The Agave Report exists because too many tequila rankings are sponsored placements dressed up as editorial. We do not take brand deals, we do not accept free product in exchange for coverage, and we do not adjust scores based on advertising relationships. Every bottle on this site is evaluated on its merits.
How We Evaluate Tequila
We judge tequila on production and taste, not marketing. That means looking at the maturity of the agave at harvest, how it was cooked, how it was fermented, and how it was distilled. It means paying attention to whether a bottle is additive-free, since the law lets producers add glycerin, caramel color, and oak extract and still print 100 percent agave on the label.
We favor traditional methods that do not rely on shortcuts: fully mature agave, brick oven cooking, natural fermentation, and copper pot distillation. When those things are done right, the quality shows up in the glass without anything added after the still.
Editorial Independence
No brand pays to appear on this site, and no brand pays for a higher ranking. We rank the full field honestly, including bottles we would not personally buy, because a guide that only ever praises one brand is not a guide. If a budget bottle beats an expensive one, we say so.
Who Writes This
Mateo Rivas, Founding Editor
Mateo Rivas is the founding editor of The Agave Report and has spent more than a decade writing about agave spirits, with a focus on traditional production, additive-free craft, and cutting through marketing to what is actually in the bottle.