Creador Jabalí is produced by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo in San Bernardo Mixtepec, Oaxaca.
About this mezcal
Creador Jabalí is produced by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo in San Bernardo Mixtepec, Oaxaca. This small-batch 100% agave expression was cooked in an underground river rock-lined stone oven (el horno) for 5 days, milled by hand with wood mallets (mazos) in a hollowed tree trunk (canoa), fermented 3-5 days in half-buried 90-liter clay pots, and twice distilled in 60-liter clay pots. The all-clay fermentation and distillation process makes this mezcal unique from most commercially available mezcals.
“My destilado is made with all the love and dedication it needs for it to be of unmatched quality.” – José Alberto Pablo
The first Creador Jabalí release, distilled in April 2021, used wild Agave convallis (Maguey Jabalí) sourced from El Vado de Sola de Vega. 190 liters were produced with 100 liters being released under the Creador label. The April 2021 batch was the first time José Alberto Pablo distilled Maguey Jabalí. The second Creador Jabali release was 150 liters (of a 190 liter batch).
Creador Agave Spirits
Creador Agave Spirits seeks out independent family producers who have little to no representation outside of their local markets – producers who want to make a transition to full-time production of destilado and need help getting their agave spirits to market.
Creador strives to support palenqueros and their communities by providing autonomy for the producers, as well as fair pricing. The company does not contractually obligate producers, nor negotiate price – what the palenqueros ask, they pay, and the company will advise if they think the spirits are underpriced. Creador profit-shares with the producers, providing transparency into the complex economics of selling spirits into the tiered alcohol-distribution systems prevalent in the US.
Creador translates to “creator” and is an homage to the artisan creators of agave spirits, and a tribute to the creators and makers in us all. De la mano y el corazón – from the hand and the heart.
You can now order Creador directly to your door.
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Jam
184 reviewsBatch JAJA524-1 and 2, both 48.3% abv
Review #183+1
Sola de vega (1)-
The nose has sweet motor oil, clay, dry wood, leather, and dried herbs.
The palate has clay, wood, motor oil, medicinal herbals, cinnamon, coffee, and on the finish black pepper, and dry ash.
This is the weaker of the two for me by a lot. I find a bit too many brash notes on this for me to want to reach for something like this often. It is a rather dark profile with it’s industrial/medicinal notes. I just feel like I’m missing something from it for those notes to be balanced for me.
6.5/10
Chichicapam (2)-
The nose has peanuts, mulch, dark chocolate, brown sugar, earthy, lime, touch of funky cheese
Palate- milk chocolate caramel, brown sugar, vanilla bean, lime, hard to pick out but a soft melon fruity sweetness, and the finish is earthy, mulch, dark chocolate, and coffee.
This one is more my speed. The darker notes are fantastic with the savory nuts and dark chocolate. There’s these touches of lactic funk and sugary and fruity sweetness that peek through that make this super interesting and delicious. Extremely well balanced with plenty of intensity and that touch of weirdness. I love it. I’ll give this review the rating i would give this one.
9/10
Batch JAJA524-1 and 2, both 48.3% abv
Review #183+1
Sola de vega (1)-
The nose has sweet motor oil, clay, dry wood, leather, and dried herbs.
The palate has clay, wood, motor oil, medicinal herbals, cinnamon, coffee, and on the finish black pepper, and dry ash.
This is the weaker of the two for me by a lot. I find a bit too many brash notes on this for me to want to reach for something like this often. It is a rather dark profile with it’s industrial/medicinal notes. I just feel like IR
Bryen
101 reviewsReview for the two different bottles, from two different regions.
Batch JAJA0524-1 from Sola de Vega
48.3% abv
I’d give this one 4 stars, possibly a bump down to 3.5 but I always tend to round up 🙂 definitely a bit of various spices on the palette here. A bit dark in terms of vibe when I sip this, like I get from other expressions from Sola de Vega. I think some others mentioned pumpkin in here and I get a little bit of that as well. I don’t tend to gravitate towards mezcals from this region and I wouldn’t guess blindly that this was Jabali. Reminds me a lot of the flavor profile of the Mezcalero Arroqueno from this region. Good stuff but I like the other batch of jabali better… see below.
Batch JAJA0524-2 from Chichicapam
48.3% abv
I’d rate this 4.5 stars. I really love the flavor profile of expressions from Chichicapam. Such an earthy chocolate underlying flavor that carries throughout and the clay pot texture really makes this nice. I think this tastes a bit more like a Jabali than the other from SDV. A bit of the soapy, sour flavor peeks through but this is a darker jabali than what I’m used to and I really really enjoyed it!
Review for the two different bottles, from two different regions.
Batch JAJA0524-1 from Sola de Vega
48.3% abv
I’d give this one 4 stars, possibly a bump down to 3.5 but I always tend to round up 🙂 definitely a bit of various spices on the palette here. A bit dark in terms of vibe when I sip this, like I get from other expressions from Sola de Vega. I think some others mentioned pumpkin in here and I get a little bit of that as well. I don’t tend to gravitate towards mezcals from
little agave
72 reviewsgoing with the 4.5 star overall for 2 batches.
Batch JAJA0524-2 Agaves from Chichicapam
48.3% abv
aroma: prunes, wood, venison, cranberry, sea salt water, pickle water.
palette: flash of brown sugar, baking spices, fresh basil or thyme(?), green olive, clay
4.25 stars
Batch JAJA0524-1. Agaves from Sola de Vega
48.3% abv
aroma: spiced, cooked dark cherry fruit. earthy woody fruity sweet. ashy leather.
palette: roasted agave, molasses, clove, banana, custard, nice long finish. juniper. there’s a fresh minty like note in there as well. the clay is present.
4.5 stars
going with the 4.5 star overall for 2 batches.
Batch JAJA0524-2 Agaves from Chichicapam
48.3% abv
aroma: prunes, wood, venison, cranberry, sea salt water, pickle water.
palette: flash of brown sugar, baking spices, fresh basil or thyme(?), green olive, clay
4.25 stars
Batch JAJA0524-1. Agaves from Sola de Vega
48.3% abv
aroma: spiced, cooked dark cherry fruit. earthy woody fruity sweet. ashy leather.
palette: roasted agave, molasses, clove, banana, custard, nice long finish. juniper. there’
El Dawg
235 reviewsLote: JAJA524-1 (Agaves from Sola de Vega)
Smell is super dry (play-doh) and musty. Taste is dry, baking spice, light clay minerality. Not sure this is a great representation of jabali? Overall not too much going on here. 3.5 stars
Lote: JAJA524-2 (Agaves from Chichicapam)
Sweet, sweet tart smell. Similar baking spice notes on the taste. Clay is much better balanced here with a leather/meaty note mixed with some sweet and spicy jabali notes. Much better than -1 lote imo, which is such a fun way to do this tasting. All the difference is the terroir from the agaves! 4 stars.
Lote: JAJA524-1 (Agaves from Sola de Vega)
Smell is super dry (play-doh) and musty. Taste is dry, baking spice, light clay minerality. Not sure this is a great representation of jabali? Overall not too much going on here. 3.5 stars
Lote: JAJA524-2 (Agaves from Chichicapam)
Sweet, sweet tart smell. Similar baking spice notes on the taste. Clay is much better balanced here with a leather/meaty note mixed with some sweet and spicy jabali notes. Much better than -1 lote imo, which is such a fun w
muchachomezcal
47 reviewsJAJ524-1
Aroma is stewed fruit, cooked agave and slightly pungent.
Palette is full of pleasing flavors. Mineral forward, sweet fruit and sudsy Jabali. Leather, spice and red grape finish.
Forpowder
122 reviewsBatch JAJA524-1 Agave from Sols de Vega 48.3% sampled on 10 / 2024 mezcalero jose alberto pablo. Aromas of the bottle are sweet potato fries, sawdust and the smell of a hot dusty woodworking shop. Flavors are a bit sharp at first with tamarin. Licorice cinnamon sweet potato. Also, getting some of the old school linoleum and bandaid, like flavors from this one. Dark and woody flavors on this one’s long finish. Damp, wet cut grass, left in the yard too long.
BatchJAJA0524-2 agave fromChichicapam 48.3%. Mazcularo jose alberto pablo. Aromas from the bottle are charcoal cinders. Warm rusty metal and dark things cooking in the sun. Kinda smells like a very old farm workshop. Grease on the floor some petroleum products paint thinners. Flavors follow to suit with charcoal, ash, play and old shop flavors. I would call this one of the darker flavored mezcals that i’ve had. Old greasy wood comes to mind. Maybe railroad ties covered in creosoise.
Batch JAJA524-1 Agave from Sols de Vega 48.3% sampled on 10 / 2024 mezcalero jose alberto pablo. Aromas of the bottle are sweet potato fries, sawdust and the smell of a hot dusty woodworking shop. Flavors are a bit sharp at first with tamarin. Licorice cinnamon sweet potato. Also, getting some of the old school linoleum and bandaid, like flavors from this one. Dark and woody flavors on this one’s long finish. Damp, wet cut grass, left in the yard too long.
BatchJAJA0524-2 agave fromChichic
Ben P
149 reviewsThis is Batch JAJ524-1. ABV 48.3%
Nose: So much clay on the nose, play doh, sunflower seeds, pumpkin paste, it’s slightly savory, some herbal elements, if I closed my eyes it reminds me of some aged spirits, the edges are softened
Palate and Finish: Yeah this is great. Cumin, mole, spiced plum, fig, really interesting. Tons of “warm spices” like others have mentioned. Sweet potatoes. Moving into the finish is slightly herbal, more play doh. Some sage and rosemary.
Lovely mezcal from Jose Alberto. The Jabali and clay play so nicely together. It’s got great mouthfeel and depth. Just solid stuff. 4/5 stars
Second batch is JAJ524-2. ABV 48.3%
Nose: lovely pine and citrus, I get that play doh note again but less savory notes than the other one. There’s acrylic paint and a bit of mesquite
Palate and finish: tart mangoes, kiwi, lemon, then it moves into more minerality, mulch, a bit of chocolate and espresso. Finish is mostly dark and desserty, cocoa, coconut, and dark chocolate sits on the palate.
Wild how different these are. I slightly prefer the Sola one I reviewed first but this is still great stuff. Great batches from Jose here. 3.75/5
This is Batch JAJ524-1. ABV 48.3%
Nose: So much clay on the nose, play doh, sunflower seeds, pumpkin paste, it’s slightly savory, some herbal elements, if I closed my eyes it reminds me of some aged spirits, the edges are softened
Palate and Finish: Yeah this is great. Cumin, mole, spiced plum, fig, really interesting. Tons of “warm spices” like others have mentioned. Sweet potatoes. Moving into the finish is slightly herbal, more play doh. Some sage and rosemary.
Lovely mezc
Jim's Drams
8 reviewsThe nose is warm, sweet and spicy. Fall harvest. Winter squash like pumpkin and butternut. Warm winter spices. Palate is sweet and savory, and mirror the nose. If ever there was a “fall” Mezcal, this is it. Batch JAJA1122.
Tyler
668 reviewsJabalí became really popular in 2017 but it seems to have cooled off a bit in recent years. I think it is because it is difficult to create a great mezcal from this unruly plant – the yield is also quite small. This is a good one, maybe one of the great ones. The nose is like sweet pho broth. On the palate, the fresh clay and burnt soap notes go well together. There is a baking spice zest here that is a bit tannic at first but softens out after sitting in the glass. I really like this brand and producer, the first bottle I purchased was the Jabali.
Jabalí became really popular in 2017 but it seems to have cooled off a bit in recent years. I think it is because it is difficult to create a great mezcal from this unruly plant – the yield is also quite small. This is a good one, maybe one of the great ones. The nose is like sweet pho broth. On the palate, the fresh clay and burnt soap notes go well together. There is a baking spice zest here that is a bit tannic at first but softens out after sitting in the glass. I really like this bra
Jonny
736 reviewsBatch JAJA0422. April 2021. Aromas of candied yams, sweet potatoes, cinnamon, juniper, and pumpkin pie. The palate has more notes that match to the palate. Hints of pumpkin, summer squash, and green cantaloupe. Additional notes of dried herbs like anise and juniper. This is full and rich yet so soft. Great Jabali!