The World’s Best Tequila According To The NY World Spirits Competition

The New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC) awarded Best in Class honors to five Tequilas, one Mezcal, and one Bacanora. The NYWSC is part of the Tasting Alliance’s family of international wine, beer, and spirit competitions. The event featured several hundred entries, many of whom were not well-known to American Tequila enthusiasts. Below is a brief description of the winners, along with tasting notes.

Nobleza 33, Reposado Tequila, 40% ABV, 750 ml.

The top-ranked Tequila, winning Best Overall Tequila and Best Reposado Tequila honors, was Nobleza 33, Reposado Tequila, an ultra-premium tequila crafted by Master Tequilero Engineer Felipe Camarena at the El Pandillo distillery in Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico.

This artisanal tequila is produced from mature Agave pinas harvested at a minimum age of five years. The production process emphasizes traditional methods, including manual slicing of the agave for uniform cooking and grinding the agave using an 8.5-ton mechanical tahona, nicknamed “Frankenstein.”

The Tequila has a pale golden hue, indicative of the 4-6 months it spent aging in ex-bourbon barrels of American oak. The nose features aromas of sweet, cooked agave, vanilla, hazelnut, and subtle hints of oak notes.

It’s surprisingly robust on the palate yet smooth. It exhibits prominent flavors of well-seasoned oak wood and sweet cooked agave, with subtle undertones of hazelnut and vanilla.

The finish is long and sweetish, with lingering but subtle hazelnut, oak, and vanilla notes.

The NYWSC Judging panel described the Tequila as exhibiting “toasted hazelnut, caramel, and warm spice flavors.”

The runner up was TC Craft, Tequila Reposado, 40% ABV, 750 ml. The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Tequila as featuring “vanilla and caramel with a touch of spice.”

Alto Canto, Tequila Blanco, 40% ABV, 750 ml.

The top-ranked Silver/Unaged Tequila was Alto Canto, Tequila Blanco, a premium tequila brand that embodies the rich traditions of Mexican craftsmanship. “Alto Canto means “High Song,” reflecting the brand’s dedication to authenticity and quality in its Tequila.

Crafted in the Sierra del Tigre mountains of Jalisco, Mexico, at 9,000 feet above sea level, Alto Canto’s pinas come from some of the highest agave fields in Mexico. The company utilizes organic agave, pure mountain spring water, and a traditional stone tahona to craft its Tequila.

The Tequila is crystal clear. The nose features wet stone minerality, along with cooked agave, lime, and floral aromas. It’s smooth and complex on the palate, featuring cooked agave flavors, hints of pepper, citrus, minerals, and earthy notes. The finish is short and crisp, with a refreshing aftertaste and a lingering minerality.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Blanco Tequila as “crisp with herbal undertones, refreshing and slightly earthy.”

The runner-up was Siete Leguas, Blanco, 40% ABV, 750 ml. The NYWSC Judging panel described the Tequila as exhibiting “earthy and herbal notes, with a hint of sweetness on the finish.”

Tequila Bribón, Añejo Tequila, 40% Abv, 750 ml.

Tequila Bribón, chosen Best Añejo Tequila, is a premium tequila produced in collaboration with Casa Don Roberto. The family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico, dates back to 1840. The brand’s name, “Bribón,” translates to “rascal” or “rogue” in Spanish, embodying a spirit of adventure and charisma.

Tequila Bribón is crafted from 100% Blue Weber agave, harvested at 7-10 years of age. The agave is cooked for 18 hours in stone ovens at 100°C, shredded, and fermented using a proprietary yeast developed by Don Roberto. The tequila is a blend of spirits from pot still and column still distillation.

The Añejo Tequila has a deep amber hue with golden highlights, the result of 18 months of aging in ex-bourbon casks. It’s delicate and floral on the nose, exhibiting honeysuckle, pear, and a hint of ripe apple aromas.

The palate features floral and orchard fruit flavors, followed by toasted coconut, hints of fresh basil and thyme, a hint of white pepper, and a touch of fresh lemon zest. The finish is long and smooth, with lingering fruit and subtle spice notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Añejo Tequila as featuring “dried fruit, vanilla, and oak, along with caramel, spice, and woody notes.”

Don Fulano, Imperial Extra Añejo Tequila, 41.3% ABV, 750 ml.

Don Fulano Imperial Tequila was selected as the Best Extra Añejo Tequila. It’s produced by the Fonseca family, cultivating agave in the Highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, for five generations. Their legacy began over 140 years ago in Atotonilco as agave farmers before acquiring the historic La Tequileña distillery in the mid-1980s. This distillery, with over a century of history, became the foundation for producing their exceptional tequilas.

Don Fulano tequilas are crafted using estate-grown, hand-selected mature agave, proprietary yeast, and natural volcanic spring water. Aged an average of five years and then finished in Sherry casks, they are among the oldest Extra Añejo Tequilas bottled.

The Tequila is amber in color. The nose features creamy/lactic and meaty umami notes of crisp bacon, along with browned butter, cocoa, dried fruit, cinnamon, and other spices.

The palate offers a nuanced complexity featuring bitter orange zest, dried fruit, coconut, and jalapeño peppers with orange marmalade, mesquite, Crème Brule, and black walnut notes.

The finish is medium-length but incredibly complex, with lingering notes of the many different flavors experienced on the palate.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Extra Añejo Tequila as featuring:

Layers of caramel, toffee, and chocolate-covered fruit on the nose. Sweet clove, nutmeg, and pepper spices dominate the palate with coffee beans, dark chocolate, old leather, and tobacco flavors.

The Best Flavored Tequila was 1800, Cucumber & Jalapeño Tequila, 40% ABV, 750 ml. The NYWSC Judging Panel described the 1800 Tequila as exhibiting:

Fresh cucumber aromas lead, complemented by a hint of jalapeño. Clean and crisp. Refreshing and slightly spicy

The runner-up was Madam Paleta, Tamarind Flavor Infused Tequila, 35% ABV, 750 ml. The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Tequila as “tangy and slightly spicy.”

Desolas Mezcal, Blanco, 40% ABV, 750 ml.

Desolas Mezcal was voted the Best Mezcal. Desolas is an artisanal spirit founded in 2020 by GG Mirvis. Inspired by her passion for agave spirits, she introduced a non-smoky mezcal to the market. Produced in San Luis Potosí, Mexico, Desolas is crafted from 100% Salmiana agave, a variety known for its large size and unique flavor profile. This agave, often called the “green giant,” takes up to 25 years to mature, contributing to the mezcal’s distinctive character.

Unlike the traditional smoky flavor of many mezcals, Desolas employs hornos, aboveground ovens, to cook the agave. Like Tequila, this method produces a mezcal with minimal smokiness, allowing the natural flavors of the agave to shine through.

The Mezcal is bright and completely transparent. It features aromas of lemon zest and fresh grass on the nose, accompanied by a subtle hint of agave sweetness. The palate exhibits the same distinctive flavors of lemon zest and fresh grass clippings. The absence of smoke allows the natural agave flavors to be prominent. The finish is long and refreshing, with lingering citrus and herbal notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Desolas Mezcal as featuring:

Smooth and balanced, it begins with a subtle sweetness, followed by a light smokiness and subtle minerality. It then becomes earthy with hints of herbs and citrus, leading to a clean and refreshing finish.

Kilinga, Blanco Bacanora Premium, 40% ABV, 750 ml.

The top Bacanora was Kilinga Blanco. It also won Best in Show Unaged White Spirit.

Kilinga Bacanora Blanco Premium is a traditional agave spirit from Sonora, Mexico. Crafted from 100% Agave Pacifica (Agave angustifolia), this unaged expression captures the essence of Sonora terroir and the traditional craftsmanship of Bacanora production.

The Bacanora is crystal clear with a bright sheen. The nose presents green and cooked agave aromas and subtle hints of fresh earth, citrus, and tropical fruits. The palate exhibits pronounced roasted agave flavors, sweet fruit, light pepper notes, and a touch of minerality. The finish is long and smooth, with lingering cooked agave and mild herbal notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the Bacanora as exhibiting:

Crisp, clean, and refreshing, with fresh herbal and citrus notes, An authentic taste of traditional Sonora agave spirits.

The New York World Spirits Competition highlighted a range of Tequila and other agave spirits from smaller producers. Although available in the US, many of these brands are not well known here. If you are an enthusiast of Tequila and other agave spirits, they are worth seeking. All of them are outstanding.

Salud!