Looking for a new flavor? Need a little help making your next choice at your local bar or bottle shop? Dining and drinks writer and judge Virginia Miller combs through new craft spirits releases to taste, review, and recommend. Here are her top 12 picks of the month, rated on a scale of one to five.

Alto Canto High Proof Blanco Tequila

Last year I reviewed Alto Canto’s line of tequilas except for their high-proof Blanco, which I received at a later date. Distilled at their own NOM 1636 9,000 feet above sea level in the Sierra del Tigre Mountains of Jalisco, Mexico, it’s 48% ABV and with less dilution, more ideal for cocktails than their regular blanco and more bracing in flavor. I still find it a bit sharp, as I do the rest of the line, and maybe hard to justify for the nearly $100 price point, but with its hits of vegetal white pepper, citrus and minerality, it is my preferred tequila from this producer.
Taste Rating: 4

Read more: https://distilling.com/distillermagazine/new-release-roundup-january-2025/