The Lees and the Light

Issue No. 62 — May 27, 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: Orphan Barrel

Distillery: Bernheim Distillery (Stitzel-Weller era stock)

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Age: 25 Year

Color: Deep mahogany with bronze-copper edges

MSRP: $100 - $300

Mash Bill: Approximately 86% corn, 8% barley, 6% rye (estimated historic Bernheim recipe)

Barrel Type: New American oak

Nose: Immediate leather and aged tobacco leaf give way to dried stone fruit and toasted pecan. Underneath lies a quiet sweetness—dark caramel bordering on burnt sugar, with wisps of charred oak.

Palate: The oak influence is undeniable but controlled, delivering waves of dark cocoa, worn leather, and maple syrup over a surprisingly intact corn sweetness. A tannic grip provides backbone without bitterness.

Finish: Exceptionally long, with tobacco and charred oak lingering alongside a faint floral note that surfaces only after the tannins subside.

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

The Verdict: Quarter-century bourbon is a tightrope, and Rhetoric 25 walks it with poise. The wood is assertive but never tyrannical, and the underlying grain character is still audible beneath the oak. A study in what extended contact can achieve when the base spirit has enough constitution to endure it.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Longmorn

Distillery: Longmorn Distillery

Proof: 96 (48% ABV)

Age: 16 Year

Color: Rich gold with amber edges

MSRP: $85–$110

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills with tall necks and worm tub condensers

Maturation: American and European oak casks, minimum 16 years

Cask Type: Refill American oak and first-fill European oak

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Warm honey and orchard fruit open into a deeper register of toasted almond and buttered pastry. A faint floral note—rosewater—emerges with time in the glass, alongside gentle vanilla.

Palate: Generous and textured, with layers of dried fruit, butterscotch, and malt that unfold sequentially rather than competing. There is a creamy mid-palate weight supported by subtle oak and a thread of dark cocoa.

Finish: Medium-long and warming, with honey and a light woody spice that fades into clean malt.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Buttery, Almond, Dried Fruit, Vanilla, Cocoa (Dark)

The Verdict: Longmorn has been a distiller's secret for decades, a Speyside that trades flash for substance. At 16 years, the distillery character—rich, honeyed, almost waxy—has fully absorbed its oak influence. This is Speyside at its most self-assured.

Classification: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Brand: Midleton

Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Proof: 111.8 (55.9% ABV)

Age: NAS (components aged 15–22 years)

Color: Burnished copper with tawny highlights

MSRP: $280–$350

Mash Bill: Single pot still (malted and unmalted barley)

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Initial maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, finished in virgin Irish oak hogsheads from Grinsell's Wood

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: Toasted Irish oak dominates the opening, delivering clove spice, earthy forest floor, and honeyed vanilla. Beneath the wood influence, classic pot still notes emerge—green herbs and a gentle floral character reminiscent of rosewater.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered, with dark cocoa and dried fruit interwoven with the distinctive tannic grip of native Irish oak. The pot still spice is present but balanced, giving way to buttery richness and a touch of smoky wood.

Finish: Long and drying, with clove, earthy oak, and lingering honey.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Clove Spice, Earthy, Honey, Cocoa (Dark), Dried Fruit

The Verdict: The Grinsell's Wood expression showcases what happens when mature pot still whiskey meets virgin Irish oak—a wood with tighter grain and more aggressive tannins than American or European counterparts. The result is a whiskey of structural complexity that rewards patience and a few drops of water.

Classification: Extra Añejo Tequila

Brand: Don Fulano

Distillery: La Tequileña (NOM 1146)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 5 Year

Color: Deep amber with reddish-mahogany edges

MSRP: $190–$250

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Slow-cooked in stone ovens, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation

NOM: 1146

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave remains present despite five years in barrel, accompanied by rich butterscotch, vanilla, and a warm cinnamon spice. Dark chocolate hovers in the background alongside dried leather and subtle oak.

Palate: Silky entry with caramel and toasted oak building into darker notes of tobacco and coffee. The agave character persists as a green, earthy anchor, preventing the wood from overwhelming the spirit. Pepper emerges on the mid-palate.

Finish: Extended and layered, with chocolate, leather, and a final whisper of cooked agave.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Vanilla, Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Leather, Oak

The Verdict: Extended aging often strips tequila of its identity, but Don Fulano's 5-year extra añejo maintains the balance between agave and wood with unusual grace. The French and American oak program adds complexity without erasure—this tastes like aged tequila, not tequila-flavored whiskey.

Classification: Distiller's Strength Gin

Brand: Archie Rose

Distillery: Archie Rose Distilling Co.

Proof: 104.4 (52.2% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $55–$70

Style: Contemporary / Distiller's Strength

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, lemon myrtle, blood lime, angelica root, orris root, native river mint, cinnamon myrtle, among others

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: Vapor infusion and direct maceration in a custom copper pot still

Nose: Juniper leads confidently but shares the stage with a wave of native botanicals—lemon myrtle and blood lime register as bright citrus, while coriander adds a warm, slightly nutty spice. Underneath, a waxy juniper quality provides depth.

Palate: The higher proof carries the botanicals with real authority. Juniper is resinous and piney, framed by peppery warmth and a subtle orris root earthiness. Grapefruit pith and angelica emerge on the mid-palate, keeping things dry and structured.

Finish: Long and peppery, with lingering pine and a clean citrus echo.

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

The Verdict: Archie Rose's distiller's strength bottling demonstrates why proof matters in gin—every botanical rings louder, and the juniper backbone can support more complexity without losing definition. It's a gin that invites both sipping neat and anchoring a stirred drink.

Classification: Exceptional Cask Selection Barbados Rum

Brand: Foursquare

Distillery: Foursquare Distillery

Proof: 120 (60% ABV)

Age: 14 Year

Color: Deep amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $90–$130

Base Ingredients: Barbados molasses

Distillation: Blend of pot still and column still distillation

Nose: Rich oak and vanilla open into layers of dried fruit and toffee. The higher proof amplifies a leather and tobacco complexity, while a hint of orange peel keeps the nose from becoming one-dimensional. There's a roasted quality beneath the sweetness.

Palate: Full and commanding at cask strength, delivering waves of dark chocolate, muscovado sugar, and espresso. The oak is well-integrated after 14 years, providing structure rather than dominance. Dried fruit and vanilla recur on the mid-palate alongside a gentle spice warmth.

Finish: Exceptionally long, with toffee, leather, and lingering roasted cocoa. The oak slowly asserts itself in the final moments.

Rum Kit Aromas: Oak, Toffee, Dried Fruit, Leather, Chocolate, Vanilla

The Verdict: Richard Seale's Exceptional Cask series consistently demonstrates that extended aging in the tropics demands a spirit of real substance. Isonomy delivers 14 years of contact without the woody fatigue that lesser distillates suffer. At 60% ABV, it invites water but doesn't demand it.

Classification: AOC Côtes du Roussillon Villages

Brand: Domaine Gauby

ABV: 14.5%

Primary Varietal: Syrah

Blend: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignan

Vineyards: Muntada vineyard, Calce, Roussillon — schist and gneiss soils at 250–400m elevation

Maturation: Whole-cluster fermentation, indigenous yeasts, minimal intervention throughout

Color: Inky purple-black with violet rim

MSRP: $75–$100

Nose: Concentrated blackcurrant and crushed violet lead into garrigue herbs, cedar, and a faint mineral earthiness. The nose is brooding and layered, revealing dark cherry and a hint of toasted oak with extended air.

Palate: Dense but not heavy, with blackcurrant and cherry wrapped in fine-grained tannins. Cedar and mint provide lift, while a subtle gamey quality adds savory complexity. The mouthfeel is velvety, with excellent acidity providing tension.

Finish: Long and persistent, with cedar, violet, and a stony mineral undertow.

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

The Verdict: Gérard Gauby farms biodynamically in the schist hillsides of Calce, and Muntada is his flagship red—a wine that channels the heat and wildness of the Roussillon into something structured and profound. The 2019 is concentrated without excess, and its tannin architecture suggests a decade of further evolution.

Classification: Alsace Grand Cru AOC

Brand: Domaine Bott-Geyl

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Gewürztraminer

Blend: 100% Gewürztraminer

Vineyards: Furstentum Grand Cru, Kientzheim — south-facing, limestone-marl soils at 300m elevation

Vinification: Whole-cluster pressed, indigenous yeast fermentation, extended lees contact in traditional Alsatian foudres

Color: Deep golden yellow with bronze glints

MSRP: $50–$70

Nose: Exuberant floral rose and lychee open into a deeper register of honey, marzipan, and candied citrus. There is a subtle smoky quality beneath the richness—a hallmark of the Furstentum's limestone-marl terroir.

Palate: Opulent but not cloying, with ripe stone fruit and honey balanced by a brisk acidity that keeps the wine taut. Marzipan and a faint ginger spice emerge on the mid-palate. The texture is oily and expansive.

Finish: Persistent and aromatic, with floral rose, citrus peel, and a lingering mineral freshness.

Wine Kit Aromas: Floral (Rose), Honey, Marzipan, Citrus (Generic), Melon

The Verdict: Jean-Christophe Bott farms biodynamically and vinifies with minimal intervention, and the result on Furstentum's south-facing slopes is a Gewürztraminer of real structure and complexity. The 2021 vintage delivers the variety's aromatic exuberance while maintaining the acid backbone that separates serious Alsace from the merely sweet.

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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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