In celebration of the 85th anniversary of the La Alteña Distillery in the highlands of Jalisco, El Tesoro Tequila has released a limited-edition tequila: El Tesoro 85th Anniversary.
To honor this milestone, El Tesoro 3rd Generation Master Distiller Carlos Camarena teamed up with bourbon icon and 7th Generation James B. Beam Distilling Co. Master Distiller Fred Noe to age tequila in Booker’s Bourbon 30th anniversary barrels.
“We are thrilled to introduce a new, unparalleled expression from El Tesoro to mark 85 years of history at La Alteña,” says Camarena. “Fred Noe is a great friend and a true legend in the distilling world, and we are so proud of this new spirit we have made together. The result is a complex tequila layered with sweetness, oak and cooked agave. A spirit deserving of the legacies that brought it to life. We toast to our friendship with the Noe family, and to honoring our shared tradition of producing some of the best spirits in the world.”
For this special batch, barrels that previously held Booker’s 30th Anniversary Bourbon traveled to Mexico from Kentucky. These barrels had previously aged Booker’s for up to 16 years. In Mexico, the barrels were filled with El Tesoro Blanco and aged for a minimum of 36 months.
At 42.5% ABV, this expression has a nose of cooked agave, cherries, seasoned oak, leather, spices, molasses, vanilla, toffee and touch of maple syrup, the company says. On the palate is licorice, cooked agave, black berries, oak, almonds, banana, tobacco, spices, coffee, caramel and pepper, before a creamy finish with spices.
“I was so happy to be working with my old friend Carlos on this liquid,” says Noe. “The Camarenas and Noes share a long history at both our family distilleries This tequila embodies family history, innovation and boundary-pushing contributions we have each made to our respective spirits categories. I raise my glass to my friend on this great anniversary.”
As of November 2022, El Tesoro 85th Anniversary Limited Edition will be available in the U.S. with a suggested retail price of $499.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
