Creador Lumbre is produced by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo in San Bernardo Mixtepec, Oaxaca.
About this mezcal
Creador Lumbre is produced by maestro palenquero José Alberto Pablo in San Bernardo Mixtepec, Oaxaca. This small-batch 100% agave expression was cooked in an underground river rock-lined stone oven (el horno) for 5 days, milled by hand with wood mallets (mazos) in a hollowed tree trunk (canoa), fermented 3-5 days in half-buried 90-liter clay pots, and twice distilled in 60-liter clay pots. The all-clay fermentation and distillation process makes this mezcal unique from most commercially available mezcals.
“My destilado is made with all the love and dedication it needs for it to be of unmatched quality.” – José Alberto Pablo
The first Creador Lumbre release, distilled in March 2020, used Agave angustifolia var (Maguey Lumbre) sourced from San Bernardo Mixtepec. 200 liters were produced with 150 liters being released under the Creador label. The second Creador Lumbre release, was a 600 liter blend of two batches produced in May 2021 (360 total liters) and August 2021 (420 liters).
Creador Agave Spirits
Creador Agave Spirits seeks out independent family producers who have little to no representation outside of their local markets – producers who want to make a transition to full-time production of destilado and need help getting their agave spirits to market.
Creador strives to support palenqueros and their communities by providing autonomy for the producers, as well as fair pricing. The company does not contractually obligate producers, nor negotiate price – what the palenqueros ask, they pay, and the company will advise if they think the spirits are underpriced. Creador profit-shares with the producers, providing transparency into the complex economics of selling spirits into the tiered alcohol-distribution systems prevalent in the US.
Creador translates to “creator” and is an homage to the artisan creators of agave spirits, and a tribute to the creators and makers in us all. De la mano y el corazón – from the hand and the heart.
You can now order Creador directly to your door.
Review this bottle
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RyeAmLegend
37 reviewsBatch JALU1122⠀
Nose: A bright, briny nose with some olives and seaside air. I expected a lot of vegetable notes but instead was greeted with some intense spices of white pepper, sage, and even a bit of juniper berry. It has a lovely simple vegetable aroma. Grilled orange and yellow bell peppers, seasoned with some olive oil and flaky sea salt. I gave this one an extended rest time, capping in a Glencairn for comparison purposes. There’s also an intense cinnamon bubble gum note to it that I didn’t get when nosing from my Veladora.
Palate: The fruity funk of that clay pot comes out on the palate with an unexpected sweetness to it. Guava, soursop, and lichee perhaps. A fruit blend of firm and slightly underripe honeydew. Once that sweetness fades, it’s back to all veg. Raw starchy vegetables of yucca and yams. Grasses, leaves, and corn husks. There’s also a saline note at the back of the palate that is in perfect harmony with the sweet fruit flavors.
Finish: Where the palate brought some of the clay funk, the finish rounds it off with more earthy and timber notes. Smoldering wood charcoal embers and the fringed edges of grilled corn husks. White onions on a singed wooden kabob. It’s a richer finish than I expected, with those hints of the clay distillation as well as the wood used in the cook. Lastly, the finish is on the dry side but doesn’t teeter into astringent territory. It’s as if a slight salt residue is left over on your palate.
I didn’t get any expressive clay pot lactic notes on this Lumbre but instead a safer, more simplistic blend of flavors. They work well but I am looking for more complexity these days which I found in both of José’s espadíns I’ve previously reviewed. The Lubre’s finish I think is what’s tripping me up as it feels more like a “daily” mezcal. Something I can see myself enjoying with a food pairing or sip while at a beach picnic.
Batch JALU1122⠀
Nose: A bright, briny nose with some olives and seaside air. I expected a lot of vegetable notes but instead was greeted with some intense spices of white pepper, sage, and even a bit of juniper berry. It has a lovely simple vegetable aroma. Grilled orange and yellow bell peppers, seasoned with some olive oil and flaky sea salt. I gave this one an extended rest time, capping in a Glencairn for comparison purposes. There’s also an intense cinnamon bubble gum note to it tha
JDB
165 reviews48.3% abv
Shoe leather, faint smoke, tree bark on the nose. Vanilla, spiced apple, bee’s wax, light salinity, burnt marshmallow, slightly bitter on the backend. Sharp heat up front and milder on the backend. Pretty decent stuff, and my notes seem to dovetail with others’ notes as well.
COak
228 reviewsBatch: JALU1122. Wet earth and clay on the nose. Taste of dark fruit, holiday spice, sugar cookies and leather with a long finish.
Zack Klamn
542 reviewsNose – A bouquet of sublte, delcious aromas – Rock candy. Wet, fern leaves. 7up. Clay.
Palate – Leather. Oak, campfire ember. Wintergreen. Mixed dried fruit in the finish. Nice texture, slightly fizzy feeling.
Batch: JALU1122. Bottle 33/764.
jackstraw
32 reviewsbatch: JALU1122
bottle: 33/764
abv: 48.3%
anise; freshly opened cigar box;
chamomile; raisins;
powdered sugar;
leather; clay
wet forest floor
review #26
tallchad
103 reviewsYES YES YES! There is the clay! Not overdone at all. Really great!
The aroma is wonderful with fruit, creaminess, clay, ripe berries and a light touch of floral–WOW!
Taste is fantastic with good heat, clay and fruit.
The finish is a terrific balance of aroma and taste with a wisp of smoke that lasts a long time.
This is sensational. Más lumbre pro favor! Batch JALU1122
Jam
149 reviews48.3% abv, batch JALU1122
Review #93: nose is delicate with fresh wall paint, cream, tire rubber, lemon oil, perfumey, cotton, sweet leather, sweet tobacco, and a salty minerality. The palate has a noticeably soft mouthfeel. Cream, paint, clay, cotton, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon oils, sweet mint, green apple, and a salty minerality.
This is a very easygoing pour with nicely delicate and soft flavors and aromas. The nose and palate are a bit light for my personal preferences, but it’s objectively very well done and quite pretty. The mouthfeel has absolutely no alcohol burn and the flavors meld together very well. A good one to drink and relax.
This sample was provided to me free of charge with no strings attached.
48.3% abv, batch JALU1122
Review #93: nose is delicate with fresh wall paint, cream, tire rubber, lemon oil, perfumey, cotton, sweet leather, sweet tobacco, and a salty minerality. The palate has a noticeably soft mouthfeel. Cream, paint, clay, cotton, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon oils, sweet mint, green apple, and a salty minerality.
This is a very easygoing pour with nicely delicate and soft flavors and aromas. The nose and palate are a bit light for my personal preferences, but it’s o
Ben P
110 reviewsBatch JALU1122
Nose: nice earthiness, cup of americano, soil, little mango underneath
Palate and Finish: definite clay influence but in a straight forward crisp way, moss, more soil, a flash of brighter tart fruits like pineapple or kiwi, then chili mangoes, brown bananas in chocolate. Finish is peppery, spice, mint, crushed stone
Excellent stuff. The clay is there but not overpowering, it’s really nicely balanced. Complex but still approachable.
This sample was provided to me. The thoughts and tasting notes are entirely my own.
Batch JALU1122
Nose: nice earthiness, cup of americano, soil, little mango underneath
Palate and Finish: definite clay influence but in a straight forward crisp way, moss, more soil, a flash of brighter tart fruits like pineapple or kiwi, then chili mangoes, brown bananas in chocolate. Finish is peppery, spice, mint, crushed stone
Excellent stuff. The clay is there but not overpowering, it’s really nicely balanced. Complex but still approachable.
This sample was provided to me. The thoughts an
Gfunk
23 reviewsMostly clean, slightly woodsy nose. Very big initial hits of spearmint which fades into leather and clay. Finish is incredibly long and gets sweeter the longer you wait for the next sip.
El-Dawg
209 reviewsLote: JALU112
Nose has a strong leathery, sandalwood prominence to it. Behind that there are some tropical fruit essence (rotten bananas perhaps). Taste carries through with very similar notes. Some sweet tart candy sweetness (which I get regularly with this producer it seems), grilled pineapple. Very layered and complex…like it a lot. 3.75
Review #194
Rakhal
421 reviewsJALU1122. This is a cool one. The main flavor I get right off the bat is anise seed, but it’s a complex anise flavor. Like black licorice and fennel seeds and Sambuca all at once. There’s something musty and leathery like an abandoned house full of old leather furniture. Also some rolling tobacco and some sort of concentrated fruit sweetness like charred pineapple syrup. This is killer.
Jim's Drams
6 reviewsNose is pleasant and complex. I get ripe apple and stone fruit, with a hint of light flowers, maybe carnation or baby’s breath. The palate has dried fruit and a hint of tobacco. Batch JALU1122.
Jonny
705 reviewsBatch JALU0422. Bottle 155/200. Light aromas of apple cider vinegar and spearmint, but mostly clean on the nose. The palate is leathery on the first sip. Notes of freshly rolled cigars, dried dates, and tanned hides. There’s a splash of a little peppermint and some burnt sage on the palate of this as well. Very soft and delicate. Highly enjoyable and excited to try more from this brand.