Drink of the Week: Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Widow Jane 2024

Recently I had to go on a last-minute road trip across the country, from LA to Boston. And, as luck would have it, an hour before I hit the road, a bottle of Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select Widow Jane 2024 landed on my doorstep. It’s the second collaboration between Tequila Ocho and Widow Jane Distillery, and it launched this month. (The first collab was a reposado aged for about eight weeks in bourbon barrels.)

This limited-edition single-estate, single-field añejo tequila is made from overripe agaves from Rancho El Nacimiento—which is owned and operated by the family of Tequila Ocho co-founder Carlos Camarena—and distilled in 2022. Then it’s aged in recently emptied Widow Jane 10-year bourbon barrels for 12 months.

The result makes for a lovely sipping experience. The barrel aging doesn’t mute the agave aromas or flavors but instead imparts a hint of baking spices and caramel notes on the nose and palate. Its higher ABV (48% vs. 40%) brings a bit of initial heat, but it mellows out on the finish.

Usually, I’d wrap up my review with recommended cocktails to make with my pick, but I couldn’t bring myself to mix this beauty with anything. I enjoyed it straight, no ice. $119, pbexpressliquor.com