LIQUIDS

Which tequilas fit best behind your bar? Spirits expert Sean Ludford gives us his view on 41 of the best. With so many serious contenders, Ludford's tasting notes won't make your job any easier, just more fun...

Añejo

1800 'Antigua Añejo' Sweet butterscotch and roasted-nut nose. Medium-bodied and focused with delicate flavors mingling peacefully on a whisky-rich background. Thumbs up.

Herradura' Selection Suprema Muy Añejo An amazing spirit category all to itself. Incredibly deep, complex and beautiful. A Cognac substitute that is both decadent and subtle simultaneously. I must get up and lock the door now.

Sauza 'Triada Añejo' Fruity, faintly citrus nose. Quite assertive with lots of pepper and alcohol heat. Sweet orchard-fruit core and a fiery finish.

Corralejo 'Añejo' A real oddball with rich dark rum like casks and baked, musty agave fruit on the nose. Spicy with a generous dose of rich rum core. Mildly peppery with a long lingering sherry-like sweetness.

Don Eduardo 'Añejo' Caramel and pears abound on the nose. More assertive on the palate than most añejo, featuring fresh, lively acidity with complimenting tropical and cinnamon notes.

Cabo Wabo (by Sammy Hagar) 'Añejo' Pale gold, fruity and earthy. Apple pie and cream flavors abound with a lightly salty, sweet herbal edge. A good dose of pepper and tingly alcohol heat emerge on the finish.

Sauza 'Tres Generaciones' Deep, rich caramel and figs fill the nose. Full-bodied, assertive and very rum-like. A long, lingering peppery finish.

El Tesoro de Don Felipe 'Añejo' Sweet pickling spices with roasted tropical fruits and nutmeg fill the nose. Lush and round, beautifully textured. A very complex Tequila, slightly smoky with cinnamon, rich tropical fruits, and mild chilies on the finish. Amazing.

El Tesoro de Don Felipe 'Paradiso' Deep, lush, tropical, pineapple and caramel scents fill the nose. Silky smooth and wildly complex, not losing its Tequila core while carrying so much more. A keeper.

Casa Noble 'Xtra' A very pretty floral, rum-laced nose with hints of coffee. Soft and subtle on the palate with a dominant caramel mocha presence. A very mild, tame style.

El Jimador 'Añejo' Caramel and oh-so-bourbon-like. The palate shows off a perfect marriage of baked agave and sweet, rich bourbon of the highest quality. Semi-dry lingering finish. Amazing.

Centinela 'Tre Añejo' Rich, sweet rum/bourbon and anise nose. Soft, round and lush. Very rum-like. I would be hard pressed to call it Tequila but it’s nice.

Oro Azul 'Añejo' Baked apples and mango essence fill the nose. Vanilla, toffee, nutmeg and caramel abound. Complementing flavors of bell pepper, leather and sweet herbs add interest. Nice.

Corazon 'Añejo' Deep, rich caramel-like nose. Big, round and supple with a creamy center. Okay, rum cask, and quite sweet. Brown spices and molasses dominate the finish. Nice.

Blanco
Don Julio 'Blanco' Beautifully floral and fruity. Medium-bodied and very complex. Spring flowers, under-ripe peach, melons, dates, sweet thyme and lavender. Peppery and fruity on the finish. A gem.

Cabo Wabo 'Blanco' Assertive nose filled with freshly-cooked agave; mildly smoky with a hint of late night at Señor Frog’s. Lightly viscous with a peppery, lime edge that carries through the finish. Nice balance.

El Tesoro de Don Felipe 'Platinum' Pure, sweet agave with a splash of sea salt and green olives. Viscous, spicy, fresh and simply wonderful. The essence of agave with incredible length, texture and style. Yum.

Don Eduardo 'Silver' Delicate, very floral. Well-balanced, subtle style with trailing spice and citrus (grapefruit and lemon). Great with fresh fruit juices.

Casa Noble 'Crystal' A beautiful fruity, floral nose. Silky smooth with ripe fruit, sweet herbs, vanilla bean and fennel seed. Complex and perfectly balanced.

Cabrito 'Blanco' Assertive baked tropical fruit nose. Slightly viscous, showing baked green apples with cinnamon and pepper. Faint dry leaf and green olives on the finish. A super value.

Zafarrancho 'Blanco' Faint fruity, citrus nose. Dry and quite tart on the palate. Clean and pure with a snappy, salty finish. Ideal mixer.

Espolon 'Blanco' Floral, ripe agave nose. A very delicate and, dare I say, contemplative blanco. Complex and lengthy with plenty of ripe fruit, anise and citrus zest. Very sexy in an understated way. Now I’m blushing.

Oro Azul 'Blanco' A very assertive nose. Ripe agave nose with sweet cream, jasmine and honey blossoms. Slightly sweet and viscous on the palate with a very mild smoky quality. Enjoy solo or in a classic marg.

Reposado

Patron 'Reposado' Faint color. Assertive, fruity, mildly-medicinal nose. Rich, round, sweet, with apple sauce and vanilla. Interesting with a peppery, herbal finish.

Corralejo 'Reposado' Rich and mellow nose of roasted peach with ginger and sweet oak. Viscous and generous on the palate displaying perfect balance and loads of style, finishing with a good dose of pepper and wood.

Sauza 'Hornitos Reposado' Interestingly woody with sweet rum, figs, black olives and wood notes. Light, simple but attractive.

Cazadores 'Reposado' Outrageously fruity and complex with baked apples and pears, caramel, coriander and sweet cream. Medium-bodied, fruity and semi-dessert-like (in a good way). Truly unique and delicious.

El Tesoro de Don Felipe 'Reposado' Faint in color. Anything but faint on the nose, showing assertive and oh-so-attractive fresh agave qualities with green olives. Complex and very wild with indescribable fruit notes coupled with salt, vanilla fudge and sweet lime. Amazing.

El Conquistador 'Reposado' Fruity and creamy with cream of tartar nose. Viscous with generous berry-like fruit and spice. Toffee and brown butter balanced by biting pepper and cardamom flavors. Nice.

Cabo Wabo 'Reposado' Wild agave and pineapple on the nose. Very generous with the baked caramelized fruits rising on the palate. A fun drink with lots of rum-like sweetness on the finish.

Zafarrancho 'Reposado' Assertively limey on the nose. More lime, oranges and roasted almonds on the palate. Not terribly complex but attractive none-the-less.

Espolon 'Reposado' Rich, sweet and fruitcake-like on the nose. Generous, silky and hedonistic. Tropical fruits abound, mingling with vanilla and exotic spices that Magellan never dreamed of. Very mature and perfectly proportioned. Wow!

Pueblo Viejo 'Reposado' Fresh, rich, ripe baked-agave and sweet cream on the nose. Generous and complex on the palate. Purely Tequila in character, but use like a good whisky. Sip slowly and hope for more.

30-30 'Reposado' Wild, fragrant, spicy, agave fruit, papaya, mango nose. Peppery and untamed on the palate. Peppery fresh with a solid ripe fruit core with a baked apple note on the finish. Yum.

Oro Azul 'Reposado' Fruity and oddly vegetal on the nose. Rich, and quite assertive on the nose with sweet tropical fruit married with earth and mushrooms. A big, bold and unique style.

Herencia de Plata 'Reposado' Faint gold. Sweet, rich, fruity nose. Soft, unctuous entry on the palate. Delicate baked tropical fruit flavors mingle with brown spices, roasted nuts and pepper. In danger of being gulped.

Mixto

Sauza 'Commemorativo Añejo' Mixto Añejo Sweet orchard-fruits dominate the nose. Supple and sweet on the palate. Brown sugar and fruit juice abound. A warming, long finish.

Sauza 'Silver' Mixto Blanco Floral and slightly soapy on the nose. Faintly sweet and flowery with prickly alcohol-heat circling the wagons. Clean with a soft stone-fruits finish.

Sauza 'Gold' Mixto Joven Abocado (Gold) Faint, fruity nose with hints of limes and earth. Straight forward. Tart apples with a grassy, peppery finish.

Cuervo 'Gold' Mixto Joven Abocado (Gold) Faint apple-like nose. Round, soft and quite sweet, reminiscent of apple cider with a salty, lime-touched edge.Zafarrancho 'Gold' Assertively limey on the nose. More lime, oranges and roasted almonds on the palate. Not terribly complex but attractive none-the-less.