Herradura Reposado: Tequila of the Year 2026

Photo illustration: Brad Japhe

Last week I told you all about the London Spirits Competition and what separates the annual judging from many others in the dense world of tasting awards. Its metrics—which measure quality, value and appearance—resulted in a dark horse brand bringing home the top prize for whiskey. Just in time for Cinco De Mayo, let’s take a closer look at what the LSC scored highest in the exceedingly competitive category of tequila.

Landing 96 out of a possible 100 points, the top earner for 2026 was Herradura Reposado. The enduringly popular 80-proof agave spirit is a fitting choice considering that it was, in fact, the world’s first commercially available reposado. Feliciano Romo, the founder of Casa Herradura, initially released this bottling in 1974 as a slightly aged alternative for those who wanted something in between unaged blancos and more heavily barrel-influenced añejos.

CRT, the governing body in charge of tequila classification, wouldn’t officially recognize the subcategory until 1994. It formally defined it as any tequila that rests in barrels between two months and a year.

Casa Herradura matures its expression in charred American white oak for 11 months. During that time, it gathers complex aromas of butterscotch and toasted brioche. In the sip, the barrel influence reveals cinnamon and vanilla undertones, a profile that wouldn’t be unfamiliar to a casual bourbon drinker. But as this juice comes from a lowland producer, there ultimately remains an earthy and herbaceous note at its core. It emerges most meaningfully in the form of a drying, green pepper-like finish.

Beyond the award-winning Herradura example, reposados in general are perennial crowd-pleasers. In fact, the style exists as the most popular for tequila consumption in tequila’s native home of Mexico. North of the border, it remains a key driver for a sector (tequila/mezcal) that has grown in volume by some 301% since 2003, according to the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

As we mentioned above, agave spirits have become increasingly competitive—especially over the past decade. Herradura holds an advantage over most, not just in being first to market with its Reposado, but also with its consistent stock of superior barrels. The powerhouse producer located in the heart of tequila country has been part of the Brown-Forman portfolio since 2007. That’s the same company responsible for Jack Daniel’s as well as Old Forester and Woodford Reserve. In other words: quality ex-bourbon casks are never in short supply.

Reposados are also popular with bartenders, as they are often the preferred type of liquid to use in margarita preparations. As a general rule, their sweeter tones mix well with sour, citrusy modifiers, while preserving a sense of sturdiness to each sip. Herradura Reposado is certainly no exception; a quaffable-yet-contemplative pour worthy of honoring the Mexican army’s victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

Here are some good recipes to consider regardless of the date, and regardless of whether or not you end up working with the top-scoring tequila at LSC 2026. If you do, it’ll be easy to find the label anywhere in the U.S. The brand enjoys widespread distribution and its reposado label typically retails for under $40 a bottle.