Is The Pricey Clase Azul Tequila Really Just A Scam In A Fancy Bottle?

The eye-catching, blue and white ceramic bottle containing Clase Azul Tequila Reposado beckons from the top shelf of the bar. Clase Azul is known for its iconic decanter — and notorious for being one of the most expensive tequila brands out there, leading tequila connoisseurs to debate if the drink inside is worth the price.

The primary dispute is that you're likely just absorbing the costs of manufacturing the bottle. Clase Azul prides itself on the decanter, calling it "our first icon" on its website. Clase Azul founder Arturo Lomeli spearheaded the design of the distinctive bottle after studying marketing and recognizing how unique packaging would help the fledgling brand stand out amidst the competition. The bottles are handmade, hand-decorated, and emblazoned with medallions in the Mexican town of Santa Maria Canchesda. Clase Azul manufacturing is now a booming business there, with support for artists and local culture leading to the brand establishing a charity, Fundaciòn Causa Azul. Supporting a thriving community of local artisans — including providing workers with two meals per day — at an independent company is surely a costly endeavor, so it's not surprising if some of those costs get passed on to the consumer.

The flagship Azul Reposado may be the best-known bottle, and for all the debate about its cost, it's on the lower side of the Clase Azul price range. Some limited edition tequilas, in their own distinguishable bottles, fetch $10,000 or more per bottle among collectors. Surprisingly, this brand seems to have dodged attempted thefts, like the robberies targeting Patron in Florida and in Texas. 

While Clase Azul garners generally good reviews, purists argue that the tequila is too sweet and too smooth, as it contains inorganic additives that can distract from the core flavor. This could be a consequence of the brand attempting to reach a mass audience while still presenting a luxury experience — and may have put Clase Azul at the start of the trend towards flavored tequilas seen in recent years.

Clase Azul's ingredients became a focal point of a recent lawsuit the company pursued against Casa Azul Spirits. In bringing the suit in September 2022, Clase Azul alleged that the similar name would cause marketplace confusion. The judge dismissed the case in April 2024, noting that the brand's booming sales showed no signs of erosion from Casa Azul. He also noted that Clase Azul uses artificial sweeteners, vanilla, and artificial coloring, while Casa Azul does not, making the two brands distinctive from each other.

A grassroots movement calling out tequila additives (led by the creators of the Tequila Matchmaker site) is causing Clase Azul to be taken off shelves in some bars. There is a regulatory board called the Consejo Regulador del Tequila (CRT) that oversees and approves the quality of tequila brands. However, some suspect that the approval process is too much of an honor system, leading to inaccurate reporting. Perhaps responding to the charges, the CRT introduced a program certifying additive-free tequilas in March 2023.