In an annual tradition collectors and tequila aficionados love, Clase Azul releases Dia de Muertos—with more limited-edition releases to follow. 
Author Patricia Diggs once noted that it’s infinitely easier to dismiss ghosts in the daylight. She speaks the truth, but I’ll take my chances with dealing with the departed—in the form of Clase Azul’s latest limited edition release, Dia de Muertos—when the sun goes down.
This latest bottle—with a mere 5,000 decanters available worldwide—is part of the brand’s Nuestros Recuerdos (“our memories”) series of limited-edition creations, featuring one per year through 2025.
As one of Mexico’s most important cultural holidays, Día de Muertos, the dead are honored by the living as they create traditional displays—ofrendas, or altars—with photographs, food, beverages, possessions of the departed and decorative skulls known as calaveras. These collections are integral to the holiday and serve as a hearty welcome to loved ones who’ve passed. The gatherings also include pan de muerto (sweet seasonal bun), tamales (a dish made with steamed corn dough), atoles (a traditional sweet, hot beverage made with corn flour) and seasonal fruit. Naturally, tequila has a starring role.
Clase Azul’s latest bottle blends an añejo tequila, which has been aged for more than 14 months in American whiskey casks, with tequilas aged in first-use American oak casks having light and medium charring. “This tequila is inspired by the Día de Muertos' flavors and aromas,” says Viridiana Tinoco, Clase Azul’s master distiller. “Through flavor, you can evoke memories—the goal was to recreate the essence of this holiday’s gastronomy in an añejo tequila so that anyone, anywhere could experience it.”
I was lucky enough to land a bottle two weeks ago, and I waited until this week—closer to this sacred Mexican holiday—to give it a taste. Not surprisingly, it’s exquisite, with a nose of candied orange peel, ripe pear, toasted oak, vanilla and crème caramel. The taste embodies everything from roasted almonds and coffee to cloves and hints of chocolate. Expect a smooth, graceful finish.
The brand has become known for its hand-painted bottles, which collectors adore as much as the spirits themselves. This one—a finely crafted ebony bottle—doesn’t disappoint, with a gold-plated metal adornment portraying three calaveras; the decanter’s other artwork includes three elegantly dressed skeletons associated with Día de Muertos. It’s nothing short of gorgeous and a reminder that, when the spirits move us, we can’t help but follow.
Photography by: Photo Courtesy of Clase Azul
