El Tesoro Extra Añejo Tequila
El Tesoro · La Alteña Distillery (NOM 1139)
El Tesoro's Extra Añejo demonstrates that extended aging and traditional tahona production can coexist beautifully. Where many extra añejos lose their agave identity to oak, this bottle maintains a clear conversation between the plant and the barrel. It's a tequila for bourbon lovers and tequila purists alike—a rare bridge between two worlds.
Nose
Rich cooked agave and dark chocolate unfold first, followed by butterscotch and dried vanilla bean. Oak influence is prominent but integrated, with wisps of tobacco and cinnamon adding complexity. A faint mineral earthiness sits beneath everything.
Palate
Luxuriously thick on entry, with caramel and roasted agave forming the foundation. The oak is assertive without being woody, delivering coffee and leather notes alongside sweet butterscotch. A peppery warmth develops mid-palate, keeping things lively.
Finish
Very long, with dark chocolate and tobacco slowly fading into warm oak and a final echo of cooked agave.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highland, Arandas)
- Production
- Tahona-crushed, brick ovens for cooking, natural fermentation
- Region
- Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Tahona-crushed, brick ovens for cooking, natural fermentation
- Distillation
- Tahona-crushed, naturally fermented, double distilled in copper pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1139
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Highlands Old Fashioned — 2 oz El Tesoro Extra Añejo · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 dashes mole bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a rocks glass with one large cube, garnish with an orange peel expressed over the surface.
Food Pairing
The dark chocolate and tobacco in the tequila dovetail with the complex spice blend of mole negro, while the braised meat's richness matches the spirit's weight and butterscotch sweetness.
Master distiller Carlos Camarena continues his family's multi-generational tradition at La Alteña, still crushing highland agave with a two-ton volcanic tahona stone in the hills above Arandas.
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