Legendary Legacies: Tequila Ocho and Ferrand Cognac Team Up for Barrel Select Añejo

Multi-generational masters of their respective spirits combine in new collaboration between Camarena and Ferrand

ARANDAS, JALISCO, MX - Tequila Ocho, the original single-field, single-estate tequila, announces today the release of a limited, small-batch añejo that brings together two iconic spirit producers and two equally iconic spirit-producing regions.

The newest single-field Tequila Ocho Barrel Select Añejo begins with liquid distilled from overripe, highlands agaves harvested exclusively from Rancho Las Raices, located due east of Tequila Ocho’s homeplace, Tequilera Los Alambiques. It is then aged for a full year in coveted, seasoned French oak cognac casks from renowned house Ferrand Cognac. The barrels, having traveled roughly 5,500 miles from the limestone-rich soils of France’s Charente region—where ten generations of Ferrand heritage have shaped what it truly means to craft a great Cognac—to the rich, red volcanic soil of the Highlands of Jalisco, lend to Ocho’s agave-forward tequila notes of baked pear, honey, and delicate white flowers, framing the liquid just as a world-class museum curator might frame a timeless piece of art.

The new collaboration is the third time the generations-long legacy brands have come together. The first collaboration, released in 2019, saw Tequila Ocho co-founders Carlos Camarena and the late Tomas Estes partner with Maison Ferrand owner and Master Blender Alexandre Gabriel to create a set of three Single Barrel Cask Finished tequilas (Planteray Barbados Rum, Planteray Jamaica Rum and Ferrand Cognac Ambré), marking the first time a tequila was ever finished or aged in ex-rum casks. In 2020, the brands reunited with the inaugural release of the Ocho Barrel Select range—three distinct, limited edition añejo tequilas aged in rum barrels from France, Fiji, Panama, and Trinidad. This latest collaboration focuses on ex-Ferrand Cognac casks only, and celebrates the creativity and community at the heart of the Ocho and Ferrand identities: a generational commitment to the craft of making spirits with genuine character, yet elegant and exceptional in every sense.

Ocho co-founder and Maestro Tequilero Carlos Camarena comes from a long line of agave growers, himself fifth-generation, while his great-great-grandfather is credited with bringing agave from the valley to the highlands long, long ago. On the Ferrand Cognac side, ten generations of sons, all named Elie Ferrand, upheld the abiding knowledge of growing grapes and transforming them into exceptional elixirs—a legacy carried on by Alexandre Gabriel, Master Blender and devoted guardian of that heritage for over thirty years, whose passion and singular vision keep it alive. The combination of these family legacies and production philosophies leaves room for only a meticulously curated and fine sipping añejo tequila.

Said Camarena, “Among the many things our families have in common is taking great care to honor the generations that came before us and laid the groundwork for us to thrive doing exactly what we love. This collaboration represents the latest chapter in our respective legacies and we look forward to sharing the story with everyone.”

Tasting notes:

• Nose: Cherry, ground cinnamon, burnt cajeta, green notes of celery and cilantro, green guava, and plenty of wet earth.
• Palate: Salted caramel, vibrant minerality, cooked agave, ginger, intense coffee, and fresh sawdust.

By the numbers:

• ABV/Proof: 44.4% ABV / 88.8 Proof
• SRP: $124.99/750ml bottle
• Allocation: Extremely limited
• Domestic Markets: CA, FL, GA, IL, MI, MA, NJ, NY, SC, TX, VA
• International Markets: France, United Kingdom, Greece, Spain

Tequila Ocho Añejo Barrel Select will be available in the US beginning August 2026.

ABOUT TEQUILA OCHO

Tequila Ocho is the world’s first single estate tequila; curating, selecting and harvesting the very ripest agaves from the world-renowned highlands, and distilling in the town of Arandas, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Tequila Ocho retains complete control of raw materials, from seedling to agave selection, fermentation & beyond, quite unlike most other tequila makers, leading to a liquid which is unparalleled.

The result of a dream shared by maestro tequilero Carlos Camarena and legendary tequila ambassador Tomas Estes, Tequila Ocho reflects the nuances of each and every agave field and is instantly recognizable by its annual vintages. Cooking, fermentation and distillation happen in the most traditional way in slow-cooking stone ovens, wooden vats, and copper pot stills, respectively. Such a painstaking approach has led Tequila Ocho Plata to be recognized by Forbes as the World’s Best Blanco Tequila.

As a tequila brand that prides itself on producing maximum agave flavor and essence, Ocho’s aged expressions, reposado, añejo and extra añejo, rest lightly in old bourbon barrels for a gentle rounding and smoothing by the wood—always complementing, yet never overshadowing, the pure, sweet, cooked agave notes.

Every expression of Tequila Ocho is made from only three ingredients: agave, water & natural airborne yeast, respecting the traditional, artisanal methods used for generations.