What are the best tequilas for Cinco de Mayo? Our favorites, from cheap to stupid expensive
Cinco de Mayo is on the horizon. That means its time to celebrate with Mexico's most cherished spirit: tequila.
Centuries of experience have turned agave into an art form. Like all art, it exists on a spectrum. There are the plastic bottles dumped into rotating barrels of margarita mix or ripped as lessons in regret one shot at a time. There displays of precisions and wealth expensive enough to be a recurring plot point across the Breaking Bad extended universe. Somewhere in the middle lies my sweet spot.
With Cinco approaching, let's talk about some of the favorite tequilas I've had the chance to drink over the past year. Since that was a whole bunch, let's break this into two articles. Here's FTW's Cinco de Mayo tequila guide, part one.
If you're looking for the Cuban cigar variant of tequila: Alto Canto's high-altitude blancos
There's something about Alto Canto that hits differently. The tequila from Mexico's mountainous terrain has a lighter, airy-er taste. The closest I can compare it to is how the soil in Cuba affects their cigars. Granted, that's a comparison I've gotten to make maybe thrice in my life, but still. That's what Alto Canto reminded me of.
Admittedly, the reposado left me a bit disappointed. Let's talk about its best two expressions instead.
Blanco: B+
This smells much better out of the bottle. Clean and crisp but with a little bit of that buttery, oaky, sour undercurrent that was inescapable in the reposado.
The first sip begins sweet -- slightly creamy and a little vanilla -- and ends floral and a little bitter. The agave is a mellowing influence throughout, leaving that mild buttery airy feel to linger as a part of the signature taste. It feels a little bit like the difference between a typical and a Cuban cigar; a little lighter with a premium charge for the experience.
In this case, however, it weaves through the sweetness of the blanco to create a smooth but complex tequila that's easy to sip. There's no boozy burn, just a little floral bitterness that settles in toward the end. The sweetness and the sour seemingly built into Alto Canto is a lovely braid, especially tempered by a little ice.
This makes it significantly better than the reposado and assuages my concerns about high altitude tequila. A lighter tequila works well with Alto Canto's vibe and tempers the almost lactic current that rings each sip in an interesting and, ultimately, tasty way.
Blanco High Proof: B+
Like the lower proof blanco, it pours with a crisp clean agave smell and a little earthy, acidic sourness trending underneath. There's a stiff sweetness that's inviting and cautious at the same time.
Like the regular blanco, the first sip opens sweet on your tongue. It transitions to a slighter bitterness than the other two, instead replaced by a slight spice that snaps off each sip. It's not a boozy heat, despite the higher alcohol content (96 proof). Instead it's a minor pepper, citrus and salt that keeps the spirit dry and ups the replay value.
That makes it an easy fit for a twist of lime, but also ensures it doesn't need it. It's sweet and fruity, dry and spicy. There's a lot going on but you don't taste the high proof. Given how Alto Canto started, the blancos are a remarkable turnaround. Light and complex. Sweet and bitter. Slightly airy. It's an interesting progression and one that rewards you for sticking with it.
