Rey Campero Jabali Mezcal 48% 700ml

Rey Campero Jabali: The Wild Beast Tamed with Grace

Some agaves are difficult. Jabalí is borderline rebellious. Spiky in every sense-physically, chemically, and temperamentally-it's an agave that fights the mezcalero every step of the way. It foams during fermentation, resists crushing, and can absolutely wreck a still if handled carelessly. Which is why so few producers dare to work with it. And why those who do-like Romulo Sánchez Parada and his family at Rey Campero-deserve serious respect.

First things first: Jabali takes longer, yields less, and demands more. This is the kind of spirit you make only when you love the process as much as the result. And Rey Campero's result? Explosive. Elegant. Electric.

The nose leaps out of the glass. Think fresh lime zest, underripe mango, eucalyptus, and a clean, high-toned acidity that feels almost riesling-esque. Beneath that citrusy top-end is a bracing minerality-like rain hitting hot rocks-and just a lick of wood smoke and menthol. It's bright, green, and wild-but somehow focused.

On the palate, Jabali is a live wire. It opens sharp and zesty-grapefruit rind, green apple skin, and jalapeño. But give it a second, and it evolves-soft herbs, faint pine resin, and a beautifully bitter twist, like tonic water with a splash of mezcal. The texture is lean and crisp, almost spritzy, with a tangy bite that makes your cheeks tingle. Smoke? It's there, but woven in tight-like charcoal smouldering under a citrus grove.

This isn't a mellow, easygoing mezcal. It's not here to soothe. It's here to wake you up. To make you feel something. But it never loses balance. That's the magic of Rey Campero's take-it takes this unpredictable agave and somehow coaxes grace from the chaos. It's punk rock in a tailored suit.

And let's talk terroir and technique for a moment. Jabali is almost always harvested from the wild, growing on rocky hillsides where it takes well over a decade to mature. Rey Campero stays true to traditional methods: underground pit roasting, tahona milling (yes, even for this stubborn agave), open-air fermentation, and copper pot distillation. It's risky business-and the yield is heartbreakingly low-but the result is a mezcal that's alive with energy and full of character.

This is a pour for those who've already fallen in love with mezcal and are ready for the weird, the wild, and the wonderful. It's not your first date-it's the one you remember years later, because it surprised you.