Best Craft Tequila Brand (2016)

Master distiller Germán Gonzalez, the man behind T1 Tequila Uno, uses only mature blue agave from the Jalisco highlands to craft his spirits – a process he oversees from harvest to bottle. There are four tequilas in the line, ranging from an Ultra Fino Blanco to a 24 month-aged Añejo.
Photo courtesy of T1 Tequila Uno

The agave fields, distillery and bottling facility for Embajador Tequila are all located Atotonilco in Los Altos de Jalisco, where a blend of traditional and modern techniques produce double-distilled Blanco, Reposado and Añejo tequilas. Embajador has an Extra Añejo, aged for a minimum of three years, in the works.
Photo courtesy of Embajador Tequila

Suerte Tequila purchased their own distillery to hand-make their distinctive tequilas using many old-world processes, such as low temperature cooking and juicing with a traditional stone mill, called a Tahona. Suerte produces four tequilas, from the Blanco rested in stainless steel tanks to the EXTRA Añejo, double-distilled and aged in charred American oak for six years.
Photo courtesy of Suerte Tequila

DesMaDre Tequila crafts their spirits from 100-percent mature blue weber agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco. Relatively new to the scene, this double-distilled tequila comes un-aged as a Blanco or barrel-aged as a Reposado or Añejo. The tequilas are distilled at Casa Ramirez Distillery (NOM 1519).
Photo courtesy of DesMaDre Tequila

Tequila G4 is currently being produced by third and fourth generation distillers in El Pandillo distillery in Jalisco. The owners tend their own agave plantations, ensuring only the best quality product makes it into the bottle.
Photo courtesy of Tequila G4 / Facebook

Tequila Gran Dovejo shares a distillery in Jalisco, but their master distiller, Leopoldo Solis Tinoco, often takes over the whole affair to ensure the exact flavor profile he's looking for is achieved.
Photo courtesy of Tequila Gran Dovejo

Widely available yet little known in the United States, Siete Leguas works from their own distillery where they craft five distinctive tequilas using a combination of old and modern techniques. After being slow-steamed and cooked in custom ovens, juice from the agave "piñas" is extracted using a traditional stone mill pulled by mules. 
Photo courtesy of Jude Goergen / Siete Leguas

Tequila Tapatío, a well-respected brand in Mexico, is distilled at one of the country's most famous distilleries, La Alteña. The distillery owner is also the creator of Tequila Tapatío's five varieties.
Photo courtesy of Charbay Distillery & Winery

Made from hand-selected agave grown in the highlands of Jalisco, Dulce Vida Tequila produces the world's only USDA-certified organic 100-proof tequila. The tequila makers take a hands-on approach, and all tequilas are produced in the village of San Ignacio Cerro Gordo at Campanario (NOM 1443).
Photo courtesy of Dulce Vida Tequila

While the twice-distilled tequilas from Tequila Don Modesto share a distillery with several other brands, the owner is personally involved in the tequila-making process, as he's allergic to many additives found in other tequilas. Don Modesto tequilas are organic and made with no additives or artificial coloring.
Photo courtesy of Tequila Don Modesto