Rey Campero Jabali

48.5% ABV

Produced by Maestro Mezcalero Romulo Sanchez Parada in the village of Candelaria Yegole, Oaxaca. He was a pioneer in utilizing Jabali in mezcal production. Agave Convallis or Jabali/Jabalin is a wild variety of agave that grows widely across the state of Oaxaca and had traditionally been used as fencing for livestock due to it's size, shape and the sharpness of it's spines. It contains a high level of saponins, an enzyme also found in rye grains that produces a large amount of foam during fermentation and distillation. It is very difficult to work with for that reason. Romulo uses a taller still that is similar to a Refrescadera to mitigate the foaminess. His Jabali was the first one we ever tried and is still our favorite example. 

Orange zest, minerals, tropical fruit, and a feral meatiness characterize this benchmark Mezcal. In the hands of lesser producers Jabali can be overly exotic and funky. Rey Campero brings an elegance and sophistication to balance the wild and powerful flavors of this difficult but delicious agave varietal.