Issue 204 · October 16, 2026
The Threshold of Evening
Theme: Dusk-Drawn Depth
As autumn light retreats earlier each day, this issue explores spirits and wines that reward the transition between daylight clarity and nighttime complexity — bottles built for the liminal hour.
There is a moment each evening when the light shifts and the world softens at its edges. Colors deepen, sounds carry differently, and a glass poured at this hour seems to taste unlike one poured at noon. This issue is about that shift — the way certain bottles seem engineered for the hour when day yields to night, when the palate opens to darker flavors and longer finishes.
From a bourbon with deep char and tobacco notes to a white wine that glows with late-afternoon minerality, each selection tonight rewards patience and attention. These are bottles that unfold rather than announce, built for slow sipping as the sky turns violet.
Tonight's aroma training focuses on the darker, more contemplative notes that emerge as complexity deepens — tobacco leaf, dried fruit, cedar wood, and the mineral undercurrents that tie a spirit or wine to its place of origin.
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 Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Cask Strength Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distilled in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a small team pioneered a high-malt mash bill that borrows ideas from Scotch-making and applies them to American whiskey.
Classification: Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Brand: Chattanooga Whiskey
Distillery: Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery
Proof: 111 (55.5% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Deep burnished amber with copper highlights
MSRP: $45–$55
Mash Bill: High malt (malted barley-heavy, with corn, rye, and caramel malts)
Barrel Type: New charred American oak
Nose: Rich toffee and toasted malt lead, followed by dark cherry and a thread of pipe tobacco. Beneath the sweetness, charred oak anchors everything with a firm, smoky base.
Palate: Full-bodied and coating, with butterscotch and leather giving way to rye spice and baked apple. The high malt bill delivers an unusual biscuity depth that sets it apart from traditional bourbons.
Finish: Long and warming, with charred oak, tobacco leaf, and a trailing note of dark cocoa that lingers well past the swallow.
Cocktail — Ember Hour — 2 oz Chattanooga Whiskey 111 · 0.75 oz sweet vermouth · 0.25 oz Averna amaro · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, garnish with an orange peel.
Pair with: The bourbon's tobacco and charred oak notes mirror the smoky bark of slow-cooked brisket, while the coffee rub's bitterness highlights the whiskey's butterscotch sweetness.
Awards: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023
Scotch Whisky Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Sitting in the shadow of Balmoral Castle, Royal Lochnagar is one of Scotland's smallest distilleries—a place where whisky is still made with an almost private devotion, its output so limited that each bottle feels like a quiet confidence shared.
Classification: Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Brand: Royal Lochnagar
Distillery: Royal Lochnagar Distillery
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: 12 Year
Color: Warm amber with burnished copper edges
MSRP: $55–$75
Region: Highland
Mash Bill: 100% malted barley
Distillation: Double distilled in small copper pot stills
Maturation: Aged 12 years in a combination of refill American oak ex-bourbon casks and European oak ex-sherry casks
Cask Type: Refill American oak ex-bourbon and European oak ex-sherry casks
Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated
Chill-Filtered: Yes
Nose: Opens with honeyed malt and soft dried apricot, soon joined by a gentle waft of heather and toasted almond. A whisper of beeswax and warm leather emerges as the glass breathes, evoking the last light settling over the Cairngorms. Faint citrus peel and vanilla linger beneath the surface.
Palate: Medium-bodied and gracefully poised, delivering layers of brown sugar, poached pear, and buttered shortbread. A thread of clove spice and light oak tannin provides structure without heaviness. Late mid-palate brings dark chocolate shavings and a fleeting note of dried rose petal.
Finish: Medium-length and gently warming, with lingering honey, soft wood spice, and a clean malty fade. A quiet dignity that rewards patience.
Cocktail — The Gloaming — 2 oz Royal Lochnagar 12 · 0.5 oz honey syrup · 0.25 oz Amaro Montenegro · 2 dashes orange bitters · Stir over ice, strain into a coupe, express an orange peel and lay it across the rim.
Pair with: The malt sweetness and subtle spice of Royal Lochnagar 12 harmonize beautifully with richly rendered duck breast. A blackberry-sage compote mirrors the whisky's dried fruit and herbal undertones, while a side of roasted root vegetables echoes its earthy warmth.
Awards: Gold Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2019
Irish Whiskey Dunville's Three Crowns Vintage Blend Irish Whiskey
Reviving the storied Dunville's name — once one of Ireland's most celebrated whiskey dynasties before its tragic closure in 1936 — this Vintage Blend is distilled at the family-owned Echlinville Distillery, the first new licensed distillery in Northern Ireland in over 125 years.
Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey
Brand: Dunville's
Distillery: Echlinville Distillery
Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Burnished copper with deep amber edges
MSRP: $35–$45
Mash Bill: Blend of malt and grain whiskeys
Distillation: Blend of Whiskeys
Maturation: Matured in a combination of bourbon and PX sherry casks
Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered
Nose: A warm onset of toasted barley and honeyed shortbread gives way to dried apricot and a whisper of baking spice. Underneath, there's a gentle floral note reminiscent of heather and a faint nuttiness that deepens with time in the glass.
Palate: The palate opens with creamy vanilla custard and caramel toffee, transitioning into soft orchard fruits — poached pear and stewed apple. A gentle malt backbone carries clove and white pepper through to a rounded, slightly oily mid-palate.
Finish: Medium length with lingering honey, toasted oak, and a subtle dried fruit sweetness that fades like the last light of dusk.
Cocktail — The Gloaming — 2 oz Dunville's Three Crowns Vintage Blend · 0.75 oz honey syrup (2:1) · 0.5 oz fresh lemon juice · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Stir honey syrup and whiskey until dissolved, add lemon and bitters, shake with ice, strain into a coupe · Garnish with a lemon twist
Pair with: Honey-glazed duck breast with roasted root vegetables and a blackberry reduction. The duck's rich, savory depth mirrors the whiskey's malt backbone, while the honey glaze echoes its sweetness and the blackberry reduction picks up the dried fruit undertones.
Tequila Corazón Añejo Tequila
Produced at the historic La Rojeña distillery in Tequila, Jalisco—one of the oldest continuously operating distilleries in the Americas—Corazón Añejo is crafted from highland and lowland agaves, its name meaning 'heart,' a nod to the spirit's core of slow-cooked piñas and patient barrel aging.
Classification: Añejo Tequila
Brand: Corazón
Distillery: Destilería La Rojeña (NOM 1122)
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: 12 Months
Color: Burnished amber with copper-gold highlights, evoking the last warm light before nightfall
MSRP: $30–$40
Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Agave tequilana)
Cooking Method: Agave piñas are slow-cooked in traditional brick ovens, crushed, and fermented before double distillation in copper pot stills. The blanco is then aged for a minimum of 12 months in American oak barrels.
NOM: NOM 1122
Nose: Rich cooked agave opens the bouquet alongside warm butterscotch and toasted oak. Deeper layers reveal dried apricot, a whisper of cinnamon bark, and a faint mineral earthiness that grounds the sweetness.
Palate: Silky and medium-bodied, the palate delivers roasted agave and caramel toffee laced with baking spice and cracked black pepper. A subtle vanilla sweetness mingles with dried herbs and a gentle citrus brightness that keeps the profile balanced and engaging.
Finish: The finish is warm and moderately long, trailing notes of toasted oak, lingering pepper, and a final murmur of cooked agave that fades like the last glow on the horizon.
Cocktail — Dusk Old Fashioned — 2 oz Corazón Añejo · 0.25 oz agave nectar · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · 1 dash orange bitters · Stir with ice, strain over a large cube, garnish with a flamed orange peel
Pair with: Slow-braised beef short ribs in a dark mole negro, with its chocolate, chili, and dried fruit complexity, mirror the tequila's roasted sweetness and spice. Serve alongside black beans and warm corn tortillas to anchor the pairing in earthy comfort.
Gin Ableforth's Bathtub Gin Old Tom
Cold-compounded in small batches by infusing a base gin with botanicals and then gently filtering, Ableforth's Bathtub Old Tom revives a pre-Victorian style with artisan charm—each bottle hand-sealed with wax and wrapped in brown paper like a whispered secret.
Classification: Old Tom Gin
Brand: Ableforth's
Distillery: Ableforth's (Master of Malt)
Proof: 85.6 (42.8% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Pale straw with a warm golden tint
MSRP: $35–$45
Style: Old Tom Gin
Botanicals: Juniper, coriander, orange peel, cassia bark/cinnamon, cloves, cardamom
Base Spirit: Grain neutral spirit
Distillation: Cold-compounded: botanicals infused directly into a copper pot-distilled grain spirit, then filtered
Nose: A dusky, honeyed sweetness rises first, wreathed in candied juniper and soft orange blossom. Warm cardamom and cassia bark mingle beneath, lending a spiced twilight quality. A whisper of clove and dried botanicals lingers at the edges.
Palate: The palate opens with lush, sweetened juniper and baking spice, bridging the gap between classic dry gin and something warmer, more contemplative. Coriander seed and cinnamon-bark warmth coat the mid-palate, while a gentle citrus brightness—orange peel dried in late-afternoon sun—keeps things balanced. The slightly viscous, sweetened body gives it a pillowy, enveloping texture.
Finish: Medium length, trailing off with soft juniper resin, a touch of liquorice, and lingering warmth of cassia. A gentle sweetness hangs like the last light before dark.
Cocktail — The Gloaming Martinez — 1½ oz Ableforth's Bathtub Old Tom · 1½ oz sweet vermouth · ¼ oz maraschino liqueur · 2 dashes orange bitters · Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a flamed orange peel.
Pair with: The Old Tom's sweetened juniper and cassia spice mirror the caramelized honey glaze on the duck, while the gin's orange and coriander notes lift the jammy richness of roasted figs. A side of bitter radicchio dressed in sherry vinegar provides the perfect counterpoint.
Awards: Gold Medal, International Spirits Challenge 2019
Rum Kōloa Kaua'i Dark Hawaiian Rum
Distilled from sugarcane grown on the same Kaua'i soil where Hawaii's first commercial sugar plantation was founded in 1835, Kōloa Dark carries the volcanic island's terroir in every sip.
Classification: Dark Rum
Brand: Kōloa Rum Company
Distillery: Kōloa Rum Company
Proof: 80 (40% ABV)
Age: NAS
Color: Deep mahogany with burnt umber edges, like the last band of light sinking behind a volcanic ridge
MSRP: $30–$38
Base Ingredients: Hawaiian sugarcane
Distillation: Column still distillation from locally grown sugarcane, with proprietary blending of aged and unaged components
Nose: Rich molasses and dark caramel open immediately, followed by toasted coconut and a whisper of roasted coffee. Deeper inhalation reveals brown sugar, vanilla bean, and a subtle tropical fruit sweetness that recalls overripe banana.
Palate: The entry is smooth and full-bodied, delivering waves of dark toffee, baking spice, and muscovado sugar. Midpalate, roasted nut and chocolate notes emerge alongside a gentle oakiness, while a thread of tropical warmth keeps the profile from becoming too heavy.
Finish: Medium-length with lingering molasses, a touch of espresso bitterness, and a warm, gently spiced fade. The sweetness resolves cleanly, leaving behind toasted oak and a hint of dried fruit.
Cocktail — Twilight Mai Tai — 2 oz Kōloa Kaua'i Dark Rum · 1 oz fresh lime juice · 0.75 oz orange curaçao · 0.5 oz orgeat · 0.25 oz demerara syrup · Shake with ice, pour over crushed ice, garnish with a spent lime shell and mint sprig.
Pair with: Slow-smoked kalua pork piled on sweet rolls with a bright pineapple-cabbage slaw and a drizzle of dark soy glaze. The smoky, savory pork mirrors the rum's roasted and molasses notes while the pineapple slaw echoes its tropical undertone.
Red Wine Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2021
The Armenier family has farmed Domaine de Marcoux biodynamically since 1990, working old-vine Grenache across some of Châteauneuf-du-Pape's most prized parcels strewn with the appellation's iconic rounded stones.
Classification: Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC Rouge
Brand: Domaine de Marcoux
Winery: Domaine de Marcoux
ABV: 15%
Primary Varietal: Grenache
Blend: 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre, 7% Syrah, 3% Cinsault
Vineyards: Multiple parcels across Châteauneuf-du-Pape, biodynamically farmed
Maturation: Whole cluster fermentation, aged in large old oak foudres
Color: Deep garnet with violet rim
MSRP: $80 - $90
Nose: Dark cherry and crushed violet lead, with garrigue herbs and a mineral undercurrent. A faint gamey note adds intrigue, while ripe blackcurrant provides density.
Palate: Medium-full bodied with silky tannins, offering black cherry, dried herbs, and a mid-palate note of cedar. The biodynamic farming seems to translate into a lifted, vibrant quality — the fruit feels alive rather than extracted.
Finish: Long and savory, with violet, cedar, and a persistent mineral quality that echoes the famous galets roulés stones of the vineyard.
Pair with: The wine's garrigue character and silky tannins mirror the herbed lamb, while the cherry fruit and cedar notes frame the richness of the slow-braised meat.
White Wine Domaine Gérard Boulay Sancerre Blanc Monts Damnés 2023
Gérard Boulay farms steep, Kimmeridgian limestone slopes in Chavignol with minimal intervention, coaxing a mineral intensity from his Sauvignon Blanc vines that has made this domaine a reference point for serious Sancerre.
Classification: Sancerre AOC Blanc
Brand: Domaine Gérard Boulay
Winery: Domaine Gérard Boulay
ABV: 13.5%
Primary Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Blend: 100% Sauvignon Blanc
Vineyards: Monts Damnés, Chavignol, Sancerre — steep Kimmeridgian limestone slopes
Vinification: Whole cluster pressed, fermented in stainless steel and old oak demi-muids, aged on fine lees
Color: Pale gold with green tints
MSRP: $50–$70
Nose: White flowers and crushed limestone open into ripe citrus — lemon curd and grapefruit zest — with an underlying flinty minerality that is unmistakably Monts Damnés.
Palate: Taut and precise, with green apple acidity balanced by a honeyed mid-palate richness that speaks of old vines and steep slopes. The texture is almost chalky, with gooseberry and a saline finish that feels wind-whipped.
Finish: Lingering and mineral-driven, with citrus pith and a clean, stony persistence that demands another sip.
Pair with: The local goat cheese from Chavignol is the classic pairing — its tangy creaminess echoes the wine's acidity while the walnut bread adds earthy depth.
Train Your Nose: Today's Aroma Spotlight
Tonight's aroma training focuses on the darker, more contemplative notes that emerge as complexity deepens — tobacco leaf, dried fruit, cedar wood, and the mineral undercurrents that tie a spirit or wine to its place of origin.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Cask Strength Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Bourbon) | Charred Oak, Tobacco, Butterscotch, Leather, Malt | Bourbon Kit |
| Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Scotch Whisky) | Honey, Almond, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice, Malt, Vanilla | Whisky Kit |
| Dunville's Three Crowns Vintage Blend Irish Whiskey (Irish Whiskey) | Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Malt, Dried Fruit, Clove Spice | Whiskey Kit |
| Corazón Añejo Tequila (Tequila) | Agave (Cooked), Butterscotch, Cinnamon, Oak, Pepper, Vanilla | Tequila Kit |
| Ableforth's Bathtub Gin Old Tom (Gin) | Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Orange, Cassia Bark, Coriander, Liquorice | Gin Kit |
| Kōloa Kaua'i Dark Hawaiian Rum (Rum) | Molasses, Toffee, Coconut, Coffee, Vanilla, Caramel | Rum Kit |
| Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2021 (Red Wine) | Cherry, Violet, Cedar, Blackcurrant, Gamey | Wine Kit |
| Domaine Gérard Boulay Sancerre Blanc Monts Damnés 2023 (White Wine) | Citrus (Generic), Apple (Green), Gooseberry, Honey, Floral (Rose) | Wine Kit |
Explore the School of Wine and Spirits
Train your nose to identify these aromas with confidence using the School of Wine and Spirits aroma training kits, designed to isolate and teach each scent in its purest form. 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.
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The evening hour rewards those who know what they're tasting — let the kits sharpen your senses before the next pour.
Until tomorrow's pour — cheers.
The Still & The Vine is a daily publication of the School of Wine and Spirits.
Chattanooga Whiskey 111 Cask Strength Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Chattanooga Whiskey
Chattanooga's high-malt approach produces a bourbon that drinks like twilight itself — familiar enough to welcome, complex enough to hold your attention. Cask strength here means intensity without harshness, a credit to their grain-forward distilling philosophy.
Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Royal Lochnagar
Royal Lochnagar 12 is one of Highland whisky's best-kept secrets—a refined, understated dram that trades spectacle for poise. Its measured sweetness and gentle complexity make it a perfect companion for the contemplative hour between daylight and dark. An elegant gateway into the depth of what Highland malt can offer at a gentler proof.
Dunville's Three Crowns Vintage Blend Irish Whiskey
Dunville's
Dunville's Three Crowns Vintage Blend is a quietly sophisticated Irish whiskey that rewards patience and contemplation. Its layered warmth and gentle complexity make it a perfect companion for the liminal hour when daylight yields to shadow. An approachable yet nuanced dram that punches well above its price point.
Corazón Añejo Tequila
Corazón
Corazón Añejo is an approachable yet layered añejo that punches well above its modest price point. Its interplay of roasted agave sweetness and restrained oak influence makes it an ideal dusk sipper—complex enough to reward attention, smooth enough to ease into evening. A genuine value in the añejo category.
Ableforth's Bathtub Gin Old Tom
Ableforth's
Ableforth's Bathtub Old Tom captures the liminal warmth of dusk—sweeter and more meditative than its London Dry sibling, yet never cloying. Its cold-compounded botanical infusion method gives it a rounded, layered character that rewards slow sipping. A gin that belongs to the golden hour.
Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge 2021
Domaine de Marcoux
Domaine de Marcoux has been biodynamic since the early 1990s, long before it was fashionable, and their 2021 classique cuvée shows why they're considered among Châteauneuf's elite. This is Grenache-dominant southern Rhône at its most graceful — powerful but never heavy.
Domaine Gérard Boulay Sancerre Blanc Monts Damnés 2023
Domaine Gérard Boulay
Gérard Boulay's Monts Damnés bottling is one of the great single-vineyard Sancerres — a wine that proves Sauvignon Blanc can be as terroir-expressive as any noble grape. The 2023 vintage delivers both freshness and gravitas, a rare combination at this price.
Kōloa Kaua'i Dark Hawaiian Rum
Kōloa Rum Company
Kōloa Kaua'i Dark is a rum of quietly gathered depth — unpretentious yet layered enough to reward slow sipping as evening settles in. Its island provenance gives it a distinctive tropical undertone that sets it apart from Caribbean darks, and at its price point it delivers genuine complexity. A dusk-worthy pour that bridges the familiar and the exotic.
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