Chinaco Negro Extra Anejo
43% ABV (86 proof) | 750mL | Single-batch limited edition, numbered lots | Tequilera La Gonzaleña, Tamaulipas, Mexico — the sole Tamaulipas distillery | 100% Blue Weber agave, French and English white oak — Chinaco Negro Extra Añejo is one of tequila's great ultra-aged rarities: a single-batch, limited-edition extra añejo from the only distillery authorized to make tequila in Tamaulipas. Per US importer Preiss Imports, only 40% of the extra añejo barrels were deemed worthy by late master distiller Doña Esther Hernández of being bottled under the Negro label — each barrel specially selected, each lot numbered. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The Negro legend starts with 12 casks of old tequila "lost in the cellars" of La Gonzaleña; just seven were judged worthy and bottled as numbered single-cask selections. Chinaco — named for the Chinacos, independent landowner-warriors of the Reform War — was the first ultra-premium tequila exported to the US (1983), and Negro is its crown: 100% Tamaulipas Blue Weber agave from ~10-year-old plants on the El Rosillo ranch, autoclave-cooked, fermented 72 hours on the same ambient yeast used since 1972, and double distilled in two restored modified alembic copper stills. Among extra añejo tequilas, nothing else comes from Tamaulipas.
Tasting notes
Official importer (Preiss Imports) notes: aromas of baked pear, fruit pastry, honey and pepper; palate of caramel, nougat and toffee; a very mellow finish with slightly sweet, buttery notes. Sip neat, "like a fine cognac."
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- Single-batch limited edition — numbered lots; only 40% of extra añejo barrels deemed worthy
- The sole tequila distillery in Tamaulipas — Tequilera La Gonzaleña
- First ultra-premium tequila exported to the US (1983); named for the Chinaco warriors
- ~10-year-old Tamaulipas agave; same ambient yeast since 1972; restored alembic copper stills
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat in a tulip glass, served like a fine Cognac — that's the importer's own recommendation. This is a contemplative pour, not a cocktail bottle.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chinaco Negro?
A single-batch, limited-edition ultra-aged extra añejo from Tequilera La Gonzaleña in Tamaulipas — the only tequila distillery in Tamaulipas. Each lot is numbered; only a fraction of barrels qualify.
Is it worth $499.99?
Scarcity: only 40% of the distillery's extra añejo barrels were deemed worthy by master distiller Doña Esther Hernández, and each numbered lot is a finite selection — the original "lost cellar" casks made every bottle irreplaceable.
What is the NOM for Chinaco Negro?
NOM 1127 — Tequilera La Gonzaleña. (Some sources print NOM 1068; every verified source, including the importer, says 1127.)