The Compass and the Cork

Issue No. 131 — August 4, 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, Small Batch

Brand: Rowan's Creek

Distillery: Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (Willett Distillery), Bardstown, Kentucky

Proof: 100.1 proof (50.05% ABV)

Age: NAS (reportedly aged 8–12 years)

Color: Deep amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $40

Mash Bill: Undisclosed; believed to be approximately 72% corn, 13% rye, 15% malted barley

Barrel Type: New charred American white oak

Nose: Warm honey and toasted brioche lead, followed by candied orange peel, brown sugar, and a whisper of clove-studded oak. A gentle floral note lingers beneath the sweetness.

Palate: Rich and rounded, with butterscotch, roasted pecan, and dark caramel coating the tongue. Mid-palate reveals baking spices, dried cherry, and a leather-and-tobacco undercurrent that pushes back against the sweetness.

Finish: Medium-long and warming, with lingering vanilla, charred oak, and a faint peppery rye lift. Dry but not austere, closing with dark honey.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Vanilla, Brown Spices, Butterscotch, Leather, Tobacco

The Verdict: A quietly confident small-batch bourbon that punches above its price point — proof that direction, in the hands of a storied Bardstown bottler, truly finds flavor.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Tullibardine

Distillery: Tullibardine Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Rich amber with copper tones

MSRP: $40–$55

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in first-fill Oloroso sherry casks

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon barrels, finished in Oloroso sherry butts

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Dried figs and sultanas greet the nose, followed by a wave of dark chocolate and warm clove spice. Beneath that sits a gentle maltiness and a whiff of orange zest that brightens the whole profile.

Palate: Full-bodied for its proof, with caramel and dried fruit dominating the early palate. Midway through, hazelnut and cocoa emerge alongside a buttery texture. The sherry influence is assertive but not overwhelming, allowing the malt character to hold its own.

Finish: Medium-long, trailing off on notes of clove, dried fruit, and a subtle woody dryness that grounds the sweetness.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Dried Fruit, Cocoa (Dark), Clove Spice, Caramel, Nut (Hazelnut)

The Verdict: Tullibardine's sherry finish series has long been one of Highland whisky's best-kept secrets. The 500 delivers rich, dessert-like flavors without sacrificing malt identity. At this price, it punches well above its weight class.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: Boann Distillery

Distillery: Boann Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale straw gold

MSRP: $30–$40

Mash Bill: Blend of malt and grain whiskeys

Distillation: Triple distilled (malt component) and column distilled (grain component)

Maturation: Ex-bourbon barrels

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Fresh-cut green apples and honeycomb open the nose, with a gentle floral quality reminiscent of rosewater. A whiff of vanilla and light malt follows, making for a clean and inviting introduction.

Palate: Light to medium-bodied with a creamy, buttery mouthfeel. Peach and green apple dominate early, yielding to gentle caramel sweetness at the midpoint. There's a pleasant almond note and a subtle spice that keeps things interesting without overwhelming the fruit.

Finish: Short to medium, clean and slightly honeyed, with a whisper of vanilla and fresh grain on the close.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Honey, Buttery, Peach, Vanilla, Almond

The Verdict: The Cooney family launched Boann Distillery with ambition and attention to detail, and the Blue Note Blend reflects that ethos. It's uncomplicated but not simple — a well-calibrated blend that demonstrates the distillery's emerging confidence. An excellent entry point to a producer worth tracking.

Classification: Tequila Blanco (High Proof)

Brand: Terralta

Distillery: Destiladora del Valle de Tequila (NOM 1139)

Proof: 110 (55% ABV)

Age: Unaged

Color: Crystal clear with slight viscosity

MSRP: $65–$80

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highland, Jesús María)

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, tahona and roller mill crushed, natural fermentation, copper pot distilled

NOM: NOM 1139

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Intense roasted agave leads, followed by bright citrus zest — lime and grapefruit — and a green herbal quality that recalls fresh thyme. There's minerality underneath, like wet river stones, and a faint peppery lift.

Palate: Despite the high proof, the entry is surprisingly smooth with cooked agave sweetness immediately giving way to citrus brightness and a bold mineral backbone. White pepper and a subtle earthiness develop through the mid-palate. The alcohol is present but well-integrated, amplifying flavors rather than masking them.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering agave, citrus peel, and a peppery tingle that fades slowly into clean minerality.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Pepper, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes), Herbal (Mint, Thyme, Eucalyptus)

The Verdict: Master distiller Felipe Camarena crafts this overproof blanco with the same precision he brings to his standard expressions, but the elevated proof reveals layers that lower-proof versions only hint at. This is a tequila for sipping neat or anchoring serious cocktails. Not a novelty — a statement.

Classification: Limited Release Gin

Brand: Hendrick's

Distillery: Girvan Distillery

Proof: 86.8 (43.4% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $38–$48

Style: Contemporary / Limited Release

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, rose petals, cucumber, quinine bark, wormwood, blue lotus blossom, and additional Hendrick's botanicals

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: Dual distillation: Carter-Head still and Bennett copper pot still, then blended and further infused

Nose: The familiar Hendrick's cucumber-rose signature is present but pushed into new territory by bitter quinine notes and a pronounced juniper pine character. Blue lotus blossom adds an ethereal, almost powdery floral layer. Wormwood lends a subtle herbaceous bitterness underneath.

Palate: The mouthfeel is silky and medium-weight. Juniper takes a more resinous, woody turn here compared to standard Hendrick's, balanced by a distinctive quinine bitterness that recalls tonic water but drier. Coriander seed warmth and a delicate violet note emerge mid-palate, with a hint of black pepper on the edges.

Finish: Medium-long, defined by lingering quinine bitterness, pine-forward juniper, and a dry violet-floral fade that demands attention.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Violet, Coriander, Peppery

The Verdict: Orbium reimagines Hendrick's through additional infusions of quinine, wormwood, and blue lotus blossom. The result is more complex and more bitter than the original — a gin built for contemplation rather than casual mixing. It rewards neat tasting and works brilliantly in a bone-dry martini.

Classification: Rhum Agricole Blanc

Brand: Savanna

Distillery: Distillerie Savanna

Proof: 100 proof (50% ABV)

Age: NAS (Unaged)

Color: Water-clear

MSRP: $35 USD (750ml)

Base Ingredients: Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice from Réunion Island

Distillation: Single-column continuous distillation in a Creole column still, bottled unaged at 50% ABV

Nose: A bright, herbaceous lift of freshly cut sugarcane and lime zest, with softer notes of white pepper, cucumber skin, and a subtle mineral edge reminiscent of warm volcanic stone.

Palate: Vivid and structured — green cane juice up front, followed by anise, crushed grass, and a peppery mid-palate. There's a saline, almost briny quality that pushes into candied ginger and unripe pear.

Finish: Medium-long and clean, with lingering white pepper, lime pith, and a whisper of vanilla bean. Warming without heat, closing on grassy sweetness.

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

The Verdict: A compelling introduction to Réunion's agricole tradition — livelier and more mineral-driven than its Martinican cousins, and a distinctive pour for those who think they've mapped the agricole world.

Classification: Rioja DOCa Gran Reserva

Brand: Bodegas Muga

ABV: 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Tempranillo

Blend: Tempranillo (70%), Garnacha (20%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%)

Vineyards: Estate vineyards in Rioja Alta, high-altitude plots with clay-calcareous soils

Maturation: Hand-harvested, fermented in oak vats, malolactic fermentation in barrel

Color: Deep garnet with brick-red rim

MSRP: $55–$75

Nose: Dark cherry and blackcurrant lead, entwined with cedar and a whisper of dried rose petals. Beneath the fruit, there's toasted oak, leather-like gamey complexity, and a hint of mint that adds lift.

Palate: Medium-full body with fine, integrated tannins. Cherry and blackcurrant continue from the nose, joined by a savory marzipan-almond character and warm vanilla from extended oak aging. The mid-palate reveals violet and a gentle herbal quality. The structure is firm but polished, with acidity that keeps everything in motion.

Finish: Long and layered, fading through cedar, cherry, and toasted oak with a final mineral-driven persistence.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Blackcurrant, Cedar, Vanilla, Violet, Marzipan

The Verdict: Prado Enea is Muga's flagship, and the 2018 vintage delivers the kind of depth and integration that only extended barrel and bottle aging can achieve. This is traditional Rioja at its most assured — a wine that knows where it's been and where it's going. Drink now through 2038.

Classification: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Clisson AOC

Brand: Domaine de la Pépière

ABV: 12%

Primary Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne

Blend: 100% Melon de Bourgogne

Vineyards: Old vines (50–70+ years) on granite soils in the Clisson cru, Loire Valley

Vinification: Hand-harvested, direct pressing, fermented in temperature-controlled tanks, aged on fine lees for 24+ months

Color: Pale lemon with green-gold reflections

MSRP: $22–$30

Nose: Sea-salt minerality and crushed stone dominate the nose, with citrus peel and green apple providing freshness. A subtle floral quality — almost like chamomile — emerges with time, alongside a faint honeyed richness from extended lees contact.

Palate: Medium-bodied for Muscadet, with a textural weight that reflects the Clisson cru's granite soils and mandatory extended aging. Citrus and apple drive the fruit character, but the real story is the mineral backbone and a saline quality that persists through the mid-palate. There's a hint of toasted grain and almond from the lees.

Finish: Persistent and mineral-driven, with citrus zest and a stony, almost chalky dryness that calls out for oysters or grilled fish.

Wine Kit Aromas: Citrus (Generic), Apple (Green), Honey, Toasted, Nut (Almond/Coconut)

The Verdict: The Clisson cru designation requires a minimum of 24 months on the lees, and Marc Ollivier's vines — some over 70 years old — deliver the concentration to make that extended aging worthwhile. This is Muscadet reimagined: serious, site-specific, and profoundly undervalued. One of the great white wine bargains in the world.

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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.

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