Tequila Ocho has announced the release of Tequila Ocho Terroir Select Rio Lerma, the second release in the brand’s single-region, multi-field Terroir Select collection and the first to receive a global rollout.
Terroir Select Rio Lerma will initially launch in Plata and Reposado expressions. The Plata carries a suggested retail price of $49.99 and comes bottled at 40% ABV, or 80 proof. The Reposado carries a suggested retail price of $59.99 and also comes bottled at 40% ABV, or 80 proof.
The tequilas use agaves harvested from five fields located more than 5,000 feet above sea level in the Rio Lerma zone, which spans an area along the Lerma River between Jalisco and Michoacán. The region features a predominantly flat landscape with gray, medium-nutrient soil.
According to Tequila Ocho, the area experiences warm, dry conditions for much of the year followed by heavy rainfall in late summer. Agaves grown in the region mature over five to seven years and can reach nearly 60 pounds. The company said the agaves develop shorter, thicker fibers and medium-high sugar content.
The Plata expression has aromas of cooked vegetables, ripe red apple, dried fruits and roasted peanuts, along with seawater and mineral notes, according to the company. The palate includes ripe pineapple, lemon peel and cranberry, followed by menthol on the finish.
The Reposado has aromas of orange, dark chocolate, orange blossom, grilled pineapple, black pepper and dried nuts, according to the company. The palate includes cooked agave, orange zest, black pepper and toasted walnuts.
“Terroir Select allows us the opportunity to continue to tell the story of the blue agave,” said Tequila Ocho co-founder and maestro tequilero Carlos Camarena. “To broaden our understanding of terroir’s influence on the final spirit. This next vintage, using Rio Lerma agaves, is a great way to do so, as we learn so much about how this agave grew, in a unique environment on either side of the river. The story this expression tells is unique to that place, and the time passed as they grew.”
Both expressions are available now.
Tequila Ocho will continue producing its Single Estate, single-field vintages alongside the Terroir Select releases.
