
Tequila Ocho Reposado 2023 Single Estate Los Nopales
Tequila Ocho · Destilería La Alteña
Ocho's single-estate approach yields a reposado that puts terroir first and barrel second. Los Nopales adds a mineral backbone that gives the cooked agave and gentle oak an anchor. This is reposado as it should be — enhanced by wood, not defined by it.
Nose
Cooked agave sits front and center, wrapped in citrus peel and a breath of fresh-cut grass. Light butter and white pepper emerge with time in the glass, along with a subtle mineral quality from the Los Nopales terroir.
Palate
Silky and medium-bodied. The oak influence is restrained — a kiss of vanilla and butterscotch rather than a full embrace. Herbal notes of thyme and eucalyptus thread through ripe pear and cooked agave, with pepper building toward the back.
Finish
Medium-length, clean, with lingering agave sweetness and a dry mineral fade. The oak recedes, leaving pure agave expression.
- Agave
- 100% Blue Weber Agave
- Production
- Tahona and roller mill crushed, slow-fermented in open wooden vats, double distilled in copper pot stills
- Region
- Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
- Cooking Method
- Tahona and roller mill crushed, slow-fermented in open wooden vats, double distilled in copper pot stills
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- NOM
- NOM 1474
- Additives Free
- Yes
Cocktail Suggestion
Nopales Paloma — 2 oz Tequila Ocho Reposado Los Nopales · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.25 oz agave nectar · Top with sparkling mineral water · Build in a highball glass over ice, garnish with a grapefruit wedge and pinch of sea salt.
Food Pairing
The tequila's mineral backbone and citrus notes complement the clean flavor of grilled fish, while the subtle vanilla and herbal character mirror the tropical sweetness of a ripe mango and cilantro salsa.
Distilled by Carlos Camarena at La Alteña using a traditional tahona and roller mill combination, this single-estate reposado showcases agave harvested exclusively from the Los Nopales ranch at over 7,000 feet in the Jalisco highlands.
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