
Tequila Ocho Blanco 2022 La Magueyera
Tequila Ocho · Destilería La Alteña (NOM 1474)
Ocho's single-estate blanco program is the closest tequila gets to grand cru thinking. The 2022 La Magueyera bottling captures a specific field in a specific year — mineral-driven, herbaceous, and pure. It's an argument for terroir made in agave rather than grape, and it's convincing.
Nose
Bright cooked agave dominates, followed by wet mineral and fresh-cut grass. Citrus peel — lime zest and grapefruit — adds vibrancy, while a subtle floral quality suggests violet and green herbs. Clean and focused.
Palate
Medium-bodied with a silky entry. The cooked agave unfolds into green apple and white pepper, grounded by an earthy, mineral quality that speaks directly to the La Magueyera terroir. There's a gentle herbal thread — thyme and mint — that weaves through the mid-palate, never overshadowing the agave core.
Finish
Medium-length with lingering mineral, black pepper, and a final burst of citrus freshness.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave (single estate, La Magueyera)
- Production
- Slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, tahona-crushed, naturally fermented with wild yeast
- Region
- Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, tahona-crushed, naturally fermented with wild yeast
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1474
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Magueyera Paloma — 2 oz Ocho Blanco La Magueyera · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz lime juice · 0.5 oz agave nectar · 2 oz mineral water. Build in a tall glass over ice. Rim with sal de gusano. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel.
Food Pairing
The tequila's mineral freshness and citrus brightness amplify the lime-cured shrimp, while its peppery finish mirrors the serrano chile's clean heat.
Produced at the Camarena family's La Alteña distillery under the guidance of the late Tomás Estes, this single-estate expression captures agave harvested from the La Magueyera rancho in the red clay highlands of Jalisco.
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