Juan Lobo Blanco

Celebrity-owned tequila comes with certain assumptions. Jon and Amber Wolfe apparently didn’t get the memo.

Country music artist Jon Wolfe developed a passion for tequila after years of touring through Texas and Mexico. His South Texas fans had affectionately nicknamed him “Juan Lobo,” and after he spent time learning about tequila and developing the profile he wanted, that nickname eventually found its way onto his brand’s bottles.

But putting his name on it wasn’t where the work ended.

Jon and his wife Amber, VP of Marketing for Juan Lobo, are hands-on owners. They make regular trips to Arandas and Guadalajara to guide the brand’s development and make countless decisions on production, packaging, and marketing.

This isn’t simply a celebrity name attached to someone else’s project. I spent time with Jon and Amber as they worked on their newest batch. They absolutely know what they’re doing—so much so that it’s easy to forget their celebrity status.

Juan Lobo is produced at El Ranchito (NOM 1414) in Arandas, where the Vivanco family brings five generations of agave-growing experience to the partnership. Maestro tequilero Sergio Cruz and the distillery staff round out the team.

Jon and Amber aren’t pretending to be the people making tequila at NOM 1414. That expertise belongs to the Vivancos, Sergio Cruz, and the hands at the distillery.

Jon and Amber’s role is to know what they want Juan Lobo to be, participate in creating it, and do the considerably less romantic work required to build a tequila brand around it.

Celebrity may be what initially gets Juan Lobo noticed, but celebrity alone doesn’t get bottles made, cases sold, or tequila into somebody’s glass. And the tequila certainly doesn’t sell itself if the juice in the bottles isn’t good.

Nose: sweet cooked agave / vanilla / hint of mild cinnamon / hint of banana / hint of pineapple / hint of peach / orange / anise

Taste: bold sweet cooked agave / cinnamon / mild black pepper / vanilla / pineapple / lime / orange / bell pepper / peppermint / cream soda

Finish: medium-viscosity mouthfeel / bold sweet cooked agave dominates the sip / the pepper, cinnamon, fruit, and vanilla notes emerge as the heavy agave flavor subsides / the medium viscosity holds all the flavors for a while / a very gentle finish leaves a clean peppermint taste at the end of the swallow

Putting your name on a tequila bottle is the easy part. Building a successful brand with your own passion and personal touch takes considerably more work.

I recommend Juan Lobo because of the taste, but I have to admit, a pour tastes even better at sunset while listening to one of Jon’s songs—especially one with tequila in the lyrics.

More from Juan Lobo: All of our Juan Lobo coverage, including reviews, lists, scores, and more.