Issue 163 · September 5, 2026
The Draft Before Ink
Theme: Rough Sketches Perfected
Before the final product hits the shelf, there's a draft — a rough version shaped by instinct, trial, and terrain. This issue celebrates the bottles that show their working.
Every great bottle starts as an approximation. A distiller's first run through new copper, a winemaker's decision to pick a day early, a blender's pencil mark on a sample jar — these are the drafts before the ink dries. The products in this issue carry that energy: they feel alive with the decisions that shaped them, visible in the glass if you know where to look.
From a Kentucky distillery built on transparency to a Martinique rhum that wears its terroir openly, today's eight selections reward close attention. Each one shows the hand behind the craft — not hidden, but present in every sip.
Today's aroma theme explores the intersection of raw material and refinement — from charred oak and roasted cocoa in the spirits to fresh cherry and honey in the wines. These are the aromas that reveal process: the mark of fire, the patience of fermentation, the fingerprint of terroir.
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 Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Corky Taylor revived his family's pre-Prohibition distilling license in Louisville in 2015, making Kentucky Peerless one of the few American distilleries that distills, ages, and bottles entirely on-site.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: Kentucky Peerless
Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
Proof: 108.6 (54.3% ABV)
Age: 4-Year
Color: Burnished mahogany with copper edges
MSRP: $90–$110
Mash Bill: Undisclosed
Barrel Type: New Charred American Oak (Double Oaked)
Nose: Immediate toasted marshmallow and dark honey, followed by layers of baking spice and cedar shavings. A secondary wave of dried cherry and tobacco leaf emerges with time in the glass.
Palate: Thick and chewy, with caramel-coated pecans leading into charred oak and a snap of rye spice. The double-oaking amplifies the wood tannins without overwhelming, creating a drying mid-palate lifted by orange zest.
Finish: Long and tannic, with lingering vanilla bean, charred oak, and a wisp of leather. The oak influence stays assertive but never bitter.
Cocktail — Peerless Paper Plane — 2 oz Kentucky Peerless Double Oak · 0.75 oz Aperol · 0.75 oz Amaro Nonino · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · Shake with ice, strain into a coupe.
Pair with: The charred oak and caramel notes in the bourbon mirror the lacquered crust on smoked pork belly, while the rye spice cuts through the fat. Serve with a side of roasted sweet potato and pickled mustard seeds.
Awards: Gold Medal — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023
Scotch Whisky Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Tucked into Islay's northeastern shore at the mouth of the Margadale River, Bunnahabhain has distilled unpeated spirit since 1881, making it the quiet outlier on an island famous for smoke.
Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Bunnahabhain
Distillery: Bunnahabhain Distillery
Proof: 92.6 (46.3% ABV)
Age: 25 Year
Color: Deep burnished gold with amber highlights
MSRP: $350–$450
Region: Islay
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Distillation: Double distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation: Predominantly ex-oloroso sherry casks, 25 years minimum
Cask Type: Ex-Oloroso Sherry Casks
Peat Level (PPM): 1–2 ppm (unpeated)
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Rich dried fruit and oloroso sherry notes open into dark chocolate, roasted hazelnut, and subtle coastal salinity. A gentle floral sweetness — rosewater and dried orange peel — lingers underneath.
Palate: Luxuriously textured with layers of honey-coated almonds, dark toffee, and dried apricot. The oak is present but measured, contributing clove spice and leather rather than tannic grip. A hint of maritime minerality threads through the mid-palate.
Finish: Extraordinarily long, with dried fruit, cocoa, and a final whisper of wood smoke. The sherry influence fades slowly, leaving clean malt and warm spice.
Pair with: The cocoa and dried fruit richness of the whisky finds a perfect partner in a dense dark chocolate torte finished with flaky sea salt. The salt amplifies the whisky's maritime quality, while the torte echoes its sherry-cask sweetness.
Awards: Gold — International Wine & Spirit Competition 2022
Irish Whiskey Fercullen 18 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Built on the historic Powerscourt Estate in County Wicklow's glacial valley, Powerscourt Distillery sources and ages whiskey under the shadow of the Sugar Loaf mountain, drawing water from the estate's own springs.
Classification: Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brand: Fercullen
Distillery: Powerscourt Distillery
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: 18 Year
Color: Rich amber with golden highlights
MSRP: $120–$150
Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Distillation: Triple distilled
Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, 18 years minimum
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Honeycomb and stewed pear greet the nose, followed by vanilla custard, dried apricot, and a faint floral lift of rosewater. Gentle oak spice emerges with air.
Palate: Silky and rounded, with butterscotch, toasted almond, and ripe peach across the front palate. The mid-palate introduces clove and nutmeg warmth, balanced by a light malty backbone. The oak presence is integrated and polished.
Finish: Medium-long with lingering honey, dried fruit, and a clean cereal note. A subtle cocoa dryness appears in the final moments.
Cocktail — Wicklow Gold — 2 oz Fercullen 18 Year Old · 0.5 oz honey syrup · 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice · 2 dashes orange bitters · Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a lemon twist.
Pair with: The nutty, caramelized sweetness of well-aged Comté mirrors the whiskey's butterscotch and almond notes, while a drizzle of raw honeycomb amplifies the honey on the nose. Serve with walnut bread.
Tequila Lote Maestro Extra Añejo Single Barrel
Produced at Cascahuín's century-old distillery in the town of El Arenal, Lote Maestro's extra añejo expressions are hand-selected from individual barrels by master distiller Salvador Rosales Trejo.
Classification: Extra Añejo Tequila
Brand: Lote Maestro
Distillery: Tequila Tres Mujeres, S.A. de C.V.
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: 5-Year
Color: Deep mahogany with reddish-brown reflections
MSRP: $140–$180
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Highland)
Cooking Method: Brick oven cooked, tahona crushed, natural fermentation
NOM: 1477
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: Dark chocolate and roasted coffee dominate, followed by caramelized agave, vanilla extract, and dried fig. A thread of cinnamon and oak spice winds through.
Palate: Full-bodied and velvety, with cooked agave sweetness layered under butterscotch, dark cocoa, and tobacco. The oak is substantial but harmonious, delivering vanilla and leather without astringency. A mineral earthiness grounds the sweetness.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering dark chocolate, roasted agave, and a final note of espresso. The cinnamon warmth returns as it fades.
Pair with: The dark chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon notes in the tequila echo the complex spice and cocoa layers in Oaxacan mole negro. Braised short ribs provide the richness to stand up to both the sauce and the spirit.
Gin Sacred Rosehip Cup
Crafted by former physicist Ian Hart in his North London home, where a warren of glass vacuum stills distill each botanical separately at low temperatures — a painstaking method born of countless experimental batches poured down the drain before the recipe was deemed worthy.
Classification: Gin Liqueur / Aperitif
Brand: Sacred Spirits
Distillery: Sacred Spirits Distillery
Proof: 60 proof (30% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Deep ruby-amber with garnet edges
MSRP: $45
Style: English contemporary aperitif gin
Botanicals: Juniper, rosehip, hibiscus, bitter orange, sweet orange, cardamom, cassia, nutmeg, angelica, gentian
Base Spirit: English wheat neutral spirit
Nose: Tart rosehip and hibiscus lift first, followed by bittersweet orange peel, warming cassia, and a resinous juniper backbone dusted with clove.
Palate: A silky, bittersweet arrival — cranberry-like rosehip tang meets candied orange, gentian root bitterness, and a peppery flash of cardamom. Juniper hums quietly beneath, more structural than dominant.
Finish: Long and drying, with lingering bitter orange, tannic rosehip, and a faint whisper of dark cocoa.
Cocktail — The Highgate Spritz — 2 oz Sacred Rosehip Cup, 3 oz dry Prosecco, 1 oz soda water. Build over ice in a wine glass, stir gently, and garnish with an orange half-wheel and a sprig of thyme.
Pair with: Charcuterie board with duck rillettes, aged Manchego, and quince paste.
Awards: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition (Sacred core range recognition); Master Medal, The Gin Masters (Aperitif category).
Rum La Favorite Cuvée de la Flibuste 1999
La Favorite sits in the shadow of Mont Pelée on Martinique's Atlantic coast, a small family-run distillery that has changed little since the Dormoy family took ownership in 1909. While larger Martinican producers modernized with column stills and automated fermentation, La Favorite stubbornly retained its Creole copper column and open-air fermentation tanks, insisting that great rhum requires rough edges — the funky, unpredictable character of fresh-pressed cane juice meeting wild yeast and tropical heat. The Cuvée de la Flibuste is their rarest release: a single vintage rhum laid down in French oak barrels and left to age far beyond the standard AOC requirements. The 1999 vintage spent over two decades in barrel under Martinique's punishing humidity, losing a staggering percentage to the angel's share. What remained was concentrated, refined, and transformed — the volatile, grassy exuberance of fresh agricole distillate polished into something almost impossibly elegant. The name 'Flibuste' references the Caribbean buccaneers who once prowled these waters: rough men whose reputations were forged by time and adversity. Like those pirates perfected by legend, this rum's raw beginning has been burnished by decades of patience into something approaching mythology.
Classification: Rhum Agricole Vieux
Brand: La Favorite
Distillery: Distillerie La Favorite
Proof: 80
Age: Vintage 1999
Color: Deep amber with mahogany edges
MSRP: 350
Nose: An extraordinary opening of aged sugarcane, dried mango, and toasted coconut gives way to layers of pipe tobacco, saddle leather, and baking spices. Underneath, honeyed oak and a whisper of dark chocolate reveal themselves slowly, as though each aroma had spent two decades rehearsing its entrance.
Palate: Rich and commanding, yet astonishingly refined. Muscovado sugar, caramelized banana, and roasted almonds lead a mid-palate of candied orange peel and cinnamon bark. The agricole terroir emerges with grassy, earthy undertones that anchor the sweetness, while cocoa and molasses-soaked fruit provide a velvety depth.
Finish: Extraordinarily long and evolving — dried tropical fruits, toffee, worn leather, and a final exhalation of toasted oak and vanilla that lingers like the last pencil stroke on a completed masterwork.
Cocktail — The Final Revision — [object Object]
Pair with: The caramelized apples of a classic Tarte Tatin mirror the rhum's toffee and dried fruit character, while the buttery pastry echoes its oak-driven richness. A dollop of tangy crème fraîche cuts the sweetness of both plate and glass, creating a dialogue between Martinican terroir and French pâtisserie tradition — the island and the motherland meeting on equal terms.
Awards: Rum & Cachaça Masters – Master Medal, International Spirits Challenge – Gold Outstanding
Red Wine Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2019
Founded in the 17th century and shepherded for decades by the late Charly and Nady Foucault — reclusive brothers whose obsessive, biodynamic-in-spirit farming turned a modest Saumur estate into the Loire's most legendary address — Clos Rougeard now continues under the Bouygues family with winemaker Cyril Chirouze preserving the singular Foucault vision.
Classification: AOC Saumur-Champigny
Brand: Clos Rougeard
Winery: Clos Rougeard
ABV: 13%
Primary Varietal: Cabernet Franc
Blend: 100% Cabernet Franc
Vineyards: Le Bourg, a small parcel of old vines (60+ years) planted on tuffeau limestone bedrock with clay topsoil in the commune of Chacé, Saumur-Champigny.
Maturation: Hand-harvested from severely low yields; fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top wooden vats with gentle extraction; aged approximately 24 months in 100% new French oak barrels in the estate's tuffeau cellars; bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Color: Deep ruby with garnet reflections
MSRP: $550
Nose: Crushed blackcurrant and dark cherry lift from the glass, layered with graphite, cedar shavings, dried tobacco leaf, and a whisper of violet. Time in glass reveals bay laurel, iron filings, and a subtle smokiness drawn from the tuffeau limestone.
Palate: Astonishingly refined for Cabernet Franc — silken tannins carry black raspberry, cassis, and sanguine minerality through a mid-palate of remarkable tension. Notes of pencil lead, incense, and dried herbs unfold with weightless precision, buoyed by bright acidity and a saline undertow.
Finish: Extraordinarily long and mineral-driven, closing on graphite, crushed stone, and lingering black fruit with a spectral echo of violet and cedar. The tannins fan out like fine gauze rather than gripping.
Cocktail — Served neat — no cocktail recommended — This wine should be experienced on its own. Decant 60–90 minutes before serving at 60–64°F in a large Burgundy stem to allow the tuffeau minerality and floral aromatics to unfurl.
Pair with: Roast squab with black cherry jus, aged Comté, or a rare côte de boeuf with bone marrow and salsify.
Awards: Consistently rated among the finest Cabernet Francs in the world; the Le Bourg cuvée regularly earns 95–98 points from major critics and is considered a benchmark by sommeliers globally.
White Wine Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022
Domaine Huet, a biodynamic pioneer since the 1990s under Noël Pinguet's guidance, farms three of Vouvray's most revered parcels atop the tuffeau limestone cliffs overlooking the Loire River.
Classification: Vouvray AOC White Wine
Brand: Domaine Huet
ABV: 12.5%
Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc
Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc
Vineyards: Le Clos du Bourg, first growth vineyard on clay-silex over tuffeau limestone
Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, native yeast fermentation in large neutral oak, minimal sulfur
Color: Luminous pale gold with green reflections
MSRP: $40–$55
Nose: Ripe quince and white peach aromatics open into honeysuckle, beeswax, and a distinctive chalky mineral quality. Hints of fresh ginger and chamomile add complexity.
Palate: Off-dry and texturally rich, with residual sugar beautifully counterbalanced by bracing Loire acidity. Flavors of apple, honey, and candied citrus peel flow across a chalky, mineral-driven mid-palate. The tension between sweetness and freshness creates a vibrating energy on the tongue.
Finish: Long and sapid, with honeyed stone fruit giving way to a clean mineral close. The acidity carries every element forward with precision.
Pair with: The demi-sec's honeyed richness and bright acidity are ideal alongside roasted chicken with a tarragon cream sauce. The wine's sweetness balances the herb's anise notes, while its acidity keeps the cream from feeling heavy.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
Today's aroma theme explores the intersection of raw material and refinement — from charred oak and roasted cocoa in the spirits to fresh cherry and honey in the wines. These are the aromas that reveal process: the mark of fire, the patience of fermentation, the fingerprint of terroir.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Charred Oak, Caramel, Cherry, Pecan, Vanilla | Bourbon Kit |
| Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky) | Dried Fruit, Nut (Hazelnut), Cocoa (Dark), Honey, Clove Spice, Orange | Whisky Kit |
| Fercullen 18 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Honey, Peach, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice | Whiskey Kit |
| Lote Maestro Extra Añejo Single Barrel (Tequila) | Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Coffee, Agave (Cooked), Vanilla, Cinnamon, Oak | Tequila Kit |
| Sacred Rosehip Cup (Gin) | Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Orange, Cassia Bark, Coriander, Cocoa (Dark) | Gin Kit |
| La Favorite Cuvée de la Flibuste 1999 (Rum) | Agricole, Tobacco, Toffee, Tropical Fruits, Oak, Leather | Rum Kit |
| Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2019 (Red Wine) | Blackcurrant, Cherry, Cedar, Violet, Woody, Berry (Generic) | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022 (White Wine) | Honey, Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Floral (Rose), Toasted | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Train your nose to identify these aromas with the School of Wine and Spirits Aroma Kit, designed to build the sensory vocabulary behind every tasting note in this newsletter. 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
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The draft is where the real work happens — learning to smell is where the understanding begins.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.
Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky Peerless
Peerless's double-oaked expression shows how a young distillery can accelerate complexity through smart cooperage choices. The second barrel adds dimension without masking the distillate's inherent grain-forward character. A bourbon that earns its price through craft rather than age.
Bunnahabhain 25 Year Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Bunnahabhain
This is patient whisky. Twenty-five years in primarily sherry casks have produced something that feels both generous and restrained — the hallmark of Bunnahabhain's unpeated house style at its most refined. It demonstrates that Islay can whisper as effectively as it roars.
Fercullen 18 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Fercullen
Fercullen's 18 Year shows what patience and careful sourcing can achieve. The integration of fruit, oak, and malt here speaks to well-chosen casks aged in a temperate maritime climate. It occupies a rewarding middle ground between richness and elegance that justifies seeking out.
Lote Maestro Extra Añejo Single Barrel
Lote Maestro
Five years in oak have transformed this highland agave distillate into something that borders on contemplative. The single-barrel selection ensures each bottle carries individuality, but the consistent thread is impeccable balance between agave identity and oak influence. This is tequila for the whiskey drinker who respects both traditions.
Domaine Huet Vouvray Le Clos du Bourg Demi-Sec 2022
Domaine Huet
Le Clos du Bourg is one of Vouvray's greatest single vineyards, and Huet's biodynamic stewardship has produced demi-secs here that age for decades. The 2022 vintage brings generous fruit with excellent acidity — a wine that drinks beautifully now but rewards patience. This is Chenin Blanc at its most expressive and least imitable.
La Favorite Cuvée de la Flibuste 1999
La Favorite
If rum-making is draftsmanship, La Favorite's Cuvée de la Flibuste 1999 is a sketch revised over two decades until every line is essential. Born from raw, unruly agricole blanc, it has been shaped by time, oak, and Martinique's volcanic terroir into something astonishingly poised. This is the rough sketch perfected — wild sugarcane distillate tamed into a spirit of extraordinary complexity and grace. A testament to patience as craft.
Sacred Rosehip Cup
Sacred Spirits
A serious, terroir-driven answer to mass-market aperitivi — vivid, botanical, and unmistakably British in its restraint.
Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Le Bourg 2019
Clos Rougeard
A benchmark expression of Cabernet Franc that redraws what the grape is capable of — proof that patient old-vine work on tuffeau can achieve Burgundian nuance with Bordelais structure.
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