Dobel Unveils First Extra Añejo Tequila Finished In Mezcal Barrels — But Only 15 Bottles Are Coming to the US

(Photo: Dobel)

On Tuesday, Dobel Tequila unveiled what it claims is the world’s first extra añejo finished in mezcal barrels. As is often the case with Dobel releases, the drop will be available in extremely limited quantities, with only 15 of 281 bottles available for purchase in the U.S., priced at a suggested $5,000.

According to the brand, the tequila ages a minimum of three years in virgin oak before spending four months in American oak mezcal barrels, said to impart hints of smoke, dried fruits and toasted nuts to the final product. Given that Dobel is owned by Proximo Spirits, we’re willing to guess that those American oak mezcal barrels are either 400 Conejos Reposado or Añejo.

Aside from the liquid, the star of the show clearly lies in the decanter itself. Bottles were designed in collaboration with the late Francisco “El Maestro” Toledo, a prolific Mexican painter and sculptor responsible for some 9,000 documented works over his seventy-year career. Often regarded as one of Mexico’s most recognizable contemporary artists, his work was known to blend surrealism, folklore and an impassioned social concern for his home state of Oaxaca.

From now through April 29, collectors can bid on one of 15 bottles available for purchase in the U.S. Proceeds from the auction will benefit Friends of IAGO (the Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca) and the Manuel Álvarez Bravo A.C. Photographic Center.

“Francisco ‘El Maestro’ Toledo and I began dreaming up this collaboration in 2016,” founder Juan Dobel remarked in a news release. “Francisco and I shared a deep passion for Mexico and its culture, which we reflected through art and tequila. El Maestro and I envisioned a timeless art piece, one that would transcend conventional expectations and become an object that embodied Toledo’s artistic principles and exceptional craftsmanship while showcasing Dobel’s commitment to tequila excellence and innovation.”

The main reason tequila isn’t typically aged in mezcal barrels is pretty straightforward — mezcal is rarely matured in barrels to begin with. Though the practice of barrel-aging mezcal dates back hundreds of years, modern interest in the spirit has prioritized unaged expressions in a rainbow spectrum of varietals. Nine times out of 10, brands opt to release an Espadin, Tobala, Barril, Salmiana, etc., before they release a reposado or anejo variation on any of the above.

But it’s not unheard of. Ilegal, one of the biggest names in the American market, has built its image around a trio of aged expressions that closely mimic what you’d expect from a tequila. Other recognizable names that have entered the category include Gracias A Dios, Sombra and Los Nahuales.

For more information on Dobel Tequila’s Grandes Maestros Collection: The Francisco Toledo Edition, check out the bottle auction here. 

Dobel Grandes Maestros Collection Tasting Notes, Via the Brand

Appearance: “Clear, bright amber colored with golden and copper hues, its full-bodiedness can be witnessed from the tears in the glass.”

Nose: “A perfectly achieved aromatic sequence in which the olfactory experience commences with a hint of mezcal smokiness interwoven with dried fruits, cooked agave, and caramel, finishing with aromas of wood, vanilla, almonds, toasted nuts, and cereals, which create aromatic complexity without oversaturating the senses.”

Taste: “Warm, silky, smooth, and well-structured, hints of the mezcal smokiness remain without being overwhelming and in perfect balance with the wood and dried fruit flavors of a very long and lasting finish.”