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.
The Loire Valley‘s Vouvray region is synonymous with chenin blanc, which is virtually the only grape grown here. The grape is classically used to make very dry and crisp wines, but as we’ll see in this roundup of six expressions, it’s a versatile grape that can find a home in various styles of sparkling wine…
World Whiskey Society (WWS) has only been around since 2020, but it’s become a veritable juggernaut in the non-distilling producer space, cranking out so many new whiskeys each quarter that it’s difficult to keep up with it all. Today we check out a trio of new releases, including one from its Doc Holliday Collection and…
We’ve covered the wines of Chateau Cos d’Estournel, a second-growth wine in Bordeaux’s Medoc-situated St. Estephe region, in the past, but today we’re digging into a special treat — a decade-old vintage of the producer’s flagship bottling that is still available for purchase in a newly reissued 10th anniversary edition. The wine is a Cabernet…
Sicily’s Donnafugata recently dropped two new wines and a bold new packaging that is striking, even for the often out-there winery. Both are built around nero d’avola, the defining red varietal on the island. 2023 Donnafugata Sherazade DOC Review 100% nero d’avola, but you’d never know it based on the exuberantly fruity composition on display…
Hatozaki‘s periodic “Omakase” releases continue with this fourth offering, the oldest age-stated release in the series to date. It’s a 15 year old single malt made at Kaikyo Distillery on the shore of the Seto Inland Sea, aged for 12 years in bourbon barrels and, like much of its lineup, finished in mizunara oak, this…
Once again, a trio of Larceny Barrel Proof whiskeys graced the whiskey shelves in 2025. You won’t find any major surprises in any of these releases, which is probably for the best. It continues to be one of the better barrel proof wheaters on the market. And it remains a pretty good value at $70. Let’s…
Holiday social functions have a special talent for testing the limits of human endurance. Not everyone has the budget or willpower to present a prestige bottle to an event where half the guests can’t distinguish Cabernet from spiced cider, or worse, you are stuck next to a Guy who loudly barks to everyone within earshot…
The amaro craze continues with the launch of Brucato, a collection of three amari made in San Francisco with a heavy reliance on California-grown botanicals. The trio of expressions are markedly different, but all are widely versatile, able to be used as an aperitif, digestif, or — my pick — as a cocktail ingredient or…
Matthew McConaughey’s suggestive tequila brand recently dropped its first limited edition, an extra anejo expression of their signature organic tequila. In classic McConaughey style, the ageless Texas movie star offered a memorable one-liner, comparing his latest liquid creation to “a favorite couch with just a little extra cushion to it.” I’ve never heard a tequila…
Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Wheel Horse Whiskey entered the market in 2019 as a non-distilling producer devoted to American whiskey. From day one, the label has been candid about sourcing its bourbon and rye from Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky. For many whiskey fans, Wheel Horse’s 4-year-old, 101-proof releases offered their earliest opportunity…