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.
Earlier in 2025 we paid a visit to the Messina Hof winery in Central Texas, enjoying a fun harvest meal there with the winemaker and owners. Recently the operation sent us three recently released bottles for more formal review, including one under the Bonarrigo sub-label (Bonarrigo being the name of the family that runs the place).…
Late last year saw the launch of Volteo, a new ultra-luxe tequila that boasts football quarterback Dak Prescott as one of its investors. Owned by Zamora USA, the company behind carajillo essential Licor 43, the brand promises an additive-free, organic experience made, of course, from 100% agave. The word “volteo” loosely translated means “to turn…
Somehow, we missed Barrell’s annual New Year release last year. Does that mean 2025 didn’t officially happen? If only we were so lucky. But why dwell on all the batty craziness of the past when we can celebrate the possibilities of the future? Once again, Barrell’s bonkers holiday blend is here to help us stay…
Like your mezcals on the softer side of things? Check out Tres Tribus Mezcal. The company, founded only in 2023, comes from the same folks behind Mijenta Tequila, and the operation now boasts six different expressions of the classic spirit. The mezcal is made “using pristine water from the nearby Tidaá volcano aquifer and a…
Heaven Hill’s Grain to Glass Series is barely two years old, but the annual whiskey trio produced from locally grown corn is already getting a line extension with the recent release of the new Specialty Barrel Series. For the inaugural releases in that series, Heaven Hill used the same corn varietal that featured in the…
Back in 2008 we had our first (primitive) encounter with Cognac producer Delamain and its Pale & Dry offering — an XO that stands at the beginning of the operation’s range. The expression dates back to 1920 and is made exclusively from eaux-de-vie of Grande Champagne, matured in 350-litre barrels of old Limousin oak. In…
It’s not every day we get a chance to review a vintage Port release, and it’s especially rare to find a 25 year old expression in our inbox. Sandeman‘s 2000 vintage Port was bottled in 2002, but some bottles appear to have been held back for this celebratory release, 25 years after its harvest. The…
The American whiskey marketplace is crowded with non-distilling producers who purchase whiskey and release it under their own labels. For some, sourced stock is a temporary bridge while their own distillate ages quietly in the background. Others have no intention of ever firing up a still. Within that latter group, the approaches vary widely. A…
Ethos — often styled as ETHOS — is a new wine brand from Washington’s Ste. Michelle Wine Estates. The brand will exclusively focus on Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley and “pays homage to Washington’s early wine pioneers who helped establish the rugged and demanding Columbia Valley into a top growing region known for its…
Last year, Maestro Dobel dropped three special edition extra anejo tequilas — dupped 1968, 1969, and 1970 — all follow-ups to its original anniversary bottling, Dobel 50 1967. Now it’s back with three more expressions, as those 50th anniversaries apparently can’t stop coming. These are all made from single estate agave, and all three are at…