The Ledge Before Letting Go

Issue No. 73 — June 7, 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 Sour Mash Whiskey

Brand: Michter's

Distillery: Michter's Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Rich amber with copper edges

MSRP: $40–$55

Mash Bill: Proprietary (corn-dominant with rye and malted barley)

Barrel Type: New Charred American oak

Nose: Butterscotch and caramel open the nose with immediate warmth, followed by a thread of dried cherry and toasted oak. A subtle floral note — almost carnation — lingers beneath the sweetness.

Palate: The entry is buttery and soft, but a backbone of charred oak and brown spices keeps it from tipping into cloying territory. Mid-palate delivers vanilla and a faint corn sweetness that grounds the profile.

Finish: Medium length with maple syrup fading into gentle leather and a whisper of tobacco. The balance holds all the way through.

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

The Verdict: Michter's sour mash process — using a portion of previously fermented grain to set the pH of the new mash — creates a whiskey of uncommon smoothness without sacrificing depth. This is a bottle that demonstrates how restraint in proof and patience in barrel selection can produce something quietly authoritative.

Classification: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Springbank

Distillery: Springbank Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 15 Year

Color: Deep burnished gold with mahogany highlights

MSRP: $120–$160

Region: Campbeltown

Mash Bill: 100% Scottish barley

Distillation: Two-and-a-half times distilled

Maturation: Combination of sherry and bourbon casks, minimum 15 years

Cask Type: Sherry and bourbon casks

Peat Level (PPM): Lightly peated (~12-15 PPM)

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Rich dried fruit and sherry-soaked raisins lead, with a saline, slightly maritime quality underneath. Dark cocoa and a thread of smoky peat add complexity without domination.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered — honey and malt form the center, flanked by clove spice and earthy undertones. There is a waxy, almost ethereal quality mid-palate that is distinctly Springbank.

Finish: Long and warming with smoky dried fruit tapering into gentle woody tannins and a final note of orange peel.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Dried Fruit, Cocoa (Dark), Smoky, Honey, Clove Spice, Ethereal

The Verdict: This 15-year-old expression sits at the sweet spot of Springbank's range — old enough for the sherry casks to assert themselves, young enough to retain the distillery's characteristic funk and energy. The partial peat and two-and-a-half-times distillation create a whisky that no other region can replicate.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Fercullen

Distillery: Powerscourt Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 14 Year

Color: Warm amber with gold reflections

MSRP: $80–$100

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Double distilled

Maturation: Aged 14 years in ex-bourbon casks

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Ripe peach and honey draw you in immediately, followed by a gentle almond nuttiness and a trace of vanilla. A subtle green freshness — cut grass after rain — keeps the sweetness in check.

Palate: Creamy and buttery on entry, with malt biscuit and dried fruit emerging at the center. A light spice — clove and white pepper — arrives late, adding needed structure to the richness.

Finish: Medium-to-long with peach stone and gentle woody oak carrying a delicate floral rosewater note to its conclusion.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Almond, Buttery, Clove Spice

The Verdict: Powerscourt Distillery sources well-aged stock while their own spirit matures, and this 14-year-old single malt justifies the strategy. It walks the line between orchard fruit sweetness and cereal depth with real composure. A serious Irish malt that doesn't need to shout about it.

Classification: Tequila Reposado

Brand: ArteNOM

Distillery: Destilería El Llano (NOM 1414)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: Reposado (rested 8 months)

Color: Pale straw with golden hues

MSRP: $55–$70

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, roller mill extracted, natural fermentation

NOM: NOM 1414

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave leads with clarity, joined by warm butterscotch and a subtle minerality that speaks to the highland terroir. A floral lift — violet and lavender — gives the nose unexpected elegance.

Palate: The entry is round and honeyed, with cooked agave sweetness meeting gentle oak and cinnamon spice. A distinct earthy quality anchors the mid-palate while tropical fruit hints flicker at the edges.

Finish: Medium length with vanilla and white pepper lingering alongside a faint grassy note that recalls the blanco roots of the spirit.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Floral (Lavender, Rose, Violet), Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes), Cinnamon

The Verdict: ArteNOM's concept — celebrating specific NOM distilleries for their unique character — finds a perfect expression here. The 1414 Reposado shows just enough oak influence to add dimension without burying the agave. It is a study in how a few extra months of patience can unlock complexity.

Classification: Distilled Gin

Brand: Tanqueray

Distillery: Cameronbridge Distillery

Proof: 82.6 (41.3% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with the faintest straw cast

MSRP: $25–$35

Style: Citrus-Forward Distilled Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, Rangpur lime, bay leaf, ginger

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: One-shot distilled in copper pot stills

Nose: Bright Rangpur lime citrus dominates the opening, immediately fresh and almost tart. Juniper follows in a supporting role — green and herbal rather than resinous — with ginger and a crack of black pepper underneath.

Palate: The lime carries through on the palate but opens up into a warmer register, revealing coriander seed, a touch of ginger heat, and a subtle lemon zest brightness. The juniper is measured but present, a steady hand in the background.

Finish: Clean and crisp with lingering lime peel bitterness and a gentle peppery warmth that extends the experience.

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

The Verdict: Rangpur sits in the productive space between classic London Dry and contemporary citrus-forward gins. The Rangpur lime — a mandarin-lemon hybrid from India — gives Tanqueray's four-botanical backbone a different kind of tension, one that tips toward sour rather than sweet. It is a gin that was clearly designed for the gimlet but earns its keep neat.

Classification: Exceptional Cask Selection Barbados Rum

Brand: Foursquare

Distillery: Foursquare Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 10 Year

Color: Deep amber with mahogany edges

MSRP: $600

Base Ingredients: Barbados molasses

Distillation: Blend of copper pot still and twin-column still distillates

Nose: Toffee and oak lead confidently, followed by dried fruit — fig and date — and a subtle chocolate bitterness. A gentle vanilla sweetness ties the aromatics together without dominating.

Palate: The palate is full and structured. Cask-aged richness shows immediately with caramel and toasted coconut giving way to leather, roasted coffee, and a light tobacco spice. The texture is oily and satisfying.

Finish: Long and slowly drying with oak tannin, dark chocolate, and a final note of molasses that anchors every sip.

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

The Verdict: Premise was blended from both pot and column still distillates aged ten years in ex-bourbon barrels, a split maturation that Richard Seale uses to give Foursquare rums their signature breadth. This expression captures the distillery's philosophy perfectly: no added sugar, no coloring, and no shortcuts. The tension between the pot still's funk and the column still's precision is what makes it exceptional.

Classification: Barolo DOCG

Brand: Brovia

ABV: 14.5%

Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo

Blend: 100% Nebbiolo

Vineyards: Rocche di Castiglione, Castiglione Falletto

Maturation: Traditional fermentation with extended maceration, aged in large Slavonian oak botti

Color: Medium garnet with orange-tinged rim

MSRP: $70–$95

Nose: Rose petal and dried cherry dominate the nose, followed by hints of cedar and a subtle minty freshness. There is an underlying earthiness — damp forest floor — that adds gravitas.

Palate: The entry is deceptively light, but the mid-palate reveals firm tannins and concentrated cherry fruit interwoven with toasted oak and a faint violet note. A streak of tar and licorice adds classical Barolo structure.

Finish: Long and persistent with cedar, dried cherry, and a final mineral note that lingers well beyond the last sip.

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

The Verdict: Brovia farms some of the most prized crus in Barolo, and Rocche di Castiglione consistently delivers one of their most structured wines. The 2019 vintage brought warmth and concentration, but the vineyard's limestone-clay soils held the tension, producing a wine of power and elegance in equal measure. This is Nebbiolo that rewards decanting and patience.

Classification: Vouvray AOC Demi-Sec

Brand: Domaine Huet

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: Le Haut-Lieu, Vouvray

Vinification: Biodynamic viticulture, natural fermentation in old oak demi-muids and stainless steel, arrested fermentation to retain residual sugar

Color: Pale gold with green reflections

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Ripe honeydew melon and quince open the nose, underscored by white floral notes and a thread of green apple acidity. A faint honeyed quality hints at the residual sugar without overwhelming.

Palate: The palate is where the tension lives — generous fruit sweetness (pear, apple, melon) meets a razor-sharp citrus acidity that keeps everything vibrant and lifted. A chalky minerality gives the wine its spine.

Finish: Long and crystalline with honey, green apple, and a persistent mineral salinity that begs another sip.

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

The Verdict: Huet's Le Haut-Lieu demi-sec is a masterclass in controlled sweetness. The biodynamically farmed Chenin Blanc grapes achieve remarkable ripeness on the tuffeau limestone soils, but the winemaking team arrests fermentation at precisely the moment where sugar and acid achieve equilibrium. This is a wine about the ledge between richness and restraint — and it never falls.

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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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