The Uneven Ground

Issue No. 94 — June 28, 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: Kentucky Owl

Distillery: Undisclosed (blended by Dixon Dedman)

Proof: 96.4 (48.2% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Rich amber with copper edges

MSRP: $125–$150

Mash Bill: Undisclosed (high-corn traditional bourbon mash bill)

Barrel Type: New charred American oak

Nose: Opens with toasted brown sugar and charred oak, followed by a wave of dried cherry and baking spice. Underneath, there's a leathery, almost tobacco-like dryness that keeps the sweetness in check.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered, with butterscotch giving way to dark cocoa and pecans. Mid-palate reveals a surprising corn sweetness balanced by rye spice and just enough tannic grip from the oak.

Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak and caramel lingering alongside a subtle tobacco dryness. The rye spice fades last.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Cherry, Cocoa (Dark), Tobacco

The Verdict: Kentucky Owl's Confiscated is a masterclass in blending—Dixon Dedman assembled this from barrels that tell a cohesive story without leaning on a single dominant note. It's a bourbon that rewards patience and makes a strong case for the art of the blend over the cult of the single barrel.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Caol Ila

Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Pale gold with greenish tint

MSRP: $120–$160

Region: Islay

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged 18 years in a combination of refill American oak and European oak casks

Cask Type: Refill American oak and European oak

Peat Level (PPM): 30 - 35 ppm

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Opens with a refined, almost elegant smokiness quite unlike the distillery's younger expressions. Honey and peach drift through, with a green, grassy freshness underneath. A faint whiff of sea spray ties it all together.

Palate: Medium-bodied and silky. The peat is present but woven into a fabric of caramel, dried fruit, and beeswax. A subtle woody spice emerges at mid-palate, with clove adding punctuation.

Finish: Long and surprisingly gentle, with lingering smoke, honey, and a final whisper of orange peel. The peat never overwhelms—it just hums.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peaty, Honey, Peach, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice

The Verdict: Caol Ila's 18 Year is what happens when Islay peat is given time to evolve rather than dominate. It's one of the best arguments for aged peated whisky, showing that smoke can be a supporting character in a story about elegance and restraint.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Knappogue Castle

Distillery: Undisclosed (sourced from Cooley/Bushmills)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 16 Year

Color: Deep gold with amber highlights

MSRP: $85–$110

Mash Bill: 100% malted barley

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in Oloroso sherry casks

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Rich dried fruit and sherry-soaked raisins meet a foundation of creamy vanilla and gentle honey. A trace of almond and hazelnut adds a nutty complexity, while a mild woody dryness provides structure.

Palate: Smooth and medium-weight, with caramel and cocoa developing across the tongue. The dried fruit from the nose carries through, joined by clove spice and a buttery richness. A quiet earthiness emerges toward the back.

Finish: Medium-long, with hazelnut and cocoa fading into a warm, woody close. The sherry influence lingers elegantly.

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

The Verdict: At 16 years, this Knappogue Castle shows the kind of maturity that Irish single malts rarely get credit for. The twin-wood approach—bourbon followed by sherry casks—creates layers without overwhelming the whiskey's inherently gentle character. It's a contemplative pour that earns its complexity honestly.

Classification: Reposado Tequila

Brand: Calle 23

Distillery: Calle 23 Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 8 Months

Color: Light straw gold

MSRP: $60–$80

Agave: 100% Criollo Blue Agave (heritage varietal)

Cooking Method: Tahona-crushed, naturally fermented, double distilled in copper pot stills

NOM: NOM 1545

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Cooked agave leads immediately, rich and vegetal, with lime zest and fresh herbs dancing around it. A gentle vanilla sweetness and a mineral earthiness emerge as it opens, along with a faint floral note.

Palate: Textured and medium-bodied, with roasted agave meeting butterscotch and white pepper. The oak is restrained, letting the agave speak, while herbal notes of thyme add savory complexity. A bready yeast quality adds depth.

Finish: Medium, with cooked agave and pepper persisting alongside a clean mineral note. The oak never dominates.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Herbal (Mint, Thyme, Eucalyptus), Pepper, Vanilla, Yeast (Bready)

The Verdict: French-born chemist Sophie Decobecq brings scientific rigor to traditional tequila production, and this Criollo Reposado shows it. The heritage Criollo agave strain produces a distinctly different flavor profile from standard blue Weber, and the restrained aging lets that difference shine. A tequila for people who want to taste the plant.

Classification: Contemporary Dry Gin

Brand: Kirkjuvagr

Distillery: Orkney Distilling Ltd.

Proof: 86 proof (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Clear

MSRP: $50 - $60

Style: Contemporary Scottish Dry Gin with foraged coastal botanicals

Botanicals: Juniper, blueberries, blackberries, cranberries

Base Spirit: Grain Neutral Spirit

Nose: Fresh juniper leads, threaded with bright lemon peel and a green, herbaceous lift from angelica. Beneath sits a faint maritime salinity and the dry, hay-like whisper of burnet rose, with subtle warmth from coriander seed.

Palate: Crisp and oily on entry, with piney juniper at the core. Mid-palate brings citrus zest, ramanas rose hip, and a savoury angelica root depth. Borage flower adds a cool, cucumber-edged greenness, while a touch of pepper and earthy orris keep the structure firm.

Finish: Long and dry, with lingering juniper resin, sea-salted citrus oil, and a faintly floral, almost windswept-meadow note that fades slowly.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Pine), Lemon, Angelica, Coriander, Floral (Rose), Orris Root

The Verdict: An assertive, terroir-driven Orkney gin that wears its harsh North Atlantic origins proudly — beautifully balanced between traditional juniper backbone and the foraged botanicals of a windswept archipelago.

Classification: Clairin (Unaged Haitian Rum)

Brand: Clairin

Distillery: Distillerie Le Rocher

Proof: 93.4 (46.7% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Water white with slight straw tint

MSRP: $35–$45

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice (native Haitian cane varieties)

Distillation: Single distillation on a small copper column still

Nose: Intensely aromatic, with overripe tropical fruits—mango, guava, and pineapple—leading the charge. Beneath the fruit, a grassy, almost agricultural funk emerges, along with a distinct citrus brightness. There's a yeasty, bready quality that signals wild fermentation.

Palate: Vibrant and full of energy. The tropical fruit character translates directly to the palate, joined by sugarcane freshness and a mineral backbone. Mid-palate brings molasses sweetness tempered by a vegetal, agricole-like bite.

Finish: Long for an unaged spirit, with lingering tropical fruit and a clean, slightly funky close. The minerality persists.

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

The Verdict: Clairin Le Rocher is fermented with wild yeast, distilled from fresh sugarcane juice on rudimentary equipment, and bottled without adjustment. The result is one of the most expressive unaged cane spirits in the world. It's raw, complex, and utterly unlike anything from the industrial rum world—a direct transmission of terroir.

Classification: Terre Siciliane IGT

Brand: Passopisciaro

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Nerello Mascalese

Blend: 100% Nerello Mascalese

Vineyards: Contrada Guardiola, north slope of Mount Etna, 600–700 meters elevation, volcanic sand and ash soils

Maturation: Whole-cluster fermentation with native yeasts, aged 12 months in neutral French oak barriques

Color: Translucent garnet with ruby core

MSRP: $55–$75

Nose: Wild strawberry and crushed red cherry lift off the glass, joined by a distinctive volcanic mineral note—almost like wet stone. Subtle violet and dried herb aromas weave through, with a faint smoky character from the volcanic soil.

Palate: Medium-bodied with electric acidity and fine, sandy tannins. The red fruit continues, layered with blood orange and a savory, earthy undertone. There's a tension between the fruit and the mineral backbone that keeps every sip engaging.

Finish: Long and vibrant, with cherry and mineral persistence. A hint of rose petal lingers at the very end.

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

The Verdict: Andrea Franchetti's Passopisciaro project maps Etna's north face contrada by contrada, and Guardiola (G) consistently delivers some of the estate's most expressive wines. The Nerello Mascalese grown in these volcanic soils produces a wine that can feel almost Burgundian in its transparency—but the mineral intensity is purely Sicilian.

Classification: Riesling Kabinett

Brand: Dönnhoff

ABV: 8.5%

Primary Varietal: Riesling

Blend: 100% Riesling

Vineyards: Oberhäuser Brücke, steep gray slate terraces above the Nahe River

Vinification: Spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel, aged on fine lees for 6 months

Color: Pale straw with green-gold glints

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: White peach and green apple dominate, with crystalline citrus and a pronounced wet-slate minerality. A delicate floral note—almost like honeysuckle—threads through the fruit, keeping everything lifted and precise.

Palate: Off-dry with perfect tension between residual sweetness and razor-sharp acidity. The palate delivers ripe orchard fruit, lime zest, and that persistent mineral spine. Light-bodied but texturally precise, with every element in proportion.

Finish: Long and shimmering, with citrus and mineral notes that seem to vibrate on the palate. The sweetness resolves cleanly, leaving a dry, stony impression.

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

The Verdict: Cornelius Dönnhoff continues his family's tradition of making some of the Nahe's most site-specific Rieslings, and the Oberhäuser Brücke vineyard—with its steep slate terraces above the river—consistently produces Kabinett of exceptional purity. This is German Riesling at its most transparent: low alcohol, high tension, and a mineral signature that can't be faked.

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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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