Tequila Ocho Barrel Proof Reposado Salto de Nogales 2026 Release

Tequila Ocho Barrel Proof Reposado is the cask-strength limited edition from Tequila Ocho, the single-estate, vintage-dated tequila founded by master tequilero Carlos Camarena and the late Tomas Estes and made at La Alteña's sister distillery, Tequilera Los Alambiques, in Arandas, in the Jalisco Highlands. Like every Ocho, it is made from a single field harvested in a single year, and this bottling is from the Salto de Nogales estate, agave harvested in 2026, the second release of the Barrel Proof Reposado after the 2025 debut from Rancho Las Raíces.

The agave is slow-cooked in stone ovens, fermented in wooden vats with native airborne yeast, and double-distilled in copper pot stills with nothing added but water. The producer rests it up to six months in barrels previously used for American whiskey, roughly three times as long as the core Ocho Reposado, blends only a couple dozen barrels at a time, and bottles it without chill filtration at 50.5% ABV, 101 proof, in a 750ml bottle with the estate, harvest year and bottle number on the label. Ocho says the result keeps the bright, agave-forward Highlands character the house is known for with more wood and weight from the longer rest, and Carlos Camarena recommends drinking it neat. Annual allocations are small and each year's estate is different, which makes every edition a collector's bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A powerful bouquet of rich, cooked agave, Cacao, milk chocolate, apples and cinnamon, prunes, red fruits, black pepper, and bright citrus, beautifully layered with subtle notes of caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak from the barrel.

Palate: Coffee, Cacao, Tobacco, cooked agave and Candied Apples. Rosemary and smoky cinnamon. Long aftertaste.

Finish: The finish is exceptionally long and warming, with the sweet agave and peppery spice lingering in perfect harmony with a final, sophisticated whisper of oak.