Issue 098: The Rough Hewn Line - Beauty Before Polish

Issue No. 98 — July 2, 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: Knob Creek

Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery (Beam Suntory)

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: 12 Year

Color: Deep burnished copper with mahogany edges

MSRP: $55–$65

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

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

Nose: Dense caramel and toasted oak lead, followed by dried cherry and a whiff of old leather. There's a pronounced nuttiness underneath, almost pecan brittle, with a backdrop of dark cocoa.

Palate: Full-bodied and unapologetically woody. Charred oak dominates at first, then gives way to butterscotch and baking spices — cinnamon stick, clove. A mid-palate surge of dark fruit and tobacco keeps it dynamic.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering charred oak, leather, and a final note of maple sweetness that fades slowly.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Charred Oak, Caramel, Leather, Pecan, Butterscotch

The Verdict: Twelve years in the Kentucky rickhouse gave this bourbon a heft and depth that its younger siblings can only aspire to. It's not a sipper that flatters — it challenges, rewards patience, and demands your attention. A textbook example of what extended aging does to a high-rye mash bill.

Classification: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Benromach

Distillery: Benromach Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Pale gold with straw highlights

MSRP: $55–$70

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley (peated to ~67 ppm)

Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: First-fill bourbon casks

Cask Type: First-fill bourbon barrels

Peat Level (PPM): ~67 ppm

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: A surprising wave of campfire smoke opens, unusual for Speyside. Underneath, ripe peach and honey emerge, along with a waxy, almost ethereal cereal quality. A faint note of clove lingers at the back.

Palate: The peat is assertive but never overwhelming, letting Speyside sweetness — malt, vanilla, butterscotch — push through. Mid-palate shifts toward earthy notes and a touch of dark cocoa. Oily mouthfeel gives it real substance.

Finish: Medium-long with residual smoke, drying oak, and a parting sweetness of honey-drizzled malt.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peaty, Smoky, Peach, Honey, Malt, Clove Spice

The Verdict: Benromach's Peat Smoke bottling is a deliberate provocation — Speyside distillers aren't supposed to play with fire this way. But the result is balanced and compelling, a whisky that uses peat as seasoning rather than identity. It bridges regions and expectations with confidence.

Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Brand: Waterford

Distillery: Waterford Distillery

Proof: 100 (50% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Bright gold with lemon tint

MSRP: $75–$90

Mash Bill: 100% Irish-grown malted barley (Ballymorgan farm)

Distillation: Double distilled

Maturation: Predominantly first-fill American oak bourbon casks with a portion of French oak

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered, no color added

Nose: Intensely green and grassy — fresh-cut hay and wildflowers. Behind that sits a creamy vanilla note with hints of peach skin. There is a mineral, almost chalky quality that sets it apart from typical Irish single malts.

Palate: The barley speaks loudly here: honeyed cereal grain, buttery texture, and a pronounced earthiness that reflects the Ballymorgan farm's terroir. Midway through, almond and a whisper of clove spice add dimension. Surprisingly weighty on the tongue.

Finish: Medium-long, with lingering green herbs, soft vanilla, and a gentle woody dryness.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Green (Cut Grass), Honey, Earthy, Vanilla, Almond, Peach

The Verdict: Waterford's terroir-driven approach is on full display. The Ballymorgan 2.1 is a whiskey that tastes like it came from somewhere specific — and that specificity is the whole point. It's intellectual without being cold, expressive without leaning on cask influence. A whiskey for anyone who believes place matters.

Classification: 100% Agave Blanco Tequila

Brand: Pueblo Viejo

Distillery: San Matías de Jalisco

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: Unaged

Color: Crystal clear with faint silver reflections

MSRP: $18–$25

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highland Jalisco)

Cooking Method: Autoclave cooked, roller mill extraction

NOM: NOM 1103

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: Bright cooked agave and fresh-cut grass dominate, with citrus zest — lime and grapefruit — adding lift. A subtle mineral note grounds it, almost wet stone. Clean and direct.

Palate: Lean and peppery, with cooked agave sweetness balanced by a herbaceous bite. Mid-palate delivers a fleeting note of green apple and white pepper. The texture is slightly oily despite the modest proof, and there's an earthy underpinning that suggests genuine highland agave character.

Finish: Short to medium, with lingering pepper and a clean mineral fade.

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

The Verdict: Pueblo Viejo proves that integrity doesn't require a premium price tag. This is an honest, additive-free blanco that punches well above its weight class. It's the kind of tequila that makes you question what you're paying for elsewhere — direct, expressive, and built for both sipping and mixing.

Classification: American Dry Gin

Brand: FEW Spirits

Distillery: FEW Spirits Distillery

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Clear with slight viscosity

MSRP: $30–$40

Style: American Dry Gin

Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, cassia bark, lemon peel, grains of paradise, hops

Base Spirit: Custom grain spirit (corn, wheat, malted barley)

Distillation: Pot distilled with vapor infusion of botanicals

Nose: Juniper is present but takes a step back for an unusual grain-forward warmth. Lemon peel and coriander seed are prominent, with a floral lift — hints of vanilla from the grain base — and a distinctive peppery edge.

Palate: The grain spirit base gives this gin a rounder, almost whiskey-adjacent mouthfeel. Juniper emerges more forcefully here, joined by cassia bark warmth and bright lemon. There's a subtle earthy angelica root quality that anchors the botanical cocktail. Slightly creamy on the mid-palate.

Finish: Medium, with lingering juniper, gentle vanilla, and a soft peppery warmth.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Green), Lemon, Coriander, Cassia Bark, Vanilla, Peppery

The Verdict: FEW American Gin doesn't apologize for its grain character — it leans into it. The result is a gin that bridges the gap between juniper-forward London Dry tradition and the broader flavor ambitions of American craft distilling. It's an excellent Martini gin with enough personality to stand up to bolder cocktail applications.

Classification: Haitian Rhum (Cane Juice Rum)

Brand: Barbancourt

Distillery: Société du Rhum Barbancourt

Proof: 86 (43% ABV)

Age: 8 Year

Color: Warm amber with copper highlights

MSRP: $22–$30

Base Ingredients: Fresh sugarcane juice

Distillation: Double distilled from fresh sugarcane juice

Nose: Brown sugar and dried tropical fruits — mango, dried banana — lead the way. Oak and a thread of vanilla follow, with a distinctive grassy, almost agricole-like freshness beneath the aged character. There's a hint of orange peel and light coffee.

Palate: Remarkably balanced for the price. Caramel and toffee intermingle with dried fruit and a clean oak structure. The cane juice base gives it a lighter, more vegetal quality than molasses-based rums, and a subtle spice — allspice, clove — adds complexity. Medium body with a slightly dry grip.

Finish: Medium, with oak, dried fruit, and a clean fade of caramel and spice.

Rum Kit Aromas: Tropical Fruits, Caramel, Oak, Toffee, Dried Fruit, Agricole

The Verdict: Barbancourt 8 Year is one of the great bargains in aged spirits. Made from fresh sugarcane juice in the Haitian tradition and aged in Limousin oak, it occupies a unique space between agricole and traditional column-distilled rum. It's unpretentious, deeply flavorful, and a reminder that provenance outweighs price.

Classification: Barolo DOCG

Brand: Trediberri

ABV: 14%

Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo

Blend: 100% Nebbiolo

Vineyards: Berri vineyard, La Morra

Maturation: Spontaneous fermentation, short maceration in stainless steel, aging in large Slavonian oak botti

Color: Translucent garnet with orange-tinged rim

MSRP: $40–$55

Nose: Lifted rose petal and tar — classic Barolo. Ripe cherry and a dusting of dried herbs follow, with a mineral, chalky undertone. There's a suggestion of cedar and dried orange peel that adds intrigue.

Palate: Elegant rather than massive, with bright cherry fruit wrapped in firm but fine-grained tannins. A streak of violet and earthy minerality runs through the mid-palate. The oak is restrained, allowing the Nebbiolo to speak clearly. Taut and structured but not austere.

Finish: Long and persistent, with cherry, rose, and a lingering mineral grip that invites another sip.

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

The Verdict: Trediberri represents a new generation of Barolo — respectful of tradition but willing to bottle with less extraction and shorter maceration, letting the vintage and vineyard define the wine. The 2019 is precise, energetic, and remarkably accessible for young Barolo without sacrificing any aging potential.

Classification: Fiano di Avellino DOCG

Brand: Ciro Picariello

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Fiano

Blend: 100% Fiano

Vineyards: Summonte, Irpinia (550m elevation, volcanic soils)

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel, extended lees aging

Color: Pale straw with green-gold reflections

MSRP: $22–$30

Nose: Ripe white peach and crushed hazelnut open the nose with striking purity. A floral note — subtle, almost like chamomile — rides over a bed of wet stone minerality. Green apple and a hint of honey add complexity without excess sweetness.

Palate: Taut and focused, with bright citrus acidity driving a core of orchard fruit. The volcanic soils of Irpinia show up as a smoky, mineral undertow that gives the wine serious grip. Marzipan and a subtle nuttiness emerge on the mid-palate. Textured without being heavy.

Finish: Persistent and clean, with lingering citrus peel, mineral salinity, and a bitter almond note that begs another sip.

Wine Kit Aromas: Citrus (Generic), Apple (Green), Honey, Marzipan, Nut (Almond/Coconut)

The Verdict: Ciro Picariello's Fiano is one of southern Italy's most compelling white wines — volcanic soil, old vines, and zero shortcuts. The 2023 is electric and precise, with the kind of mineral depth that makes you reconsider what Campanian whites can achieve. This is a wine that tastes like the rough, beautiful terrain it comes from.

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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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