You probably don’t need a made-up holiday like National Tequila Day to sip your favorite agaves, but hey any excuse doesn’t hurt. Since we make no bones about our unbridled love of pure agave—be that tequila, mezcal, bacanora, whatever—we’re gathering up our favorite new 100-percent additive-free tequilas to celebrate this fine fictional day. From agave-forward overproofed blancos to Sherry-aged reposados to añejos as smooth as Italian marble, there’s an option for nearly every fan below.
Pezuña Blanca Reposado Tequila
Pezuña Blanca draws its name and identity from the legend of a horse marked by a single white hoof—a symbol of strength, balance, and good fortune that the brand carries into its ethos. The tequila is produced at NOM 1480 (Tequila Las Americas) in the volcanic red soils of Jalisco’s Amatitán Valley, where horses are still used to manage vegetation between the agave rows, a low-impact nod to the charro tradition.
Made from 100% USDA-certified organic Blue Weber agave, the Reposado is rested in oak barrels between four to six months, yielding a citrus-forward profile layered with soft vanilla and a limestone-like dryness on the finish. It’s so smooth and rich, one could suspect foul play in the additive department—but founder Devin Odell vows they keep it real (a claim third-party verified by BioAgricert). “Authentic tequila should reflect the purity of its ingredients and the integrity of its process,” Odell tells Maxim. “For Pezuña Blanca, being additive free honors the craftsmanship behind every bottle and ensures that what our consumers taste is real tequila. It is our standard across the board, a choice rooted in quality and ensuring trust.” Part of a three-expression lineup with a Blanco and Añejo, Pezuña Blanca positions the Reposado as a study in patience—a fitting toast for the current Lunar New Year’s Year of the Horse. $75.—Nicolas Stecher
Tequila Ocho Barrel Select Añejo — Ferrand Cognac Cask Finish
Two of the most respected patriarchs across all spirits—Tequila Ocho’s co-founder and Maestro Tequilero Carlos Camarena and Maison Ferrand’s owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel—have collaborated for the third time on this new bottle from Tequila Ocho. The first collaboration for these generations-old legacy families, back in 2019, saw Camarena’s tequila aged in a trio of Gabriel’s barrels from his portfolio of brands: Planteray Barbados Rum, Planteray Jamaica Rum and Ferrand Cognac Ambré. The next year they followed up with another triptych of Barrel Select expressions, this time a trio of rums (Fiji, Trinidad, and Panama), Ferrand Cognac, and a crazy hybrid blending Fiji and Panama rum casks.
The new 2026 release stays true to Ocho’s single-field, single-estate philosophy, distilled from overripe highland agave harvested exclusively at Rancho Las Raíces, just east of the brand’s Los Alambiques home. This is when Camarena’s superb blanco gets shaped by Maison Ferrand’s touch, the spirit resting a full year in seasoned French oak that once held Ferrand cognac. Transported roughly 5,500 miles from the limestone soils of France’s Charente region—shaped by ten generations of Ferrand heritage—to the volcanic red earth of the Jalisco Highlands. The result layers Ocho’s beloved agave-forward character with notes of baked pear, honey, and delicate white flowers pulled from the cognac oak. Bottled at 44.4-percent ABV (88.8 proof), get this highly-limited añejo while you can. $125—Nicolas Stecher
House of Rare Sherry PX House Reposado Tequila
After hitting the ground running with its inaugural RAREcask expression earlier this year, the highly awarded Genesis PX Reposado, House of Rare launched its first permanent core range this summer (they’ve also sourced from top-tier distilleries like Cascahuin, Atanasio, and Arette over the years). The House Blanco and House Reposado, produced at Herencia de Agaves (NOM 1648) in the El Arenal appellation of Jalisco both follow founder Miguel Ortiz’s zero-additive production standards.
While the House Blanco is worth finding, the House Reposado actually uses the same barrels that went into the limited edition RAREcask Genesis PX Reposado—except slightly proofed down from 46% ABV to 40%. The six months spent in those Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, delivered from Spain immediately after draining to preserve wood saturation, blesses the tequila with waves of raisin, fig, and honey that wonderfully compliment the base spirit’s minerality. So smooth you might suspect it’s an añejo. $90—Nicolas Stecher
Patrón 100 Proof Blanco
Cask strength whiskey, overproof rum, navy strength gin — every other category seemed to have higher proofs than tequila until the last few years — a rising trend that renowned brand Patrón joined in on this year with their first 100-proof offering.
Patrón is not the first to market with a three-digit proof on a bottle, but it may be one of the best ones on the market right now regardless. It was also a reaction to shifting market expectations — of people looking for something more authentic, with more intense flavors of the precious agave plants that actually generate tequila’s flavor.
Showcasing subtle flavors at a high proof is a difficult challenge, but Patrón 100 delivers. It has a distinct cinnamon heat initially on the palate, but flavors come through despite the strength. Minerality turns into stone fruit and citrus, before a dry finish that brings just a bit of tropical fruit, cooked agave, and fresh grasses to the party.
Surprisingly, it’s also one of Patrón’s best bargains at the moment, with a $50 price tag that basically begs you to experiment with mixology and make up some extra stout margaritas. It’s also lovely over ice — anyway, we’ll leave the how-to-drink part to you. $50 —G. Clay Whittaker
Mijenta Tequila Anejo Symphony Series No. 3
A lot of aged tequilas on the market today favor the barrel over the spirit, meaning that you’ll taste more influence of wood than the agaves. That’s a real bummer when you consider how long it takes an agave to reach full maturity — five to eight years. So when a tequila gets the balance right, it’s worth extra praise.
Mijenta Maestra Tequilera Ana María Romero understood the assignment when she began working on Symphony Series No. 3. “Aging tequila is a delicate art, said Romero, “because I aim to incorporate the notes from the barrel, but without ever overwhelming the flavors of the agave.”
Symphony Series No. 3 employed carefully toasted staves from trees sourced from the Northeastern United States. The liquid rests for 18 months in these casks, reaching añejo status. But the result is balance not dominance — cooked agave side by side with vanilla and caramel, citrus alongside chocolate, rose petals, tropical fruit, and hints of smoke.
“This Añejo achieves a harmonious balance between the characteristic fruity and citrus notes of the highlands, with the depth and complexity of our Symphony barrels,” said Romero, and it’s hard to argue that this symphony has achieved anything less than harmony in a bottle. $120 —G. Clay Whittaker
Cazcanes Blanco No. 9
The Cazcanes brand has been around for about a decade now, with its first bottles hitting the market in 2017. Unlike many of the upstarts from the last 10 years, this tequila brand didn’t come from whiskey enthusiasts, but rather from a couple of winemakers pivoting into agave spirits.
The proof of that is in the liquids — earthy, complex, terroir-driven tequilas that make thoughtful use of technologies available. Cazcanes Blanco No. 9 is perhaps the best known bottle in the portfolio — a 100-proof, additive-free blanco tequila that pendulums between tropical fruits and a distinct minerality and salinity. Pineapple leads the way on the nose and palate, leaning funky and overripe on the tongue. You’d expect the heat to add more pepper, but it seems as if the extra alcohol serves to squeeze in more depth for these big tropical notes — hints here and there of kiwi and grapefruit, citrus peel, and even some mango.
Is it cocktail-worthy? Certainly, and especially if you want to really notice the impact of tequila on your drink. But this bottle behaves more like a sipping spirit in your glass — a dash of water, a cube of ice, or even just a squeeze of citrus (orange or lime) really changes the experience from one pour to another, in fascinating ways. $75 —G. Clay Whittaker
Cayeya Traditional Reposado
It’s always nice when a tequila brand has centuries of history, but new brands can do a few things well and smartly, and build just as much goodwill with consumers. Take Tequila Cayéya, which was founded less than a decade ago in 2019. The brand has an award-winning distiller in Zandra Gómez Santiago who has put some truly delicious liquids on the market that have racked up some serious awards.
While their high-end bottles are outright stunners, it’s their entry-level bottles you should really start with. Cayéya uses recycled glass for these products — the Cayéya Blanco bottles are made exclusively from recycled Mexican Coca-Cola bottles, and the Reposado bottles are made from recycled Pacifico beer bottles. It’s funky, unique, and interesting — just like the liquid inside.
Cayéya Reposado’s nose is aromatic with grassy, funky agave notes. Aging six months in American and French oak barrels brings out some of the cooked agave and baking spices, and adds a touch of smoke, but it never overwhelms the fresh green flavors of tropical fruit and stone fruit. This isn’t a sweet tequila or a “clean” tequila — if you want that, stick with vodka. This is what you drink when you want an agave-driven spirit rounded with just a hint of wood. $60 —G. Clay Whittaker
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher’s travel, spirits and automotive adventures on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for whiskey reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.