The Grain Beneath Glass

Issue No. 104 — July 8, 2026

Your daily discovery of 8 exceptional wines and spirits

In This Issue

Bourbon Scotch Whisky Irish Whiskey Tequila Gin Rum Red Wine White Wine

Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bottled in Bond)

Brand: New Riff

Distillery: New Riff Distilling

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: 4 Year

Color: Rich amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $40–$50

Mash Bill: 65% corn, 30% rye, 5% malted barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak (53-gallon)

Bottled in Bond: Yes

Nose: Caramel and rye spice hit first, followed by baked apple and a waft of toasted oak. There is a subtle floral quality underneath—almost carnation—that becomes more pronounced with time in the glass.

Palate: Medium-full body with a burst of brown spice and butterscotch. Corn sweetness anchors the mid-palate while charred oak and a peppery rye note add tension. A touch of leather emerges on the second sip.

Finish: Moderate to long, with charred oak and lingering caramel sweetness. A dry rye spice lingers at the edges.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Rye, Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Leather

The Verdict: New Riff's BiB is proof that transparency in production translates to transparency in the glass. The non-chill-filtered, sour mash approach with a high-rye mash bill produces a bourbon of clarity and conviction. At this price point, it overdelivers consistently.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Tomatin

Distillery: Tomatin Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Deep gold with amber edges

MSRP: $90–$110

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Copper pot still, double distilled

Maturation: First-fill oloroso sherry casks and refill bourbon barrels

Cask Type: Oloroso sherry casks and refill bourbon barrels

Peat Level (PPM): 0

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Ripe peach and dried apricot lead, supported by honeyed malt and a whisper of oloroso sherry influence. A faint vanilla thread connects to toasted oak notes underneath.

Palate: Silky and medium-bodied, with honey and buttery shortbread giving way to clove spice and a gentle cocoa note. Dried fruit swells mid-palate, balanced by a clean malt backbone.

Finish: Long and warming, with woody spice and lingering dried fruit. A soft vanilla sweetness closes things out gracefully.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Clove Spice, Dried Fruit, Vanilla, Woody

The Verdict: Tomatin 18 is one of the Highlands' most underrated age-statement malts. The combination of first-fill oloroso sherry casks and refill bourbon barrels creates a layered, elegant whisky that never shouts. It rewards careful attention with steady, deepening complexity.

Classification: Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Brand: Glendalough

Distillery: Glendalough Distillery

Proof: 84 (42% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $30–$40

Mash Bill: Corn and malted barley

Distillation: Column distilled

Maturation: Bourbon barrels, finished in oloroso sherry casks

Chill-Filtered: Chill filtered

Nose: Green cut grass and fresh pear open the nose, followed by creamy vanilla and a touch of coconut. A light honeyed sweetness rounds out a surprisingly complex introduction for a grain whiskey.

Palate: Light to medium body with buttery cereal and a burst of orchard fruit. The bourbon barrel finishing adds caramel warmth, while a floral note—faint rosewater—adds unexpected dimension. The grain base keeps things clean and approachable.

Finish: Short to medium, with vanilla and a lingering green freshness. Clean and crisp exit.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Green (Cut Grass), Vanilla, Coconut, Honey, Buttery

The Verdict: Glendalough's Double Barrel single grain challenges the assumption that grain whiskey is inherently less interesting than malt or pot still. The double maturation—first in bourbon barrels, then in oloroso sherry casks—adds layers that the grain base delivers with transparency. An excellent introduction to Irish grain whiskey.

Classification: Tequila Blanco (Plata)

Brand: Gran Centenario

Distillery: La Rojeña Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with silver brilliance

MSRP: $25–$35

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Slow-cooked in traditional stone ovens, double distilled in copper pot stills, brief rest in new American oak

NOM: NOM 1122

Nose: Bright cooked agave and citrus zest—lime and grapefruit—dominate the opening. Green herbal notes and a subtle white pepper follow. A faint minerality emerges underneath, suggesting volcanic soil.

Palate: Clean entry with agave sweetness balanced by grassy freshness. Citrus continues on the palate with added depth from a slight yeasty, bready quality. White pepper builds gently toward the back.

Finish: Medium length, with a clean agave fade and a peppery warmth that lingers. Refreshingly dry.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Grass, Pepper, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes)

The Verdict: Gran Centenario Plata demonstrates that entry-level tequila need not sacrifice character. The selección suave process—a brief rest in new American oak—adds a whisper of complexity without masking the agave. This is an honest blanco that works beautifully in cocktails but merits straight sipping on its own.

Classification: American Dry Gin

Brand: Death's Door

Distillery: Death's Door Spirits

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $30–$40

Style: American Dry

Botanicals: Juniper berries, coriander seed, fennel seed

Base Spirit: Hard red winter wheat and malted barley

Distillation: Pot distilled

Nose: Juniper leads cleanly but without aggression, joined by coriander seed and a fennel-like sweetness. Gentle citrus—lemon zest—drifts through with a faintly peppery edge.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a surprisingly round mouthfeel from the wheat-and-barley base spirit. Juniper stays present and herbaceous, while coriander adds warm spice. A subtle fennel sweetness persists through the mid-palate, balanced by a dry, peppery finish.

Finish: Medium length, with lingering juniper and a dry, spicy close. Clean and refreshing.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Coriander, Lemon, Peppery

The Verdict: Death's Door proves that a short botanical bill—just three botanicals—can produce a gin of remarkable depth. The base spirit, made from hard red winter wheat and malted barley grown on Washington Island, Wisconsin, provides a creamy foundation. This is a gin that trusts its ingredients rather than hiding behind complexity.

Classification: Single Cask Aged Rum

Brand: Plantation

Distillery: South Pacific Distilleries

Proof: 100.4 (50.2% ABV)

Age: 5-Year

Color: Warm amber with golden highlights

MSRP: $50–$70

Base Ingredients: Sugarcane molasses

Distillation: Pot still blend

Nose: Tropical fruits—pineapple and mango—burst from the glass alongside rich vanilla and coconut. Deeper underneath, toffee and toasted oak provide a warm foundation. A hint of citrus zest brightens the edges.

Palate: Full-bodied and viscous, with caramel and molasses sweetness balanced by oak spice and a dry tannic grip. Tropical fruits continue from the nose, joined by a subtle coffee note mid-palate. The cask strength proof carries everything without heat.

Finish: Long and layered, with toffee, oak, and a lingering tropical fruit sweetness. Spice gently fades to a clean, warm close.

Rum Kit Aromas: Tropical Fruits, Vanilla, Coconut, Toffee, Oak, Coffee

The Verdict: This Fiji single cask bottling from Plantation delivers the transparency that the series is designed to showcase—a specific distillery, a specific year, a single cask's personality on display. The double aging in Fiji and then in Ferrand cognac casks in France adds structural complexity while preserving the distillery's characteristically lush tropical profile.

Classification: Monthelie Rouge AOC

Brand: Domaine Roulot

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Pinot Noir

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Vineyards: Monthelie village parcels, limestone and clay soils

Maturation: Partial whole-cluster fermentation, gentle extraction, aged 14 months in French oak (15% new)

Color: Bright ruby with garnet rim

MSRP: $50–$70

Nose: Fresh cherry and crushed raspberry lead, with a violet floral note adding perfume. Underneath, subtle earthy tones and a touch of toasted oak emerge, grounding the fruit.

Palate: Medium-bodied with silky tannins and a vibrant acidity that keeps the wine energetic. Cherry fruit continues from the nose, joined by a savory, almost gamey quality and a whisper of cedar. The oak influence is restrained, present only as structure.

Finish: Medium length, with cherry and violet lingering alongside fine-grained tannins. Clean and refreshing.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Violet, Gamey, Cedar, Berry (Generic)

The Verdict: Jean-Marc Roulot is rightly famous for his whites, but this Monthelie Rouge demonstrates his sensitivity to Pinot Noir as well. The 2021 vintage gives bright fruit and good acidity, and Roulot's light hand in the cellar allows the terroir to speak. A Burgundy red that offers genuine transparency of place at a fraction of premier cru pricing.

Classification: Touraine AOC

Brand: Domaine de la Garrelière

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc

Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc

Vineyards: Estate vineyards in Razines, silex and clay soils

Vinification: Whole-cluster pressed, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, aged on fine lees in stainless steel

Color: Pale straw with green-gold glints

MSRP: $18–$25

Nose: Bright gooseberry and green apple open the nose, followed by cut grass and a touch of white floral. A flinty minerality runs beneath, giving the aromatics a sense of precision.

Palate: Crisp and lean with vibrant acidity. Citrus and gooseberry dominate, supported by a green herbal note and a faint chalky texture on the mid-palate. The biodynamic farming reads as purity—nothing extraneous, nothing masked.

Finish: Clean and brisk, with lingering citrus and a mineral snap. Refreshing and precise.

Wine Kit Aromas: Gooseberry, Apple (Green), Green (Cut Grass), Citrus (Generic), Mint

The Verdict: This biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc from the southern Loire offers a study in transparency. François Plouzeau's estate, certified biodynamic since 2006, produces wines that taste like the soil they come from. The Cendrillon bottling is all tension and minerality—Sauvignon Blanc stripped to its essentials, with nothing to hide and nothing wasted.

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Robert R. Mohr, CPA, CGMA, WSET Level 3, WSG Certified Spirits Specialist — author of America's Spirit, Scotland's Spirit, Ireland's Spirit, The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, The Definitive Pocket Guide to Chablis, The Definitive Pocket Guide to the Côte d'Or, and Strategic Tuning. Published author of the Aroma Academy Tequila/Mezcal and Distiller's training kits.

The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.

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