Dobel Tequila announced the U.S. debut of the first rare spirit from its Dobel Grandes Maestros Collection with an inaugural edition: The Francisco Toledo Edition.

Dobel Grandes Maestros is a limited edition, numbered collection set of Extra Añejo tequilas, combining the highest quality in tequila. The inaugural edition — of which only 15 bottles are available in the U.S. — is both an homage and a legacy project: one of Francisco Toledo’s final creations and a rare intersection of functional design and fine art.

Dobel Grandes Maestros Collection: The Francisco Toledo Edition embodies the culmination of a visionary partnership between the artist and Juan Dobel, 11th generation tequila maker and founder of Dobel Tequila.

As a reflection of Dobel Tequila’s legacy of innovation, this ultra-limited release features the world’s first Extra Añejo tequila finished in mezcal barrels: a category-defining first that honors Maestro Toledo’s native Oaxaca. 

This tequila goes through a special artisanal process and is distilled from agave that has grown for a minimum of seven years, cooked within brick ovens for 48 hours, distilled, and then aged for a minimum of three years in new oak barrels. The Extra Añejo tequila then spent up to four months in American Oak mezcal barrels that impart flavors into the richly dark liquid. 

Encased in a sculptural vessel designed by the late Mexican visionary before his passing in 2019, the release further solidifies Dobel’s position at the forefront of craftsmanship and innovation in the world of tequila.

“Francisco ‘El Maestro’ Toledo and I began dreaming up this collaboration in 2016,” Dobel said in a news release. “Francisco and I shared a deep passion for Mexico and its culture, which we reflected through art and tequila. El Maestro and I envisioned a timeless art piece, one that would transcend conventional expectations and become an object that embodied Toledo’s artistic principles and exceptional craftsmanship while showcasing Dobel’s commitment to tequila excellence and innovation.”

A celebrated painter, sculptor, and craftsman, Toledo drew from his iconic “Lagartos” series to design the bottles and their packaging in line with his unique visual vocabulary. The result is a rare tequila housed in a custom frosted bottle adorned with intricately etched artwork, and a rotating four-cube wood prism base, with each facet showcasing Toledo’s iconic lizard design. 

Each set includes a hand-carved Teotihuacan stone bottle top, a stone pedestal, and a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist himself, turning each bottle into a collectible artifact.

With Toledo’s craftsmanship and Dobel Tequila’s spirit combined, the collection emerges as a complete artistic statement, at once sculpture, cultural artifact, and functional vessel. It stands as a compelling testament to Toledo’s lifelong demonstration that the boundaries between fine art and craft objects are ultimately artificial. In his universe, every medium becomes an opportunity to preserve and celebrate Mexican culture.

In a landmark moment, one of only 15 bottles available in the U.S. from Dobel Tequila’s Grandes Maestros Collection: The Francisco Toledo Edition is now being auctioned on Artnet, marking the platform’s first-ever curated spirits auction. The remaining U.S. bottles from this limited global release of just 281 are available for $5,000.00 USD through select luxury retailers and on-premise partners.

Collectors can visit Artnet until April 29th to bid on one of only 15 Dobel Tequila Grandes Maestros Collection: The Francisco Toledo Edition sets available in the U.S.

Dobel Tequila will donate part of the proceeds from the sale of the work to benefit Friends of IAGO (the Graphic Arts Institute of Oaxaca) and the Manuel Álvarez Bravo A.C. Photographic Center.

Read more: Escasa Tequila Launches Across U.S.