Best Agave Spirits Finalists and Winner | 2023 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition

by The Tasting Alliance Team  |  09.14.2023

Each year, a select few from various spirit categories, including the finest agave spirits, vie for supremacy as our judges determine the Best of Class. The results of the 2023 New York World Wine and Spirits competition have been recently revealed, showcasing the crowning glory of agave spirits. Join us as we unveil the 2023 Agave Spirits Finalists and the ultimate champion.

Best Silver/Gold (Unaged) Tequila Finalist: Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Blanco

An elegant and silky smooth blanco with light crisp notes of pure sweet agave.

Best Silver/Gold (Unaged) Tequila Finalist: Los Hermanos 1978 Blanco Tequila

Distilled twice for an immaculate and smooth finish. Subtle on the nose with hints of banana peel, eucalyptus, white pepper, and tutti fruity on the palate. Smooth finish and is excellent for cocktails.

Best Reposado Tequila Finalist: Casa Loy Reposado Tequila

Best Reposado Tequila Finalist: Compoveda Reposado Tequila

Harvest-selected, custom-crafted, and finely-finished. Compoveda’s smooth, sippable Tequilas wow and win over wine lovers and whiskey fans with a quality that speaks for itself. We’ve sought the most distinctive family NOMs and Master Distillers across Jalisco to bring each unique bottle of Compoveda’s signature character to life. Smooth, polished sippable tequilas for those refined experiences you and your friends have been thirsty for.

Best Añejo Tequila Finalist: Cenzon Añejo Tequila

Cenzon Anejo 100% De Agave Tequila is an exciting new tequila. It can be enjoyed in your favorite cocktail or on the rocks. Perfect for any occasion, this will be a tequila you will want to keep around!

Best Añejo Tequila Finalist: Black Sheep Tequila Añejo

The additive free Black Sheep Tequila Añejo has a nice, sweet agave smell with a little honey and a little toasty, oak barrel. The taste followed with more sweet agave, and a delicious long finish that brought in a bit of honey. Mouthfeel is clean, and light. This is a standout tequila, perfectly balanced, with a remarkably long, elegant finish with lingering notes of natural agave.

Best Extra Añejo Tequila Finalist: Cierto Tequila Reserve Collection Extra Añejo

A rare and complex extra añejo with refined notes of caramel, cherries, and dark chocolate.

Best Extra Añejo Tequila Finalist: Cierto Tequila Private Collection Extra Añejo

This expression by Cierto Tequila is aged for four years in French Limousin oak casks, a good deal longer than the brand’s 18-month añejo, creating a rare and complex extra añejo with refined notes of caramel, cherries, and dark chocolate.

Best Mezcal Finalist: Desolas Mezcal Blanco

Desolas Mezcal Blanco is delicately hand-crafted from the Salmiana Agave in San Luis Potosi, Mexico creating a unique mezcal with a botanical and fresh aroma and smooth and balanced taste.

Desolas is a brand that is inspired by traditional time-honored techniques of mezcal production, the artisanal process of crafting the agave spirit, the natural elements of the sun and the land, and a focus on the deliberate journey of creation and discovery.

Best Mezcal Finalist: YOLA Jabali

Limited release, “wild” release using foraged or uncultivated wild agave. This edition includes Jabalí which is considered one of the most rare and exotic agaves. 500-bottle release, with bottles specially designed by artist Barbara Sanchez-Kane

Best Other Agave Spirit Finalist: 1915 Brand Bacanora Blanco

A stunning twenty-five pounds of agave, fully matured, hand-picked, and wild grown from the Sonoran high desert goes into each bottle of this artisanally made double distilled Bacanora. Traditional methods and the unique character of the wild Angustifolia Haw agave give this rare agave spirit its balance and complexity. Enjoy the notes of fire-roasted lime, savory minerals, and a honey spice finish in this small batch production limited to 160 bottles.

Best Other Agave Spirit Finalist: Ola Okolehao Paukaa Okolehao (85b short)

Surprisingly smooth for 100 proof. Eminently mixable with sodas, juice, and more. Use this to replace the liquor in your favorite cocktails to make them better, and a little bit Hawaiian.

Best Overall Tequila: Volcan De Mi Tierra X.A Tequila

Made from 100% Blue Weber Agave, Volcan De Mi Tierra X.A embraces duality and pushes boundaries by ushering in the ‘art of blending’ to the world of tequila. An innovative mix of reposado, añejo, and extra-añejo tequilas aged in proprietary Grace Casks made of American Oak. The 3 layers of aging unveil a smooth tequila profile.