The Flame Behind Glass

Issue No. 71 — June 5, 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 Bourbon Whiskey

Brand: Smoke Wagon

Distillery: MGP of Indiana (sourced), bottled by Aaron Chepenik / Nevada H&C Distilling

Proof: 115.76 (57.88% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep burnished copper with orange highlights

MSRP: $45–$60

Mash Bill: Approximately 21% rye, 75% corn, 4% malted barley (MGP bourbon mash bill)

Barrel Type: New charred American white oak

Nose: Immediate rush of caramel and charred oak, followed by dark cherry and a wave of brown spices — cinnamon bark and clove. Underneath, there's a ribbon of butterscotch and toasted pecan that anchors the higher notes.

Palate: Full-bodied and viscous without being syrupy. Corn sweetness gives way to leather and tobacco, while a secondary wave of vanilla and maple syrup coats the mid-palate. The proof is present but well-integrated, generating warmth rather than burn.

Finish: Long and layered, with charred oak, cocoa, and a persistent rye spice that keeps the sweetness honest. A faint echo of dried cherry lingers at the edges.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Charred Oak, Cherry, Brown Spices, Butterscotch, Leather

The Verdict: Smoke Wagon's Uncut Unfiltered is a masterclass in big bourbon done right. The cask-strength proof amplifies rather than overwhelms, revealing layers that lower-proof bottlings often flatten. At its price, this is one of the best values in American whiskey.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Glenfarclas

Distillery: Glenfarclas Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 17 Year

Color: Rich amber gold with mahogany edges

MSRP: $85–$110

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills, six stills total, direct-fired until 1981

Maturation: Exclusively Oloroso sherry casks from Jerez, Spain

Cask Type: Oloroso sherry butts and hogsheads

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: No

Nose: Dried fruit dominates — raisin, fig, and stewed plum — layered with dark cocoa and a honeyed malt sweetness. Behind it all, a gentle waft of clove spice and old leather-bound books.

Palate: Buttery and full, with sherry-soaked dried fruit rolling across the tongue. The mid-palate reveals dark chocolate, walnut, and a touch of orange peel. There's weight here, but it carries itself lightly, with the oak influence contributing structure rather than tannin.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering cocoa, dried fruit, and a pleasant earthy warmth that slowly fades into hazelnut.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Dried Fruit, Cocoa (Dark), Honey, Clove Spice, Buttery, Nut (Hazelnut)

The Verdict: Glenfarclas remains one of Scotland's most quietly excellent distilleries, and this 17-year-old sits in a sweet spot between the approachable 15 and the more intense 21. Family-owned and sherry-matured from start to finish, it delivers the kind of depth that rewards patience.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: Powers

Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Proof: 86.6 (43.2% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Bright gold with pale straw edges

MSRP: $25–$35

Mash Bill: Blend of single pot still (malted and unmalted barley) and grain whiskey

Distillation: Column and pot still distillation at Midleton

Maturation: Predominantly ex-bourbon barrels

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Warm honey and toasted malt lead, followed by a subtle green cut-grass note and a hint of vanilla. There's a biscuity cereal quality beneath, with a whisper of clove spice developing as it opens.

Palate: More assertive than its price suggests. Pot still spice hits mid-palate with a peppery, almost earthy warmth, balanced by caramel sweetness and a touch of peach. The mouthfeel is oily and satisfying, hinting at the pot still component's influence.

Finish: Medium length, clean and spicy, with lingering honey and a dry woody note that keeps things from turning too sweet.

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

The Verdict: Powers Gold Label is the whiskey that Dublin bartenders pour for themselves. It's not flashy, but the pot still backbone gives it a weight and character that most blends at this price can't touch. An ideal daily drinker that punches well above its bracket.

Classification: Tequila Añejo

Brand: Terralta

Distillery: Destilería El Pandillo (NOM 1579)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 2-Year

Color: Warm amber with golden highlights

MSRP: $55–$75

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave, Jalisco Highlands

Cooking Method: Brick oven-cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, copper pot distillation

NOM: 1579

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Rich cooked agave and butterscotch open the nose, followed by vanilla, baking spice, and a wisp of dried leather. Underneath there's a pleasant earthiness and a bright note of cooked pear.

Palate: Silky and well-integrated. The oak influence provides caramel and cinnamon warmth without obscuring the agave character, which still reads as sweet roasted piña. Pepper builds in the mid-palate alongside a pleasant honey note.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering oak, butterscotch, and a gentle agave sweetness that fades slowly into mild smoke.

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

The Verdict: Felipe Camarena's Terralta Añejo is aged tequila done with discipline. Two years in barrel adds complexity without turning the spirit into a wood-bomb. The agave speaks clearly throughout — a sign that the distiller's hand was steady from field to bottle.

Classification: Mediterranean Dry Gin

Brand: Gin Mare

Distillery: Global Premium Brands (Vilanova i la Geltrú)

Proof: 85.6 proof (42.8% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $40 - $60

Style: Mediterranean / Contemporary

Botanicals: Italian bergamot (Capri), juniper, coriander, cardamom, Arbequina olive, thyme, rosemary, basil, sweet and bitter orange

Base Spirit: Grain Neutral Wheat Spirit

Nose: Sun-warmed bergamot peel leads, followed by fresh-cut basil, soft juniper, and a whisper of sea-salt minerality. There's a creamy floral lift reminiscent of orange blossom drifting through a coastal garden.

Palate: Silken texture carries vibrant bergamot oil across the tongue, supported by green Arbequina olive, thyme, and rosemary. Juniper sits restrained but present, with coriander and a faint peppery warmth keeping the citrus from turning candied.

Finish: Long, gently bitter citrus pith fades into herbaceous garrigue notes — basil, thyme, and a clean mineral echo, like sea air after sundown.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Orange, Coriander, Floral (Rose), Peppery

The Verdict: A graceful, sun-drenched gin that prizes finesse over botanical fireworks — bergamot is the star, and it shines without ever raising its voice. Essential for the Mediterranean-leaning bar.

Classification: Jamaican Rum, Single Estate

Brand: Worthy Park

Distillery: Worthy Park Estate

Proof: 96 (48% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Deep mahogany with amber edges

MSRP: $65–$85

Base Ingredients: Molasses from estate-grown sugarcane

Distillation: Double retort copper pot still

Nose: Ripe tropical fruits — mango and overripe banana — meet a deep molasses and toffee base. There's a secondary layer of coffee, dried fruit, and a funky, almost leathery quality that marks it as unmistakably Jamaican.

Palate: The entry is rich and round, with caramel and chocolate giving way to a burst of tropical fruit esters. The oak is well-integrated, providing spice and vanilla without drying out the exuberant fruit. Mid-palate, a coffee-like bitterness adds depth.

Finish: Long and complex, with toffee, leather, and a slow fade of tropical fruit. The oak spice lingers alongside a pleasant roasted quality.

Rum Kit Aromas: Tropical Fruits, Molasses, Toffee, Coffee, Leather, Vanilla

The Verdict: Worthy Park's 12 Year Old shows what happens when Jamaica's pot still intensity meets a full dozen years of tropical aging. The ester-driven fruit character survives — and is elevated by — the extended maturation. This is a serious sipper that commands attention without demanding it.

Classification: Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC

Brand: Domaine du Pegau

ABV: 15%

Primary Varietal: Grenache

Blend: Approximately 80% Grenache, 6% Syrah, 6% Mourvèdre, with smaller amounts of other permitted varieties

Vineyards: Multiple parcels across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, including galets roulés (large rounded stones) soils

Maturation: Traditional whole-cluster fermentation, extended maceration, aged in large neutral oak foudres

Color: Deep ruby-purple with garnet rim

MSRP: $55–$75

Nose: Intense dark berry fruit — blackberry and cassis — layered with garrigue herbs, crushed violets, and a faint whiff of game. Earthy undertones of wet stone and cedar develop as the wine breathes.

Palate: Full-bodied and generous, with a velvety attack of ripe cherry and blackcurrant. The mid-palate delivers toasted spice and a cedary, woody structure that frames the fruit without constraining it. A gamey, almost meaty note adds savory depth.

Finish: Long and warming, with persistent cherry, cedar, and a fading floral lift that stays elegant despite the wine's formidable concentration.

Wine Kit Aromas: Blackcurrant, Cherry, Violet, Cedar, Gamey, Woody

The Verdict: Pegau's Cuvée Réservée is old-school Châteauneuf-du-Pape — unapologetically powerful, traditionally made, and built to age. The 2020 vintage's warmth is tempered by the Feraud family's patient approach to extraction, resulting in a wine that's generous now but will reward a decade of cellar time.

Classification: Alsace AOC

Brand: Josmeyer

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Pinot Blanc

Blend: 100% Pinot Blanc

Vineyards: Estate vineyards in Wintzenheim, Alsace, farmed biodynamically

Vinification: Gentle pressing, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel, brief lees aging

Color: Pale gold with green tints

MSRP: $18–$25

Nose: Crisp green apple and white pear lead, followed by a delicate floral note — almost like meadow flowers — and a subtle minerality. A hint of almond emerges as the wine opens.

Palate: Light-to-medium bodied with bright acidity. The palate delivers apple and melon with a clean, slightly waxy texture. A gentle honeyed quality builds in the mid-palate, balanced by a green, herbal freshness and a chalky mineral finish.

Finish: Clean and precise, with lingering green apple and a faint marzipan note that adds just enough richness before the acidity reasserts itself.

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

The Verdict: Josmeyer's Mise du Printemps is meant to be the first wine of the vintage — the spring release — and it captures that sense of renewal perfectly. It's unshowy, refreshing, and quietly complex, the kind of bottle you reach for on a warm evening when you want something alive with energy.

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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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