Top Spicy Añejo Tequilas

This añejo tequila is the second Barrel Select release made in collaboration with Widow Jane Distillery. Its creation begins with single estate agave harvested from Rancho El Nacimiento, one of many fields owned and operated by the family of Tequila Ocho co-founder Carlos Camarena in Jalisco. The additive-free tequila is made with traditional production processes including brick ovens and wooden fermenters. Then recently dumped Widow Jane Bourbon barrels were used for its maturation. The tequila was aged for 12 months and then bottled at 96 proof. Only 1,300 cases were produced. Available in select US markets beginning February 2024. (SRP $90)

Código 1530 tequilas are produced in Amatitán, Jalisco, a town which was established in the year 1530, hence the brand name. It is made using 100% blue weber agave harvested after 7 years. Código 1530 Añejo is aged for 18 months in Napa cabernet sauvignon French white oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV. Additive free.

Pueblo Viejo Tequilas are made entirely from estate-grown agaves with its piñas cooked by slow roasting in a traditional stone oven, rather than the more common autoclave. The brand's añejo is aged eighteen months in American oak barrels before bottling.

Cruz del Sol (Cross of the Sun) is quaintly packaged in eco-friendly recycled bottle. It is made from 100% agave sourced from the Highlands of Jalisco. The añejo is aged for 16 months in American oak used whiskey barrels.

Originally created for the UK market, the latest offering from legend Carlos Camarena is now also available in the US. Carlos Camarena is synonymous with integrity and quality in the agave world so when he has a new offering, agave aficionados take note. Sourced from the Camarena family plantations in Los Altos, Jalisco, the agaves used are matured to maximum ripeness. Their añejo expression is then aged for 24 months in American oak cask and rested in stainless-steel tanks for another six months. Additive free.

Produced in the tiny village of Amitan, a stone's throw from the town of Tequila, Herradura Añejo tequila is a blend of modern and traditional distilling techniques. Agave hearts (piñas) are first roasted in clay ovens, before being shredded by a mechanical roller, and then fermented with wild yeasts native to the area. Finally, there is a double distillation before being matured in American oak barrels.

Tequila Ocho is the first and only Single Estate vintage tequila on the market. Crafted by Tomas Estes & Carlos Camarena. Each bottle is hand bottled, labeled, and has the personal tasting notes for each expression by Tomas on the back label. All the agave is sourced on family farms and therefore each expression from each estate showcases its own terroir. “El Puertecito” is the most northerly agave ranch in the Tequila Ocho family. When they began harvesting here about 25% of the plants were over-matured or decayed. This leads to a very high sugar and acidity content.

Uno Dos Tres is an Organic tequila brand created by David Ravandi. The añejo (also called “Tres” or 3) is aged for 18 months in white oak. The tequila is sourced from the Tequila Valley (aka Lowlands) and is certified organic by the USDA and the EU.

This is a 100% Highland blue agave tequila created by Master Distiller Germán González. HIs father created the Chinaco brand back in the 1970’s and Germán follows suit by creating his own brand. Autoclaves (industrial pressure cookers) are used for cooking the agaves which are cooked for 20 hours before double distillation. The añejo is aged between 20-24 months in used Scotch barrels and is bottled in a distinctive, Aladdin-shaped bottle. Additive free.

Chinaco is the only brand of tequila made in the northern state of Tamaulipas, and in fact the owner of the distillery had to fight to have it included in the designated area for tequila production. These tequilas are distilled from Tamaulipas-grown agave both from the highlands and near the coast, as well as a small amount harvested from Jalisco. The añejo is aged two and a half years in casks formerly used to mature Glenlivet single malt (90%) and ex-Bourbon barrels (10%).