Issue 68 · June 2, 2026
The Grain Speaks Last
Theme: Patience Before Clarity
Eight bottles where raw material and time negotiate in silence — from corn to agave, barley to grape — each revealing how the base ingredient asserts itself only after patience has done its work.
We talk endlessly about barrels, about technique, about terroir. But at some point the grain, the plant, the fruit has its own say. It doesn't shout at the beginning. It waits — through fermentation, through distillation, through years in wood — and then, when the noise settles, it speaks. Today's issue is about that final assertion: the moment the raw material breaks through everything done to it and reminds you what it was all along.
From a wheated bourbon where soft grain whispers beneath char, to a Scotch where barley malt rises above decades of oak influence, these eight bottles share a common thread. The base ingredient is never fully tamed. It's merely given time to find its voice. Let's listen. See every bottle we've reviewed to date at reviews.schoolofwineandspirits.com. Don't see your special bottle? Hit the middle button on the home page and request a review — we'll get to it.
Bourbon Old Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distilled at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, Kentucky, Old Weller Antique carries forward the wheated bourbon tradition that William Larue Weller championed in the nineteenth century, substituting wheat for rye in the mash bill to produce a softer, rounder whiskey.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: W.L. Weller
Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Proof: 107 (53.5% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Burnished copper with amber highlights
MSRP: $30–$50
Mash Bill: Wheat, corn, malted barley (wheated bourbon)
Barrel Type: New charred American oak
Wheated: Yes
Nose: Rich caramel and butterscotch open the pour, followed by soft wheat bread and a thread of cinnamon. Underneath sits ripe cherry and a dusting of cocoa, each element arriving without hurry.
Palate: Full-bodied and chewy. The wheat mash bill delivers a creamy, almost buttery texture that carries waves of vanilla, toasted oak, and brown sugar. A bright cherry note cuts through the sweetness, keeping things honest.
Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak tannins gradually yielding to a lingering wheat-grain sweetness and a final note of dark chocolate.
Cocktail — Wheat & Stone — 2 oz Old Weller Antique · 0.75 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz cherry liqueur · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a brandied cherry.
Pair with: Smoked pork belly with a brown sugar glaze
Scotch Whisky Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna
Nestled on the slopes of Ben Rinnes in Speyside, this distillery employs an unusual partial triple distillation system using worm tub condensers, producing a distinctively heavy, malt-forward spirit that has long been prized by blenders and increasingly sought by single malt enthusiasts.
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Benrinnes
Distillery: Benrinnes Distillery
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 15 Year
Color: Rich gold with bronze edges
MSRP: $65–$90
Region: Speyside
Mash Bill: 100% malted barley
Distillation: Partial triple distillation with worm tub condensers
Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, minimum 15 years
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry
Peat Level (PPM): None
Chill-Filtered: Yes
Nose: Dense malt and honey lead, followed by stewed stone fruits and a savory, almost meaty undertone. Dried apricot and a faint wisp of sulfur add complexity without domination.
Palate: Thick and chewy on the tongue. Layers of dark chocolate, walnut, and dried fig unfold slowly. The distillery's partial triple distillation imparts a waxy richness that clings to the palate. A late note of clove spice emerges.
Finish: Medium-long with earthy malt, hazelnut, and a persistent cocoa bitterness that fades gracefully.
Pair with: Venison stew with root vegetables
Irish Whiskey Waterford Fenniscourt Edition 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Distilled at the Waterford Distillery using barley grown exclusively on the Fenniscourt farm in County Kilkenny, this single-farm origin whiskey is part of Waterford's ambitious project to map Irish terroir through whiskey, one field at a time.
Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brand: Waterford
Distillery: Waterford Distillery
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale straw with golden flecks
MSRP: $75–$95
Mash Bill: 100% single-farm malted barley (Fenniscourt farm)
Distillation: Double distillation
Maturation: Combination of first-fill American oak, virgin oak, and French oak
Chill-Filtered: No
Nose: Bright barley and cut grass open immediately, joined by orchard fruits and a light honeyed sweetness. There's a gentle floral note — almost rosewater — that gives it an ethereal lift.
Palate: The single-farm barley is front and center: biscuity malt, green apple, and a minerally spine that speaks to the terroir of the Fenniscourt farm. Mid-palate brings vanilla from the oak and a whisper of peach.
Finish: Clean and lingering, with malt and a faint almond note carrying through to a dry, satisfying close.
Cocktail — Fenniscourt Highball — 2 oz Waterford Fenniscourt · 4 oz chilled sparkling water · Expressed lemon peel · Build in a tall glass over ice, stir gently, garnish with lemon twist.
Pair with: Smoked trout with pickled cucumber
Tequila Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco
Produced by Guillermo Soto at the family-owned Destilería La Fortaleza in the town of Tequila, where agave is still crushed by a traditional tahona stone wheel and distilled in small copper pot stills, a process that has remained essentially unchanged across five generations.
Classification: Blanco Tequila
Brand: Fortaleza
Distillery: Destilería La Fortaleza (Tequila Los Abuelos)
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: Unaged
Color: Crystal clear with silvery legs
MSRP: $55–$75
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (estate-grown)
Cooking Method: Traditional tahona-crushed, open-air fermentation, copper pot distillation
NOM: NOM 1493
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: Intensely aromatic cooked agave leads — sweet, vegetal, alive. Behind it sits roasted citrus peel, a touch of wet earth, and fresh-cut grass. A hint of mineral flint adds depth without heaviness.
Palate: The higher proof amplifies everything: the agave is sweeter and more assertive than the standard bottling, with layers of lime zest, white pepper, and a subtle olive brine. Mid-palate offers a fleeting herbal note — thyme and mint — before the agave reasserts itself.
Finish: Long and peppery, with cooked agave sweetness lingering alongside a clean mineral bite.
Cocktail — Fortaleza Paloma — 2 oz Fortaleza Still Strength · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz agave nectar · 2 oz sparkling grapefruit soda · Build in a salt-rimmed Collins glass over ice, stir gently, garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
Pair with: Ceviche with mango and habanero
Gin Anchor Old Tom Gin
Crafted at San Francisco's Anchor Distilling Company — the spirits arm of the legendary Anchor Brewing — this Old Tom gin is produced in a small copper pot still and represents the distillery's effort to revive the original sweeter style of gin that predated London Dry.
Classification: Old Tom Gin
Brand: Anchor Distilling
Distillery: Anchor Distilling Company
Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale gold from brief barrel resting
MSRP: $30–$40
Style: Old Tom Gin
Botanicals: Juniper, star anise, coriander, angelica root, cassia bark, orange peel, lemon peel, cardamom
Base Spirit: Grain neutral spirit
Distillation: Pot distilled in a small copper still
Nose: Juniper arrives wrapped in star anise and a gentle sweetness. Beneath it sits orange peel, meadowsweet, and a faint liquorice thread. There's an earthy angelica root quality anchoring the aromatics.
Palate: Soft and round, with the Old Tom style's subtle sweetness providing a canvas for the botanicals rather than masking them. Juniper stays central but shares the stage with coriander, cassia bark, and a lingering citrus brightness.
Finish: Medium-length, with juniper and liquorice slowly fading to a warm, slightly peppery close.
Cocktail — Martinez — 1.5 oz Anchor Old Tom Gin · 1.5 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Luxardo maraschino liqueur · 2 dashes orange bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Pair with: Duck liver pâté with cornichons
Rum Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend
Blended under the direction of Master Blender Joy Spence at the Appleton Estate in Jamaica's Nassau Valley — the oldest continuously operating sugar estate and distillery on the island, where pot and column still rums have been married for over 270 years.
Classification: Jamaican Rum
Brand: Appleton Estate
Distillery: Appleton Estate Distillery
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: 12 Year
Color: Deep amber with mahogany edges
MSRP: $35–$50
Base Ingredients: Molasses
Distillation: Blend of pot and column still rums
Nose: Ripe tropical fruits — banana, mango — arrive first, layered over a foundation of molasses and toasted oak. A thread of orange zest and warm baking spices adds dimension.
Palate: Medium-bodied with a silky texture. The pot-still character shows up as a funky, almost coffee-like richness beneath the sweeter caramel and vanilla notes. Dried fruit and a touch of leather develop mid-palate, giving it gravitas.
Finish: Long and warming, with oak tannins, a final flicker of orange, and a lingering molasses sweetness.
Cocktail — Nassau Sour — 2 oz Appleton 12 Year Old · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a rocks glass over a large cube, garnish with a lime wheel.
Pair with: Jerk chicken with grilled pineapple
Red Wine Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2020
Produced by the Ramonet family in Chassagne-Montrachet — a domaine best known for its legendary white Burgundies — this rouge bottling draws from village-level Pinot Noir parcels and represents an often-overlooked facet of one of Burgundy's great estates.
Classification: Burgundy Rouge AOC
Brand: Domaine Ramonet
ABV: 13%
Primary Varietal: Pinot Noir
Blend: 100% Pinot Noir
Vineyards: Village-level parcels in Chassagne-Montrachet
Maturation: Destemmed, cold maceration, fermentation in open-top vats, aged in French oak
Color: Bright ruby with garnet edges
MSRP: $45–$65
Nose: Fresh cherry and raspberry dominate, underlined by a subtle violet note and a hint of crushed stone. There's a whisper of toasted oak that never overwhelms the fruit.
Palate: Light to medium-bodied with a silky texture and surprising depth. Cherry continues on the palate, joined by a savory, earthy minerality and a faint green herbal note. The tannins are fine-grained and well-integrated.
Finish: Medium-length with cherry, a touch of cedar, and a clean mineral close.
Pair with: Coq au vin with fresh tarragon
White Wine Mullineux Old Vines White 2022
Founded in 2007 by Chris and Andrea Mullineux in the rugged Swartland, the estate champions dry-farmed, bush-vine parcels — many over 40 years old — coaxing a regional identity out of granite, schist, and iron-rich shale.
Classification: Wine of Origin Swartland — White Blend
Brand: Mullineux Family Wines
Distillery: Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines
ABV: 13%
Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Blend: Chenin Blanc (approx. 73%), Clairette Blanche, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc, Viognier, Verdelho
Vineyards: Old bush-vine parcels (average vine age 35–45+ years) across the Swartland's Paardeberg, Riebeek and Kasteelberg sites, planted on decomposed granite, schist and iron-rich koffieklip soils.
Vinification: Whole-bunch pressed, naturally fermented with indigenous yeasts in older 500L French oak barrels and a small portion of concrete egg; aged on the lees for approximately 11 months with no bâtonnage; unfined, lightly filtered.
Color: Pale gold with green-tinged reflections
MSRP: $32
Nose: Yellow orchard fruit, beeswax, dried fennel, and a saline thread of crushed granite, lifted by chamomile and lemon pith.
Palate: Textured and deeply mineral, with quince, ripe pear, lanolin, and preserved lemon coiled around a savory schist-driven core; old-vine concentration shows in its quiet density rather than flamboyance.
Finish: Long, dry, and stony, leaving impressions of white tea, salted almond, and dried herbs.
Cocktail — The Schist Spritz — 3 oz Mullineux Old Vines White, 1 oz dry vermouth, 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur, top with chilled tonic; serve over ice in a large wine glass with a lemon peel and a sprig of fennel.
Pair with: Roasted Cape Malay chicken with preserved lemon and almond couscous, or aged Comté.
Awards: Tim Atkin MW 95 points (2022 vintage); consistently rated in South Africa's top white blends; Mullineux named Platter's Winery of the Year multiple times.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
Today's aroma focus is on the base ingredients themselves — the grain, the fruit, the plant. Across these eight bottles, pay attention to how malt, wheat, agave, and grape express themselves even after distillation, barrel aging, and blending have had their say. These are the aromas that connect the finished product back to the field where it began.
Each product in today's lineup connects to a specific aroma profile you can train with your kit. Whether it's the charred oak of the bourbon, the coastal brine of the scotch, or the agave earthiness of the tequila — your nose is the instrument. Use the kit references below to isolate each aroma before your next pour, then see if you catch it in the glass.
Today's Kit Reference
| Today's Product | Key Aromas | Train With |
|---|---|---|
| Old Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Wheat, Butterscotch, Cherry, Charred Oak, Caramel | Bourbon Kit |
| Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna (Scotch Whisky) | Malt, Honey, Cocoa (Dark), Nut (Hazelnut), Clove Spice, Dried Fruit | Whisky Kit |
| Waterford Fenniscourt Edition 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Malt, Green (Cut Grass), Honey, Floral (Rosewater), Peach, Almond | Whiskey Kit |
| Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Pepper, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes), Grass, Herbal (Mint, Thyme, Eucalyptus) | Tequila Kit |
| Anchor Old Tom Gin (Gin) | Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Liquorice, Orange, Angelica, Cassia Bark | Gin Kit |
| Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend (Rum) | Tropical Fruits, Molasses, Oak, Orange, Caramel, Coffee | Rum Kit |
| Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2020 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Violet, Toasted, Cedar, Berry (Generic) | Wine Kit |
| Mullineux Old Vines White 2022 (White Wine) | Honey, Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Nut (Almond/Coconut), Melon | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Train your nose to identify these foundational aromas with our curated aroma kits, designed to isolate and teach the specific scent markers found in each spirit and wine category. Our Aroma Masterclass Kits are designed to teach it to you, one aroma at a time.
Our books on Amazon go deeper into the science and history behind every sip — from America's Spirit, Scotland's Spirit, Ireland's Spirit, The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, Chablis, and Côte d'Or pocket guides.
Explore our Aroma Masterclass kits and books at schoolofwineandspirits.com
Join the School of Wine and Spirits Community
Connect with fellow connoisseurs, share tasting notes, and go deeper into every pour.
Sign up at skool.com/schoolofwineandspirits
The grain always speaks — but only to those who've learned to listen.
Know someone who'd love this? Forward this newsletter or share the link — and reply with your own tasting notes. We read every one.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
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.
Old Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
W.L. Weller
Old Weller Antique proves that proof and elegance aren't mutually exclusive. The wheated mash bill gives it a silky backbone that the 107-proof heat rides rather than overwhelms. A benchmark for understanding how wheat shapes bourbon differently than rye.
Benrinnes 15 Year Old Flora & Fauna
Benrinnes
Benrinnes is one of Speyside's most underappreciated distilleries, and this Flora & Fauna bottling shows why it deserves attention. The partial triple distillation creates a meaty, substantial character that's unlike its lighter neighbors. This is malt-driven whisky at its most unapologetic.
Waterford Fenniscourt Edition 1.1 Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Waterford
Waterford's single-farm origin concept is more than marketing — it's a genuine attempt to prove terroir in whiskey. Fenniscourt 1.1 delivers a barley-forward profile where the grain's provenance genuinely seems to matter. The 50% ABV bottling strength lets every nuance come through without dilution.
Fortaleza Still Strength Blanco
Fortaleza
Fortaleza Still Strength takes an already excellent blanco and dials the volume to reveal what the agave has been saying all along. The additional proof isn't about heat — it's about clarity. Every element is sharper, more defined, more honest. A tequila that rewards attention.
Anchor Old Tom Gin
Anchor Distilling
Anchor's Old Tom is a history lesson in a glass. It recalls the sweeter gin style that dominated before London Dry took over, but does so with restraint and craft. The botanicals are layered rather than loud, and the subtle sweetness acts as a bridge, not a crutch. Excellent in a Martinez.
Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend
Appleton Estate
Appleton 12 Year Old Rare Blend is a masterclass in Jamaican rum at its most approachable. The pot-still funk is present but integrated, the oak influence is supportive rather than dominant, and the tropical fruit character speaks clearly to its Nassau Valley origins. Outstanding value for a rum of this age and complexity.
Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet Rouge 2020
Domaine Ramonet
Ramonet is justly famous for whites, but this village-level rouge shows why Chassagne-Montrachet's reds deserve more respect. The Pinot Noir here is lifted and precise, with the terroir's limestone soils contributing a mineral backbone that gives the wine tension and purpose. A quiet revelation.
Mullineux Old Vines White 2022
Mullineux Family Wines
A masterclass in patient winemaking from the Swartland — restrained on release, but already telegraphing the gravitas of a wine built for the cellar.
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