El Tesoro translates as the “treasure,” and this Paradiso is a special benchmark for all extra añejos.
This tequila was created by Don Felipe Camarena—Carlos Camarena’s grandfather and the founder of La Alteña Distillery in 1937—in collaboration with Alain Royer of A. de Fussigny Cognac.
Carlos oversaw El Tesoro for 30 years, and now the reins have been passed to his sister, Jenny Camarena.
The Camarenas don’t like their tequila to take on excessive tannins, color, or barrel influence, because those elements can mask the agave’s flavor.
Paradiso is aged for five years in used French oak barrels that previously held Cognac, well beyond the three-year minimum for extra añejos. Yet the agave and oak are perfectly intertwined, making this one of my all-time favorite extra añejos.
Aromas: Sweet roasted agave, ripe tropical fruit notes, caramel, and butterscotch.
Flavors: Great mouthfeel and full-bodied. There are sweet barrel notes of cherry and spice, followed by sweet cooked agave, dried apricot, caramel, and a slight nutty note. Absolutely delicious.
Finish: Full-bodied and long lasting, with caramel and butterscotch. This is an excellent after-dinner sipper.
Paradiso translates to “paradise” or “heaven,” and everything about this XA—from the tahona topper to the medallion necktie—makes the bottle stand out. Paradiso is a top-10 extra añejo in my book.
NOM | 1139 |
|---|---|
Agave | Jalisco (Los Altos) |
Cooking | Stone or brick ovens |
Extraction | Tahona |
Water | Deep well water |
Fermentation | Open-air wood tanks with fibers |
Still | Copper pot |
Age | 5 years in French oak Cognac barrels |
ABV | 40% |
