Recently, Casa Noble announced that music legend and guitar virtuoso Carlos Santana has joined its board. The move makes him an owner in one of the most recognized and respected tequila labels in the world.

Said Casa Noble CEO, Jose Hermosillo: “This is a natural synergy; Casa Noble Tequila is deeply rooted in the pursuit of quality, craftsmanship and tradition. Santana through his life and his music has dedicated himself to those same values which are the key motivators behind this alignment.”

To read more about the partnership and to see some videos of Santana discussing the reasoning behind the partnership, please click here.

The agreement reminded Latino Leaders of the interview we did with Jose back in the fall of 2010. For those who missed it, here’s a little insight into one of the most forward-thinking minds creating pallet-bending spirits today.

Editor’s Note: The following is taken from the story, “Keeping His Spirits High,” which was featured in the September 2010 issue of Latino Leaders Magazine.

ose Hermosillo’s life is a rigid definition of balance. Even as one of the busiest CEOs in the DFW, Jose ‘Pepe’ Hermosillo has found time to enjoy life and, through his hand-crafted, high-end tequila, he is helping others to enjoy theirs. For Jose, life isn’t about how fast one can shoot a shot of tequila. It’s about appreciating the sensory experience that is fine spirits.

The sip-it-and-enjoy-it approach has served Jose well since he took over the company from his father when he was 19. However daunting, Jose has not betrayed the lessons of his heritage. With roots extending three centuries, Casa Noble is a modern lesson in devotion to craft and family. Like any cocktail, the blend of ingredients comes together in a harmonious way, perfectly complementing the other.

Since he was 12, Jose has learned and studied the process of creating spirits that would satisfy even the most critical of pallets. His dedication and leadership have turned Casa Noble into one of the premier boutique labels in the world, earning the praise and notice of celebrities, food and spirits publications as well as numerous restaurants and bars in more than 25 countries.

At 42, he is a family man, with a wife and three children. After spending much of his youth in Dallas — Jose studied at University of Dallas before finishing his education in Mexico — he took over the helm of Casa Noble. The company remains small, preventing sacrifices in excellence and the ability to ingrain the company’s philosophies to each employee and patron.

Taking it all in aptly describes Jose, who has been his own best marketer, leveraging  social media tools and numerous interviews to enlighten people about what tequila drinking could and should be. In Jose’s mind, if someone is going to hear about Casa Noble, it’s because he told them about it.

That level of intimacy is part and parcel of the Casa Noble business. ‘Knowing your customer’ takes on a different interpretation with Jose, who is a regular at expos and conventions where he remains the face of the brand.

With the future in front of him, Jose takes it on with the same vigor and energy he has for more than 20 years, and yes, he’s still digging the ride there.

LATINO LEADERS: You took over the company at a young age relatively speaking. What was it like taking over that responsibility?

Jose Hermosillo: It was a challenge that has come with a lot of satisfactions. When I took over, I wanted to create a tequila which would stand out and represent another side of Mexico —sophisticated, contemporary and at the same time continue with the commitment of quality we have with Casa Noble.

LL: You were kind of thrust into the leadership role. Was this a good thing?

JH: I believe so, although now it seems as so long ago. It has been a great experience that has helped me mature in the business world and be a better asset to Casa Noble or any business I am involved with.

LL: What does the heritage of Casa Noble mean for you? Do you see it more as a business, a family legacy or both?

JH: Casa Noble’s roots can be traced to the late 1700s, and I think tradition and heritage are so important. In the long run, it is something that is a big part of who we are and hopefully what we are teaching our kids. I see Casa Noble as a creation which both has a lot of tradition and heritage, and that I am proud to be a part of, but I also see it as a business where a lot of people count on it and therefore has to be successful. There are a lot of expectations for Casa Noble, both from the view of the consumer and internally with our people, so it is a big commitment from my part.

LL: Did you have other interests as a child or did you know that you would eventually take over the business?

JH: I think as a kid, like most in Mexico, I wanted to play soccer. As I got a bit older, tennis was my passion, but I, of course, was not good enough to play either (at) a high-competitive level. So then you look and see what your options are, which for me was the business world. At 19, when my father passed away, I guess I just dived blindly at the opportunity.

LL: Were there any life and businesses lessons passed on to you by those who ran the company?

JH: I have learned a lot from people in Casa Noble. I cannot thank them enough for the many lessons I have been taught, some very hard (lessons), and some that have given me a lot of satisfaction: patience, the importance of relationships for this particular business, who to trust and who not to trust.

LL: Do you think there is a general misconception of Tequila in this country? Most people assume it’s just for shots and margaritas.

JH: Although most of the tequila in USA is done as shots and Margaritas, I think the USA is one of the most educated countries for tequila, and the people here are hungry to learn, which for me has been wonderful. Maybe it is the influence of us being neighbors and the influence of our Hispanic culture or maybe it is their hunger for knowledge.

I find more people every day as I travel throughout the country that now appreciate handcrafted, luxury tequila such as Casa Noble. They take the time to analyze them from the basic characteristics of color, body and taste to the more complex aromas.

Tequila is such an amazing spirit with as much history as sophistication; Tequilas will vary according to the (region) — how they are made, the barrels which it is aged in. More people every day are realizing that you can enjoy premium tequilas in a nice snifter as we do in Mexico or creating a great cocktail as it is being done in cities such as New York and LA and others throughout the country.

LL: As a successful businessperson, what would you say are the biggest challenges facing your company and industry?

JH: I believe, as a handcrafted product, to be able to communicate Casa Noble’s quality message against the large multinational corporations with their mega-marketing budgets is probably one of the hardest things. We work hard educating; presenting Casa Noble to as many people as we can so they can taste and compare, but it is very difficult sometimes against TV ads, billboards all over the place, ads in every magazine and a swarm of sales people.

LL: With such a saturated market, how do you ensure that Casa Noble stands out among its competitors? What does make your Tequila different?

JH: I think Casa Noble stands out because we are always trying to go above and beyond anybody else. Our agave is single estate grown in the mountains for a long period of time guaranteeing the best tequila; we do the old traditional stone oven cooking which takes 36 hours instead of six hours; we do natural fermentation; we are the first to do a triple distilled tequila in pot stills; we are the first to use brand new French White oak to age our reposados and anejos; we are one of the first USDA organic certified tequilas; we developed the Single Barrel together with the Regulatory Counsil of Tequila. We are big believers that every detail will count and that always trying to find the best way of making our tequila make Casa Noble unique.

LL: It seems that you’re specifically targeting a different clientele — affluent, educated tequila connoisseurs.  Is this intentional, and how do you go about educating these people about your product?

JH: We target people that enjoy good spirits, enjoy the small pleasures in life, people that will appreciate something such as Casa Noble.

LL: Your brand seems to b everywhere: Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, event promotion. Is this part of the new way of doing business? Have you seen gains from this marketing strategy?

JH: These are such great tools to communicate and to be in direct contact with the people that matter, the people that are drinking Casa Noble. It also is a great way to get our message across in a way that the big guys do not have that advantage of their large budgets.

LL: How difficult is it to manage and ensure quality of your product with so much of the operation occurring in Mexico?

JH: I travel all the time, but every batch is tasted by a team and personally. We also have a great business partner, Carlos Hernandez, that is there all the time making sure all is working as it should be, as well as some great people that have been with us a long time.

LL: Over the course of your career, what qualities have you most demonstrated and benefited from?

JH:I  think the quality of accepting there are people that know more than I do and learning from them.

LL: Where does Casa Noble go now? Are there future projects planned? What about you, are there any other ventures you have coming up?

JH: Casa Noble is growing in a very healthy way, and it is my intention to dedicate for now my time and efforts to keep developing it. We still have so many opportunities, and we have just touched the surface. We have great partners in the United States that represent our brand (Infinium Spirits), and we look forward to keep working hard together to make Casa Noble a preferred premium tequila in this country.