The Burr Beneath the Polish

Issue No. 222 — November 3, 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: Straight Rye Whiskey

Brand: Sagamore Spirit

Distillery: Sagamore Spirit Distillery

Proof: 97 (48.5% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Deep copper with mahogany highlights

MSRP: $50–$60

Mash Bill: Undisclosed high-rye

Barrel Type: New charred American oak, finished in a second new charred American oak barrel

Nose: Rich caramel and toasted oak lead, followed by rye spice and dried orange peel. A dusting of dark chocolate and baking spices sits underneath.

Palate: Full-bodied with immediate butterscotch and charred oak, then assertive rye grain and cinnamon. The double-oak treatment delivers layered vanilla and leather without burying the grain's bite.

Finish: Long and warming, with lingering charred oak, rye bread, and a hint of tobacco.

Bourbon Kit Aromas: Rye, Charred Oak, Butterscotch, Leather, Caramel

The Verdict: Sagamore's Double Oak treatment amplifies the base rye's grain-forward character without drowning it in sweetness. The second barrel adds depth and a creamy backbone, but the rye's peppery spine stays intact. A well-executed study in layering wood onto grain.

Classification: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Brand: Craigellachie

Distillery: Craigellachie Distillery

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: 23 Year

Color: Burnished gold with amber edges

MSRP: $280–$350

Region: Speyside

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley

Distillation: Copper pot stills with traditional worm tub condensers

Maturation: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Cask Type: Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks

Peat Level (PPM): Unpeated

Chill-Filtered: No

Nose: Sulfurous struck-match notes give way to ripe peach, honey, and toasted almonds. Beneath those lies a waxy malt character and dried fruit richness with hints of old leather.

Palate: Full and muscular, with butterscotch and clove spice wrapped around a meaty, almost savory core. Stone fruit and dark chocolate emerge mid-palate, tempered by oak tannins that add grip without astringency.

Finish: Exceptionally long, with lingering honey, dried fruit, and a persistent smoky minerality.

Whisky Kit Aromas: Peach, Honey, Clove Spice, Cocoa (Dark), Dried Fruit, Smoky

The Verdict: Craigellachie wears its rough-hewn distillery character like a badge. Even at 23 years, this is not a dainty Speyside — the sulfur-forward new make still peeks through, and that's the point. It rewards patience with layers of fruit and spice that few distilleries can achieve.

Classification: Blended Irish Whiskey

Brand: J.J. Corry

Distillery: Undisclosed (sourced, bonded and matured by Chapel Gate Whiskey Co., County Clare)

Proof: 92 (46% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Burnished gold with amber edges

MSRP: $125

Mash Bill: Blend of malt and grain Irish whiskeys

Distillation: Triple distilled in copper pot stills

Maturation: Matured and vatted in ex-bourbon barrels at Chapel Gate bonded warehouse, County Clare

Chill-Filtered: Non-chill filtered

Nose: Opens with assertive grain husk and raw barley malt, followed by a wave of toasted oak and beeswax. Underneath there's a whiff of dried apricot, fresh-cut hay, and a faint mineral flintiness that hints at the rougher, unpolished character within.

Palate: The mouthfeel is oily and robust, delivering cracked black pepper, charred wood, and bitter dark chocolate alongside orchard fruit and caramel sweetness. A distinctive cereal graininess persists throughout, giving a farmyard earthiness that refuses to be smoothed away by the honeyed mid-palate.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering oak tannins, dried herbs, and a peppery warmth that fades into toasted malt and a whisper of smoke.

Whiskey Kit Aromas: Honey, Malt, Woody, Earthy, Caramel, Dried Fruit

The Verdict: J.J. Corry's debut bottling is Irish whiskey that proudly wears its rough edges—earthy grain character and assertive oak tannins push through the sweetness, revealing a complexity born of honesty rather than polish. It's a compelling ambassador for Ireland's independent bonding tradition and a whiskey that rewards those who appreciate texture over smoothness.

Classification: Añejo Tequila

Brand: Corralejo

Distillery: Hacienda Corralejo (NOM 1368)

Proof: 80 (40% ABV)

Age: 12 Months

Color: Rich burnished gold with coppery edges

MSRP: $30–$40

Agave: 100% Blue Weber Agave (Agave tequilana)

Cooking Method: Triple distilled using a combination of column and pot stills; agave is cooked in traditional stone ovens before fermentation in stainless steel tanks

NOM: 1368

Nose: Roasted agave leads with a prickly undercurrent of white pepper and raw oak tannin. Butterscotch and dried herbs emerge behind the initial bite, alongside faint notes of cinnamon bark and toasted almond. There is a subtle earthiness throughout, like sun-baked clay.

Palate: The entry is deceptively smooth before revealing a rustic grain that sets Corralejo apart from polished añejos—cooked agave, caramel, and a pronounced peppery spice that crackles across the mid-palate. Dark chocolate and vanilla weave through, but the spirit never fully tames its rough, hacienda character. A mineral-tinged dryness keeps everything grounded and slightly confrontational.

Finish: Medium-long with lingering black pepper, toasted oak, and a dry, earthy fade that recalls the volcanic soils of Guanajuato. The agave sweetness resurfaces just before the close, but never polishes away the burr.

Tequila Kit Aromas: Agave (Cooked), Pepper, Caramel, Chocolate (Dark Chocolate, Cocoa), Oak, Earth (Mineral, Soil Notes)

The Verdict: Corralejo Añejo is a working-class añejo that refuses to sand down its edges—exactly the kind of spirit that rewards attention rather than casual sipping. Its Guanajuato provenance and column-plus-pot distillation give it a textural complexity uncommon at its modest price. For anyone who finds hyper-smooth tequilas boring, this is a compelling argument for character over refinement.

Classification: American Gin

Brand: Baltimore Spirits Co.

Distillery: Baltimore Spirits Company

Proof: 90 (45% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with faint silvery legs

MSRP: $35–$45

Style: American Dry Gin

Botanicals: Juniper berries, coriander seed, angelica root, orris root, licorice root, black pepper, cassia bark, citrus peel, and locally sourced botanicals

Base Spirit: Grain neutral spirit

Distillation: Pot-distilled in a custom copper pot still with a proprietary botanical vapor basket

Nose: An immediate blast of raw, resinous juniper gives way to cracked black pepper and dried angelica root. There's a muscular earthiness underneath—damp stone and cellar dust—that refuses to conform to polished expectations. A hint of citrus zest flickers at the edges but never softens the overall rugged character.

Palate: The entry is bold and unapologetically grainy, with an assertive juniper core wrapped in waxy angelica and biting coriander seed. Mid-palate brings a peppery heat and a fleeting mineral quality reminiscent of wet concrete, while licorice root adds a dark, almost savory sweetness. The texture is oily and slightly rough, with real grip on the tongue.

Finish: Long and drying, with lingering juniper resin, white pepper, and a faintly bitter herbal note that recalls wild chamomile. It leaves a pleasantly austere, almost smoky impression.

Gin Kit Aromas: Juniper (Woody/Resinous), Peppery, Angelica, Coriander, Liquorice

The Verdict: Shot Tower Skeleton Spirit is gin with its sleeves rolled up—no prettying, no softening, no apologies. It channels the industrial grit of Baltimore's harbor district into a spirit that rewards those who appreciate texture and tension over smoothness. This is the kind of gin that reminds you juniper is a wild, thorny thing.

Classification: White Overproof Jamaican Rum

Brand: Wray & Nephew

Distillery: J. Wray & Nephew Ltd.

Proof: 126 (63% ABV)

Age: NAS

Color: Crystal clear with viscous, oily legs

MSRP: $22–$30

Base Ingredients: Molasses

Distillation: Traditional copper pot still distillation

Nose: An unapologetic blast of overripe banana, fermenting sugarcane, and acetone-laced tropical funk that demands your attention. Beneath the initial volatility lurk notes of green olive brine, wet concrete, and a surprisingly delicate jasmine florality. A few minutes of rest reveal fresh coconut water and a briny, almost saline mineral edge.

Palate: The entry is fiery and raw, with a rush of white pepper, unrefined cane sugar, and high-ester tropical fruit — think jackfruit and unripe pineapple caught in a blowtorch. There's an undeniable muscularity here, with fusel oils giving weight and texture, while a savory, almost umami undertone of fermented soybean and green plantain anchors the mid-palate. Despite the brute force, a thread of clean citrus acidity keeps it from becoming overwhelming.

Finish: Long, hot, and persistently funky, with lingering notes of banana peel, cracked black pepper, and a final whiff of petrol that refuses to be polished away. The burn recedes slowly into warm sugarcane and dried herbs.

Rum Kit Aromas: Banana, Fusel Oil, Tropical Fruits, Coconut, Spice (Generic)

The Verdict: Wray & Nephew Overproof is the definitive rough-edged rum — unaged, unfiltered of character, and unapologetically Jamaican. It is the rum that bartenders across the Caribbean reach for when they want backbone, and it rewards the curious drinker who can look past the proof to find its wild, estery soul. At its price point, nothing else delivers this much personality per dollar.

Classification: Cahors AOC

Brand: Domaine Cosse Maisonneuve

ABV: 13%

Primary Varietal: Malbec

Blend: Predominantly Malbec with small amounts of Merlot

Vineyards: La Fage vineyard, Cahors plateau, limestone and iron-rich clay soils

Maturation: Hand-harvested, native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfur, unfiltered

Color: Deep, inky purple-black with violet rim

MSRP: $28–$38

Nose: Dark cherry and blackcurrant lead, with violets and a touch of iron-like minerality. There's a subtle earthiness reminiscent of damp soil and a faint hint of dried herbs.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied with firm tannins and a savory, almost chewy texture. Dark berry fruit is framed by graphite-like minerality and a quiet green herbal note. The wine has structure and density without heaviness.

Finish: Long and mineral-driven, with lingering blackcurrant and a stony, almost chalky grip.

Wine Kit Aromas: Blackcurrant, Cherry, Violet, Woody, Berry (Generic)

The Verdict: Cosse Maisonneuve farms biodynamically and vinifies with minimal intervention, letting the iron-rich limestone terroir of Cahors speak through the Malbec. La Fage is their entry-level bottling, but there's nothing entry-level about its depth. This is Malbec before the New World got hold of it — taut, dark, and unapologetically tannic.

Classification: Meursault Premier Cru AOC

Brand: Domaine Matrot

ABV: 13.0%

Primary Varietal: Chardonnay

Blend: 100% Chardonnay

Vineyards: Premier Cru Perrières vineyard in Meursault, Côte de Beaune — a steep, east-facing slope of thin topsoil over Bathonian limestone, often considered the finest site in the appellation

Vinification: Hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, fermented in French oak barrels with native yeasts, aged on fine lees with periodic bâtonnage

Color: Pale gold with green-tinged highlights and a faintly waxy sheen

MSRP: $90–$120

Nose: Opens with struck flint and crushed limestone before revealing layers of white peach, lemon curd, and a savory thread of wet wool. A faint whiff of toasted hazelnut and beeswax emerges with air, underscored by a mineral tension that refuses to let the fruit dominate. There is a smoky, almost gunpowder-like edge that gives the aromatics real grip.

Palate: The entry is taut and chalky, immediately declaring its Perrières pedigree with a searing mineral spine. Mid-palate, ripe orchard fruit—green apple and quince—surfaces alongside a buttery richness that is held in check by bracing acidity and a saline undertow. The texture is dense yet never heavy, with a granular, almost gritty quality that evokes the rocky terroir.

Finish: Long and electric, leaving behind impressions of crushed stone, almond skin, and a lingering citrus zest that pulses with energy. The rough minerality refuses to polish itself smooth.

Wine Kit Aromas: Buttery, Honey, Apple (Green), Nut (Almond/Coconut), Toasted, Citrus (Generic)

The Verdict: This is Meursault at its most unyielding—Perrières strips away the appellation's creamy cliché and exposes the flinty bedrock beneath. Domaine Matrot's restrained winemaking lets the vineyard's raw, stony character dominate, making it a perfect fit for a lineup celebrating the burr beneath the polish. It rewards patience but never fully tames itself.

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