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 represents the cream of the crop — excellent products with only minimal flaws. On a five-star scale, these products would score 4.5 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 94 to 97 points.
We last encountered Robert Craig Affinity in June of last year with the 2005 vintage. The 2006 arrives a bit early, but we’re not ones to let good wine sit idle. This year’s Bordeaux-style Napa Valley blend is more “ready” than the 2005, a racier, spicier wine, very fruity and laced with exotic spice like…
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Bruichladdich — a perennial favorite at Drinkhacker HQ from Islay — recently released a number of new expressions of its classic whisky, some with surprising compositions. We got our mitts (and tongues) on four of them: Bruichladdich Bourbon Cask Aged 16 Years Old – No big surprise here. 97 percent of Scotch whisky is matured…
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One occasionally gets in the mood for gin, and when one does, said mood hits hard. Citadelle is a relative newcomer to the scene… with not one but two gins for your drinking pleasure. These gins hail, unusually, from France, and both are 88 proof, distilled from wheat. Up first is standard Citadelle Gin (2009),…
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Dug up this old bottle at a friend’s house last night… one whiff and I knew I’d found something special. Springbank isn’t a big name in Scotch whisky in America, but if its younger (and less expensive) bottlings are anything like this one, it really deserves to be. Located in Campbeltown (on the little peninsula…
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Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is one of those drinks that can get you into a lot of trouble. No, not like this stuff. Like good whiskey, Firefly goes down absurdly easy, enticing you into drinking more and more and more and zzzzzzzzzzzzzz….. well, then you’re gone. I was a skeptic: Vodka flavored with tea? Sounds…
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Part of the Sauza mini-empire (along with Hornitos), Tres Generaciones is the company’s newest and most premium tequila, 100 percent agave, of course. We tried the plata (silver) and reposado bottlings (but, alas, the anejo wasn’t available). Both are 80 proof. Tres Generaciones Plata Tequila – This is a very respectable blanco tequila, extremely smooth,…
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The Classic Malts Collection, which comprises a wide range of Scotch whiskys, recently announced a number of special edition, limited release Scotches. We got our hands on a few of them. Reviews will be posted over the next few days, but we’ll start with two from Oban. Oban Limited Edition 18 Years Old 2009Â –Â It’s been…
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Another entry from the Kentucky Bourbon Distillers consortium, Noah’s Mil is a standout from this bottling group. Produced in small batches, it arrives in the bottle at a downright sweltering 114.3 proof, and sipping without water makes one positively sweat. Add a touch of water to the amazingly dark, toffee-brown bourbon and you get something…
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After enjoying — thoroughly — Pappy Van Winkle’s 20 and 23-year-old bourbons at WhiskyFest, I got ahold of some 15-year-old bourbon from the company. This is an older bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle — bottle number A5909 (not the exact one seen below, but the same style/branding) — and the brand has been repackaged…
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Author and mixologist Dale Degroff was in town recently to promote his new book, The Essential Cocktail, and while I sadly missed the promotional soiree, I did at least get a copy of the book to check out. All in all this is an excellent and accessible introduction to classic cocktails and their newer variants.…
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