2024 has been a great year for tequila, not just here in the United States and Mexico, but globally. Sales have been increasing steadily throughout this decade (according to the Business Research Company, the market has grown from $12.73 billion in 2023 to 14.32 billion in 2024) with no slowdown in sight, which is great news for us here at Uproxx.

Because we love tequila. A lot.

Throughout the year we’ve been regularly covering, tasting, and ranking the best of the best the tequila market has to offer, and now as we hit the final weeks of 2024 it’s time to name the bottles that rose above the rest.

And what a challenge it has been! This isn’t the first time we’ve dropped a year-end ranking of the best tequilas, but by far, this has been the toughest as each time we placed a bottle outside the top five, we felt like we were doing a minor disservice to it.

That is to say, as dorky as it sounds, every single bottle on this list is a winner in our eyes. But, there is a definite hierarchy and what set apart the great bottles from the absolutely outstanding were minor — but significant — nuances and complexities. The sort of thing experts passionately nerd out on.

But hey, at least you can rely on us to be just that type of nerd. So here they are, the absolute best bottles of tequila we drank in 2024, ranked from great to outstanding.

17. Alto Canto — High Proof Blanco

Price: $89.99

The Tequila:

If you’re interested in high-proof tequila but want to air on the side of caution, Alto Canto’s High Proof Blanco is a bit on the tame side at just 96 proof but still delivers that full, intense flavor that we love about the high-proof stuff. It’s our favorite starter high-proof, so for that reason alone, we had to include it on our year’s end list.

This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1636, Tequila El Rocio, with agave cooked low and slow in stone ovens, tahona extracted, and mixed with natural spring water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Creamy and lactic with notes of rich cocoa and raw agave.

Palate: Soft, vegetal, and grassy. I’m tasting notes of fresh asparagus, green pepper, and tart green apple skin.

Finish: Buttery with a kiss of roasted agave and a gentle heat that builds on the aftertaste.

The Bottom Line:

Buttery, spicy, and agave forward. It’s one of the smoothest high proof tequilas you’ll ever drink.

Read more: https://uproxx.com/life/best-tequilas-of-2024-ranked/