Fifteen years in the past, Maestro Dobel did the unthinkable, coming from nowhere and creating a complete class of spirit — cristalino tequila. Maestro Dobel Diamond, because it was referred to as on the time, was aged tequila (a mix of reposado, anejo, and additional anejo) that was filtered again to clear. It was completely different and thrilling — and everybody else within the business agreed. Now you’ll be able to’t flip your head in a bar with out your nostril hitting one more cristalino providing on the shelf. Cristalino, as soon as unique, is now sort of boring.
Considerably miraculously, Dobel remains to be standing and thriving, a lot in order that the model was even a sponsor at a current Ferrari occasion I attended, so somebody’s earning profits. The model has expanded to different expressions, some cristalino and a few not, however the unique stays in the marketplace mainly unchanged. The identify has been tweaked from Diamond to Diamante — it’s a Mexican product, in any case — however in any other case the track stays the identical: Reposado, anejo, and additional anejo, filtered again to (nearly) clear and aged in Japanese European oak casks (a element I maybe missed the primary time round). Oh — however the tequila has dropped dramatically in value. It’s barely half now what it value in 2008.
So with that, 15 years on, let’s see if we will suss out something new right here.
Quick reply: Not likely. This nonetheless presents as an older-style cristalino, with loads of anejo within the combine to offer it a potent sweetness, vanilla and chocolate up entrance, creamy, with hints of butterscotch. There’s nonetheless ample, lingering, underlying agave right here, although the greenery notes come throughout as pleasantly grassy and crisp — extra baking spice than what you may consider as conventional, peppery agave character. The 2 halves meld properly admirably, and it’s one of many explanation why Diamante tends to work rather well in cocktails.
I believe the palate nonetheless stands in lockstep with the aromatics, melding a Biscoff cookie-like sweetness with mild notes of moist grass, lemongrass, and a few white florals. Very creamy and soothing in physique, it has a depth of vanilla that many anejo tequilas are missing, ending clear however candy, hinting at almond extract, muddled mint, and only a contact of lemon.
Trying again, my abject shock when confronted with this new fashion of tequila clearly outweighed my tasting notes, however what I did put down on paper nonetheless tracks fairly intently with right now’s expertise. Dobel hit on a brand new — and successful — method again in 2008, and it doesn’t appear desirous about altering it. Sensible transfer.
80 proof. NOM 1122.
A- / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
Maestro Dobel Diamante Tequila (2023)
$40
