La Alteña Distillery / NOM 1139
Tequila Ocho Plata
Blanco Tequila (Single-Estate, Vintage-Dated) · Unaged
Single-estate, vintage-dated, and terroir-driven—Tequila Ocho is the wine lover's tequila, proving that where agave grows matters as much as how it's distilled.
Rating Breakdown
Flavor Profile
Tasting Journey
Nose
Clean fresh agave, citrus, herbal notes, distinctive mineral character, estate-specific floral or earthy variations
Palate
Bright highland agave sweetness, citrus, herbal notes, mineral-driven mid-palate, pleasant oily mouthfeel, precise flavors
Finish
Length: MediumClean and crisp with lingering agave sweetness and mineral complexity that varies by vintage
Specs
Price / Value
MSRP: $45
Your Rating
Click to rate
Our Score: 89/100
Pairings
Food
- Fresh sashimi
- aguachile
- grilled vegetables with fleur de sel
- goat cheese with herbs
- raw bar
Cocktails
- Neat for appreciation
- Tommy's Margarita
- Paloma
- pairs beautifully with sangrita
Our Verdict
Tequila Ocho is the revolutionary brand that brought the concept of terroir to tequila. Each vintage is a unique expression of place and time. For anyone who thinks all blancos taste the same, Ocho is the education you need.
Tequila Ocho represents one of the most radical ideas in the spirits world: that tequila, like wine, can express the specific character of the land where its agave grows. Each Ocho release identifies the exact rancho, harvest year, and elevation of the agave used, making it the world's first single-estate, vintage-dated tequila. If terroir seems like a concept reserved for Burgundy and Barolo, Ocho exists to prove otherwise.
Created by master distiller Carlos Camarena and the late tequila ambassador Tomas Estes, Ocho uses wild yeast fermentation in open-air wooden vats—a practice that invites the natural microbial environment of the highlands to contribute its own signature to the distillate. The result changes character with each vintage and estate, but the Plata consistently delivers a transparent window into highland agave expression.
The nose is clean and precise: fresh agave, citrus, and herbal notes create a foundation, while a distinctive mineral character varies beautifully by estate and vintage. Some releases lean more floral, others more citrusy, still others more earthy—and this variability is precisely the point. You're not just tasting tequila; you're tasting a specific time and place.
On the palate, Ocho Plata is bright, fresh, and highlander to its core. Highland agave sweetness shines through cleanly, accompanied by citrus, herbal notes, and a mineral-driven mid-palate that gives the spirit structure and identity. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied with a pleasant oiliness, and the flavors are remarkably precise—each note clearly defined and in its proper place.
The finish is clean and crisp, with lingering agave sweetness and mineral complexity that varies by vintage. It's a finish that rewards comparison—try two different estate releases side by side, and you'll understand immediately what terroir means in a tequila context.
At $45 for the Plata, Ocho represents extraordinary value for a genuinely artisanal, additive-free, estate-specific tequila. This is the bottle that makes you stop drinking tequila and start studying it.
