It all seemed to have started when George Clooney's Casamigos Tequila was sold to Diageo for a whopping $1 billion. Since then, a parade of US celebrities, from Michael Jordan with his Cincoro, to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana Tequila and the dynamic Breaking Bad duo of Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston with their Dos Hombres, have been adding "launched a tequila brand" to their already impressive CVs.

It might seem like every celebrity is jumping on the tequila bandwagon, hoping for a quick cash-in. But is it really that simple? Can anyone with a bit of fame and fortune just waltz into the agave spirits world and strike gold?After all, how many actors or musicians can claim to be agave spirits experts?

The truth is, starting a celebrity agave brand isn't a guaranteed path to riches. George Clooney’s launch of Casamigos more than 10 years ago might have paved the way, but it also opened the floodgates. With so many brands entering the market, newer or lesser-known celebrity brands struggle to stand out unless they bring something truly unique or high-quality to the table. By now, consumers are also becoming more discerning and look beyond a celebrity endorsement when browsing the liquor store. A familiar face associated with the bottle might pique initial interest, but it won't guarantee a purchase.

To add to the challenge, celebrity spirits brands must face a delicate balancing act – creating a product that's smooth and easy-drinking enough for the casual drinker, yet made and marketed in an authentic “non-gimmicky” way that satisfies the enthusiast. Like the proverbial Icarus, they can neither fly too close to the sun nor too near to the ocean. Celebrity brands have to appeal to the broader mass market consumer with an easy drinking and accessible profile – agave enthusiasts simply aren’t moved by these sort of celebrity endorsements. On the other hand, they have to build their credibility with these fussy agave enthusiasts, lest they risk becoming labelled as a brand that lacks authenticity, no more than a "cash grab".

Dos Hombres is a strong example of a brand trying to balance mass appeal with credibility with enthusiasts. On the surface, Dos Hombres looks like another typical celebrity-backed agave spirit, leveraging the star power of the Breaking Bad stars. But look closer and you’d see a rather thoughtful approach.

While most celebrity jumped on board the tequila bandwagon, Aaron Paul chose to create a mezcal brand, already setting them apart from the competition. Mezcal may be a little less popular than tequila at the moment, but it is gradually gaining popularity as a more artisanal and adventurous spirit.

Those who have watched Breaking Bad would recall that Bryan's character was the "senior partner" of the fictitious meth venture. At Dos Hombres, the buddies' roles are reversed! It was Aaron who lead the creation of a mezcal brand. 

Another detail likely missed by the casual consumer is that Dos Hombres contains zero additives and zero sugar, a very significant point for agave enthusiasts (who tend to vehemently protest against the practice of adding additives in the likes of Clase Azul).

Dos Hombres is also classified as a "mezcal artesanal," meaning it has to be produced using more traditional methods, such as a donkey-pulled tahona wheel instead of mechanized processes.

Third-generation mezcalero Gregorio Velasco is the distiller behind Dos Hombres.

In fact the brand chose to partner with third-generation mezcalero Gregorio Velasco, an experienced renowned mezcalero from San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca who is also the distiller behind Mezcal Pierde Almas, an artisanal brand favoured by enthusiasts. This association lends another layer of credibility to Dos Hombres. Perhaps it’s not just another celebrity vanity project, but a serious endeavour to promote a high-quality mezcal. While Dos Hombres might initially appear to be just another celebrity spirit, there’s a little more to the story.

Dos Hombres currently offers two expressions of mezcal: the Espadín and the Tobalá. The Espadín expression is made from agave plants that are at least 6 years of age. The limited edition Tobalá expression, on the other hand, is crafted from wild Tobalá agave plants that have been grown for about 25 years.

Let’s give the Espadín a taste!

Dos Hombres Espadin Joven Mezcal Artesanal, 45% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: A strong bouquet of flowers right at the start - lily in full bloom comes to mind at first, follow by that thickly sweet aroma from orange blossoms. The fragrance remains very sweet after the initial waft of fresh flowers has passed, reminding me of walking underneath a mango tree during fruiting season (imagine the perfume from smashed mangoes on the floor), juiced fresh apples and asian pears, and at times, sliced navel oranges. Throughout the nosing, there is a solid backbone of that characteristic smoked agave, however, this one displays a much more floral character than the typical, giving me dried pressed rose petals and potpourri amongst a subtle smokiness.

Taste: Very sweet on the palate. I think of a myriad of sweetened flower teas, like sweetened rooibos tea, orange blossom water, rose water, and sometimes, a bit of tea pound cakes. The texture of this mezcal is thick and syrupy, giving sweetened bottled green tea, which follows up with the astringent yet vanillic flavour of loose leaf black tea. That astringency does fade away rather quickly, giving a fleshy, sort of vegetal sweetness, which I could only liken to a cross between a plump, fresh courgette and a slice of apple. You do get pops of fresh fruit on the palate too, such as sliced green apples with its peel, however it is very muted,

Finish: The finish is rather muted as well, being quite confectionery. I get the aftertaste of refined white cane sugar, some of that aromatic fragrance of turkish delight that lingers on the palate, as well as some smouldering burning vegetation, like a few strands of hay and stalk with lit embers on its end. You do get some flower-infused water flavours here as well, like a few drops of rose water on the tongue.

My Thoughts:

This mezcal was most captivating on the aroma - never would I have expected so much fresh flowers, especially lily, on the nose! The transition from fresh flowers to potpourri, dried flowers adds an intriguing complexity, as the more robust, heady notes gradually reveal themselves.

For those with a penchant for sweeter spirits, this will be especially appealing. Despite being free of added sugar or additives, the spirit has a syrupy, confectionary-like like quality. Sweet impressions are especially heightened with the thick mouthfeel, the strong floral and sweet tea flavours and a peculiar fleshiness. I appreciate the cleaner and more refreshing finish for balancing out the sweetness with a touch of smoke and mellower confectionary notes. I found myself wanting a bit more vibrancy and personality—perhaps a touch more acidity, spice, or brightness to lift the palate and give it more of a dynamic edge.

That being said, this mezcal is clearly crafted to appeal to a broad audience, delivering an easy, sweet, smooth experience that many will enjoy, even if they are relatively new to neat sipping mezcal. Though it leans heavily on the sweeter side, it stays just balanced enough to avoid being overwhelming.

@CharsiuCharlie