
Tequila Ocho Plata
Tequila Los Alambiques (Camarena family) · La Alteña Distillery (NOM 1139), Arandas, Jalisco Highlands
Nose
Bright and expressive. Cooked agave sweetness meets lime zest, green pepper, and a savory earthiness that speaks to the specific highland soil. A gentle peppery warmth builds mid-palate, balanced by a creamy texture from long copper pot distillation.
Palate
Medium length with lingering cooked agave, citrus peel, and a clean mineral dryness that fades gracefully.
Finish
Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Pepper, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes), Herbal (Mint, Thyme, Eucalyptus), Floral (Lavender, Rose, Violet)
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave, matured 8–10 years, single rancho, single vintage
- Production
- Crystal clear
Cocktail Suggestion
The Rancho Paloma: Combine 2 oz Tequila Ocho Plata, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.25 oz agave syrup, and 4 oz fresh pink grapefruit soda in a salt-rimmed highball glass over ice. Garnish with a grapefruit wheel. The bright citrus pulls the single-estate minerality forward.
Food Pairing
Ceviche of sea bass cured in lime, jalapeño, and red onion — the tequila's herbal and mineral notes echo the marinade while the cooked agave sweetness balances the heat.
Ocho Plata is the only commercially available tequila that treats each bottling like a wine vintage from a specific vineyard. The Camarena family has been distilling in Arandas for five generations; the eleven ranchos Ocho sources from are all owned by the Camarena family. When you drink Ocho Plata, you are drinking a single piece of Highland Jalisco, harvested in a single year, by people whose name is on the label. No other tequila shows you estate and vintage this transparently — and very few at any price match its purity of cooked agave expression.
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