Tequila Ocho’s New Añejo is a Collaboration with Ferrand Cognac
Every now and then in the spirits world, game recognizes game. That is certainly the case with the latest release from Tequila Ocho, one of the best names in agave spirits, which has collaborated with esteemed Cognac house Ferrand on a new añejo tequila. We have the details to share about this very limited release.
Tequila Ocho was founded by legendary fifth-generation maestro tequilero Carlos Camarena and the late tequila ambassador Tomas Estes in 2008. Camarena is the name behind other well-regarded brands like Tapatio and El Tesoro (his sister Jenny is now the master distiller for the latter), and Estes was an author and expert in all things tequila. Ocho, which is now owned by Heaven Hill, stands out as being a single-estate tequila brand (the world’s first, it likes to say), releasing expressions in batches that are made from agave grown on specific estates to highlight the effects of terroir upon the spirit.
The new Tequila Ocho Barrel Select Añejo takes things a step further, as it is a single-field expression made from agaves harvested from Rancho Las Raices, not far from the Los Alambiques distillery where the tequila is produced. It was aged for an entire year in French oak barrels previously used to mature Cognac in France produced at Ferrand, a Cognac house that has been owned since 1989 by master blender Alexandre Gabriel (he also produces other spirits, including Planteray Rum and Citadelle Gin).
This is not the first time the two brands have collaborated, it should be noted. In 2019, Ocho released a trio of single barrel tequilas finished in casks previously used to age Planteray rum from Barbados and Jamaica, as well as Ferrand Cognac Ambré. Then a year later Ocho launched its Barrel Select lineup with three añejo tequilas aged in Planteray rum barrels from France, Fiji, Panama, and Trinidad. “Among the many things our families have in common is taking great care to honor the generations that came before us and laid the groundwork for us to thrive doing exactly what we love,” said Camarena in a statement. “This collaboration represents the latest chapter in our respective legacies and we look forward to sharing the story with everyone.”
We did not receive a sample of this new tequila to try, but official tasting notes describe aromas of cherry, cinnamon, cilantro, green guava, and wet earth on the nose, followed by notes of salted caramel, cooked agave, ginger, coffee, and fresh sawdust on the palate. Tequila Ocho Barrel Select Añejo was bottled at 88.8 proof and is said to have been released in very limited numbers (SRP $125), so happy hunting.
