Cask finishing is primarily the domain of whisky makers, but other distillers are also in the game. Tequila producers have long been practitioners of the style—Patrón introduced Gran Patrón Burdeos, a Bordeaux-cask finished expression, back in 2007, and Herradura released a port-cask finished reposado in 2013, to name just two examples. Maestro Dobel, the upscale, ultra-aged tequila maker owned by the Beckmann family of Jose Cuervo fame, has its own series of cask-finished tequilas.
In 2022 Maestro Dobel launched its limited edition Dobel 50 Anniversary Series with the sherry-finished Dobel 50 1967, intended as a toast to founder Juan Domingo Beckmann Legoretta (Dobel being the acronym of that name). Now it has added three more cask-finished expressions to the Maestro Dobel 50 Series, also carrying calendar years as names: 1968 Armagnac Cask Finished, 1969 Sauternes Cask Finished, and 1970 Amarone Cask Finished.
To be clear, these are not vintage-dated tequilas. All three were distilled from 12 year old single-estate Lowlands agave plants, and were aged at least 7 years. The 1968 was initially aged in American oak barrels, then finished in armagnac casks; 1969 was matured in a mix of American and French oak barrels, before a sauternes cask finish; 1970 was aged exclusively in French oak barrels, and then went into amarone casks for its finishing. The length of the finishing periods wasn’t disclosed. The tequilas were bottled at 40% ABV, and each carries a price tag of $950. They can be found, in very limited quantities, nationwide and online at reservebar.
In the whisky space, armagnac casks have been used to finish expressions from Bardstown and Craigellachie among others. Sauternes, the sweet dessert wine that hails from the Bordeaux region of France, has seen its casks contribute to high-scoring whiskies from Angel’s Envy, Octomore, Teeling, and Glenmorangie. Amarone is the rarest sight of the three for whisky fans—it’s a dry red wine from northern Italy, and we’ve seen its casks used by both Arran and Waterford.
How Do the New Maestro Dobel Tequilas Taste?
Whisky drinkers know that cask finishing, when done right, can bring new and interesting flavors and that can also be true for tequila. Our tasting panel had a chance to taste these Maestro Dobel cask-finished expressions, and overall they found the cask-influence of all three to be quite pronounced. Here are the panel’s notes.
Maestro Dobel 50 1968 Armagnac Cask Finished
The nose is sweet, with hints of vanilla, cotton candy, and canned peaches, balanced against agave, lime, barrel char, and a hint of tobacco leaf at the edges, but the barrel influence is notable. The agave is a bit more assertive on the palate, but here too the barrel influence is strong, with vanilla and caramel accented by grill char and pepper spice. Those flavors continue to a nicely spiced, mid-length finish that concludes with a bang of pepper.
Maestro Dobel 50 1969 Sauternes Cask Finished
Agave, cherry pie, and red berries with whipped cream characterize the nose, with the sweetness of the barrel very much in command. It’s similar on the palate, with more fruity-berry sweetness, canned peaches, and ripe red apple flavors. The core tequila flavors are present, but still mostly in the background. The finish offers some agave heat and herbaceous notes of sage and lemongrass, with raspberry and blackberry sweetness prevailing.
Maestro Dobel 50 1970 Amarone Cask Finished
Candied sweetness, raspberry pastilles, soft oak, and vanilla on the nose, with hints of grape jelly. It is more dry and aromatic than the other two expressions, with a beautiful musty note and pleasant mellow oak influence. The palate is lush, with powdered sugar, sugar cookies, and back notes of pepper spice and agave herbaceousness. A very nice spicy finish, with vanilla custard, dark berries, grapes, and raisins, all lively and balanced between spice and fruit.
