The Tastiest Tequilas at Costco
Costco’s collection of wines, liquors, and beers marries the top-tier quality also found at local liquor stores with a commitment to low prices. And their tequilas are no exception. If you're looking for good deals on tequila, the wholesaler offers more than a dozen brands at better-than-average prices, including high-end Don Julio 1492, cheap diffuser-made Cazadores Reposado, and mid-range masterpieces like Herencia Mexicana Extra Añejo.
If you have no idea what we're talking about, don’t worry. We’ve made a list of the best tequilas at Costco using data from Tequila Matchmaker’s panel and community ratings.
Prices and availability are subject to change. Not a Costco member yet? You can sign up here.
Tequila Types
Blanco: Also known as white or silver tequila, blanco is the youngest of the tequilas, which translates to a bright flavor. Because of its unadulterated qualities, some purists consider blanco to be the “best” tequila. Costco’s selection of blanco is scant, unfortunately.
Joven: Joven (“young” in Spanish) tequilas mix blanco with aged tequilas, and they’re hard to find. At the time of publication, Costco carried one bottle of Joven, but it had bad reviews and cost $240.
Reposado: Aged for two months to a year in oak barrels, reposado tequila is just an aged blanco, which gives it a nice balance of young and old qualities.
Añejo: Perfect for sipping, añejo tequilas are aged one to three years in barrels that hold less than 600 liters, ensuring that plenty of tequila comes in contact with the oak. Thanks to the aging process, añejos lose the bite of younger varieties and are characterized by a smoothness. Most of our top Costco picks are complex añejos.
Extra añejo: If you like your tequila aged and expensive, then this newer classification of tequila (since 2006) is for you. Aged for at least three years, this tequila is extra-alcoholic and extra-smooth when it comes out of the barrel, though producers usually add water to balance out the high alcohol by volume.
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1. Herencia Mexicana Extra Añejo
Price: $85
Region: Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)
ABV: 40%
Tequila Matchmaker’s (TM) Average Rating: 88/100
Herencia Mexicana’s twice-distilled aged tequila received the highest panel rating on Tequila Matchmaker, earning 90 points among the site’s most experienced reviewers. Community reviewers enjoyed the tequila’s pleasant notes of vanilla, caramel, and tobacco, with their scores averaging 86. All in all, this is bound to be a good tequila if you’re willing to spend the money.
2. El Tequileño Añejo
Price: $66
Region: Jalisco (Los Valles)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 87.5/100
This aged, additive-free tequila has won four awards and is a community favorite on TM. Before the golden mixture sits in American and French oak barrels, the El Tequileño process starts with 100% blue agave from the highlands of Jalisco and mineral-rich water from a nearby volcano.
The result? Notes and flavors of vanilla, oak, agave, and black pepper predominate, with reviewers praising its sweetness. And for $66 at Costco, this agave tequila is a steal, as other retailers are selling it for $90 and up.
3. Codigo 1530 Barrel Strength Añejo
Price: $260
Region: Jalisco (Los Valles)
ABV: 43%
TM's Average Rating: 87
This would be an excellent tequila … if money grew on trees. At least this pricey añejo packs a punch given that it’s “barrel strength,” meaning it isn’t diluted after the aging process. Despite its high alcohol content, community reviewers commended this extra-strength tequila for its smoothness and complexity.
4. San Matias Gran Reserva (Mexico)
Price: $39
Region: Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)
ABV: 35-39%
TM's Average Rating: 86.5/100
As one of the oldest family tequila producers in Jalisco, it’s no surprise that San Matias has its processes and recipes dialed in. That’s the case with its Mexican Gran Reserva, an aged mix of traditional agave and other sugars (a style known as “mixto”). Flavors of agave, caramel, oak, and vanilla are prominent in this Mexican tequila, which earns higher marks than its American counterpart.
5. Don Julio 1942
Price: $145
Region: Jalisco (Ciénega)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 85.5/100
Well-known and widely available, Don Julio 1942 is a butter-smooth, barrel-aged sipping tequila. When it comes to notes and flavors, 1942 is dominated by vanilla and caramel, giving it a toffee-like sweetness. Does that justify the price? If you like the bottle’s striking design and don’t mind shelling out over $100, the answer is probably yes.
6. Cenote Añejo
Price:$53
Region: Jalisco (Los Valles)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 83.5/100
With hints of mint, oak, and caramel, this añejo receives praise for its flavors and smoothness. Some tequila enthusiasts liken it to bourbon or whiskey, which makes sense since it’s aged in bourbon barrels.
7. Gran Centenario Añejo
Price: $25
Region: Jalisco (Los Valles)
ABV: 35% to 40%
TM's Average Rating: 80/100
Gran Centenario’s aged tequila is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave — faster than traditional methods and better than chemical diffusers — before it’s twice distilled in metal columns. We’re left with an affordable añejo that still scores well among TM's panel and community members. In any case, this tequila punches far above its weight, defeating tequilas that are eight times more expensive.
8. Cazadores Extra Añejo Mexico
Price: $40
Region: Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 77/100
Cazadores has a bad rap among tequila snobs for its cheap, diffuser-made rubbish — one reviewer compared the reposado to diesel fuel — but the extra añejo has its fair share of admirers on TM. Pleasantly surprised reviewers described the flavor as smooth and tinged with notes of agave.
9. Espolon Blanco
Price: $40
Region: Jalisco (Los Altos Southern)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 76/100
One of the few blancos at Costco (and the only one that made our top 10), Espolon’s score is marred by some extremely critical ratings in the 50s and 60s. However, Espolon does have its supporters, who enjoy its hints of black pepper and citrus.
10. Sauza Tres Generaciones Certified Organic Reposado
Price: $30
Region: Jalisco (Los Valles)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 75.5/100
With just 23 ratings on TM, the score for this organic reposado could be volatile, but for now this cheap, diffuser-produced tequila just barely makes our list. Reviewers noted that oak and caramel flavors are most prominent.
11. Casamigos Blanco
Price: $37
Region: Jalisco (Ciénega)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 75.5/100
George Clooney and Rande Gerber started Casamigos as a private tequila label to share among friends and family. But the pair were making so much of the stuff that they had to get a license in 2013. Since then, the company has taken off like a rocket, leading to a $1 billion deal with beverage company Diageo in 2017. While popular, Casamigos is a middling, mass-market tequila at best, with mixed reviews on TM.
12. Kirkland Signature Tequila
Price:$20
Region: Jalisco (Tesistán)
ABV: 40%
TM's Average Rating: 74.17/100
While Costco's Kirkland Signature Tequilas, which come from the Corporate Distillery Santa Lucia, don't have as high a rating as others on this list, they have a relatively decent cult following. They also come with a price that's a fraction of others on this list. You can these signature tequilas in Reposado, Anejo, and silver types, all of which have been pretty extensively reviewed by TM's community and panel.
@la.tequilana Reply to @jess_533 which brands of #tequila is in your @Costco ♬ original sound - Mireille
Costco Tequilas That Didn’t Make the Cut
While these tequilas had TM ratings that didn't allow them to make the cut, they might be worth a try for spirit aficionados who just like to sip it all.
- Don Julio Primavera, $127 — TM's Average Rating: 74/100
- Herradura Legend Añejo, $42 — TM's Average Rating: 73/100
- Casa Dragones Joven, $240 — TM's Average Rating: 72/100
- Corralejo Extra Añejo, $65 — TM's Average Rating: 71/100
- Cazadores Reposado, $24 — TM's Average Rating: 67/100