Maestro Dobel Launches the Atelier: Animales Endémicos Tequila Series
Jose Cuervo is still the biggest name in the ever-expanding world of tequila, but the Beckmann family, which controls the brand, also has a few other tequila brands within its Proximo Spirits portfolio. One of those is Maestro Dobel, a brand that is credited with launching the first cristalino expression in 2008 (for better or worse) called Dobel Diamante. Dobel also occasionally releases some high-end expressions, and the latest is a collaboration with Oaxacan artists called Dobel Atelier: Animales Endémicos.
Maestro Dobel launched here in the U.S. in 2003 ,and is named after its founder, Juan Domingo Beckmann Legorreta (sometimes known as Juan Dobel, which is an abbreviation of his middle and last names). In addition to Diamante, the brand has a smoked tequila called Humito and a pechuga tequila called Pavito, along with a blanco and a few aged expressions. Then there is the high-end Dobel 50 Anniversary Series, a collection of extra añejo tequilas aged in different types of barrels including sherry, Armagnac, sauternes, and amarone wine.
This is the third U.S. edition of Animales Endémicos, a collection of six hand-painted bottles containing extra añejo tequila that was aged in new American and European oak barrels for a minimum of three years. We have not been able to sample the tequila yet, but the fact that it was aged in new oak and not used barrels certainly plays a big part in creating its particular flavor profile. According to the official tasting notes, the liquid is a dark amber color and there are aromas of agave, chocolate, walnut, and prune on the nose, followed by warm wood, agave, and fruit on the palate.
The most striking thing about this new collection is the bottles that the liquid comes in. According to the brand, each was hand painted by artists from Oaxaca using the same technique that is employed for
alebrijes, which are small, colorful, wooden sculptures depicting mythological creatures that are popular in that state. The bottle designs for this year’s collection are said to be inspired by a few different animals that are native to Mexico: axolotl, jaguar, monarch butterfly, dwarf jay, Tamaulipas owl, and the Mexican wolf.
Each bottle in the Animales Endémicos is available to purchase for $250 directly from the Dobel website, or you can find them available at websites like ReserveBar now, along with other expressions in the Maestro Dobel lineup like the luxury Maestro Dobel 50 Silver Oak Edition Extra Añejo.
