The Scent of Distance

Issue No. 113 — July 17, 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: Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Brand: Penelope Bourbon

Distillery: MGP of Indiana / Penelope Bourbon

Proof: 95 (47.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Rich amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $60–$75

Mash Bill: Four Grain: Corn, Wheat, Rye, Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak, finished in toasted barrels

Nose: Opens with toasted marshmallow and vanilla bean, followed by dried orange peel and brown sugar. A secondary wave brings warm baking spices and faint leather.

Palate: Buttery caramel dominates the entry, moving into charred oak and a distinct maple sweetness. The mid-palate reveals toasted pecans and a gentle rye spice that provides structure without aggression.

Finish: Medium-long with butterscotch and lingering charred oak. A whisper of tobacco emerges as the warmth fades.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Pecan, Maple Syrup, Tobacco

The Verdict: Penelope's toasted barrel treatment adds a layer of confectionary depth that elevates a solid four-grain bourbon into something genuinely compelling. It strikes a careful balance between sweetness and structure, making it equally at home neat or in a stirred cocktail.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Clynelish

Distillery: Clynelish Distillery

Proof: 96.6 (48.3% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $180–$220

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged 18 years in refill American oak and European oak casks

Cask Type: Refilled American Oak

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Bright coastal wax opens into honeyed stone fruit, followed by a gentle floral quality reminiscent of rosewater. Beneath it all sits a subtle maritime brine and vanilla custard.

Palate: Waxy and full on the palate, with ripe peach and honey taking the lead. The mid-palate introduces clove spice and a fine malt character, while a thread of coastal minerality provides tension throughout.

Finish: Long and gently smoky with lingering honeycomb and a touch of white pepper. The signature waxy texture persists.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Peach, Floral (Rosewater), Clove Spice, Smoky

The Verdict: Clynelish at 18 years is a masterclass in Highland elegance. The distillery's distinctive waxy character serves as a canvas for layered fruit and coastal notes, resulting in a whisky that rewards slow, attentive drinking. This is distance measured in decades.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Egan's

Distillery: Contract distilled for P. & H. Egan Ltd.

Proof: 94 proof (47% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Burnished amber with copper glints

MSRP: $50 - $55 USD

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Triple-distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Fully matured in first-fill virgin American oak casks

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Toasted vanilla pod, warm shortbread, and orchard pear rise first, followed by honeyed malt, freshly sawn oak, and a whisper of coconut husk. A gentle floral lift — chamomile and dried apple blossom — rounds out the aromatic frame.

Palate: Rich and creamy on entry, with a wave of vanilla custard, buttered brioche, and clover honey. The virgin oak asserts itself through cinnamon bark, toasted almond, and a light char sweetness, while ripe stone fruit and malted barley provide balancing weight.

Finish: Long and warming, drifting from baking spice into dry oak tannin and a lingering echo of vanilla and orange peel. Faintly nutty and gently drying.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Vanilla, Malt, Honey, Woody, Almond, Orange

The Verdict: A confident, expressive single malt that showcases what virgin American oak can coax from Irish malt — richer and spicier than sherry-cask peers, and a compelling introduction to the modern Egan's revival.

Classification: Extra Añejo Tequila

Brand: Arette

Distillery: Tequila Arette / Destiladora de Tequila y Licores El Llano

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 3+ Year

Color: Deep mahogany with amber edges

MSRP: $90–$120

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, roller mill extracted, natural fermentation

NOM: NOM 1109

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Rich cooked agave and butterscotch intertwine with dark chocolate and baking spices. Oak is prominent but measured, letting vanilla and dried fruit come through. A hint of pipe tobacco lingers in the background.

Palate: Full-bodied entry of caramel and roasted agave, with cinnamon and nutmeg adding warmth. The mid-palate opens into dried stone fruit and a subtle coffee bitterness that adds dimension. Oak is well-integrated, never dominating.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering vanilla, leather, and a final whisper of dark chocolate. The agave sweetness persists admirably despite the extended aging.

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

The Verdict: Arette's Artesanal Suave Extra Añejo demonstrates what happens when excellent agave meets patient aging without losing its identity. The wood influence is generous but never obscures the agave's voice. This is a tequila for sipping slowly, ideally after dinner.

Classification: Distilled Gin

Brand: Tanqueray

Distillery: Cameronbridge Distillery

Proof: 94.6 (47.3% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $35–$45

Style: Citrus-forward London Dry style

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, chamomile, fresh grapefruit, fresh orange, fresh lime, fresh lemon

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: Small-batch distilled in the Tiny Ten copper pot still with whole fresh citrus

Nose: Bright grapefruit zest leads, followed by lemon verbena and a crisp juniper backbone. Beneath the citrus lies a gentle chamomile softness and a whisper of white pepper.

Palate: Silky entry with prominent grapefruit and coriander seed, giving way to a floral mid-palate of chamomile and lavender. The juniper is present throughout — green and herbal rather than resinous — providing structure without heaviness.

Finish: Clean and lingering, with grapefruit pith and a dry, peppery fade. The juniper returns in the final moments.

Gin Kit Aromas: Grapefruit, Juniper (Green), Chamomile, Lemon, Peppery

The Verdict: Tanqueray's Tiny Ten format delivers the same fresh-citrus-forward profile that made No. Ten a modern classic. The grapefruit-juniper interplay is effortlessly balanced, and the chamomile adds a dimension that keeps this from being just another citrus gin. Versatile in cocktails, excellent with a quality tonic.

Classification: Aged Puerto Rican Rum

Brand: Ron del Barrilito

Distillery: Hacienda Santa Ana

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 10+ Year

Color: Deep amber with mahogany rim

MSRP: $65–$80

Base Ingredients: Sugarcane molasses

Distillation: Column and Pot Still Distilled

Nose: Dark toffee and dried fruit open into gentle oak and a distinctive sherry influence. There is a secondary note of roasted coffee bean and a hint of orange zest that adds brightness.

Palate: Velvety entry with molasses and caramel, followed by dried apricot and dark chocolate. The sherry cask influence is unmistakable — nutty and slightly tannic, with vanilla weaving throughout. A subtle tobacco note emerges on the back palate.

Finish: Long and warming, with toffee, sherry, and a final note of toasted oak. Remarkably smooth for its age, with no rough edges.

Rum Kit Aromas: Toffee, Dried Fruit, Sherry, Oak, Tobacco, Vanilla

The Verdict: Ron del Barrilito Five Star is one of Puerto Rico's best-kept secrets — a rum aged for over a decade in hand-selected sherry casks, produced in small quantities by a family that has been making rum since 1880. It stands shoulder to shoulder with far more expensive aged spirits from any category.

Classification: AOC Lirac Rouge

Brand: Domaine de la Mordorée

ABV: 14.5%

Primary Varietal: Grenache

Blend: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre

Vineyards: Lirac AOC, old-vine parcels on clay-limestone and galets roulés soils

Maturation: Destemmed, fermented in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts, gentle extraction

Color: Deep garnet with violet rim

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Concentrated dark cherry and blackcurrant, layered with garrigue herbs and a hint of violet. There is an earthy undertone — turned soil and dried herbs — with a touch of cedar from barrel aging.

Palate: Full and generous on the palate, with ripe berry fruit balanced by fine-grained tannins. The mid-palate delivers mint and a subtle gamey quality that adds savory depth. Cedar and toasted notes emerge as the wine opens.

Finish: Long and structured, with lingering blackcurrant and a dry, herbal close. The tannins are polished and persistent.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Blackcurrant, Cedar, Violet, Gamey

The Verdict: Mordorée's Lirac Rouge is a perennial overachiever — a wine from Châteauneuf-du-Pape's neighbor that delivers comparable complexity at a fraction of the price. The 2020 vintage is especially well-balanced, with ripe fruit and savory depth coexisting beautifully. This is Southern Rhône value at its finest.

Classification: AOC Vouvray Sec

Brand: Domaine de la Taille aux Loups

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: Vouvray AOC, old vines on tufa and clay-silex soils

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts in old oak barrels and stainless steel

Color: Pale gold with green reflections

MSRP: $22–$30

Nose: Bright green apple and white flowers, with an undercurrent of wet stone and honey. A hint of citrus blossom adds lift. The minerality is immediate and compelling.

Palate: Taut and precise, with green apple and citrus driving the palate. The mid-palate opens into a honeyed richness that is restrained rather than sweet, balanced by vibrant acidity. There is a chalky, mineral texture that keeps everything focused.

Finish: Long and clean, with lingering apple and a saline minerality. The honey note returns faintly in the final moments.

Wine Kit Aromas: Apple (Green), Honey, Citrus (Generic), Floral (Rose), Green (Cut Grass)

The Verdict: Jacky Blot's Vouvray Sec delivers the crystalline purity and tension that Chenin Blanc achieves in the Loire's tufa-rich soils. The 2023 vintage offers beautiful freshness with enough weight to pair with food or sip contemplatively. It is Loire Chenin at its most honest — nothing added, nothing hidden.

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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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