The Amber Between Breaths

Issue No. 175 — September 17, 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: Old Forester

Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery

Proof: 93.0 (46.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep mahogany with burnt sienna edges

MSRP: $55–$65

Mash Bill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

Barrel Type: New charred American oak, then re-barreled into a second new heavily charred oak barrel

Nose: Rich caramel and dark chocolate dominate the opening, with toasted marshmallow lurking beneath. As the glass opens, dried cherry and a hint of charred oak emerge alongside warm baking spices.

Palate: The double barreling delivers an unusually creamy mouthfeel. Brown sugar and cocoa powder meld with cinnamon and a touch of leather, while the oak backbone stays firm without turning tannic. A mid-palate burst of cherry brightens the profile.

Finish: Long and warming with lingering notes of dark chocolate, charred oak, and a final whisper of vanilla. The second barrel's influence shows most clearly here.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Cocoa (Dark), Caramel, Cherry, Charred Oak, Brown Spices

The Verdict: Old Forester's 1910 demonstrates what a second maturation can accomplish when executed with precision. The double-barreled technique adds depth and texture without masking the distillery's signature fruity character. A bourbon that rewards patience in the glass as much as it required patience in the warehouse.

Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Glenfarclas

Distillery: Glenfarclas Distillery

Proof: 86.0 (43.0% ABV)

Age: 40 Year

Color: Dark amber with copper and old gold highlights

MSRP: $1,500 - $1,600

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills, direct-fired

Maturation: Oloroso sherry casks for a minimum of 40 years

Cask Type: Oloroso sherry casks

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Layers of dried fruit — raisin, fig, date — open first, followed by polished oak and old leather. Dark honey and a touch of clove spice appear with time, along with a faint ethereal quality that only decades of maturation produce.

Palate: Remarkably balanced for its age. Dried fruit and sherry cask influence carry the palate, but the oak never overwhelms. Dark chocolate, orange peel, and a gentle nuttiness emerge, all woven together by a creamy, buttery texture.

Finish: Extraordinarily long with waves of dried fruit, oak spice, and a lingering cocoa note. The sherry influence persists gracefully through the final moments.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Dried Fruit, Honey, Clove Spice, Cocoa (Dark), Buttery, Orange

The Verdict: Glenfarclas 40 is a masterclass in long maturation done right. Where many whiskies this old become over-oaked and one-dimensional, this remains vibrant and layered. The Grant family's insistence on sherry cask maturation and their willingness to let time do the work results in something genuinely rare — a four-decade spirit that still feels alive.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: Jameson

Distillery: Midleton Distillery

Proof: 80.0 (40.0% ABV)

Age: 18 Year

Color: Rich gold with amber edges

MSRP: $200–$250

Mash Bill: Blend of pot still (malted and unmalted barley) and grain whiskey

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills and column stills

Maturation: Minimum 18 years in a combination of first-fill bourbon and oloroso sherry casks

Chill-Filtered: Chill filtered

Nose: Toasted oak and caramel open first, joined by ripe peach and vanilla. A floral rosewater note rises through the sweetness, with dried fruit and a gentle nuttiness beneath. Complex and inviting without being heavy.

Palate: Silky and full-bodied with layers of dried apricot, honey, and hazelnut. The pot still spiciness that defines Midleton's house character appears as a warming clove note at mid-palate. The grain component adds a buttery smoothness that ties it all together.

Finish: Long and warming with lingering honey, vanilla, and a hint of woody spice. The oak is well-integrated, never bitter, leaving a clean and satisfying close.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Vanilla, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice

The Verdict: This limited reserve expression showcases what eighteen years in a mix of sherry and bourbon casks can do to Midleton's spirit. It's a whiskey that moves between sweet and spiced with effortless grace. While many aged Irish whiskeys lean heavily on cask influence, this one maintains the distillery's characteristic elegance throughout.

Classification: Extra Añejo Tequila, 100% Blue Weber Agave

Brand: Fuenteseca Reserva

Distillery: Destiladora González Lux (Grupo Cava de Oro)

Proof: 82 proof (41% ABV)

Age: 21 Year Old

Color: Deep burnished amber with mahogany reflections

MSRP: $550

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Agave tequilana Weber var. azul), sourced from Los Altos de Jalisco

Cooking Method: Autoclave-cooked agave, roller mill extraction, fermentation with proprietary yeasts, double distilled in stainless with copper components, then aged 21 years in a rotation of French Limousin oak, American oak, and Canadian oak barrels.

NOM: NOM 1489

Additives Free: Yes

Nose: An intricate perfume of aged oak, dried fig, toasted pecan, and worn saddle leather, laced with faint pipe tobacco, candied orange peel, and a whisper of cooked agave still hanging on after two decades in wood.

Palate: Silken and contemplative — layered notes of dark caramel, roasted coffee bean, cinnamon bark, dried apricot, and cocoa nib, with the agave's earthy sweetness reasserting itself mid-palate against a scaffolding of French oak tannin.

Finish: Exceptionally long and warming, drifting through dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, clove, and lingering vanilla oak — the kind of finish that rewards silence.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Oak, Tobacco, Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Leather, Vanilla

The Verdict: A meditation in a glass — one of the oldest tequilas in existence, and proof that patience, when applied with restraint, can transform agave into something closer to grand cru brandy without erasing its soul.

Classification: Barrel-Aged Genever

Brand: Bols

Distillery: Bols Distillery

Proof: 84

Age: 2 Years

Color: Deep gold with amber edges

MSRP: 49.99

Nose: Opens with malty grain spirit layered beneath soft juniper, dried apricot, and honeyed oak. Time in French oak limousin casks has drawn out toasted almond and a whiff of aged beeswax. Underneath, there's a quiet thread of orris root and dried chamomile, evidence of patient barrel rest transforming a distillate into something closer to meditation than mere spirit.

Palate: Rich and remarkably textured — the malt backbone announces itself first, followed by warm vanilla custard, candied orange peel, and gentle baking spice. Mid-palate reveals cassia bark warmth and a whisper of juniper that has been softened and integrated by two years in wood. There's a cereal sweetness reminiscent of fresh shortbread, balanced by a subtle botanical dryness that keeps everything elegant rather than cloying.

Finish: Long, warm, and contemplative. The oak tannins arrive gently, carrying fading notes of almond marzipan, soft ginger, and a final exhale of vanilla. The malt lingers like the last note of a song you're trying to remember.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Vanilla, Almond, Orange, Cassia Bark, Chamomile

The Verdict: This is gin that learned to sit still. Where most gins are built for immediacy — bright, loud, now — Bols Barrel Aged Genever asks you to slow down. Two years in French limousin oak have woven the juniper and malt into something that belongs alongside aged whisky and fine brandy. In an issue devoted to patience made tangible, this is the amber between breaths: the proof that waiting, simply waiting, can turn grain and juniper into gold. Sip it neat, slightly below room temperature, and give it the unhurried attention it gave the wood.

Classification: White Rum

Brand: Diplomático

Distillery: Destilerías Unidas S.A. (DUSA)

Proof: 94.0 (47.0% ABV)

Age: Up to 6 Year

Color: Crystal clear

MSRP: $25–$35

Base Ingredients: Sugarcane honey (miel de caña)

Distillation: Blend of column still and copper pot still distillates

Nose: Opens with clean sugarcane and a bright tropical fruit note — banana and fresh coconut. Vanilla appears quickly, alongside a subtle toasted quality that betrays the age and carbon filtration. A light citrus lift and gentle spice round out the bouquet.

Palate: Surprisingly rich for a white rum. Creamy vanilla and coconut are layered over ripe banana and a faint caramel sweetness. The 47% ABV provides structure and a slight peppery warmth without any harshness. A light oakiness emerges at mid-palate, a ghost of the barrel aging that preceded filtration.

Finish: Clean and medium-length with lingering vanilla, a trace of tropical fruit, and a smooth, warming close. No burn, no bitterness — just clean departure.

Rum Kit Aromas: Vanilla, Banana, Coconut, Tropical Fruits, Caramel

The Verdict: Planas is the most underappreciated expression in the Diplomático range. Aged up to six years and then charcoal-filtered to remove color, it carries far more complexity than most white rums while remaining versatile enough for cocktails. At 47% proof, it has the backbone to stand up in a Daiquiri without drowning in dilution. A workhorse with hidden depth.

Classification: Bandol AOC Rouge

Brand: Domaine Tempier

ABV: 14.0%

Primary Varietal: Mourvèdre

Blend: Predominantly Mourvèdre with small amounts of Grenache and Cinsault

Vineyards: La Migoua, a single-vineyard parcel in the Bandol appellation

Maturation: Hand-harvested, destemmed, fermented in concrete tanks with indigenous yeasts

Color: Deep garnet with violet rim

MSRP: $70–$90

Nose: Dark berry fruit leads — blackcurrant and ripe cherry — layered with dried herbs and a pronounced violet note. Earthy undertones of garrigue and leather emerge beneath, along with a hint of cedar and warm spice.

Palate: Mourvèdre's signature structure is on full display. Firm but fine tannins carry dark fruit and a wild, gamey quality that speaks to the terroir. Cherry and blackcurrant pulse at the center, framed by mint and woody spice. The texture is dense but never heavy.

Finish: Long and resolute with lingering dark fruit, cedar, and a mineral tension that holds the palate's attention. The tannins continue to evolve through the close.

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

The Verdict: La Migoua is one of Tempier's single-vineyard cuvées and shows the more refined, aromatic side of Bandol Mourvèdre. The 2020 vintage brought concentration without losing the elegance that defines this estate. This is a wine that demands and rewards cellaring, though it already shows impressive complexity. Bandol at its most articulate.

Classification: Vouvray AOC Moelleux

Brand: Domaine Huet

ABV: 12.5%

Primary Varietal: Chenin Blanc

Blend: 100% Chenin Blanc

Vineyards: Le Clos du Bourg, a walled vineyard parcel on clay-silex soils in Vouvray

Vinification: Biodynamically farmed, hand-harvested in successive tries (passes), fermented with indigenous yeasts in old oak demi-muids

Color: Deep golden yellow with green glints

MSRP: $55–$75

Nose: Honeyed quince and beeswax lead, followed by ripe pear and a delicate floral note. A citrus undercurrent — lemon curd and candied orange — adds brightness, while a faint mineral tang and herbaceous quality keep it from cloying.

Palate: Lush and textured with concentrated honey and marzipan flavors balanced by a razor-sharp acidity that defines great Vouvray. Ripe apple and melon weave through the mid-palate alongside a subtle waxy quality. The sweetness is present but never dominant — the acidity does its job perfectly.

Finish: Very long with lingering honey, citrus peel, and a saline mineral note that leaves the palate refreshed rather than saturated. The tension between sweetness and acidity persists through the final moments.

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

The Verdict: Domaine Huet's Clos du Bourg is one of the great Chenin Blanc vineyards on earth, and the moelleux style in a strong vintage like 2023 shows why. The interplay of richness and cutting acidity is breathtaking — this is a wine that appears sweet but finishes dry in spirit. Biodynamic farming and the clay-silex soils of this walled vineyard produce a Chenin of uncommon depth and ageability.

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