Reviews
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker, and here you’ll find the entire Drinkhacker review archive in one place. Products are rated on a letter-grade scale that should be familiar to most, with F as our lowest, “failing” grade and the very rare A+ as our top score.
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For all the attention paid to mashbills and barrel regimens, fermentation rarely takes center stage in American whiskey. The industry’s reliance on sour mash has long set the tone, particularly across the major distilleries of Kentucky and Tennessee. Against that backdrop, a smaller group of producers has worked to reintroduce sweet mash fermentation into the…
Priest Ranch dates its origins to 1869 when it was established by James Joshua Priest, a Gold Rush prospector, but the start of its current operation more properly dates to 2004, when the grounds were consolidated with the Elder Valley properties to become the Somerston Estate. The estate includes 224 acres of vineyards across 15…
Upon its launch, King of Kentucky quickly attained unicorn status, with its annually releases single barrel bourbon spiraling ever higher in price as its age slowly ratcheted up. Now the brand is expanding, and not in the direction you would probably expect: the King of Kentucky Small Batch Collection will be a blend of bourbons,…
With Irish whiskey still on the rise, new brands are popping up left and right. Case in point is John L. Sullivan, produced by an outfit called Good Spirits Bottling. This small batch Irish, named after the last bare-knuckled boxing heavyweight world champion, is distinguished by being aged in “single use” Bourbon barrels. Now, most…
It’s our second year running looking at the sparkling wines of Roederer, perhaps the most iconic sparkling wine producer in the U.S. (not to mention France). Let’s dive back in! NV Roederer Estate Brut Anderson Valley (2026) – Still a multivintage blend of 40% pinot noir and 60% chardonnay, with 10 to 15% reserve wine…
Listen, there are gimmicks and there are gimmicks, and the golf world has far more than its fair share of them. Oceano Azul’s Fairway Cognac, however, is perhaps the most ambitious scheme we’ve seen to date, and that includes whiskey Ducks Unlimited-branded whiskey bottled in a shotgun shell, metal WhistlePig piggy banks, and booze contained…
THC seltzers are rampant. THC beers are far less common, perhaps because enthusiasts just don’t like to muddy the waters with cannabinoids, even if alcohol isn’t involved. Float House, based in Windsor, Connecticut, produces a small but growing collection of “can-na-brews” designed to offer a craft beer drinking experience (though the product is not formally…
American whiskey has spent more than a decade experimenting with finishing casks, and the pace hasn’t slowed. Distillers seem locked in a quiet contest to uncover the next captivating angle, whether that means breaking new ground or refining techniques that have already proven their worth. In May 2018, Nelson’s Greenbrier in Nashville introduced Belle Meade…
Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte brand hits a milestone with this latest release — at 18 years old it’s the oldest expression of Port Charlotte the distillery has ever released. It’s made with 100% Scottish barley but features a complicated barreling regimen, outlined below. Let’s give it a whirl. Update: In 2025 the whisky was reissued in…
We’ve been tasting Renato’s Barolo wines on and off since 2016. Today we tuck into this producer’s offerings — with updates stretching to the 2021 vintage. We hope to update this coverage as future vintages arrive. 2016 Renato Ratti Barolo Marcenasco DOCG Review One look at the light color of this wine and it…