Best Reposado Tequila Bottles: Outsider-Approved
Reposado tequila is translated as “rested” and is aged in barrels for at least 2 months and up to 12 months. It serves a mix of agave-forwarded flavors with a hint of oakiness from the barrel.
Outsider prefers additive-free products when possible. Additives are allowed by Mexico’s Tequila Regulatory Council (CRT) permits if they do not exceed 1% of total volume; however, tequila brands are not required to disclose additive use on the label. Tequila Matchmaker has a “Verified Additive-Free” designation on its website for tequila brands and distilleries. The website’s additive-free list is an accurate guide to which brands and expressions represent tequila in its truest form.
Outsider has researched and tasted hundreds of tequilas and formed a list of our best of the best tequila recommendations here. Below, we have our top reposado recs.
While Añejo (and Extra Añejo) Tequilas are the obvious recommendation for whiskey drinkers, Reposados are also aged in barrels, which brings out the oaky flavors that most whiskey lovers enjoy.
Reposado tequila is aged between 2 to 12 months, whereas Blancos are rested at a maximum of 2 months. The slightly aged expression takes on a darker tint than the clear Blanco and mellows out the agave taste slightly to become more oak-forward.
The Best of the Best Reposado Tequilas
#1. Wild Common Reposado (93)
#2. G4 Reposado (90)
#3. Fortaleza Reposado (90)
#4. Tequila Tapatio Reposado (88)
Of course, personal flavor preferences and taste profiles play a role in what you as an individual sipper may or may not like. The selections below aim to guide you in finding your perfect Sip.
Outsider will continue to add and update this list.
Our Four Favorites
Wild Common Reposado
Outsider Rating: 93/100
NOM: 1123
MSRP: $85 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
Wild Common reposado is one of our top ten overall favorite tequilas, rising up the ranks fast. From the family-owned distiller of Cascahuin, which was founded in 1904, this traditional tequila is best described as the perfect balance of agave-forward with just the right notes, coming from the use Buffalo Trace barrels. Founded by National Geographic Photographer and former Exum Mountain guide Andy Bardon, this is one of our favorite contract brands to hit the industry. Also, Wild Common earns the Outsider award for the cleanest bottle and branding.
G4 Reposado
Outsider Rating: 90/100
NOM: 1579
MSRP: $55 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
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We love the G4 Blanco and this is a perfect extension of flavor to that bottle; an added layer of oakiness to the classic, clean G4 taste. The Blanco (which we have at a 92/100) is agave-forward with notes of citrus and soft earth, a hint of black pepper, and mineral. This Reposado elevates those flavors with the addition of a sweeter, vanilla oak that smooths and softens the Blanco’s flavors.
Fortaleza Reposado
Outsider Rating: 90/100
NOM: 1493
MSRP: $65 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
Fortaleza reposado is the perfect balance of an agave-forward taste you’d get with a Blanco, paired with oak and cinnamon characteristics from light barrel aging. This Sip is our No. 1 Reposado for making cocktails. As Lucas Assis said in his Fortaleza overview, the color and taste of Fortaleza aged expressions’ vary greatly from batch to batch due to the varying age of barrels that are used (some are newer, while others have been used quite a few times before). Each barrel used is re-chipped and re-charred.
Tequila Tapatio Reposado
Outsider Rating: 88/100
NOM: 1139
MSRP: $55 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
Don Felipe Camarena Hernandez began selling Tapatio Tequila in 1940, but this iconic tequila just made it to the United States in the past few years. Today, Master Distiller Carlos Camarena is carrying on his grandfather’s legacy of producing artisanal, handmade tequila. Tequila lovers that like the additive-based sweet profile of Casamigos and Clasa Azul will love Tapatio’s blend of agave forward with just the right balance of oak, vanilla, caramel, and pepper. At a great price, availability, and high quality, Tapatio is a workhorse Reposado.
Other Reposado Tequila Recomendations
Siete Leguas Reposado
Outsider Rating: 87/100
NOM: 1120
MSRP: $55 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
Using two factories to ensure the most consistent tequila in the industry, Siete Leguas Reposado is another winner in the reposado category. It is a very clean-tasting tequila, similar to the Blanco, but with a hint of vanilla and oak from the gentle aging in bourbon barrels.
El Tesoro Tequila Reposado
NOM: 1139
MSRP: $55 (Buy on Sip Tequila)
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
From the same distillery that produces Tequila Tapatio, the El Tesoro brand was launched in 1989 and is owned by Beam Suntory (Jim Beam). The reposado spends nine to 11 months in used Jim Beam barrels, which creates an oak sweetness that will appeal to bourbon/whiskey drinkers. This reposado is a great value and readily available.
Tequila Ocho Reposado Widow Jane
NOM: 1474
MSRP: $60-80
Socials: Instagram | Twitter
This bottle is less readily-available than others on our list, but it definitely has the Outsider stamp of approval, as Lucas Assis says it is “easily one of the best reposados” he has ever tried. It is aged for 8 weeks and 8 days in 10-year-old Widow Jane barrels. This expression has a buttery mouthfeel, with flavors of cinnamon, caramel, baking spices, and lemongrass, minty finish.