In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 most expensive tequilas in the world. You can skip our detailed analysis of the global tequila market, the premiumization in the tequila industry, and the recent investment in tequila, and go directly to the 5 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World.
Embarking on the opulent journey through the realm of alcohol, one encounters a world in which rarity and excellence are commanding exorbitant prices. From the extravagant Champagne houses in France to the captivating distilleries of Mexico, luxury libation has become synonymous with sophistication and indulgence. For those investing in the crème de la crème of premium tipple, drinks have once again become a status symbol and elixirs of prestige, for they are not merely quenching their thirst or satisfying a basic need, but crafting narratives about who they are and who they aspire to become.
Global Tequila Market:
Tequila is one of the Most Consumed Alcohols in the World. The global market of the popular liquor was valued at $14.7 billion in 2022, and is expected to reach $30.3 billion by 2028, with a CAGR of 12.3% during the forecast period. The growth in popularity of tequila can be attributed to a number of factors, including the expansion of the premium spirits market, the introduction of new flavors, and a greater social media presence.
Tequila’s popularity has been on the rise in the United States for years, and in 2021, it even surpassed whiskey in retail sales, making it the country’s second best-selling spirit behind vodka. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, tequila and mezcal revenue rose to $6 billion last year, an increase of 17.2% from 2021.
As we mentioned in our article – 25 Most Popular Tequila Brands In The World – 2022 was a record year for Mexico’s tequila exports, amounting to $3.6 billion between January and October – a 34.1% jump year-over-year. The tequila industry also attracts hordes of tourists to Jalisco every year, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the local economy and supporting over 70,000 jobs.
Premiumization in the Tequila Industry:
Premiumization has been driving liquor trends across all categories and tequila has been no exception. Consumers are increasingly willing to invest in higher-quality options that offer superior taste and craftsmanship.
In the year 2021, purchasing platform Drizly noted that inventory SKUs had grown 10.5% for blanco, 11% for reposado, and 15% for añejo – the last of which tends to carry the highest price tag. Over the last five years, the average unit price of tequila sold on Drizly has also grown 29%. As a result, several new premium tequilas, boasting everything from longer age statements to artisanal bottles, have hit the market over the last few years. These premium offerings are often compared to fine-aged spirits like whiskey and cognac.
Recent Investment in Tequila:
The Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) announced in 2023 that it was investing approximately $200 million to expand its Casa Herradura tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. The expansion will allow the Jack Daniel’s maker to meet the increasing global demand for its premium tequilas.
The first phase will expand the water recycling and treatment plant, followed by the expansion of capacity for distilling, bottling, maturation, and processing. The Kentucky-based Brown-Forman champions Casa Herradura as having been a pioneer in establishing a water recycling and treatment plant that met government standards, while it is also one of the spirits giant’s zero waste to landfill sites.
Casa Herradura, one of Mexico’s most historic and renowned tequila producers, was acquired by the Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) in 2007. The company has been harvesting, producing, and estate bottling tequilas from the small town of Amatitán in Jalisco, since 1870.
The Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B) is placed among the Largest Alcohol Companies in the World in 2023.
With that said, here are the Top 20 Most Valuable Tequilas.
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we have referred to sources such as VinePair, The Drinks Business, Wine-Searcher etc., looking for the Most Expensive Tequilas. The following tequilas have been ranked by their retail price, excluding tax, sourced primarily from Wine-Searcher. As liquor prices can vary greatly across international markets, we cannot guarantee their accuracy.
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20. Dos Lunas Grand Reserve Tequila Extra Añejo
Price: $2,633
Like all tequilas from the brand, Grand Reserve is harvested from 100% fully mature blue agave plants. Because the plants only reach maturity after 8 to 10 years, the entire production process for Dos Lunas Grand Reserve is nearly 20 years. Costing over $2000 a bottle, this iconic tequila has been aged for 10 years in sherry oak casks and has been said to compare (and maybe even beat out) the flavor of a fine cognac.
19. Código 1530 XII Extra Añejo
Price: $2,685
Aged for 12 years in Cabernet French White Oak Barrels, this extra añejo is made from 100% Blue Weber agave. In October 2022, the French spirits giant Pernod Ricard announced the acquisition of a majority shareholding of Código 1530 Tequila, a range of Ultra-Premium and Prestige tequilas.
18. Patrón x Guillermo del Toro Extra Añejo
Price: $3,500
Made in collaboration with the film mastermind Guillermo del Toro, this tequila is Patrón’s darkest product to date in both age and ideation. The signature bottle holds a perfect extra añejo tequila featuring a blend of aged tequilas averaging 5 years in used oak barrels upside down.
Patrón x Guillermo del Toro Extra Añejo is included among the Most Expensive Tequilas in 2024.
17. Clase Azul Dia de los Muertos ‘Aromas’ Limited Edition
Price: $3,540
Clase Azul Mexico, famous for its ultra-premium tequila and mezcal, unveiled the Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas last year. Aged for 25 months and limited to 3,500 decanters, this high-end tequila honors the scents of the famous Mexican celebration, especially the sweet cempasúchil flower fragrance.
16. Clase Azul Pink Limited Edition Reposado
Price: $3,615
Aged for eight months in used American oak barrels, this limited edition 100% Blue Weber agave tequila has a run of only 3,000 pink decanters, the proceeds of which will support breast cancer awareness and research.
Founded by Artuto Lomeli in 1997, Clase Azul is known for its luxurious spirits and hospitality.
15. Código 1530 14 Year Old Extra Añejo
Price: $3,831
In 2022, the award-winning Código 1530 tequila released an exclusive 14-year-aged extra añejo expression, limited to 400 bottles only. What makes this 14-year old tequila notable is that it is a double-barrel extra añejo – first aged in a French White Oak Cabernet wine barrel, then finished in a French Cognac cask.
14. Tesla Limited Edition Añejo
Price: $4,000
Following an April Fools Joke by Elon Musk, Tesla officially launched its own tequila in 2020, stored inside lightning-shaped bottles. Aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, this is an exclusive, small-batch premium 100% agave tequila añejo made from sustainably sourced highland and lowland agaves.
The numbered limited edition variant (limited to 420 bottles) with matching shot glass is currently selling for around $4,000.
13. Clase Azul Reposado 20th Anniversary Limited Edition
Price: $4,865
To celebrate 20 years of making the highest quality tequila available, Clase Azul released this limited edition reposado tequila, crafted only from highland Blue Weber agave and matured in sherry casks from the south of Spain.
This beautiful, handcrafted collectors item is limited to 7,300 decanters, marking each day in the life of this remarkable brand.
12. Clase Azul MGM Resorts Limited Edition Joven
Price: $5,587
Created by Clase Azul’s master distiller, the unique blend is composed of 20% unaged Azul Plata, 50% Clase Azul Reposado (aged for eight months in oak barrels ) and 10% Ultra (aged for five years in Spanish sherry casks). Its decanter is their most recognized icon with its distinctive 24 karat gold trim along with an agave medallion, also dipped in gold.
11. Patrón Limited Edition En Lalique Serie 1 Extra Añejo
Price: $7,334
With only 500 bottles available worldwide, Patrón took high-end tequila into new realms of extravagance with an extremely rare spirit, presented in a crystal decanter that’s just as exclusive.
Patrón was acquired by Bacardi Limited in 2018, in a deal worth $5.1 billion. The transaction followed a successful relationship the two companies had had since Bacardi’s initial acquisition of a 30% minority stake in Patrón Spirits in 2008.
10. Patrón En Lalique Serie 3 Extra Añejo
Price: $7,500
On the 24th of July 2022, Patrón released the third expression in this outstanding series, combining the distiller’s mastery of artisanal tequila and Lalique’s – France’s crown jewel of the crystal industry – superlative glass making. Limited to 299 bottles, this unique blend of 14 extra añejo tequilas is aged to perfection.
If you’re looking for some of the most expensive tequila shots in the world, then Patrón En Lalique Serie 3 is for you.
9. Clase Azul Puebla Limited Edition
Price: $9,619
This limited edition tequila was released on the 5th of May 2021, to commemorate Cinco de Mayo, or the Battle of Puebla. Limited to 300 decanters, this is an extra-aged tequila matured in antique French oak barrels.
Clase Azul Puebla Limited Edition is counted among the Top 10 Most Expensive Tequilas.
8. Patrón En Lalique Serie 2 Extra Añejo
Price: $10,299
Aged for eight years in a combination of American oak, French oak, and sherry barrels, Patrón en Lalique Serie 2 is the second coming of an extraordinary collaboration between the masters of French crystal and the masters of fine tequila. This expression is bottled in carved crystal, featuring a crystal bee stopper with hand-painted gold accents.
7. Dos Armadillos ‘Sterling Silver ‘ Extra Añejo
Price: $10,767
This ultra premium tequila is made from the finest 100% Blue Weber agave from the high mountain region of Mazamitla, Jalisco. It is then bottled in handcrafted crystal, covered in burnished clay, then mounted with 950 sterling silver armor using the ‘lost wax’ technique.
6. Clase Azul Master Artisans Limited Edition
Price: $16,982
Clase Azul’s Master Artisans collection brings together the work of the country’s most distinguished expert artisans and artists. Available in three different versions, this extraordinary 8-year-old extra añejo tequila combines the experience of their Master Distiller, Viridiana Tinoco, with the virtuosity of Jesús Guerrero Santos, one of the most influential Mexican artisans of our time.
Due to the extensive amount of time and effort that goes behind them, Clase Azul tequilas are among the most expensive in the world.
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Disclosure: None. 20 Most Expensive Tequilas in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey.