In many ways, moving from tequila into the expansive world of mezcal is like developing a taste for Scotch following a fascination with bourbon. Each duo shares the same parent category (agave spirits and whiskey, respectively), employs similar production techniques, and will often be found close to each other, if not side by side, in liquor stores.
Of course, there are limits to this analogy, and the aim is not to frame mezcal or Scotch as superior to their siblings. But there’s also no denying that the regional diversity within these two categories and, yes, the occasional presence of smoke, place them among the world’s most complex spirits — distillates that aficionados would often much rather enjoy neat rather than in cocktails.
Whether the destination for mezcal is a copita or coupe by way of cocktail shaker is ultimately the buyer’s decision. Either way, quality and value for money are of paramount importance, and those can be tricky things to decipher from bottle labels or even brand websites alone. So we’ve done the hard work for you, tasting through dozens of expressions, and digging into individual production details to offer this list of the 20 best mezcals to drink in 2025.
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Why You Should Trust VinePair
Every year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our “Buy This Booze” product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.
Within this scope, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This ensures we have a close eye on what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also provides us with the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great, whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective, or both.
Ultimately, our mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking. Learn more about VinePair’s tastings and reviews department here.
How We Taste
We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.
For this mezcal roundup, all expressions were sampled in Glencairn glasses and allowed to rest for five minutes prior to tasting. We then evaluated the aromas, flavors, texture, and finish of each spirit.
How We Compiled This List
In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best mezcals to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in the final list.
Not only would such an agreement contradict our editorial ethics and samples policy, it simply wouldn’t be possible to include everything we received. For this roundup, we tasted over 60 new submissions and also retasted around a dozen bottles that were sent to VinePair throughout the course of the prior 12 months and that we were able to confirm are still (at least somewhat) available in retail channels.
During tasting, we assigned a score to each product on a 100-point scale based on the quality and intensity of its aromas, flavors, texture, and finish. Then we reviewed all scores and compiled an editorially-driven list that meets our criteria of the 20 best mezcals to buy right now. It’s important to note that these are not the 20 highest-scoring mezcals we tasted this year. Instead, this list showcases the best bottles across every price and for every scenario, including the best bottle for beginners, the best widely available mezcals, and the best aged expression.
The Best Mezcals Under $50
Palomo Mezcal Espadín Joven
Bright, fruity, and fresh on the nose, this mezcal’s intense concentration of classic Espadín flavors, assertive 46 percent ABV, and affordable MSRP — $34 for a 700-milliliter bottle, or $39 for a 1 liter — make it an excellent option for Oaxaca Old Fashioneds, Mezcal Negronis, and cocktail experimentation.
Average price: $34
Rating: 91
Legendario Domingo Oaxaca Espadín
This mezcal provides ample proof that Espadín is so much more than a “workhorse” agave. Spicy pineapple aromas kick off the nose and lead onto a vegetal-forward, earthy, and fruity palate. At this price, you can comfortably make cocktails, but it also holds its own when sipped neat.
Average price: $40
Rating: 92
Mina Real Mezcal Blanco
A bright, floral, and clean expression of Espadín, this bottling is produced in Santa Catarina Minas, Oaxaca. The town is revered for its heritage and adherence to traditional production techniques, including distilling in clay pots. While Mina Real opts to instead use copper alembic stills, this release brims with character, with chocolate and savory notes building complexity on the palate.
Average price: $40
Rating: 91
Agave de Cortés Mezcal Joven
Based in the Zapotec town of Santiago Matatlán, the Cortés family has been making mezcal for almost 200 years, and the producer continues to use ancestral practices for this minerally, green, and lightly fruity mezcal. Considering the price, which also keeps cocktails in the equation, this Espadín offers excellent bang for buck, and reveals new and intriguing aspects of the variety with each sip.
Average price: $41
Rating: 92
The Best Mezcals Under $100
Mezcal Vago Espadín Emigdio Jarquín
From Emigdio Jarquín — one of four producers in the Mezcal Vago roster — this is another standout expression of Espadín, produced around 5,000 feet above sea level in Miahuatlán, Oaxaca. It opens with pronounced aromas of green mango and minerally wet rocks, while the palate counters with a surprising depth of savory notes. A nice bite of alcohol keeps its finish alive for an age.
Average price: $51
Rating: 92
Doce Mezcal
Maestra mezcalera Margarita Blas and team employ the capón technique for this Espadín, cutting off the plants’ quiotes, then leaving them in the field for a further three months to gain richness and concentration of flavor. Roasted with pine and oak, crushed using a tahona, and distilled in copper stills, the resulting mezcal opens with peppery, fruity aromas, and a distinct strawberry fruit leather note. The palate delivers much more savory character and a hint of smoky earth.
Average price: $54
Rating: 90
Creador de Calidad Lumbre-Espadín Ensamble
Looking for something niche and nerdy? This ensamble (blend) contains a mix of Espadín and Lumbre agave, the latter of which is native to the Zimatlán region of Oaxaca. The roasted magueys are hand-milled using mallets (mazos in the local parlance), and fermented and distilled in clay pots. The outcome is a spirit that opens with mineral, lightly fruity notes, before quickly transitioning to Band-Aid and smoky BBQ sauce. The palate leans even further into the latter, offering richness and depth, and a lasting finish.
Average price: $60
Rating: 93
Don Amado Tobalá & Bicuishe Ensamble
Heavy wafts of nuanced smoke notes define this Oaxacan blend of Tobalá and Bicuishe. After that smoke parts, attractive stone fruit and black tea notes come to the fore, followed by a slightly sweet, tangy palate. Smoke re-emerges on the finish — a mix of campfire and light ash — making this a great bottle for peat lovers looking to explore other spirits.
Average price: $80
Rating: 93
The Best Mezcals Over $100
Palenqueros Madrecuishe Valente Garcia
Another hands-on, small-batch expression, the roasted Madrecuishe agave for this 933-bottle release was crushed by mallet before being double-distilled in copper pots. Bottled at 48.9 percent ABV, it offers a bright, minerally wet rock nose, with hints of citrus and savory smoke. The palate that follows is layered with sweetness and roasted nut notes.
Average price: $104
Rating: 94
Tlamati Spirits Espadilla Destilado de Agave
Double-distilled in copper pots, this release is crafted from Espadilla, a distinctive subspecies of Agave angustifolia (Espadín) that’s indigenous to Puebla. Fifty percent of the agave undergoes the capón technique, and everything about this spirit is breathtaking, from its expressive, fruity nose to its wonderfully textured palate. Expect notes of fresh red berries dusted with confectioner’s sugar, green bell peppers, and savory smoke, to name but a few.
Average price: $105
Rating: 95
Gusto Histórico Madrecuixe Victor Ramos
While it’s common (and for aficionados, preferred) to encounter mezcal bottled above the U.S. minimum of 80 proof, it’s much more rare to find bottles that creep past the 100-proof mark. But this tahona-crushed, copper-pot-distilled bottling arrives at 52 percent ABV, and we point that out because the alcohol is so seamlessly woven into the spirit from nose to finish. An intense and enjoyable drinking experience, notes of tobacco, sage, underripe berries, and a medley of garden vegetables arrive with crystal clarity and enhanced intensity.
Average price: $118
Rating: 94
Mezcal Ultramundo Maguey Lamparillo
Maguey Lamparillo is a little-encountered wild variety that requires up to 20 years to reach maturity. Once those plants have done so at Ultramundo’s Rancho Pelayo, the producer employs the capón technique. All those years and additional months in ground prove to be worth the wait, resulting in an exceptionally complex and unique mezcal whose profile recalls baking spices, capsicums, incense, olives, brown sugar, and scorched earth.
Average price: $130
Rating: 95
Cumbrita de la Sierra Lechuguilla & Chawi Ensamble
A truly distinctive bottling from Chihuahua, this ensamble from maestro mezcalero Dolores González combines the rare Lechuguilla and Chawi agaves, the latter of which is a small, ornamental species that’s more at home in garden pots than wooden vats and copper stills. The result? A wild and thrilling ride. The nose leans enjoyably synthetic and fruity, while the palate brings a pleasant trio of ripe fruit, dark chocolate, and savory depth. It finishes clean and mineral, wrapping a one-of-a-kind flavor trip in a surprisingly grounded bow.
Average price: $135
Rating: 95
Cinco Sentidos Arroqueño Tío Pedro
A stunning and considerable labor of love, Tío Pedro Hernandez produced this batch in Santa Catarina Minas using traditional clay pots. Before he could do so, he first had to source the Arroqueño agave from over 50 miles away, in the verdant hills of Sola de Vega. After roasting for more than five days, he (along with some help from friends) mashed the agave by hand using mazos. All that effort truly paid off: The nose darts between ripe tropical fruit, yogurt, and root vegetables. The palate is at once sweet and minerally, the wet rock notes eventually leading to pleasant, dialed-down smoke, and a finish that drinks well below its almost 50 percent ABV.
Average price: $136
Rating: 95
NETA Espadin-Bicuixe Heriberto García Sánchez
Combining a 60/40 blend of wild Bicuixe and homegrown Espadín, this double-distilled ensamble flips a common mezcal experience on its head, beginning with savory, almost meaty aromas, and following with expressive green fruit and chalky minerality on the palate. With more time in glass, the aromas and flavors meld into one, just as other complex notes emerge, ensuring the drinking experience is ever evolving and endlessly enjoyable.
Average price: $149
Rating: 94
The Best Mezcal for Beginners
Desolas Mezcal
Typically speaking, mezcal bottled at 40 percent ABV raises a red flag, often hinting at liquid that’s lacking concentration (all the other bottles on this list contain at least 45 percent ABV). Lack of character or intensity is absolutely not an issue here, though. Made from the Salmiana variety, this mezcal bursts with tropical fruit notes and has green accents and mineral notes. The lower ABV (relatively speaking) plays a huge role in this being a great mezcal for beginners; so, too, does its complete lack of smoke, which can prove another barrier of entry to the category.
Average price: $52
Rating: 92
The Best Aged Mezcal
Los Perdidos Tepeztate Aged 4 Months in Cognac Cask
While aging in oak casks, especially those that formerly housed other spirits, isn’t traditional in mezcal production, it’s becoming increasingly common, particularly for export markets. When done with intentionality and a deft hand, some might argue that it increases the overall satisfaction from the drinking experience, and this reposado provides a shining example. Bottled at barrel-strength 54.6 percent ABV, oak complements the 20-plus-year-old, clay-pot-distilled agave like a subtle perfume. Classic Tepeztate aromas of green vegetables and fresh fruits define the nose, with chalky earthiness the more prominent profile on the palate. All the while, gentle dried fruits and light oak run throughout.
Average price: $200
Rating: 93
The Best Widely Available Mezcals
While all the bottles featured on this list are currently available in the United States, most are small production and a majority are not available nationally. With that in mind, here are a few brands and expressions you can find in most liquor stores that we’ve previously enjoyed — especially in cocktails — and reviewed:
FAQs
What’s the difference between tequila and mezcal?
Both tequila and mezcal are spirits distilled from the agave plant. While mezcal can be made from a range of agave varieties in various states across Mexico, by law tequila must be made with Tequilana Weber or Blue Weber agave in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Tamaulipas, Michoacan, and Guanajuato. (Check out this guide for more on the differences between tequila and mezcal.)
Is mezcal stronger than tequila?
It depends on the bottle. Most mezcals and tequilas will be within the 36–55 percent alcohol-by- volume (ABV) range. And while you can find bottles of each spirit at both ends of the range, you’ll more often find tequilas at 40 percent ABV and mezcals a little higher.
Can you drink mezcal straight?
Many drinks professionals recommend drinking mezcal straight, sipped neat with water on the side. But there are plenty of cocktails that the spirit lends itself to. (Check out this guide on how to drink mezcal.)
Which is smoother: mezcal or tequila?
Smoothness is a very subjective quality in spirits. While a certain expression of mezcal might be smooth to you, it might not be to another drinker. Similarly, you might not find a certain tequila smooth while someone else might. Which is to say that it depends: on the quality of the spirit, the distillation process, and your own personal perception. But as far as categories go, between mezcal and tequila, we wouldn’t say one is smoother than the other.
Does mezcal give you a hangover?
“Mezcal doesn’t give you a hangover.” You’ve probably heard this before. And while there is no science to support this claim, lots of folks say they feel less crummy after a night of drinking mezcal or mezcal-based cocktails. While any mezcal made without additives — like sugar, colorings, or other chemicals — will probably make you feel less bad in the morning, as with any alcohol, drinking enough mezcal (read: too much) will indeed lead to a hangover.
*Image retrieved from Csar via stock.adobe.com
