Tequila Ocho Añejo 2019 Single Estate
Tequila Ocho · Destilería La Alteña (NOM 1474)
Tequila Ocho's single-estate model means every vintage reflects a specific rancho and harvest year. The 2019 añejo demonstrates how American white oak can enhance highland agave without erasing it. Where many añejos lean too heavily on barrel influence, this one maintains transparency — you taste the field and the cooperage in equal measure.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Cooked agave anchors the nose, surrounded by caramel, vanilla, and a hint of butterscotch from extended oak contact. A subtle earthiness and dried herb character emerge.
Palate
Full and slightly viscous. Oak-driven flavors of caramel and vanilla are well-integrated with the agave's natural sweetness. Cinnamon and a soft pepper note add complexity at midpalate.
Finish
Long and warm, with lingering oak, a trace of dark chocolate, and persistent cooked agave. The wood influence is present but never masks the spirit's origin.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (highland)
- Production
- Slow-roasted in stone/brick ovens, tahona and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation
- Region
- Los Altos, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-roasted in stone/brick ovens, tahona and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper-lined stainless steel pot stills
- NOM
- 1474
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Ocho Añejo Manhattan — 2 oz Tequila Ocho Añejo · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes mole bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a Luxardo cherry.
Food Pairing
The deep, layered spice of mole negro — chocolate, dried chiles, cinnamon — finds natural harmony with the añejo's oak and baking spice, while the braised chicken's richness matches the tequila's body.
Born from a collaboration between the late Tomas Estes and master distiller Carlos Camarena at Destilería La Alteña, Tequila Ocho pioneered single-estate, vintage-dated tequila, treating agave fields with the same terroir reverence as French vineyards.
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