The Imprint Left Behind

Issue No. 107 — July 11, 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

Brand: Wilderness Trail

Distillery: Wilderness Trail Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: 6 Year

Color: Rich amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $60–$75

Mash Bill: 51% Corn, 45% Wheat, 4% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American white oak (Level 4 char)

Single Barrel: Yes

Wheated: Yes

Nose: Warm butterscotch and ripe red apple lead, followed by a wave of soft wheat and toasted vanilla. Underneath sits a thread of caramel corn and faint floral sweetness.

Palate: The entry is creamy and buttery, with maple syrup and baked cherry developing across the mid-palate. Charred oak emerges gradually, providing structure without bitterness, while a gentle wheat sweetness ties it together.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering butterscotch, a touch of leather, and fading vanilla bean. The wheat influence keeps the close soft and approachable.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Butterscotch, Cherry, Wheat, Charred Oak, Maple Syrup

The Verdict: Wilderness Trail's scientific approach to fermentation pays clear dividends here. This wheated single barrel delivers a remarkably balanced pour that rewards patience and attention. It's a textbook example of how grain selection can shape personality without relying on extreme age or proof.

Classification: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Glen Scotia

Distillery: Glen Scotia Distillery

Proof: 108.4 (54.2% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep mahogany with ruby reflections

MSRP: $75–$95

Region: Campbeltown

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in traditional copper pot stills

Maturation: Matured in first-fill bourbon barrels, finished in deeply charred oak casks

Cask Type: First-fill bourbon barrels, deeply charred oak finish

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Dark chocolate and dried fig open the nose, followed by charred vanilla and a briny maritime note. Clove spice and a hint of smoky oak develop as it breathes.

Palate: Full-bodied and intense, with waves of cocoa, dried fruit, and honey-coated malt. A coastal salinity runs through the mid-palate, while deep-charred cask influence delivers roasted espresso and caramel sweetness.

Finish: Exceptionally long, with smoky vanilla, lingering clove, and a fading maritime minerality. The deep char influence persists beautifully.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Cocoa (Dark), Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Smoky, Honey, Vanilla

The Verdict: Victoriana showcases what deep-charred casks can achieve at cask strength. Glen Scotia's Campbeltown character — that briny, slightly industrial edge — weaves through the rich sherry and charred oak influence to produce something unmistakably place-driven. This is bold whisky with a clear sense of origin.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Waterford

Distillery: Waterford Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Bright gold with pale straw edges

MSRP: $85–$110

Mash Bill: 100% Irish-grown Heritage Barley

Distillation: Double distilled

Maturation: Combination of first-fill American oak, virgin oak, and French oak casks

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, natural color

Nose: Ripe peach and honeycomb open first, followed by toasted almond and a gentle waxiness. Fresh-cut grass emerges alongside a subtle vanilla sweetness from the oak.

Palate: Richly textured with layers of honey, orchard fruit, and malt. A creamy mid-palate gives way to earthy cereal notes and delicate clove spice. The terroir-driven barley character is distinct and identifiable.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering peach, a whisper of cocoa, and a clean grassy freshness. The barley's imprint is unmistakable through the close.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Almond, Green (Cut Grass), Clove Spice

The Verdict: Waterford's obsession with terroir reaches its most concentrated expression in the Micro Cuvée range. Lomhar gathers whiskey from their most expressive single farm origins into a blend that amplifies rather than averages their character. It's Irish whiskey for people who care about where grain is grown, not just where it's distilled.

Classification: Extra Añejo Tequila

Brand: Siete Leguas

Distillery: Tequila Siete Leguas

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 5 Year

Color: Deep burnished amber with mahogany edges

MSRP: $150–$190

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, tahona crushed, naturally fermented, copper pot distilled

NOM: NOM 1120

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave and butterscotch form the foundation, layered with dark chocolate, dried tobacco leaf, and a subtle oakiness. Vanilla and cinnamon emerge with time in the glass.

Palate: Silky and complex, with roasted agave sweetness balanced by leather, espresso, and earthy minerality. The oak influence is well-integrated — present but never dominant — with caramel and baking spice building through the mid-palate.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering tobacco, dark chocolate, and a sweet agave echo that keeps the spirit grounded in its origins. A touch of pepper adds a final spark.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Tobacco, Leather, Vanilla, Cinnamon

The Verdict: Siete Leguas has produced tequila since the 1950s, and D'Antaño demonstrates what happens when traditional methods meet extended aging without losing the agave's voice. Where many extra añejos taste more like brandy than tequila, this one remembers exactly what it is. The tahona and brick oven foundation keeps the cooked agave front and center.

Classification: London Dry Gin

Brand: Copperhead

Distillery: Stokerij De Moor

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $35–$45

Style: London Dry

Botanicals: Juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seed, cardamom, orange peel

Base Spirit: Grain Neutral Spirit

Distillation: Single-shot distillation in copper pot stills

Nose: Angelica root and coriander open the nose, with juniper emerging in a woody, resinous register rather than bright green. Subtle cardamom warmth and citrus peel add complexity.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a silky texture. Juniper leads but stays restrained, allowing angelica and coriander seed to shape the mid-palate. Dried orange peel and a hint of peppery spice emerge late, with a subtle floral sweetness from the botanicals.

Finish: Clean and moderately long, with lingering angelica earthiness and a dry juniper fade. The peppery warmth persists pleasantly.

Gin Kit Aromas: Angelica, Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Coriander, Orange, Peppery

The Verdict: Named after the copper alembic stills used in production — not the snake — Copperhead delivers a gin that prioritizes balance and integration over botanical fireworks. The angelica root gives it an earthy backbone that many contemporary gins lack, while the juniper stays classic without being nostalgic. An excellent all-purpose gin.

Classification: Clairin Ansyen (Aged Haitian Rum)

Brand: Clairin

Distillery: Distillerie Le Rocher

Proof: 97.6 (48.8% ABV)

Age: 2-Year

Color: Pale gold with green tints

MSRP: $55–$75

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice from native Haitian cane varieties

Distillation: Single distillation in copper pot still

Nose: Wild tropical fruit and sugarcane juice leap from the glass, followed by funky banana and a hint of citrus zest. There's a grassy, vegetal quality underneath, with faint vanilla from the brief cask aging.

Palate: Vibrant and alive, with agricole-like freshness married to young oak sweetness. Tropical fruits — mango, overripe banana — compete with earthy sugarcane and a light toffee note from the barrel. The texture is oily and full despite the relatively low proof.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering tropical fruit, a pleasant fusel oil warmth, and a clean grassy fade. The oak's contribution is subtle but present, adding structure without weight.

Rum Kit Aromas: Agricole, Banana, Tropical Fruits, Toffee, Citrus (Generic)

The Verdict: Clairin represents rum's most transparent tradition — wild fermentation, native sugarcane, and minimal intervention. This 24-month aged expression shows how even brief cask contact can add dimension without erasing character. It's raw, honest, and completely unlike anything else in the rum world. For drinkers tired of caramel-flavored spirits, this is a reset button.

Classification: Chambolle-Musigny AOC

Brand: Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé

ABV: 13.0%

Primary Varietal: Pinot Noir

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Vineyards: Various village-level and declassified premier/grand cru parcels in Chambolle-Musigny

Maturation: Destemmed, cold maceration, fermented in open-top wooden vats with native yeasts, aged in French oak

Color: Luminous ruby with garnet rim

MSRP: $90–$130

Nose: Perfumed red cherry and wild rose open with immediate elegance. Beneath the fruit sits a fine-grained minerality, a whisper of cedar, and a violet-tinged floral complexity that deepens with air.

Palate: Silky and precise, with cherry and berry fruit wrapped in gossamer tannins. A thread of mint and gentle toasted oak add structure without weight. The mid-palate shows remarkable purity, with the fruit and mineral components in perfect conversation.

Finish: Long and ethereal, with lingering cherry, violet, and a clean mineral fade that pulls you back for another sip.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Floral (Rose), Violet, Cedar, Mint

The Verdict: Vogüé's village-level Chambolle routinely outperforms many producers' premier crus. The 2021 vintage delivered freshness and definition, and this estate's old-vine fruit — much of it declassified from grand cru parcels — gives this wine a depth that belies its appellation. It's the kind of Burgundy that makes the whole category make sense.

Classification: Alsace Grand Cru AOC

Brand: Domaine Albert Boxler

ABV: 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Riesling

Blend: 100% Riesling

Vineyards: Grand Cru Sommerberg, pink granite soils at 250–400m elevation, steep south-facing slopes

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, spontaneous fermentation in old oak foudres, extended lees aging

Color: Pale gold with brilliant green reflections

MSRP: $55–$80

Nose: Explosive citrus — grapefruit and Meyer lemon — opens alongside crushed granite and white flower notes. Green apple emerges with air, followed by a subtle honeyed depth that hints at the vineyard's sun-drenched exposure.

Palate: Taut and laser-focused, with citrus zest and green apple framed by a driving mineral acidity. A mid-palate richness of honey and white peach flesh adds weight without softness. The granite terroir imparts a chalky, textural quality that gives the wine its spine.

Finish: Long, dry, and intensely mineral, with citrus pith and a persistent saline quality that lingers well beyond the swallow.

Wine Kit Aromas: Citrus (Generic), Apple (Green), Honey, Gooseberry, Toasted

The Verdict: Boxler's Sommerberg is one of Alsace's most compelling grand cru Rieslings. The 2022 vintage brought warmth and generosity, but Boxler's signature restraint keeps the wine vertical and focused. This is Riesling as geological document — the pink granite of Sommerberg stamped into every sip. Age-worthy but already singing.

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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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