In the last few years, multiple celebrities launched their own tequila brands. Dwayne Johnson's Teremana Tequila is probably the most famous one of them. Johnson worked with celebrity spirits whisperer Ken Austin and released the agave liquor in March 2020. The brand sold 300,000 cases by the end of that same year; A respectable number for a newcomer.
To put things a little into perspective, 2020 was a record-breaking year. The US imported 254 million liters of tequila, more than ever before. And Teremana accounted for a whopping 1 percent of that. -As a new brand in only nine months.
The brand started with only two expressions: A classic unaged Blanco Tequila that's great for Margaritas and a Reposado aged in American Whiskey barrels. Lately, Teremana also released a premium Añejo Tequila that's aged for up to two years.Â
Read our expert review on each of the three tequila expressions.
Teremana Tequila Review Summary
- Tequila type: Blanco
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Aging: Unaged
- Price: $33 per 750ml bottle
- Aromas: raw agave, bright citrus, alcohol, black pepper, cinnamon, earthy notes, vegetal, vanilla, and smoke.
- Flavors: cooked agave, black pepper, alcohol, citrus, vanilla, and vegetal notes.
- Rating: 2.5/5
Read the full review of Teremana Blanco
Teremana Tequila Reposado Review Summary
- Tequila type: Reposado
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Aging: Ex-Bourbon Barrels for 2-12 months
- Price: $36 per 750ml bottle
- Aromas: roasted agave, alcohol, vanilla, oak, butter, caramel, black pepper, and smoke.
- Flavors: roasted agave, alcohol, citrus, vanilla, oak, and black pepper.
- Rating: 2/5
Read the full review of Teremana Reposado
Teremana Tequila Añejo Review Summary
- Tequila type: Añejo
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Aging: American White Oak Barrels for at least 1 year
- Price: $43 per 750ml bottle
- Aromas: Agave, caramel, vegetal notes, and vanilla.
- Flavors: sweet agave, butter, citrus, black pepper, oak, olive, and black pepper.
- Rating: 3/5
Read the full review of Teremana Anejo
Review of Teremana Tequila Blanco
Appearance
The spirit is crystal clear and transparent. Teremana Blanco rests in stainless steel tanks so there's absolutely no color derived from wooden barrels.
Aroma (Nose)
The aroma of Teremana's Blanco Tequila has some intense and dominant notes of raw agave and distinct, sharp alcohol notes. It's a bright and crisp spirit that offers an old-school flavor profile.
In the background, you can smell subtly earthy, vegetal aromas with hints of black pepper and cinnamon.
Palate (Taste)
The taste is a bold combination of cooked agave and ethanol flavors. The tequila is slightly on the bitter side with some distinct vegetal flavors. Hints of citrus and black pepper aim to balance the agave and alcohol notes but are hardly detectable.
Finish
After a bold taste of agave and ethanol, Teremana Blanco ends with a warm and spicy finish, including distinct bitter flavors. There's also a not-so-prominent medicinal note in the background that I don't really like.
Overall
2.5 out of 5 stars.
I would recommend skipping this. It's not an ideal sipping tequila and only a decent choice for making Margaritas or other cocktails. It's certainly worth a try if you can test it for free, but at this price point, I highly recommend using another spirit for your tequila cocktails.Â
Review of Teremana Tequila Reposado
Appearance
A faint, light golden color when poured into the glass with medium viscosity. The spirit ages in former bourbon barrels to develop flavors and obtain this elegant golden tint.
Aroma (Nose)
The scent of the reposado tequila contains strong notes of roasted agave paired with spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. In the background, there's a subtle note of butter and hints of oak.
Palate (Taste)
On the palate, sweet almond and vanilla flavors dominate the agave notes. It's much sweeter than the Blanco expression with only subtle oaky flavors.
Teremana Reposado Tequila has a smooth and balanced flavor, with notes of oak, vanilla, and citrus. The tequila has a beautiful golden color, making it a visually stunning addition to any cocktail.
Finish
The finish is full-on vanilla flavor with a warm, velvety texture that coats the palate and a long, sweet finish. I slightly prefer the finish over the one of the blanco tequila, but it's still far from great.
Overall
2 out of 5 stars.
Just like the Blanco version, I wouldn't recommend the Reposado. Added sweeteners and vanilla cover up the sharp bite from alcohol. But unfortunately, these aromas come across as artificial. And yet, the final result is too heavy on the alcohol notes.
Review of Teremana Tequila Añejo
Appearance
In the glass, the Añejo has a beautiful dark golden to amber color. The spirit aged for at least one year and up to two years in whiskey barrels to develop a richer flavor profile and darker color.
Aroma (Nose)
It has a rich and warm aroma with oak, vanilla, and caramel. In the background, faint black pepper notes pair with spicy cinnamon.
Palate (Taste)
The taste of this Añejo Tequila is beautifully warm and sweet, with plenty of oak and vanilla flavors. Supporting flavors are sweet, roasted agave, and hints of black pepper, olives, and butter.
Finish
A light, warm, and sweet finish rounds off this smooth tequila. The spirit ends with a smooth, rich finish that's much better than the other two bottles.
Overall
3 out of 5 stars.
Their Añejo expression is a much cleaner, smoother tequila compared to their Blanco and Reposado. It's still not perfect, but they're certainly on the right way to improve the quality of the tequila.Â
About Teremana Tequila
The brand name Teremana stands for Spirit of the Earth. It's derived from the Latin word terra, meaning earth, and the Polynesian word Mana, which stands for spirit. The second part of the name hints at Johnson's Polynesian heritage.
Sustainability is a big topic in the modern world. And Teremana, too, takes sustainability seriously and turns all leftover agave fibers into natural fertilizer. Water filtration systems make sure to reuse wastewater from the production process. Combined with the traditional production processes, Teremana wants to act as a role model in the tequila industry.
How Teremana Tequila is produced
Teremana Tequila, like all other types of tequila, is made of Blue Weber Agave - also called agave tequilana. The agave they use to distill their tequila is grown in the Jalisco highland.
The tequila brand uses traditional tequila-making processes where the agave hearts are cooked and roasted in small traditional brick ovens before the distillation.
All tequilas by Teremana are distilled in handmade copper pot stills designed and produced by local artisans. The aged expressions age in wooden barrels, ex-bourbon barrels are used for the Reposado expression, and the Añejo ages in an American whiskey barrel.
Tequila made by Teremana contains 40% ABV (80 proof) and 0g of sugar and carbs. They're all also certified as gluten-free.
FAQ about Teremana
Teremana Tequila is a genuine small-batch tequila sold at a below-average price point. The Blanco Tequila is of decent quality. However, in my opinion, Reposado falls short.
The suggested retail price for the Teremana Blanco is $29.99. The Reposado sells at $32.99. Both prices are more than fair and are below the average market prices.
Teremana sells traditionally made tequila from Agave Tequilana in Jalisco, Mexico. It's made with traditional methods and distilled in an artisanal copper pot still.
Teremana's Tequilas are not ideal for sipping. But you can serve it as a shot or use it in traditional cocktails like the Margarita or Paloma.
Teremana Tequila is made by Siete Bucks Spirits managed and founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia. Other business partners involved are Ken Austin and Jenna Fagnan.
Launched in March 2020, Teremana first released two expressions: Blanco and Reposado. In 2021, the Añejo Tequila was released as the third product of Teremana.
All Teremana Tequila is 80 proof (40% ABV).
Teremana Añejo is of higher quality compared to Teremana Reposado and Blanco. Artificially sweet vanilla notes in the Reposado expression make it less enjoyable, neat, and as a mixer.