Tequila Ocho Unveils Ferrand Cognac Barrel Select Añejo
Tequila Ocho has released Barrel Select Añejo, a limited-edition tequila aged for one year in seasoned French oak cognac casks from Ferrand Cognac.
The añejo starts with tequila distilled from Highland agaves harvested from Rancho Las Raices, a field located east of Tequilera Los Alambiques in Jalisco. After distillation, the tequila ages for 12 months in former Ferrand Cognac barrels that previously held cognac produced in France’s Charente region.
The release marks the third collaboration between Tequila Ocho and Ferrand Cognac. In 2019, Tequila Ocho co-founders Carlos Camarena and the late Tomas Estes partnered with Maison Ferrand owner and master blender Alexandre Gabriel on three single barrel cask-finished tequilas aged in Planteray Barbados Rum, Planteray Jamaica Rum and Ferrand Cognac Ambré barrels. According to the companies, the project marked the first time tequila had been finished or aged in former rum casks.
The companies expanded the partnership in 2020 with the first Ocho Barrel Select range, which included three limited-edition añejo tequilas aged in rum barrels sourced from France, Fiji, Panama and Trinidad.
The latest release uses only former Ferrand Cognac casks.
Carlos Camarena, Tequila Ocho co-founder and maestro tequilero, represents the fifth generation of his family’s agave-growing business. Ferrand Cognac traces its history through ten generations of the Ferrand family, with Alexandre Gabriel serving as owner and master blender.
“Among the many things our families have in common is taking great care to honor the generations that came before us and laid the groundwork for us to thrive doing exactly what we love,” says Camarena. “This collaboration represents the latest chapter in our respective legacies and we look forward to sharing the story with everyone.”
Tequila Ocho describes the aroma as cherry, ground cinnamon, burnt cajeta, celery, cilantro, green guava and wet earth. The palate includes salted caramel, minerality, cooked agave, ginger, coffee and fresh sawdust.
Tequila Ocho Barrel Select Añejo bottles at 44.4% ABV (88.8 proof) with a suggested retail price of $124.99 for a 750-ml. bottle. The company will distribute the release in California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. International distribution includes France, the United Kingdom, Greece and Spain.
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