Rey Campero Jabali is a high risk, high reward Mezcal. Some credit Maestro Romulo as the first in Oaxaca to truly harness the maguey Jabali.
About this mezcal
Rey Campero Jabali is made with maguey Jabali. The flavor of this mezcal has lots of tropical fruit and citrus. It is earthy with a hint of pepper. Its richly textured and the smoke frames the wild flavors of this special agave. Part of what makes the Jabali so seldom used in Mezcal is its history of expanding and foaming during the fermentation and distillation process, which makes this a very high risk, high reward Mezcal.
Rey Campero Mezcal
Rey Campero represents the culture, tradition and art of Candelaria Yegolé, a small town in the Southern Highlands of Oaxaca, with a fertile ground on its slopes and canyons. It represents a people dedicated to the production of artisanal Mezcal, so one of its principles is to help producers of maguey, by creating job opportunities, but especially in finding markets for the best Mezcal. Rey Campero, means “King of the Countryside” and it was founded by the maestro mezcalero Romulo Sanchez Parada. Romulo learned how to make mezcal from his father, and he worked in the palenque until age 20. He lived and worked for several years in North Carolina while in his 20s before returning to Oaxaca in 2003. Each lot may vary slightly, so check your bottle for specific details about ABV.
Review this bottle
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muchachomezcal
47 reviewsRey Campero Jabali – pour at Jajaja in West Village. The experience was a childhood bubblebath for my teeth and tongue, think Mr. Bubble. The flavor profile dances on your tongue with sweetness, a touch of nail polish remover, and sudsy. After it airs out for awhile, it drinks like water. Jabali’ve I can fly!
Bryen
101 reviewsTasted at Kitana Kitten in NYC. Incredible bar but limited mezcal list (no big deal!) but they had this and I’ve been wanting to try it for a while. Obviously one of RC’s most reviewed and liked expressions. I found it really solid. I’m not the biggest Jabali drinker on its own and prefer it in ensembles, but this hits just right at 1AM in New York haha. Thicker in texture, fruit on the nose and that carries into the sip. A bit sugary and has some soapiness in the flavor profile as well. Nice touch of smoke and a funky, complex spirit that seemingly morphs with every sip. I always find it hard to describe Jabali mezcals and this one is no different! Nice grab!
Tasted at Kitana Kitten in NYC. Incredible bar but limited mezcal list (no big deal!) but they had this and I’ve been wanting to try it for a while. Obviously one of RC’s most reviewed and liked expressions. I found it really solid. I’m not the biggest Jabali drinker on its own and prefer it in ensembles, but this hits just right at 1AM in New York haha. Thicker in texture, fruit on the nose and that carries into the sip. A bit sugary and has some soapiness in the flavor profile as well. N
Wayside Loop
6 reviewsNov 22 Lot: DS034-?
I have always loved this expression, so I bought another bottle today.
Nose: sweet roasted pineapple with toasted almonds, hint of black pepper and ocean, candied jalapeños
Palate: still some mild jalapeño and tropical fruits, with a little bit of sea water iodine and buttered brie. So much going on which is what makes this mezcal so amazing and consistent every time.
Finish: lovely linger, kind of like hanging out after a concert and not wanting to go home at the end of the night. Good viscosity and oiliness. Baked apple on the end with crispy corn tortilla after taste.
By far one of my favorites and a pretty decent price point for the quality. I have bought bottles for way more that I liked way less haha
Nov 22 Lot: DS034-?
I have always loved this expression, so I bought another bottle today.
Nose: sweet roasted pineapple with toasted almonds, hint of black pepper and ocean, candied jalapeños
Palate: still some mild jalapeño and tropical fruits, with a little bit of sea water iodine and buttered brie. So much going on which is what makes this mezcal so amazing and consistent every time.
Finish: lovely linger, kind of like hanging out after a concert and not wanting to go home at the end of t
Imperium
118 reviewsnose starts with a bit of smoky minerality, but then that overripe fruit smell that jabali has
reaches through and smacks you in the nose. It’s a sour, funky smell mixed with Russian tea and baking spices and apricots, jackfruit and pineapple.
Palate: contains everything that the nose primroses and more. The heat of the spirit works perfectly with the flavors to bring out this explosion of flavors. This is nice and complex with everything working together well. Fruitcake comes to mind as spices and ripe fruits mix together with toasted bread, burned orange peel and rye.
The finish is all raisin, woodsmoke and rye, to the point that I could have thought I was drinking straight rye. Delicious mezcal.
nose starts with a bit of smoky minerality, but then that overripe fruit smell that jabali has
reaches through and smacks you in the nose. It’s a sour, funky smell mixed with Russian tea and baking spices and apricots, jackfruit and pineapple.
Palate: contains everything that the nose primroses and more. The heat of the spirit works perfectly with the flavors to bring out this explosion of flavors. This is nice and complex with everything working together well. Fruitcake comes to mind as spice
Spirit_Buff
5 reviewsMezcal Review #2 – Rey Campero JabaliJabali – 48.8 % ABV
Notes: Distilled in wood-fired copper in Candeleria Yegole by Romulo Sanchez Parada in April 2019
Nose: Acetone, lactic, tomatillo, a bit of barnyard funk (hay/manure). Anise, mint, and a little vanilla.
Palate: Sweet pineapple and cream cheese at first, turning more herbal and woodsy. Gets a bit drying and grassy, clay and anise. Bay leaf, lemon grass.
Finish: Pineapple and other tropical fruits make a return. Almost a pre-bottled painkiller. Really nice stuff.
Comments: Really dig this bottle, especially now that the tropical fruits are coming out with some air. On first opening it was all on the bitter/herbal notes but now that it’s had some time to breathe the balance is much better.
Score: 7/10 (t8ke scale)
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite
10 | Perfect | Perfect
Mezcal Review #2 – Rey Campero JabaliJabali – 48.8 % ABV
Notes: Distilled in wood-fired copper in Candeleria Yegole by Romulo Sanchez Parada in April 2019
Nose: Acetone, lactic, tomatillo, a bit of barnyard funk (hay/manure). Anise, mint, and a little vanilla.
Palate: Sweet pineapple and cream cheese at first, turning more herbal and woodsy. Gets a bit drying and grassy, clay and anise. Bay leaf, lemon grass.
Finish: Pineapple and other tropical fruits make a return. Almost a pre
Ben P
149 reviewsDistilled 2020. ABV 49.7%
Nose: Minerally and fruity. Orange and banana laffy taffy. Light peach, Honeysuckle, fresh basil, fresh cut grass, touch of smoke
Palate & Finish: Starts fruity, pineapple, mangos, then sort of orange citrus, moves to more wet soil, dried fruits particularly citrus, figs, agave. Finish is more clay or wet earth, roasted fruits, burnt oranges, then a long bitter finish, passion fruit like.
This is great. The theme for this one feels like confectionary candy, dried fruits, and wet earth all playing in an awesome band together. Tasty stuff
Distilled 2020. ABV 49.7%
Nose: Minerally and fruity. Orange and banana laffy taffy. Light peach, Honeysuckle, fresh basil, fresh cut grass, touch of smoke
Palate & Finish: Starts fruity, pineapple, mangos, then sort of orange citrus, moves to more wet soil, dried fruits particularly citrus, figs, agave. Finish is more clay or wet earth, roasted fruits, burnt oranges, then a long bitter finish, passion fruit like.
This is great. The theme for this one feels like confectionary candy, dried fr
Average José
54 reviews* Lot: DS0098–J
* 200 mL Bottle
* ABV: 49.2%
Nose is very pleasant, this was actually the best part of the entire spirit for me unfortunately. Sweet sugar gum, ethanol, Hawaiian fruits and allspice. Pretty great!
The first flavors are offensive gasolines then bland then sour… Drinks more like an unaged corn whiskey or moonshine; sourwood then hot heat then plain white sugar.
The finish is a bit sweeter while the burn lasts a nice long time. The finishing notes are mostly wet stone, clay and soil. Maybe I got a lesser quality spirit because I only bought a pint? Maybe a bad batch? I’m not sure but if judging by this bottle alone I definitely don’t understand the hype as the only redeeming “wow factors” to this Jabali were the amazing nose and its long linger.
I’ve also let it rest for three months now after opening and there has been no real changes… I would try another batch but I would not buy a liter.
* Lot: DS0098–J
* 200 mL Bottle
* ABV: 49.2%
Nose is very pleasant, this was actually the best part of the entire spirit for me unfortunately. Sweet sugar gum, ethanol, Hawaiian fruits and allspice. Pretty great!
The first flavors are offensive gasolines then bland then sour… Drinks more like an unaged corn whiskey or moonshine; sourwood then hot heat then plain white sugar.
The finish is a bit sweeter while the burn lasts a nice long time. The finishing notes are mostly wet stone, clay
RO_THE_MEZCAL_MAVEN
5 reviewsLove this Jabalií! Nose of melon and cantaloupe, nutty like walnuts with dank smoke. Yummy! I collect this one on my shelf!
GMAD
97 reviewsDS020-J, 48.6%, 200ml
Nose – Funky, nutty, and musty – peanuts, cheese, sour cream, rubber. Some hints of damp wood, drywall, vinyl, wet asphalt and fresh cut grass as well.
Palate – Sweet and tangy, with a bit of vegetal and spice notes. A funky opening thats reminiscent of dulce de leche. Green bell pepper, clove, all spice, caramel, and some sort of ripe citrus to round it out.
Finish – Asian sweet and sour sauce; egg roll dip. A bit of dryness on the backend as well; grapefruit.
Always great, a definitive classic. Unique flavor and an intoxicating nose.
DS020-J, 48.6%, 200ml
Nose – Funky, nutty, and musty – peanuts, cheese, sour cream, rubber. Some hints of damp wood, drywall, vinyl, wet asphalt and fresh cut grass as well.
Palate – Sweet and tangy, with a bit of vegetal and spice notes. A funky opening thats reminiscent of dulce de leche. Green bell pepper, clove, all spice, caramel, and some sort of ripe citrus to round it out.
Finish – Asian sweet and sour sauce; egg roll dip. A bit of dryness on the backend as well;
Jam
184 reviewsBatch dso32-? Nov. 2022 production date, glass rested 2 months, 48.5% abv
Review #1: Citrus forward with lime, moderately mineraly with a soft cheese. Overall it was decent but nothing special for me
Ranger_Ryan
47 reviewsLot DS015-J
Strong aroma of fresh tennis balls, latex, lactic acid. Peach rings and fruity profile, minerals follow. Good.
JDB
190 reviewsBottle 348/561 49.25 abv January 20222 Lot: DS025-J
Tried this release at Bar Flores in Echo Park a month ago. Hype is well placed. Lots of green and tart citrus on the nose. Flavors of lemon grass, wet redwood, gala apple and citrus pith. Mild heat. Loved the green and earthy tones that came through. One production note difference, this release was rested in glass for two months. No nail polish for me, but interesting tasting notes posted by other reviewers.
little agave
72 reviews1oz sample. Enjoyed it so much I bought a bottle. Will update this to that when I crack it open.
Forpowder
122 reviewsD5031-J 48.5% Aromas are just wow I get model paint glue some kind of vegetable matter that I just don’t even have a description for so complex many different layers. The Aromas keep changing as it was poured into the glass overtime sweet burnt orange is coming to mine. Flavors are also just mouth coating so many complex things going on here no smoke but different types of fruit in different stages of ripeness some spoil some green. My favorite of the group so far.
Metl_heads
8 reviewsFloral, chocolate, mineral, oily finish.
Roast: 6/10
BoulderBrexitRefugee
29 reviewsOne of my favorites. More assertive than Del Maguey’s Wild Jabali which I also love. This seems more complex and in my opinion is all the better for that.
Will
13 reviewsExtremely complex. Different notes with every sip, mint, peppers, fruit, vanilla, maybe some florals. And the best finish of any mezcal I’ve had, that lingers with unique notes of its own.
Mezcal Mike
29 reviewsLot: S5019-J
Bottle: 21/871
Oct 2020 production
This one has the complexity you seek. Smooth at 48.6, it spreads nicely on the tongue. I have it a 4 but it’s one of the better tastes I’ve had. For the price I can’t go higher but if this bottle was more affordable I’d give it a 4.5. I’ll keep this one for company but sneak in some solo tastes too.
betweentwotobalas
25 reviewsLot DS018-J, Sept 2020. Bottle 692/871. 48.6% ABV.
Nothing subtle about this batch! On the nose, cantaloupe, Chinese egg tarts and summer sausage. Has a rich, lactic, umami funk that seems common to jabali. Add burnt milk, sourdough, salted taffy, pickle brine and Dutched cocoa. Insight I can’t take credit for: Yeasty (CasaDeGuero); Tamarind (Tzotolline); Jalapeño (Tyler). Fusel burn ends in vanilla extract and raw greens. A seventies time warp. Wood panels and orange carpets.
TrogdordeFuegoanator
40 reviewsJabali is a Familia Sanchez world and we are just living in it. Easily the best Agave convallis out there from all that I’ve tried. Recently learned it was the first certified in Mexico and the first imported into the U.S. Not at all surprised.
Amazing how delightfully sweet it comes off – laffy taffy/fruit roll up style – yet has herbal and earth tones that touch you back down to Mother Earth. Hard to put the bottle down, but then again why would you?