Would you buy any tequila brand for more than $2000? Before you say yes or no, someone did for $3.5 million. That’s right, you heard correctly. Now, why would someone spend so much on tequila? Two reasons: quality and class. In terms of quality, three distinct traits characterize expensive tequila brands in Mexico and the world. They are usually clear, come in beautifully crafted bottles, and have balanced flavors. In terms of quality, the percentage of agave fruit content is also another factor that makes tequila expensive. If it must be expensive, then it must also be 100% agave with no additive chemicals. The best tequila brands are mostly from Mexico because it’s home to the exquisite blue agave. This is the key ingredient that expensive brands like Clase Azul, Don Julio, and others use in making Reposado, Blanco, and other tequila.
If you belong to the class of spirit lovers, check out our list of expensive tequilas around the world.
Tequila Brands
If you love tequila, it means you already know that, besides the norm of lemon and salt, you can enjoy it as a cocktail drink or simply sip it to get the blissful state of diverse flavors. Actually, sipping is the perfect way to get the best out of your tequila drink.
Types of Tequila
Till the launch of extra añejo a few years ago, there were just 4 types of tequila. The desire for the best in terms of quality birthed extra añejo. So there are currently five types of tequila around the globe. What makes each class or brand different from the other? First is the length of its aging period. Secondly is the various oaks casks or other casks used for it.
#1. Tequila Extra-Añejo
Extra añejo is the class that houses the most expensive tequila brands. According to a source, it was first launched in 2006. This tequila was rightly named extra añejo because it’s a mixture of perfect goodness and pure bliss.
#2. Tequila Añejo
While reposado is reposed and then aged for a short period, tequila Añejo is usually aged for a longer period. Expensive brands will age their Añejo in different casks with different flavors to give the tequila a renowned taste and flavor.
#3. Tequila Reposado
The name “Reposado” came from the repose process. This tequila is free of the long-term aging process that Añejo and Extra Añejo undergo. Reposado means repose for a given period. The reposing period can be as short as 3 weeks and can also be as long as 9 months or more. Generally, reposado tequila is more expensive than Blanco because it is casked. Aside from the repose process, the tequila takes on a unique oak flavor. Unfortunately, it loses its white, or rather, Blanco, identity.
#4. Joven Tequila
If you love Blanco, you’d probably love Joven too. It’s simply because both have a lot in common. You can simply say Joven tequila is another version of Blanco.
#5. Blanco Tequila
Of the 5 types of tequila in the world, Blanco is the cheapest. Blanco processing and filtration exclude the long aging process in wood and oak casks that makes tequila very expensive. While Anejo stays in casks for more than five years, Tequila Blanco spends less than three months in vats. Blanco means white or clear and this is exactly how it appears in color.
Most Expensive Tequila Brands
If it must be expensive, then it must be 100% blue agave. Agave plants take time to mature, at least 5-7 years. Aside from the beautiful bottle and the 100% agave content, it must pass through several rich filtration processes. It also goes through a long aging process in oak casks. The following are the most expensive tequila brands of all time. Here are the most expensive tequila brands in the world from the least expensive to the most expensive.
#1. Clase Azul Extra Añejo (Ultra
Cost $1700| Alcohol Volume 40%
The Extra Añejo is pure goodness, thanks to its long aging in perfect casks that influences its taste. For Clase Azul Extra Añejo, the aging period is nothing less than 10 years in an oak barrel. Its decanter is also hand-designed by Mexican artisans with gold, silver, and platinum.
#2. Don Julio Real Extra Añejo Tequila
Online cost $1999.99| Alcohol volume 38%
Aged for three-five years, Don Julio Real Tequilas is one tequila every spirit lover would love. Its key flavors are agave and vanilla, combined with chocolate, caramel, almonds, and wood. It was first launched in 1996.
#3. José Cuervo 250 Aniversario
Cost $2,179| Alcohol Volume 40%
This Extra Añejo has a strong flavor and a warm mouthfeel. Citrus, sherry, and smoke on the nose announce the presence of tequila. With a silky texture, the flavor notes include butterscotch, chocolate, and vanilla. It is light and merely creamy.
#4. Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio
Cost $2,200| Alcohol Volume 38%
Like other expensive tequilas, Barrique de Ponciano Porfidio is pure in-and-out goodness. In terms of its outside goodness, its bottle, like La Ley Del Diamante, is designed with precious ornaments. Its pictures and alphabets are engraved in 21-karat gold. Additionally, it’s 100% pure agave with excellent taste.
#5. Asombroso Reserva Del Porto
Cost $2,299.99| Alcohol Vol 40%
AsomBroso Reserva Del Porto isn’t tequila in the traditional sense, it is more than just tequila. It’s a unique double-barreled tequila with its unusual presentation in a handmade cigar humidor. The AsomBroso Reserva Del Porto seems more like a piece of ornamental artwork than a bottle of tequila. It’s housed in a hardwood box with a drawer for the stopper, and it looks like a premium tequila should. The bottle is a duplicate of the Portuguese 18th-century castle decanter. Asombroso goes through its aging process in Portuguese port wine casks for a decade. The result is a brandy-like tequila that has superb taste. Asombromso’s is a blend of a small amount of tequila aged in white oak barrels. It comes in a crystal decanter. The two tequilas combine to create a multi-layered, rounded flavor that develops in the mouth.
#6. Patron En Lalique Serie 2 Tequila
Cost $7500| Alcohol Vol 40%
Your list of the most expensive tequila brands will not be complete without Patron En Lalique. Patron En Lalique tequila is another expensive tequila brand that every spirit lover will love. It’s a high-quality tequila that comes with an attractive appearance. It is aged for 8 years in various casks such as the Sherry Barrel, American oak, and French oak. Like every distinct tequila, its production cannot be likened to beer because of the quality and difference in the process. Because of the long aging process, it is produced at once, and once that batch finishes, it is till the next aged tequila completes its circle. However, every bottle has a unique taste of multi-layered fruit, sweet honey, agave as well as oak.
#7. Expensive Tequila Clase Azul 15th Edition
Cost $30,000
Clase Azul’s 15th-anniversary limited edition sold for $30,000. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Clase Azul released 15 bottles of tequila, which differ from all their other products.
So, what makes it special and expensive?
This edition is a special blend of three ultra-long aging processes. These are a 15-year aging term in a Spanish sherry barrel, a 6-year aging term in a port barrel from Portugal, and finally a 5-year aging term in an American white oak barrel. The bottles were designed by 15 Mexican artists. This is apparently why each decanter is unique and differs from the others.
#8. Ley 925 Premium Tequila Añejo Cristalino
Cost $4,063| Alcohol Volume 38%
Ley 925 Premium Tequila Añejo Cristalino is the first of the ley 925 brands on our list. It is crystalline in color, contains 100% agave, and also has three distinct flavors. These are vanilla, oak, and chocolate. It’s indeed pure bliss.
#9. Ultra-Premium Ley 925 Pasion Azteca Tequila
Cost $ 225,000| Alcohol Volume 42%
Ultra-Premium Ley 925 Pasion Azteca Tequilais a long term aging tequila. The bottle like most special editions is pure beauty, made of ceramics and precious metals with an Aztec passion emblem.
#10. La Ley Del Diamante
Cost $3.5 million| Alcohol Vol 42%
At a whopping sum of $3.5 million, this tequila is a double barrel of in-and-out goodness. Call it “La Ley Del Diamante,” or sterling diamond, whichever you choose, you are not wrong. La Ley del Diamante has a record that is quite hard to beat. It is the most expensive tequila in the world, not just in Mexico. The first of its kind, a clear picture of class and elegance. The La Ley del Diamante bottles won a Guinness record and are showcased in major cities around the world. The Ley 925 family is one tequila brand that keeps winning Guinness records with exceptional products. But top on their list is la ley diamante.
Double Barrel of Rich Goodness: La Ley Del Diamante Bottle
It took 10 months for 17 renowned artisans to complete the design. The bottle is handmade and adorned with priceless gems, which is why this record-breaking tequila is so pricey. It has a slinky metallic curve and was crafted from two kilos of platinum, the world’s most precious metal. Additionally, about 4100 white diamonds weighing 328.59 carats were encrusted on the platinum. Your guess is as good as mine. It explains why the bottle gives off an iridescent sheen as well as why it is the most expensive tequila in Mexico and the world.
Double Barrel of Rich Goodness: La Ley Del Diamante Tequila
Expensive tequila brands do have a unique taste, but La Ley Del Diamante is pure bliss. It’s a rich, aromatic extra-añejo that every spirit lover will love to have. It’s everything an extra añejo is and much more than an extra añejo. Aged in barrels for seven years, it more than doubles the requirement to qualify as an extra-añejo.
Clase Azul Reposado Tequila
Cost $174.99-$259.99| Alcohol vol 40%
Anyone who loves Reposado tequila will give a 5-star rating to Clase Azul Reposado. Introduced in 2000, Clase Azul Reposado Tequila is an expensive spirit drink from Clase Azul Mexico. The first edition of the magnificent Clase Azul tequila was launched in 2000 after being aged for 12 months in wooden casks.
It is one of the most expensive tequila brands in Mexico. It holds Mexican culture and tradition in high esteem. For every bottle you buy, the rich culture and lifestyles of the Mexican people are gifts that come with your reposado. From the cultivation of agave through the fermentation, the distillation, and even the decanter, it’s a whole blend of culture, class, and lifestyle.
Clase Azul Tequila Reposado Decater
Clase Azul Reposado’s allure extends beyond the exceptional quality of its tequila taste. Its lovely ceramic decanter is handcrafted and also hand-painted by Mexican craftsmen, making each piece unique. The decanter appears in a beautiful Azul feathered design. By the way, Azul means blue.
Clase Azul Reposado Tequila: Major Ingredient
100% tequilana weber blue agave
Clase Azul Reposado Tequila: Certifications
Clase Azul Reposado has won the following certifications over the years;
- The Beverage Tasting Institute in Chicago
- The San Francisco World Spirits Competition
- Kosher
- Non-GMO
- Kosher and so on
What Differentiates it From Other Expensive Tequila Brands in Mexico?
Aside from Reposado, every Clase Azul product stands out among other expensive tequila brands. Technically, reposado has key characteristics that distinguish it from others.
- It uses organic blue agave.
- It slow cooks its agave in traditional ovens.
- It ferments this agave using the company’s secret combination of yeasts,
- It uses a careful distillation process to achieve the finest quality possible,
- Its filtration process is quite delicate.
- The aging process and filtration are top-grade using fine oak barrels.
Clase Azul Reposado: Taste, Aftertaste, Color & Aroma
COLOR: Bright yellow highlights in old Gold color
Taste: Hazelnut, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, and a smidgeon of agave syrup.
Aftertaste: Cinnamon
Aroma: Agave syrup, vanilla, candied orange peel, American oak, as well as light cinnamon and banana.
Don Julio Expensive Tequila
Don Julio is one of the most expensive tequila brands in Mexico. Do you know that Don Julio is the last member of the top-shelf tequilas? Well, now you know why it isn’t in every store across the United States. Apparently, it explains why Don Julio’s tequila isn’t just expensive but scarcely unavailable too. Lastly, it reveals why Don Julio’s expensive tequila has a 5-star rating. This is the result of its great taste and quality.
If there’s something else you need to know, it’s the premium quality of the ingredients every Don Julio tequila contains. For instance, each tequila is made from the finest blue agave plants cultivated between 7 and 10 years. When sipped gently, you will surely be mesmerized by the flavor and aftertaste it leaves tequila lovers. Don Julio makes several tequilas, but let’s see the most expensive tequila that they have. The brand is notable for its numerous tequila brands. With over 3000 tequilas in the market, diversification is one way to remain relevant in business
Don Julio’s Most Expensive Tequila Brands
The following are some of the most expensive Don Julio tequila brands:
#1. Don Julio Real Extra Añejo Tequila
Online cost $1999.99| Alcohol volume 38%
Aged for three-five years, Don Julio Real Tequilas is one tequila every spirit lover would love. Its key flavors are agave and vanilla, combined with chocolate, caramel, almonds, and wood. It was first launched in 1996.
So, what makes it special?
The expensive Don Julio Real Extra Añejo tequila was aged in both American ex-whiskey and the casks used for Crown Royal Canadian Whisky. It also comes in a decanter bottle, top with a pina-shaped cork stopper.
Don Julio Real Extra AñejoTequila: Taste, Aroma, Appearance, & Aftertaste
Appearance: Pale Golden
Taste: Agave and dry oaky
Aroma: Vanilla, cigar tobacco, fresh dill, raisin ice cream, dried fruit, faint rum
After Taste: Long Majestic agave and spicy oak
#2. Don Julio 1942 Ultima Reserva Extra Añejo Tequila
$999.99| Alcohol Vol 40%
Initially matured in bourbon barrels before being finished in Madeira wine barrels, the Don Julio Utima Reserva is an expensive tequila for spirit lovers. It has a golden hue and also has four enticing flavors. These are oak, caramel, apricot, as well as orange.
Do you know that Don Julio is one of the companies that make their tequila in batches? For instance, the company will release about 4,000 cases of Tequila Don Julio Ultima Reserva Añejo to mark its 80th anniversary in 2023. For a rare 36-month matured luxury Extra-Añejo that maintains Don Julio González’s ultimate heritage – the final agave crop cultivated by González and his family in 2006, it is worth the price. Do remember it’s a limited edition, which means this rare liquor will be distributed each year until the final agave harvest is completed.
#3. Don Julio 1942 Luminous Bottle
$1,199.99| Alcohol Vol 38%| 1.75cl
The luminous bottle isn’t just a name, it’s indeed a reality with Don Julio 1942. The bottle illuminates for almost 4 hours, emitting an agave blue and golden amber electroluminescent glow that highlights the liquid’s elegance. It’s a unique blend of agave and another key element that distinguishes the brand from its competitors. The 1.75 cl cost about $1199.99, while the 77cl cost less than a Less than $1000.
Most Expensive Tequila Brands in Mexico
The following are the top most expensive tequila brands in Mexico
- Ley 925
- Clase Azul
- Don Julio
- Patron
- Herradura Tequila and so on
Conclusion
Expensive tequilas have a distinct flavor that is unmatched. A rare bottle of wine costs more, but it’s an experience you shouldn’t pass up if it doesn’t affect your budget. You can buy it directly from the brand website or visit any online liquor store to get your favorite tequila drink. Luckily, some of these stores offer free shipping. In essence, as long as you can afford the exorbitant price, go ahead and get your most expensive tequila.
Most Expensive Tequila Brands FAQs
I often see Mezcal written on most Mexican tequila, what does it mean?
Mezcal means cooked agave. The agave plant, upon its maturity, is roasted, shredded, filtered, fermented, and then undergoes a number of aging processes in various casks. The word is a mixture of Metl which is agave and lxcalli which is cooked.
Is buying a tequila for $2000 worth it?
As long as it won’t affect your finances. It’s a cool bottle of goodness that spirit lovers always love to get.
What percentage of agave is perfect for tequila?
At least 50%. But then what this means is that the remaining content is simply chemicals, that give you a hangover. So 100% agave is still the best. However is quite expensive.
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