Olmeca Altos

Olmeca Altos Tequila is a 100% Blue Weber highland agave tequila produced in Los Altos, Jalisco by master distiller Jesus Hernandez using traditional tahona stone-crushed and roller-milled agave. Expressions include Plata (unaged, crisp agave), Reposado (8 months American oak), and Añejo (18 months). Built for cocktails — the preferred tequila for many professional bartenders.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tahona and why does Olmeca Altos use it alongside a roller mill?

The tahona is a large stone wheel (traditionally volcanic rock) pulled in a circle over a pit to crush cooked agave piñas and extract their juice. It is the oldest method of agave processing in tequila production — slow, labor-intensive, and effective at releasing different flavor compounds than mechanical processing. Modern roller mills process agave much faster but extract juice more aggressively, producing a cleaner but sometimes thinner agave character. Olmeca Altos uses a dual-method approach — both tahona and roller mill — blending the resulting juices to capture the textural depth and earthy complexity of tahona extraction alongside the cleaner agave fruit character of roller mill juice. The combination produces a more layered agave flavor than either method alone.

Why do professional bartenders favor Olmeca Altos for cocktails?

Olmeca Altos has a strong following among working bartenders specifically because of the combination of price point, agave quality, and cocktail performance. The Los Altos Highlands agave character — typically more citrus and floral than Lowlands agave — holds up assertively in acidic cocktails like Margaritas and Palomas without being dominated by lime or grapefruit juice. The Plata is unaged and high-proof, giving it presence in a cocktail without adding oak or vanilla notes that can complicate a citrus-forward drink. At its retail price, Olmeca Altos consistently delivers a more distinctly agave-forward result in cocktails than many competitors in the same price tier that use more neutral, additive-influenced distillate.