Mexico’s most celebrated spirit has come a long way since that trip to Tijuana that you don’t remember.

While pundits have long claimed that just about every spirit imaginable was poised to be the New Vodka — first gin, then rum, then even bourbon — not even John Arnold could have predicted the rise in tequila’s fortunes in the past year. During that time, sales of “ultra-premium” tequilas grew by 41 percent, while lesser-quality mixtos dropped by 3 percent. So is tequila the New Vodka? Hardly. After all, vodka is hailed for its colorless, odorless, flavorless chameleon-ism. Tequila, by comparison, boasts mucho aroma and flavor.

But not, we assure you, the aroma and flavor you might recall from the blinding hangovers of your youth. Indeed, the new breed of tequilas are so robust, so delicious, they’re akin to fine cognacs. Rest assured, for these finest of the finest, the worm is most definitely not included.

HERRADURA AÑEJO

ENTRY PRICE: $55

LEVERAGE: 80 proof While Herradura is a name synonymous with great tequila, the company’s lineage actually stretches back through a half-dozen hands— all the way to the 1870s. This particular 100 percent blue-agave beauty was born back in 1962, with the idea of re-creating the essence of the old family distillery of the Hacienda San Jose del Refugio. It’s aged for two years in American oak barrels, which imbue it with a deep gold color, aromas of vanilla and mint and a caramelized, whiskey-like finish.

PARTIDA ELEGANTE

ENTRY PRICE: $350

LEVERAGE: 80 proof Elegante, which debuted this summer, is the latest great tequila from the house of Partida. This one, born of 100 percent blue agave, is aged more than 36 months in American oak. Even the packaging is exceptional: a numbered bottle in a gift box that includes a crystal top, allowing the bottle to become a decanter once the tequila is gone. It is, by far, the priciest tequila we sampled. It is also, by far, the finest — a cognac-like siren both soft and silky, with flavors of caramel, coffee and spice.

GRAN CENTENARIO AÑEJO

ENTRY PRICE: $58

LEVERAGE: 80 proof

Legend has it that in 1857, Lazaro Gallardo, a tavern owner and tequila producer, developed a radical blending process called selección suave by pouring newly rested tequilas into the smoothest aged tequila reserves. The process is still used today in each of Gran Centenario’s aged blends, including this splendid orange flower water–scented añejo, which is aged 18 months in French limousin oak casks. That sojourn adds a toastiness to its pronounced citrus overtones.

DON EDUARDO SILVER

ENTRY PRICE: $40

LEVERAGE: 80 proof Produced by the Orendain family from 100 percent blue agave plants grown on its plantation outside Tequila, Mexico, Don Eduardo is distilled at the family’s distillery in Tequila proper. While we also liked Don Eduardo’s caramel-scented añejo — which is double-distilled and aged in American white-oak bourbon barrels for two years — we preferred the clean, crisp, pure agave flavor of this Silver, distilled three times for added refinement and a grappa-like roundness and depth.

MILAGRO SILVER SELECT

BARREL RESERVE

ENTRY PRICE: $70

LEVERAGE: 80 proof The bottle alone — the centerpiece of which is a hand-blown crystal agave plant inside the tall, clear, grappa-style vessel — is stunning enough to pique one’s curiosity. What’s inside is even better: 100 percent estate-grown, hand-picked blue agave cooked in traditional clay ovens at the Tequilera Cielito Lindo in Jalisco, Mexico. A brief respite in French oak barrels lends it a soft vanilla floral aroma and a distinct creaminess on the palate.

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