Issue 174 · September 16, 2026
The Clockwork of Seasons
Theme: Rhythm in the Glass
From the cyclical rhythms of barrel aging to the annual pulse of harvest, this issue celebrates the spirits and wines shaped by the patient turning of seasons — bottles that carry time's cadence in every sip.
Every great bottle is an artifact of time kept faithfully. The bourbon that darkens through Kentucky summers and contracts through its winters. The vine that drops its leaves, sleeps through frost, and wakes to flower again. The solera that blends old and young in a continuous conversation across years. These are not products of a single moment but of accumulated seasons, each one leaving its signature.
Today's eight selections share that quality of seasonal accumulation. From a high-rye bourbon shaped by temperature swings to a Loire white still vibrant with the energy of a recent harvest, each bottle reflects the clock that governs its creation. Pour slowly — you're tasting calendars.
This issue's aroma theme centers on the interplay between fruit and mineral — the sweet tropical notes in rum and bourbon contrasted against the stony, earthy undercurrents in tequila and Riesling. Train your nose to distinguish between sugary fruit (caramel, toffee) and fresh fruit (citrus, tropical), then notice how mineral or earthy aromas anchor and ground them.
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 Michter's 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Michter's releases its 20 Year bourbon only when barrels meet the standards of Master Distiller Dan McKee, making each release a small and carefully curated selection from Louisville's Shively distillery.
Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: Michter's
Distillery: Michter's Distillery
Proof: 114.2 (57.1% ABV)
Age: 20 Year
Color: Deep mahogany with amber-orange highlights
MSRP: $800–$1,000
Mash Bill: Undisclosed (corn-dominant with rye)
Barrel Type: New charred American oak
Nose: Immediate waves of dark caramel and toasted oak, layered with dried cherry and a hint of old leather. Underneath, a subtle sweetness of maple syrup emerges alongside charred wood and tobacco leaf.
Palate: Rich and remarkably balanced for its age — butterscotch and dark chocolate lead into baking spice and dried fruit. The oak influence is deep but never astringent, with notes of pecan and a persistent vanilla current that weaves through every sip.
Finish: Exceptionally long, with charred oak, tobacco, and a lingering dark caramel sweetness that fades into cocoa and warm leather.
Pair with: The bourbon's deep oak and tobacco notes mirror the smoke ring and char of a long-cooked brisket, while its caramel sweetness offsets the pepper crust's heat.
Awards: Multiple 90+ scores from major spirits publications
Scotch Whisky Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest
Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, has long been fascinated by the intersection of botany and distillation. For A Tale of the Forest, he turned to an ancient technique: incorporating botanicals — juniper berries, birch bark, and local heather — into the kilning process alongside the malted barley. The result is a whisky that captures the cyclical essence of the Scottish Highlands, where forests breathe through seasons in an ancient, unhurried rhythm. Released as part of Glenmorangie's 'Tales' series of limited but recurring experimental bottlings, it represents the distillery's belief that whisky can be a living chronicle of place. The forest that inspired it stands just miles from the distillery on the Dornoch Firth, where the same trees have witnessed centuries of seasonal change — a clockwork of nature encoded, at last, in spirit.
Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Glenmorangie
Distillery: Glenmorangie Distillery
Proof: 92
Age: NAS
Color: Pale gold with green-tinged highlights
MSRP: 99.99
Region: Highland
Cask Type: Ex-bourbon American white oak casks with botanically-kilned barley
Nose: An immediate wave of juniper and pine needle gives way to something almost herbal — fresh birch sap, wild mint, and a delicate sweetness reminiscent of honeyed botanicals. Underneath, there's toasted barley and a gentle waft of beeswax that grounds the woodland aromatics. It's a nose that breathes with the cadence of forest seasons: green growth yielding to amber warmth.
Palate: Silky and medium-bodied, the palate opens with a surprising burst of woodland botanicals — juniper berries, dried heather, and a whisper of pine resin. This transitions into a honeyed malt core, with notes of candied orange peel, vanilla custard, and toasted almonds arriving in rhythmic succession. A gentle spice — white pepper and clove — surfaces mid-palate, giving structure to the botanical sweetness. The mouthfeel has a remarkable cyclical quality, each sip revealing the same flavor arc in slightly different proportions.
Finish: Long and gently drying, with lingering juniper, sweet malt, and a final exhale of beeswax and dried herbs. The botanical character persists well after the sip, like the memory of a forest walk carried on your clothes.
Cocktail — The Evergreen Pendulum — [object Object]
Pair with: The whisky's juniper and herbal complexity mirrors the rosemary-thyme crust on the lamb, while its honeyed malt sweetness harmonizes with the caramelized edges of roasted parsnips, carrots, and turnips. The gentle clove spice in the finish cuts through the lamb's richness, creating a rhythmic dialogue between plate and glass — each bite resetting the palate for the next sip, and vice versa.
Awards: International Wine & Spirit Competition 2023 — Gold Outstanding, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023 — Double Gold
Irish Whiskey Redbreast 27 Year Old
Crafted at Ireland's famed Midleton Distillery in County Cork, Redbreast 27 Year Old represents the pinnacle of the single pot still tradition, drawing from casks that have quietly matured since the mid-1990s.
Classification: Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
Brand: Redbreast
Distillery: Midleton Distillery
Proof: 107.4 (53.7% ABV)
Age: 27 Year
Color: Deep burnished copper with ruby-mahogany edges
MSRP: $450–$550
Mash Bill: Malted and unmalted barley (pot still tradition)
Distillation: Triple-distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation: Bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts, minimum 27 years
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Extraordinary depth — dried fig, stewed plum, and old leather emerge first, followed by layers of clove spice, dark chocolate, and polished mahogany. A subtle rosewater note lifts the heavier elements, and a distant waft of orange peel adds brightness.
Palate: Silky and full-bodied, with waves of dried fruit, almond paste, and rich toffee. Clove and nutmeg spice weave through the palate alongside a beautiful pot still oiliness. The sherry cask influence delivers cocoa and raisined sweetness without overpowering the grain.
Finish: Incredibly long and layered, with lingering dried fruit, dark chocolate, earthy oak, and a final whisper of vanilla and warm spice.
Pair with: The whiskey's cocoa, dried fruit, and spice notes harmonize with the torte's bitter chocolate and tart cherry, while its pot still richness matches the dessert's dense, buttery crumb.
Tequila Casamigos Añejo
Born from a house founded on the idea that the best tequila is one you can share without hurry, Casamigos Añejo rests for 14 months in American white oak barrels — each month adding another measure to the spirit's evolving melody. The slow-roasted agave piñas spend 72 hours in traditional brick ovens, an unhurried process that coaxes maximum sweetness from the plant. The distillery in Jalisco's highlands works with the seasonal rhythms of agave cultivation, where plants mature over seven to nine years before harvest, absorbing the volcanic terroir and the cadence of wet and dry seasons. The result is an añejo that carries in its DNA the patience of nearly a decade of growth and over a year of oak-aged refinement — time made liquid.
Classification: Añejo Tequila
Brand: Casamigos
Distillery: Productos Finos de Agave (NOM 1416)
Proof: 80
Age: 14 months
Color: Rich amber gold
MSRP: 55
Nose: Butterscotch and cooked agave open the glass, followed by gentle waves of caramel, toasted oak, and baking spice. A subtle undercurrent of dried fruit and vanilla emerges with time, each layer arriving in its own patient measure — an unhurried procession of aromas that mirrors the turning of seasons.
Palate: Silky and full-bodied on entry, with a beautifully metered cadence: first comes sweet roasted agave and caramel, then warm cinnamon and cocoa mid-palate, and finally toasted oak and a whisper of black pepper on the back end. The transitions are seamless, each flavor arriving precisely when the last begins to fade, creating a rhythmic pulse across the tongue.
Finish: Medium-long and graceful, with lingering butterscotch, gentle oak tannins, and a soft vanilla sweetness that ebbs like the last light of autumn. A faint minerality anchors the close.
Cocktail — The Seasonal Turn — Stir 2 oz Casamigos Añejo, 0.75 oz Licor 43, 0.25 oz cold-brew coffee, and 2 dashes mole bitters over a large ice cube for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass over fresh ice. Express an orange peel over the surface, then rest it on the rim. The drink transitions from sweet warmth to roasted depth in rhythmic waves.
Pair with: The complex, slow-built layers of a traditional Oaxacan mole negro — with its toasted chiles, chocolate, and warm spices — mirror the tequila's own carefully layered flavor profile. Braised short ribs add richness and umami that amplify the añejo's caramel and oak notes, while the mole's subtle bitterness and heat create a rhythmic counterpoint to the spirit's sweetness. Each bite resets the palate, inviting another sip in an endless, satisfying cycle.
Gin Gin de Mahón Xoriguer
While the gin world chases innovation, Xoriguer has been making gin the same way on the island of Menorca since the 18th century, when the British occupied Mahón's strategic harbor and demanded gin. The Pons family obliged — but with local wine spirit instead of grain, and wild juniper from the island's aromatic garrigue. The result was something singular: a protected Geographical Indication gin (the only one in Spain) that tastes like its landscape. Each year, the cycle repeats: grapes ferment in autumn, juniper is gathered from windswept hillsides, and copper stills murmur through winter and spring. The rhythm hasn't changed in over two centuries. In a lineup celebrating aged bourbons, vintage tequilas, and single-vintage rums, Xoriguer proves that constancy itself is a kind of greatness — the steady tick of a clockwork perfected long ago.
Classification: Mediterranean Gin
Brand: Xoriguer
Distillery: Destilerías Xoriguer
Proof: 76
Age: NAS
Color: Crystal clear with faint silver highlights
MSRP: $40 - $45
Nose: An immediately distinctive opening of sun-warmed juniper berries, dried Mediterranean herbs, and a waxy, almost olive-oil-like richness that gives way to hints of anise, wild rosemary, and white pepper. There is an unmistakable terroir here — salty, mineral, sunbaked — that no other gin replicates.
Palate: Medium-bodied and texturally generous, with ripe juniper at the core surrounded by waves of herbaceous thyme, green anise, a whisper of fennel, and warm white pepper. The mid-palate reveals a gentle sweetness reminiscent of wildflower honey and dried chamomile, while a mineral salinity threads through like a breeze off the Balearic coast. The mouthfeel is almost silky, a signature of its wine-spirit base.
Finish: Medium-long, gently warming, with lingering juniper, dried lavender, and a final mineral-salt exhale that pulls you back to the Mediterranean sun.
Cocktail — The Menorcan Pendulum — [object Object]
Pair with: The salty, squeaky richness of grilled halloumi finds a natural partner in Xoriguer's wine-spirit warmth and herbaceous juniper. A smoky romesco sauce — built on roasted red peppers, almonds, and smoked paprika — amplifies the gin's gentle anise and peppery notes, while a squeeze of lemon on the plate mirrors the citrus brightness in the spirit. It's a pairing rooted in the same Mediterranean terroir that shapes the gin itself.
Awards: Gold Medal — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2019, Silver Medal — International Wine & Spirit Competition 2020
Rum Hampden Estate 2018 LROK Single Vintage Jamaican Rum
Hampden Estate, one of Jamaica's oldest continuously operating distilleries in Trelawny Parish, produces rum using wild yeast fermentation and double retort pot stills that have been in service for generations.
Classification: Single Vintage Pure Single Jamaican Rum
Brand: Hampden Estate
Distillery: Hampden Estate Distillery
Proof: 84 (47.0% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale straw gold
MSRP: $80–$110
Base Ingredients: Molasses
Distillation: Copper pot stills
Nose: Intensely aromatic — overripe tropical fruit, banana peel, and a distinct pineapple funk hit first. Below that, an oily richness carries notes of butyric acid, caramelized sugar, and a hint of rubber. It's wild, untamed, and utterly Jamaican.
Palate: Full-bodied and ester-driven, with explosive tropical fruit, a savory mushroom-like umami quality, and brown sugar sweetness. Oak provides structure without dominating, while coffee and cacao-tinged bitterness add depth. The high proof delivers without burning.
Finish: Very long, with persistent tropical funk, molasses, and a smoky, slightly medicinal fade that keeps evolving in the glass.
Cocktail — Trelawny Daiquiri — 2 oz Hampden Estate LROK · 1 oz fresh lime juice · 0.75 oz demerara syrup · Shake vigorously with ice, double-strain into a chilled coupe.
Pair with: The rum's tropical funk and high-ester intensity mirror the complex spice blend of jerk seasoning, while its banana and pineapple notes complement the sweet-tart mango chutney.
Red Wine Vietti Barolo Lazzarito DOCG 2019
The Vietti family has been making wine in the Langhe since 1919, and their Lazzarito vineyard in Serralunga d'Alba sits on the iron-rich calcareous marls that give this cru its characteristic power and longevity.
Classification: Barolo DOCG
Brand: Vietti
ABV: 14.5%
Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyards: Lazzarito, Serralunga d'Alba
Maturation: Extended maceration with indigenous yeasts, aging in large Slavonian oak botti
Color: Medium garnet with brick-orange rim
MSRP: $90–$130
Nose: Perfumed rose petal and dried violet lead into tar, licorice, and sun-dried cherry. There's a haunting earthy quality — dried herbs, forest floor — with a subtle menthol undertone that provides lift. Complex and classically Nebbiolo.
Palate: Medium-to-full bodied with firm, fine-grained tannins that frame flavors of red cherry, pomegranate, and dried cranberry. A savory streak of leather and tobacco moves through the mid-palate, while cedar and toasted spice emerge on the back end. The acidity is bright and energizing.
Finish: Long and structured, with lingering cherry, tar, and a mineral-driven persistence that speaks to the Lazzarito vineyard's calcareous soils.
Pair with: The Barolo's firm tannins and bright acidity cut through the richness of braised veal, while its cherry and rose notes harmonize with the saffron's warm, floral aromatics.
White Wine Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2022
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht, led by Olivier Humbrecht MW and certified biodynamic since 1998, farms the Grand Cru Brand vineyard on ancient granite soils in Turckheim, producing Rieslings of remarkable depth and mineral intensity.
Classification: Alsace Grand Cru AOC
Brand: Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
ABV: 13.5%
Primary Varietal: Riesling
Blend: 100% Riesling
Vineyards: Grand Cru Brand, Turckheim
Vinification: Whole cluster pressing, fermented with indigenous yeasts in traditional oak foudres, biodynamic viticulture
Color: Deep golden straw with green highlights
MSRP: $55–$75
Nose: Intense and perfumed, with ripe yellow peach, white flower, and a distinctive petrol-like minerality that signals Grand Cru Riesling pedigree. Lemon curd, honeycomb, and a hint of crushed granite add layers of complexity.
Palate: Rich and textural, with concentrated flavors of citrus, ripe apple, and pear wrapped around a core of stony minerality. The residual sugar — if present — is perfectly balanced by a razor-sharp acidity that keeps everything taut. A hint of ginger spice emerges on the mid-palate.
Finish: Long and mineral-driven, with lingering citrus zest, a saline edge, and a final flourish of honeyed sweetness.
Pair with: The wine's rich texture and citrus-honey profile complement the caramelized sweetness of seared scallops, while its bright acidity cuts through the butter sauce with precision.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
This issue's aroma theme centers on the interplay between fruit and mineral — the sweet tropical notes in rum and bourbon contrasted against the stony, earthy undercurrents in tequila and Riesling. Train your nose to distinguish between sugary fruit (caramel, toffee) and fresh fruit (citrus, tropical), then notice how mineral or earthy aromas anchor and ground them.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Michter's 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon (Bourbon) | Caramel, Charred Oak, Tobacco, Leather, Pecan | Bourbon Kit |
| Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest (Scotch Whisky) | Honey, Woody, Floral (Rosewater), Vanilla, Clove Spice, Green (Cut Grass) | Whisky Kit |
| Redbreast 27 Year Old (Irish Whiskey) | Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Cocoa (Dark), Almond, Floral (Rosewater) | Whiskey Kit |
| Casamigos Añejo (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Caramel, Cinnamon, Oak, Vanilla | Tequila Kit |
| Gin de Mahón Xoriguer (Gin) | Juniper (Herbaceous/Waxy), Lavender, Chamomile, Peppery, Liquorice | Gin Kit |
| Hampden Estate 2018 LROK Single Vintage Jamaican Rum (Rum) | Tropical Fruits, Banana, Molasses, Coffee, Oak | Rum Kit |
| Vietti Barolo Lazzarito DOCG 2019 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Floral (Rose), Violet, Cedar, Toasted | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2022 (White Wine) | Citrus (Generic), Honey, Apple (Green), Floral (Rose), Melon | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
These eight bottles span the full spectrum of seasonal influence — train your palate to identify each one with our curated aroma kits. 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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Every season leaves its mark — learn to read it in the glass.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.
Michter's 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Michter's
Two decades of Kentucky seasons have shaped this bourbon into something rare — a whiskey where extreme age amplifies rather than overwhelms. The integration of wood, grain, and time is nearly flawless. This is what patience tastes like when a distillery refuses to release a barrel before it's ready.
Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest
Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie's experimental spirit finds perfect expression here — a whisky that channels the turning rhythms of a Highland forest through its remarkable botanical character. Matured using kiln-dried juniper and birch alongside traditional barley, it's unlike any conventional Scotch, yet unmistakably Glenmorangie in its elegance. In an issue celebrating rhythm in the glass, A Tale of the Forest delivers nature's own metronome: the endless cycle of growth, harvest, and renewal translated into liquid form. A singular, contemplative dram that rewards patience and attention.
Redbreast 27 Year Old
Redbreast
Nearly three decades of maturation in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks have produced a whiskey of breathtaking complexity. The pot still character — spicy, oily, fruity — remains intact despite the long aging, a testament to careful cask selection. This is Irish whiskey at its most ambitious and rewarding.
Gin de Mahón Xoriguer
Xoriguer
In an issue celebrating rhythm and the clockwork of seasons, Xoriguer is the gin that answers the call. Made from wine-based spirit distilled in copper pot stills over juniper harvested from the very hills surrounding Mahón, it is a spirit inseparable from its place and its calendar. The juniper harvest, the grape harvest, the Mediterranean seasons — all audible in the glass. It is beautifully uncomplicated, profoundly rooted, and unlike any London Dry you've ever tasted. A timeless rhythm bottled on a tiny island.
Hampden Estate 2018 LROK Single Vintage Jamaican Rum
Hampden Estate
Hampden's LROK marque sits in the 'medium-high ester' range, and this single vintage from 2018 showcases the distillery's signature hogo in vivid detail. It's not for the timid — this is rum that demands engagement. But for those who appreciate the unvarnished funk of Jamaican pot still distillation, few bottles deliver more honestly.
Vietti Barolo Lazzarito DOCG 2019
Vietti
Vietti's Lazzarito bottling captures the essence of Serralunga d'Alba — power tempered by elegance, with the 2019 vintage providing generosity of fruit without sacrificing structure. It's a Barolo that rewards patience but doesn't punish curiosity. A serious wine with real aging potential that's already showing beautifully.
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Grand Cru Brand 2022
Domaine Zind-Humbrecht
Zind-Humbrecht's Brand Grand Cru is one of the great Riesling sites in Alsace, and Olivier Humbrecht MW — one of the first Masters of Wine in France — coaxes extraordinary expression from these biodynamically farmed granite-derived soils. The 2022 vintage delivers power and precision in equal measure, a wine that will evolve beautifully over the next decade.
Casamigos Añejo
Casamigos
Casamigos Añejo is a study in measured cadence. Its 14-month rest in ex-bourbon barrels allows time to orchestrate the interplay between bright agave and warm oak spice with the precision of a metronome. In a lineup exploring rhythm in the glass, this bottle demonstrates how patient aging creates a tequila whose flavors rise and fall in perfect tempo — never rushed, never stalling, just the steady clockwork of transformation.
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