Rey Campero Tepextate is made from wild Tepextate that has matured 15-18 years before harvest. Rey Campero means “King of the Countryside” in Spanish.
About this mezcal
Rey Campero Tepextate is made from wild Tepextate that has matured 15-18 years before harvest. After roasting and crushing, it is fermented with wild yeast in the open air before double distillation and bottling. Rey Campero has a strong commitment to local sustainability. For each maguey harvested for their Mezcal, others are planted. They do this with all of their agave, but it is particularly important for the Tepextate populations given the time needed for each Tepextate plant to reach maturity.
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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Imperium
118 reviewsNose: Nerds candy, grape and strawberry and watermelon. Poblano pepper, minerals, perfumey aromatics, classic tepeztate smells
Palate: Baking spices, chili powder, cooked agave, tepeztate essence, green beans and other garden veggies, perfume/potpourri, pepper, grape candy. Delicious!
GMAD
97 reviewsLOT: D5018-T July 2022, 48.4%, BOTTLE No. 206/869
Nose – Sweet and vegetal. Rubber, vinyl, glue stick, sawdust. Fresh produce, parsley, and broccoli.
Palate – Sweet and fruity. Bubblegum, melon, and cantaloupe.
Finish – A little bitterness to round it out. Like some subdued citrus; grapefruit and orange rind.
Really good! Love the sweetness.
Average José
54 reviewsLote: D5017-T
ABV: 48.4%
The nose is a strong glue, cane sugar and vegetal mix. Flavor is blended perfectly imo – lactic, fresh corn, green beans/greens and a small hint of rubber. Not offending, quite nice actually.
Finish doesn’t linger which is a shame. Still really nice for the price point so I’ll keep it on hand.
Suicide Squid
10 reviewsIn PV at De Cantaro Mezcal Bar. Fruity spicy apple smell. That spicy applesauce continues in taste with some heat and smoky ness. A nice lingering flavor of all of that.
MaryKitty
10 reviewsNice and smoky and smooth. Smell is mildly smoky, earthy, Agave. Complex flavors: smoky, mild citrus, maybe orange? Earthy, stone, mild vanilla.
Jam
184 reviewsLote dso17-T, june 2022 production date, glass rested 5 months, 48.4% abv
Review #3: Jalapeño peppers and earth are dominant, there’s some roasted herbs and vegetables, with a bit of funky cream cheese to round it out. Excellent Tepeztate
Forpowder
122 reviewsD5017-T 48.4% Aromas out of the bottle or blue cheese jalapeno peppers roasted jalapeno peppers and some funkiness. Surprisingly the flavors don’t really follow the suit very little funkiness mostly the jalapeno comes through and other green pepper like flavors. Mouth coating alcohol finishes It Off.
Ranger_Ryan
47 reviewsLot D5014-T July 2021 Bottle 739/851
Very vegetal, green vegetables such as asparagus, bell pepper and onion. A bit challenging for me. I won’t write off Tepextate yet, but this may be an acquired taste.
Chuey Agave
19 reviewsLot D5010-T bottle 240/676
Aroma – Nice nose, green bell pepper and jalapeño you’d expect from a Tepeztate. Light hint of mint as well. Very inviting.
Flavor – medium complexity of flavor. Enjoyable sipper. Mint forward that round out to some jalapeño notes on the mid pallet. Finish ends with a black pepper note and medium finish.
windi
3 reviewsProduction date may 2021 lot 05012-1
This is one of my favorite brands because you just know that you’re in for something interesting when you open a bottle.
The initial notes are sweet and floral, then gradually disperses into a vegetal taste that ends on a slightly bitter note. A true tepeztate that is smooth from start to finish.
CasaDeGuero
21 reviewsA great option for a funky and hot mezcal that still is awesomely smooth.
Best of 4 tried at Limantour in CDMX.
Jori
52 reviews2018 bottle
Nose is spicy jalapeño, green Jolly Rancher candies, earth and grass after a fresh rainfall and sea salt reminding me of afternoons by the lake.
I’m getting a lingering light campfire smokiness, cracked black pepper roasted poblano and pineapple, dandelion, a bit of green melon, soapberry and citrus. Very clean, fresh and springtime flavors.
Sharp alcohol at first but fades after a couple sips. Delightfully tingles the centre of my tongue. Coats the mouth with vanilla sweetness.
Equally amazing, but completely different from their Jabali variant.
2018 bottle
Nose is spicy jalapeño, green Jolly Rancher candies, earth and grass after a fresh rainfall and sea salt reminding me of afternoons by the lake.
I’m getting a lingering light campfire smokiness, cracked black pepper roasted poblano and pineapple, dandelion, a bit of green melon, soapberry and citrus. Very clean, fresh and springtime flavors.
Sharp alcohol at first but fades after a couple sips. Delightfully tingles the centre of my tongue. Coats the mouth with vanilla sweetness.
E
Ringstone
6 reviewsI bought a sample in 2022. Great, very complex mezcal: On the nose: citrus fruits, spices, earthy, grassy, herbs, agave, sweet light fruits, lychee, floral, straw with honey, hint of smoke. Palate: Agave, spices, light acidity, bitterness (grapefruit & orange peel), nutmeg & pepper. Finish: Spices, pepper, grapefruit peel, some fruit acid, nutmeg, smoky pepper with perfume; very long (agave & pepper & smoke remains).
aarild
153 reviewsSome alcohol vapours and acetone fade quickly, opening for charred wood and jalapeños, cassia cinnamon, sweet woodruff, cracked pepper. Hot on the tongue at first, needs 15 minutes in the glass but then: what a lovely tepextate this is. Jalapeños, green bell peppers, green wine gums, caramelised apples. Nearly viscous mouthfeel, a bit of a sting still, but not bothering me at all. Fresh, spicy, sweet, minerals, all at the same time. Not regretting buying a bottle.
December 2015 batch DS004-T
Some alcohol vapours and acetone fade quickly, opening for charred wood and jalapeños, cassia cinnamon, sweet woodruff, cracked pepper. Hot on the tongue at first, needs 15 minutes in the glass but then: what a lovely tepextate this is. Jalapeños, green bell peppers, green wine gums, caramelised apples. Nearly viscous mouthfeel, a bit of a sting still, but not bothering me at all. Fresh, spicy, sweet, minerals, all at the same time. Not regretting buying a bottle.
December 2015 batch DS004-T
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsLote: DS010-T
Nose – Leather. Fresh cut green pepper. Icing sugar.
Palate – Roasted jalapeno with a gentle spiciness. Hot Tamales candy. Some Hot 100 cinnamon heat too. Leather and ash in the finish. Great mezcal!
Patrick
57 reviewsLot DS011-T March 2018
Romulo Sanchez Parada
Nose : floral and cinnamon like spices , earthy peppercorns. Smells more like a tobala.
Taste : ahh there’s the tepextate! Bell peppers, vegetal, pretty sweet with medicinal candy and celery.
Finish : drying effect. Short with the right amount of smoke.
Very solid and well priced
SoloAgave
86 reviewsA friend shared this with me I wanted to fall in love but I’ve had a few other Tepeztates recently that really stood out (at a lower price point) and this came across a bit more toned down. Vegetal, creamy, lightly sweet, muted, and still a great mezcal at its core – I suppose my expectations just out paced my experience.
meserole
73 reviewsBlack pepper, nasturtium flower, jalapeño, bell pepper, and violet. A lot of these flavors are to be expected from a tepeztate, but there’s some hotness and sharpness that is distinctive.
TzotollineRaramuri
75 reviewsLot DS009-T; B# 53/676; Oct 2017.
?- clear
?- drying impact.
Aromas of acetone, rubber, plastics, floral, honey, sugar cane, mandarin, grapefruit, pineapple, pine nuts, raw almonds, white apricot, cooked agave, moist clay.
Powerful and complex production aroma.
Average length and fine character.
?- coating slightly astringent effect; sufficient smooth alcohol; medium-full body.
Primarily sour taste with sweet bitterness highlights; buttery smoothness.
Flavors of peach, apricot, lemon and lime, floral, honeycomb, ginger, spice, sugarcane, roasted agave, marzipan, cherry brandy.
Concentrated flavor intensity, complex character, harmonious balance.
Pleasant and very long finish.
Very good to excellent overall impression.
*Main drawback is the acetone/chemical congeneres.
Learn more about organoleptic evaluation at the International Wine & Spirits Guild’s seminar in Fine Spirits,
or more on Agave Spirits certifications through the Agave Spirits Institute.
Lot DS009-T; B# 53/676; Oct 2017.
?- clear
?- drying impact.
Aromas of acetone, rubber, plastics, floral, honey, sugar cane, mandarin, grapefruit, pineapple, pine nuts, raw almonds, white apricot, cooked agave, moist clay.
Powerful and complex production aroma.
Average length and fine character.
?- coating slightly astringent effect; sufficient smooth alcohol; medium-full body.
Primarily sour taste with sweet bitterness highlights; buttery smoothness.
Flavors of peach, apricot, lemon and lime, f
PhilBrunski
25 reviewsSep 2015. Hot. Strong peppers, orange blossum and vinegar flavors come through and while I really enjoyed this bottle, it has the potential to be so much better if it didn’t have the strong alcohol heat from start to finish.