Maestro Dobel Tequila - Review

All in the Familia

by Jeff Hoyt

Most tequila drinkers associate José Cuervo with quantity, not quality. José Cuervo Especial, better known as José Cuervo Gold, is the best-selling tequila in the world, despite the fact it is not made from 100 percent blue agave, and is too harsh to enjoy neat. But José Cuervo also makes Platino, an un-aged tequila  which can be enjoyed straight, and is marvelous in cocktails. Another one of their lesser-known products, the aged tequila José Cuervo Reserva de la Familia, ranks among the best we’ve ever tasted.

Now Juan-Domingo “Dobel” Beckmann, the sixth-generation leader of the world’s most prominent tequila-producing family that owns José Cuervo, has released an eponymous tequila that truly is “especial.” Working with his family’s distilling tequila masters (Maestros), Beckmann developed this new brand, then brought Maestro Dobel Diamond Tequila to market as a completely separate business entity.

Maestro Dobel is a hand-crafted tequila made from 100 percent blue agave that grows in the volcanic lowlands of the Jalisco region near the coast. The agaves used are eight to ten years old, which is when these plants are at their prime. After double distillation and filtration, tequilas of three different ages are hand-blended together: reposado (aged 15 months), anejo (aged 24 months), and extra-anejo (aged 36 months). The result is a balanced combination of limestone minerality and citrus flavors with a delicate, sweet finish.

Each bottle of the eighty-proof liquor is filled and labeled by hand, individually numbered, and marked with the name of the ranch from where the agave was harvested. They will be easy to spot behind the bar with their unique crystal-cut design and heavy metal base, but, unlike José Cuervo Especial, you won’t see them in a lot of places. The distributor wants the new liquor to be so exclusive, they claim they don’t want to make it available in any Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles!

We tried it straight and in cocktails one recent night in some LA restaurants that do offer the Mexican import, including The Kress, Bar Marmont, Falcon and The Edison. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that, despite over-indulging in the name of research, there were no ill effects the next morning. That’s something we certainly cannot say about José Cuervo Especial.

Price: $40

Here’s a new twist on the margarita:

For more information visit www.maestrodobel.com

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