Issue 059: The Mortar Between Stones - Invisible Bonds Hold

Issue No. 59 — May 24, 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: Yellowstone

Distillery: Limestone Branch Distillery

Proof: 93 (46.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Warm amber with copper edges

MSRP: $38–$48

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak

Nose: Opens with roasted corn sweetness layered over butterscotch and a dusting of brown spices. A second pass reveals dried cherry and soft leather, with a faint vanillin warmth rising from underneath.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a buttery entry that gives way to charred oak and caramel. There's a pleasant rye spice through the mid-palate that provides structure without heat, and toasted pecan emerges near the back.

Finish: Medium length, fading through vanilla and lingering charred oak. A whisper of cherry stays on the tongue.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Butterscotch, Charred Oak, Cherry, Brown Spices, Pecan

The Verdict: Yellowstone Select is a bourbon of quiet integration — nothing shouts, everything converges. It's an everyday pour that rewards a moment of patience, particularly when you let it open for a few minutes in the glass. Reliable, well-made, and unpretentious.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Talisker

Distillery: Talisker Distillery

Proof: 91.6 (45.8% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Burnished gold with amber highlights

MSRP: $150–$190

Region: Islands (Isle of Skye)

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills with worm tub condensers

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

Cask Type: Refill American Oak & European Oak

Peat Level (PPM): ~20

Chill-Filtered: No

Nose: Maritime smoke and dried fruit open together, neither dominating. Honeyed malt and a faint floral rosewater quality drift underneath, with toasted wood and a gentle medicinal note at the edges.

Palate: Rich and layered — dried fruit and caramel arrive first, then the signature Talisker pepperiness emerges wrapped in smoky malt. A dark cocoa bitterness adds depth through the mid-palate without heaviness.

Finish: Long, warming, and slightly briny. Smoke and dried fruit linger together in a balanced, slow fade.

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

The Verdict: This is Talisker at its most composed — the maritime punch of the 10-year softened into something more nuanced and integrated. Eighteen years have fused the distillery's wild coastal character with sherry-cask sweetness into a seamless whole. A masterclass in how time can be mortar.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Bushmills

Distillery: Old Bushmills Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Light gold with honeyed edges

MSRP: $55–$70

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Aged 12 years in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks

Chill-Filtered: Yes

Nose: Gentle honey and vanilla lead, followed by ripe peach and a hint of toasted almond. There's a delicate floral rosewater quality and a whisper of malt that holds everything together.

Palate: Smooth and medium-bodied, with buttery cereal sweetness meeting green apple brightness. Vanilla builds through the mid-palate, and a subtle woody spice arrives late, adding just enough complexity.

Finish: Medium, clean, and warming, with lingering honey and a soft almond fade.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Honey, Vanilla, Peach, Almond, Buttery

The Verdict: Bushmills 12 is a study in gentleness with purpose. Every element is present in proportion — fruit, malt, wood — without any single note attempting to lead. It's the kind of whiskey that demonstrates how triple distillation and patient maturation can create cohesion rather than simplicity.

Classification: Añejo Tequila

Brand: ArteNOM

Distillery: Destilería El Pandillo (NOM 1146)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 18 Months

Color: Deep amber with copper tones

MSRP: $65–$85

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave

Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, roller mill extraction, natural fermentation

NOM: 1146

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Rich cooked agave and caramel lead, with butterscotch and a distinct oakiness. Vanilla and warm cinnamon round out the aromatics, and there's a subtle earthy mineral note behind everything.

Palate: Full-bodied and layered. Dark chocolate and honey meet on the mid-palate, supported by oak and a gentle pepper warmth. The cooked agave character persists, never obscured by the barrel influence.

Finish: Long and warming, with caramel, oak, and a faint tobacco leaf note fading gradually.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Caramel, Oak, Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Cinnamon, Pepper

The Verdict: ArteNOM's 1146 Añejo is what happens when barrel aging complements rather than conceals the agave. Eighteen months in American oak gives structure and depth, but the highland terroir of Jesús María — bright, mineral, vegetal — stays audible throughout. This is añejo done with restraint and intelligence.

Classification: Old Tom Gin

Brand: Ransom

Distillery: Ransom Spirits

Proof: 88 (44% ABV)

Age: Barrel-rested (approximately 6 months)

Color: Pale straw gold

MSRP: $35–$45

Style: Old Tom Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, orange peel, angelica root, cassia bark, cardamom, nutmeg

Base Spirit: Corn and malted barley

Distillation: Pot distilled, with corn and malted barley base spirit

Nose: Juniper is present but tempered by malted grain sweetness and a gentle vanilla from barrel resting. Orange peel and coriander are woven through, and there's a subtle nutmeg warmth at the back.

Palate: Silky and medium-bodied, with a malty base that distinguishes it from a London Dry. Juniper and angelica provide herbal structure, while cassia bark and orange contribute a warm spice sweetness. The barrel influence adds cohesion rather than overt woodiness.

Finish: Medium-long, with juniper, malt, and a vanillin warmth that slowly recedes.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Orange, Coriander, Nutmeg, Vanilla

The Verdict: Ransom Old Tom is a gin that reminds you the category has history — maltier, richer, and more texturally complex than modern dry styles. David Enrich's recipe is modeled on pre-Prohibition approaches, and the barrel resting integrates the botanicals into something almost whiskey-adjacent. It makes a Martinez that will change your mind about gin cocktails.

Classification: Unaged Haitian Rum (Clairin)

Brand: Clairin

Distillery: Distillerie Arawaks (Chelo)

Proof: 97 (48.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with slight opalescence

MSRP: $30–$42

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice (indigenous varieties)

Distillation: Single distillation in copper pot still

Nose: Intensely aromatic — overripe tropical fruits and banana are immediate, with a grassy agricole quality underneath. There's a funky, almost yeasty fermentation character, and hints of citrus peel and raw sugarcane round out a wild, vivid nose.

Palate: Full and surprisingly textured for an unaged spirit. Tropical fruit and sugarcane juice flavors dominate, but there's an earthy minerality and a peppery spice that gives the palate shape. The agricole grassiness carries through, and a faint coconut sweetness appears mid-palate.

Finish: Long and persistent, with lingering tropical fruit, a touch of banana, and a clean herbal fade.

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

The Verdict: Clairin Vaval is rum stripped to its most elemental — no aging, no blending, no polish. What remains is terroir in a glass: the wild, indigenous sugarcane of southern Haiti, fermented with native yeasts and distilled once. It's a spirit that demands curiosity and rewards it with a flavor profile unlike anything else in the rum world.

Classification: Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, AOC Saint-Estèphe

Brand: Château Phélan Ségur

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon

Blend: 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot

Vineyards: 70 hectares on gravel and clay slopes in Saint-Estèphe

Maturation: Traditional Bordeaux vinification with cold soak, fermentation in temperature-controlled concrete and stainless steel vats

Color: Deep garnet with violet rim

MSRP: $45–$60

Nose: Blackcurrant and dark cherry form a dense core, with cedar and graphite adding structure. Subtle violet florals and a hint of mint lift the aromatics, and there's a toasted quality from oak aging.

Palate: Medium-to-full bodied with fine, chalky tannins. Black fruit carries through the palate, supported by cedar and a savory, almost gamey undertone. The vanilla from barrel aging is present but restrained, acting as binding agent rather than flavor.

Finish: Long, with blackcurrant and cedar persisting. A gentle mintiness keeps the finish fresh.

Wine Kit Aromas: Blackcurrant, Cedar, Cherry, Violet, Toasted

The Verdict: Phélan Ségur consistently outperforms its classification, and the 2018 vintage is a prime example. This is Saint-Estèphe at its most approachable — structured enough to age but integrated enough to drink now. The tannins are polished rather than aggressive, and every element connects without gaps. Excellent value for left-bank Bordeaux.

Classification: AOC Alsace Pinot Gris

Brand: Trimbach

ABV: 13.5%

Primary Varietal: Pinot Gris

Blend: 100% Pinot Gris

Vineyards: Estate and long-term contract vineyards in Ribeauvillé and surrounding villages

Vinification: Whole-cluster pressed, temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel with partial aging in large neutral oak

Color: Medium gold with pale green glints

MSRP: $25–$35

Nose: Subtle honeyed stone fruit meets a fresh green note — almost like cut grass with a mineral edge. White flower aromatics and a whisper of smoke add nuance, and there's a marzipan quality hovering beneath the fruit.

Palate: Medium-bodied with a waxy, almost oily texture. Honey and melon flavors arrive first, followed by citrus acidity that keeps everything taut. A subtle nuttiness emerges through the mid-palate, and the wine remains dry despite its richness.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering citrus, a mineral edge, and a faint smoky quality.

Wine Kit Aromas: Honey, Melon, Citrus (Generic), Marzipan, Green (Cut Grass)

The Verdict: Trimbach's Pinot Gris Réserve is a quietly authoritative Alsatian white — rich enough to pair with substantial food, dry enough to stay interesting across a full meal. The 2021 vintage shows the house style at its best: precision without austerity, weight without sweetness. The texture is what binds it — that waxy mid-palate acts as invisible architecture.

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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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