If you prefer reposado and añejo tequilas, then part of your enjoyment stems from the distiller’s artful use of charred oak barrels. Trying the silver/blanco/plata version (i.e., clear) frees you to taste just the naked agave and the distiller’s art, nothing else. These 10 tequilas all make superb margaritas, but to really get an idea of their quality, pour a shot over ice and float a mint leaf or a razor-thin slice of lemon or lime on top. In alphabetical order, my top picks are:

1) AVIÓN SILVER

2) CASA NOBLE CRYSTAL

3) DON JULIO BLANCO

4) DULCE VIDA BLANCO

5) EL TESORO PLATINUM

6) MILAGRO SILVER

7) SAUZA HORNITOS PLATA

8) SIEMBRA AZUL BLANCO

9) TEQUILA 512 BLANCO

10) Z TEQUILA BLANCO

This article appears in 2013.

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Wes Marshall is the author of What's a Wine Lover To Do? (Artisan) and The Wine Roads of Texas (Maverick), as well as the Executive Producer of the PBS television series of the same name. Wes has written for The Austin Chronicle since 1999, covering wine, cocktails, food, and travel.