Issue 180 · September 22, 2026
The Copper and the Clay
Theme: Material Shapes Memory
From copper pot stills to clay amphora, the vessels that shape fermentation and distillation leave fingerprints on every sip. This issue follows the material evidence of craft across eight categories.
Every liquid we drink has been shaped by something it touched. Copper strips sulfur from spirit, clay breathes oxygen into wine, oak donates vanillin to whiskey, and stainless steel preserves what the grape intended. The material world of production — the still, the vessel, the barrel — is never neutral. It always has something to say.
Today's eight selections were chosen for the clarity of their material signature. From a bourbon marked by its barrel char to a white wine that owes its texture to concrete and clay, each bottle reveals how the physical environment of making imprints itself on flavor. These are drinks where craft is visible — you can taste the vessel.
This issue's aroma theme centers on the material imprint — the flavors that vessels and production environments leave on the liquids they hold. From charred oak's smoky vanillins to clay's oxidative warmth, training your nose to identify vessel-derived aromas is one of the fastest ways to decode what you're tasting.
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 Stellum Lyra Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Blended and bottled by Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Stellum Lyra is a single-barrel cask-strength bourbon selected from distilleries across Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee to showcase the singular character of individual barrels.
Classification: Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: Stellum
Distillery: Barrell Craft Spirits (sourced blend)
Proof: 116.24 (58.12% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Dark amber with copper highlights
MSRP: $55–$70
Mash Bill: Undisclosed (high corn with rye)
Barrel Type: New charred American oak
Single Barrel: Yes
Nose: Immediate wave of charred oak and butterscotch, followed by ripe cherry and a faint tobacco note. With time, brown spices and vanilla emerge from behind the proof.
Palate: Thick and mouth-coating with layers of caramel, dark cocoa, and leather. Midpalate shows corn sweetness balanced by dry oak tannins and a peppery rye bite.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering charred oak, pecan, and a dry maple note that slowly fades.
Cocktail — Charred Manhattan — 2 oz Stellum Lyra · 1 oz Carpano Antica Formula · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into coupe, garnish with brandied cherry.
Pair with: The bourbon's charred oak and cocoa notes mirror the coffee rub's roasted bitterness, while the caramel sweetness cuts through the brisket's fatty richness.
Scotch Whisky Deanston Virgin Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deanston Distillery, a converted cotton mill on the banks of the River Teith in Perthshire, uses entirely unpeated barley and its own hydroelectric power to produce a remarkably clean Highland malt.
Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Deanston
Distillery: Deanston Distillery
Proof: 92.6 (46.3% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale gold with straw highlights
MSRP: $35–$50
Region: Highlands
Mash Bill: 100% unpeated malted barley
Distillation: Copper pot still distilled
Maturation: Matured in ex-bourbon barrels, finished in virgin American oak casks
Cask Type: Virgin American oak finish
Peat Level (PPM): 0
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Fresh barley malt and vanilla leap from the glass, underscored by light honey and a grassy, almost green quality. Warm coconut emerges with air.
Palate: Clean and malty with buttery texture. Vanilla and coconut from the virgin oak sit alongside a bright, almost citrusy note of orange peel. The midpalate shows gentle clove spice.
Finish: Medium, with lingering vanilla and a clean woody dryness that invites the next sip.
Cocktail — Highland Honey Sour — 2 oz Deanston Virgin Oak · 0.75 oz lemon juice · 0.5 oz honey syrup · 1 egg white · Dry shake, then shake with ice, strain into coupe, garnish with lemon twist.
Pair with: The whisky's buttery malt and vanilla echo the rich simplicity of traditional Scottish shortbread, while the coconut note plays beautifully against the cream's richness.
Irish Whiskey Teeling Blackpitts Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Distilled at the Teeling Distillery in Dublin's Liberties neighborhood, Blackpitts is named after the nearby district where peat was historically stored and malt was kilned, reviving a peated tradition largely forgotten in Irish whiskey.
Classification: Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Brand: Teeling
Distillery: Teeling Whiskey Distillery
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Deep gold with amber tints
MSRP: $50–$65
Mash Bill: 100% peated malted barley
Distillation: Triple-distilled in copper pot stills
Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes wine casks
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: Smoldering peat smoke tempered by honeyed malt and a sweetness of dried fruit. Underneath, a subtle floral note and toasted almond add complexity.
Palate: The smoky character is balanced and elegant, weaving through a core of caramel and vanilla. Midpalate brings earthy tones and a gentle clove spice, with a surprising creaminess.
Finish: Long and smoky with lingering honey and a dry, woody close that recalls smoldering embers.
Cocktail — Smoked Irish Coffee — 1.5 oz Teeling Blackpitts · 4 oz hot brewed coffee · 0.75 oz demerara syrup · Fresh cream floated on top.
Pair with: The whiskey's peat smoke harmonizes with the salmon's cure, while its honey and dried fruit notes complement the earthy density of traditional Irish brown soda bread.
Tequila Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024
Guillermo Soto's family has produced tequila in Tequila, Jalisco for five generations, and Fortaleza's Winter Blend draws from reposado barrels selected during the cooler months to create a limited annual expression.
Classification: Reposado Tequila
Brand: Fortaleza
Distillery: Destilería La Fortaleza (NOM 1493)
Proof: 92 (46% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Rich amber gold
MSRP: $80–$100
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave
Cooking Method: Tahona-crushed, brick oven cooked, naturally fermented
NOM: 1493
Additives Free: Yes
Nose: Deeply cooked agave mingles with butterscotch and toasted oak. Warm cinnamon and a delicate floral note create an inviting complexity. A hint of roasted almond appears at the edges.
Palate: Viscous and layered, with cooked agave sweetness balanced by firm oak structure. Butterscotch, vanilla, and cinnamon interweave, while a mineral earthiness anchors the midpalate.
Finish: Extended and warming, with oak tannins, residual agave sweetness, and a lingering pepper spice.
Cocktail — Winter Paloma — 2 oz Fortaleza Winter Blend · 1 oz fresh grapefruit juice · 0.5 oz cinnamon syrup · 2 oz sparkling water · Build over ice in a tall glass, garnish with grapefruit wedge and cinnamon stick.
Pair with: The tequila's butterscotch and cinnamon echo the dark, complex spices in traditional Oaxacan mole negro, while the agave sweetness complements the richness of slow-braised turkey.
Gin Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
Inspired by Charles Tanqueray's original recipe notes, Flor de Sevilla incorporates whole Seville oranges harvested from groves in southern Spain, adding a bitter citrus layer to the brand's four-botanical foundation.
Classification: Distilled Gin
Brand: Tanqueray
Distillery: Cameronbridge Distillery
Proof: 82.6 (41.3% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Light amber-peach tint
MSRP: $27 – $30
Style: Distilled Gin with Seville orange
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, angelica, liquorice, Seville oranges
Base Spirit: Neutral grain spirit
Distillation: Pot-distilled with natural botanicals
Nose: Bright bitter orange dominates, with classic juniper providing a resinous backbone. Coriander seed and a subtle floral note add depth beneath the citrus.
Palate: Juicy Seville orange on entry transitions to juniper and a gentle angelica earthiness. The midpalate carries a pleasant bittersweet quality with hints of vanilla.
Finish: Medium length, with lingering orange peel bitterness and a clean juniper fade.
Cocktail — Sevilla Spritz — 1.5 oz Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla · 2 oz prosecco · 1 oz soda water · 0.5 oz fresh orange juice · Build over ice in a wine glass, garnish with orange wheel.
Pair with: The gin's bitter orange character acts like marmalade itself, cutting through the richness of the pâté while its juniper and angelica keep the pairing savory and grounded.
Rum Clarendon 10 Year Old Jamaica Rum
The Clarendon parish of Jamaica sits on a vast alluvial plain of red clay, and the Monymusk distillery that operates there has been shaping rum since the 18th century. Its copper pot stills — patched, re-riveted, and maintained across generations — are themselves artifacts of accumulated memory, each repair a layer in their metallurgical palimpsest. The rum that emerges carries the literal imprint of that copper, catalyzing ester formation and stripping away harsh congeners in ways that stainless steel never could. Aged for a full decade in the punishing Jamaican tropical climate, where the angel's share devours nearly twice what a Scottish warehouse would claim, this rum is a concentrated record of material and time. Every sip carries the memory of copper coils, clay earth, and Caribbean heat — proof that the vessel shapes the vintage, and the land remembers through the liquid it produces.
Classification: Pot Still Jamaican Rum
Brand: Rum Bar by Worthy Park
Distillery: Clarendon Distillery (Monymusk)
Proof: 120
Age: 10 Years
Color: Deep amber with copper highlights
MSRP: $260
Nose: Rich molasses and dried banana give way to warm leather, estate-grown sugarcane, terracotta earthiness, and a gentle waft of pipe tobacco. Underneath, toasted oak and caramel mingle with a distinctly mineral, clay-like note — as if the tropical warehouse floors have imprinted themselves into the spirit.
Palate: Medium-full bodied with a waxy, almost tactile mouthfeel. Toffee and dark chocolate lead, followed by roasted coffee, baking spices, and orange marmalade. A persistent earthy undertone — damp red clay and worn copper — anchors the sweetness and keeps the rum grounded. Vanilla and coconut emerge midpalate as the oak influence deepens.
Finish: Long and warming, with lingering toffee, dried tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, and a final mineral echo that recalls sun-baked terracotta. The copper pot still character shines through in a clean, slightly funky fade.
Cocktail — The Potter's Wheel — 2 oz Clarendon 10 Year Old Jamaica Rum · 0.75 oz fresh lime juice · 0.5 oz orgeat · 0.25 oz rich demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Combine all ingredients in a shaker with crushed ice. Shake vigorously for 10-12 seconds. Pour unstrained into a clay or terracotta cup. Garnish with a spent lime shell filled with a few drops of overproof rum, ignited tableside. The clay vessel subtly chills and aerates the cocktail, connecting the drinking experience to the theme of material shaping flavor. · Glass: Clay or terracotta cup (or rocks glass)
Pair with: The rum's deep toffee sweetness and tobacco-laced oak harmonize with the smoky, allspice-driven crust of jerk-seasoned lamb. The charred pineapple chutney bridges the rum's tropical fruit notes while its acidity cuts through the richness of the lamb fat. The earthy, mineral undertone in the rum echoes the charcoal smokiness of the grill, creating a seamless conversation between glass and plate.
Red Wine Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga DOCG 2020
The Martinenga vineyard, owned entirely by the di Gresy family since the early twentieth century, is one of Barbaresco's most storied single-vineyard sites, producing Nebbiolo of remarkable finesse from its south-facing slopes.
Classification: Barbaresco DOCG
Brand: Marchesi di Gresy
ABV: 14.5%
Primary Varietal: Nebbiolo
Blend: 100% Nebbiolo
Vineyards: Martinenga, Barbaresco
Maturation: Traditional maceration, aged in large Slavonian oak and French barriques for approximately 18 months
Color: Garnet red with translucent ruby rim
MSRP: $50–$70
Nose: Classic Nebbiolo aromatics — dried rose, ripe cherry, and a hint of tar. With air, a cedar note and earthy undertone emerge alongside dried herbs.
Palate: Medium-bodied with firm tannins and bright acidity. Cherry and berry fruit are woven through with woody spice and a subtle minty freshness. The midpalate is structured and precise.
Finish: Long and elegant, with lingering cherry, cedar, and a final note of dried violet.
Pair with: The wine's structured tannins and earthy undertones match the umami depth of porcini mushrooms, while its cherry fruit echoes the sweetness of slow-braised veal.
White Wine Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 2022
Domaine Leflaive, legendary for its Puligny-Montrachet holdings, expanded to the Mâconnais in the early 2000s, applying the same biodynamic philosophy and meticulous cellar work to Verzé's limestone-rich hillside vineyards.
Classification: Mâcon-Verzé AOC
Brand: Domaine Leflaive
ABV: 13%
Primary Varietal: Chardonnay
Blend: 100% Chardonnay
Vineyards: Verzé, Mâconnais
Vinification: Biodynamic viticulture, whole-cluster pressing, fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel and used oak barrels
Color: Pale lemon-gold with green highlights
MSRP: $30–$45
Nose: Clean and mineral-driven, with green apple and white flowers leading. A subtle honeyed quality and a chalky, almost flinty note add nuance.
Palate: Bright acidity frames a core of citrus and green apple. The midpalate shows a light buttery texture from partial oak aging, with a pleasant melon note and a hint of marzipan complexity.
Finish: Clean and refreshing, with lingering citrus and a chalky mineral persistence.
Pair with: The wine's bright acidity and mineral backbone cut through the creaminess of fresh chèvre, while its green apple and citrus notes mirror the herbal freshness of the salad.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
This issue's aroma theme centers on the material imprint — the flavors that vessels and production environments leave on the liquids they hold. From charred oak's smoky vanillins to clay's oxidative warmth, training your nose to identify vessel-derived aromas is one of the fastest ways to decode what you're tasting.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stellum Lyra Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Cherry, Caramel, Leather | Bourbon Kit |
| Deanston Virgin Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky) | Vanilla, Coconut, Honey, Malt, Clove Spice | Whisky Kit |
| Teeling Blackpitts Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Smoky, Honey, Caramel, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice | Whiskey Kit |
| Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024 (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Oak, Cinnamon, Vanilla | Tequila Kit |
| Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin (Gin) | Orange, Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Coriander, Angelica, Vanilla | Gin Kit |
| Clarendon 10 Year Old Jamaica Rum (Rum) | Molasses, Toffee, Tobacco, Coffee, Tropical Fruits, Oak | Rum Kit |
| Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga DOCG 2020 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Floral (Rose), Cedar, Violet, Berry (Generic) | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 2022 (White Wine) | Apple (Green), Citrus (Generic), Honey, Buttery, Melon | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Sharpen your nose with the aromas featured in today's issue — our training kits let you isolate and identify each one at your own pace. 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 material always has something to say — learn its language, and every glass becomes a conversation.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.
Stellum Lyra Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
Stellum
Stellum's single barrel program lets the cask do the talking, and this bottling delivers a bourbon where every sip reflects the depth of its barrel interaction. The high proof carries tremendous flavor density without bitterness. A serious sipper that rewards patience.
Deanston Virgin Oak Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deanston
By finishing in new American oak rather than used casks, Deanston lets the raw timber speak alongside its signature unpeated malt character. The result is a whisky where the wood's influence is transparent and direct. An excellent illustration of how barrel choice shapes a spirit from the inside out.
Teeling Blackpitts Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Teeling
Teeling's Blackpitts is a reminder that Irish whiskey and peat were once inseparable. The triple-distilled spirit softens the smoke into something nuanced and approachable. Named after the area of Dublin where malt was historically dried over peat fires, this is a history lesson in a glass.
Fortaleza Reposado Winter Blend 2024
Fortaleza
Fortaleza's Winter Blend series marries reposado lots of varying age into a seasonal expression that highlights the interplay between agave and oak. The tahona-crushed agave gives it a textural richness that roller-milled tequilas rarely achieve. This is tequila where craft and material are inseparable.
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
Tanqueray
Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla takes the classic London dry structure and overlays it with actual Seville orange botanicals, creating a gin that bridges tradition and accessibility. The bitterness of the orange is key — this is not a sweetened citrus gin but a genuine botanical expression. A versatile bottle for cocktails and a solid G&T anchor.
Clarendon 10 Year Old Jamaica Rum
Rum Bar by Worthy Park
This issue's theme — Material Shapes Memory — finds its purest expression here. Clarendon's copper pot stills, some of the oldest continuously operating in the Caribbean, literally shape the spirit molecule by molecule, while a decade in Jamaican tropical warehouses (clay floors, wooden walls, humid air) imprints the rum with a sense of place no other maturation environment can replicate. The result is a rum where the materials of its making — copper, clay, wood, cane — are not just tools but co-authors. At $55, it's an extraordinary window into how physical substance becomes liquid memory.
Marchesi di Gresy Barbaresco Martinenga DOCG 2020
Marchesi di Gresy
Marchesi di Gresy's Martinenga vineyard is one of the historic crus of Barbaresco, and this 2020 shows the site's characteristic combination of elegance and structure. The tannins are fine-grained and the fruit pristine. A wine that rewards careful attention and moderate cellaring.
Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé 2022
Domaine Leflaive
Domaine Leflaive's Mâcon-Verzé is a masterclass in value from one of Burgundy's most respected white wine producers. The biodynamic farming and careful winemaking bring a precision to Mâconnais Chardonnay that elevates it well beyond its appellation. For those priced out of Puligny, this is the door in.
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