Taste Test: Reposado Tequila

Our March/April 2026 issue dives deep into the world of tequila. If you’re on your own exploration of the category, reposado tequila offers a good starting point. Under tequila’s regulations, a reposado must be matured in an oak container for a minimum of 60 days. Some reposados may be aged up to a year (after its one-year birthday, the tequila shifts categories and can be considered an añejo). This relatively brief aging period (reposado simply means “rested”) can preserve a tequila’s core aromas and flavors of agave, while giving it touches of caramel, vanilla, and baking spice. Here are a few worth checking out.

El Tesoro Reposado Tequila

Produced at the La Alteña distillery in Jalisco’s highlands, El Tesoro is now overseen by Jenny Camarena, an Imbibe 75 alum for 2026 and the granddaughter of renowned tequilero Don Felipe Camarena. Aged for between nine and 11 months in American ex-bourbon casks, El Tesoro is Exhibit A of what a reposado tequila can be. The aroma is filled with notes of bright fruits and honey. And the flavor is agave-forward, with touches of butterscotch and spice. $69.96, astorwines.com

Mijenta Tequila Reposado

Today’s tequila producers are increasingly adventurous with their approaches to aging. Mijenta’s reposado spends around six to eight months in wood, using a combination of American white oak, cherry, and acacia casks. This approach enables the tequila to show off its bright floral fragrances, along with deeper characteristics of vanilla and citrus. In the glass, there’s a depth of cooked agave, honey, and cocoa. $69.99, mijenta-tequila.com

Chinaco Tequila Reposado

While most tequila hails from the Mexican state of Jalisco, tequila’s legally recognized region stretches into several adjacent states. Chinaco is produced in the state of Tamaulipas, at the family-owned La Gonzaleña distillery. Aged for 11 months in French and English oak barrels that were previously used for aging Scotch whisky, Chinaco reposado is ripe with aromas and flavors of fresh citrus and stone fruit, with a subtle resonance of oak and a gentle spiciness on the finish. $61.99, reservebar.com

Paladar Tequila Reposado

First introduced in 2022, Paladar is produced by the Orendain family at the El Llano distillery (the same family and distillery behind Tequila Arette) in the city center of Tequila. Paladar’s reposado is made using fully mature seven-year-old agaves from the distillery’s own fields, and is fermented in open-top wooden vats before being distilled and then aged for four months in ex-bourbon casks. This reposado is rich with characteristics of cooked agave and citrus, with a savory minerality balanced by bright aromas of flowers and stone fruit. $66.99, paladartequila.com

Zumbador Tequila Reposado

This tequila from the El Sabino distillery in the Jalisco highlands is made from agave cooked in masonry ovens and crushed using a tahona. Matured for 12 weeks in barrels that previously held American whiskey, Zumbador’s reposado has an elegant depth of cooked fruit and butterscotch, with flavors of cinnamon, vanilla, and agave. $29.99, zumbadortequila.com