What Sets Cristalino Apart From Blanco Tequila?

Head to a liquor store in the U.S., and you'll find a varied tequila selection. Among the offerings, there will be blancos, reposados, and a few pricier añejos and extra-añejos. Along with a joven (a more obscure blended style), these options represent the main five types noted by the Consejo Regulador del Tequila — the spirit's official regulating body. There's lots of nuance between each type, but generally, the bottles are differentiated by their aging duration. 

However, starting in 2011, a new category has appeared on shelves: cristalino. Debuted on the market by Don Julio, this tequila style involves an intriguing swap of the norm. An aged tequila is employed as a foundation and then charcoal-filtered to remove its golden color and some of its flavor. The result visually looks like a blanco, but the production process and flavor set it apart. Especially as a quickly expanding style on the market, you'll want to note its distinctions when shopping.

Cristalino — which translates to "crystalline" from Spanish — only debuted on the market a bit over a decade ago. Created by Don Julio's master distiller, this style aims to bring a more approachable, softer entryway into tequila, with an emphasis on lessening barrel and bold blanco flavors. In line with tequila's expansive growth at large, cristalino was designed to intrigue consumers with a new style.

This unique agave spirit typically employs añejo tequilas — which spend at least a year in a barrel — but can be crafted with any aged expression. This barrel-tinged liquor then goes through a filtering process, which involves mixing in small charcoal specks. Tiny pores in these carefully engineered carbon particles absorb certain compounds; in this case, barrel tannins, some alcohol-forward flavors, and agave-derived fatty acids. The method is then followed by a specialized separation technique, which takes out the charcoal and yields a clear or just slightly colored liquid.

Charcoal filtration techniques have long been used for rum, but it's a new implementation for tequila. In addition to a lack of regulation, there's not a go-to production method, so results vary. Many variables are at play: The initial agave spirit base, the aging process, and the type of charcoal filtration. Some producers strip an excess of flavor and reintroduce artificial flavorings, crafting unpalatable bottles. Others create a delicately balanced product that showcases aromatic fruitiness and a tinge of barrel character in perfect symphony.

When someone says tequila, a blanco expression is likely what comes to mind. First industrially produced in 1758, the beloved spirit comes with a rich tradition. Classically distilled using exclusively blue agave, yeast, and water, the liquor comes with strict creation regulation. All tequila must use at least 51% agave sugar for fermentation, with many employing 100%. Furthermore, high-quality producers employ traditional manual processes, from harvest to distillation, ensuring an aromatic result.

Although some blancos may employ additives, classically made expressions are an enthralling showcase of agave. Even more than aged tequilas, such bottles convey terroir, showcasing the agave harvest and styles of production. In combination with blanco's wide-ranging flavor potential, such factors have made this tequila style especially beloved by enthusiasts. Upheld by its traditional roots and cultural prevalence, the blanco style continues to be the face of the spirit.

Just take note that with so many bottles on the market, blancos take on many forms. Per regulation, blanco tequila can spend under 60 days in a barrel, so it might also contain a tinge of barrel character. Although, it is more common to either hold the liquor in a steel tank or bottle the freshly distilled spirit. Plus, there are the additive-heavy blancos, which lean into overly sweet, vanilla-heavy notes. Yet, sample a high-quality bottle, and you'll discover a vibrant, herbaceous spirit that beautifully expresses its origins.

Although both spirits are colorless to the eye, they pack in different flavor palates. A high-quality blanco tequila is a vibrant spirit that most purely transmits the flavors of the agave plant. Most often, there are the vegetal-forward notes of the plant, accompanied with grassiness, a citrusy tang, and a spicy finish. However, with the intricacy of its production, tequila can also taste of olive-like brininess, intense earthiness, and floral and tropical flavors. Their vibrancy and smoothness varies, but you can certainly expect complexity with a top-shelf bottle.

Meanwhile, a sip of cristalino is much more subdued. Due to the aging and filtering, the aforementioned earthy, vegetal, and citrusy notes are minimal. Instead, the best renditions make a smooth sweetness more prevalent. Flavors of tropical fruit emerge, along with notes of vanilla, other spices, and hints of nuttiness and oak from the barrel. Some renditions lean dry, but per the style's regulations, neutral-tasting spirits aren't permitted. While cristalino is too mild to be the best tequila for margaritas, its fruit-forward flavor makes for a delicious martini, highball, or old-fashioned. And, while fans of agave will prefer blanco tequila's unfiltered aromatics, cristalino brings the spirit into a new delicate and delicious direction.