El Tesoro Tequila
by Brian Donnelly
Parent Company: Beam Suntory
Distillery Location: Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico
Established: 1937
Master Distiller: Carlos C. Camarena
Head Distiller: José Lorenzo Coronado Padilla
Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM): 1139
Fun Fact: 100% Estate Grown Agave using 100% Tahona Crushed Fibers
La Alteña Distillery
Every drop of El Tesoro Tequila, “the treasure” in Spanish, is produced at the La Alteña Distillery in Arandas, Jalisco, located east of Guadalajara (Jalisco) and León (Guanajuato). Don Felipe Camarena established Destilería La Alteña in 1937. Today his grandson, Carlos Camarena, oversees production, and continues to produce tequila using traditional methods, just like his grandfather did before him over 80 years ago.
Agave
El Tesoro is created exclusively from agave grown on the Camarena Family Estate, about 7,000 feet (213 meters) above sea level, in the mineral-rich highlands of Jalisco. This terroir gives El Tesoro Tequila a more rounded, fruity, and floral taste.
Cooking
After harvesting, the Jimadors chop the piñas to consistent size for an even cook. The trimmed piñas are slow-cooked in traditional ovens, where they are steamed at a low temperature for 48 hours, and left to cool for an entire day.
Milling & Fermentation
The cooked agave fibers are crushed using a traditional two-ton volcanic tahona stone wheel. This process extracts all the agave flavor possible by keeping the extracted juice and pulp, which will both be used in the fermentation, and first distillation to intensity the agave flavor. From the tahona pit, then juice and pulp of the agave are then fermented in open wooden vats using natural yeast.
Distillation
El Tesoro is double distilled at low temperature to 80 proof (40% ABV) in copper pot stills. At no point in the distillation process is additional water or sugar added. Finally a simple cellulose filtration is used, and then each bottle is hand labeled with an attention to detail.
El Tesoro Blanco
Unaged and bottled immediately after distillation to capture the essence of the highland blue weber agave. The minerality of the soil and water shines through in this traditional agave-forward tequila.
80 Proof (40% ABV)
El Tesoro Reposado
Aged 11 months in Ex-Bourbon American Oak barrels.
80 Proof (40% ABV)
El Tesoro Añejo
Aged 2 to 3 years (24 to 36 months) in Ex-Bourbon American Oak barrels.
80 Proof (40% ABV)
El Tesoro Extra Añejo
The ideal gift! Buy the best anejo tequila online. Price and reviews available for El Tesoro Extra Anejo Tequila - 750ml Bottle. Our El Tesoro Extra Aejo honors Carlos Camarenas father Felipe J. and their shared passion for aging tequila. This special tequila blend is slowly aged in American oak exbourbon barrels for four to five years, which add rich flavors of chocolate and coffee.
El Tesoro Extra-Añejo “El Paradiso”
Aged 5 years (60 months) in Ex-Cognac French Oak barrels.
80 Proof (40% ABV)
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