Issue 125 · July 29, 2026
The Margin of Dawn
Theme: First Light Distilled
Issue 125 traces the liminal edge where darkness meets illumination — that precise moment when raw ingredients surrender to transformation, and clarity emerges from the obscure.
There is a sliver of time each morning when the world is neither dark nor light. It's the margin — the threshold where everything is possible and nothing is yet defined. In craft beverages, that same liminal quality exists: the instant when fermentation catches, when distillate clears, when a wine finds its voice in the barrel. This issue is about those transitional moments and the bottles they produce.
From a high-rye bourbon that walks the line between grain sweetness and spice to a white wine from volcanic slopes that channels mineral tension into something radiant, today's eight selections each occupy an edge. They are products of transformation — caught at the precise point where raw material becomes art.
Today's aroma focus traces the boundary between earthy and bright — from charred oak and peat smoke to green grass and citrus zest. Pay attention to how each product balances its darker, rooted aromas against lighter, more volatile top notes. That tension is where character lives.
Don’t see your special bottle? Request a review at reviews.schoolofwineandspirits.com/request-review — we’ll get to it. See every bottle we’ve reviewed to date at reviews.schoolofwineandspirits.com.
Bourbon Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #11
Blended under the direction of Dan Call and Steve Nally at Bardstown Bourbon Company's state-of-the-art facility in the heart of Kentucky's bourbon country, this eleventh Discovery release marries whiskeys sourced from Tennessee and Kentucky with their own distillate.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Blend
Brand: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company
Proof: 113.8 (56.9% ABV)
Age: Blend of 13, 14, and 17 Year
Color: Deep burnished copper with mahogany edges
MSRP: $130–$150
Mash Bill: Blend — varies by sourced component, primarily corn-heavy with high-rye accent
Barrel Type: New American charred oak
Nose: Roasted pecans, dark caramel, and tobacco leaf open first, followed by dried orange peel and a dusting of brown spices. Beneath it all lies a subtle earthiness — leather and old oak giving structure to the sweetness.
Palate: Dense and layered with butterscotch, charred oak, and cherry cola. Mid-palate reveals dark cocoa and rye spice, with a viscous, almost chewy mouthfeel. The high proof integrates seamlessly, providing warmth rather than burn.
Finish: Long and drying, with lingering charred oak, tobacco, and maple syrup fading slowly into toasted grain.
Cocktail — Margin Old Fashioned — 2 oz Bardstown Discovery #11 · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over ice, strain into rocks glass over large cube, express orange peel.
Pair with: Slow-smoked brisket with a coffee and brown sugar rub, served alongside pickled red onion and cornbread. The smoke and char on the meat echo the bourbon's charred oak notes, while the coffee rub amplifies the cocoa undertones.
Awards: 92 points Wine Enthusiast
Scotch Whisky Ardmore Traditional Cask Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distilled at Ardmore in Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire — one of the few Highland distilleries to routinely use peated barley — and finished in quarter casks to accelerate maturation and amplify oak influence.
Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Ardmore
Distillery: Ardmore Distillery
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale straw gold
MSRP: $40–$55
Region: Highlands
Mash Bill: 100% malted barley (peated)
Distillation: Double pot still distillation
Maturation: Aged in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in quarter casks
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon barrels, quarter cask finish
Peat Level (PPM): 12–14 ppm
Chill-Filtered: Chill filtered
Nose: Gentle peat smoke weaves through honeyed malt and green cut grass. A light floral rosewater note emerges as the glass opens, with traces of vanilla and lemon peel beneath the smoke.
Palate: Creamy and medium-bodied, with honey and buttery cereal up front giving way to a measured phenolic earthiness. Mid-palate brings dried fruit and a hint of clove spice, grounded by toasted malt.
Finish: Medium-length, with lingering smoky malt and a whisper of peach sweetness on the close.
Pair with: Lightly smoked salmon on toasted sourdough with crème fraîche and dill. The gentle smoke of the whisky mirrors the fish, while the honey and malt notes complement the richness of the crème fraîche.
Irish Whiskey Dunville's Three Crowns Blended Irish Whiskey
Once Belfast's most celebrated whiskey house before falling silent in 1936, the Dunville's name was revived in 2013 by Echlinville — Northern Ireland's first new distillery license in over a century, where barley is grown, malted, and distilled on a single Ards Peninsula estate.
Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey
Brand: Dunville's
Distillery: The Echlinville Distillery
Proof: 87.8 proof (43.9% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale gold with amber highlights
MSRP: $40
Mash Bill: Blend of malted barley single malt and column-distilled grain whiskey (predominantly maize)
Distillation: Malt component pot-distilled; grain component column-distilled
Maturation: Matured in first-fill and refill ex-bourbon American oak casks
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Soft orchard fruit — ripe pear and green apple — layered over vanilla cream, warm shortbread, and a whisper of toasted almond.
Palate: Silky and rounded, opening with honeyed malt and stewed apple, moving into gentle baking spice, buttered brioche, and a light citrus lift.
Finish: Medium-length, clean and creamy, with lingering vanilla, dried apricot, and a soft grassy note that trails off warmly.
Cocktail — The Kircubbin Sunrise — 2 oz Dunville's Three Crowns, 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice, 0.5 oz honey syrup (2:1), 2 dashes orange bitters. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, express an orange peel over the surface.
Pair with: Aged Coolea cheese with brown bread and heather honey, or seared scallops with brown butter.
Awards: Gold, Irish Whiskey Masters (Spirits Business); Multiple category medals at the Irish Whiskey Awards
Tequila Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength
Crafted by Guillermo Erickson Sauza, fifth-generation descendant of Don Cenobio Sauza, at the family's original 1873 distillery in Tequila — where volcanic-stone tahonas still crush agave harvested by hand from estate fields at the foot of the volcano.
Classification: Blend (Blanco, Reposado, Añejo blend), Still Strength
Brand: Fortaleza
Distillery: Destilería La Fortaleza (Tequila Los Abuelos)
Proof: 92 proof (46% ABV)
Age: NAS (blend of Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo)
Color: Pale straw gold with a soft amber tint
MSRP: $150
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave
Cooking Method: Agave slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, crushed by tahona and roller mill, open-air fermentation with native yeasts in wooden tanks, double-distilled in small copper pot stills. Bottled at still strength without dilution; a proprietary blend of Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo components.
NOM: NOM-1493
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: A luminous opening of cooked agave and warm honey rises first, followed by bright citrus peel, sweet cream, and a whisper of vanilla-touched oak. Beneath sits damp earth, crushed black pepper, and a faint herbal breeze of mint and eucalyptus.
Palate: Silky and viscous, the palate delivers pronounced roasted agave sweetness braided with caramel, buttered brioche, and orange oil. Mid-palate opens into cinnamon, gentle oak tannin, and a mineral streak reminiscent of wet stone from the Sauza family's historic estate.
Finish: Long and gently warming, with lingering agave nectar, black pepper, dried herbs, and a soft vanilla-oak fade. The still-strength proof adds structure without ever turning hot.
Cocktail — Amanecer en Jalisco — 2 oz Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength, 0.5 oz fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz orange blossom honey syrup (2:1 honey to warm water), 2 dashes orange bitters, grapefruit peel. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, express grapefruit peel over the surface and drop in.
Pair with: Slow-roasted pork carnitas with charred pineapple salsa, warm corn tortillas, and a squeeze of lime — the tequila's honeyed agave and citrus lift the richness while the pepper and mineral notes echo the smoky char.
Awards: Consistently ranked among the top annual limited tequila releases by Tequila Matchmaker and industry critics; each vintage sells out rapidly upon release.
Gin Kyrö Napue Rye Gin
Distilled from 100% Finnish whole-grain rye at a former dairy in the small town of Isokyrö, where five friends converted an old cheese facility into one of Finland's most acclaimed craft distilleries.
Classification: Distilled Gin
Brand: Kyrö
Distillery: Kyrö Distillery
Proof: 92.6 (46.3% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Crystal clear
MSRP: $35–$45
Style: Distilled Gin (Nordic)
Botanicals: Juniper, meadowsweet, birch leaves, sea buckthorn, cranberry, lemon peel, angelica root, coriander, chamomile
Base Spirit: 100% whole-grain Finnish rye
Distillation: Pot still distilled from 100% whole-grain rye base spirit; botanicals vapor-infused and macerated
Nose: A pronounced juniper character — both green and herbaceous — opens alongside bright lemon zest and meadowsweet. A subtle rye breadiness from the base spirit gives structure, with delicate hints of chamomile and angelica root rounding the edges.
Palate: Juniper-forward and textured, with the rye grain lending a distinctive spicy, almost peppery quality. Mid-palate brings coriander seed warmth and a gentle floral note, while birch and meadowsweet create a Nordic sweetness that is herbal rather than sugary.
Finish: Clean and lingering, with juniper pine and a gentle peppery warmth that slowly resolves into sweet meadow flowers.
Cocktail — Nordic G&T — 2 oz Kyrö Napue Gin · 4 oz premium tonic water · Squeeze of pink grapefruit · Build in copa glass over ice, garnish with a sprig of fresh dill and pink grapefruit wheel.
Pair with: Cured salmon gravlax with a sweet mustard and dill sauce on rye crispbread. The gin's rye base echoes the crispbread, while the juniper and herbal botanicals complement the cure spices on the salmon.
Awards: Gold Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition
Rum Habitation Velier Hampden DOK 2010
Selected by Luca Gargano of Velier from Hampden Estate's DOK marque — one of the distillery's highest-ester marks — distilled in 2010 and aged entirely in the Jamaican tropics before bottling without additives or dilution.
Classification: Single Distillery Jamaican Rum
Brand: Habitation Velier
Distillery: Hampden Estate Distillery
Proof: 124.6 (62.3% ABV)
Age: 10-Year
Color: Deep amber with golden highlights
MSRP: $750
Base Ingredients: Molasses
Distillation: Pot still distillation (copper retort and double retort), DOK marque
Nose: An explosive nose of overripe tropical fruits — mango, papaya, and banana — alongside pungent funk and a distinct burnt rubber note that marks high-ester Jamaican rum. Beneath the fruit sits caramel, oak, and a medicinal edge of camphor. With time, dried fruit and vanilla emerge.
Palate: Full-bodied and intensely concentrated. Tropical fruits and molasses dominate the entry, followed by leather, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee. The high proof delivers power without aggression — there's a surprising creaminess mid-palate, with toffee and oak spice keeping the fruit in check.
Finish: Very long and complex, with lingering tropical fruit, burnt rubber funk, oak tannin, and a final wave of dried fruit and tobacco.
Pair with: Slow-roasted jerk pork belly with mango chutney and charred pineapple. The rum's tropical fruit intensity finds a natural partner in the mango, while the jerk spice and char bridge to the spirit's oak, leather, and smoky funk.
Red Wine Sottimano Barbaresco Currà DOCG 2020
Produced by Andrea Sottimano from the family's prized Currà cru in the commune of Neive, where Nebbiolo vines planted on marl and clay soils at 300 meters elevation produce one of Barbaresco's most aromatic and structured expressions.
Classification: Barbaresco DOCG
Brand: Sottimano
ABV: 14.5%
Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyards: Currà cru, Neive, Barbaresco
Maturation: Destemmed, fermented in stainless steel with submerged cap, malolactic in barrique
Color: Medium ruby red with garnet edges
MSRP: $65–$85
Nose: Lifted aromatics of wild cherry, dried rose petals, and violet open into tar, forest floor, and a woody undertone of aged cedar. A subtle minty freshness weaves through the darker notes.
Palate: Elegant yet firmly structured. Cherry and berry fruit dominate the entry, underpinned by fine-grained tannins and a cedar-spice framework. Mid-palate introduces toasted hazelnut and a gentle earthiness. The acidity is bright and focused, carrying the flavors through a long, linear progression.
Finish: Lengthy and refined, with lingering cherry, violet, and a woody spice that resolves into a clean, mineral close.
Pair with: Slowly braised rabbit with dried porcini mushrooms, fresh thyme, and soft polenta. The gamey richness of the rabbit complements the wine's structure and earthy undertones, while the porcini echo its forest floor aromatics.
Awards: 93 points James Suckling
White Wine Domaine Marc Tempé Riesling Zellenberg 2023
Crafted by Marc and Anne-Marie Tempé on their biodynamic estate in the village of Zellenberg, where Riesling vines rooted in granite and marl soils are harvested by hand, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and aged on fine lees in old foudres.
Classification: Alsace AOC
Brand: Domaine Marc Tempé
ABV: 14.0%
Primary Varietal: Riesling
Blend: 100% Riesling
Vineyards: Zellenberg lieu-dit, granite and marl soils
Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts, aged on fine lees in old foudres, biodynamic certification (Demeter)
Color: Pale gold with green-silver highlights
MSRP: $28–$38
Nose: Bright citrus — lime zest and white grapefruit — leaps from the glass, followed by green apple and a distinct flinty minerality. Delicate floral notes of white wildflowers and a hint of honey add nuance to an otherwise taut, precise nose.
Palate: Dry and focused with racy acidity. Green apple and citrus drive the entry, supported by a chalky, mineral mid-palate that gives the wine real texture and grip. A subtle honeyed richness emerges on the second pass, along with a whisper of toasted almond that hints at the biodynamic lees work.
Finish: Long and energetic, with persistent citrus, green apple, and a saline mineral note that keeps pulling you back.
Pair with: Traditional Alsatian tarte flambée with thin-rolled dough, crème fraîche, caramelized onions, and smoked lardons. The wine's acidity cuts through the richness of the cream, while its mineral backbone matches the savory, smoky character of the dish.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
Today's aroma focus traces the boundary between earthy and bright — from charred oak and peat smoke to green grass and citrus zest. Pay attention to how each product balances its darker, rooted aromas against lighter, more volatile top notes. That tension is where character lives.
Each product in today's lineup connects to a specific aroma profile you can train with your kit. Whether it's the charred oak of the bourbon, the coastal brine of the scotch, or the agave earthiness of the tequila — your nose is the instrument. Use the kit references below to isolate each aroma before your next pour, then see if you catch it in the glass.
Today's Kit Reference
| Today's Product | Key Aromas | Train With |
|---|---|---|
| Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #11 (Bourbon) | Pecan, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Tobacco, Cherry | Bourbon Kit |
| Ardmore Traditional Cask Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky) | Peaty, Honey, Malt, Smoky, Vanilla | Whisky Kit |
| Dunville's Three Crowns Blended Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Vanilla, Honey, Malt, Almond, Buttery, Green (Cut Grass) | Whiskey Kit |
| Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Honey, Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Pepper, Vanilla, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes) | Tequila Kit |
| Kyrö Napue Rye Gin (Gin) | Juniper (Green), Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Lemon, Meadowsweet, Peppery, Chamomile | Gin Kit |
| Habitation Velier Hampden DOK 2010 (Rum) | Tropical Fruits, Banana, Burnt Rubber, Oak, Toffee, Leather | Rum Kit |
| Sottimano Barbaresco Currà DOCG 2020 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Violet, Floral (Rose), Cedar, Woody, Mint | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Marc Tempé Riesling Zellenberg 2023 (White Wine) | Citrus (Generic), Apple (Green), Honey, Toasted, Marzipan | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Train your palate to identify these specific aromas with the School of Wine and Spirits Aroma Kit — the same reference standards used in our certification programs. Our Aroma Masterclass Kits are designed to teach it to you, one aroma at a time.
Our books on Amazon go deeper into the science and history behind every sip — from America's Spirit, Scotland's Spirit, Ireland's Spirit, The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, Chablis, and Côte d'Or pocket guides.
Explore our Aroma Masterclass kits and books at schoolofwineandspirits.com
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The margin between tasting and understanding is narrower than you think — one good training tool can close it for good.
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Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
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.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #11
Bardstown Bourbon Company
Discovery Series #11 demonstrates the art of multi-source blending at its finest. The older components provide depth and gravitas while the younger bourbon brings energy and spice. A serious bourbon for serious contemplation.
Ardmore Traditional Cask Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Ardmore
Ardmore Traditional Cask occupies an unusual space — a Highland whisky that carries honest peat without overwhelming delicacy. It's an accessible entry into peated malts, offering enough complexity to reward close attention while remaining approachable for newcomers to smoke.
Kyrö Napue Rye Gin
Kyrö
Kyrö demonstrates that a gin's base spirit is not merely a canvas — the whole-grain rye distillate here actively shapes the flavor, contributing texture and breadth that grain-neutral spirits cannot. Combined with wild-foraged Nordic botanicals, this is a gin rooted deeply in its landscape.
Habitation Velier Hampden DOK 2010
Habitation Velier
This is Hampden at its most unapologetic. The DOK marque produces extremely high-ester rum, and ten years of tropical aging have not tamed it — they've given it depth. This is a rum for the collector and the adventurer, not the faint of heart. Every sip reveals a new facet.
Sottimano Barbaresco Currà DOCG 2020
Sottimano
Sottimano's Currà vineyard sits on the steep hills of Neive, and the 2020 vintage gave wines of concentration and poise. This Barbaresco balances power with precision — the Nebbiolo tannins are present but polished, and the floral aromatics lift what could easily be a brooding wine. Drink now through 2035.
Domaine Marc Tempé Riesling Zellenberg 2023
Domaine Marc Tempé
Marc Tempé's biodynamic Riesling from the granite-rich soils of Zellenberg delivers intensity without weight. The 2023 vintage produced wines of remarkable freshness in Alsace, and this bottling channels that energy into a laser-focused expression of site. Outstanding value for the quality on offer.
Dunville's Three Crowns Blended Irish Whiskey
Dunville's
A polished, easygoing blend that punches above its price — the resurrected Dunville's name in modern form, showcasing Echlinville's growing confidence with sourced and estate stocks.
Fortaleza Winter Blend Still Strength
Fortaleza
A masterclass in blending from one of tequila's most revered estates — Winter Blend distills the essence of Fortaleza's three core expressions into a single, sunlit pour that rewards contemplative sipping.
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