My rating is from a small screw top sample that I’ve had for a while. The nose is aromatic, it’s flavorful on the palate and the finish has some sweetness and spice.

March 2023 I tried this during a virtual tasting in 2021 but just now rating. fruit forward, maybe guava?

Nothing out of the ordinary average complexity from Ocho, but very enjoyable Aroma: Cooked agave, baking spices, some herbs and the mineral/earthy punch. A sweet dried fruit layer (pitted fruits; plum, cherry, apricot). Old cabinet woody scent. The woody aromas/flavors on this reminded me on an old cabinet Flavor: Bell pepper entrance followed by sweet notes (vanilla, sweet citrus orange/tangerine) and white pepper finish Was anticipating more of a roller coaster experience.

On the nose it’s cooked agave, caramel, and hint of cloves. Tastes wonderful with all the aroma notes coming in with the addition of a dried fruit of some sort…perhaps plums. The finish is the best of the three in this series for me with a lingering warmth I want to hang on to.

cinnamon, clove, cooked agave, pepper, citrus, chocolate with some plum on the aroma. flavor keeps up with the aroma on this one, but initial hit on the tongue some pepper heat. cooked agave, chocolate, clove, cinnamon, not-so-hot jalapeno pepper take over from there. need a few sips to reach it. some banana enters in. definite cognac presence on the med-long finish. not a surprise at 43.1% ABV. one of the last projects I believe Tomas Estes was involved in. again Carlos Camarena doesn't allow the barrel to take complete control of this anejo. considering I found this late after it hit the market, for a relatively reasonable price it scores well. my first bottle of the 3 in this collection was the Transatlantic, which I prefer over this one slightly more. next up is the Tropical

Nose: notes of cinnamon, cloves, ripe stone fruit, strong floral notes of white pepper, at the top of my Riedel glass I get hints of chocolate and an earthy note from deep within the glass Flavor: Spiciness of white pepper, heat, sweet cooked agave, and it had a somewhat dry mouth feel Finish: Long finish full of heat and black pepper

Continental is aged in cognac casks from France with 43.1% ABV. I’m tasting agave, apricot, dark chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and white pepper. It’s sweet and spicy going down, with slight bitters on the finish.

Lovely aroma with a sweetness to it and finishes with just a touch of heat

Barrel Select “Continental” was aged for 12 months in Cognac barrels. Bottled at 43.1%. Nose: Cinnamon, cloves, white pepper and tender basil leaves. Vanilla and almond paste. Citrus peel, dried apricots, peaches and plums. Subdued earthiness, reminiscent of a musty root cellar. Flavor: Entry has feisty pepper heat and spices: both white pepper and black pepper. Throw in a sliver of jalapeño and you get the idea. Followed up with vanilla, tangerines, caramelized sweet baked agave, and a dash of bitters. Doesn’t have the oiliness, and butter like mouthfeel of its siblings - but by no means thin. IMO this hasn’t achieved the harmony shown in the “Tropical” and “Transatlantic” expressions.

It’s amazing how such a subtle cognac influence can make such an impact on the flavor and finish. This is a special bottle. If you are lucky enough to find one of these, invite your friends over, crack it open and make it a special occasion!

1st bottle opened, and wasn't a fan... Opened another bottle 1 year later, and nope. Bitterness combined with a finish thats off, not for me... However, I do recommend.

LOT 8ABL-CONT, bottled on 12/09/2020. Color: pale yellow. Nose: sweet cooked agave with grape-y sweetness, citrus, herbaceous, strong minerality/slight metallic aroma, light camphor wood spiciness and light vanilla. Palate: white grape sweetness + sweet cooked agave, good sweet & sour balance, mineral, citrus, through nostrils I can feel the slight steel aroma. Slight pepper spiciness. Finish is medium to long, sweet cooked agave and light white grape aroma and light pepper spiciness persists, at the very end a slight bitterness emerges too.

sweet agave caramel cinnamon dried fruit pepper. my least favorite of the three expressions but still very good.

Nose: agave, sweet agave, caramel, ever so slight cinnamon, floral Taste: agave, heat: black and white pepper, sweet caramel, pepper again for the finish. Great mouth feel too… a numb tingle.

Aroma: Cooked agave. Oak. Smoke. Flavor: Cooke agave. Oak. Spices. Red fruits. Finish: Spice. Medium length.