El Tesoro 70th Aniversario Mature Blanco
El Tesoro · Destilería La Alteña
A textbook expression of Los Altos highland terroir at 6,900 feet — Carlos Camarena's tahona-and-roller-mill blend rendered at full strength of character. It's a blanco that trades bombast for precision and reminds you why El Tesoro remains a benchmark.
Nose
Vivid cooked agave leads, laced with citrus zest, wet river stone, and a whisper of white pepper. Green herbs — dill, mint, and cilantro stem — unfurl underneath, along with a delicate floral top note reminiscent of orange blossom.
Palate
Full-bodied and unusually creamy for a blanco. Cooked agave takes center stage, bolstered by black pepper, lime pith, cracked green olive brine, and a mineral spine that speaks directly to the volcanic red clay of the highlands. A grassy, almost vegetal midpalate gives way to sweet baked pineapple and cinnamon.
Finish
Long, warming, and mineral-driven, with lingering agave, white pepper, and a saline edge that fades slowly into gentle citrus oil.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber agave, grown at approximately 6,900 feet in the red iron-rich soil of Los Altos, Jalisco; agaves are matured 8–10 years before harvest.
- Production
- Agave cooked in traditional stone-and-brick masonry ovens for ~48 hours; milled using a combination of tahona and roller mill; open-air fermentation with wild yeasts; double-distilled in small copper pot stills to proof (no water added post-distillation); rested briefly in stainless steel before bottling.
- Region
- Arandas, Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Agave cooked in traditional stone-and-brick masonry ovens for ~48 hours; milled using a combination of tahona and roller mill; open-air fermentation with wild yeasts; double-distilled in small copper pot stills to proof (no water added post-distillation); rested briefly in stainless steel before bottling.
- NOM
- NOM 1139
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Altitude Paloma — 2 oz El Tesoro Blanco, 0.75 oz fresh pink grapefruit juice, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.25 oz agave syrup, pinch of sea salt, topped with grapefruit soda. Build in a highball over ice, stir gently, garnish with a grapefruit twist and a rosemary sprig.
Food Pairing
Grilled octopus with charred lime, smoked paprika oil, and a chilled cucumber-avocado salad — the tequila's minerality and citrus lift the smoky char while its creamy body echoes the avocado.
Crafted at Destilería La Alteña — founded in 1937 by Don Felipe Camarena and now stewarded by his grandson Carlos — where agave is still crushed partly by tahona, fermented with open-air wild yeasts, and distilled to proof in small copper pot stills perched high in the Arandas highlands.
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