Agave Spirits always make up a good chunk of our Bartenders' Brand Awards judging sessions - here's the lowdown on the class of 2026.
Our agave spirits tasting was a veritable agaveria back bar, taking in tequila, mezcal, soto and raiciilla expressions. The best of the best? Well that title goes to mezcal Montelobos Ensamble, with our panel of agave aficionados picking out savoury notes of “cheese and cream”, “smoke”, wrapped in a “rounded mouthfeel“.
To that end, it was 44/50 – our best-tasting agave spirit. Add in Montelobos’ striking packaging and a suitable price and you have a gold and two high-grade silvers.
In second and third came Espolon for its Reposado and Blanco expressions. The aged Espolon was noted for its “rich creaminess“, “delicate mouthfeel” and “great balance between wood and agave notes” while the Blanco was found to have “vegetal”, “vanilla” and “pink peppercorn” notes. That all added up to high silver medals in taste, while packaging (“great branding and storytelling, while still being practical”) earned Espolon golds. Because of its ageing, the Reposado was deemed better value.
In fourth was Nocheluna Sotol, which had the joint-second best score in the tasting with 41/50. “Menthol”, “chocolate”, “floral” came the descriptions, while silver medals were achieved on looks and bang for buck.
The final product was called as a pechuga straight away – “bonfire smoke”, “stone fruits” and “subtle spice”, while Montelobos Pechuga’s design and value took silver medals.
Learn more about how the BBAs works here.