El Tesoro’s New Ultra-Premium Tequila Was Aged in Booker’s Bourbon Barrels
El Tesoro is launching a new, high-end, luxury tequila that could be considered a celebrity spirit… at least, to whiskey and bourbon nerds. That’s because the brand-new El Tesoro 85th Anniversary Edition was aged in Booker’s 30th Anniversary barrels, a whiskey named after a legendary figure in the world of Kentucky bourbon.
Both El Tesoro and Booker’s are part of the Beam Suntory company—the former a well-regarded tequila brand helmed by third generation master distiller Carlos Camarena and produced at the La Alteña Distillery in Jalisco, and the latter the barrel-proof bourbon overseen by master distiller Fred Noe (son of Booker Noe) at the James B. Beam Distilling Co. This synergy has resulted in other collaborations before, such as last year’s release of the Mundial Collection: The Laphroaig Edition. For this new expression, blanco tequila was matured in Booker’s 30th Anniversary barrels that previously held whiskey for up to 16 years. Maturation took place over a full 36 months in Mexico, resulting in an extra añejo full of vanilla notes. Booker’s 30th was a limited-edition release that came out in 2018, a blend of nine and 16-year-old Booker’s, that currently sells for well over $1,000 on the secondary market.
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“We are thrilled to introduce a new, unparalleled expression from El Tesoro to mark 85 years of history at La Alteña,” said Camarena in a statement. “Fred Noe is a great friend and a true legend in the distilling world, and we are so proud of this new spirit we have made together. The result is a complex tequila layered with sweetness, oak and cooked agave. A spirit deserving of the legacies that brought it to life.” Noe is feeling the vibe as well. “The Camarenas and Noes share a long history at both our family distilleries,” he said. “This tequila embodies family history, innovation and boundary-pushing contributions we have each made to our respective spirits categories. I raise my glass to my friend on this great anniversary.”
El Tesoro 85th Anniversary Edition was bottled at 42.5% ABV, and official tasting notes mention licorice, cooked agave, blackberries, oak, tobacco and coffee on the palate, with a long, creamy finish. It will be available in the US (SRP $499.99) for a limited time only. And who knows, maybe we’ll see the process in reverse someday with a tequila barrel-finished batch of Booker’s.
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