tequila Ocho question

[3libras]

I have seen Tequila Ocho with two entirely different labels. I have seen it with the labels that I think most of us are familiar with and I have two of these bottles, seen here on this website....
TEQUILA OCHO
But then I have seen this label which just has a giant red "8" on the bottles and doesn't look the same to me, but it says that it is the single estate grown agave tequila. And this says Ocho is only blanco and repo here.
THINK SPIRITS
(scroll through the bottles to find the Ocho offered there)
My question is are these really the same? They look completely different to me. But it's saying they are the same. Can anyone help shed some light on this for me? Thank you very much.

[hondajustin]

I am pretty sure the bottle with the giant 8 on it are the bottles that are available in the UK. From what I remember from the tequila whisperer show they are the same juice.

[Tequila Tourist]

All I know is that I tried the 2010 blanco from the Los Mangos region tonight and it was very disappointing. Not much agave sweetness, just a lot of earth and spice and a bitter finish.

I don't care what the label is, I won't be buying it again.

[Zanaspus]

Completely off topic, but Justin, yours may be the coolest avatar on the web.

[Tequila Tourist]

Originally Posted by Zanaspus

Completely off topic, but Justin, yours may be the coolest avatar on the web.

There's a whole series of headphones jamming cats. I suggest you do an animated gif search. You'll be pleased with the results.

[QuintoSol]

Originally Posted by niemioja

All I know is that I tried the 2010 blanco from the Los Mangos region tonight and it was very disappointing. Not much agave sweetness, just a lot of earth and spice and a bitter finish.

Interesting- The bottle that I had was full of sweetness and rather syrupy.

[Tequila Tourist]

Originally Posted by QuintoSol

Interesting- The bottle that I had was full of sweetness and rather syrupy.

It was Los Mangos? I read that the pinas there had a higher sugar content, so your explanation makes sense. I still have 23 ounces left, so it has a chance to win me over, but the initial taste was not wonderful. The smell was good.

[QuintoSol]

It was Los Mangos?

Yes it was. It was the made-for-England bottle, but I do not suspect it to be different form the US-import.

I suggest you try eating non-salted crackers before trying it again... it does a very good job of cleansing the palate.

[jdjohn84]

HJ is right, the bottles with the big red 8 are sold across the pond, but the juice is the same. Those bottles are also smaller - only 500ml. Tomas Estes said on Lippy's show that they made them smaller so they would be easier to handle by bartenders.

For 2010, Ocho made two blancos, or platas as they called them. One vintage was from Los Mangos, and the other from Los Corrales. I have a bottle of the Los Corrales, and it is sweet, yummy, and even creamy tasting. This was discussed on another thread, and here's an informative link about Ocho and the estates they have used. Tequila World . If you scroll down the page, they discuss the different estates (or ranchos) that Ocho has used, what ages were made from each estate, and the tasting notes.

It sounds like the Los Mangos estate has a lowland-type soil, which produces a more earthy, minerally, vegetal taste due to the rocks and desert-like soil. Some people really dig that type of taste. The Los Corrales estate has the typical highland rich, red soil, which produces a more fruity, floral, and sweet taste. The tasting notes they have on the website are a little contradictory to my generalizations, but what I described is very typical of what most people would say about highland vs. lowland. You can even see in the pics (if those are accurate) that the Los Corrales area looks more rich and lush, and the Los Mangos area looks more dry and desert-like.

I wouldn't give up on liking Ocho as a brand, but every estate may not be to everyone's liking. I think it's really cool what they have done with their estate bottlings. For each vintage they produce, they take single estate agaves from a specific tract of land, then use the same processing techniques at the same distillery, but come out with very different tasting products due solely to the different estate agaves used. They are the only brand that does this, as other brands mix-and-match agaves to get a blend that suits what they want to produce. Ocho lets each estate stand on its own.

I have to admit it took me quite awhile before I really enjoyed most blancos, but now I love them. The wood really mellows repos and anejos, and makes them *easier* to drink. But that pure agave taste from a blanco is something to be enjoyed as well.

[Tequila Tourist]

Originally Posted by jdjohn84

HJ is right, the bottles with the big red 8 are sold across the pond, but the juice is the same. Those bottles are also smaller - only 500ml. Tomas Estes said on Lippy's show that they made them smaller so they would be easier to handle by bartenders.

For 2010, Ocho made two blancos, or platas as they called them. One vintage was from Los Mangos, and the other from Los Corrales. I have a bottle of the Los Corrales, and it is sweet, yummy, and even creamy tasting. This was discussed on another thread, and here's an informative link about Ocho and the estates they have used. Tequila World . If you scroll down the page, they discuss the different estates (or ranchos) that Ocho has used, what ages were made from each estate, and the tasting notes.

It sounds like the Los Mangos estate has a lowland-type soil, which produces a more earthy, minerally, vegetal taste due to the rocks and desert-like soil. Some people really dig that type of taste. The Los Corrales estate has the typical highland rich, red soil, which produces a more fruity, floral, and sweet taste. The tasting notes they have on the website are a little contradictory to my generalizations, but what I described is very typical of what most people would say about highland vs. lowland. You can even see in the pics (if those are accurate) that the Los Corrales area looks more rich and lush, and the Los Mangos area looks more dry and desert-like.

I wouldn't give up on liking Ocho as a brand, but every estate may not be to everyone's liking. I think it's really cool what they have done with their estate bottlings. For each vintage they produce, they take single estate agaves from a specific tract of land, then use the same processing techniques at the same distillery, but come out with very different tasting products due solely to the different estate agaves used. They are the only brand that does this, as other brands mix-and-match agaves to get a blend that suits what they want to produce. Ocho lets each estate stand on its own.

I have to admit it took me quite awhile before I really enjoyed most blancos, but now I love them. The wood really mellows repos and anejos, and makes them *easier* to drink. But that pure agave taste from a blanco is something to be enjoyed as well.

Thanks for the info. I like blancos and have not at all given up on them. My collection is 26 blancos, 27 reposados and 35 anejos/XAs. It's varied and there's some that I like more than others in all aging categories.

Different tastes and trying them all are all part of the fun of loving tequila.