Clase Azul Tequila Master Artisans Extra Anejo

Most tequila bottles are designed to be opened. This one was designed to be studied first. Clase Azul Master Artisans Extra Anejo is a limited edition tequila now available at Collection '86. It is the inaugural release of the Master Artisans collection, an annual series pairing Clase Azul's Master Distiller with Mexico's most celebrated artisans. For this first edition, that partnership brought together Viridiana Tinoco, Clase Azul's Master Distiller, and Angel Santos, one of the most internationally recognized ceramic artists working in Mexico today. Only 300 individually numbered decanters were produced.

Collection '86 offers the Clase Azul Master Artisans Extra Anejo by Angel Santos as part of our curated archive of rare and collectible spirits.

The Artisan: Angel Santos And The Ceramics Of Tonala

Angel Santos is more than a craftsman. He is a cultural institution. Based in Tonala, Jalisco, a small town renowned as the "cradle of ceramics" in Mexico, Santos has been awarded internationally for work that draws on ancestral pottery techniques while pushing them into new territory. He also serves as a teacher, cultural curator, and co founder of Herencia Milenaria, a local artisan community dedicated to preserving traditional Mexican craft.

When Clase Azul approached Herencia Milenaria for this collaboration, Santos accepted without hesitation. As he put it, Clase Azul supports artisans, and he wanted to give back. Each of the 300 decanters was hand painted by Santos in a process that took 10 to 12 hours per piece. The artwork features long plumed pheasants, symbols of light, prosperity, and wealth across many cultures, rendered in blue to represent sky, air, and water. Five and six petalled flowers traditional to Tonala clay techniques adorn the vessel, while a central orange flower with yellow brushstrokes symbolizes sun and fire, completing a tribute to the four essential elements of ceramics: earth, water, air, and fire.

The result is a decanter that functions as a standalone work of art before you ever consider what's inside it.

The Liquid: Clase Azul's Longest Aged Tequila

What's inside is equally extraordinary. Viridiana Tinoco created the longest aged blend in Clase Azul's history for this release. The tequila is an 8 year old extra anejo, the brand's most aged expression to date, crafted from blue Weber agave grown in the Jesus Maria region of Los Altos, Jalisco.

The maturation journey is where the complexity begins. The tequila spent its first 64 months aging in casks previously used for American whiskey. For the following 41 months, it was distributed across three different types of sherry casks: amontillado, oloroso, and Pedro Ximenez. Each cask type contributes a distinct layer of character, and the interplay between all three produces a blend that Clase Azul describes as having incomparable complexity.

Tinoco herself has said she wanted the flavors and aromas to convey the magic of Santos' craftsmanship, calling it an exquisite blend that complements every detail on the outside of the decanter.

Bottled at 40% ABV, each decanter holds 750ml and carries an individual bottle number out of 300.

Tasting Notes

The color is copper with light greenish highlights, a visual indicator of the extended aging and the influence of the sherry casks.

On the nose, the tequila is full bodied and expressive. Sweet plum and fresh grapes open into orange, red berries, sweet pear, and toasted oak.

The palate delivers on what the nose promises. Orange peel and berries meet notes of toasted wood, with the cooked agave backbone still present beneath the sherry influence. The amontillado contributes dry nuttiness, the oloroso adds dried fruit richness, and the Pedro Ximenez brings deep caramelized sweetness.

The finish is long, closing with toasted oak and tobacco that linger well past the final sip.

The Series And Its Significance

The Master Artisans collection represents Clase Azul's deepest commitment to the intersection of Mexican craft and luxury spirits. As the inaugural release, the Angel Santos edition holds a unique position. It established the format, set the standard, and introduced collectors to the idea that a tequila decanter could be as significant as the liquid it holds.

At 300 bottles, this is among the most limited and most expensive releases Clase Azul has ever produced, with secondary market prices reflecting the convergence of a historically significant first edition, a world class artisan, and the brand's longest aged tequila.

Why Collection '86 Carries Claze Azul Master Artisans Extra Anejo

Collection '86 features the Clase Azul Master Artisans Extra Anejo by Angel Santos because it is the kind of bottle that defines a collection. The liquid is exceptional. The vessel is a genuine work of art. The production run is tiny. And as the first edition of a series celebrating Mexico's most important living artisans, its significance only grows with time.

This is one of those bottles. And there were only 300 to begin with.