The Rough Edge Sings

Issue No. 92 — June 26, 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 Rye Whiskey

Brand: Wild Turkey

Distillery: Wild Turkey Distillery

Proof: 112.2 (56.1% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Burnished copper with amber highlights

MSRP: $45–$60

Mash Bill: 51% Rye, 37% Corn, 12% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak (Level 4 char)

Nose: Immediate rye spice — cracked black pepper and dried caraway — layered over caramel and toasted oak. There's a surprisingly sweet undercurrent of vanilla and baking spices that deepens with time in the glass.

Palate: Full-bodied and assertive, with rye grain front and center, followed by charred oak and butterscotch. A touch of leather and dark cherry emerges mid-palate, held together by a viscous, almost chewy texture.

Finish: Long and warming with lingering rye spice, charred wood, and a faint echo of maple sweetness. The proof carries heat but never burns.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Rye, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Cherry, Leather

The Verdict: Wild Turkey's Rare Breed Rye is a barrel-proof statement that channels the distillery's signature robust style into a rye framework. It has the kind of rough-hewn character that rewards a patient pour — add a few drops of water and the cherry and caramel notes bloom. An excellent value for its proof and complexity.

Classification: Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Springbank

Distillery: Springbank Distillery

Proof: 113.6 (56.8% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Dark gold with russet tinges

MSRP: $110–$140

Region: Campbeltown

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Two and a half times distilled (partial triple distillation)

Maturation: Combination of bourbon and sherry casks for 12 years

Cask Type: 60% Bourbon, 40% Sherry

Peat Level (PPM): ~15 PPM

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: A briny, maritime opening gives way to dried apricot, malt, and a wisp of peat smoke. Underneath sits honeyed oak and a gentle medicinal note that adds intrigue rather than harshness.

Palate: Oily and full, with waves of caramel, dark cocoa, and clove spice. The peat is present but restrained, offering a savory backbone rather than dominating. Dried fruit — figs and dates — emerges with time.

Finish: Exceptionally long, shifting from smoky malt to earthy cocoa and a lingering vanilla-honey sweetness. The cask strength carries beautifully.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peaty, Smoky, Caramel, Dried Fruit, Cocoa (Dark), Honey

The Verdict: Springbank's 12 Year Cask Strength is one of the most honest expressions in Scotch whisky — non-chill-filtered, uncolored, and bottled at full power. It captures the entire Campbeltown terroir in a single glass: sea air, peat, and old-world malt character. A bottle that rewards every revisit.

Classification: Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Connemara

Distillery: Cooley Distillery

Proof: 114.6 (57.3% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Bright amber with golden edges

MSRP: $55–$75

Mash Bill: 100% Peated Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Ex-bourbon barrels

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Peat smoke rolls in first, distinctly different from Scotch peat — more herbal and grassy. Behind it, ripe peach, honey, and a light vanilla sweetness. A touch of something ethereal and waxy.

Palate: Muscular and full at cask strength, with smoky malt meeting buttery cereal grain. Green cut grass and clove spice add complexity. The peach note from the nose returns mid-palate, providing unexpected freshness.

Finish: Long and warming, with peaty smoke fading into earthy cocoa and a persistent honey note. The rougher edges smooth out beautifully with a drop of water.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Peaty, Smoky, Honey, Peach, Green (Cut Grass), Clove Spice

The Verdict: Connemara Cask Strength is arguably the most uncompromising Irish whiskey on the market. It rejects every stereotype about the category's gentleness and replaces it with smoky, full-throttle character. At cask strength, it invites experimentation — neat, with water, or even as the backbone of a bold cocktail.

Classification: 100% Agave Blanco Tequila

Brand: Cimarrón

Distillery: Destilería Arandina (NOM 1554)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: Unaged

Color: Crystal clear with silver brightness

MSRP: $22–$30

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highlands, Arandas)

Cooking Method: Autoclave-cooked agave, roller mill extraction, stainless steel fermentation

NOM: NOM 1554

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Vibrant cooked agave with bright citrus peel — lime zest and grapefruit. Green herb notes mingle with a subtle mineral earthiness that signals highland terroir.

Palate: Lean and assertive, leading with agave and white pepper. Grassy notes and a slight yeasty breadiness add texture. There's an appealing roughness here — no sweetener masks the agave's natural character.

Finish: Clean and peppery, with lingering citrus and a pleasant mineral bite. Short to medium length but satisfying.

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

The Verdict: Cimarrón is the tequila bartenders reach for when they want agave character without pretension or price gouging. It's certified additive-free, highlands-grown, and unapologetically straightforward. The rough edge here is the point: this is tequila that tastes like the plant it comes from, not the boardroom that approved it.

Classification: Craft Gin

Brand: Musgrave

Distillery: Musgrave Spirits

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Clear with a faint copper blush from copper pot distillation

MSRP: $35–$45

Style: Contemporary Craft Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica root, grapefruit peel, rose petals, ginger, grains of paradise

Base Spirit: Grape-based neutral spirit

Distillation: Small-batch copper pot distillation

Nose: A distinctive juniper-forward opening quickly gives way to coriander seed and a bold grapefruit note. Underneath, rose petal and angelica root provide depth without sweetness.

Palate: Textured and slightly resinous, with piney juniper at the core. Ginger warmth builds mid-palate alongside a peppery bite. The grapefruit returns, now more pith than juice, adding a welcome bitterness.

Finish: Dry and persistent, with juniper, black pepper, and a trailing floral note. There's a pleasant graininess to the mouthfeel that sets it apart from smoother London Drys.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Grapefruit, Coriander, Peppery, Floral (Rose), Ginger

The Verdict: Musgrave Copper Gin is a South African craft expression that leans into juniper and spice rather than chasing the contemporary citrus-bomb trend. Its slight roughness — that peppery, resinous quality — makes it a gin with real backbone. Excellent in a Negroni where its structure can stand up to Campari and vermouth.

Classification: White Overproof Jamaican Rum

Brand: Hampden Estate

Distillery: Hampden Estate Distillery

Proof: 126 (63% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Clear, water-white

MSRP: $25–$35

Base Ingredients: Molasses

Distillation: Copper pot still distillation

Nose: An immediate blast of tropical fruit esters — overripe banana, pineapple, and something like fermented mango. Behind the fruit, there's a funky, almost cheesy note and a hint of lighter fluid that is entirely characteristic of high-ester Jamaican rum.

Palate: Explosive and unapologetic. The ester-driven tropical fruit character dominates, but there's a surprising creaminess beneath. Banana and coconut meet a sharp, almost agricole-like grassy note. The proof is powerful but never harsh thanks to the flavor density.

Finish: Long and evolving — tropical fruits give way to a clean, slightly medicinal minerality. The funk lingers pleasantly for minutes after each sip.

Rum Kit Aromas: Tropical Fruits, Banana, Coconut, Agricole, Fusel Oil

The Verdict: Rum Fire is the distilled essence of Jamaican rum tradition — unaged, unfiltered, and unapologetic at 63% ABV. It's a bottle that divides opinion and that's exactly the point. For cocktail enthusiasts, even a half-ounce float transforms a Daiquiri. For sipping, it's a masterclass in what high-ester fermentation can produce. Rough-edged genius.

Classification: Monferrato Rosso DOC

Brand: Cascina degli Ulivi

Distillery: Cascina degli Ulivi

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Dolcetto (Nibiô clone)

Blend: 100% Dolcetto Nibiô

Vineyards: Terre Bianche, white calcareous-clay soils in the hills of Tassarolo, Gavi, Piedmont — farmed biodynamically (Demeter certified) since the 1980s.

Maturation: Hand-harvested fruit fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel, with extended skin maceration. Aged in large neutral Slavonian oak botti. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur addition.

Color: Translucent ruby with garnet edges and a slight haze from being unfiltered

MSRP: $38 USD

Nose: Wild red cherry, crushed violet, dried rose petal, damp earth, a whisper of woodsmoke and bitter almond skin.

Palate: Lithe and energetic, with tart morello cherry, pomegranate, blood orange peel, and a faintly bitter herbal undertone of rhubarb and tobacco leaf. Fine, chalky tannins frame the wine without weighing it down.

Finish: Savory and lifted, with lingering sour cherry, iron, and a faintly saline mineral echo.

Wine Kit Aromas: Cherry, Floral (Rose), Violet, Nut (Almond/Coconut), Berry (Generic)

The Verdict: An honest, unvarnished expression of Dolcetto Nibiô that trades polish for soul — a wine that celebrates its quirks rather than hiding them.

Classification: Saumur Blanc AOC

Brand: Domaine des Roches Neuves

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: L'Insolite vineyard, old vines on tuffeau limestone, biodynamically farmed

Vinification: Whole cluster pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation, no malolactic fermentation, minimal sulfites

Color: Pale straw with green-gold highlights

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Bracing white pear and green apple meet a pronounced chalky minerality. Citrus peel and a hint of fresh herbs — thyme and white flowers — add complexity without competing.

Palate: Taut and precise, with razor-sharp acidity carrying flavors of green apple, lemon zest, and wet stone. There's a textural grip from the tuffeau limestone soils that gives the wine unexpected weight. A subtle honeyed richness emerges with warmth.

Finish: Long and mineral-driven, with persistent citrus and a faintly saline quality. The acidity lingers, keeping the palate clean and demanding another sip.

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

The Verdict: Thierry Germain's L'Insolite is biodynamic Chenin Blanc at its most unadorned — the name translates to 'the unusual,' and this wine lives up to it. No new oak, no malolactic fermentation, just pure varietal expression shaped by ancient tuffeau limestone. The rough mineral edge here is precisely what makes it compelling. A benchmark Loire white.

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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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