Issue 155 · August 28, 2026
The Binding Agent
Theme: What Holds Together
Issue #155 examines the unseen forces—enzymes, tannins, terroir, and time—that bind disparate elements into cohesive, expressive liquids worth savoring.
Every bottle is an assembly of parts: grain and water, fruit and earth, heat and patience. But what transforms those raw materials into something unified? There's always a binding agent—an enzyme converting starch to sugar, a tannin knitting fruit to structure, a cask marrying spirit to wood. These invisible forces rarely get credit, yet they define the final glass.
Today's eight selections each illuminate a different binding mechanism. From a rye bourbon where the prominence of corns soft grain stitches sweetness to barrel char, to a white wine where lees contact welds acidity to texture, these bottles reward attention to how their pieces hold together. Pour slowly. Notice the seams—or the absence of them.
Today's aroma theme follows the concept of binding—how individual aromatic compounds lock together on the palate and in the nose to create integrated impressions rather than isolated hits. Pay attention to how toffee blends into oak, how peach merges with honey, and how mineral notes anchor fruit.
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 Lux Row Distillers Ezra Brooks 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Produced at the Lux Row Distillers facility in Bardstown by master distiller John Rempe, this 7-year expression represents a quieter, more considered face of the Ezra Brooks lineup.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: Ezra Brooks
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers
Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
Age: 7 Year
Color: Burnished copper with amber edges
MSRP: $35–$45
Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
Barrel Type: New Charred American Oak
Nose: Warm butterscotch leads, followed by a wave of toasted corn and soft brown spices. A thread of dried cherry emerges underneath, wrapped in light vanilla and a hint of worn leather.
Palate: Medium body with a smooth entry. Caramel and maple syrup form the core, bolstered by gentle oak tannins and a flicker of rye spice. The mid-palate reveals a subtle cocoa note that adds depth without heaviness.
Finish: Medium length with lingering caramel and charred oak. A pleasant warmth fades into a clean, dry close.
Cocktail — Bardstown Bind — 2 oz Ezra Brooks 7 Year · 0.75 oz honey syrup · 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Pair with: The bourbon's caramel and charred oak harmonize with the smoky, rendered fat of the pork belly, while peach chutney bridges to the whiskey's fruit undertones.
Scotch Whisky Tomintoul 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Nestled in the Glenlivet parish at the foot of the Cairngorms, Tomintoul draws water from the Ballantruan Spring and has been distilling gentle, fruit-forward malts since 1965.
Classification: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Tomintoul
Distillery: Tomintoul Distillery
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: 14 Year
Color: Pale gold with straw highlights
MSRP: $55–$70
Region: Speyside
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Distillation: Double pot still distillation
Maturation: Matured 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon American oak hogsheads
Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Delicate honey and ripe peach open the aroma, followed by soft malt and a wisp of meadow grass. Light vanilla and a faint almond note appear with time in the glass.
Palate: Gentle and silky on entry. Honeyed malt dominates, with peach compote and a buttery, almost creamy texture through the mid-palate. A whisper of white pepper and clove spice adds just enough structure to keep things interesting.
Finish: Medium-length and clean, with lingering honey and a light woody dryness.
Cocktail — Speyside Mist — 2 oz Tomintoul 14 Year · 0.5 oz elderflower liqueur · 0.25 oz fresh lemon juice · Top with 1 oz chilled soda · Build in a rocks glass over crushed ice, garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Pair with: The whisky's honeyed malt and peach notes complement the rich, fatty salmon, while dill echoes the spirit's subtle herbal undertone.
Irish Whiskey Shortcross Rye & Malt Irish Whiskey
Founded in 2012 by siblings Fiona and David Boyd-Armstrong on the family's Rademon Estate in County Down, Shortcross grows a portion of its own barley and rye on-site — one of the very few Irish distilleries pursuing genuine estate-to-bottle whiskey production.
Classification: Irish Whiskey (Pot Still Rye & Malt)
Brand: Shortcross
Distillery: Rademon Estate Distillery
Proof: 92 proof (46% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale gold with amber highlights
MSRP: $75
Mash Bill: Estate and locally-sourced malted barley and malted rye (undisclosed exact ratio, roughly balanced pot still mash)
Distillation: Double distilled
Maturation: Matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon barrels and virgin American oak casks
Chill-Filtered: No
Nose: Fresh-baked rye bread crust, orchard pear, cracked black pepper, and a whisper of green stem. Buttery pastry rises underneath, edged with orange oil and a light dusting of clove.
Palate: A firm, oily arrival — rye spice laced with malted barley sweetness. Baking spices unfold into candied ginger, toasted almond, and honeyed cereal. Midpalate carries a distinct minerality, with cracked pepper and dried apricot lingering behind the grain.
Finish: Medium-long, drying gently with clove, toasted oak, and a return of rye's peppery snap. A trace of vanilla and orange peel keeps it lifted.
Cocktail — The Binding — 2 oz Shortcross Rye & Malt, 0.75 oz dry oloroso sherry, 0.25 oz honey syrup (2:1), 2 dashes orange bitters. Stir with ice for 25 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, express an orange peel over the surface and drop in.
Pair with: Roast pheasant with braised red cabbage and toasted hazelnuts, or a sharp aged Coolea cheese with rye crackers and honeycomb.
Awards: Irish Whiskey Awards — Best New Irish Whiskey (Rademon Estate recognition); World Whiskies Awards category recognition for Shortcross's small-batch releases.
Tequila Don Pilar Blanco Tequila
Founded by the Rivero-González family at their highland distillery in Arandas, Jalisco, Don Pilar uses traditional stone ovens and a slow 72-hour cook to coax maximum character from mature agave piñas.
Classification: Blanco Tequila (100% Agave)
Brand: Don Pilar
Distillery: NOM 1480
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Crystal clear with silvery brightness
MSRP: $40–$55
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highland, Arandas)
Cooking Method: Traditional brick oven slow-cook (72 hours), roller mill extraction, natural fermentation, double copper pot distillation
NOM: 1480
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: Bright cooked agave dominates with a burst of fresh citrus—lime zest and a touch of grapefruit. Clean herbal notes of mint and thyme follow, grounded by a subtle mineral earthiness and a whiff of white pepper.
Palate: Silky entry gives way to sweet roasted agave, fresh pineapple, and citrus peel. The mid-palate introduces a grassy, vegetal character balanced by a mild peppery spice. Clean and well-structured with a hint of floral violet.
Finish: Medium length, finishing with lingering agave sweetness and a dry, peppery close.
Cocktail — Pilar's Garden — 2 oz Don Pilar Blanco · 1 oz fresh lime juice · 0.75 oz agave nectar · 4 fresh mint leaves · Muddle mint, shake all ingredients with ice, double-strain into a salt-rimmed coupe, garnish with a lime wheel.
Pair with: The blanco's citrus and herbal brightness mirror the ceviche's acid-cured freshness, while cooked agave sweetness tempers the tomatillo's tartness.
Gin Distillerie de Paris Batch No. 2 Gin
Sébastien and Nicolas Julhès founded Distillerie de Paris in the 10th arrondissement in 2015, making it the first distillery to operate within the city limits in over a century.
Classification: Dry Gin
Brand: Distillerie de Paris
Distillery: Distillerie de Paris
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Crystal clear
MSRP: $45–$60
Style: Dry Gin
Botanicals: Juniper, lemon peel, coriander seed, orris root, angelica root, rose petals, ginger, pink peppercorn
Base Spirit: Neutral grape spirit
Distillation: Vapor infusion and maceration in a small copper pot still
Nose: Juniper leads firmly but is quickly joined by bright citrus—lemon peel and bergamot. Floral rose and orris root provide an elegant backbone, with a whisper of coriander seed and pink peppercorn finishing the bouquet.
Palate: Medium weight with a satiny texture. Juniper remains present but lets citrus and floral notes share the stage. The mid-palate introduces a gentle angelica root bitterness and a touch of ginger warmth. Beautifully integrated, with no single botanical dominating.
Finish: Clean and moderately long, with lingering lemon verbena and a soft peppery warmth.
Cocktail — Île Saint-Louis Martini — 2.5 oz Distillerie de Paris Batch No. 2 Gin · 0.5 oz dry vermouth · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir over ice 30 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Pair with: The gin's floral rose and orris root echo the lavender honey, while its citrus lift cuts through the tangy richness of aged chèvre.
Rum English Harbour 10 Year Old Antigua Rum
Antigua Distillery Ltd. has operated since 1932 on the southern coast of Antigua, where year-round Caribbean heat and humidity accelerate the conversation between spirit and wood. Their column-still rum, aged in charred American oak ex-bourbon barrels, loses a punishing angel's share — sometimes 6% per year — but what remains is extraordinary in its density and integration. English Harbour 10 represents the distillery's signature statement: that tropical aging doesn't just mature rum faster, it binds it more tightly. Every molecule has been forced into dialogue with the oak, and a decade of that relentless exchange produces a spirit where the seams have vanished entirely. Named for the historic Nelson's Dockyard harbor that held together the British naval fleet in the Caribbean, this rum carries a fitting legacy of structural purpose.
Classification: Aged Rum
Brand: English Harbour
Distillery: Antigua Distillery Ltd.
Proof: 80
Age: 10 Years
Color: Deep amber with copper highlights
MSRP: 45
Nose: A warm, enveloping opening of toasted oak and butterscotch gives way to dried apricot, cinnamon bark, and a whisper of roasted coffee. Underneath lies a subtle molasses sweetness that binds each aromatic layer into a cohesive whole — nothing stands alone, everything interlocks.
Palate: Luxuriously integrated. Caramel and vanilla form the backbone, but it's the interplay of baking spices, toasted coconut, and dark toffee that makes this rum feel so structurally sound. A thread of dried tropical fruit — mango leather, candied papaya — weaves through the mid-palate, while gentle oak tannins provide just enough grip to hold the sweetness in check. The texture is medium-bodied and almost adhesive in its richness.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering toffee, a dusting of nutmeg, and a final breath of oak-aged vanilla that refuses to let go. The finish is the proof of the blend's integrity — every element arrives together and departs together.
Cocktail — The Joiner's Knot — 2 oz English Harbour 10 Year Old · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz orgeat · 0.5 oz honey syrup (1:1) · 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Shake all ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel and a light grating of fresh nutmeg.
Pair with: The rum's toffee sweetness and spice backbone mirror the caramelized crust of slow-roasted jerk pork belly, while its oak tannins cut through the richness of the rendered fat. The mango chutney echoes the tropical fruit notes on the palate, and the scotch bonnet heat in the jerk seasoning draws out the rum's warm cinnamon and nutmeg undertones. Together, each component reinforces the other — nothing falls apart.
Awards: International Spirits Challenge 2019 — Gold, Caribbean Journal Best Aged Rum 2020, Ministry of Rum — Silver Medal
Red Wine Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Poignée de Raisins 2022
Michèle Aubéry-Laurent tends her late husband's old-vine Grenache parcels in Montbrison-sur-Lez organically, producing this carbonic maceration cuvée as a pure, joyful expression of Southern Rhône terroir.
Classification: Côtes du Rhône AOC
Brand: Domaine Gramenon
ABV: 14%
Primary Varietal: Grenache
Blend: 100% Grenache
Vineyards: Old-vine parcels in Montbrison-sur-Lez, Southern Rhône
Maturation: Carbonic maceration with whole-cluster fermentation, no added sulfur at harvest, minimal intervention
Color: Vibrant ruby with purple-violet edges
MSRP: $20–$28
Nose: An exuberant burst of fresh crushed berries—strawberry, raspberry, and wild cherry. Violet and rose petal lift the aromatics, while a subtle earthy, garrigue-like undertone anchors the fruit.
Palate: Light to medium-bodied with a juicy, vibrant texture. The palate is pure and direct: cherry, raspberry, and a touch of pomegranate. There's almost no tannin to speak of, replaced instead by a lively acidity that keeps the fruit focused and energetic. A hint of mint freshens the mid-palate.
Finish: Short to medium, finishing with bright cherry and a clean, mineral-tinged snap.
Pair with: The wine's bright, tangy fruit and low tannin slice through cured meats, while its floral lift complements the briny acidity of cornichons.
White Wine Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Le Clos 2022
Marc Ollivier has farmed these granite and gneiss soils near the village of Maisdon-sur-Sèvre organically for decades, building Domaine de la Pépière into one of the Loire's most respected Muscadet estates.
Classification: Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie AOC
Brand: Domaine de la Pépière
ABV: 12%
Primary Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
Blend: 100% Melon de Bourgogne
Vineyards: Le Clos parcel, granite and gneiss soils, Maisdon-sur-Sèvre
Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressing, indigenous yeast fermentation, extended sur lie aging in underground tanks
Color: Pale lemon with greenish tints
MSRP: $18–$25
Nose: Crushed seashell and wet stone lead, followed by tart green apple and a squeeze of lemon. A faint yeasty, brioche-like note emerges from extended lees contact, adding depth to the mineral framework.
Palate: Lean and taut on entry, with brisk acidity driving flavors of green apple, pear, and gooseberry. The mid-palate reveals a creamy lees-derived texture that softens the mineral edge without blunting it. A subtle saline quality gives the impression of sea breeze.
Finish: Crisp and persistent, with lingering citrus peel and a chalky, mineral-driven close.
Pair with: The wine's saline minerality and crisp acidity are the classic foil for briny steamed mussels in white wine and shallot broth, each sip resetting the palate for the next bite.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
Today's aroma theme follows the concept of binding—how individual aromatic compounds lock together on the palate and in the nose to create integrated impressions rather than isolated hits. Pay attention to how toffee blends into oak, how peach merges with honey, and how mineral notes anchor fruit.
Each bottle below maps to aromas you can isolate with your kit before your next pour — then see if you catch them in the glass.
Today's Kit Reference
| Today's Product | Key Aromas | Train With |
|---|---|---|
| Lux Row Distillers Ezra Brooks 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Butterscotch, Caramel, Charred Oak, Cherry, Leather | Bourbon Kit |
| Tomintoul 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky) | Honey, Peach, Malt, Buttery, Clove Spice | Whisky Kit |
| Shortcross Rye & Malt Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Malt, Clove Spice, Honey, Almond, Vanilla, Orange | Whiskey Kit |
| Don Pilar Blanco Tequila (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Citrus (Lemon, Lime, Orange, Grapefruit), Herbal (Mint, Thyme, Eucalyptus), Pepper, Fruit (Apple, Pear, Pineapple, Mango) | Tequila Kit |
| Distillerie de Paris Batch No. 2 Gin (Gin) | Juniper (Green), Lemon, Floral (Rose), Orris Root, Ginger, Peppery | Gin Kit |
| English Harbour 10 Year Old Antigua Rum (Rum) | Caramel, Toffee, Vanilla, Oak, Coconut, Spice (Generic) | Rum Kit |
| Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Poignée de Raisins 2022 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Berry (Generic), Violet, Floral (Rose), Mint | Wine Kit |
| Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Le Clos 2022 (White Wine) | Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Gooseberry, Toasted, Green (Cut Grass) | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Train your nose to recognize these binding aromas with the School of Wine and Spirits Aroma Kit, designed to isolate and teach the exact compounds featured in today's selections. 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.
Explore our Aroma Masterclass kits and books at schoolofwineandspirits.com
Join the School of Wine and Spirits Community
Connect with fellow connoisseurs, share tasting notes, and go deeper into every pour.
Sign up at skool.com/schoolofwineandspirits
The best palates don't just identify individual notes—they sense how those notes hold together.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.
Lux Row Distillers Ezra Brooks 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Ezra Brooks
Seven years in the barrel give this bourbon a maturity that the brand's younger expressions can't match. The binding here is oak integration—tannin, vanillin, and lactone working in sync with the grain character. An honest, well-priced straight bourbon that performs above its shelf position.
Tomintoul 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Tomintoul
Tomintoul is often called 'the gentle dram' and this 14-year expression earns the reputation honestly. The binding agent here is texture—that creamy, buttery mouthfeel unites delicate flavors that might otherwise scatter. Understated Speyside craft at its most approachable.
Don Pilar Blanco Tequila
Don Pilar
Don Pilar's blanco is an exercise in how a traditional brick oven slow-cook can bind agave's raw vegetal energy into something sweet and layered. The transition from herbal brightness to roasted agave sweetness is seamless—a blanco that rewards sipping as readily as mixing.
Distillerie de Paris Batch No. 2 Gin
Distillerie de Paris
Parisian craft distilling applied to gin with restraint and intelligence. The binding agent is balance—each botanical contributes without competing, creating a gin that feels like a conversation rather than a monologue. Exceptional in a Martini, where its floral-citrus architecture has room to breathe.
Domaine Gramenon Côtes du Rhône Poignée de Raisins 2022
Domaine Gramenon
The binding agent in this bottle is carbonic maceration—the technique that preserves fruit purity by fermenting whole clusters in a sealed tank before pressing. Gramenon's organic old-vine Grenache becomes a transparent expression of place and season. This is wine as refreshment, not contemplation, and it's perfect for that.
Domaine de la Pépière Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur Lie Le Clos 2022
Domaine de la Pépière
The binding agent in this Muscadet is lees contact—the extended aging on spent yeast cells that welds acidity to texture, giving the wine body without weight. Marc Ollivier's meticulous organic viticulture and patience in the cellar produce a wine that punches well above its price point. Essential for seafood.
English Harbour 10 Year Old Antigua Rum
English Harbour
English Harbour 10 is a masterclass in cohesion. Antigua's tropical aging compresses maturation into a decade of seamless integration, producing a rum where no single note dominates and every sip feels like a unified statement. In an issue about what holds together, this bottle is the binding agent itself — the invisible architecture that makes complexity feel effortless. A genuinely underappreciated gem at its price point.
Shortcross Rye & Malt Irish Whiskey
Shortcross
A quietly confident bottling that proves rye belongs in the Irish conversation. Estate-grown grain, careful distillation, and no gimmicks — just craft holding shape.
Be the first to comment.