Rey Campero Jabali

1oz sample. Enjoyed it so much I bought a bottle. Will update this to that when I crack it open.

D5031-J 48.5% Aromas are just wow I get model paint glue some kind of vegetable matter that I just don’t even have a description for so complex many different layers. The Aromas keep changing as it was poured into the glass overtime sweet burnt orange is coming to mine. Flavors are also just mouth coating so many complex things going on here no smoke but different types of fruit in different stages of ripeness some spoil some green. My favorite of the group so far.

Floral, chocolate, mineral, oily finish.
Roast: 6/10

One of my favorites. More assertive than Del Maguey’s Wild Jabali which I also love. This seems more complex and in my opinion is all the better for that.

Extremely complex. Different notes with every sip, mint, peppers, fruit, vanilla, maybe some florals. And the best finish of any mezcal I’ve had, that lingers with unique notes of its own.

Lot: S5019-J
Bottle: 21/871
Oct 2020 production

This one has the complexity you seek. Smooth at 48.6, it spreads nicely on the tongue. I have it a 4 but it’s one of the better tastes I’ve had. For the price I can’t go higher but if this bottle was more affordable I’d give it a 4.5. I’ll keep this one for company but sneak in some solo tastes too.

Lot DS018-J, Sept 2020. Bottle 692/871. 48.6% ABV.

Nothing subtle about this batch! On the nose, cantaloupe, Chinese egg tarts and summer sausage. Has a rich, lactic, umami funk that seems common to jabali. Add burnt milk, sourdough, salted taffy, pickle brine and Dutched cocoa. Insight I can’t take credit for: Yeasty (CasaDeGuero); Tamarind (Tzotolline); Jalapeño (Tyler). Fusel burn ends in vanilla extract and raw greens. A seventies time warp. Wood panels and orange carpets.

Jabali is a Familia Sanchez world and we are just living in it. Easily the best Agave convallis out there from all that I’ve tried. Recently learned it was the first certified in Mexico and the first imported into the U.S. Not at all surprised.

Amazing how delightfully sweet it comes off – laffy taffy/fruit roll up style – yet has herbal and earth tones that touch you back down to Mother Earth. Hard to put the bottle down, but then again why would you?

Lote: DS015-J. Mezcalero: Romulo Sanchez Parada.
Nose: Rubber, Petrol, Dried Fruits, Fresh Tennis Balls (haha)!
Sip: Dry Mouthfeel, Rubber, Minerality, Light Vegetal notes.
Finish: Sensation along mid-tongue line and top of mouth behind front teeth.
Notes: Very unique batch! Jabali always pulls very diverse profiles together, and I really liked the flavors here. Got the 200ml version and I might have to find the 750ml once this runs out!

Lot D5015-J / produced Oct 19 / btl 236/598

The perfect example of a Jabali expression. Not only one of my favorite Jabali’s but one of my favorite offerings from Rey Campero.

Lote: DS015-J
Nose – Tropical papaya. Kiwi. Rotisserie chicken.

Palate – Subtle and subdued at first and then BOOM!… flame-grilled chicken lathered in a very smoky, ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce). Worn, beaten down leather. Salt & pepper Kettle potato chips. The sweet, smoky and meaty aspect highlights a long finish and warm (semi-hot) aftertaste.

This is a heavyweight punchy mezcal, amazing stuff!

2016
Batch : ds007-j
This was long overdue….
Nose : Juicy fruit up front, then cinnamon and pears. Vanilla and tropical fruits come in and out.
Taste : bubble gum, light smoke, fresh green peppers, fresh and summery.
Finish : dry, peaty and sweet.
I’ve heard many people raving about this bottle and now so will I..

Lot DS016-J, Oct 2019

Revised to a 5 after going through a bootle and a half. I love this stuff!

Nose: I get mango and sugar corn pops with a little spicy pepper on the nose.

Palate: Super smooth and coating mouthfeel. Not a bit of burn anywhere. It just costs and makes the mouth watery.

Taste: Flavors are very slight mango with even slighter sugared bacon and almonds. Sometimes I get “Peppered Bacon Corn Pops” which makes me want that cereal to exist.

The least enjoyable jabali i have had so far. Over $80/bottle and very disappointing. I do not doubt the quality of Rey Campero’s mezcales but this 2016 batch was just not right: very one-way, single layer, harsh and rather uneventful.

Lote: DS009A-J

White pepper on the nose.
Chalky green taste at first, changes to a soft sweetness.

Lot: D5014-J
Bottle No. 3381548

Beautiful expression: aromas of breakfast cereal (Corn Pops and hints of Cinnamon Toast Crunch). Sweet up front with a distinct palm sugar flavor, but moves into notes of almonds, leather, tobacco, and cocoa. Finishes rich and complex.

A fantastic bottle, and quickly becoming one of my favorites in the collection.

Nov 2015. So different. Gun powder, lays potato chips, cement. This is one that id always put in a tasting just to show how diverse the taste in different agaves can be. If you grab or try one Rey Campero bottle, this is the one.

Interesting. Strong Green bell pepper notes. Taste is contained and not long, but very beautiful. A great expression from Rey.

Wow, I love it! Just bought today – spendy but won’t be sharing with others! Def needs some air up front but it is very citrusy with big heat behind it. Will buy again and may double up or so as long as they’re in stock – local purchase too, so while it costs a bit more, it’s worth it since it doesn’t require a trip to MX.

Nose dominated by nail polish at first, but opens up with air with more fruit coming through.
Hints of sour and saltiness initially on the palate, which give way to more sweetness and vegetal tones.
Find it hard to depict all the flavours, seem to change with each visit to the bottle and each sip. That draws me back to the bottle.
I don’t get the sweet fruit notes that others have cited on this batch, but it’s light, bright and tasty all the same.

July 2016 D5006-J
Heavy nail polish remover on the nose but morphs into something sweeter which turns into straight funk. With the first sip, I get a subtle sweetness which leads to a funky fruit taste, much like papaya and mango. There’s almost a sour petrol taste to this near the end. Very complex and ever changing, with a lot of flavors that are hard to pick out.

Hmmm, might be one of my favorite mezcals from now on. Can’t believe how balanced it is. Immediately salty and sour but then you feel sweetness blend in with all the floral notes, followed by slight bitterness. It just hits all the notes at once in perfect proportions; I just don’t want to change anything about it! Pleasant dessert aftertaste, mild smokiness. Instant classic.

Lot D5005-J – Sept 2015 Bottle 472/1072
Very Complex on the nose and palate, amazing all the way. Fruits (mostly Lime), green veggies, vanilla, smoke and a lot more, hard to describe but exceptional balanced and very clean. Nice smooth warm aftertaste.
One of the best mezcals I ever had

Sweet, lots of creamy sweetness before a fruity boquet. Some hickory, some light smoke, mostly a bright, sweet fruit bomb. Kiwi, pear, mango, banana runts. Interesting, unique, complex. Lots going on, all of it good and also interesting. This Jabali is wild in the best way.

There is some good heat in here at a 49.2% ABV. It’s mixed well though with herbaceous notes and the right amount of smoke. This harmony of a ‘smack and a kiss’ creates a very balanced body and finish. First intro to Jabali, so definitely open to trying more of these rarely used agaves. Lote: DS009A-J.

Very strong and vibrant sweetness and floral smell that bleeds a bit into an expo marker-ish smell. Very unique and EXTREMELY strong and wild flavors on the palate. Maybe even biscuits/yeasty, a bit funky. Overall is very smooth for 48.9%. This is the Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride of Mezcal. Definitely would drink again. Very good.

Batch: DSOOXB-J Nov. 2017

Lot DS002-J, distilled May 2013. There is a lot going on in this one: green bell peppers, mint, leather, vanilla, liquorice and more. Strong vegetal notes. Very complex and bold. It has a bit of a burn, but a pleasant, warming one. Close to five stars.

Tropical fruit, cooked agave and nail polish on the nose. I often get a ‘nail polish’ note from A. Convallis but it is particularly strong with the Campero. That note is much more subdued on the palate which is dominated by tropical fruit, citrus and cooked pinapple, backed by strong vegetable notes. Mouthfeel is very viscous and heavy. Finish is more vegetal than fruit but fruit notes remain. Overall a heady and complex spirit but brash. 85/100

Aromas of model airplane glue – like the stuff Jeff Spicoli from Fast Times would have rolling around in his van. Slightly bitter flavor; less pleasing than the smell. Add a drop of water and INSTANTLY it smells like fresh baked bread and bitterness mostly gone. Very interesting expression!!

This one basically started my love for jabali, and is still one of my go-to favorites. Slight oily texture, vanilla on the nose. Big burst of ripe tropical fruit and citrus. Love the floral qualities that follow- cherry blossom, jasmine, maybe even some oolong tea bitterness. Ends with a little kick of white pepper.

Tastes like Jabali, I love this maguey. Just a rougher bite. There are some flavors that are not on the delicious side like other Jabali I’ve had at a better price.
Lot D5008BJ -can’t make out the handwriting, very cool
Bottle 907/1099
Production date Nov 2017

Lot 85008A-J. Rey Campero Jabali. Acetone, Asian pear, and sweet perfume dominate this heavy hitting Jabali. I’d drink this all the time if I could afford it. Definitely not an evening-starter or a mezcal for first time drinkers, but if you work your way up to this…you’re in for a treat.

D5008B-J. Strong nail polish smell. Flavor more sweet and floral. Jasmine, orange blossom, bubble gum. Nowhere near as good as El Jolgorio or Del Maguey’s Jabali.

Notes of bubble gum ,taffy, marshmallows, juicy fruit, Cherry Cola. A coupe of fruit notes I can’t quite put my finger on.

My only complaint is it is very light on the smoke (I prefer more).

4.5 Stars.

This is the best bottle RC makes. It has that wow factor. Reminds me of “special” cookies. One of the best Jabali bottles out, worth a taste.

Rey Campero is a terrific brand, but their Jabali is the best there is! It’s complex and deep with notes of pepper and mandarins on the front of the mouth and a floral, leathery after taste! Do try!

May be the best ive had from RC. Worth the price tag/hunting down. Delicate, soft, with wisps of smoke and a few floral notes. Could drink a bottle of this in a few hours

lot D5008A-J, Oct ’17, bottle 722/1418. one of my favorites. smells of compost, caramel, permanent marker. add overripe tropical fruit and buzzy pepperiness to the party on the palate, with a round, deep, almost perfumed sweet undertone (reminiscent of poutpourri) that carries it all out and lingers into the finish. so interesting that it’s actively fun to imbibe, but goddamn delicious first.

Soft nose. Sweet throughout. Light acidity. Dynamic flavors.
I forgot to bring home my tasting notes, but this was tied for first with The Kings of The Mountain’s Tepextate. Out of the full line up, my wife tolerated this one the best. Very smooth and sweet stand out. Romulo & Vicente are dialed in.

this mezcal is rude and abrupt and i loved it!its a paradox and makes no apology.its like being slapped by a beautiful woman before she makes love to you (LOL)!the taste is strong and up front.very spicy with chilies and strong vegetal notes.this carries through mid way and finishes with agave sweetness.i agree with tyler.dont start the night with this one.it can wreck your sense of taste.very good!

Mezcal from agave jabali is an immensely enjoyable type of mezcal; I’ve only tried this and the El Jolgorio Jabali. It’s flavor is very bold and it should not be the first drink of the night. There are delicious notes of jalapeno, tanned leather, vanilla, peat, and ash. It’s almost like an agave Americana meets a Karwinskii. Definitely give this a try if you see it.