The Mariner's Compass

Issue No. 90 — June 24, 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: 1792

Distillery: Barton 1792 Distillery

Proof: 125 (62.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep burnished copper with mahogany legs

MSRP: $40–$55

Mash Bill: Approximately 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley

Barrel Type: New Charred American Oak

Nose: Dark caramel and charred oak dominate the opening, with waves of brown spice and toasted pecan building underneath. A thread of ripe cherry sweetens the higher registers without cloying.

Palate: Full-bodied and commanding at barrel proof, with butterscotch and leather meeting a firm tannic structure. Corn sweetness pushes through mid-palate, joined by baking spices and a flash of orange peel.

Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak and tobacco lingering well past the last sip. A faint maple sweetness closes things out.

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

The Verdict: 1792 Full Proof delivers exactly what barrel-strength bourbon should: intensity without chaos. It rewards a few drops of water, which open up the sweeter cereal and fruit notes, but it holds together beautifully at full strength. A serious bourbon at a price that still feels honest.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Arran

Distillery: Lochranza Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 14 Year

Color: Bright gold with amber edges

MSRP: $60–$80

Region: Islands

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: First-fill and refill ex-bourbon barrels with a portion of ex-sherry hogsheads

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon barrels and ex-sherry hogsheads

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Peach and honey arrive immediately, followed by a gentle malt sweetness and vanilla from well-managed ex-bourbon casks. A light floral note, almost rosewater, sits behind the fruit.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a clean citrus brightness — orange peel and green apple. The malt backbone is firm, carrying clove spice and a creamy butteriness through the mid-palate. Not a drop of peat, letting the distillery character speak freely.

Finish: Medium-long with honey, vanilla, and a whisper of almond that fades gently.

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

The Verdict: Arran 14 is island whisky without the smoke, a distillery that trusts its spirit to carry the weight. Non-chill filtered and natural color, it's a transparent window into careful cask management and clean, fruity distillation. One of Scotland's better-kept secrets at this price point.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Waterford

Distillery: Waterford Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale straw with golden highlights

MSRP: $60 - $80

Mash Bill: 100% Irish-grown malted barley from Sheestown farm

Distillation: Double distilled

Maturation: Predominantly first-fill American oak with a portion of French oak

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, natural color

Nose: Green cut grass and honey dominate the opening, with a gentle malt sweetness and a hint of peach. The barley character is remarkably transparent — almost cereal-like in its purity.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a clean, almost ethereal quality. Vanilla and almond carry the mid-palate, while a soft earthiness emerges, reflecting the limestone-rich terroir of the Sheestown farm. Light clove spice adds structure.

Finish: Medium-length with lingering green grass, malt, and a dry mineral quality.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Green (Cut Grass), Honey, Vanilla, Almond, Earthy

The Verdict: Waterford's terroir-driven approach invites skepticism, but this second edition from Sheestown makes a convincing case. The barley's provenance is legible in the glass — lighter and more herbaceous than other Single Farm Origins. It demands attention but rewards it with genuine distinctiveness.

Classification: Tequila Reposado

Brand: Arette

Distillery: Tequila El Llano

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $40–$55

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Tahona stone and roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, double distilled, rested in American oak barrels

NOM: NOM 1109

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave leads with a clean, sweet vegetal quality. Vanilla and light butterscotch appear from the oak resting, alongside citrus — bright lime and a touch of grapefruit. A subtle mineral note anchors everything.

Palate: Silky texture with butter and cooked agave front and center. Mid-palate brings cinnamon and white pepper, while a gentle herbaceous quality — almost thyme-like — keeps it from veering too sweet. The oak influence is restrained and well-integrated.

Finish: Medium with lingering agave sweetness, pepper, and a clean mineral fade.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Vanilla, Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Cinnamon, Pepper

The Verdict: Arette's Artesanal Suave line represents their elevated expression, using a tahona-and-roller mill process that captures more agave complexity. This reposado finds the sweet spot between agave purity and oak influence. At its price, it outperforms bottles costing twice as much.

Classification: American Dry Gin

Brand: Koval

Distillery: Koval Distillery

Proof: 94 (47% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $30–$40

Style: American Dry Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica root, ginger, wildflowers, grapefruit peel

Base Spirit: Organic grain

Distillation: Pot distilled, heart cut only

Nose: Juniper meets wildflower immediately — a herbaceous waxy quality joined by meadowsweet and a soft floral rose character. Grapefruit peel and white pepper build in the background.

Palate: Clean and precise with juniper holding the center while ginger and coriander create warmth. Angelica root provides an earthy, dry backbone, and a burst of citrus — lemon and grapefruit — lifts the mid-palate. The grain base adds subtle body.

Finish: Medium with lingering juniper, peppery warmth, and a gentle floral fadeout.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Grapefruit, Ginger, Coriander, Angelica

The Verdict: Koval's dry gin is a study in midwestern directness — no gimmicks, no exotic botanicals chasing trends. The organic grain base is clean enough to let the botanicals do their work, and the distillation is precise enough to keep everything in balance. A gin for people who want gin to taste like gin.

Classification: Aged Barbados Rum

Brand: The Real McCoy

Distillery: Foursquare Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 5 Year

Color: Light amber with golden edges

MSRP: $22–$30

Base Ingredients: Barbados molasses

Distillation: Blended from column and pot still distillates

Nose: Clean vanilla and toffee lead, supported by a soft oak presence and dried coconut. Light tropical fruit — banana and a suggestion of citrus — adds brightness without heaviness.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a smooth, approachable entry. Caramel and vanilla dominate the early palate, while a gentle spice develops mid-palate. The molasses-based spirit shows its Bajan character through a clean, almost buttery texture with restrained oak tannins.

Finish: Medium with lingering vanilla, a touch of oak, and clean caramel sweetness.

Rum Kit Aromas: Vanilla, Toffee, Oak, Coconut, Caramel

The Verdict: The Real McCoy 5 Year is a benchmark for what additive-free aged rum can be at an entry price. Distilled at Foursquare but branded and bottled by Bailey Pryor's estate, it prioritizes transparency and craft over flash. It's versatile enough for cocktails and honest enough for sipping — a rare combination at this price.

Classification: Red Table Wine

Brand: Domaine de la Côte

Distillery: Domaine de la Côte

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Pinot Noir

Blend: 100% Pinot Noir

Vineyards: Sola Tierra block, Domaine de la Côte estate vineyard

Maturation: Whole cluster fermentation, native yeasts, minimal intervention

Color: Translucent ruby with garnet rim

MSRP: $75–$95

Nose: Wild cherry and dried rose petals open with an almost Burgundian restraint. Beneath the fruit, a gravelly minerality and fresh herbs — think dried thyme — carry an earthy, terroir-driven signature. A whisper of cedar emerges with air.

Palate: Lithe and tensile with bright cherry acidity framing the wine's core. The tannins are fine-grained, almost powdery, allowing the fruit to shimmer without weight. A mint note appears mid-palate alongside subtle toasted oak, never dominating.

Finish: Long and precise with cherry, mineral, and a haunting violet note that persists.

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

The Verdict: Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's Sola Tierra block sits on diatomaceous earth soils that produce some of the most transparent Pinot Noir in California. This is a wine of direction rather than power — it knows exactly where it's going and arrives with grace. If you're still looking for California Pinot that can stand alongside Burgundy Premier Cru, start here.

Classification: Saumur Blanc AOC

Brand: Château de Villeneuve

Distillery: Château de Villeneuve

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: Estate vineyards on tuffeau limestone, Saumur

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, aged on fine lees

Color: Pale straw with green-gold reflections

MSRP: $22–$30

Nose: Crisp green apple and gooseberry leap from the glass, joined by white flower aromatics and a chalky minerality that signals the tuffeau limestone beneath the vines. A faint honeyed quality develops with air.

Palate: Taut and precise with citrus and green apple acidity driving the palate forward. The mid-palate opens to reveal melon and a hint of pineapple, balanced by the wine's stony mineral spine. The texture is lean but not austere — there's a subtle creaminess that rounds the edges.

Finish: Medium-long with persistent mineral tension, green apple, and a clean, refreshing close.

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

The Verdict: Château de Villeneuve is one of Saumur's quiet benchmarks, producing Chenin Blanc that captures the Loire's limestone essence without artifice. The 2023 vintage benefits from ideal harvest conditions, delivering a wine that's simultaneously refreshing and substantive. At this price, it's one of the best values in serious white wine.

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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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