The Kiln and the Vine

Issue No. 67 — June 1, 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: Cask Strength Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Brand: Barrell Craft Spirits

Distillery: Barrell Craft Spirits (blended from undisclosed Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana distilleries)

Proof: 117.5 (58.75% ABV)

Age: NAS (blend of 16–20 Year bourbons)

Color: Deep mahogany with burnt sienna edges

MSRP: $250–$300

Mash Bill: Blend (undisclosed, varies by source)

Barrel Type: New charred American oak

Nose: Waves of dark caramel and toasted pecan arrive first, followed by dried cherry and pipe tobacco. A subtle floral note — almost carnation — emerges with time, alongside charred oak and a faint butterscotch sweetness.

Palate: Dense and layered, with maple syrup coating the tongue before giving way to cocoa, leather, and rye spice. The proof is remarkably well-integrated; there's no burn, just a persistent warmth that amplifies the oak and brown spice notes.

Finish: Extraordinarily long, with charred oak, vanilla, and dark chocolate fading into a whisper of tobacco and dried fruit. The heat lingers in the chest like a glowing ember.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Charred Oak, Pecan, Tobacco, Cherry, Maple Syrup

The Verdict: This is a masterclass in blending for complexity. Barrell's Joe Beatrice and his team have assembled old bourbons that speak as one voice — rich, authoritative, and endlessly nuanced. Worth every dollar for a special occasion or a quiet evening of serious contemplation.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Blair Athol

Distillery: Blair Athol Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Rich amber gold

MSRP: $65–$90

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, minimum 12 years

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: A rush of honey and dried fruit — sultanas and apricot — greets you first. Behind it sits warm malt, a hint of sherry-soaked wood, and a dusting of clove spice. There's an earthy undertone, almost like damp autumn leaves.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a creamy, buttery texture. The palate leads with caramel and peach before shifting to nutty hazelnut and a gentle spiciness. The malt backbone is sturdy, carrying everything with quiet confidence.

Finish: Medium length, with dried fruit, honey, and a final flicker of clove. A faint woody dryness closes the experience cleanly.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Buttery, Malt, Peach

The Verdict: Blair Athol is one of Diageo's great unsung distilleries — most of its spirit goes into Bell's blended whisky. This Flora & Fauna bottling reveals what the distillery can do on its own: a warm, generous Highland malt with sherry influence and genuine depth at a fair price.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: West Cork Distillers

Distillery: West Cork Distillers

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 8 Year

Color: Pale gold with green-tinged highlights

MSRP: $30–$40

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Ex-bourbon barrels, minimum 8 years

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Fresh cut grass and green apple open the nose, followed by a gentle honeyed sweetness and light vanilla. A whisper of malt and a faint floral rosewater note emerge as it breathes.

Palate: Light and clean, with honey and orchard fruit giving way to a gentle nuttiness — hazelnut, specifically — and a touch of buttery creaminess. The malt carries a pleasant cereal character that anchors the sweetness.

Finish: Short to medium, with green grass, vanilla, and a lingering almond note. Crisp and refreshing rather than contemplative.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Green (Cut Grass), Honey, Vanilla, Malt, Nut (Hazelnut)

The Verdict: West Cork's 8 Year Single Malt is an entry point that punches above its price. It won't challenge your palate the way a pot still or cask strength expression might, but it delivers clean, honest Irish whiskey character with enough complexity to hold your attention. An ideal summer dram.

Classification: Blanco Tequila (100% Agave)

Brand: Calle 23

Distillery: NOM 1545

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: Unaged

Color: Crystal clear with a slight silvery sheen

MSRP: $45–$55

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Criollo varietal)

Cooking Method: Slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, tahona-crushed, natural fermentation

NOM: 1545

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Intensely herbaceous, with fresh-cut grass and green pepper giving way to bright citrus — lime zest and grapefruit pith. Cooked agave sits at the center, sweet and vegetal, with a mineral edge like wet river stone.

Palate: The palate opens with vibrant citrus and cooked agave, then shifts into white pepper and a subtle floral note — almost lavender. There's a clean mineral quality throughout, with a hint of almond on the mid-palate that adds unexpected depth.

Finish: Medium, with lingering white pepper, mineral salinity, and a final pulse of citrus. Clean and precise.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Grass, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes), Pepper

The Verdict: French-born master distiller Sophie Decobecq brings scientific rigor to this expression, using a proprietary criollo agave varietal she cultivated herself. The result is a blanco that's both technically fascinating and genuinely delicious — herbaceous, complex, and utterly distinctive. This is terroir-driven tequila at its most compelling.

Classification: Dry Gin

Brand: Berliner Brandstifter

Distillery: Berliner Brandstifter Distillery

Proof: 86.6 (43.3% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $40–$50

Style: Dry Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, elderflower, coriander, lemon peel, lavender, woodruff, rose hip, angelica root

Base Spirit: Organic Wheat Neutral Spirit

Distillation: Pot distilled with vapor infusion of botanicals

Nose: Juniper leads confidently but shares the stage with elderflower, fresh lemon zest, and a gentle lavender note. Beneath that sits a subtle coriander warmth and the faintest trace of orris root — powdery and elegant.

Palate: Clean and balanced, with pine-forward juniper meeting bright citrus on the attack. The mid-palate introduces a delicate floral character — rose and chamomile — alongside a peppery warmth that keeps things grounded. The texture is silky, almost creamy.

Finish: Medium, with lingering juniper, a whisper of angelica root, and a final floral exhale. Remarkably refined.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Lemon, Lavender, Coriander, Orris Root, Floral (Rose)

The Verdict: Berliner Brandstifter uses an all-organic wheat base and a restrained botanical bill that favors Berlin's urban terroir — elderflower and woodruff among them. The result is a gin that's both classical in structure and distinctly Central European in personality. It rewards drinking neat as much as it does in a well-made Martini.

Classification: Gold Jamaican Rum

Brand: Worthy Park

Distillery: Worthy Park Estate Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS (minimum 2-year aged)

Color: Bright amber gold

MSRP: $20–$28

Base Ingredients: Blackstrap molasses, estate-grown

Distillation: Pot still distilled

Nose: Ripe banana and tropical fruit jump from the glass immediately, followed by a funky ester-driven note that's unmistakably Jamaican. Underneath sits vanilla, light caramel, and a touch of toasted oak. There's a citrus brightness — orange peel — that keeps things lively.

Palate: Medium-bodied and surprisingly complex for its price point. Banana and tropical fruit dominate the entry, with molasses sweetness and a hint of coffee developing on the mid-palate. A warm spice note and gentle oak tannin provide structure without heaviness.

Finish: Medium, with banana, vanilla, and a final echo of funky esters that keeps you coming back. Clean and balanced.

Rum Kit Aromas: Banana, Tropical Fruits, Vanilla, Caramel, Oak, Molasses

The Verdict: Worthy Park's Rum-Bar Gold is the workhorse of the Jamaican rum world — an everyday sipper that carries the estate's signature high-ester funk without overwhelming the uninitiated. At its price, it's one of the best values in rum, equally at home neat, on ice, or anchoring a Jamaican-style cocktail.

Classification: Priorat DOCa Red Wine

Brand: Álvaro Palacios

ABV: 14.5%

Primary Varietal: Garnacha

Blend: Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah

Vineyards: Old-vine terraced parcels across multiple villages in Priorat, on llicorella (slate and quartz) soils

Maturation: Hand-harvested, fermented in stainless steel and concrete vats, 14 months in French oak

Color: Deep garnet with violet rim

MSRP: $28–$38

Nose: Dark berry fruit — blackberry and blackcurrant — dominates the nose, layered with dried herbs, violet, and a streak of minerality from Priorat's signature llicorella slate. A touch of toasted oak and cedar adds structure to the aromatics.

Palate: Full-bodied and grippy, with concentrated blackcurrant and cherry fruit riding atop fine-grained tannins. There's a savory, almost meaty quality on the mid-palate, along with hints of mint and green herbs. The mineral thread runs through everything, lending an almost electric tension.

Finish: Long and persistent, with blackcurrant, slate minerality, toasted oak, and a final floral lift of violet. The tannins resolve gracefully.

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

The Verdict: Les Terrasses is Álvaro Palacios's entry into Priorat's ancient terraced vineyards — a blend that democratizes one of Spain's most revered appellations. The llicorella slate soils deliver a mineral intensity that few regions can match, and Palacios coaxes from them a wine of remarkable concentration and elegance at a price that invites regular drinking.

Classification: Savennières AOC White Wine

Brand: Domaine des Baumard

ABV: 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: Clos du Papillon, a south-facing hillside parcel on schist and volcanic rhyolite soils in Savennières

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged 12 months in large neutral oak casks and stainless steel

Color: Pale straw with greenish-gold highlights

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Precise and restrained, opening with green apple and citrus blossom before revealing deeper notes of honey, crushed stone, and a faint waxy quality. A gentle floral character — almost like dried chamomile — floats above the mineral core.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a taut, almost crystalline acidity that drives the wine forward. Green apple and quince fruit give way to a pronounced mineral salinity — this is Chenin Blanc shaped by schist and volcanic soils. Hints of marzipan and a subtle woodiness emerge on the mid-palate, adding richness without weight.

Finish: Very long, with citrus pith, green apple, and an unwavering minerality that seems to vibrate on the palate. The acidity carries everything to a clean, uplifting close.

Wine Kit Aromas: Apple (Green), Honey, Citrus (Generic), Marzipan, Woody

The Verdict: Clos du Papillon is one of Savennières' legendary vineyards, and Baumard's stewardship of it produces a Chenin Blanc of extraordinary precision and longevity. This 2021 drinks beautifully now but will reward cellaring for a decade or more. It's a wine that demands attention and repays it generously — a masterclass in how great terroir and great acidity can create something transcendent.

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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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