The Quiet Craft of Hands

Issue No. 96 — June 30, 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: Maker's Mark

Distillery: Maker's Mark Distillery

Proof: 109.2 (54.6% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Burnished copper with amber edges

MSRP: $60–$75

Mash Bill: 70% Corn, 16% Soft Red Winter Wheat, 14% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak with custom finishing staves

Wheated: Yes

Nose: Rich caramel and baking spices greet you first, followed by toasted oak and a thread of dried orange peel. Underneath, there's a creamy vanilla note and faint wheat-bread sweetness.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered. Butterscotch and brown sugar dominate the mid-palate, with charred oak providing a structural backbone. A gentle wheat softness rounds the edges, while cinnamon and a touch of leather add complexity.

Finish: Long and warming, with caramel, charred oak, and a lingering maple sweetness that fades slowly into dry spice.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Wheat, Caramel, Vanilla

The Verdict: Maker's Mark Private Select takes the distillery's wheated DNA and amplifies it through a custom stave program that lets each bottling tell a different story. This is hands-on bourbon-making at its most deliberate — no two selections are identical. It rewards attention with layered, cask-driven complexity.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Glen Scotia

Distillery: Glen Scotia Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Deep gold with honeyed amber hues

MSRP: $120–$150

Region: Campbeltown

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged in American oak ex-bourbon casks with an Oloroso sherry cask finish

Cask Type: American oak ex-bourbon with Oloroso sherry finish

Peat Level (PPM): Lightly peated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Maritime salinity meets honeyed malt and ripe peach. A subtle smokiness weaves through dried fruit and vanilla, with a background note of hazelnut and old leather-bound books.

Palate: Rich and oily on entry. Caramel and dried fruit dominate, followed by clove spice and dark chocolate. A gentle peatiness emerges mid-palate, balanced by buttery shortbread and orchard fruit.

Finish: Long and warming, with smoky malt, dried apricot, and a lingering maritime minerality.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Honey, Peach, Smoky, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Caramel

The Verdict: Glen Scotia is the smallest of Campbeltown's surviving distilleries, and this 18-year-old expression distills the town's singular character — coastal, complex, and unapologetically old-fashioned. The extended maturation adds depth without dulling the maritime edge that makes Campbeltown whisky unmistakable.

Classification: Single Grain Irish Whiskey

Brand: Clonakilty

Distillery: Clonakilty Distillery

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale straw gold with rose-copper glints

MSRP: $40–$50

Mash Bill: Corn and Malted Barley (proprietary ratio)

Distillation: Column distilled

Maturation: Aged in ex-bourbon casks, finished in Bordeaux red wine casks

Chill-Filtered: Chill filtered

Nose: Light and inviting, with vanilla cream, green apple, and a hint of peach. A subtle floral quality develops alongside gentle cereal sweetness and a whisper of toasted wood.

Palate: Smooth and medium-bodied. Honey and buttery biscuit notes lead into fresh fruit — peach and pear — before light clove spice and coconut emerge from the Bordeaux cask influence. The grain character keeps it nimble.

Finish: Clean and medium-length, with honey, vanilla, and a delicate tannic grip from the wine cask.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Honey, Vanilla, Peach, Coconut, Clove Spice

The Verdict: Clonakilty's grain whiskey is sourced from barley grown on the Scully family's own coastal farm, and the Bordeaux cask finish adds a vinous dimension that elevates an otherwise straightforward spirit. It's approachable without being simple — a bridge between Irish tradition and continental influence.

Classification: Tequila Reposado

Brand: Gran Centenario

Distillery: Destilería La Rojeña (NOM 1122)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 6 months

Color: Light gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $28–$38

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Traditional tahona and roller mill; selección suave process with new American oak resting prior to standard reposado aging in used American oak barrels

NOM: NOM 1122

Nose: Cooked agave opens cleanly, followed by citrus zest and a warm vanilla thread. Light oak and a dusting of cinnamon round out the aromatics, with a faint herbal note lingering underneath.

Palate: Medium-bodied and well-integrated. Roasted agave and butter lead, with honey sweetness and white pepper building at the mid-palate. Oak influence is restrained, offering vanilla and a touch of butterscotch without overpowering the agave core.

Finish: Medium-length, with cooked agave, a flicker of pepper, and residual honey warmth.

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

The Verdict: Gran Centenario Reposado sits in a sweet spot — accessible enough for mixing but with enough agave-forward character to sip thoughtfully. The selección suave process, where the distillate is briefly rested in new American oak before its standard reposado aging, gives it a polish that belies its price point. Excellent value.

Classification: Flavoured Gin

Brand: Whitley Neill

Distillery: City of London Distillery (Halewood)

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with faintest blush tint

MSRP: $25–$35

Style: Flavoured Gin

Botanicals: Juniper berries, Coriander seed, Cassia bark, Orris root, Angelica root, Liquorice root, Lemon peel, Sweet orange peel, Sicilian blood orange / Sicilian orange (peel and/or zest) Sources

Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit

Distillation: Pot distilled with vapor infusion of botanicals

Nose: Bright blood orange zest leads immediately, supported by a firm juniper backbone and coriander seed warmth. A subtle floral quality — almost like orange blossom — emerges as it opens.

Palate: Medium-bodied with excellent balance between the citrus and the botanical core. Juniper stays present throughout, while blood orange adds a bittersweet depth that distinguishes it from straightforward citrus gins. Cassia bark and a touch of angelica root provide spice and structure.

Finish: Clean and refreshing, with lingering blood orange peel bitterness and a dry juniper fade.

Gin Kit Aromas: Orange, Juniper (Green), Coriander, Cassia Bark, Angelica

The Verdict: Whitley Neill's Blood Orange expression works because it respects the gin beneath the flavoring. The blood orange is vivid without being syrupy, and the juniper-forward base keeps it honest. It's a gin that makes a spectacular spritz but doesn't embarrass itself neat — a rare feat in the flavored gin category.

Classification: Rhum Agricole Vieux

Brand: Rhum Clément

Distillery: Habitation Clément

Proof: 88 (44% ABV)

Age: NAS (blend of aged rums, minimum 6 years)

Color: Deep mahogany with ruby reflections

MSRP: $55–$75

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice (rhum agricole)

Distillation: Single column distillation from fresh pressed sugarcane juice

Nose: Sugarcane and tropical fruit open the nose — ripe banana and mango — followed by toasted oak, dark chocolate, and dried fruit. A faint coffee note lingers underneath, with vanilla and warm spice.

Palate: Full-bodied and richly textured. The agricole grassiness is still present but subdued by years in oak, yielding to toffee, roasted coffee, and dried tropical fruits. Leather and tobacco emerge as it develops, with a spice note that builds gradually.

Finish: Long and complex, with tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, and a final echo of fresh sugarcane.

Rum Kit Aromas: Agricole, Tropical Fruits, Tobacco, Chocolate, Coffee, Toffee

The Verdict: Cuvée Homère is Clément's tribute to founder Homère Clément, and it showcases what extended aging does to quality rhum agricole. The cane character remains at the foundation, but the oak and oxidative aging add layers that rival fine cognac in complexity. This is a sipping rum that demands — and rewards — your full attention.

Classification: Barolo DOCG

Brand: G.D. Vajra

Distillery: G.D. Vajra

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo

Blend: 100% Nebbiolo

Vineyards: Multiple vineyard sites across Barolo commune, including Vergne

Maturation: Hand-harvested, gentle maceration, fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts

Color: Translucent garnet with brick-orange rim

MSRP: $40–$55

Nose: Classic Nebbiolo aromatics — dried rose petals, cherry, and tar — unfold with dried herbs and a touch of cedar. There's an earthy undertone, like damp autumn leaves, and a subtle violet note.

Palate: Medium-to-full bodied with firm tannins that are grippy but fine-grained. Cherry and red berry fruit sit alongside toasted almond and a persistent floral quality. The acidity is bright, cutting through the tannic structure and keeping the wine lifted and energetic.

Finish: Long and drying, with cherry, cedar, and a lingering floral-mineral echo.

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

The Verdict: Vajra's Albe bottling is the entry point to the estate's Barolo range, sourced from younger vines across multiple village plots. It delivers textbook Nebbiolo character — roses, tar, cherry — at a price that makes it one of the best introductions to Barolo available. Give it a thirty-minute decant and watch it bloom.

Classification: Alsace AOC

Brand: Domaine Weinbach

Distillery: Domaine Weinbach

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Riesling

Blend: 100% Riesling

Vineyards: Clos des Capucins, Kaysersberg, Alsace

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts in large oak foudres, biodynamic viticulture (Demeter certified)

Color: Pale straw with green-gold glints

MSRP: $35–$50

Nose: Lemon blossom and white peach lead, followed by lime zest and a stony minerality. There's a subtle honeyed quality and a whisper of green apple that keeps it fresh and inviting.

Palate: Taut and precise on entry, with citrus — lemon and grapefruit — driving the mid-palate. A delicate honey sweetness is balanced by racy acidity, while a faint smoky minerality adds depth. The texture is silky, with just enough weight to feel substantial.

Finish: Long and vibrant, with persistent citrus, wet stone, and a clean, almost saline close.

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

The Verdict: The Réserve Personnelle is Weinbach's calling card — a wine that captures the Clos des Capucins terroir with clarity and restraint. The 2023 vintage delivers the crystalline precision that makes Alsatian Riesling one of the world's great white wine styles. Hand-harvested, hand-sorted, and vinified with minimal intervention, it's a pure expression of place and practice.

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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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