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.
Top Reviews Posts:
Notes on Grading
How to Analyze, Score, and Review Whiskey
The El Bandido Yankee Tequila Company launched in mid-2021, offering a blanco and reposado available regionally (namely in Illinois, Texas, and Michigan). Founded by former NFL player James Robert Morris and NHL Hall of Fame hockey player Chris Chelios, it’s another semi-celebrity tequila that aims to produce a high-end, 100% agave spirit which is —…
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When we last explored Southern Comfort way back in the mid-2010s, it had traveled an uncomfortable distance from the iconic liqueur popularized by Janice Joplin. Under the ownership of Brown-Forman, SoCo had become a vehicle for several heavily flavored aberrations, including Lime, Gingerbread Spice, and Black Cherry. That a version flavored with Tobasco was actually…
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We’re back with the 2021 editions of Michter’s Legacy Series annual releases of Bomberger’s and Shenk’s, albeit once again a few toe dips into the new year. Again availability is highly limited with just 1,735 bottles of Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon and 2,232 bottles of Shenks’ Homestead Sour Mash Whiskey hitting the shelves in late fall,…
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While double IPAs are often sweet and even cloying, Bend Oregon-based 10 Barrel Brewing’s latest DIPA is surprisingly down to earth, showcasing more of a west coast style with hearty notes of forest floor and alpine tree bark. The beer finishes with a touch of citrus and cookie dough, upping the sweetness component, but not a…
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We first encountered this odd San Francisco-based operation’s whiskeys in 2018, when Gold Bar Original was the only expression on the market. Now Gold Bar has expanded to three offerings, including two bourbons. Only one is packaged in the “gold bar” decanter — although the “gold bar” bourbon is painted black — all of which…
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Zenato can be found in the region of Lugana in northern Italy, a fairly obscure wine region on the shore of Italy’s largest lake, Lake Garda, as well as nearby Valpolicella. In fact, the Zenato family was one of the first to plant in Lugana, and the rich history of the company is in clear…
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Distilled in Nairobi, Kenya, Procera harvests botanicals from countries across Africa. Additionally, the base spirit comes from Kenyan sugar cane which grows around Lake Victoria, the source of the Nile River. Altogether, this makes for a distinctively African gin. The most notable ingredient in the gin is the one from which it draws its name,…
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Davis Bynum is part of the Rodney Strong empire, producing wines primarily grown in the Russian River Valley, with pinot noir a specific focus. We received four wines from the operation for review, two whites and two from its pinot collection. 2018 Davis Bynum Chardonnay River West Vineyard – I won’t pull punches. This Russian…
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Union Trail Bourbon is a new sourced blended bourbon release exclusive to Mash&Grape, the online spirits purveyor produced in collaboration with The Bourbon Enthusiast, a bourbon community founded by James Ashcraft that offers reviews and private barrel programs to its subscribers. The only information available on the bourbon so far is per the Mash&Grape website,…
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We’ve tried and enjoyed Trapiche offerings in the past, but not everything this Mendoza, Argentina-based vineyard has to offer. This is our first experience with its Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as with its Oak Cask Malbec. 2020 Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec – A rather burly affair, even after time in the glass lets matters settle.…
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