Rey Campero Jabali

Item: Rey Campero Jabali
Rating: 4.0
Author: The Editors

Jabalí is a difficult agave to distill. Rey Campero does it

Score: 4.0/5 agaves

Producer: Rey Campero Mezcal
Maestro: Romulo Sanchez Parada, Vicente Sánchez Parada
Region: Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca
Agave: Jabali
ABV: 48%
Price: $70 ($$)

Verdict

48% is appropriate. Jabalí is the agave that separates producers who can distill competently from producers who can distill across the range, the plant foams in fermentation, plays hard to get in the still, and punishes production shortcuts with off-flavors that no amount of marketing can hide. Rey Campero's jabalí is the best at the price, with Candelaria Yegolé production delivering the textural complexity the agave is capable of. 4.2 consensus matches. One of the category's reference jabalís.

Jabalí rewards the producer with discipline. Rey Campero has it

Tasting notes

Nose: Hot stone, then green pepper, herbal depth, faint cocoa

Palate: Dense and difficult in a good way, jabalí's notorious production challenges render in the bottle as textural complexity

Finish: Drying, warm

The bottom line

The bottle that earns the brand's reputation

Where to buy online

We found this bottle at 1 US retailer. Prices and stock vary – click through to check.

Caskers – $123.99