Taste Testing & Ranking Cristalino’s From The Four Most Popular Tequilas - Who Wins? Don Julio 70 Cristalino, Patron Cristalino, Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino Or 1800 Cristalino?

If you have to only know one thing that explains the popularity of Tequila, it's that Tequila in its over 250 year old modern history has gone through three booms and is searching intensely for its fourth lightning in a bottle - and that the Cristalino just might be it.

The Three Tequila Booms And The Search For The Next One

Whilst Tequila's first origins can be traced as far back to over 1,000 years, dating back to its most ancestral form of fermented agave pulque sometime between 1,000 BC and 200 AD, it only emerged out of the broader Mezcal category and stepped into its own as a distinct category in the mid-1700's when it was distilled commercially under the auspices of the Spanish King Ferdinand VI. From there, it would see its first boom in the form of the creation of the barrel aged reposado and anejo during the US Prohibition era of the 1930's, as a result of Tequilas being transported in wooden casks that demonstrated how oak could deepen the flavours of the spirit. The second boom would come in the 90's with the popularisation of the now staple Margarita cocktail, of which Tequila is a vital component, which also coincided with the creation of the 100% Agave Tequila, a style which boasted having no additives and implicitly no hangovers regardless of how many Margaritas you crushed. And then most recently into the 2010's, Tequila saw its third boom - the celebrity boom. With the likes of everyone from George Clooney to Kendall Jenner, who made Tequilas a fashionable part of everyday life, and almost certainly a must-have homebar requirement. 

And so whilst Tequila makers remain highly competitive and innovative, ever quick to match up to a competitor's latest offering, the big question weighing on every Tequilero's mind is the question of what is the fourth Tequila boom going to be - could it be a new cocktail (hint: the Paloma), or perhaps exotic new cask finishes? Maybe even something far more artisanal such as using new strains of yeasts, terroir expressive agaves grown from seeds instead of clones or the singular use of single estate agaves, or perhaps more complex multi-component blending methods? Well, one new creation has certainly pulled up ahead to stand out as having that fourth boom potential - the Cristalino.

What Is Cristalino Tequila? And Are All Cristalino's The Same?

The Cristalino (or Claro) is a sub-style of Tequila that involves the filtration (using activated charcoal) of an aged Tequila, in order to produce a resulting spirit that is smoother and retains the depth and richness of ageing, whilst removing tannins and the associated harshness and bitterness, which in the process also produces a Tequila that is clear despite having been aged. It's a best of both world's approach that seeks to modify aged Tequila's, and has been touted as being the fastest growing style of Tequila in the past five years. And as with anything that involves any sort of major - and in this case, visually stark - enhancements, you can bet that it's created a massive rift in the Tequila community, with on the one hand some claiming that it's an incredible gateway for would-be Tequila lovers to get a foot through the door, and also a rare new creation that has managed to get folks excited over the category, whilst others wholly bash it as being a marketing gimmick at best, and an overpriced and poor quality product at worst (with some reporting that Tequila makers have to use more additives to make up for the flavours filtered out). Now, wasn't the same said of every Tequila boom that has come before? Regardless, you can't argue with the stunning results the Cristalino has achieved!

Aged spirit is poured through a bed of charcoal, in a process that even whiskymakers have long used to create mellower and smoother flavour profiles.

Taking a closer look at the Cristalino, it's worth pointing out its historical origins, which dates back to 2008, when cult Tequila-maker Maestro Dobel first released its Diamante expression, yet most observers nevertheless point to Don Julio's 70th Anniversary release - the Don Julio 70 - as being the one that broke the mold and firmly established the Cristalino category, having caught massive public attention which in turn warranted Tequilero's taking a closer look at the burgeoning style. Since then, almost every major Tequila maker has come forth with its own interpretation of a Cristalino. Accordingly, the style had initially been slated to be recognised as an official category in 2018, however that did not ultimately materialise. Consequently, the regulations surrounding the Cristalino style, as per the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (or CRT, the Tequila industry's watchdog), lays out several requirements that necessitates the use of first and foremost an aged Tequila, which has to then undergo a documented filtration process with activated charcoal (which acts almost like a magnet that extracts colour and tannins from the spirit), thereby producing a Tequila that has to demonstrably still showcase flavours associated with ageing in oak barrels. 

A Tequilero holding an activated charcoal filter.

And so from this, it's also then important to point out that not all Cristalino's are made equal. Going by these requirements, Tequila makers can then differentiate their Cristalino's in any number of ways, with the most obvious being the choice of Tequila that is to be filtered, which allows for variances in how the Tequila was fermented (and with what agaves), distilled, and aged (both length of time and the type of barrels used), as well as whether any additives are used (with Cristalino's allowing for 1% of additives, in line with the regulations for aged Tequila). Tequila aside, producers can also exert their influence in how the filtering is done, where the main variable revolves around the intensity of the filtration, with some Tequila-makers opting to even cut back on filtration so as to preserve flavour, leaving behind a Cristalino with a light golden tint. Tequileros have the option of using different grades of carbon, for example micropores and macropores (the former better at removing odors, whilst the latter more suited for stripping out colour and strong flavours), as well as controlling the amount of contact between the Tequila and the carbon, the flow rate and velocity of the spirit passing through the carbon (for example, moving spirit by gravity is gentler as opposed to an industrial pump), the temperature of the process (cold filtration for example is popular), all of which will impact the Tequila's flavours. Whilst some fear that it may strip away flavourful fatty acids and take away complexity, Tequileros do acknowledge its use in creating a smoother spirit. That said, Cristalino aside, it should be pointed out that filtering doesn't have to rely solely on activated carbon and can (and has been done in fact for decades to create better clarity without removing colour) be done with other more gentler materials such as paper, ceramic, cellulose, and even polypropylene thermoplastic.

And so love it or hate it, we're going to taste test and rank the Cristalino's of the four most popular Tequila brands in the world - the Don Julio 70 Cristalino Anejo, the Patron Cristalino Anejo, the 1800 Cristalino Anejo, and finally the Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino Reposado!

Let's go!

Tequila Review: Don Julio 70 Cristalino Anejo

Often credited with helping to entrench the Cristalino style, the Don Julio 70 was created by Master Distiller Enrique de Colsa in celebration of the house's 70th anniversary in making Tequila, and was thus released in 2011/2012 (Don Julio having been founded in 1942). The Tequila was triple distilled in a steel and copper still at Don Julio's La Primavera Distillery in Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico, where it was then aged for 18 months in ex-Bourbon American white oak barrels (making it an Anejo), and after which was then put through charcoal filtration. This comes in at 35% ABV (80 Proof). This is often considered the benchmark for Cristalino Tequila, and so makes for a good starting point! 

Fun Fact: When it was first launched, the style was called Claro instead of Cristalino!

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: It opens vibrant with lots of orange and lime citruses and cooked agave, although with a slight alcoholic tinge. It's very clean, with a steely freshness to it, also slightly mineral, that's then rounded out by vanilla confectionaries, of poundcake and just a touch of butterscotch and honey. Next to no oakiness here.

Taste: Really, really smooth, although not quite so creamy. It's medium-bodied here with a good amount of richness. It's again surprisingly crisp and clean for what is effectively an Anejo. More of the same citruses of oranges and limes, alittle bit of apricot, with then also the usual cooked agave that's rounded out by the vanilla, caramel and honey confectionaries. It's sprinkled in with black pepper and the wood comes through more so here, although still far more subtle than usual. That tinge of alcohol comes through slightly again.

Finish: Clean, quick and crisp finish, followed by a deep and long drawn out warmth. Crack of black pepper, with a little streak of honey, and a subtle undertone of milk chocolate.

My Thoughts

This definitely comes through really clean and crisp, whilst also being mellow with some added richness, having also clearly taken out a good deal of the usual savoury bitterness that tends to come as a result of age. To be clear, that savoury bitterness shouldn't be seen at all as a flaw, and is rather a feature of the flavour profile of an aged spirit that when balanced well, serves as a counterpoint to the richness and sweetness that tends to also come with age. And so here, what we find is something of a hybrid between a Blanco and an Anejo. It retains that steely, crisp freshness and even minerality of an unoaked Blanco, whilst also taking on some of that richness of cooked agave and fruit, and also caramel and milk chocolates that comes with an oak aged Anejo. That said, rather than calling it a best of both worlds, it's more accurate to call this a mash up of several features of both styles. And so whilst it definitely delivers that immense smoothness - not creaminess - where it is incredibly drinkable, it definitely does trade off the depth and complexity of an Anejo, which here contributes for better or worse, towards that easygoing, inoffensive but also somewhat unimpactful flavour profile. 

This is nevertheless great for doing shots and definitely has that versatility and straightforwardness to work well as a cocktail component - not quite a sipping Tequila though! Overall, a solid offering that is sufficiently distinct and definitely merits the existence of the style with a good set of features of its own that serves several meaningful purposes.

My Rating: 7.5/10

Tequila Review: Patron Cristalino Anejo

One of the latest to be released, Patron debuted its own Cristalino - an Anejo - only in mid-2024. It's additive-free as is the whole basis of Patron, and is made in true Patron style, which is to bake the agave in traditional small brick ovens, then crush the agave with a traditional Tahona wheel, and after which the agave is then fermented in wooden vats and distilled twice in small-batch copper pot stills. The spirit is then matured for 12-15 months in a blend of four different oak casks, including new and used American Oak, French Oak, and Hungarian Oak. Finally it's charcoal filtered to produce the Cristalino style. This is all done at Patron's own distillery in Atotonilco El Alto, Jalisco, Mexico. The Patron Cristalino Anejo is bottled at 40% ABV (80 Proof).

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: Mellower, with a pillowy fragrance. It starts off with orange and lime citruses, with also vanillic tones, here accompanied with little bouquets of white florals. Beneath which is a soft layer of cooked agave, with also a light streak of honey. No alcohol flashes here, nor oak.

Taste: Medium-bodied, it's clean and with a good richness, almost alittle more oily, first with alittle bit of heat that mellows out as vanillic tones, cooked agave and those citruses begin to show up. There's a more pronounced but delicate mintiness, lightly briny, with also some freshly sliced cucumber, sprinkled in with a good bit of black pepper. That's all then wrapped up in alittle bit of honey and caramel, with also just a little bit of oak. Again, no alcoholic tinge whatsoever.

Finish: Seamless and smooth, it just glides across. Light tones of honey and cucumber. Clean finish, with some lingering undertones of chocolates, honey and cinnamon spices that come through in a deep, long warmth that builds up.

My Thoughts

A decidedly mellow Cristalino from Patron that keeps more of the Anejo character, and true to form, is without any harshness at all. It's incredibly clean, easygoing and seamless, with no bitterness or alcoholic burn at all. This is by far the best executed Cristalino of the lot! That said, it of course trades off some of the character and complexity that we know the Anejo to offer, which then makes for an incredibly agreeable Tequila here that is a definite crowdpleaser. Whilst it's not quite so in your face with its vibrance, it does showcase well its flavour palette in a much more mellow form that seems to benefit from Patron's signature clarity that allows the flavour notes to come through cleanly and with great definition. This all then ends with a perfectly seamless finish, that's backed up by a deep Anejo warmth that builds.

This makes for great Tequila shots, and would also do well in a cocktail, although in this case, the argument could be made for this to be a pretty solid sipping Tequila as well, where its textures and cleanness are the main feature, rather than the complexities or depth of flavour. A delightful all-rounder!

My Rating: 8.5/10

Tequila Review: 1800 Cristalino Anejo

Now, it's worth pointing out first and foremost that 1800 Tequila is the premium Tequila brand belonging to the Beckmann family whose claim to fame is of course Jose Cuervo - which means that in effect, there are two Cristalino's on this list that share the same owner. Now with that said, 1800 Cristalino is of course made at Jose Cuervo's own distillery, where the agave is cooked in an modern autoclave and crushed via roller mill, and after which it is then fermented in stainless steel tanks and twice distilled in stainless steel pot stills. Where it then gets interesting is that for the Cristalino, 1800 ages its Anejo for over 16 months in American and French oak barrels, before then finishing it in Port Wine casks for 6 more months. This is then finally passed through activated charcoal to produce the 1800 Cristalino. It comes in at 38% ABV (76 Proof).

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: It opens rather mild, with a deeper, more concentrated sweetness of vanilla extract, and an even more subtle note of cooked agave. It's alittle buttery, with just abit of musty oak in there. Tinges of dried herbs, black pepper and citrus. Light dash of ashiness. The alcohol streak is quite prominent. 

Taste: Medium-bodied, it's immediately spicy with then a rather sweet and confectionary quality of vanilla again, sprinkled in with some black pepper. There's a grainy oakiness here, with just a slight hint of cooked agave. Again the alcohol comes through quite a bit here. That said, it is texturally very smooth.

Finish: That intense sweetness carries through the finish, here alittle more grassy, but still with that big vanillic bit, not quite creamy though, with also a higher toned maraschino cherry. That sweetness stays on for quite some time.

My Thoughts

Have to admit that this one's rather disappointing. With the really interesting cask ageing regime, it would've seemed like this carried a whole lot of potential, yet for some reason it's come off rather sharp and angular, with that alcoholic singe really coming through persistently. The oakiness as well is rather grainy and has that dry grip on the palate, with then an intensely sweet vanilla extract (not vanilla cream) note that dominates the palate and carries all the way through the finish. There's an interesting cherry bit that comes through into the finish, yet that too seemed rather plasticky. Not too sure what's happened here, but it seems like what's missing is the body to hold everything up here, and as a result everything else on the canvas seems to have fallen off and gotten warped to produce something that's really imbalanced.

My Rating: 3/10

Tequila Review: Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino Reposado

As mentioned, Jose Cuervo and 1800 Tequila share the same parent, and are therefore made in the same La Rojena distillery - the oldest active distillery in Tequila, in fact! - and whilst Jose Cuervo has a bigger focus on the mass market, 1800 Tequila thus serves the premium segment. Jose Cuervo is of course known for its mid-tier Tradicional range, which consists of a Silver (Plata), a Reposado, and an Anejo, with then the Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino Reposado introduced in 2022. 

And so unliked most Cristalino's which tend to be Anejo's, Jose Cuervo's is a Reposado - that said, this is for a rather interesting reason! The Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino is a blend of three flagship Jose Cuervo expressions - the Tradicional Reposado, the Tradicional Anejo and the top end Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo, yet nevertheless, it has to be labelled as per the youngest component, making it a Reposado. This means that the Cristalino contains Tequila's as young as 2 months old and as old as 3 years old, with ageing in both American and French Oak barrels. After the blend is created, it's then finally filtered to produce the Cristalino. This comes in at 40% ABV (80 Proof).

Tasting Notes

Colour: Clear

Aroma: It comes off rather mild to begin with. There's a light candied vanilla sweetness, with an undertone of cooked agave, with that deeper vegetal quality to it, as well as a sprinkle of black pepper. Very light orange tint, with also a touch of caramel. Slight plasticky quality that fades off with time.

Taste: More gentle and mellow here, it shows some richness, with then the cooked agave vegetal earthiness, along with some grassiness and herbaceous notes that come through on a base of vanilla cream. Little drizzle of honey, with just a slight spiciness. Alittle bit of grapefruit zest and black pepper, with also a streak of caramel. It's smooth and actually shows some textural depth and layering. Pretty smooth all around.

Finish: Some oakiness comes through in the finish bringing with it more of a dryness and bitterness although nothing too overwhelming, with then black pepper and cinnamon over vanilla cream, and also a waft of brine. Clean finish, it's alittle shorter here with a manageable spiciness, with then a lingering subtle and mellow undercurrent of honey and dried prunes.

My Thoughts

This was surprisingly decent! It's on the whole much milder, and shows less richness, yet at the same time there's a pretty noticeable layering that goes on on the palate, lending to some depth and complexity. The vanillic sweetness here is more creamy, and also shows much more restraint, which then allows the other flavours to show themselves, providing for a more balanced flavour profile. There's actually quite the array here, from earthy to herbaceous, saline to fruity, with a distinct bit of the cooked agave and honey that has been retained from the ageing - even some dried prunes right at the end! There are little tinges of metallic and plasticky angularity here and there, but nothing to throw you off.

On the whole, this is a pleasant surprise, which admittedly wasn't quite the expectation here given what happened with the more premium 1800 Cristalino! The Jose Cuervo Tradicional Cristalino Reposado given its mildness and more gentle flavour profile, might quite easily get buried under in a cocktail, and also doesn't quite have that oomph for taking shots, but it would seem to actually make for a solid sipping Tequila!

My Rating: 7/10

Kanpai!

@111hotpot