This is some help incase you want to branch your tequila taste out a bit.  According to [foodrepublic.com](http://www.foodrepublic.com/2013/07/11/tequilas-little-secret-with-1000-brands-it-might-all-just-be-the-same-stuff/) in 2013 there were over 1000 different brands of tequila, there has to me more than that now with consumption going up.  How do you pick a new one that you think you might like?

One way is to look at the *NOM* number on the bottle.  Every bottle of tequila has a number on it after the three letters *NOM*.  This number identifies the distillery of the tequila.  From [tastetequila.com](http://tastetequila.com/2017/the-worlds-highest-rated-tequila-distilleries/) we know that there are only 149 different active distilleries.  Most of the distilleries make more than one brand of tequila.  If you have a tequila you like, google the NOM number and find out what other tequilas the distillery makes, maybe you will like one of these.

For instance, Jose Cuervo, which I do not care for due to the bite, is from NOM 1122 (Casa Cuervo).  Casa Cuervo also makes Gran Centenario, Maestro Dobel, and Maestro Tequilero.  I have tried Centenario and find it also to have a bite, just not as strong as Jose Cuervo.  It's still very good for mixing drinks.  To me a slightly better distillery is Tequila Sauza (NOM 1102) that makes Hornitos, Sauza, and Tres Generaciones.  All have less of a bite and make a smoother margarita.  Tres Generaciones for me is a low end sipping tequila, just add a little lime and it's good to go.

If that doesn't work for you, a little more research on the distillery you like may be in order.  Most distilleries can be divided by the altitude of the distillery.  Lower altitude (Los Valles) distilleries are said to have an more earthy taste due to the agave being grown in more volcanic soil.  Higher altitude (Los Altos) distilleries generate tequilas that have better soil and develop more sugars so they tend to have a more fruity taste.  If the distillery you like is from Los Valles, just look through the list on tastetequila.com and find another from the same area.  The agave sourced will be similar so it should develop a similar taste.

Another aspect of tequila requires still more research.  Once the agave reaches the distillery and is cooked, it has to be crushed before it is fermented.  How it's cooked and crushed is said to make a difference.  Some ovens are made of stone and some more modern of stainless steel.  Similarly, the old method that is still in use today to crush the cooked agave is to smash it with a large stone wheel called a tahona.  Here's a picture of a tahona from the [El Tesoro Distillery](http://www.tequilaconnection.com/Distillery%20Photo%20Gallery/El%20Tesoro/ats00000.htm) website. 

<center>![atsb00004.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmT4v6MxSCKHYVfimQdEYaBA8ymY5NGwpRvEQVAyAb2MMf/atsb00004.jpg)</center>

In the early days, the tahona was pulled around by a donkey or mule to crush the cooked agave.  The stone ovens and tahona are said to mellow the flavor and bring out more of the earthy taste in the tequila.  This may be true, I know I would rather have a pizza from a stone pizza oven than a stainless steel one.

So, you can now go and find other tequilas that are made in the same manner as the one you like.  Hopefully the flavors will be similar.  Or you can go the opposite direction if you know a tequila you don't like.

With all that being said, [tastetequila.com](http://tastetequila.com/2015/highlands-vs-lowlands-tequila-does-it-matter/) used a 27 member panel of people that liked tequila to test this.  Less that 20% of the 27 people had a preference between the Los Altos/Los Valles tequilas or the tahona/modern crushing methods tequilas.

My method for looking for a new tequila I like is simpler.  When I'm in a bar and see a different bottle of tequila than I have had before, I order a shot.