Ocho Vintage Single-Estate Tequila
Tequila Ocho, which just arrived here from Arandas in Jalisco, Mexico, bills itself as "the first ultra premium single estate tequila to be introduced into the U.S. market in vintages." Rather than the usual method of blending crops, the agave plants from which Ocho is made are sourced from single estates, i.e. individual plots of land with their own microclimates.
Because of the time it takes the agave to mature, each estate's fields cannot be replenished for almost ten years after a harvest, making each one unique and, according to Ocho, highly collectible. The agave is slowed cooked in stone ovens and undergoes open-air fermentation in wooden casks. Each bottle is numbered by hand and stamped with the estate name of each vintage. Ocho is available in Plata, Reposado, and Anejo (above) bottlings.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hey dude7 Sep 20th 2008 2:23AM
way to many titles and 1st`s...
Arandas sells tequila by the barrels to anyone with 5 pesos..
i am from Tepa a few kilometers from there and can tell you all that ultra premium vintage,it more like hey Pancho i found some pendejo gringo willing to buy some of the caramel tequila that grand pa could not sell here .
Ultra premium?????
Does any one remembers:" Porfidio Barrique"
$500.00 USD per liter????
Then with out much news, was gone out of existence when the Consejo Tequilero found them adding caramel to the super 5 times distilled world champion spirit..................?
PLEASE.!!!!!!!!!!
booboo Oct 29th 2008 3:58AM
Really? The Camarenas family? of El Tesoro, Tapatio and now Ocho? not sure I believe you mate. Show me!
Sam Oct 30th 2009 11:40AM
Hey Dude7..
The idea of Tequila Ocho is not that they buy random agave and sell by the barrel. They only use their own naturally grown agave (no pesticides or open market plants) owned/managed by the Camerenas family throughout its entire growth at various individual rachos or estates throughout Arandas at different altitudes/ micro climates. They do not blend it with any other so that you are able to taste the natural flavor nuances of each individual ranch. The cost is not $500 (though worth it - I think) - it is about $79.99. It is the first time "terroir" is explored in agave. It is creating a new category of Single Estate and Vintage Year (same estate will not be re-released for nearly a decade due to the time it takes for an agave plant to mature) so that down the road you can taste various years against each other.
The method that is used is also done with hand care through a unique process: A few examples - they hand pick only the ripe agave and hand cut the core out of every pina to remove bitterness, agave is baked in in old stone ovens and do not use the juice from the first 8 hours of cooking to insure no bitterness, the fermentation process is natural and open air over several days....