Nothing beautiful comes easy. The best spirits and wines share a common origin story: something had to be coaxed, wrestled, or waited out before the liquid found its grace. A distiller fights with a difficult mash bill. A winemaker tends vines in volcanic soil that fights back. A blender passes up barrel after barrel before finding the ones that sing in harmony.
Today's eight selections each carry the mark of resistance — and the reward that follows when makers refuse to take shortcuts. From a high-rye bourbon that demands patience to an Etna Rosso shaped by lava flows, these bottles remind us that the thorn is part of the story.
This issue's aromas trace the line between harshness and refinement — smoky peat, volcanic minerality, spicy rye grain, and the flinty tang of Loire silex. Train your nose to find beauty in what first seems rough.
Don’t see your special bottle? Request a review at reviews.schoolofwineandspirits.com/request-review — we’ll get to it. See every bottle we’ve reviewed to date at reviews.schoolofwineandspirits.com.
Bourbon Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Named for Meredith Basil Hayden Sr. and carrying a high-rye recipe dating to the late 1800s, Old Grand-Dad Bonded is distilled at Jim Beam's Clermont facility under the exacting standards of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Bottled-in-Bond
Brand: Old Grand-Dad
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery (Beam Suntory)
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: NAS (at least 4 Year)
Color: Bright amber with burnished gold edges
MSRP: $25–$35
Mash Bill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
Barrel Type: New charred American oak
Bottled in Bond: Yes
Nose: Rye spice dominates the opening, followed by waves of caramel and orange zest. Underneath, there's a clean corn sweetness and a faint whiff of charred oak that grounds everything.
Palate: Spicy and assertive on entry, with rye and brown spices giving way to butterscotch and a touch of leather. The high-rye mash bill delivers a peppery backbone that cuts through the sweetness with purpose.
Finish: Medium-long, with lingering rye spice, a flash of vanilla, and dry oak tannins that leave you reaching for another sip.
Cocktail — The Thorned Old Fashioned — 2 oz Old Grand-Dad Bonded · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · 3 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over a large ice cube, express an orange peel and drop it in.
Pair with: The rye spice and charred oak in the bourbon mirror the smokiness of the pork, while the caramel notes complement a tangy mustard-based slaw on top.
Awards: Consistent 90+ scores from whiskey review panels
Scotch Whisky Talisker 8 Year Old Special Release 2020
Distilled on Skye's western shore where Atlantic gales batter the warehouse walls, this 8-year-old special release was bottled at natural cask strength without chill filtration as part of Diageo's annual Special Releases collection.
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Talisker
Distillery: Talisker Distillery
Proof: 114.2 (57.1% ABV)
Age: 8 Year
Color: Pale gold with silvery glints
MSRP: $85–$110
Region: Islands (Skye)
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills with worm tub condensers
Maturation: Refill American oak hogsheads
Cask Type: Refill American Oak Hogsheads
Peat Level (PPM): 25-30
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Immediate brine and black pepper, followed by smoky embers and a surprising sweetness of peach and honey. A maritime quality runs through every breath, like sea spray on volcanic rock.
Palate: Muscular and direct, with peat smoke wrapping around a core of malt sweetness and dried fruit. The cask-strength delivery amplifies clove spice and a bracing coastal minerality that defines Skye's character.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering smoke, cracked pepper, and a final whisper of vanilla that softens the edges.
Pair with: The smoky, briny character of the whisky finds its mirror in charred octopus, while the peach and honey notes complement a nutty, piquillo pepper romesco sauce.
Irish Whiskey Dunville's Very Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt PX Cask
Dunville's Belfast distillery fell silent in 1936 after decades of family tragedy and industry collapse, but the name was resurrected by County Down's Echlinville Distillery in 2012 — every bottle now a quiet act of restoration.
Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brand: Dunville's
Distillery: Echlinville Distillery (bottled); sourced malt aged and finished by Echlinville
Proof: 92 proof (46% ABV)
Age: 18 Year Old
Color: Deep burnished copper with mahogany glints
MSRP: $800
Mash Bill: 100% malted barley
Distillation: Copper pot stills
Maturation: Matured in ex-bourbon casks, then finished in first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry hogsheads
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Dark honey and Pedro Ximénez raisin lead, followed by fig paste, roasted walnut, and a whisper of leather-bound old books. Beneath sits orange oil and a faint whiff of cocoa dust.
Palate: Dense and oily on entry — dried date, black cherry macerated in sherry, milk chocolate, and toasted almond. Mid-palate reveals clove, cracked pepper, and a resinous oak grip that keeps the sweetness honest.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering espresso, bitter orange peel, and a final flicker of tobacco leaf. The sherry sweetness fades into dry, spiced oak.
Cocktail — The Royal Irish — 2 oz Dunville's 18 PX, 0.25 oz PX sherry, 2 dashes orange bitters, 1 dash Angostura. Stir over ice 30 seconds, strain into chilled coupe, express orange peel and drop in.
Pair with: Aged Coolea cheese with fig jam, or a slice of dense date and walnut cake.
Awards: World's Best Single Cask Single Malt, World Whiskies Awards 2017 (for the range); consistent double-gold recognition at the Irish Whiskey Awards.
Tequila Tapatío Gran Reserva Añejo
Crafted by the Camarena family at La Alteña — one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in Los Altos, founded in 1937 — where mature highland agave is slow-cooked in brick ovens and fermented with native yeasts under the same unhurried hand that shaped Ocho and El Tesoro.
Classification: Añejo
Brand: Tapatío
Distillery: La Alteña Distillery (Destilería La Alteña)
Proof: 80 proof (40% ABV)
Age: Aged approximately 18 months
Color: Burnished amber with old-gold highlights
MSRP: $65
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave, estate-grown in the highlands of Arandas at roughly 2,100 meters elevation
Cooking Method: Agave slow-cooked in traditional brick (mampostera) ovens, milled and fermented with native airborne yeasts in open wooden tanks, double-distilled in small copper pot stills, then aged approximately 18 months in ex-American whiskey barrels.
NOM: NOM 1139
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: Roasted agave leads, layered with warm caramel, dried orange peel, toasted almond, and a whisper of vanilla-laced oak. A subtle herbal snap of dried mint sits underneath.
Palate: Silky and unhurried — cooked agave and honeyed pear meet cinnamon bark, buttered oak, and a gentle black pepper lift. Highland minerality keeps the sweetness in check, and there's a light cocoa dust mid-palate.
Finish: Long, warm, and softly drying, with lingering vanilla, baked apple, and a return of that earthy cooked-agave sweetness threaded with white pepper.
Cocktail — The Alteña Old Fashioned — 2 oz Tapatío Gran Reserva Añejo, 1 tsp agave nectar, 2 dashes orange bitters, 1 dash Angostura. Stir with ice 30 seconds; strain over a large cube. Express an orange peel over the glass and drop it in.
Pair with: Grilled quail with mole amarillo, or a dark chocolate tart with sea salt and orange zest.
Awards: Consistently top-rated by the Tequila Matchmaker community; widely praised by critics including F. Paul Pacult and included in numerous 'best añejo' shortlists.
Gin Hayman's London Dry Gin
Produced by the Hayman family — direct descendants of James Burrough, who created Beefeater — this London Dry follows a recipe and steeping method that has remained essentially unchanged for over 150 years.
Classification: London Dry Gin
Brand: Hayman's
Distillery: Hayman's Distillery
Proof: 82 (41.2% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Crystal clear
MSRP: $22–$30
Style: London Dry
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, lemon peel, orange peel, orris root, cassia bark, cinnamon, nutmeg, liquorice
Base Spirit: Wheat based grain neutral spirit
Distillation: One-shot distillation in a copper pot still after two-day botanical steeping
Nose: Juniper forward with a resinous, piney quality, followed by coriander seed warmth and a bright lemon citrus note. Angelica root provides an earthy, anchoring presence beneath the botanicals.
Palate: Classic and balanced, with juniper taking center stage supported by cassia bark warmth and a peppery spice. Coriander adds a gentle nuttiness, while orris root lends a powdery floral quality that smooths the mid-palate.
Finish: Clean and dry, with juniper and a hint of angelica lingering as the warmth of cassia bark slowly fades.
Cocktail — Thorned Martini — 2.5 oz Hayman's London Dry Gin · 0.5 oz dry vermouth · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Pair with: The piney juniper and bright citrus of the gin cut through the rich oiliness of grilled sardines, while the cassia bark warmth complements a squeeze of charred lemon and a scattering of sea salt.
Rum Avuá Amburana Cachaça
Distilled in small copper pots on a family-run fazenda in the hills of Rio de Janeiro, Avuá is aged in Amburana — a fragrant Brazilian hardwood traditionally used for medicinal tinctures — which imparts a spice-cabinet character no oak barrel could ever replicate.
Classification: Aged Cachaça (Cachaça Envelhecida)
Brand: Avuá
Distillery: Fazenda da Quinta
Proof: 80 proof (40% ABV)
Age: Aged 2 Years in Amburana
Color: Pale amber with golden highlights
MSRP: $45 - $55
Base Ingredients: Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice
Distillation: Single distillation in copper pot stills, followed by two years of aging in Amburana wood barrels
Nose: Immediate cinnamon and vanilla bean lift, layered with sandalwood, toasted coconut, and a whisper of dried grass. The Amburana wood asserts itself boldly — like walking into a spice pantry after a summer rain.
Palate: Silky yet assertive: cinnamon stick, clove, and marzipan up front, giving way to grassy sugarcane and a honeyed sweetness. Faint bitter almond and beeswax fill the mid-palate, with a dusting of black pepper on the sides of the tongue.
Finish: Long, warming, and aromatic — cinnamon and vanilla linger with a dry, resinous woodiness that recalls Christmas potpourri. Slightly astringent tannins keep it from ever tipping into sweet.
Cocktail — Amburana Old Fashioned — 2 oz Avuá Amburana Cachaça, 0.25 oz demerara syrup, 2 dashes Angostura bitters, 1 dash orange bitters. Stir with ice for 30 seconds, strain over a large cube in a rocks glass, express an orange peel and drop in.
Pair with: Grilled churrasco-style picanha with chimichurri, or a slice of warm cinnamon-dusted pineapple upside-down cake.
Awards: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition; consistently rated among the top cachaças imported to the US market
Red Wine Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso 'a Rina 2021
From century-old ungrafted Nerello Mascalese vines growing at 700 meters on Mount Etna's north slope in the contrada of Calderara Sottana, winemaker Giuseppe Ferreri crafts this wine using indigenous yeast and extended maceration in concrete vats.
Classification: Etna Rosso DOC
Brand: Girolamo Russo
ABV: 14%
Primary Varietal: Nerello Mascalese
Blend: 95% Nerello Mascalese, 5% Nerello Cappuccio
Vineyards: Contrada Calderara Sottana, north slope of Mount Etna, 700m elevation, volcanic sand and ash soils
Maturation: Indigenous yeast fermentation, extended maceration in concrete vats, aged 18 months in large Slavonian oak botti, unfiltered
Color: Translucent garnet with ruby edges
MSRP: $35–$50
Nose: Red cherry and wild strawberry rise first, followed by crushed volcanic stone and a delicate floral note of dried rose. Faint hints of dried herbs and smoky minerality add complexity.
Palate: Elegant but taut, with bright cherry fruit wrapped around nervy acidity and fine-grained tannins. The volcanic terroir shows as a saline, almost ashy minerality that runs through the palate. A subtle herbal quality and cedar spice emerge midway.
Finish: Long and lifted, with cherry fruit persisting alongside mineral tension and a whisper of smoky wood.
Pair with: The earthy minerality and bright acidity of the Etna Rosso complement the umami depth of wild porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, while the cherry fruit cuts through the richness of the rice and aged pecorino.
White Wine Domaine Didier Dagueneau Buisson Renard Pouilly-Fumé 2023
Continued by Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau after his legendary father Didier's passing, Buisson Renard is harvested from silex-rich soils in Pouilly-Fumé and vinified with meticulous attention to natural processes, including plowing by horse.
Classification: Pouilly-Fumé AOC
Brand: Domaine Didier Dagueneau
ABV: 12.0%
Primary Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyards: Buisson Renard parcel, silex and clay-limestone soils, Saint-Andelain, Pouilly-Fumé
Vinification: Hand-harvested, indigenous yeast fermentation, aged on fine lees in oak and acacia barrels, minimal sulfur additions
Color: Pale gold with green reflections
MSRP: $55–$80
Nose: Gunflint and citrus zest leap from the glass, followed by white flowers and a hint of green apple. A smoky, flinty minerality cuts through the fruit, giving the nose remarkable tension.
Palate: Razor-sharp acidity frames ripe citrus and gooseberry flavors, with a textural richness from lees contact that prevents the wine from being austere. The famous fumé smokiness appears midpalate alongside a chalky mineral grip. Hints of boxwood and fresh herbs add dimension.
Finish: Exceptionally long, with a persistent mineral thread and lingering citrus that refuses to fade.
Pair with: The classic Loire pairing — the flinty acidity of the Pouilly-Fumé slices through the creamy, tangy goat cheese, while the wine's herbal notes mirror a simple salad of chervil, tarragon, and frisée dressed in walnut oil.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
This issue's aromas trace the line between harshness and refinement — smoky peat, volcanic minerality, spicy rye grain, and the flinty tang of Loire silex. Train your nose to find beauty in what first seems rough.
Each product in today's lineup connects to a specific aroma profile you can train with your kit. Whether it's the charred oak of the bourbon, the coastal brine of the scotch, or the agave earthiness of the tequila — your nose is the instrument. Use the kit references below to isolate each aroma before your next pour, then see if you catch it in the glass.
Today's Kit Reference
| Today's Product | Key Aromas | Train With |
|---|---|---|
| Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Rye, Caramel, Orange, Brown Spices, Charred Oak | Bourbon Kit |
| Talisker 8 Year Old Special Release 2020 (Scotch Whisky) | Peaty, Smoky, Peach, Clove Spice, Malt, Vanilla | Whisky Kit |
| Dunville's Very Rare 18 Year Old Single Malt PX Cask (Irish Whiskey) | Dried Fruit, Cocoa (Dark), Nut (Hazelnut), Clove Spice, Woody, Orange | Whiskey Kit |
| Tapatío Gran Reserva Añejo (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Caramel, Vanilla, Oak, Pepper, Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit) | Tequila Kit |
| Hayman's London Dry Gin (Gin) | Juniper (Pine), Coriander, Lemon, Cassia Bark, Orris Root, Angelica | Gin Kit |
| Avuá Amburana Cachaça (Rum) | Agricole, Vanilla, Spice (Generic), Nut (Almond/Coconut), Cask Aged, Tropical Fruits | Rum Kit |
| Girolamo Russo Etna Rosso 'a Rina 2021 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Floral (Rose), Cedar, Woody, Berry (Generic) | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Didier Dagueneau Buisson Renard Pouilly-Fumé 2023 (White Wine) | Citrus (Generic), Gooseberry, Green (Cut Grass), Apple (Green), Honey | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Build your aroma vocabulary with our curated training kits, designed to isolate the exact scents found in today's featured bottles. Our Aroma Masterclass Kits are designed to teach it to you, one aroma at a time.
Our books on Amazon go deeper into the science and history behind every sip — from America's Spirit, Scotland's Spirit, Ireland's Spirit, The Ultimate Northern Italian Wine Journey, The Tequila y Mezcal Revolution, Chablis, and Côte d'Or pocket guides.
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The thorn teaches the hand what the bloom cannot — start training the aromas that define these remarkable pours.
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Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
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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Issue 119: The Salt in the Wood - Mineral Meets Memory