If you only know tequila from a shot with salt and lime, you have met about a quarter of the family. The real story is told by the color in the glass, and the color is a clock.

Under the Mexican rules for tequila, the name on the bottle tells you how long the spirit rested in oak. Here is the timeline, from the day it is made.

  1. Day one

    Blanco

    Unaged, or rested for up to two months.

    Crisp, peppery, bright with cooked agave and citrus peel. This is tequila with nothing hiding.

    Pour it with: ceviche, grilled prawns, anything with lime. Also the best base for a Paloma or Margarita.

  2. 2 months to under a year

    Reposado

    "Rested" in oak for at least two months and less than a year.

    The edges soften. Vanilla and a little spice join the agave, and the color turns pale straw.

    Pour it with: roast chicken, grilled pork, tacos with a smoky salsa.

  3. 1 year to under 3 years

    Añejo

    "Aged" in oak for at least one year and less than three.

    Golden and rounder, with caramel, dried fruit and oak. It starts to taste a little like a good brandy or whisky.

    Pour it with: dark chocolate, aged cheese, a slice of orange cake.

  4. 3 years and beyond

    Extra Añejo

    Aged in oak for at least three years.

    Deep mahogany, quiet and slow. Toffee, tobacco leaf, cocoa. Do not mix this one.

    Pour it with: nothing at all, after dinner, in a small glass.

One thing to check on the label

Look for "100% agave" (in Spanish, "100% de agave"). Without it, the bottle may be a "mixto", made with other sugars alongside the agave. Both are legal, but the 100% agave ones taste more like the plant.

The color trap

A darker tequila is not always an older one. Producers can add caramel color to some styles, so a dark pour does not guarantee time in the barrel. Read the word on the label, not the shade in the glass.

Where to start

Buy a blanco and a reposado from the same maker, taste them side by side, and notice what time in oak does. It costs little and teaches you more than any article, including this one.

Aging rules are summarized from the general Mexican tequila categories and can change, so check the producer's information. Please drink responsibly.