
Tequila Ocho Blanco 2023 Los Mangos
Tequila Ocho · Destilería La Alteña
Ocho's single-estate approach to tequila is unmatched — each vintage and field expresses the soil it grew in. The 2023 Los Mangos bottling captures what highland agave does best: bright fruit, clean earth, and an unapologetic sense of place. This is terroir-driven tequila at its most transparent.
Nose
Bright cooked agave dominates, with green citrus and a fresh herbal quality like crushed thyme. A subtle mineral earthiness anchors the aromatics.
Palate
Clean and focused, with roasted agave sweetness balanced by white pepper and a flash of grapefruit. The terroir comes through as a distinct mineral character that sets this apart from other highland blancos.
Finish
Medium, with lingering agave and a dry mineral close that invites another sip.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Brick oven cooked, tahona crushed, open-air fermentation with natural yeasts
- Region
- Los Altos de Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Brick oven cooked, tahona crushed, open-air fermentation with natural yeasts
- Distillation
- Slow brick oven cooking, tahona and roller mill, copper pot still distillation
- NOM
- NOM 1474
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Ocho Paloma — 2 oz Tequila Ocho Blanco · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz grapefruit juice · 0.25 oz agave nectar · Top with Topo Chico · Build in a salt-rimmed Collins glass over ice.
Food Pairing
The tequila's citrus brightness and mineral backbone complement fresh shrimp ceviche on crisp tostadas with avocado, serrano chile, and cilantro.
Founded by the late Tomas Estes and produced by Carlos Camarena at the family's La Alteña distillery, Tequila Ocho pioneered the single-estate, vintage-dated approach to tequila, treating each parcel of agave like a distinct vineyard.
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