Casamigos Blanco: The Billion-Dollar Smooth Operator

Casamigos launched the modern celebrity tequila era when George Clooney and Rande Gerber sold their brand to Diageo for nearly $1 billion in 2017. It's now one of the best-selling tequilas in the world, found in every well-stocked bar and airport duty-free shop on the planet. The brand promise is simple: smooth, easy, universally approachable tequila that even tequila-phobic drinkers can enjoy.

Mission accomplished on that front. The nose is creamy and gentle: vanilla, butter cream frosting, caramel, lime, and mint with minimal ethanol bite. It smells pleasant, inoffensive, and designed to appeal to the widest possible audience. What it doesn't smell like is agave—the very ingredient that makes tequila tequila.

On the palate, Casamigos delivers on its promise of smoothness with almost alarming efficiency. Sweet cake frosting and brown butter arrive first, followed by vanilla, citrus, and soft agave flavors with a hint of pepper. The mouthfeel is remarkably smooth—"incredibly smooth, no burn at all"—which the community interprets not as a virtue but as evidence of a flavor profile engineered for mass appeal.

The finish is quiet and simple: sweet citrus and pepper, barely any finish to speak of. It exits the palate like a polite guest at a cocktail party—quickly, without leaving much of an impression.

Here's the uncomfortable truth: Casamigos is great tequila for people who don't like traditional tequila flavors. The cooked agave character has been hidden behind loads of vanilla and caramel, and the 2025 class action lawsuit alleging that Diageo's tequila brands contain non-agave alcohol has only intensified community skepticism.

At $45, Casamigos is far overpriced for what it delivers. Olmeca Altos, Cimarron, and Arette all offer more authentic tequila character at half the price. The smooth ride Casamigos promises comes at the cost of everything that makes tequila interesting.