The Still & The VineSchool of Wine & Spirits
Tequila Ocho Blanco 2022 Los Nopales
Tequila

Tequila Ocho Blanco 2022 Los Nopales

Tequila Ocho · Destilería Tequila Ocho (La Alteña)

80 proofNAS (unaged)Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
Ocho's single-estate philosophy mirrors wine's terroir obsession. This Los Nopales parcel delivers a blanco with unusual mineral density — heavier than many blancos in body, yet bright and transparent in flavor. It demonstrates that unaged tequila can carry the weight of place.

Kit Aromas

Tasting Notes

Nose

Pronounced cooked agave and wet mineral earth, with bright citrus — lime zest and green grapefruit. A trace of white pepper and fresh grass rides above the agave sweetness.

Palate

Clean and linear, with cooked agave at the center surrounded by a halo of citrus and mineral notes. A slight yeasty, bready quality gives it depth. The texture is surprisingly oily for a blanco.

Finish

Medium length, with lingering mineral soil notes and a final spark of white pepper. Clean and precise.

Specifications
Agave
100% Blue Weber Agave from Los Nopales estate, Arandas highlands
Production
Tahona-crushed, brick oven cooked, natural yeast fermentation
Region
Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
Cooking Method
Tahona-crushed, brick oven cooked, natural yeast fermentation
Distillation
Slow-cooked in brick ovens, tahona-crushed, fermented with natural yeast, double distilled in copper pot stills
NOM
NOM 1474
Additives Free
Yes
Serve & Pair

Cocktail Suggestion

Quarry Paloma — 2 oz Tequila Ocho Blanco 2022 Los Nopales · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz agave nectar · 2 oz mineral sparkling water · Build in a salt-rimmed highball over ice, stir gently, garnish with a grapefruit wedge.

Food Pairing

The mineral earthiness and citrus brightness in the tequila lock in with the acidity and crunch of ceviche, while jícama adds a clean, sweet counterpoint.

The Story

Carlos Camarena and the late Tomas Estes created Tequila Ocho to prove that agave from different fields — harvested in different years — tastes fundamentally different, applying a single-estate vintage model to tequila.

Train These Aromas
Comments

Be the first to comment.

Leave a comment

0 / 4,000

First-time comments are reviewed before appearing. Be kind, be specific, no spam.

More from Destilería Tequila Ocho (La Alteña)
More Tequila Reviews
Tapatio Reposado 110
Tequila

Tapatio Reposado 110

Tapatío

This is reposado with its volume turned up. The 110-proof bottling lets the agave and barrel talk at full register without distortion. Don Carlos Camarena's La Alteña distillery produces this with traditional brick ovens and tahona-crushed agave, and the result is a reposado that hides nothing. Sip it neat or try it in a stirred cocktail where you want agave to lead.

110 proof
Código 1530 Añejo
Tequila

Código 1530 Añejo

Código 1530

Código 1530 Añejo is a masterclass in what happens when spirit and stave become intimate. The use of Cabernet-seasoned French White Oak—rather than the more common American oak ex-bourbon barrels—creates a distinctive bridge between the agave world and the wine world, making it a perfect fit for the 'Barrel's Inner Skin' theme. The wine-stained wood imparts a refined tannic structure and fruit-forward complexity that complement rather than overwhelm the cooked agave heart. This is contemplative, after-dinner tequila that rewards patience.

80 proof
Tequila San Matías Gran Reserva Extra Añejo
Tequila

Tequila San Matías Gran Reserva Extra Añejo

San Matías

Casa San Matías has been making tequila since 1886, and this extra añejo demonstrates a mastery of time and barrel. Three years in American oak have deepened the spirit without erasing its agave identity—a furnace of patience made liquid. At under $90, it punches well above its price class, delivering the contemplative depth of bottles twice its cost. A superb after-dinner pour for those who believe great tequila rewards the same reverence as aged whisky.

80 proof
Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024
Tequila

Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024

Fortaleza

Fortaleza's Winter Blend series marries reposado lots of varying age into a seasonal expression that highlights the interplay between agave and oak. The tahona-crushed agave gives it a textural richness that roller-milled tequilas rarely achieve. This is tequila where craft and material are inseparable.

92 proof