One Of The Worst Inexpensive Tequila Brands Is Probably One You Sip Frequently
As many sectors of the alcohol industry struggle, tequila's still on the rise. As a result, you'll spot an ever-increasing selection of agave liquor bottles on the shelf — but not all are worthy of purchase. Especially inexpensive tequilas pose a risky gamble, with some often-consumed bottles a reliable bar cart workhouse, and others an unpalatable throwaway. Well, in Food Republic's taste-test of 6 Inexpensive Tequilas To Buy And 6 To Avoid, the Montezuma brand generated an especially off-putting reaction.
No matter the aging classification, this producer's entire lineup involved tasting notes you don't want to see used with spirits: a lingering fiery burn mixed with acetone. Forget the delicate, earthy, sweet, mineral, and herbal flavors that translate agave's terroir. These bottles give off-putting boozy tasting notes that only lead to regret.
On the influential tequila database AgaveMatchmaker, a bottle of Montezuma White Tequila scores a 36 out of 100 by panel ratings — extremely low for the site. The top detected flavors? Alcohol and medicine. Plus, the brand's even mentioned on a Reddit thread crowning the worst tequila — as the top comment. "People should consider themselves very lucky if they've never suffered Montezuma," a user commented. As a result, Montezuma's certainly not the best tequila to use when making a margarita, mixing into a marinade, fueling a party, or consumed in any other shape or form.
Montezuma tequila has been sold for decades
Tequila brands keep debuting new expressions, but Montezuma is not a new arrival. Advertisements for their bottlings stretch all the way back to 1974, displaying the exact same Aztec calendar stone that distinguishes the Montezuma label today. Over nearly 50 years, the tequila industry has changed drastically, but Montezuma hasn't kept up.
The spirit's federally appointed Appellation of Origin only launched the same year as the aforementioned advertisement, and the label oversight of the Tequila Regulatory Council wouldn't arrive for two decades. Nowadays, enthusiasts seek maximum transparency, noting factors like the tequila's distillation ratio, use of additives, agave origins, and more. Yet prior to the 1990s, mixto tequila — which could comprise as much as 49% fermentable sugars not from agave — dominated the market.
Tequilas like Montezuma Silver and Gold are both mixtos, and likely don't entail the artisanal process of other agave bottlings. Back when the brand launched, it was uncommon for Americans to partake in tequila tastings altogether — it was a spirit reserved for sugary cocktails and straight shots laced with salt and lemon. Yet nowadays, hundreds of bottles outshine Montezuma (even at a comparable price), so there's no longer a reason to add this unpleasant-tasting spirit to your cart.