Review: Maestro Dobel 50 Anniversary Series Tequilas – 1968, 1969, and 1970
In 2022, Maestro Dobel dropped a rare extra anejo tequila dubbed Dobel 50 1967, named in honor of its founder’s birth year. Now Dobel is back with not one follow-up but three, collectively dubbed the Anniversary Series — Dobel 50 1968, Dobel 50 1969, and Dobel 50 1970.
While 1967 was finished in sherry casks, the three follow-ups each use a different type of wood to finish the base tequila, which is already a minimum of 7 years old — Armagnac, Sauternes, and Amarone, respectively.
We got samples of each of these prized offerings for review, so let’s dive in.
Each is 80 proof. NOM 1122.
Maestro Dobel 50 1968 Tequila – Initial aging in bourbon barrels, finished in Armagnac casks. Boldly fruity nose at first, followed by a rush of well-oiled wood and black pepper. Heavy herbal notes and clove aromas continue to build, complementing the pepper and lacing the aromatics with touches of dark chocolate. On the palate, the whiskey isn’t nearly as austere, showcasing instead a range of flavors beginning with dried figs and prunes, then showcasing maple and coffee bean, then more chocolate. Wood rings the edges, giving things a taste of pipe tobacco and wet leather, but the finish retreats to fruitier elements, leaning most heavily on figs draped in milky coffee to wrap things up. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Maestro Dobel 50 1969 Tequila – Aged in American and French oak barrels, then finished in Sauternes casks. Considerably more subdued on the nose, the raisin and spicy oak notes integrating into a lovely, perfumed character. With time in glass, the aromatics start to bounce between bright lemon and sweeter milk chocolate notes. Sweet but never cloying on the palate, a through-line of bright citrus fruit leads the charge here, making room in time for notes of maple, cinnamon, and a reprise of juicy raisins. Oak is toasty but well integrated, almost hidden in the mix, leaving a slightly minty chocolate quality lingering on the finish. A [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Maestro Dobel 50 1970 Tequila – Aged in French oak barrels, then finished in Amarone casks. The most savory of the collection at the start, the nose here is wood-forward but not overly oaky, offering elements of wet, green wood, a slick layer of savory spices — more rosemary than cinnamon and clove — and finally a more masculine note of sandalwood. Racy and lightly peppery on the palate, there’s an undertone of beefsteak here — finished with a red wine sauce. Raisiny Port-like notes — wholly appropriate for Amarone — build as the palate develops, along with bolder chocolate sauce elements and, again, a shot of maple syrup. Bitter tannins creep into the mix as the finish arrives, showcasing wood both old and new, coconut husks, and wine pomace. A marzipan quality gives a fun twist to the finish. A- [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
each $950
Maestro Dobel 50 1969 Tequila
$950
