The World’s Best Tequila—According To The 2023 Barleycorn Awards

Cinco De May0 is right around the corner and American drinkers are expected to toast to the holiday with roughly 127 million liters worth of tequila. While the annual holiday is a relatively minor observance south of the border (commemorating the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862), in the US it’s turned into a sweeping celebration of Mexican culture.

And it’s hard to deny that tequila is one of that country’s most well-known cultural exports. In fact, according to recent data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, as soon as next year the popular category of agave spirit could eclipse vodka to become the number one-selling spirit on American shelves.

All this is to say: if you’re going to enjoy tequila— on the 5th of May, or any day of the calendar year—you’re going to have a lot of options. You may as well go with something sensational. To that end, the Barleycorn Awards has a worthwhile recommendation. Just before the start of the new year, the notable competition announced its best-of-the-best boozes across all major categories of spirit. When it came time to crown the top tequila, the judges went with a curious choice: Quintaliza Reposado Tequila.

What makes the selection so curious? Well, the lowland producer takes its double-alembic-distilled tequila and rests it in barrels that have been seasoned with artisan-roasted organic coffee. It’s a wholly unique finishing step laid atop a process that’s otherwise entirely traditional. And as a result you’re left with a robust liquid that drinks far deeper than you might suspect from something that spends less than a year in oak.

Indeed, you will discern a fair bit of coffee in the nose and palate of this 80-proof sipper. And your devotion to that particular flavoring component will likely determine how impressed you are by Quintaliza. But there is plenty of nuance to meditate on, beyond the mocha. There’s black pepper, wildflower honey, tobacco spice and even a touch of maple syrup in the slowly fading finish.

Ultimately, a lot of the notes provided by the expert palates at Barleycorn might seem more indicative of a well-aged whiskey. Nevertheless, the award-winning offering also plays particularly well in margarita form—which is how an overwhelming majority of Americans will be imbibing their tequila next Sunday. Though if that’s the route you’re going to take here, you had better be committed to craftier arrangements: at an average retail price of $80 a bottle, Quintaliza Reposado Tequila is a costly liquid to drown out among subpar modifiers.

Check back in the upcoming weeks as 2024 results start pouring in for Barleycorn, as well as other other major spirits competitions.