The mezcal industry is experiencing a huge explosion of quality, investment, and new brands; one of the things that sets Rey Campero apart it is that it is a 100% family owned brand made exclusively by master distiller Romulo Sanchez who has generations of masters behind him. Sanchez proudly states “we are sons of master mezcaleros, so we have the love for the fields and the mezcal.”

Another important factor contributing to the overall quality of the brand is the unique location in the Candelaria Yegole region of Oaxaca, an area where there are many varieties of wild agaves naturally occuring. In addition to the rich materials the land provides, there is a nearby river that offers crystal clear water. It is the combination of factors that Sanchez sees as the recipe for success of the brand: “The hand of just one master, the climate, the water, the soil, and the selection of high quality agaves are so important for us to make a unique mezcal for the market.”

According to Sanchez, his great grandmother Clara founded the town and built the first palenque, or mezcal distillery. Today he makes most of the mezcals the way his ancestors did stretching back to 1870, with the focus on one wild variety per batch, though he also improvises blends of different agaves from time to time.

While making mezcal has been the family tradition for over 100 years, the brand emerged on the international  market in 2012 and has enjoyed continued success and praise, not least of which is the 2017 Ultimate Spirits Challenge Chairman’s Trophy award with an impressive 98 Points for their Tepextate Joven Mezcal.  Earthy and sweet, the aromas are complex and enchanting. Intense spice greets the palate with a flood of fruits like mango, dried papaya and starfruit. Herbal flavors are cleansing and turn into roasted coffee and blackened pineapple that linger on the tongue.

They have no plans to make any major changes to the brand, in terms of production or scale: “the future of Rey Campero is that it will be a mezcal made only by the Sanchez family here in Candelaria Yegole...authentic and part of a family tradition” says Sanchez. To account for the demand in wild agave mezcal in general the family has invested in replanting native varieties for future use and to maintain biodiversity.  Fans of the brand can keep their eyes peeled for a second label, Herencia de Sanchez, which should be releasing Pechuga and other infused mezcals in the United States soon.