Tequila brand guide
Jenny Camarena leads the Highlands distillery behind El Tesoro. Stone milling and fermentation with agave pulp run through the range; the aged bottles explore bourbon, Cognac and Japanese whisky casks.
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The brand and its makers
El Tesoro comes from La Alteña, with Jenny Camarena now leading the distillery
El Tesoro is a 100% agave tequila made at La Alteña in the Jalisco Highlands. Its distinguishing production choices are the tahona stone, fermentation with agave pulp, and copper-pot distillation to bottling strength. The core bottles move from unaged Blanco through Reposado, Añejo and Extra Añejo. Paradiso and the Mundial releases change the barrel story as well as the price.
La Alteña’s history begins with Don Felipe Camarena in 1937. His son, Felipe J. Camarena Orozco, established El Tesoro in the late 1980s with premium importers Robert Denton and Marilyn Smith. The first US shipments followed around 1989–1990.
By October 2025, Jenny Camarena had succeeded Carlos Camarena as La Alteña’s master distiller. She is the fourth master distiller and first woman to lead the distillery. An architect before returning to the family business in 2015, she ran operations before taking the top role.
El Tesoro belongs to the Suntory Global Spirits portfolio, while the Camarena family operates the distillery.
Jenny Camarena
Current master distiller and CEO at El Tesoro and La Alteña
Had succeeded her brother Carlos as La Alteña’s fourth master distiller by October 2025.
Carlos Camarena
Former El Tesoro master distiller; special-release collaborator
Led El Tesoro before Jenny Camarena’s appointment. The 2025 Yamazaki release grew from a project he began.
José Lorenzo Coronado Padilla
Head distiller
The Coronado family has worked in distillation at La Alteña for three generations.
Don Felipe Camarena
La Alteña founder, 1937
Founded the distillery in Arandas; his son later launched the El Tesoro brand.
Felipe J. Camarena Orozco
El Tesoro founder
Don Felipe’s son launched El Tesoro with Robert Denton and Marilyn Smith in the late 1980s. The first US shipments followed around 1989–1990.
Robert Denton and Marilyn Smith
Founding partners and premium importers
Helped establish and introduce El Tesoro to the US market at the end of the 1980s.
Suntory Global Spirits
Brand owner and portfolio company
Owns El Tesoro, which the Camarena family makes at La Alteña.
The historical founding account · Current El Tesoro biography · October 2025 leadership and release announcement
Choose your bottle
Begin with the amount of oak you want
The five established US expressions are 40% ABV. The named 2025 Yamazaki edition is 42%. Prices below concern 750 mL bottles.
Blanco gives you the unaged starting point. Reposado spends nine to eleven months in ex-bourbon barrels; Añejo spends two to three years. Extra Añejo goes to four to five years. Paradiso’s five years in French ex-Cognac barrels make it a separate comparison, rather than simply the next step in the same cask sequence.
Flavor notes below are the maker’s descriptions.
- Blanco
Blanco
40% ABV
Unaged
$50US shop price
About $12 a shot9 US menus · October 2026
Agave, white pepper and subtle green notes.
- Reposado
Reposado
40% ABV
9–11 months
$65US shop price
About $18 a shot10 US menus · October 2026
Oak and agave, smoke, pepper, fruit, vanilla and dill.
- Añejo
Añejo
40% ABV
2–3 years
$75US shop price
About $22 a shot5 US menus · October 2026
Sweet agave, pepper, oak, jasmine and a vanilla finish.
- Extra Añejo
Extra Añejo
40% ABV
4–5 years
$116US shop price
Coffee, cinnamon, butter, dark chocolate, dried fruit and roasted almonds.
- Extra Añejo
Paradiso
40% ABV
5 years
$180US shop price
About $31 a shotMoctezuma's, Tacoma · October 2026 · small sample
Butterscotch, herbs, soft smoke, oak, tropical notes and minerality.
- Añejo
Mundial Yamazaki Edition (2025)
42% ABV
12 months in Yamazaki casks
$180US shop price
About $200US suggested retail · October 2025 · 750 mLRelease details
Mineral notes, toasted nuts, honey, warm spices, sherry, dark chocolate and red berries.
Single Barrel Reposado is a separate bottling from one selected cask; check the barrel identification when comparing a shop pick.
How it is made
A tahona and fermentation with pulp shape the starting spirit
El Tesoro uses Highland Azul agave (A. tequilana) harvested at six to nine years. The piñas steam in traditional ovens for 48 hours and cool for a day. A two-ton volcanic tahona then crushes the cooked agave.
The juice and pulp ferment together in open wooden vats with natural yeast. Small copper pot stills distill the tequila twice to bottling proof. The maker’s point about “no water added” concerns dilution after distillation: the distillery reaches the intended strength in the still. José Lorenzo Coronado Padilla is the head distiller named on the production page, which credits three generations of the Coronado family.
El Tesoro is made at La Alteña in Arandas, Jalisco, by Tequila Tapatío, NOM 1139.
La Alteña · Arandas, Jalisco
What it costs
El Tesoro bottle prices
Reposado adds around $15 to Blanco; Añejo adds another $10. Extra Añejo is around $116, while the different cask treatments of Paradiso and Mundial Yamazaki are around $180.
| Bottle | Suggested retail (USD) | Shop price (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Blanco | $50October 2025 | $50 |
| Reposado | $65October 2025 | $65 |
| Añejo | $85October 2025 | $75 |
| Extra Añejo | $150October 2025 | $116 |
| Paradiso | $180October 2025 | $180 |
| Mundial Yamazaki Edition (2025) | $200October 2025 | $180 |
Prices are subject to change.
Price sources and details
US bottle listings, checked October 4, 2026. Tax and delivery are extra.
- Old Town Tequila: Blanco, about $50 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Old Town Tequila: Reposado, about $65 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Old Town Tequila: Añejo, about $75 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Old Town Tequila: Extra Añejo, about $116 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Old Town Tequila: Paradiso, about $180 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Old Town Tequila: Mundial Yamazaki Edition (2025), about $180 (750 mL). In stock online.
- Suggested US retail in the October 15, 2025 brand announcement: Blanco $50, Reposado $65, Añejo $85, Extra Añejo $150, Paradiso $180 and Mundial Yamazaki Edition (2025) about $200.
Is El Tesoro additive free?
El Tesoro de Don Felipe appears in our August 2025 additive free list, with Tequila Matchmaker as its source. That entry predates Mundial Yamazaki and does not cover the later edition.
Sources and earlier records
How El Tesoro tequila is made · El Tesoro Mundial Yamazaki launch announcement (2025) · Spirited Agave additive free brand list — August 2025
The August 2025 list records El Tesoro de Don Felipe at NOM 1139 with Tequila Matchmaker provenance. It names the brand and producer, without individual expressions or current batches.
Choose your pour
Blanco for citrus cocktails, Añejo for an Old Fashioned
For a Margarita or Paloma, start with El Tesoro Blanco; it is also the unaged reference for sipping. Choose Reposado if you prefer some oak, or Añejo for an oak-led Old Fashioned.
For sipping, I prefer El Tesoro Blanco because I enjoy its agave flavors, as I explain in our Blanco versus Reposado guide.
For someone who enjoys oak-aged tequila, Añejo or Extra Añejo is a straightforward gift. Paradiso suits an interest in Cognac barrels; Mundial Yamazaki suits an interest in Japanese whisky casks. Our El Tesoro aged-bottle comparison explains those cask and price choices.
El Tesoro’s Margarita, Paloma and Old Fashioned pairings
El Tesoro, Ocho or Fortaleza?
These US blancos are all 40% ABV. El Tesoro and Fortaleza use tahona milling; Ocho uses a roller mill and identifies the agave’s estate or growing region.
Three unaged tequilas at 40% ABV
- Blanco
Tequila Ocho Plata
40% ABV
Unaged
Roller milling and named estate vintages. The growing place varies with the bottle.
$42US shop price
About $15 a shot9 US menus · October 2026
- Blanco
El Tesoro Blanco
40% ABV
Unaged
Tahona milling and fermentation with agave pulp at La Alteña.
$50US shop price
About $12 a shot9 US menus · October 2026
- Blanco
Fortaleza Blanco
40% ABV
Unaged
Tahona milling and copper pot distillation in the Tequila Valley.
$85 · sold outUS shop price
About $21 a shot5 US menus · October 2026
Quick answers
Questions about El Tesoro
Who makes El Tesoro tequila?
El Tesoro is made at La Alteña in Arandas, Jalisco, under current master distiller Jenny Camarena. The CRT producer association is Tequila Tapatío, S.A. de C.V., NOM 1139.
Was El Tesoro founded in 1937?
No. La Alteña distillery was founded in 1937. El Tesoro came in the late 1980s, through Felipe J. Camarena Orozco and importers Robert Denton and Marilyn Smith.
Is Carlos Camarena still the master distiller of El Tesoro?
No. Jenny Camarena had succeeded Carlos Camarena as El Tesoro’s master distiller by October 2025. Carlos contributed to the Mundial Yamazaki project before the transition.
What is the difference between El Tesoro Extra Añejo and Paradiso?
El Tesoro Extra Añejo spends four to five years in American ex-bourbon oak. Paradiso spends five years in French ex-Cognac barrels. Both established US releases are 40% ABV, but the cask history and maker’s flavor descriptions differ.
Is every El Tesoro tequila 40% ABV?
No. El Tesoro’s established US Blanco, Reposado, Añejo, Extra Añejo and Paradiso are 40% ABV, while the 2025 El Tesoro Mundial Yamazaki edition is 42%. Read the named release and your bottle’s label.
Is El Tesoro additive free?
El Tesoro de Don Felipe appears in our August 2025 additive free list, with Tequila Matchmaker as its source. That entry predates Mundial Yamazaki and does not cover the later edition.
Which El Tesoro bottle should a first-time buyer choose?
Choose El Tesoro Blanco to try the unaged base spirit, or Reposado if you already prefer a little oak. In Old Town Tequila’s October 4, 2026 US listings, the 750 mL bottles were about $50 and $65 respectively.
Sources and photographs
Product facts and flavor notes: the producers linked below. Retail price sources appear beside the price comparison. Bottle photographs: brand and importer sources.
- El Tesoro Mundial Yamazaki launch announcement (2025)Checked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro history and peopleChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro AñejoChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro BlancoChecked 2026-10-04.
- Beam Suntory El Tesoro historical DNA: founders, imports and La AlteñaChecked 2026-10-04.
- PKGD Tours: La Alteña, NOM 1139, ArandasChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro Mundial YamazakiChecked 2026-10-04.
- Suntory Global Spirits tequila brandsChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro ParadisoChecked 2026-10-04.
- How El Tesoro tequila is madeChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro tequila rangeChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro ReposadoChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro Single Barrel ReposadoChecked 2026-10-04.
- El Tesoro Extra AñejoChecked 2026-10-04.
- Spirited Agave additive free brand list — August 2025Checked 2026-10-06. August 2025 list preserves earlier Tequila Matchmaker entries.