El Tesoro (Beam Suntory) has released one of its most aged tequilas yet – the El Tesoro 80th Anniversary Limited Edition. Aged eight years and with only eight casks of this celebratory liquid in existence, the U.S. will be the only market to receive this precious bottling as of October 2017. Retail: $199.99 (750ml).
It’s one of the most aged expressions that El Tesoro has ever released. Meant to be enjoyed as a sipping tequila, this commemorative spirit offers a rare chance to experience the balance between the edition’s agave-forward flavor and the oaky, woody notes imparted by the extensive aging process.
“In truth, my grandfather created a very inefficient process for making tequila,” says Carlos Camarena, Don Felipe’s grandson and Master Distiller for El Tesoro. “Yet it is these unique and stubborn production methods that make our tequila so special, and perhaps the most authentic. Eighty years later, we don’t care that there are faster ways to make tequila now. We care about the flavor, and the fact of the matter is that our method tastes better and is the best way to honor the agave.”
The process begins with the 100% estate-grown blue agave which grows for up to eight years in La Alteña’s mineral-rich soils and highlands climate, giving them a spiciness that is not often found in Jalisco. Once the agave reaches peak maturity, it is harvested by hand, removing the waxy stem for a smoother flavor. It can take El Tesoro’s jimadores up to three years to completely harvest a field.
After harvest, the hearts of the blue agave – called the piñas – are cooked in an old-fashioned hornos oven for three straight days. The cooked pinas are then slowly crushed to release all their juice under a massive, two-ton volcanic tahona wheel. For this 80th Anniversary Edition, the liquid extracted is then distilled to 85 proof at a low temperature in copper stills, that were made to Don Felipe’s specifications. El Tesoro is believed to be the only tequila to distill to proof, with no sugar or water added.