Maestro Dobel 50 Anniversary Series 1969 Extra Anejo Tequila 750ml

Maestro Dobel is the tequila brand of Juan Domingo Beckmann, an 11th-generation tequila maker whose family has been in the business for more than two centuries. The Maestro Dobel 50 Anniversary Series was created to celebrate his 50th birthday, “by presenting a tequila that enhances what it means to be a Maestro Tequilero with the greatest virtue: that of sharing.” Each year Dobel produces a limited edition to honor 50th celebrations such as “birthdays, anniversaries, and milestones,” which makes the series a natural fit for gifting.

The first three releases commemorated the years 1968, 1969, and 1970, and were the first time the brand had used Armagnac, Sauternes, and Amarone barrels in its maturation. The 1969 is the Sauternes edition: “an exceptional edition that integrates our finest tequilas aged in American and French white oak barrels and finished in Sauternes barrels from Bordeaux,” the French dessert wine casks that are traditionally used to finish whiskies for their honeyed richness.

The tequila is made from 100% Blue Weber agave grown for twelve years on a single family-owned estate in the volcanic lowlands of Tequila, Jalisco, slow-cooked in masonry ovens, slowly double distilled, and aged for a minimum of seven to eight years (the brand’s materials differ on the exact minimum) before the Sauternes finish. It’s bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof), and has “a pleasant feeling of warmth that ends with a very long finish.”

Dobel describes a dark amber color “with gold, copper, and olive hints,” and a nose “of great aromatic intensity, the fruity notes of peach, ripe red apples, prunes and bananas combine and balance perfectly with notes of toasted wood, walnut, caramel, butter, and honey.” The masonry-oven cooking adds “aromas of white flowers, hazelnuts and toasted coffee beans.” The palate is “velvety, with notes of bread, strudel, and apple pie,” a sweet, soft, rounded style, closer to a dessert wine-finished whisky than to a spicy, agave-forward tequila. No independent critic scores were found.

It’s a collector’s and gift bottle, made for milestone birthdays and anniversaries (the 1969 would suit anyone born that year, or turning 50), and a good tequila for customers who like softer, sweeter, wine-cask-finished spirits. Sip it neat in a snifter or copita, at room temperature.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Maestro Dobel 50 Anniversary Series 1969 Extra Añejo is produced in Jalisco, Mexico, by Maestro Dobel (Juan Domingo Beckmann), from 100% Blue Weber agave grown for 12 years on a single family-owned estate in the volcanic lowlands of Tequila, slow-cooked in masonry ovens and slowly double-distilled. Aged a minimum of 7-8 years in American and French white oak barrels and finished in Sauternes barrels from Bordeaux. 40% ABV / 80 proof, 750ml. Limited edition.

Critics Reviews

No professional critic scores were found for this release.

Maestro Dobel (tasting notes):
“Of great aromatic intensity, the fruity notes of peach, ripe red apples, prunes and bananas combine and balance perfectly with notes of toasted wood, walnut, caramel, butter, and honey... aromas of white flowers, hazelnuts and toasted coffee beans that give it a unique personality. A sweet palate with notes of bread, strudel, and apple pie.”

Tasting Profile

Nose
Dark amber with gold, copper, and olive hints. Peach, ripe red apple, prune, and banana, with toasted wood, walnut, caramel, butter, honey, white flowers, hazelnut, and toasted coffee.

Palate
Velvety and sweet, with bread, strudel, and apple pie, caramel, and honey.

Finish
Very long and warm, with lingering sweetness.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Suggestions

Neat in a snifter or copita — at room temperature, to taste the fruit and pastry.

Food Pairings

• Apple pie, strudel, and baked apples
• Foie gras and soft cheeses
• Honey and walnut desserts
• Dark chocolate