Añejos are some of the most expensive tequilas on the market, and buying a budget-friendly bottle can be a gamble. Here are the very best añejo picks that won’t break the bank. (Photo: Instagram/Gran Centenario)

During the one to three years a tequila spends barrel aging to become an añejo, it can pick up robust flavors of oak, caramel, butterscotch, cherry and so much more. Usually, it’ll also pick up a considerably higher price tag.

Añejo tequilas are some of the most expensive spirits on the market, and if you don’t have a hundred-plus dollars to blow on a bottle it’s easy to feel priced out.

On the other hand, buying a budget-friendly añejo can prove to be quite a gamble. Between saccharine sweet additives and artificial oak extract, it’s difficult to know what exactly is going into your añejo if you’re opting for a cheaper option.

Below, we’ve put together a list of the best añejo tequilas under $60. Whether you’re looking for a solo sipper or a stormy cocktail base, these are quality picks that don’t sacrifice flavor at their price point.

Kirkland Añejo

Believe it or not, Costco’s Kirkland Tequila Añejo has established itself as something of a sleeper hit among tequila enthusiasts over the past decade.

Sure, this might not be a bottle you break out at parties to show off to friends, but it’s a killer cocktail mixing secret chock full of orange, caramel, butterscotch and cinnamon flavor. You can grab a 750ml bottle for just $30, or if you feel like supersizing it (in the spirit of Costco), a 1-liter bottle for $40.

Find Kirkland Tequila Añejo near you.

Tapatio Añejo

Much beloved distiller Tapatio makes bottles that range a huge variety of price points. Thankfully, their añejo can be picked up pretty easily without breaking the bank.

Aged for 18 months in ex-Bourbon casks, Tapatio Añejo is a complex mix of baked agave, barrel spice, white pepper and honey notes, swirling with aromas of dried fruit and pear. A great solo sipper, this añejo can usually be found in the $50-$60 price range.

Find Tapatio Añejo near you.

Olmeca Altos Añejo

Named after the agave-growing Los Altos highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, Olmeca Altos makes a 12-month aged añejo that’ll feel right at home for whiskey drinkers.

With a nose of baking spice, oak and orange peel and flavor notes of vanilla, butter and almonds, Olmeca Altos Añejo is a great pick at its $40 price point.

Find Olmeca Altos Añejo at Old Town Tequila.

Gran Centenario Añejo

Self-described as “Mexico’s #1 Tequila,” Gran Centenario’s tall ridged bottles are immediately recognizable on the liquor store shelf.

Aged for 16 months in new American oak casks, Gran Centenario Añejo goes all-in on dark earthen flavors of toasted oak, chocolate, caramel and nuts. At $38, this is a tequila that comes permanently discounted considering the value of what’s inside.

Find Gran Centenario Añejo at Total Wine.

123 Organic Añejo

123 Organic Tequila is a fantastic additive-free small-batch producer that has been perfecting its craft for decades. Their name refers to their focus on the classic trio of tequila expressions, blanco, reposado and añejo.

Stamped with a large 3, 123 Organic Tequila Añejo is aged 18 months in white oak barrels. The resulting product boasts flavors of oak, molasses, burnt brown sugar and faint notes of cream soda.

This is a bottle that straddles the $60-$70 line depending on where you buy it, but with a little luck, you should be able to grab it without spending your last dime.

Find 123 Organic Tequila Añejo near you.

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