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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Notes on Grading
How to Analyze, Score, and Review Whiskey
It’s another sports-themed beer from Boston’s Harpoon, this one brewed in collaboration with three Massachusetts native hockey players — Matt Grzelcyk, Chris Wagner, and Charlie Coyle. It’s a pilsner that’s triple dry-hopped to make for an unusual combination of lager and IPA styles, made with Cascade, Sterling, Citra, and Mandarina Bavaria hops. A portion of…
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Xicala Mezcal has been on the market for some time, but it’s recently expanded its line beyond a joven, adding a reposado and anejo to its repertoire. All three are made with traditional methods at Tlacolula Distillery in Oaxaca from 100% espadin agave, but the barrel regimen on the two aged mezcals is where things…
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Here’s a little twist on the cream liqueur space: Michigan-based Round Barn’s Black Walnut Cream is made not from distilled spirit as a base but from wine, into which cream and natural walnut flavors are added. The resulting cream is low in alcohol and have with nutty elements, particularly on the toasty, vanilla-scented nose. Notes…
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Jack Daniel’s has been on a tear of late, dropping special editions and permanent line extensions like JD 10 Years Old left and right. It’s odd that JD calls these two new whiskeys “the first super premium line extension in 25 years,” but I’m not sure what qualifies as “super premium” under Jack’s rubric, so…
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Bella Conchi’s Cavas are affordable — but a bit hard to find in the U.S. We tried all three of the operation’s nonvintage offerings. Thoughts follow. NV Bella Conchi Cava Brut Seleccion – Bright lemon, pear, and quince lead the way on this iconic and effusive Cava, which fades to showcase notes of vanilla and…
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Forever ago, back in 2019, when we reviewed Rabbit Hole’s Heigold Bourbon, we updated you on the distillery’s rebranding earlier that year in which the original bourbon, rye, and PX finished bourbon each received some new duds along with a brand-new name. At a recent sit-down with Rabbit Hole’s founder, Kaveh Zamanian, we tasted through…
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We last encountered Buffalo’s minimalist Tommyrotter in 2019. It doesn’t look like a ton has changed in the last three years, except for the brand’s whiskey lineup. The old American Whiskey is gone, a new Bourbon is in its place. We’ve got fresh tastings on the white spirits and a first look at the bourbon…
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In 2019, one of our favorite vodka producers, Infuse Spirits, branched into whiskey. The results were, well, not the best, and eventually the line was scrapped and rebranded, with no mention of Infuse on the label at all. Recently, a revamped Broken Barrel re-emerged on the scene and, given our rather tough assessment of its…
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Ready-to-drink fans take notice. We may be experiencing the halcyon days of canned cocktails now that a brand as well-respected as Death & Co. has thrown their impressively plumed hat in the ring. Last fall, in partnership with Craft Spirits Cooperative, the company launched a line of three canned libations modeled after original cocktails created…
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Barrell’s annual New Year release for 2022 follows on from 2021 with their usual no-holds-barred blending gymnastics, this time composed of straight bourbon whiskeys sourced from a whopping seven states (TN, IN, KY, OH, WY, NY, and TX), variously aged 5, 6, 7, 9, and 14 years. Barrell has proven through the years that blending…
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