El Tesoro Tequila 85th Anniversary Extra Añejo

El Tesoro is made at NOM 1139, the La Alteña distillery in Arandas in the Los Altos highlands of Jalisco, under master distiller Carlos Camarena. This 2022 special edition honours the distillery's 85th anniversary and was built from agave azul, the only species tequila allows, aged at least 36 months in barrels that previously held Booker's 30th Anniversary bourbon, brought from Kentucky to Mexico. El Tesoro is producer additive-free, so the depth here is cask and time, not added sweetener.

La Alteña works in the classic tahona style, agave baked in brick ovens, crushed on a stone tahona with the fibre retained, fermented in open wooden vats and distilled in small copper pots. Long aging in vanilla rich bourbon wood gives cooked agave layered with cherry, molasses, leather, toffee, coffee and caramel, finishing sweet, long and creamy. Bottled at 42.5%.