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.
It’s been almost a decade since Rampur distillery first began exporting Indian Single Malt Whisky, and they are now starting to expand their range of whiskies. The non-chill filtered Single Malt we are trying today was made entirely with Indian Barley produced by the distillery. Interestingly, after this whisky was aged in ex-bourbon barrels, it…
Serving as CEO and CFO, Drew Thorn spent a decade shaping Sagamore Spirit into a nationally recognized name. In January 2024, he stepped away from that platform to pursue something intentionally smaller and more hands-on that went to market in February 2026: Silverthorn Reserve. The new venture focuses on single barrel curation, custom finishing, and…
An under-the-radar flagship wine from the Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Archimedes is a luxe cabernet with special occasion vibes all over it. Somehow the 2022 vintage of this wine is exceptionally rich and full of coffee and chocolate notes — without becoming overly dense or cloying. Bright notes of raspberry are clear and quite fresh,…
Looks like an early spring any way we size it up, and while we’re sad to see the chilly air vanish (though not the freakin’ ice), we’re happy for the opportunity to break out the shakers and dig into warmer weather cocktails. Gin is a standby for springtime sipping, and 2025 brought us a bounty…
Last year, Mijenta Tequila launched the first in a series of new special editions called Maestra Selection, each intended to explore a rare facet of tequila and agave production. Selction No. 1 was a high-proof blanco make only from agaves grown from seed. Selection No. 2 is not about how agave plants are grown but…
Bluegrass Distillers was established in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2012 by Ben Franzini and Sam Rock. The following year, the distillery began production on a 250-gallon Hoga copper pot still fired by open flame, frequently working with heirloom corn varieties and placing a particular emphasis on blue corn. In 2020, Bluegrass Distillers acquired the historic Elkwood…
Wolfcraig is a new blended Scotch whisky brand with an unusual backer: González Byass USA, best known for producing and distributing Spanish sherry and brandy expressions. While Byass owns Nomad, this is the operation’s first foray into ultra-premium whisky, and it’s doing so in style, with Richard Paterson (of The Dalmore fame) and Ian Macmillan (of…
Glen Scotia Distillery was a powerhouse whisky producer in Scotland’s Campbeltown region, once a booming center of whisky production for most of the 19th century with over 30 distilleries. Today, it is one of only three distilleries on that tiny, west coast peninsula to have survived the ups and downs of the Scotch industry. Under…
Madre Mezcal continues to innovate with this new line extension from its ensamble offering, an “Ancestral” bottling made from Espadin and Tobasiche agave. (Note the bottle now reads “and” instead of “y.”) What’s an “Ancestral” mezcal? It all has to do with how it’s made: What makes Madre Ancestral unique is that compared to most…
This new line of tequilas comes from the Jalisco Highlands — said to be harvested from land held by a single family for more than 200 years — and is imported into and distributed from Houston, Texas. All three expressions are of course 100 percent agave and 80 proof. NOM 1460. Updated 2026 with the…