Rated A-
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker, and the A- rating is used for very good to exceptional products. On a five-star scale, these products would score 4 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 90 to 93 points.
Bourbon has long defined the American whiskey business, though rye and single malts are fast-growing categories many drinkers are keeping close tabs on. But we may be witnessing the genesis of a newer homegrown spirit: American rice whiskey. With just a handful of producers, it’s a category whiskey drinkers can explore in a single sitting,…
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It’s been a few years since we’ve dug into Beaujolais Nouveau, the (in)famous wine that marks the first production of the season — and is intended to be consumed before the year on the label is up. These fresh bottles won’t be around for long (we hope), so dig in while you can. 2022 Georges…
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Diageo’s Special Releases — its most prized Scotch whiskies in limited run formats — are here for 2022. And while you can try to ignore the insane messaging — with taglines like “the enchantress of the ruby solstice” — and the out-there bottle artwork, you certainly can’t ignore what’s in these bottles — all hitting…
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I recently had a chance to sit down with Padraic Coll, co-founder of the Clonakilty Distillery, when he visited Boston to discuss the company’s whiskey line and future plans. One of Clonakilty’s more exciting projects is collaborating with local breweries across the U.S., aging their Irish whiskey in a variety of distinctive beer casks. They…
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Nikka’s Discovery series, which launched last year, was a fun way to explore unexpected flavors from the Japanese icon’s two distilleries. While the 2021 expressions focused on the use of peat (or lack thereof), this year’s takes a deep dive into one of the unsung heroes of distillation: yeast. The two whiskies in this year’s…
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The grapes for Borsao’s flagship wine are grown on the slopes of the Moncayo mountain in Campo de Borja, Spain. It pours medium ruby colored in the glass and exudes enticing notes of ripe blackberries and pepper on the nose. The palate follows suit and shows additional depth. Balanced with bright blackberries and gentle pepper…
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Grain & Barrel Spirits follows up last year’s Chicken Cock special edition rye with a much different luxe offering — a Kentucky straight bourbon that’s finished in Cognac barrels. No age statements here, but the mashbill is revealed as 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. Like other recent Chicken Cock bottlings, Chanticleer is…
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It was less than a year ago that we reviewed the first batch of this exciting collaboration between (otherwise unrelated) Breckenridge Brewery and Breckenridge Distillery in which they shared barrels used for their beer and whiskey. (As a refresher: Breckenridge Brewery brewed an Imperial Oatmeal Stout which was aged in Breckenridge Distillery Bourbon barrels. After…
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If there is one thing I truly regret not doing sooner, it is aggregating marketing slogans from wine companies imploring me to pursue a different lifestyle than my current and satisfactory mode of operation. Throughout my wine-scribing adventures, I’ve been urged, via various means of stylish typography, to “Live Out Loud,” “Chase Life Meaningfully,” “Pursue…
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Iceland doesn’t make just vodka anymore. The global craft distilling craze of the past decade has brought us all types of Icelandic spirits, most recently Himbrimi Gin. Distilled at Brunnur Distillery in the tiny island nation’s capital city, Reykjavik, this gin, named for Iceland’s loon bird, comes in two styles, Old Tom (which remains something of…
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