Producer Description
Tequila Ocho, the world’s original single estate tequila, today announces the latest releases in its range of barrel select vintages, a collaboration with legendary Kentucky Bourbon brand, Old Fitzgerald, crafted by Heaven Hill Distillery.
In a partnership that brings together a pair of the spirits industry’s most revered brands, two 2023 vintages of Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Old Fitzgerald will be released simultaneously: one made with agaves harvested from the deep, clay-like soil of low-altitude Rancho Corralillos, and another with agaves harvested from Rancho Potrero Grande, near Jesus Maria, the town of origin for the family of third-generation tequilero and fifth-generation agave farmer Carlos Camarena. Both fields are overseen by the Camarena family and feature microclimates that produce agaves with nuanced flavor variations.
Visual assets can be found here.
The Liquid And The Barrels
Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Old Fitzgerald marries the finest agave-forward tequila with the heady aromas and rich caramel notes from prized casks that once held Old Fitzgerald Bourbon’s 10-Year-Old Spring 2023 Decanter Series, among the brand’s famed wheated bourbons.
For a wheated bourbon, the secondary ingredient in the mashbill, behind corn, is wheat rather than the more traditional rye, bringing a touch of softness to the sweetness of the corn. The flavors held in the wood of the recently emptied bourbon casks integrate into the tequila as it ages, building on and complementing the subtle sweetness that occurs naturally in Ocho’s overripe agave.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Toasted coconut, nuts, cherries, dark chocolate, whisper of wheat, maple syrup, roasted pineapple and light minerality
Palate: Coffee, toffee, toasted oak, orange peel and lots of cacao
The drinker will discover nuances of variation between the two vintages, due to the microclimates in which those agaves grew. Surely, a coveted sipping experience for those who can get their hands on both.
“Tequila Ocho has always been deeply rooted in tradition, heritage and legacy, while also constantly pushing the tequila category forward with innovative production techniques such as aging our tequila in a variety of casks sourced from around the world,” said Jesse Estes, Tequila Ocho’s Global Brand Ambassador. “Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Old Fitzgerald displays flavor profiles from Old Fitzgerald wheated bourbon, while still retaining agave as the primary flavor profile, thereby staying true to our core brand philosophy.”
“Aging the agave in Old Fitzgerald barrels brought a unique, subtle sweetness and rich, but mellow note of toasted oak into the agave,” said Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. “Bringing together two storied, premium spirits brands has given us an exceptional product that we’re excited for everyone from enthusiasts to collectors to bartenders and beyond to enjoy.”
Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Old Fitzgerald by the numbers:
48% ABV/96 proof
Agave: Harvested from Rancho Corralillos and Rancho Potrero Grande
Aging: 12 months in recently-emptied Old Fitzgerald bourbon barrels
SRP: $110/750ml
3200 physical cases in US
ABOUT TEQUILA OCHO
Tequila Ocho is the world’s first single estate tequila; curating, selecting and harvesting the very ripest agaves from the world-renowned highlands, and distilling in the town of Arandas, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila Ocho retains complete control of raw materials, from seedling to agave selection, fermentation & beyond, quite unlike most other tequila makers, leading to a liquid which is unparalleled.
The result of a dream shared by maestro tequilero Carlos Camarena and legendary tequila ambassador Tomas Estes, Tequila Ocho reflects the nuances of each and every agave field and is instantly recognizable by its annual vintages. Cooking, fermentation and distillation happen in the most traditional way in slow-cooking stone ovens, wooden vats, and copper pot stills, respectively. Such a painstaking approach has led Tequila Ocho Plata to be recognized by Forbes as the World’s Best Blanco Tequila.
As a tequila brand that prides itself on producing maximum agave flavor and essence, Ocho’s aged expressions, reposado, añejo and extra añejo, rest lightly in old bourbon barrels for a gentle rounding and smoothing by the wood – always complementing, yet never overshadowing, the pure, sweet, cooked agave notes.
Every expression of Tequila Ocho is made from only three ingredients: agave, water & natural airborne yeast, respecting the traditional, artisanal methods used for generations.
For more information, visit www.Ochotequila.com, or find Tequila Ocho through social media channels, IG/FB: @tequilaOcho/@TequilaOcho.
ABOUT OLD FITZGERALD
Old Fitzgerald’s line of legendary, award-winning wheated bourbons dates back to the late 1800s. Inspired by John E. Fitzgerald, a treasury agent famous for thieving whiskey from the barrels in his care. First trademarked in 1884, the brand’s whiskey earned worldwide acclaim, through sales on rail cars, steamships and private clubs. More than a century later in 1999, Heaven Hill acquired, along with the purchase of the Bernheim Distillery, the Old Fitzgerald brand and aging stocks of wheated bourbon, ushering the brand into the 21st century. Today, Old Fitzgerald is renowned for its signature wheated bourbon mashbill and diamond decanters.
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