The Forge and the Fog

Issue No. 63 — May 28, 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: Wild Turkey

Distillery: Wild Turkey Distillery

Proof: 101 (50.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Burnished copper with deep amber legs

MSRP: $55–$65

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: Oak barrels with #4 alligator char

Single Barrel: Yes

Nose: Immediate rush of brown sugar and toasted pecan, followed by a wave of vanilla-soaked oak. Underneath, there's a savory leather note and a flicker of dried orange peel that keeps things from turning one-dimensional.

Palate: Full-bodied and chewy. Caramel corn and charred oak dominate the entry, but the mid-palate shifts into baking spice territory — cinnamon stick, clove, a dusting of cocoa. There's a buttery richness that coats the tongue without turning heavy.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering charred oak, tobacco leaf, and a final whisper of maple sweetness. The proof carries it without burning.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Charred Oak, Pecan, Tobacco, Buttery

The Verdict: Kentucky Spirit is Wild Turkey's single barrel program at its most confident. Each barrel is hand-selected by the master distiller, and the high-rye mashbill gives it backbone that the long aging in deeply charred barrels rounds into something substantial. This is a workhorse bourbon that punches well above its price.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Scapa

Distillery: Scapa Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $55–$70

Region: Islands (Orkney)

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled using a unique Lomond wash still and a traditional copper pot spirit still

Maturation: Matured exclusively in first-fill American oak casks

Cask Type: First-fill American oak

Peat Level (PPM): 0

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Honeyed malt and ripe peach open cleanly, with a salted butter note lurking beneath. A gentle floral quality — almost rosewater — gives it an unexpected elegance for an Orkney malt. No peat whatsoever.

Palate: Silky and light-bodied, with vanilla cream, orchard fruit, and a dusting of almond. The mid-palate introduces a subtle coconut sweetness from first-fill American oak casks. There's a grassy freshness that nods to the coastal distillery location.

Finish: Medium-length, clean, with lingering honey and a faint saline mineral quality. It fades gracefully rather than abruptly.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Peach, Buttery, Coconut, Vanilla

The Verdict: Scapa is Orkney's quieter distillery, sitting in the shadow of Highland Park just a short walk away. Where its neighbor leans into peat and sherry, Scapa goes the opposite direction — unpeated, first-fill American oak, gentle and maritime. Skiren shows what Orkney terroir tastes like when you strip away the smoke.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Waterford

Distillery: Waterford Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Light gold with green-tinged edges

MSRP: $75–$90

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley (Dunmore Farm, County Kilkenny)

Distillation: Double distilled

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

Chill-Filtered: No

Nose: Fresh-cut grass and green apple leap from the glass, followed by a wave of honeycomb and toasted barley. A delicate floral note — rosewater and meadow flowers — weaves through the malt backbone. Hints of clove spice emerge with time.

Palate: Medium-bodied with excellent viscosity. The palate delivers on the nose's promise: barley-forward and cereal-rich, with layers of peach preserves, vanilla custard, and a thread of earthy minerality. The 50% ABV gives it real presence without aggression.

Finish: Long and drying, with toasted oak, hazelnut, and a lingering green freshness that circles back to the terroir-driven character. The grain signature persists beautifully.

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

The Verdict: Waterford's single-farm-origin program is the most ambitious terroir experiment in Irish whiskey. Dunmore Edition 1.1 sources its barley from a single farm in County Kilkenny, and the result is a whiskey that genuinely tastes different from its siblings. This is Irish whiskey for wine drinkers — the conversation about place is front and center.

Classification: Blanco Tequila (100% Agave)

Brand: ArteNOM

Distillery: Tequila Cascahuin (NOM 1123)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with silvery brightness

MSRP: $45–$55

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Tequilana)

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

NOM: 1123

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Clean roasted agave and wet mineral stone lead, with bright citrus — lime zest and a hint of grapefruit — hovering above. A grassy, herbal undertone gives way to a faint white pepper spice. No earthiness, no heaviness, just transparency.

Palate: Light and precise on entry, then the cooked agave blossoms into a sweet-savory balance. Green olive, fresh herbs, and a touch of black pepper work against the agave's natural sweetness. The texture is lean and almost saline, reflecting the volcanic terroir of the valley.

Finish: Medium-length, with a clean mineral fade and lingering citrus brightness. The pepper note returns gently on the exhale.

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

The Verdict: ArteNOM's concept is simple and brilliant: showcase different NOM distilleries through their blanco expressions. The 1123 bottling comes from Cascahuin, a family-run distillery in the valley of El Arenal. This is tequila stripped to its essentials — no barrel influence, no additives, just agave and terroir in vivid focus.

Classification: Aged Gin

Brand: Citadelle

Distillery: Maison Ferrand

Proof: 89.8 (44.9% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale straw gold with amber glints

MSRP: $45–$55

Style: Barrel-Aged Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, orange peel, lemon peel, angelica, cassia bark, nutmeg, star anise, cubeb, grains of paradise, violet, savory, fennel, licorice, and 5 additional undisclosed botanicals (19 total)

Base Spirit: Neutral wheat spirit

Distillation: Distilled in small copper Charentais pot stills with 19 botanicals infused over 72 hours

Nose: Juniper is present but softened, wrapped in layers of vanilla and toasted oak from the barrel aging. Orange peel and coriander seed come through cleanly, while a subtle floral quality — dried violet — adds complexity. A whisper of nutmeg rounds it out.

Palate: Creamy and rounded, with the barrel influence adding a dimension rarely found in gin. Juniper, cassia bark, and angelica root form the botanical spine, but the oak aging lends a gentle spice and vanilla sweetness that blurs the line between gin and aged spirit. The texture is noticeably richer than most gins.

Finish: Medium to long, with lingering vanilla, dried orange peel, and a woody warmth that recalls Cognac country. The juniper reasserts itself at the very end.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Vanilla, Orange, Coriander, Violet

The Verdict: Citadelle Réserve starts as a well-made 19-botanical gin and then does something unusual — it rests in small Cognac barrels at Château de Bonbonnet. The result is a gin that bridges worlds, carrying the aromatic complexity of a classic London Dry into territory more familiar to aged-spirit drinkers. Best enjoyed neat or in a stirred cocktail where the oak can sing.

Classification: Aged Demerara Rum

Brand: Hamilton

Distillery: Demerara Distillers Limited (Diamond Distillery)

Proof: 86 proof (43% ABV)

Age: NAS (blend of rums aged in tropical climate)

Color: Deep amber with mahogany highlights

MSRP: $25

Base Ingredients: Molasses from Guyanese sugarcane

Distillation: Blend of pot and column still rums from Demerara Distillers' historic stills, aged tropically in ex-bourbon casks in Guyana, then bottled in the U.S.

Nose: Burnt sugar and molasses lead, joined by hints of charred oak, dried plum, brown butter, and a whisper of pipe tobacco — the unmistakable signature of Guyana's wooden pot stills.

Palate: Rich and viscous, with layers of muscovado sugar, baking spice, dark coffee, candied orange peel, and a smoldering note of bittersweet chocolate; faintly funky and unrepentantly tropical.

Finish: Long, warming, and slightly smoky, with lingering molasses, anise, and a touch of leather.

Rum Kit Aromas: Molasses, Muscovado, Oak, Tobacco, Chocolate, Dried Fruit

The Verdict: A workhorse Demerara that punches well above its price — equally at home in a tiki glass or a tasting flight.

Classification: Red Blend

Brand: Clos de los Siete

ABV: 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Malbec

Blend: Malbec (60%), Merlot (15%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Syrah (10%), Petit Verdot (5%)

Vineyards: Multiple estate vineyards in Uco Valley, Vista Flores, 1,050–1,200m elevation

Maturation: Hand-harvested, cold-soak maceration, fermented in stainless steel and concrete, aged 12 months in French oak

Color: Deep violet-ruby with purple rim

MSRP: $18–$25

Nose: Ripe blackcurrant and dark cherry lead, with hints of violet and sweet cedar. Underneath there's a savory minerality and a dusting of cocoa that nods to the high-altitude Uco Valley terroir. Well-integrated oak adds a toasted quality without dominating.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied, with plush tannins and a core of dark berry fruit. The Malbec backbone provides the structure while Merlot rounds the mid-palate with a velvety softness. Black cherry, vanilla, and a mint-like freshness create layered complexity. The finish is surprisingly persistent for a wine at this price.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering blackcurrant, cedar, and a gentle toasted note. Clean and balanced.

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

The Verdict: Conceived by legendary Bordeaux consultant Michel Rolland, Clos de los Siete is a collaboration among seven families farming high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley. The 2021 vintage shows what Argentina's elevation — over 1,000 meters — does to Malbec-based blends: intensity of fruit with real freshness and lift. At this price, it overdelivers consistently.

Classification: Chablis Premier Cru AOC

Brand: Domaine Long-Depaquit

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Chardonnay

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyards: Les Vaillons Premier Cru, right bank of the Serein river, Kimmeridgian limestone soils

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, fermented in stainless steel and older oak, aged 12 months on fine lees with regular bâtonnage

Color: Pale lemon-gold with green reflections

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Steely citrus and crushed seashell minerality dominate, with an undercurrent of green apple and white flowers. A hint of toasted almond emerges from the partial oak aging, adding just enough weight without masking the classic Chablis transparency.

Palate: Focused and precise, with a chalky texture that speaks directly to the Kimmeridgian limestone soils. Lemon curd, gooseberry, and a saline quality that recalls coastal air. The mid-palate broadens into honeyed richness before the acidity snaps everything back to attention. Beautifully balanced between fruit and mineral.

Finish: Long and persistent, with lingering citrus zest, a flinty mineral quality, and a clean, mouthwatering acidity that demands another sip.

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

The Verdict: Long-Depaquit is one of Chablis's oldest and most respected domaines, with holdings in prime premier and grand cru vineyards. Les Vaillons sits on the right bank of the Serein river, its south-facing slopes delivering wines of both power and precision. The 2022 vintage brings generous fruit to a frame of razor-sharp acidity and mineral depth — textbook premier cru Chablis.

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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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