The Seam Between Seasons

Issue No. 74 — June 8, 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: Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Brand: Bardstown Bourbon Company

Distillery: Bardstown Bourbon Company

Proof: 114.1 (57.05% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep russet amber with copper edges

MSRP: $130–$150

Mash Bill: Blend of high-rye and wheated bourbon mash bills

Barrel Type: New Charred American oak

Nose: Layered caramel and charred oak lead, followed by a wave of dark cherry and brown spices. Underneath, there is a persistent note of toasted pecan and a dusty leather quality that deepens with time in the glass.

Palate: Rich and full-bodied, the entry is buttery and sweet with maple syrup and vanilla, then pivots sharply toward oak tannins and dried tobacco. A mid-palate surge of rye spice gives the blend its backbone and keeps the sweetness honest.

Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak and butterscotch slowly fading into earthy leather. The spice lingers well past the last sip.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Charred Oak, Cherry, Brown Spices, Maple Syrup, Leather, Pecan

The Verdict: Discovery Series #10 showcases Bardstown's blending prowess at its most precise. The interplay between sweetness and structure here is meticulously calibrated, offering a bourbon that rewards both contemplation and conversation. At cask strength, it handles a splash of water gracefully, opening further layers of dried fruit and grain.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Gordon & MacPhail

Distillery: Linkwood Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 15 Year

Color: Pale gold with light amber warmth

MSRP: $70–$90

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Refill American oak and sherry casks, 15 years

Cask Type: Refill American oak and sherry

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Delicate peach and honeyed malt rise first, followed by a subtle floral rosewater note. Extended nosing reveals green cut grass and a wisp of vanilla from the oak.

Palate: Medium-bodied and remarkably silky, with orchard fruit sweetness balanced by a waxy, slightly nutty hazelnut quality. A gentle clove spice arrives mid-palate, adding just enough complexity to elevate the dram beyond easy-drinking territory.

Finish: Medium length, with honey and dried fruit trailing into a clean, lightly woody close. Elegance over power.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Floral (Rosewater), Malt, Clove Spice

The Verdict: Linkwood remains one of Speyside's under-appreciated distilleries, and this Gordon & MacPhail bottling shows exactly why it deserves more attention. The 15-year maturation hits a sweet spot of fruit-forward charm and structural refinement. This is a whisky for the moment you want something beautiful without effort.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: Tullamore D.E.W.

Distillery: Tullamore Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Light straw gold

MSRP: $28–$35

Mash Bill: Blend of pot still, malt, and grain whiskey

Distillation: Triple distilled

Maturation: Initial maturation in bourbon and sherry casks, finished in Irish cider barrels

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Crisp green apple and light honey lead a bright, approachable nose. Behind the fruit sits a gentle malt sweetness and a flicker of vanilla from the base maturation.

Palate: Light-bodied but surprisingly layered, with buttery cereal grain giving way to orchard fruit and a faint honeycomb quality. The cider cask influence adds a tart, green note that plays well against the soft caramel undertone.

Finish: Short to medium, with green cut grass freshness and a clean, slightly tannic close from the cider wood. Refreshing rather than lingering.

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

The Verdict: This is a smart and genuinely different cask finish in the Irish category. The cider barrels contribute something you rarely encounter in whiskey — a cidery tartness that keeps the palate alert without overpowering the triple-distilled base. It works best chilled or in a long serve, making it an ideal warm-weather Irish whiskey.

Classification: Blanco Tequila

Brand: El Tequileño

Distillery: Destilería La Guarreña (NOM 1108)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with silver brightness

MSRP: $28–$38

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, open-air fermentation, copper pot distillation

NOM: NOM 1108

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Bright cooked agave and white pepper open into a clean, mineral-driven aroma with hints of lime zest and fresh-cut grass. There is a subtle yeasty, bready quality underneath that speaks to traditional fermentation.

Palate: Medium-bodied with excellent texture. Cooked agave is the anchor, flanked by citrus and a distinctive herbal mintiness. A mineral earthiness runs through the mid-palate, and the pepper builds steadily toward the finish.

Finish: Clean and moderately long, with lingering agave sweetness and a dry, peppery close. The grassiness returns at the very end.

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

The Verdict: El Tequileño Blanco Gran Reserva is a textbook example of what traditional Tequila valley production yields — rounder, more cooked-agave-forward, with none of the diffuser flatness that plagues the category's industrial end. At its price point, this is one of the best value blancos available, equally suited to sipping or mixing.

Classification: Scottish Dry Gin

Brand: Arbikie

Distillery: Arbikie Highland Estate Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $38–$48

Style: Scottish Dry Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, cassia bark, lemon peel, black pepper, kelp, blaeberries, mace

Base Spirit: Estate-grown wheat spirit

Distillation: Pot distilled with vapor infusion basket

Nose: Juniper leads confidently but gives space to bright lemon citrus and a floral honey-like note from the kelp botanical. Underneath sits a warm cassia bark spice and a gentle earthiness from the estate-grown base spirit.

Palate: Vibrant and textured, with herbaceous juniper layered over coriander warmth and a distinctive briny, slightly peppery character. The lemon note persists through the mid-palate, and a whisper of black pepper keeps the profile savory.

Finish: Medium length with a clean juniper fade and a lingering lemon-peel brightness. The pepper note stays through the close.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Lemon, Cassia Bark, Coriander, Peppery

The Verdict: Arbikie grows its own grain on the estate — a true field-to-bottle gin that lets terroir mean something concrete. Kirsty's Gin channels Scottish coastal character without resorting to gimmick, delivering a gin that is classically structured but unmistakably rooted in place. Exceptional in a Martini.

Classification: Rhum Agricole Blanc AOC Martinique

Brand: Rhum J.M

Distillery: Distillerie J.M

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Water-white, perfectly clear

MSRP: $30–$40

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice

Distillation: Single column still distillation from fresh sugarcane juice

Nose: Intensely grassy and vegetal, with fresh-cut sugarcane leaping from the glass. Behind the agricole signature sits a brighter tropical note — ripe banana and lime zest — alongside a faint floral lift and a subtle mineral quality from the volcanic terroir.

Palate: Full and punchy at 50%, with a pronounced agricole grassiness balanced by citrus and ripe tropical fruit. The mid-palate introduces a peppery spice and a slight fusel warmth that adds weight. There is a clean, almost saline minerality running underneath.

Finish: Medium-long, with a clean sugarcane sweetness and lingering citrus. The grassiness echoes through the close.

Rum Kit Aromas: Agricole, Banana, Citrus (Generic), Tropical Fruits, Spice (Generic)

The Verdict: Rhum J.M Blanc 50 captures the volcanic soul of northern Martinique in a bottle. At 100 proof, it has the muscle to stand up to any Ti' Punch or cocktail application, but it is equally compelling neat, where the terroir-driven agricole character can speak without interruption. This is essential rum for anyone serious about the category.

Classification: Côtes du Rhône AOC

Brand: Domaine Gramenon

ABV: 14.5%

Primary Varietal: Grenache

Blend: 100% Grenache

Vineyards: Old vines (60+ years), Montbrison-sur-Lez, Drôme

Maturation: Whole cluster fermentation, native yeasts, minimal sulfur

Color: Medium ruby with garnet highlights

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Ripe cherry and crushed violets dominate, with a secondary layer of dried herbs and a subtle gamey, earthy undertone. There is a warmth to the nose that suggests sun-drenched vines without slipping into jammy territory.

Palate: Medium-bodied with vibrant acidity and fine-grained tannins. Dark berry fruit intertwines with a peppery, cedary spice, and a distinct floral rose petal quality lifts the mid-palate. The old-vine concentration gives it depth well beyond its appellation.

Finish: Medium-long, with cherry and cedar fading into a clean mineral close. The violet note returns at the very end.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Violet, Cedar, Berry (Generic), Gamey

The Verdict: Domaine Gramenon's La Sagesse is old-vine Grenache raised organically in the southern Rhône, and it consistently punches above its weight class. The 2021 vintage offers remarkable balance — generous fruit, structural precision, and the kind of effortless drinkability that marks truly well-made wine. A benchmark Côtes du Rhône.

Classification: Brda ZGP

Brand: Marjan Simčič

Distillery: Marjan Simčič

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Ribolla Gialla

Blend: 100% Ribolla Gialla

Vineyards: Cru selection from old-vine parcels in Ceglo, Goriška Brda, on opoka (marl and sandstone) soils.

Vinification: Hand-harvested, destemmed, with extended skin maceration (approximately 20-30 days) in open vats. Aged in large Slavonian oak casks for roughly 24 months on the fine lees, unfined and lightly filtered.

Color: Deep amber-gold with copper highlights

MSRP: $50 - $60

Nose: Bruised yellow apple, dried apricot, beeswax, chamomile, and a whisper of toasted hazelnut, with subtle oxidative complexity that suggests cured citrus peel and saffron.

Palate: Textural and gripping, with phenolic tannins framing flavors of quince paste, candied orange rind, dried pear, and walnut skin. A saline minerality threads through the mid-palate, lending energy to the wine's weight.

Finish: Long and savory, with persistent notes of dried herbs, honeyed apple, and a stony, almost iodine-like mineral echo.

Wine Kit Aromas: Honey, Apple (Green), Nut (Almond/Coconut), Citrus (Generic), Floral (Rose), Toasted

The Verdict: A masterclass in how transition — from grape to skin-contact maceration to extended élevage — can completely reshape what we expect from a white wine. Cerebral, ancient-feeling, and deeply rewarding.

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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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