Tasting the 2018 El Vergel. Very light amber in the glass, especially for an XA. Aroma of cooked agave still prominent, along with oak, caramel and citrus. Flavor of cooked agave, black pepper, oak, caramel and citrus. The finish was long and pleasant.

2014 La Magueyera | Aromas; spring flower, spearmint, chewing gum, live zest, green mango, nutmeg, smoke, gooseberry, and caraway seeds are present. Palate and finish; papaya, anise, mint, peppercorns, cream soda, vanilla, arugula and coffee beans. Excellent sipper with long legs and lots of pearls. Nice agave after taste with no burn or fade alcohol presence. ...IMHO.. one of the best XA

This is 2019 La Laja. Agave and oak are most prevalent on the nose. Nice aroma of vanilla and caramel. Has fruity undertones to it. Agave on the tongue but lots of oak, too. I get black pepper. Under that peptide can taste vanilla and caramel. A little baking spice and some earthiness.

The nose is complex, sweet but not overly so as there is some minerality hiding in the back. The taste is more straightforward though, classic aged ocho turned up a notch. Great Extra Añejo, a must to try to understand what can happen when the barrel is not the main flavor in aged tequila.

tried July 5, 2023 compliments of Seattle juan Some oak cinamon vanilla some alcohol High 80s

2012 El Refugio | Sweet delicious agave on the nose. Little bit of wood but beautiful agave on nose and palate. Such a treat. Beautiful tears on the glass and a creamy finish.

Aroma of oak infused with pear/apple tones and the slightest honeysuckle scent. But this only intensifies after breathing for a day or so. Flavor is woody and a bit tanniny up front then settling into agave and some peppery bite. A very good XA but lacks expected nuisances and layers.

2015 La Latilla | Very good and light. Super light XA loads of pepper on the backend accompanied with light fruit and light woodiness.

2015 La Latilla | Light wood undertones, easy tannins, light vanilla and agave flavors, an easy sipping xa. Another hit from Tequila Ocho

2012 El Refugio | The Nose: lots of floral notes, slights sweetness, agave, earth, ripe fruit, and hint of cinnamon. Flavor: agave, oak, undertones of citrus, toffee, cacao, and sweetness of honey. Finish: long, some baking spice, and agave sweetness

2014 La Magueyera | 2014 xa single barrel - incredible depth of flavor, hard to go back to the regular 2014 xa after

2015 La Latilla | Fucking phenomenal aroma, hard to believe you’re about to taste an extra Añejo! Loads of agave still can be found in every corner of my mouth, goes great with the hard kick in the ass on its way out.....this finished HOT! Another stunning product from Ocho.

2015 La Latilla | This may be the lightest colored Extra Añejo I’ve ever seen. (That’s a good sign that there’s still some agave left.) And there is! Aroma is very faint. Slight cream soda and vanilla, with cooked agave and anise. Flavor has a lot more agave than anything else. It has a sweetness to it that I like. Subtle and natural. Mouth feel has a medium thickness to it and the finish is slightly dry. Definitely an enjoyable tequila.

2015 La Latilla | Incredibly light for an XA - which I love. Instead of being overpowered by barrel notes it is layered, while still retaining some agave - an Ocho signature. Vanilla, bright citrus, and subtle cream soda with a sweet, rounded agave taste with a short peppery finish (hint of fusel oil). A very enjoyable tequila, but as an XA, with XA pricing, its subtleness may be overlooked by barrelheads expecting an explosion of flavors.

2015 La Latilla | Nose: The comforting scent found in a cedar chest. Tons of citrus tang: lemon, lime and faint grapefruit zest. Pineapple, vanilla, creamy agave brûlée, and a clean earthy aroma. A very bright tasting XA - no heavy oak lurking in the shadows. Impressive. Flavors: Zingy, (borderline hot) white pepper joins the robust citrus notes. Caramelized sugar coats your palate. Baking spice undercurrents. There are some tannic elements dancing on the back of my tongue, also strong Oaxacan black coffee laced with some good Mexican dark chocolate. Finish: Ripe pineapple and vanilla reassert themselves on the finish. A light kiss of butterscotch.

tequila bar London 10 Mar 19 23 lbs

2012 El Refugio | Funny it took 3 tries to actually purchase this bottle as several sellers used it as a stock photo but shipped 2014 La Magueyera instead. Both Old Town and Mission did this. Not as pale as some earlier releases, this is still very light as an XA but has a depth of flavor that belies that color equals flavor. Agave, spice, caramel, creme brulee and more agave make this a treasure to savor.

2014 La Magueyera | As always with Ocho this is lightly touched by the barrel and agave dominates the flavor profile.

2014 La Magueyera | Nose= Floral Aromas (Rose petals, Citrus and Cooked Agave. Palate= Rich Cooked Agave flavors, light Pepper and Spice flavors, hints of oak caramel and citrus.

2014 La Magueyera | Nose: Bright vegetal and mineral notes quickly transition into sweeter notes of orange blossoms, vanilla and caramelized agave. A little smoke emerges as it opens up. Flavor: Butterscotch, cassis, white pepper, rich natural sweetness and counterpoint warm barrel spices. Finish brings to mind the aromas found in a still warm brick horno. Tingling cloves, nutmeg, citrus and pepper linger on... This tequila is not cheap - it is worthy of its price.

2014 La Magueyera marks my 400th rating. Nose: Bright vegetal and mineral notes quickly transition into sweeter notes of orange blossoms, vanilla and caramelized agave. A little smoke emerges as it opens up. Flavor: Butterscotch, cassis, white pepper, rich natural sweetness and counterpoint warm barrel spices. Finish brings to mind the aromas found in a still warm brick horno, with tingling cloves, nutmeg and pepper lingering on... This tequila is not cheap - it is worthy of its price.

2007 El Vergel | Rating is for 2007 XA, the first that was released in the wonderful Ocho lineup. A very lightly aged product for a 3 year old XA this follows the whole Tomas Estes philosophy of minimal impact from the barrel. May not be a favorite if you are looking for a more traditional extra aged product. edit: Copied from my prior review for Ocho XA

2012 El Refugio | Strong aroma of sweet, fresh fruit - pear, apple, banana. No traditional barrel aromas and no agave...more like a delicious dessert. Nice complex flavor - baking spice, black pepper, and fruit all intermingle. The sweet-spice finish is medium length. 12-24-2017 (Annual XA tasting) Ocho XA side-by-side

2009 San Augustin | UPDATED - Aroma is very discreet with sweetness of honey and some baking spice. Maybe a little vanilla as it opens up. Nice complexity in the flavor with a blend of sweet, spice and heat. A bit of the almond bitterness at the end. Finish is slow and lingers. Generally, a better impression than my rating in 2017. A couple notes on that: 1) this bottle has been sitting para-filmed since that tasting, 2) the 2017 tasting was done side-by-side with 3 or 4 other Ocho XAs. Those are variables that certainly could contribute to this rating. 11-1-2022 ———————— First, the color of this XA is incredibly light. Poured blind, you may think was a reposado. That said, the 2009 has more oak/barrel in the aroma than either the 2007 or 2008. There is also a bit of sweetness, spice and even a little brine...but little to no agave. Strong spicy flavor upfront that largely dominates everything else. For all the strength in the flavor, the finish is surprisingly short. This one is a little confusing with a lot of contradictions and just not at the same level as the ‘07 and ‘08. 12-24-2017 (Annual XA tasting) Ocho XA side-by-side Rated 78

2009 San Augustin | Aroma: Incredibly floral with a hint of oak, leather, coffee and vanilla. This one falls between the 2007 and 2008. Definitely a little more on the aroma than the 2008 but not quite as much as the 2007. Flavor: This one is very mild. Slightly Briney with a bit of vanilla and caramel. Not as flavorful as I would like but still really solid. Finish: Nice smooth solid finish. Hangs around for a minute and leaves behind some nice flavor.