Tequila Ocho Old Fitzgerald Barrel Aged Anjeo Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Tequila Ocho
• MASH BILL: 100% Blue Weber Agave harvested from the Rancho Corralillos estate
• AGE: 12 months in Old Fitzgerald wheated bourbon barrels from the 10-year-old Spring 2023 Decanter Series
• YEAR: 2025
• PROOF: 96 (48% ABV)
• MSRP: $110
• BUY ONLINE: Tequila Ocho bottle locator

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Tequila fans who really appreciate nuances and something this unique.

WORTH THE PRICE: Yes. It's Tequila Ocho, for heaven's sake, so it's always worth the price.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle, if you can find it.

OVERALL: Tequila Ocho master distiller Carlos Camarena is obsessive about using great blue Weber agave for his spirits. He chooses plants from about three dozen estates, uses only single estates harvests in each bottling, then places that specific estate name on every bottle.

Just for fun, my wife and a friend once did a vertical tasting of six different plata releases–again, all from different estates–to see if the differences between each estate were noticeable. They weren't just noticeable, differences created by terroir specific to each estate were truly pronounced. I recommend any other fan collect a few bottles and do the same.

This anejo release is the first of two that will be aged in used Old Fitzgerald casks and released simultaneously. The first comes from the deep, clay-like soil of Rancho Corralillos.

On the nose is classic Ocho, one of the most recognizable and consistent tequila aromas in the industry: roasted-agave-forward richness, spring flowers and honeysuckle. A couple of sniffs later sees subtler nuances of confectioner's sugar, boiling caramel and black pepper come forward.

How Camarena preserves such pronounced agave character after lengthy barrel aging speaks volumes about his skill and four decades of experience. It also speaks to his preference toward barrel aging for esterification influences on flavor verses blunter wood impacts.

On the palate, the higher proof (96 vs. the common standard of 80 proof) ensures a waves of barrel spice push into every nook and cranny of the mouth. High notes of lemon cream candy, butterscotch, hibiscus, agave nectar, oak and baking spice combine for an incredibly balanced pour whose finish is bright, tingly, clean and short.

Knowing what I do about Ocho products, this spirit will continue to surprise and delight in the bottle as more air works in. With my 200ml sample nearly gone, now it's time to hunt for a full bottle.

• Editor's note. We initially stated that Rancho Corralillos was located in the Jalisco lowlands. It is a highlands agave estate.

BRAND NOTES

Tequila Ocho, the world’s original single estate tequila, today announces the latest release 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.

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

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.