Gran Dovejo is a special set of highland Tequilas focused on pristine distillation principles resulting in high clarity and depth of flavor by Master Distiller Sergio Cruz and the Feliciano Vivianco Family.

The Feliciano Vivanco distillery (NOM 1414) exists along the main road in the beautiful highland town of Arandas where the family has been growing agave for over 5 generations. Upon entering the distillery, two things can be heard, the faint sounds of classical music, and the forte voice of Sergio Cruz - and this is where the adventure begins.
Sergio is a handsome, barrel-chested man, with perfectly swept-back hair, and a smile you can’t help but join him in. When you get him talking, his hands move, and animate each word, just as fast as his mouth. His approach to making tequila is innovative, yet in some ways, very classic. He subscribes more to the thought of, feel it, and the Tequila will tell you when it’s ready, versus set times, temperatures or recipes.

And the music? He’s playing it for the yeast, and for the Tequila resting in barrels in the aging room. His interpretation of the “Mozart Method”: playing beautiful classical music during fermentation, a practice that dates back to the early days of Roman’s producing wine. When asked by skeptics, what this could possibly do for the process, Sergio simply shrugs, smiles, and responds with “Happy yeast? Happy Tequila!”

Gran Dovejo is the first project from Sergio with him in the lead role on the label but he’s been a leader and innovator in countless others. Chamucos once called the Feliciano Vivanco distillery home as it bounced around the region, but more notably, the folks at 86 Co came straight to Sergio when creating Tequila Cabeza, a Tequila modeled after gin or vodka, and specially suited to cocktail making. He’s a constant advisor, advocate, and friend to those in the second wave of Tequila making we see emerging today.

The blue agaves for Gran Dovejo Tequila are grown in the acidic, iron-rich soil of the golden triangle of the highlands and processed through unconventional methods including the use of both champagne and wild yeast in fermentation. Agaves are hand-harvested and slow-roasted in stone ovens for a minimum of 36 hours. Both the blanco and high-proof blanco are highly revered in the industry as idyllic fingerprints of the agaves themselves and the environment they’re grown in. The reposado and añejo, while coming from purist makers, show that they aren’t afraid to harness the power of a barrel either. Toast and leather come through on the reposado, creating a profile almost more similar to an añejo, and perfectly crafted for a sipping reposado. The añejo walks in stride with its junior expression with a spicer, more butterscotch forward profile, no doubt coming from the extra time in the barrel… or is it the Mozart?

Our collection includes Gran Dovejo High-Proof Blanco Tequila, Gran Dovejo Reposado Tequila, and Gran Dovejo Añejo, to be sold separately, or save a few dollars and buy them as a set.
NOM: 1414
Location: Arandas, Jalisco
Agave: Highland, Estate Grown
Cooking : Brick Ovens
Milling: Roller Mill
Fermentation: Open-air stainless steel tanks, combination of “Prise de Mousse” champagne and wild yeast, classical music
Distillation: Alembic copper pot, 2x