The Sap Beneath the Bark

Issue No. 66 — May 31, 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 Rye Whiskey

Brand: Pikesville

Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery

Proof: 110 (55% ABV)

Age: 6 Year

Color: Burnished copper with bronze edges

MSRP: $50–$60

Mash Bill: Approximately 65% rye, 25% corn, 10% malted barley

Barrel Type: New Charred American oak

Nose: A rush of rye spice leads the charge, followed by dark cherry compote and a layer of toasted caramel. Deeper breaths reveal charred oak and a subtle floral note like dried carnations pressed between pages.

Palate: Muscular and grain-forward, with rye bread crust meeting butterscotch sweetness on the mid-palate. The high proof carries flavors of leather, cracked pepper, and a persistent cherry note without any burn that feels out of place.

Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak and a lingering rye spice that fades into dried tobacco leaf. The grain character stays present to the very end.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Rye, Cherry, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Leather

The Verdict: Pikesville is a rye that refuses to hide behind sweetness. It's a full-throttle expression of the grain itself, with enough barrel influence to add complexity without masking the raw material. A serious sipper that rewards attention.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Old Pulteney

Distillery: Pulteney Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 15 Year

Color: Bright gold with amber highlights

MSRP: $70–$90

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills with distinctive flat-ball design

Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry oak

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Briny sea air meets honeyed malt, with ripe peach and a swirl of vanilla. Behind it sits a gentle waxiness and a touch of dried apricot that signals the age well.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a creamy, buttery texture. Salted caramel arrives first, followed by baked orchard fruit, subtle clove spice, and a distinctly coastal minerality that separates it from inland malts.

Finish: Drying and pleasantly long, with almond, a whisper of green grass, and lingering honey sweetness.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Peach, Buttery, Caramel, Clove Spice, Almond

The Verdict: The 15 Year Old hits a sweet spot in the Pulteney range — old enough to show real depth, young enough to retain the distillery's trademark maritime freshness. It's a malt that tastes like its origin in the best possible way.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Waterford

Distillery: Waterford Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale straw gold

MSRP: $75–$90

Mash Bill: 100% Irish-grown malted barley (Rathclogh farm)

Distillation: Double distilled

Maturation: Predominantly first-fill American oak with French oak influence

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, natural color

Nose: Freshly cut grass and green pear open the nose, joined by honey and a gentle floral quality reminiscent of rosewater. Underneath lies a biscuity malt backbone and a faint earthy minerality.

Palate: Bright and expressive, with orchard fruit and vanilla giving way to a mid-palate of toasted barley and almond. The texture is surprisingly creamy for its youth, with a persistent honeyed sweetness balanced by a drying, slightly woody spice.

Finish: Medium-long, with green grass, vanilla, and a lingering earthiness that speaks directly to the terroir of Rathclogh Farm.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Green (Cut Grass), Honey, Vanilla, Almond, Earthy

The Verdict: Waterford's single-farm philosophy reaches full expression here. Rathclogh 1.1 is proof that barley variety and soil composition aren't abstract concepts — they're things you can taste. A fascinating whiskey for anyone who cares about provenance.

Classification: Añejo Tequila

Brand: Calle 23

Distillery: NOM 1545 (Tequilera del Salto)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 16 Months

Color: Deep amber with golden copper edges

MSRP: $55–$70

Agave: 100% Blue Weber agave, highland grown

Cooking Method: Slow-cooked in brick ovens, natural fermentation, double distilled

NOM: NOM 1545

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave stays front and center, framed by butterscotch and warm cinnamon. A background note of roasted almond and a wisp of vanilla round out a nose that feels balanced between plant and barrel.

Palate: Silky entry with caramel and baked pear, transitioning to a drier mid-palate of oak, white pepper, and a subtle earthiness. The agave never disappears — it threads through every flavor like a backbone.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering pepper, cooked agave, and a touch of dark chocolate on the fade.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Oak, Pepper

The Verdict: Calle 23 Añejo is the work of a French biochemist who approached tequila as a science and ended up making art. The oak integration is textbook — present but never dominant — and the agave character stays intact. This is añejo done with discipline.

Classification: Japanese Craft Gin

Brand: Nikka

Distillery: Miyagikyo Distillery

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $40–$55

Style: Japanese Craft Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, yuzu, kabosu, amanatsu, sansho pepper, shikuwasa, coriander, angelica root, lemon peel, apple

Base Spirit: Corn and barley base distilled on Coffey stills

Distillation: Coffey (continuous) column still distillation

Nose: Bright yuzu-like citrus leads, quickly joined by a soft juniper note that leans green and herbaceous rather than resinous. Beneath that, a delicate coriander warmth and a whisper of floral rose emerge.

Palate: The Coffey still delivers remarkable texture — silky and almost oily on the tongue. Grapefruit and lemon citrus dominate the front palate, while sansho pepper provides a tingling spice that replaces the typical juniper burn. Subtle angelica root adds an earthy anchor.

Finish: Clean and medium-length, with lingering grapefruit peel, gentle juniper, and a peppery warmth that slowly fades.

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

The Verdict: Nikka applied their whisky-making precision to gin and the result is unmistakably Japanese — restrained, balanced, and texturally stunning. The Coffey column still gives this gin a richness most London Drys can't touch. It's a gin that demands attention neat before you ever put it in a cocktail.

Classification: Unaged Haitian Clairin

Brand: Clairin

Distillery: Distillerie Le Rocher

Proof: 97.2 (48.6% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Water-white with the faintest straw tint

MSRP: $30–$40

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice (native creole cane varieties)

Distillation: Single distillation in a copper pot still

Nose: An explosion of overripe tropical fruit — jackfruit, papaya, and ripe banana — balanced by a funky, almost feral quality. Behind it all is a clean, grassy cane juice character and a subtle mineral note.

Palate: Bright and viscous, with tropical fruits continuing to dominate. There's a pleasant fusel oiliness that adds weight, alongside citrus peel and a yeasty, bready quality. The sugarcane origin is unmistakable — this is agricole's wilder cousin.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering banana, a flash of citrus, and an earthy minerality that grounds the exuberant fruit.

Rum Kit Aromas: Tropical Fruits, Banana, Agricole, Citrus (Generic), Fusel Oil

The Verdict: Le Rocher is terroir distilled to its most elemental. No barrel, no blending, no compromise — just Haitian sugarcane, wild yeast, and a copper pot still. It's raw, alive, and completely unlike any other spirit on this list. If you want to taste where rum begins, start here.

Classification: Morgon AOC

Brand: Domaine Marcel Lapierre

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Gamay Noir

Blend: 100% Gamay

Vineyards: Côte du Py, Morgon

Maturation: Semi-carbonic maceration, native yeasts, minimal SO2, no fining or filtration

Color: Brilliant ruby with violet edges

MSRP: $28–$38

Nose: Crushed Bing cherry and wild strawberry lead, followed by violet, a subtle earthy note, and the faintest hint of granite-like minerality. The absence of heavy oak lets the fruit speak clearly.

Palate: Juicy and precise, with red cherry and berry fruit riding a frame of fine, chalky tannins. There's a gentle herbal quality — dried mint — alongside a savory undercurrent that keeps pulling you back for another sip.

Finish: Medium-length, clean, and lifted, with cherry and violet lingering alongside a pleasant stony minerality.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Violet, Berry (Generic), Mint, Floral (Rose)

The Verdict: Lapierre practically invented the modern natural wine movement in Beaujolais, but this isn't a philosophy bottle — it's just a great wine. The 2022 shows the Côte du Py terroir with transparency and verve. It tastes like Gamay at its most honest, which is exactly the point.

Classification: Bourgogne Blanc AOC

Brand: Domaine Leflaive

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Chardonnay

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyards: Declassified parcels in Puligny-Montrachet and surrounding communes

Vinification: Whole-cluster pressed, fermented in oak with native yeasts, aged on lees with periodic bâtonnage

Color: Pale gold with green-tinged highlights

MSRP: $45–$60

Nose: Taut green apple and citrus peel open the nose, with toasted almond and a delicate floral note developing as the wine breathes. A subtle chalky minerality runs beneath everything.

Palate: Focused and precise, with citrus and green apple on the entry, building toward a mid-palate of white flowers and hazelnut. The texture is lean but not thin — there's a quiet richness from careful lees contact that gives the wine presence without weight.

Finish: Long for a regional Bourgogne, with a persistent minerality, green apple, and a finely bitter almond note that lingers.

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

The Verdict: This is what overflow fruit from some of Burgundy's greatest Chardonnay vineyards tastes like in the hands of a biodynamic master. Domaine Leflaive's Bourgogne Blanc routinely outperforms wines at twice its price. It's a lesson in what terroir and discipline can achieve at the most humble appellation level.

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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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