Tequila Ocho Añejo 2021 Single Estate
Tequila Ocho · Destilería La Alteña (NOM 1474)
Ocho's single-estate philosophy means terroir and vintage variation are the point, and this 2021 añejo beautifully illustrates how fire—both in the horno and in the barrel—shapes agave's identity. It's a refined, contemplative sipper that rewards patience and attention, delivering complexity without ever losing sight of the raw material.
Nose
Rich cooked agave opens the bouquet alongside butterscotch and toasted oak. Deeper inhalation reveals cinnamon bark, dried apricot, and a wisp of leather that speaks to careful barrel management.
Palate
The entry is silky and warm, with roasted agave sweetness layered over caramel, dark chocolate, and a gentle mineral earthiness. Baking spices—cinnamon, nutmeg—build through the mid-palate while sweet vanilla and a peppery spark keep the profile lively and balanced.
Finish
Medium-long and warming, trailing off with toasted oak, lingering caramel, and a pleasant echo of black pepper and dried herbs.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (Agave tequilana)
- Production
- Slow-roasted in traditional brick hornos for approximately 72 hours, crushed, naturally fermented in open-air wooden vats, and double-distilled in copper pot stills. Aged in ex-American whiskey barrels for one year. Single estate bottling with vintage and ranch designation.
- Region
- Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-roasted in traditional brick hornos for approximately 72 hours, crushed, naturally fermented in open-air wooden vats, and double-distilled in copper pot stills. Aged in ex-American whiskey barrels for one year. Single estate bottling with vintage and ranch designation.
- NOM
- NOM 1474
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Ember & Earth Old Fashioned — 2 oz Tequila Ocho Añejo 2021 · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 dashes mole bitters · 1 dash Angostura bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, express an orange peel over the surface, garnish with the peel and a cinnamon stick.
Food Pairing
The añejo's dark chocolate and cinnamon notes harmonize with the complex spice profile of Oaxacan mole negro, while the richness of braised short ribs mirrors the tequila's caramel-laced body. A side of black beans and warm corn tortillas rounds out the pairing.
Born from the collaboration between the Camarena family and the late Tomas Estes, Tequila Ocho treats each harvest like a wine vintage, proving that the same agave, shaped by a different field's soil and a different year's weather, emerges from the kiln as something entirely new.
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