This week: There is a version of me that has one hobby. That person has savings. That person sleeps fine. That person does not have a browser with forty-seven tabs open split evenly between whisky auction results, watch forums, and whether a 1986 964 is restorable on a realistic budget. I do not know that person. I have never met that person. I am told they exist and I wish them well from a distance. We don’t need that type of negativity in this life. On that note…

Some whisky releases come with a press release. Some come with a story. Bruichladdich's Yellow Submarine series arrives with something better: a genuine piece of absurdist British history that the distillery has been milking, with considerable charm, for over two decades.

The short version: in 2005, two fishermen working off the coast of Islay hauled up a yellow submarine bearing Royal Navy insignia. The Ministry of Defence initially denied any knowledge of it. The sub ended up parked on the grounds of Bruichladdich Distillery, where it sat until the MoD quietly came to collect it. The distillery, which had already been placed under US military surveillance on suspicion of harboring weapons of mass destruction for the crime of webcasting its distillation process [1], responded the only way it could: with a whisky called the Whisky of Mass Distinction: Yellow Submarine. It was 2005. The brand had been revived just four years earlier, reopening in 2001 [2]. The audacity was fully formed.

Yellow Submarine III [3], released June 1st as the second limited bottling celebrating Bruichladdich's 25th anniversary, is a 14-year-old unpeated single malt distilled from the Appaloosa barley varietal, matured in a combination of 75% first and second fill French red wine casks and 25% first fill bourbon barrels [4]. It is bottled at cask strength, 54.2% ABV, non-chill filtered, no added colour. Stateside pricing sits at $134.99 [5].

The nose leads with honeyed oats and buttery shortbread, moving into hazelnut, praline, nutmeg and a thread of ginger warmth. The French red wine casks carry the structure and fruit, the bourbon wood brings the vanilla and sweetness, and the house style, that elegant, floral Bruichladdich signature, holds everything together. It was teased here last week, and it is now officially out. If you want it, move on it. These do not linger. They will ship on their website. (SOLD OUT AS OF SENDING THIS OUT!)

Let me be honest about something. When people ask which Buffalo Trace product they should actually try to find, the usual answers come up: Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Weller, Pappy. Those are fine answers. They are not my answer.

My answer is E.H. Taylor. It has been my answer for a long time. If I am building a permanent bourbon shelf, a short list of bottles that simply live there and do not rotate out, EHT is on it. It is my favorite thing Buffalo Trace produces, and that is not a casual opinion. I have had every release, including the Warehouse C Tornado Surviving, which requires a brief footnote: in April 2006, a tornado tore through the Buffalo Trace property and damaged Warehouse C, a structure Colonel Taylor himself built in 1881 [6]. The barrels inside spent that Kentucky summer exposed to direct sun, wind, and weather while repairs were made. The angel's share on those barrels came in at 63.9%, more than double the normal rate [7]. The resulting whisky was released in 2011, bottled at 100 proof, and it was unlike anything else in the lineup. There is no other like it. There never will be.

Which makes the news from Buffalo Trace this month genuinely exciting rather than just notable.

Two expressions from the Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. collection are back [8]. The Four Grain, first introduced in 2017 and distilled in 2015 [9], has been designated an annual limited release going forward. It is a 100-proof, bottled-in-bond bourbon built from corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley together: four grains in one mash bill, which is unusual. The wheat softens, the rye adds structure and spice, the malted barley brings depth, the corn anchors the sweetness. Notes of caramel, vanilla, and chocolate with a lightly spiced finish. Ten years of age. This is the release that earns a permanent spot in the rotation.

The Cured Oak, originally released in 2015 [10] and returning now as a rarer limited offering, tells a different story. This is about what happens when the barrel itself becomes the variable. The white oak staves used for these barrels were air-dried for 13 months, more than twice the standard curing time [11]. The extended drying draws out sugars and softens the wood's harsher tannins before the spirit ever touches it, and the result is a bourbon of unusual depth: tobacco, dried fruit, vanilla, toffee, seasoned oak, and a long dry finish. Also 100 proof, also ten years, also bottled-in-bond.

Both are available from May 2026 at $79.99 per 750ml [12]. For allocated Buffalo Trace products, that is a reasonable price of entry. Find them if you can. Will you find them at that price? Doubtful, but lets see what the market does.

Formex has spent the better part of a decade building one of the most credible value propositions in independent watchmaking: exceptional case and bracelet finishing, solid movements, aggressive pricing. The formula has worked, and the brand has earned a loyal following on the back of it. The Aria is something different. It is the most ambitious watch Formex has ever made, and having handled it in person, the ambition is justified.

The Aria is a 40mm integrated bracelet sports watch in Grade 5 titanium, measuring just 6.9mm thick and weighing 78 grams complete on bracelet [13]. Those numbers are remarkable. It wears like almost nothing, and the case-to-bracelet transition is genuinely seamless: organic, flowing, and finished to a standard that invites comparison to watches costing considerably more. Inside is the FX01, Formex's first manufacture movement, developed in collaboration with fellow Bienne-based independent Horage [14]. It uses a micro-rotor architecture to keep the profile slim, runs a silicon escapement, carries COSC chronometer certification, and delivers 72 hours of power reserve. The dial is matte lacquered brass with a concave, almost topographical surface, offered in three colorways: Denso Blue, Selva Green, and Ardesia Grey. The Founders Edition is limited to 100 individually numbered pieces across all three references, with deliveries expected in September [15]. Pricing is $7,900 USD / CHF 5,900 [16]. That is a step up from where Formex has historically lived, but nothing in the current market builds an integrated bracelet sports watch with a manufacture movement at this spec level for less. This is beyond worth it. The Formex website has already sold out, but as of this writing, super limited allocation remains available through Time + Tide and Long Island Watches.

Last year's Dennison and Collectability collaboration was a pleasant surprise: a thoughtfully designed, vintage-inflected piece that brought John Reardon's horological credibility and Emmanuel Gueit's design language together at an accessible price point [17]. The second edition, the 2026 Oblique Collection [18], pushes the geometry further. Where the first release drew on Patek's elliptical vocabulary, the Oblique leans into asymmetry directly, with a case and dial architecture that creates what Gueit describes as tension, balance, and a completely different emotion on the wrist. Two dial executions are offered across four total variants: the Oblique Enigma, a two-tone piece pairing inner sunburst blue against a sunburst green surround with a diamond-cut bevel separating the zones; and the Oblique Vector, which takes a more classically inspired route with twelve radiating lines on a sunray dial in either silver or gold [19]. Both sit in a 35mm by 33.6mm case at 6.05mm thick, running a Swiss Ronda quartz movement, and each of the four variants is priced at $790 [20]. The pre-order window has technically just closed as of June 3rd, but worth keeping Dennison on your radar. The collaboration format suits them well, and the direction they are heading is interesting.

D1 Milano Ultra Thin Dark Illusion: A Skeptic Converted

D1 Milano provided this watch for review. All opinions are my own.

I will be upfront: I was skeptical of D1 Milano. They seemed to be everywhere all at once, the marketing was polished to a high gloss, and the name, large and unavoidable on the dial, gave me pause. It still does, a little. But when they reached out and offered to send one of my choosing, I picked the Ultra Thin Dark Illusion, because the specs told a compelling story: thin profile, integrated bracelet with an aggressive taper, two-tone day and date disks in a colorway that not many brands would attempt. That combination is genuinely rare at any price point.

The specs: 39mm case in 316L stainless steel, sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, Miyota GL22 quartz movement, 5 ATM water resistance [21]. The integrated bracelet tapers from 24.7mm at the lug down to 16mm at the clasp [22], a drop that is dramatic enough to be architectural. Think of what Brew Watches does with their tapers: that same aggressive narrowing that makes the whole package feel cohesive and intentional rather than bolted together. The butterfly clasp is small and clean. It disappears under a shirt cuff without negotiation, but on a t-shirt and jeans it reads as a proper statement piece.

Now, the dial. There is a lot happening on it. "D1 Milano," "Ultra Thin Design: Italian," "WR 5ATM," "M:JP" for Japanese movement, and the words "weekday" and the date range printed below their respective complications. That last detail, in particular, is a choice. We do know what a day-date complication is for. But here is the thing: on this specific watch, in this specific colorway, it does not bother me. The two-tone day and date disks are the star, and everything around them, including the text, contributes to a kind of maximalist personality that somehow holds together. On a more restrained watch it would be a problem. Here it just makes it more fun.

Final Thoughts:

There are certain automotive names that carry more emotional weight than the vehicles themselves ever did. The Jeep Scrambler is one of them. Sold as the CJ-8 from 1981 to 1986, it was never a high-volume vehicle: roughly 28,000 units over its entire run [23]. It was a stretched CJ-7 with a small pickup bed and an outsized personality, the kind of truck that made no practical sense and all the emotional sense in the world. Then Jeep discontinued it in 1986 to make room for the Comanche [24], and enthusiasts never fully moved on.

That changes. During Stellantis' 2026 Investor Day presentation, buried inside the company's FaSTLAne 2030 roadmap, was a graphic confirming the return of the Scrambler nameplate as a Wrangler variant [25]. And if the checkered flag designation on that same slide means anything, an SRT performance version is also on the table.

The details are still thin. Speculation places the powertrain somewhere between the Wrangler's existing 392 cubic inch 6.4-liter V8 and something wilder, with Hellcat rumors already circulating in the usual corners of the internet. Styling cues are expected to draw from the Convoy Concept shown at the 2025 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab [26]. If the production version lands anywhere near that concept, Jeep will have built something genuinely remarkable: one of the last compact, regular-cab lifestyle trucks standing.

Here is where this gets personal. There is an '86 Scrambler that lives rent-free in my memory, the last year they ever made one, acquired from a neighbor and parked in the garage with every intention of bringing it back to life. My dad and I were going to rebuild it together. We never got around to it. That is one of those sentences that gets heavier as time passes.

The Scrambler did not need to sell well to matter. It just needed to exist, and for the right people, its existence meant something specific. The fact that it is coming back now, in an era when every truck is growing larger and softer and more comfortable with each generation, feels almost defiant. A compact, body-on-frame, open-air pickup truck with a V8 option and an SRT badge is not a rational product decision. It is a statement.

Some of us have been waiting for that statement for a long time.

The Pajero did not fade quietly. It accumulated 12 Dakar Rally overall victories, a record that stood for decades [27]. It was synonymous with long-distance desert endurance, with capability at a level most SUVs could only imply. When Mitsubishi finally discontinued it in 2021 [28], the absence was felt immediately and persistently. The Pajero Sport, a Triton-derived wagon intended to fill the void, was a capable enough machine, but it was never the Pajero. It was a placeholder in a nameplate's clothing.

In autumn 2026, the real thing comes back.

Mitsubishi has confirmed the Pajero will return on a proper ladder-frame chassis derived from the new-generation Triton pickup, with bespoke front and rear suspension setups developed specifically for the SUV [29]. The explicit goal, per the brand, is outstanding off-road capability paired with a ride refined enough for a genuine flagship. Competitive targets are the Toyota Land Cruiser and Toyota Prado [30], which tells you everything about the ambition level.

Crucially, this is not a nostalgia one-off. Mitsubishi confirmed the Pajero will become a family of vehicles, with at least three distinct models planned under the nameplate [31]. The Montero name is also confirmed to return for select markets [32], which is as close to a North American nod as you can get without a formal sales announcement. Teasers show assertive T-shaped LED headlights and styling that draws from both the Triton and the Elevance Concept: purposeful, contemporary, not retro.

What makes this interesting beyond the specs is the intent behind it. Mitsubishi has spent years as a brand without a halo. The Outlander is a fine crossover. The Eclipse Cross is perfectly acceptable. Neither generates conversation at any level that matters to the enthusiast community. The Pajero did. If the 2026 version is built to the standard its platform suggests, Mitsubishi will have earned its way back into rooms it has been absent from for five years.

The Dakar badge is hard to fake. Mitsubishi earned it. Now it has to live up to it again.

Outro: That's the issue. Bruichladdich surfaced, Taylor came back, Formex made something genuinely special, a D1 Milano converted a skeptic, and somewhere in a Stellantis boardroom someone greenlit the truck my dad and I never got to finish. I am going to choose to take that last one personally, in the best possible way.

If you made it this far, thank you. Genuinely. This newsletter exists because people like you decided that one obsessive person ranting about peated whisky, integrated bracelets, and trucks that make no economic sense was worth a subscription. That still gets me stoked every time I think about it.

Now go find an EH Taylor before someone else does. I am not kidding. This is not a soft recommendation. This is me grabbing you by the shoulders.

Until next time: poured, worn, driven.

— Mark

P.S. The '86 Scrambler we never finished is out there somewhere. If you see it, tell it I'm sorry.

[1] Whisky Advocate — "Bruichladdich's Yellow Submarine Third Release" (June 1, 2026) https://whiskyadvocate.com/bruichladdich-yellow-submarine-third-release

[2] Bruichladdich Distillery / PRNewswire — "Bruichladdich Celebrates 25 Years with the Return of Yellow Submarine III" (June 1, 2026) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bruichladdich-celebrates-25-years-with-the-return-of-yellow-submarine-iii-302787089.html

[3] The Whisky Wire — "Bruichladdich Launches New Yellow Submarine Release" (June 1, 2026) https://thewhiskywire.com/2026/06/01/bruichladdich-launches-new-submarine-release/

[4] Dramface — "Bruichladdich at 25 Years: Yellow Submarine" (June 1, 2026) https://www.dramface.com/news/2026/news-bruichladdich-yellow-submarine-iii

[5] PRNewswire / Bruichladdich US — "Bruichladdich Celebrates 25 Years with the Return of Yellow Submarine III" (June 1, 2026) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bruichladdich-celebrates-25-years-with-the-return-of-yellow-submarine-iii-302787089.html

[6] Buffalo Trace Distillery — "E.H. Taylor, Jr. Tornado Survivor" https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/our-brands/e-h-taylor-jr/e-h-taylor-jr-warehouse-c-tornado-surviving/

[7] The Whiskey Reviewer — "Colonel E.H. Taylor Tornado Bourbon Whiskey Review" (March 2012) https://whiskeyreviewer.com/2012/03/colonel-e-h-taylor-tornado-bourbon-whiskey-review/

[8] Breaking Bourbon — "Buffalo Trace Distillery Reintroduces Two Iconic Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Bourbons" (May 21, 2026) https://www.breakingbourbon.com/bourbon-whiskey-press-releases/buffalo-trace-distillery-reintroduces-two-iconic-colonel-e-h-taylor-jr-bourbons

[9] Breaking Bourbon — ibid. (Four Grain first introduced 2017, distilled 2015)

[10] Breaking Bourbon — ibid. (Cured Oak originally released 2015)

[11] Breaking Bourbon — ibid. (13-month air-drying, vs. standard ~6 months)

[12] Breaking Bourbon — ibid. ($79.99 SRP per 750ml, available May 2026)

[13] Monochrome Watches — "First Look: The Formex Aria Manufacture Chronometer" (May 2026) https://monochrome-watches.com/formex-aria-manufacture-chronometer-integrated-sports-watch-ultra-thin-micro-rotor-horage-silicon-review-price/

[14] Revolution Watch — "The Formex Aria Turns the Integrated-Bracelet Watch Into Its Own Thing" (May 2026) https://revolutionwatch.com/the-formex-aria-turns-the-integrated-bracelet-watch-into-its-own-thing/

[15] Monochrome Watches — ibid. (100-piece Founders Edition, September 2026 delivery)

[16] Worn & Wound — "Formex Introduces the Aria, an Integrated Bracelet Sports Watch with a Manufacture Movement" (May 2026) https://wornandwound.com/formex-introduces-the-aria-an-integrated-bracelet-sports-watch-with-a-manufacture-movement/

[17] Worn & Wound — "Dennison x Collectability's Second Collab Gives Us Four Funky Twists on Its Inaugural Offering" (May 27, 2026) https://wornandwound.com/dennison-x-collectabilitys-second-collab-gives-us-four-funky-twists-on-its-inaugural-offering/

[18] WatchPro USA — "Dennison and Collectability Return for Second Collaboration" (May 27, 2026) https://usa.watchpro.com/dennison-collectability-2026-edition-oblique/

[19] Acquire Magazine — "Dennison and Collectability's Second Collaboration is Inspired by 1960s Asymmetric Design" (May 27, 2026) https://acquiremag.com/watches/dennison-and-collectabilitys-second-collaboration-is-inspired-by-1960s-asymmetric-design/

[20] Worn & Wound — ibid. ($790 per variant)

[21] D1 Milano — "Dark Illusion Ultra Thin Watch" product page (accessed June 2026) https://d1milano.com/products/dark-illusion-ultra-thin-watch

[22] D1 Milano — ibid. (bracelet width: 24.7mm to 16mm)

[23] eBay Motors Blog — "The Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler Is a CJ With a Pickup Bed" https://www.ebay.com/motors/blog/the-jeep-cj-8-scrambler-is-a-cj-with-a-pickup-bed/

[24] Hagerty Valuation Tools — "1986 Jeep CJ-8 Scrambler Base" https://www.hagerty.com/valuation-tools/jeep/cj-8%20scrambler/1986/1986-jeep-cj-8%20scrambler-Base

[25] Gear Patrol — "Jeep Is Bringing Back Its Iconic Scrambler, and That's Just the Start" (May 2026) https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/jeep-wrangler-scrambler-srt-confirmed-return/

[26] AutoGuide — "Jeep's New Scrambler Could Be the Wildest Wrangler Yet" (May 21, 2026) https://www.autoguide.com/auto/manufacturers/jeep/jeeps-new-scrambler-could-be-the-wildest-wrangler-yet-44633305

[27] TopSpeed — "Jeep's Scrambler Revival Is The Muscle-Truck Comeback Nobody Saw Coming" (May 2026) / Mitsubishi Dakar record via TopSpeed — "Mitsubishi Pajero Returns 2026 + New Nissan-Based Pickup Truck" https://www.topspeed.com/mitsubishi-is-bringing-back-the-pajero-and-jumping-into-the-midsize-truck-war-with-a-nissan-sourced-pickup/

[28] Carscoops — "Mitsubishi's Pajero Is Back To Take On The Land Cruiser, And It's Bringing The Montero Too" (May 2026) https://www.carscoops.com/2026/05/mitsubishi-pajero-montero-revival/

[29] Man of Many — "Mitsubishi Pajero Back from the Dead! Why the Off-Road Legend's Return Matters" (June 2026) https://manofmany.com/auto/cars/2026-mitsubishi-pajero

[30] WorldCars Blog — "2026 Mitsubishi Pajero Confirmed — Teaser, Reveal Date & Montero Return" (May 2026) https://en.worldcars.blog/2026/05/new-mitsubishi-pajero-2026-teaser-reveal-montero-return.html

[31] The News Wheel — "Mitsubishi Confirms the Return of the Pajero and Montero, with More than One Model Planned" (May 2026) https://thenewswheel.com/mitsubishi-confirms-return-pajero-montero/

[32] Carscoops — ibid. (Montero name confirmed for select markets)