A New Style of Premium Tequila Has Arrived in the U.S.

About a decade ago, tequila makers Maestro Dobel and Don Julio were faced with rising agave prices and a dwindling demand for reposados and añejos. To create a more accessible expression, they each began charcoal-filtering their barrel-aged overstock into what is known as cristalino. The richer, sweeter spirit, stripped of its color and heavy wood notes, is now Mexico’s fastest-growing tequila category, particularly among young women seeking a premium product. “You expect the flavor to be bright and green, but it’s a surprise shock to your palate,” says booze expert Sean Kenyon of Denver’s Occidental bar. Cristalinos are versatile, too, adding interest to a margarita or served neat, chilled with a slice of orange.

Grover Sanschagrin of the Tequila Matchmaker app recommends LVMH’s añejo because it doesn’t undergo the same aggressive purification as lesser rivals. “Hold it up to the light, and you’ll see a tiny bit of color left in the liquid,” he says. “Some of the natural barrel notes are still present.” The result: rounder, more natural flavors of tobacco and chocolate against a dry, peppery agave spine. $70