Rey Campero Tepextate Mezcal

Rey Campero is the single-maestro house of Rómulo Sánchez Parada in Candelaria Yegolé, in the southern highlands of Oaxaca around Sola de Vega. This joven is built entirely from wild Tepeztate, Agave marmorata, one of the slowest magueyes of all, sometimes standing 25 years before the heart is ready to cut. Each batch shifts a little, which is why the label notes the harvest.

The hearts are pit roasted, then crushed, fermented in the open air on wild yeast and twice distilled in copper before bottling at 49%. Tepeztate carries its species fingerprint clearly here, bright and almost perfumed on the nose with jalapeño, lemon and a floral lift, then saline at the front of the palate before sweetness and crisp black pepper arrive. A fragrant, mineral finish closes it. Rey Campero replants for every plant harvested, which matters most for a maguey this scarce.