What It Is & Best Cristalinos to Try
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Almost all tequila drinkers know about the blanco, reposado, and añejo categories, but there’s another type of tequila that’s starting to blow up: cristalino. Especially popular among well-heeled Mexico City club-goers, cristalino tequila is a relatively new category (though not officially recognized by CRT) that combines the smoothness and complexity of an extra añejo with the clear color and freshness of a premium blanco.
If you’re unfamiliar with the fast-growing tequila style, read on. Below, we get the lowdown on cristalino from someone who has been making it since the get-go: Alejandro Coronado, Master Distiller and Head of Production at Cuervo and Gran Coramino. Plus, we round up a few of the best cristalino tequilas to try right now, including Cornado’s latest cristalino creation from Reserva de la Familia.
What is Cristalino Tequila?
Cristalino tequila is an añejo or extra añejo (aged tequila) that’s been run through a filtration process. This filtration — usually done with charcoal — removes the añejo’s characteristic amber color and mellows the rich, woody notes that añejos pick up during their time in the barrel. The finished result is a clear liquid (hence the name) that’s typically smoother and lighter in flavor than the original añejo.
“The visionary here was Juan Domingo [Beckmann],” says Coronado, of cristalinos origin. “Back in 2006 or 2007, [Beckmann] said, ‘Hey, what can we do in order to have an easier-to-drink tequila for younger people or anyone who is not so keen with the more straightforward flavor profile of a silver?” With this direction from the CEO, Coronado and his team landed on the idea for cristalino. “Our challenge was to come up with a blend of a mature tequila without color, maintaining as much as possible the rest of the añejo credentials — from nose to palate — and giving it some complexity.”
The result of this was Maestro Dobel Diamante Cristalino, which the brand claims as the world’s first cristalino. Coronado’s most recent release — Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Añejo Cristalino Orgánico (abbr.: RDLF Cristalino) — is a great example of cristalino at its very best. Packaged in a sleek black and silver bottle, RDLF Cristalino takes the brand’s rich, luxurious extra añejo and tweaks it into something more light and fresh — in both appearance and flavor. Pick up a bottle here.
How Should You Drink Cristalino Tequila?
Once you’ve secured a bottle of cristalino, you’ll want to encourage a good first impression. “[Tasting] should be arranged as a sensory experience,” says Coronado. He serves cristalino as the finale in a succession of tequilas, suggesting that tasters start with silver, make their way through a reposado and an añejo or extra añejo, and then finish with a cristalino. “When [tasters] see a transparent glass again after silver, reposado, and añejo, and they sip, they say ‘god, this is amazing!’ Because it’s like a revolution in their mind to feel the sensation of a mature tequila, but without any color. I think it’s very unique.”
Of course, any super-premium tequila like Reserva de la Familia Cristalino should be served neat or on the rocks to start. But plenty of cristalinos taste amazing in cocktails too. If you’re going the cocktail route, we recommend something fresh that lets the tequila do the talking; try a Paloma (a splash of grapefruit juice, agave syrup, and some lime juice) or a tequila old fashioned (agave syrup, bitters, cristalino, and an orange peel garnish).
What Are the Best Cristalino Tequilas to Try?
Ready to check out cristalino for yourself? Here are some of the best ones that we’ve tasted.
Reserva de la Familia Añejo Cristalino Organico
Coronado oversaw the production of several cristalinos for other brands before it was time to release one for Jose Cuervo’s crown jewel, Reserva de la Familia. So it’s not all that surprising that RDLF’s cristalino is perhaps the best. The liquid starts as extra mature agave and is then aged in new American oak before it’s finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Finally, it’s filtered through charcoal to yield an incredibly smooth, bright final product with notes of agave, honey, and dried fruit. Serve it neat on a special occasion.
ReserveBar
Maestro Dobel Diamante Cristalino
Dobel’s Diamante (which Coronado also helped create) was launched in claims to be the world’s first Cristalino. For the price, it’s still one of our favorites. Made using reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas, Diamante is also finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. You get the smoothness characteristic of a great cristalino, some añejo notes like vanilla and fruit, as well as some lively citrus, courtesy of the reposado.
ReserveBar
Hornitos Añejo Cristalino
If you’re looking to sample a more affordable cristalino, try this one from Hornitos. It starts as Hornitos’ Añejo, which spends over a year in American white oak casks. It’s then carbon filtered to become a cristalino that’s much smoother and sweeter than its price tag would have you guess. This is a great one to try in cocktails.
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado Cristalino
Another great cristalino at a more affordable price point is this Reposado Cristalino from Jose Cuervo Tradicional. The blend includes three different tequilas: Tradicional Reposado, Tradicional Añejo, and even some Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo. This is another surprisingly sweet one, boasting notes of ripe fruit, nuts, and toffee, and it works very well in any tequila cocktail.
Caskers
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.
Almost all tequila drinkers know about the blanco, reposado, and añejo categories, but there’s another type of tequila that’s starting to blow up: cristalino. Especially popular among well-heeled Mexico City club-goers, cristalino tequila is a relatively new category (though not officially recognized by CRT) that combines the smoothness and complexity of an extra añejo with the clear color and freshness of a premium blanco.
If you’re unfamiliar with the fast-growing tequila style, read on. Below, we get the lowdown on cristalino from someone who has been making it since the get-go: Alejandro Coronado, Master Distiller and Head of Production at Cuervo and Gran Coramino. Plus, we round up a few of the best cristalino tequilas to try right now, including Cornado’s latest cristalino creation from Reserva de la Familia.
What is Cristalino Tequila?
Cristalino tequila is an añejo or extra añejo (aged tequila) that’s been run through a filtration process. This filtration — usually done with charcoal — removes the añejo’s characteristic amber color and mellows the rich, woody notes that añejos pick up during their time in the barrel. The finished result is a clear liquid (hence the name) that’s typically smoother and lighter in flavor than the original añejo.
“The visionary here was Juan Domingo [Beckmann],” says Coronado, of cristalinos origin. “Back in 2006 or 2007, [Beckmann] said, ‘Hey, what can we do in order to have an easier-to-drink tequila for younger people or anyone who is not so keen with the more straightforward flavor profile of a silver?” With this direction from the CEO, Coronado and his team landed on the idea for cristalino. “Our challenge was to come up with a blend of a mature tequila without color, maintaining as much as possible the rest of the añejo credentials — from nose to palate — and giving it some complexity.”
The result of this was Maestro Dobel Diamante Cristalino, which the brand claims as the world’s first cristalino. Coronado’s most recent release — Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Añejo Cristalino Orgánico (abbr.: RDLF Cristalino) — is a great example of cristalino at its very best. Packaged in a sleek black and silver bottle, RDLF Cristalino takes the brand’s rich, luxurious extra añejo and tweaks it into something more light and fresh — in both appearance and flavor. Pick up a bottle here.
How Should You Drink Cristalino Tequila?
Once you’ve secured a bottle of cristalino, you’ll want to encourage a good first impression. “[Tasting] should be arranged as a sensory experience,” says Coronado. He serves cristalino as the finale in a succession of tequilas, suggesting that tasters start with silver, make their way through a reposado and an añejo or extra añejo, and then finish with a cristalino. “When [tasters] see a transparent glass again after silver, reposado, and añejo, and they sip, they say ‘god, this is amazing!’ Because it’s like a revolution in their mind to feel the sensation of a mature tequila, but without any color. I think it’s very unique.”
Of course, any super-premium tequila like Reserva de la Familia Cristalino should be served neat or on the rocks to start. But plenty of cristalinos taste amazing in cocktails too. If you’re going the cocktail route, we recommend something fresh that lets the tequila do the talking; try a Paloma (a splash of grapefruit juice, agave syrup, and some lime juice) or a tequila old fashioned (agave syrup, bitters, cristalino, and an orange peel garnish).
What Are the Best Cristalino Tequilas to Try?
Ready to check out cristalino for yourself? Here are some of the best ones that we’ve tasted.
Reserva de la Familia Añejo Cristalino Organico
Coronado oversaw the production of several cristalinos for other brands before it was time to release one for Jose Cuervo’s crown jewel, Reserva de la Familia. So it’s not all that surprising that RDLF’s cristalino is perhaps the best. The liquid starts as extra mature agave and is then aged in new American oak before it’s finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Finally, it’s filtered through charcoal to yield an incredibly smooth, bright final product with notes of agave, honey, and dried fruit. Serve it neat on a special occasion.
ReserveBar
Maestro Dobel Diamante Cristalino
Dobel’s Diamante (which Coronado also helped create) was launched in claims to be the world’s first Cristalino. For the price, it’s still one of our favorites. Made using reposado, añejo, and extra añejo tequilas, Diamante is also finished in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. You get the smoothness characteristic of a great cristalino, some añejo notes like vanilla and fruit, as well as some lively citrus, courtesy of the reposado.
ReserveBar
Hornitos Añejo Cristalino
If you’re looking to sample a more affordable cristalino, try this one from Hornitos. It starts as Hornitos’ Añejo, which spends over a year in American white oak casks. It’s then carbon filtered to become a cristalino that’s much smoother and sweeter than its price tag would have you guess. This is a great one to try in cocktails.
Jose Cuervo Tradicional Reposado Cristalino
Another great cristalino at a more affordable price point is this Reposado Cristalino from Jose Cuervo Tradicional. The blend includes three different tequilas: Tradicional Reposado, Tradicional Añejo, and even some Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo. This is another surprisingly sweet one, boasting notes of ripe fruit, nuts, and toffee, and it works very well in any tequila cocktail.
Caskers
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