The Residue of Time

Issue No. 91 — June 25, 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: Michter's

Distillery: Michter's Distillery

Proof: 94.4 (47.2% ABV)

Age: 10 Year

Color: Deep burnished copper with amber edges

MSRP: $160–$200

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

Barrel Type: New charred American white oak, air-dried 18+ months

Single Barrel: Yes

Nose: Rich caramel leads immediately, followed by toasted pecan and a soft wave of dried orange peel. Underneath, there is dark leather and a wisp of pipe tobacco that speaks to a full decade in charred oak.

Palate: The entry is buttery and full, with butterscotch melting into brown spices and baking cocoa. A secondary wave of cherry preserves and vanilla custard broadens the mid-palate. The oak presence is assertive but never astringent, layered in like a well-worn leather chair.

Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak and maple syrup tapering into a dry, faintly spiced farewell. There is a gentle tannic grip that holds everything together.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Caramel, Pecan, Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Cherry, Leather

The Verdict: Michter's 10 Year exemplifies the discipline of selecting barrels that can handle a full decade without tipping into over-oaked bitterness. This is bourbon that rewards slow sipping — each minute in the glass unlocks new layers. A benchmark for what extended aging should accomplish in Kentucky whiskey.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Glengoyne

Distillery: Glengoyne Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Rich amber gold with reddish highlights

MSRP: $100–$130

Region: Highlands

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills, slowest distillation rate in Scotland

Maturation: First-fill and refill oloroso sherry casks, 18 years minimum

Cask Type: Oloroso sherry casks

Peat Level (PPM): 0 PPM (unpeated)

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Thick sherry-influenced dried fruit — raisins, dates, stewed plums — over a bed of toasted oak and dark chocolate. Subtle rosewater emerges with air, alongside roasted hazelnut and a faint honeyed sweetness.

Palate: Creamy and full-bodied with a buttery mouthfeel that carries waves of caramel, clove spice, and cocoa. The sherry cask influence provides dried fruit complexity without overwhelming the malt character, which stays present as a clean, biscuity backbone.

Finish: Long and gently warming, with oak tannins, lingering dried fruit, and a closing note of dark honey. The sherry-oak interplay sustains well past the final sip.

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

The Verdict: Glengoyne prides itself on the slowest distillation in Scotland, and this 18-year expression makes the case for why that matters. The patience at every stage — unhurried distillation, careful sherry cask selection, nearly two decades of maturation — produces a whisky of uncommon depth and balance. A masterclass in time well spent.

Classification: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Brand: Spot Whiskey

Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Proof: 102.8 (51.4% ABV)

Age: 9 Year

Color: Deep gold with honeyed sheen

MSRP: $85–$110

Mash Bill: Malted and unmalted barley (single pot still)

Distillation: Triple-distilled

Maturation: Bourbon barrels, sherry butts, and port pipes, minimum 9 years

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Lush honeycomb and ripe peach lead, with supporting notes of toasted almond, vanilla fudge, and a faint herbaceous green note. Sherry-cask influence contributes dried apricot and a whisper of clove.

Palate: Pot still spice arrives immediately — cracked white pepper and clove — riding on a wave of buttery toffee and orchard fruit. The bourbon and sherry cask combination creates a layered sweetness that never becomes cloying, anchored by earthy malt and a grainy, almost bready depth.

Finish: Medium-long and spiced, with lingering honey, vanilla, and a dry woody close. The pot still character shines through on the fade, leaving a warm, peppery glow.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Honey, Peach, Clove Spice, Buttery, Vanilla, Woody

The Verdict: Gold Spot revives a tier of the historic Spot range that was absent for decades. At nine years and cask strength, it bridges the approachability of Green Spot with the gravitas of the older Spot expressions. The result is a pot still whiskey that demonstrates exactly what careful cask management and unhurried maturation bring to Ireland's most distinctive whiskey style.

Classification: Añejo Tequila

Brand: Don Pilar

Distillery: NOM 1584 - Industrializadora de Agave San Isidro

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 18 Months

Color: Warm amber with copper glints

MSRP: $55–$75

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave, highland-grown

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, double distilled in copper pot stills

NOM: NOM 1584

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave at the core, wreathed in butterscotch, vanilla, and toasted oak. Secondary aromas of cinnamon stick, roasted almond, and a faint earthy minerality provide depth. There is a subtle honeyed quality that suggests patient barrel aging.

Palate: Rich and full, with caramel and cooked agave forming a sweet, rounded base. Oak and vanilla weave through the mid-palate, balanced by a peppery spice that keeps things grounded. A touch of dark chocolate appears at the edges, along with dried citrus peel.

Finish: Medium-long, with warm oak, butterscotch, and a gentle agave sweetness lingering alongside a trace of cinnamon and pepper.

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

The Verdict: Don Pilar's Añejo delivers genuine agave character that has been shaped, not masked, by eighteen months in oak. This is añejo the way it should be done — the wood serves the spirit, not the other way around. At its price point, it competes well above its weight class, offering depth and balance that many pricier añejos struggle to achieve.

Classification: Old Tom Gin

Brand: Jensen's

Distillery: Bermondsey Distillery (Thames Distillers)

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $40–$50

Style: Old Tom Gin

Botanicals: Classic gin botanicals with a focus on roots and spices.

Base Spirit: Grain neutral spirits.

Distillation: Single-shot pot distillation at Thames Distillers

Nose: A distinctive malty sweetness underpins the juniper, which presents as herbaceous and waxy rather than aggressive. Subtle coriander and angelica root provide an earthy backbone, while a gentle lemon note floats above. There is a curious almond-like quality in the background.

Palate: Silky and slightly sweet without being sugary, the malt-forward character recalls Victorian-era gin styles. Juniper stays present throughout but in a supporting role, allowing the liquorice, angelica, and orris root to share the stage. A peppery warmth develops mid-palate.

Finish: Medium length, with lingering liquorice, a fading juniper herbaceousness, and a dry, slightly nutty close.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Liquorice, Angelica, Orris Root, Lemon, Almond

The Verdict: Christian Jensen spent years researching nineteenth-century recipes to reconstruct an authentic Old Tom profile. The result is not a novelty — it is a genuine revival, offering a window into what gin tasted like before London Dry became the dominant style. Essential for anyone building a historically informed Martinez or Tom Collins.

Classification: Solera Aged Rum

Brand: Ron Zacapa

Distillery: Industrias Licoreras de Guatemala

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: Solera System (6–24 Year blend)

Color: Deep mahogany with garnet undertones

MSRP: $50–$65

Base Ingredients: Virgin sugar cane honey (primera)

Distillation: Column distilled from virgin sugar cane honey

Nose: Intensely aromatic — dark chocolate, espresso, and charred oak open the conversation. Beneath that, dried fruit and molasses provide a brooding sweetness. Tobacco leaf and leather emerge with patience, lending a cigar-box complexity.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered, with roasted coffee and dark chocolate giving way to toffee, vanilla, and a muscovado sugar richness. The heavily charred cask influence contributes a smoky depth that distinguishes this from the standard Centenario 23. Dried fruit and spice weave through the mid-palate.

Finish: Long, with smoldering chocolate, leather, and a dry oakiness that lingers. Coffee and tobacco notes close things out with quiet authority.

Rum Kit Aromas: Chocolate, Coffee, Tobacco, Leather, Toffee, Dried Fruit

The Verdict: Edición Negra takes Zacapa's high-altitude solera system and pushes it toward heavier charred casks, producing a darker, more brooding rum than its siblings. The result is a spirit that trades some of the Centenario 23's honeyed charm for genuine complexity and a savory edge. Whether you sip it neat or pair it with a robust dessert, this is rum built for contemplation.

Classification: Etna Rosso DOC

Brand: Tenuta delle Terre Nere

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Nerello Mascalese

Blend: Nerello Mascalese with minor Nerello Cappuccio

Vineyards: San Lorenzo contrada, north slope of Mount Etna, 700m+ elevation

Maturation: Hand-harvested, spontaneous fermentation, 12 months in large Slavonian oak

Color: Translucent garnet with ruby edges

MSRP: $45–$60

Nose: Lifted red cherry and crushed wild strawberry with a pronounced floral note of rose petal. Beneath, volcanic mineral and a subtle smoky quality hint at the terroir. Fresh herbs and a whisper of black tea add complexity.

Palate: Elegantly structured with bright cherry fruit and a finely grained tannic backbone. Volcanic soil minerality drives the mid-palate, lending an almost saline, stony quality. Hints of dried herbs, gentle spice, and cedar emerge as the wine opens.

Finish: Long and mineral-driven, with persistent cherry, dried violet, and a chalky grip that pulls you back for another sip.

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

The Verdict: Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.

Classification: Alsace Grand Cru AOC

Brand: Kuentz-Bas

ABV: 13% - 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Riesling

Blend: 100% Riesling

Vineyards: Grand Cru Pfersigberg, Husseren-les-Châteaux, Alsace

Vinification: Hand-harvested, gentle whole-cluster pressing, spontaneous fermentation, aged on fine lees in stainless steel and old oak foudres

Color: Pale gold with green-silver reflections

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Precise and floral, with white peach, honeysuckle, and a streak of wet limestone. Citrus zest — lemon and grapefruit — mingles with a faint herbal note and the slightest suggestion of honeycomb.

Palate: Taut and mineral on entry, with citrus and green apple acidity framing a delicate stone fruit sweetness. The mid-palate broadens with a chalky, textural quality that reflects Pfersigberg's calcareous sandstone soils. A hint of toasted almond adds weight without heaviness.

Finish: Long and focused, with persistent citrus, mineral tension, and a clean, slightly bitter grapefruit pith that refreshes the palate.

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

The Verdict: Kuentz-Bas has quietly produced exceptional Alsatian wines since 1795, and this Grand Cru Riesling from the south-facing Pfersigberg vineyard is a compelling argument for the house's patience and precision. Dry, taut, and deeply mineral, it is Riesling that asks you to wait — give it thirty minutes of air, or better yet, a year or two in your cellar, and it will repay you generously.

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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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