. Gran Centenario Plata was also a Gold recipient. Tasting notes included “hints of vanilla, oak dryness, a nice level of roasted agave and peppery spice – elegant and delicate; wonderful balance”.

The fourth Gold medal in this heat was awarded to Defrente, which impressed with its “lovely fresh and vibrant nose”. The palate offered “sweetness and late peppery spice, with good earthy roasted agave notes and warming elements later on”.

Moving to the ultra-premium contingent of the 100% agave blanco Tequilas, and two more Gold medals were awarded to Mayenda Tequila Blanco and El Tequileño Platinum. Mayenda Tequila Blanco brought notes of “spice and grassiness” on the nose, leading to a “warm and earthy palate”.

Meanwhile, El Tequileño Platinum secured a Gold medal due to its “fresh aromas” and “light floral notes, sweet agave and gentle pepper” on the palate. Four Silver awards completed the flight.

The 100% Agave Tequila – Ultra-Premium Joven flight brought the first Master medallist of the tasting in the form of Don Julio Alma Miel. “Lovely rich agave, grassy character, rich toffee, honey and vanilla notes from the wood – very sippable,” enthused the judges.

The panels then progressed to reposado Tequilas, starting with a standard-priced selection of bottlings costing up to £30. Two Golds and a Silver medal were awarded in this flight, with the Gold medals both going to Proximo products: Jose Cuervo Reposado, and 1800 Reposado. The latter expression was found to have notes of “roasted agave, chargrilled capsicum and a hint of marshmallow” with “lovely balance on the palate”, as Chambers noted.

In the super-premium bracket of the reposado subcategory – those Tequilas priced between £30 and £45 – another Master medallist was discovered: Herradura Reposado. Tasting notes included “complex layered aromas with sweet vanilla and stone fruit. Follows onto the palate with a touch of tannin, plenty of character.”

A trio of Gold medals were awarded to: “nutty, mellow” Tequila Cazadores Reposado; “smooth, with plenty of agave character” Espolòn Tequila Reposado; and “aromatic and warm” Gran Centenario Reposado. A Silver medal concluded the flight.

At the ultra-premium end of the price bracket, where reposado Tequilas cost £46 and above, Volcan Mi Tierra Reposado received a Master medal for its “good texture and long finish”. “The impact of the cask shines through – this has been well aged. A very solid reposado, and deserving of the price point,” noted Kiely. Three Gold medals – including one for Cabo Wabo Tequila Reposado – completed the flight.

Three Gold awards were also unearthed in the 100% Agave Tequila – Premium Añejo round, which assessed Tequilas priced up to £35. Gold-winning Cabo Wabo Tequila Añejo was described as “well-balanced, peppery, woody, and good value for money”. Fellow Gold winner Partida Añejo offered “rich fruity” aromas, with “agave and spice” on the palate. 1800 Añejo also picked up a Gold medal, for its “vibrant amber colour, jammy palate, light spice and vanilla” flavours.

In the super-premium segment of the añejo subcategory (£36-£54), three Gold medals and two Silver medals were handed out. The Gold awards went to: “approachable, smooth, with hints of coconut” Espolòn Tequila Cristalino; Tequila Cazadores Añejo, with “lots and lots of vanilla and toffee”; and Gran Centenario Añejo, which had a “luxurious texture, lovely sweetness and warm spice to balance”.

A flight of 100% Agave Tequila – Ultra-Premium Añejo produced five strong Gold medallists. Two of the awards went to products from Casa Coracho, including Tequila Coracho Añejo Cristalino. The Tequila was enjoyed for its “good mouthfeel, with vanilla and a touch of pepper”. A Silver medal was also awarded in this flight.

The 100% Agave Tequila – Ultra-Premium Extra Añejo heat (£55 and above) left a lasting impression on the judges, delivering two Master medallists. Both awards went to Tequilas produced by Proximo Spirits: 1800 Milenio and Gran Centenario Leyenda.

1800 Milenio delivered “jammy” flavours on the palate: “Rich and resinous with a lovely dryness mid-palate,” noted Kiely. “A good hit of sweetness to balance the warming spice – as expected of this style of Tequila – and worth the price point.” Chambers added: “It had an almost peachy quality, which you get in well-aged Irish whiskeys. Plenty of oak upfront but very well integrated.”

Gran Centenario Leyenda secured a Master award for notes of “fresh agave and oak spice” on the nose, leading to a “nice texture, cooked agave sweetness, gentle spice, and a well-rounded” palate. The round ended with two Golds and one Silver.

Jose Cuervo Cristalino secured a Master in the 100% Agave Tequila – Super-Premium – Aged Blend (£30-£45) round. “Green and vibrant nose,” said Chambers. “Nice level of sweetness also, clean and fresh on the palate. Good sweetness with lovely balance of spice and agave.”

In the ultra-premium iteration of the subcategory (£41 and above) Proximo Spirits collected four Silver medals for Maestro Dobel Diamante, Gran Coramino Cristalino, Gran Centenario Cristalino, and 1800 Cristalino. While the judges liked the Tequilas they awarded these medals to, they noted a tendency to be too sweet, and noted that dialling this down would help create a more balanced flavour profile.

The Flavoured Tequila round offered one expression that left the judges very excited: 1800 Coconut. Kiely said: “This is how you make a flavoured Tequila. The agave, classic Tequila profile is still present and marries beautifully with authentic, delicious coconut flavour.” Tasting notes included: “Very authentic coconut aroma; smells divine. Creamy and tropical. Delicious – I don’t know what more you would want.”

One Gold and two Silver medals were also awarded in the flavoured contingent.

A Master medal was also delivered in the Tequila Liqueur heat, as Miixa 100 Café Tequila impressed the panellists. “A great freshly brewed coffee flavour,” one judge wrote. “Sweet but not overly sweet, coffee-forward with chocolate notes as well.” A Silver medal completed the Tequila portion of the tasting.

The mezcal segment began with a flight of 100% Agave Mezcal – Joven – Artisanal – Tobala, which blew the judges away and secured a Master medal. This mezcal was liked for notes of “wood smoke” on the nose, leading to “beautifully integrated alcohol, a smooth finish with green notes and coffee”.

A large flight of 100% Agave Mezcal – Joven – Artisanal – Espadín followed, presenting another Master medallist: Rooster Rojo Joven Mezcal. The judges found this mezcal to be “elegant, but still full of personality”. They liked the “lighter floral esters complementing the rich, more vegetal notes. Lavender and thyme, with surprisingly subtle smoke.”

Six Gold medals were awarded in this heat, two of which went to Del Maguey Chichicapa and Del Maguey Vida Puebla. The latter was described as being “rustic and warming in style” with “smoke, spice and herbal notes”. Two Silver medals completed the flight.

Proximo picked up a pair of Gold medals in the next flight, 100% Agave Mezcal – Blanco – Artisanal – Espadín. The awards were given to “balanced and complex with bacon smoke” Creyente Tobala, and “vegetal, slightly sweet and smoky” 400 Conejos Tobala.

A double-Master win came in the 100% Agave Mezcal – Blanco – Artisanal – Espadín heat. The top accolade was delivered to Montelobos Tobala, enjoyed for being “rich and juicy with a lovely oiliness and pleasant smoke, and a touch of menthol”. A Master was also awarded to Creyente Espadín, with “overripe tropical fruit funk, light smoke, and dryness mid-palate – well-balanced with good complexity”. Three Golds and two Silver medals were also celebrated in this round.

In the 100% Agave Mezcal – Blanco – Artisanal – Cuishe heat, 400 Conejos Cuishe collected a Gold medal for its flavours of “overripe tropical fruits, cooked pineapple and agave”.

Another Gold medallist was discovered in the 100% Agave Mezcal – Blanco – Puebla round that followed. Montelobos Ensamble was hailed for being “vegetal and layered, with woody herbs on the palate”.

The Gold medals continued into the 100% Agave Mezcal – Reposado – Espadín flight, with Zignum Reposado meeting the judges’ Gold standard. “Ripe pineapple, cooked agave and peppery hints” secured the coveted award. The mezcal’s stablemate, Zignum Cristalino, also secured a Gold medal in the 100% Agave Mezcal – Añejo – Espadín round. The judges enjoyed flavours of “warming spice, sweet citrus, leading to some dryness for added complexity”.

Adding to the Master tally, however, was MayaJules Mezcal Artesanal, which won in the 100% Agave Mezcal – Blanco – Espadín and Tobala flight. “I really like the complexity, soft flavours and aromas: citrusy, smoky, peppery and well-balanced,” said Smith. A Gold was also given to Ojo de Tigre Joven.

The Gold standard continued as the judges approached the final few flights. “Smoky, grassy, warm and complex” Ojo de Tigre Reposado received the Gold seal of approval in the 100% Agave Mezcal – Reposado – Espadín and Tobala flight.

The next flight was Sotol, a Mexican spirit not made from agave but one that recently made spirits headlines following backing from musician Lenny Kravitz. His Nocheluna Sotol brand, created with Casa Lumbre, won a Gold medal. The sotol was found to be “very sippable”, with a “touch of smoke, some chocolate notes, and a light sweetness”.

In the final flight of the day, which looked at Other Agave Spirits, “sweet, fruity” Saroche Cocuy secured a Silver medal.

It was a vast and varied tasting – and left the judges debating the standard and future of Tequila and mezcal. Neotia said about Tequila: “The quality consistency in this heavily regulated category is paying off. There were exceptional examples from affordable to ultra-premium brands. I am confident that the continued growth in this category has no end in sight for the mid-term.”

The final task of the day was to resample the Master winners to determine the best of the best, and the spirit that should be crowned Tequila & Mezcal Taste Master 2024. That title was bestowed upon Don Julio Alma Miel, which continued to delight the judges, with “so much complexity on the palate”. Mezcal left the judges equally enthused. Neotia added: “It was a joy to see incredible examples that stretch the category, while maintaining their stylistic and base agave identity. There is something for everyone.”