Solomente Una Barrique

Gran Dovejo tequila is one of the best kept secrets we have at K&L. Distilled at Feliciano Vivanco distillery (click here to check out my visit this past Spring and here to read my interview with Sergio Vivanco), there are a number of prosperous producers in love with the juice coming from NOM 1414 -- ArteNOM and Siembra Azul being two of the most familiar. However, compared to those two, Gran Dovejo is like a drop in the bucket. They're a small label out of the Central Valley that is self-distributed by the Mendez family, who I've been working with for years. The only thing holding their tequila back, in my opinion, was the shape of the bottle; which made shipping orders a nightmare for us. In the new incarnation, however, I think the brand is primed for some serious action. It's an absolutely gorgeous bottle.

Since we've been supporters of the brand from day one, Frank Mendez offered us the chance to do a single barrel project with the Vivancos via their label. We jumped at the opportunity, of course. After more than a year of dealing with logistics, the tequila is finally here.

NOTE: there is nothing on the label that says this tequila is from a single barrel (you'll just have to take my word for it), but you can tell from the code on the back that it's Lot KL097 -- i.e. Barrel #97 chosen by K&L. Due to labeling issues it was easier for us to do it this way.

Gran Dovejo K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Añejo Tequila $59.99 -- After more than a year of effort, restarts, and failed label attempts, our single barrel of Gran Dovejo Anejo tequila is finally here and ready to drink! 216 bottles were yielded from one Bourbon barrel at Felciano Vivanco distillery in Arandas, Jalisco -- also the home of ArteNOM 1414 and Siembra Azul. The difference with Gran Dovejo is that Leopoldo Solis oversees all production, and as one of the workers told me at the distillery this past Spring: "He is the very best. Everything he makes is the best you can drink." I can't say I disagree with that statement. Gran Dovejo remains one of the best kept secrets at K&L. Distributed by the Mendez family out of the Central Valley, this isn't a big time operation with much reach. It's very much a niche item and we're happy to be the first retailer to work directly with GD on an exclusive expression. Our single barrel offers a flurry of black pepper, sage, savory herbs, and a faint whisper of baking spices, yet the palate is never hot, spicy, or fiery in any way. The texture is delicate, the alcohol completely tamed by more than a year in oak. The wood acts more like a modifier in this tequila, rather than the focus. It's an anejo expression that bridges the gap between pure agave flavor and top-shelf luxury. We also begged the Mendez family to change their packaging so that we could more easily ship our bottles and they complied with a beautiful new, sleekly-styled bottle that should please fans of booze aesthetics. Very limited.

-David Driscoll