Clase Azul’s New Day of the Dead Tequila Was Finished in Scotch Whisky Casks
October is halfway over, and that means that the Mexican holiday of Day of the Dead (Día de Los Muertos) is fast approaching. As it has done for the past three years, luxury tequila brand Clase Azul is releasing a new limited-edition spirit to celebrate the occasion, and, like past releases, it comes in a beautiful handmade ceramic decanter. Unlike those iterations, however, this one is finished in scotch whisky casks.
Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Música is the fourth release in the series, which debuted in 2021. The first, Sabores, was an a?ejo aged in American whiskey barrels for more than 14 months and blended with tequila aged in oak; the second, Colores, was finished in rhum agricole barrels from Martinique for six months; and last year’s release, Aromas, was aged for 25 months in American whiskey barrels and finished in Armagnac casks from France.
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For the new release, which is called Música, master distiller Viridiana Tinoco aged the tequila for a total of 26 months. First, it was put into American whiskey barrels, then it was split into two batches for finishing—one went into casks from the Isle of Skye, the other into casks from the Speyside region. The distilleries were not revealed, but there’s a good chance the Isle of Skye barrels came from Talisker, especially given that these are said to have given the tequila peaty, smoky notes. Speyside, on the other hand, has many different distilleries so there’s really no way of telling. The two batches were then blended together before bottling.
“For this edition, I wanted to reinterpret music into sensorial chords to evoke nostalgia, since during Día de Muertos we remember the great moments shared with our loved ones,” said Tinoco in a statement. “Seeking to achieve a harmony of notes with different nuances through the casks, for one part I included smoky notes which are reminders of candles and incense of this festivity and, for the other, sweet notes suggestive of the delicacies placed on ofrendas.” Like past releases, the decanter for this release is a work of art in and of itself. Mexican illustrator David Espinosa drew a skeletal musical ensemble performing, and there is a 24-karat gold ornament on the bottle made up of 40 different parts.
Another new Día de Muertos release of note, albeit one that is very different, comes from G4, an exceptional tequila brand run by Felipe Camarena and his family. G4 uses traditional methods of production, and this new release is no exception. The tequila was fermented in pine wood instead of steel tanks, something that Camarena believes contributes to the flavor, and the liquid was aged for seven months in Jack Daniel’s barrels. Finally, a portion of 2024 7-year Reserva de Felipe Special Extra Anejo was added to the blend for flavor, although the tequila is still classified as a reposado based on the youngest age in the blend. In keeping with the Dia de Muertos theme, the tequila comes houses in a coffin-shaped box.
You can find the new Clase Azul Tequila Día de Muertos Edición Limitada Música (SRP $1,500) available now at specialty retailers, and past editions are still for sale at websites like Flaviar. G4 De Madera Reposado 2024 (SRP $300) is available to purchase from a variety of sellers, like K&L Wine.
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