David’s Picks for Bottles to Chase Before Summer's Out

SUMMER SPIRITS EDITION
August 2026

THIS WEEK'S HIGHLIGHTS

RICHARD SEALE SHIPS TWO RUMS: One Brand New, One Old Favorite
THE NEW KID IN LOS ALTOS: Manuscrito, Chapter by Chapter
THE MYSTERY MALT: 20 Distilleries, Labels Hidden Under the Capsule
THE NEW SUMMER SPRITZ: Drier Than Aperol, More Citrus Than Campari

RICHARD SEALE SHIPS TWO RUMS
One Brand New, One Old Favorite

Richard Seale, the master distiller behind Foursquare in Barbados, just gave the funky, additive-free rum world a new toy. Probitas — already a cult favorite in its white form — now has a darker, higher-proof sibling.

Probitas "Green Label" Coffey And Pot Still Blended Rum (750ml) — $32.99 The new one. A multi-island blend of unaged Hampden pot still rum, Foursquare Coffey column rum, and 2-year Foursquare pot still rum, bottled at a bold 57% ABV with zero added sugar. Fig, brown butter, vanilla, and pineapple on the nose — built to headline an Old Fashioned, Mai Tai, or Jungle Bird.

Probitas (Foursquare/Hampden) White Blended Rum (750ml) — $24.99 The old favorite. The original collaboration between Foursquare and Jamaica's Hampden Estate — a funky, full-flavored white rum built for serious daiquiris, with no shortage of tropical fruit and baking spice.

And if you're rounding out the rum shelf, one more from the cellar:

2009 Plantation 12 Year Old "Single Casks Collection – META" (750ml) — $59.99 a single-cask, vintage-dated counterpoint to the Seale blends; limited and unlikely to return.

Grab all three and you've got the full spectrum of modern Caribbean blending — from crystal clear to deep amber to single-cask vintage — under one Seale-guided umbrella.

THE NEW KID IN LOS ALTOS
Manuscrito, Chapter by Chapter

Meet Manuscrito, a highland tequila project out of El Sabino Distillery in Jesús María, Jalisco. Master distiller Oscar Vázquez Camarena works with 100% Blue Weber agave grown 6 to 8 years in the red volcanic soils of Los Altos, building out a "chapter" series that gets more ambitious with every release. It's the kind of newcomer that makes established brands nervous — here's the full lineup, all four chapters:

Manuscrito "Chapter One" Single Estate Blanco Tequila (750ml) — $49.99 The opening chapter — a pure, unaged expression with sweet cooked agave, wet grass, lemon zest, and a cool vegetal finish. The introduction to the brand's Los Altos terroir.

Manuscrito "Chapter Two" High Proof Blanco Tequila (750ml) — $59.99 The same single-estate blanco turned up in intensity — bolder, peppery, and over-proof, with roasted agave, bell pepper, and citrus zest carrying through to a long, earthy finish.

Manuscrito "Chapter Three" Reposado Tequila (750ml) — $54.99 Rested in ex-Chardonnay French oak for 3+ months — a buttery reposado with a champagne hue, delivering oak, butterscotch, honey, and warm spice over that signature cooked-agave backbone.

Manuscrito "Chapter Four" High Proof Reposado (750ml) — $69.99 51.55% ABV. The boldest chapter yet — French oak-aged and bottled at elevated proof, with rich cooked agave, honeyed fruit, vanilla, baking spice, and a long, resonant finish.

Best in a Paloma or a Tommy's Margarita where the agave can actually speak — or neat, chapter by chapter, if you want to taste the whole story unfold. If you haven't tried Manuscrito yet, this is the brand your tequila-loving friends will be asking about by fall.

THE MYSTERY MALT
20 Distilleries, Labels Hidden Under the Capsule

Thompson Bros' Mystery Malt series is exactly what it sounds like: a US-exclusive blend of single malt Scotch drawn from twenty different distilleries, with the true contents revealed only on labels hidden under the capsule, cork, and neck. Non-chill filtered and naturally colored, it may haze slightly at low temperatures — a sign of authenticity, not a flaw. Each 6-pack case includes 6 different bottles, and each full pack carries a similar value — new-wave single casks sitting alongside very old single malts from established names. There's no better way to organize a blind tasting than a full case.

For a taste of what's actually inside, Read more On the Trail.

Fun fact: this series was inspired by a fan suggestion back in 2022 from Tom, founder of construct.net, a game-making software company.

* Pre-Arrival: Estimated to be available by 08/15/2026.

Mystery Malt By Thompson Bro "US Exclusive" Series No. 4 Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml) (Pre-Arrival) $89.99 View

THE NEW SUMMER SPRITZ
Drier Than Aperol, More Citrus Than Campari

Meet Sarti Rosa, the vivid pink aperitivo turning heads this summer. Casa Luigi Sarti & Figli has been making distinctive liqueurs in Bologna since 1885, and this modern expression — built on Sicilian blood orange, mango, and passion fruit — lands on the fruitier, more exuberant side of the aperitivo spectrum. At just 14% ABV, it's effortless over ice and tailor-made for a spritz: drier and brighter than Aperol's candy-sweet orange, with more juicy citrus than Campari's bracing bitterness.

Whichever bottle you reach for, the build stays the same: three parts Prosecco, two parts aperitivo, a splash of soda, ice, and citrus. Beat the heat, spritz in hand.

Sarti Rosa Italian Aperitivo Liqueur (700ml) $29.99 View
Distilleria Caffo Vecchio Amaro del Capo (750ml) $24.99 View
Campari Bitter Liqueur (750ml) $24.99 View
Aperol Aperitivo Liqueur (750ml) $24.99 View
Nonino Quintessentia Amaro (750ml) $44.99 View