The Hush Before Harvest

Issue No. 72 — June 6, 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: Old Forester

Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Rich amber with burnished copper edges

MSRP: $22–$28

Mash Bill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak

Nose: Ripe cherry and brown spices lead immediately, followed by a sturdy base of caramel and charred oak. A faint whiff of corn sweetness emerges as the glass opens up.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a satisfying grip. Butterscotch and vanilla carry the mid-palate while charred oak and a touch of leather provide structure. A pleasant rye spice prickles at the edges.

Finish: Moderate length with lingering oak char and a clean, slightly peppery close. The cherry note returns as an echo.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Cherry, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Brown Spices, Vanilla

The Verdict: Old Forester 100 Proof is the quiet workhorse of the bourbon shelf — consistently well-made, generously proofed, and honest to its grain. It over-delivers at its price point and belongs in any serious home bar. A textbook example of patience in a production lineage that stretches back to 1870.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: The Balvenie

Distillery: Balvenie Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Warm gold with amber undertones

MSRP: $55–$70

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills, double distilled

Maturation: Matured in ex-bourbon American oak barrels, finished in European oak Oloroso sherry casks

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts

Peat Level (PPM): None

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Honey and vanilla rise first, layered with dried fruit and a gentle nuttiness. A soft whisper of orange peel adds brightness. The sherry influence is present but never domineering.

Palate: Smooth and medium-weight. Malt sweetness forms the backbone, joined by caramel and a distinct note of clove spice from the sherry wood. The texture is creamy, almost buttery, with Oloroso influence lending dried fruit complexity.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering honey and a gentle cocoa warmth. The oak dries gracefully without ever turning tannic.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Malt

The Verdict: The DoubleWood remains one of Scotch whisky's great entry-level single malts for a reason — it demonstrates what thoughtful cask management accomplishes without relying on extreme age or finish. The interplay between ex-bourbon and ex-sherry wood creates a harmony that punches above its age statement. A patient sip that rewards attention.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: Jameson

Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

Mash Bill: Blend of malted barley, unmalted barley, and grain whiskey

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills (pot still component) and column still (grain component)

Maturation: Aged in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels and ex-Oloroso sherry butts

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Buttery pot still richness greets first, followed by toasted almonds and a delicate floral note. Green apple freshness sits underneath, with a hint of vanilla from the sherry cask influence.

Palate: Creamy and well-rounded with a pot still spice that sets this apart from standard blends. Caramel and honey weave together, while a subtle woody note from ex-sherry butts adds gravitas. The malt comes through clean and assured.

Finish: Medium length with a gentle fade of almond and a dry, slightly spiced close. Warming without heat.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Buttery, Almond, Honey, Caramel, Woody

The Verdict: Crested is the overlooked middle sibling in Jameson's range, carrying more pot still character than the flagship at a modest price increase. The sherry cask influence adds just enough depth to make this a genuinely versatile whiskey. It rewards patience in the glass — give it five minutes after pouring and the pot still oils bloom beautifully.

Classification: Tequila Añejo Cristalino

Brand: Herradura

Distillery: Casa Herradura (Brown-Forman)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS (aged up to 49 months)

Color: Crystal clear with faint platinum sheen

MSRP: $55–$70

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Tahona and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, charcoal filtered post-aging

NOM: NOM 1119

Nose: Cooked agave leads, followed by vanilla and butterscotch from the extended barrel aging. A gentle floral character — almost like dried lavender — floats above notes of toasted oak. The carbon filtration strips color but leaves aroma largely intact.

Palate: Silky and medium-bodied with a sweetness that stays on the right side of elegant. Caramel and honey merge with a minerally backbone that keeps the agave identity clear. Cinnamon warmth arrives in the mid-palate, along with a touch of almond.

Finish: Smooth and lingering with vanilla and a whisper of pepper. The oak tannins have been almost entirely softened, leaving a clean, sweet close.

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

The Verdict: Cristalinos divide opinion, but Herradura Ultra makes the strongest case for the category. The extended aging builds real complexity before filtration removes the color — what remains is an añejo's depth dressed in a blanco's transparency. Pour it blind alongside an unfiltered añejo and the conversation gets interesting fast.

Classification: London Dry Gin

Brand: Fords Gin

Distillery: Thames Distillers

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $25–$32

Style: London Dry

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica root, orris root, cassia bark, lemon peel, grapefruit peel, orange peel, jasmine

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: One-shot distillation in a 500-liter copper pot still

Nose: A balanced bouquet of juniper and citrus opens the glass — lemon peel and grapefruit sit alongside a dry, resinous juniper core. Jasmine and orris root add a quiet floral complexity. Coriander spice weaves through without dominating.

Palate: Bright and precise with a medium weight that carries well in cocktails without losing identity when sipped neat. Juniper remains front and center, supported by angelica earthiness and a peppery warmth. The citrus notes broaden on the palate, moving from lemon to orange.

Finish: Clean and medium-length with lingering juniper and a dry, almost savory coriander close.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Lemon, Grapefruit, Coriander, Orris Root

The Verdict: Fords Gin was designed by 86 Co.'s Simon Ford in collaboration with master distiller Charles Maxwell — a gin built for bartenders, by a bartender. The 45% ABV ensures the botanicals punch through dilution, and the nine-botanical recipe is deliberately balanced to work across cocktail styles. It's a lesson in restraint: nothing flashy, everything functional, quietly excellent.

Classification: Aged Blended Rum

Brand: El Dorado

Distillery: Demerara Distillers Limited

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 15 Year

Color: Deep mahogany with red-copper highlights

MSRP: $38–$50

Base Ingredients: Demerara sugar cane molasses

Distillation: Blend from multiple still types including wooden Coffey still, double wooden pot still, and metal Coffey still

Nose: Rich molasses and toffee dominate initially, giving way to dried tropical fruits and a leathery, almost tobacco-like warmth. Dark chocolate emerges with time in the glass, alongside a subtle coffee note that ties the oak-driven aromas together.

Palate: Full-bodied and lush. The palate delivers caramel and vanilla in waves, underscored by oak spice and roasted nuts. Dried fruit — raisin and fig — adds a sherry-like richness. The sweetness is present but checked by the tannic grip of fifteen years in tropical warehousing.

Finish: Long and warming with chocolate, leather, and a clean oak fade. A slight coffee bitterness anchors the close.

Rum Kit Aromas: Molasses, Toffee, Chocolate, Leather, Dried Fruit, Oak

The Verdict: Fifteen years of aging in Guyana's equatorial heat produces a rum of remarkable density and complexity. The blend draws from Demerara Distillers' collection of heritage wooden and metal stills — some dating to the 18th century — giving this bottling a layered character that few rums at this price can match. It demands to be sipped slowly, and it rewards that patience generously.

Classification: AOC Bandol Rouge

Brand: Domaine Tempier

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Mourvèdre

Blend: Mourvèdre (70%), Grenache (15%), Cinsault (10%), Carignan (5%)

Vineyards: Estate vineyards across the Bandol appellation on limestone and clay terraces

Maturation: Hand-harvested, partial destemming, fermented in concrete vats with indigenous yeast

Color: Deep garnet with violet rim

MSRP: $35–$45

Nose: Dark cherry and violet aromatics are layered with dried herbs and a subtle gamey quality. There is a mineral undertone — almost iron-like — that speaks to the terroir. A whisper of green pepper emerges on the second nosing.

Palate: Structured and savory with firm tannins that frame a core of blackcurrant and cherry fruit. The Mourvèdre backbone is unmistakable — meaty, earthy, and brooding. Cedar and toasted notes from barrel aging add dimension without overwhelming the fruit.

Finish: Long and grippy with lingering cedar, dried herbs, and a dark berry echo. This wine has years of development ahead.

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

The Verdict: Domaine Tempier's entry-level Bandol rouge is anything but simple. The Mourvèdre-dominant blend demands cellaring patience but already shows its architecture clearly — this is structured wine for structured food. Lucien Peyraud's legacy lives in every bottle: a Provençal red built for the long game, not instant gratification.

Classification: AOC Chablis

Brand: Domaine François Raveneau

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Chardonnay

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyards: Village-level parcels in Chablis on Kimmeridgian limestone and marl soils

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeast in a combination of stainless steel tanks and seasoned oak barrels

Color: Pale straw with green-gold highlights

MSRP: $55–$80

Nose: Flinty minerality dominates, backed by crisp green apple and citrus peel. A subtle honeyed note develops with air, alongside a chalky, almost oyster-shell quality that defines Kimmeridgian terroir. Clean and precise throughout.

Palate: Taut and focused with a razor-sharp acidity that carries flavors of lemon curd, green apple, and wet stone. The texture surprises — there is a mid-palate richness that comes from extended lees contact, lending a quiet creaminess that never compromises the wine's essential lean energy.

Finish: Long and saline with a persistent mineral echo and a clean citrus lift. The acidity keeps calling you back.

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

The Verdict: Raveneau's village-level Chablis consistently outperforms many producers' Premier Cru bottlings. The secret is patience at every stage — careful viticulture, gentle pressing, and the long lees aging that gives this wine its paradoxical combination of austerity and richness. It drinks beautifully now but will evolve for five to seven years with ease. If you can find it, buy it.

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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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