This Rare Clase Azul Tequila Was Aged In Whiskey And Armagnac Casks

Clase Azul does more than just stick tequila in tall, beautifully painted ceramic bottles. They push the boundaries of what we usually expect from the agave spirit. With the latest addition to their annual Day of the Dead collection, better known as the Nuestros Recuerdos (Our Memories) range, the brand focused on the aromas that go with the holiday. The result is Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas.

During Día de los Muertos, aromas of fruits, spices, and sweets fill the Mexican streets and homes. The scent of cempasúchil, copal incense, and Marigolds—often called “flowers of the dead"—stand out, creating an ambience particular to the celebration.

To help create aromas reminiscent of the day, Clase Azul Master Distiller Viridiana Tinoco aged the tequila for 25 months in American whiskey barrels, before finishing it in Armagnac casks.

“For this release, I selected casks which had previously contained Armagnac, a spirit with controlled designation of origin and the oldest in France,” Tinoco says. “These casks’ unique character results from their provenance, Bas-Armagnac, where grapes grown in siliceous-clay soil end up imparting fine and complex fruit notes to the spirit. I opted for this kind of cask because Armagnac is a product that aligns with the values of Clase Azul México. Its small-scale production reflects the history and heritage of the region where it’s produced and ensures the transmission of ancestral knowledge and traditions.”

The result is an amber-colored tequila with copper highlights. On the nose, it offers aromas of peach, pear, raisin, candied walnut, toasted wood, and clove. The palate finds more peach and clove, alongside flavors of walnut and cacao. The finish is long and sumptuous, with notes of cacao and cinnamon.

Of course, no bottle of Clase Azul would be complete without beautiful decoration. This decanter expresses the importance of the cempasúchil flower during the celebration of Día de Muertos and seeks to evoke its enchanting aroma. A deep marigold glaze covers the decanter, darkening in color as it reaches the base. The front features a gold ornament as well as bas-relief representations of the legends related to the holiday. On the back, an illustration depicts folkloric characters and xoloitzcuintle hairless dogs harvesting cempasúchil flowers.

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Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas is this third installment in Clase Azul’s Nuestros Recuerdos range, which launched in 2021. The brand plans to release five total Day of the Dead collection bottlings.

Bottled at 40% ABV, just 3,500 bottles of Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Aromas are available, priced at $1,450 (SRP) per one-liter decanter.