Rated A+
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker, but only a few (less than 1%) merit our top score of an A+ rating. On a five-star scale, these products would score a full 5 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 98 to 100 points.
Ute Londrigan is the founder of Heimat NY, a small-batch fruit liqueur producer based in the quiet suburbs of New York, ideally situated between the bustling city and the lush and diverse fruit farms further north. The launch of Heimat NY in November 2018 seems almost predestined, as Londrigan carries the torch of the craft…
Read More
What more could wine consumers want these days? It seems the metropolis of wine accessories and accoutrements at one’s fingertips are busting at the seams already. What could the community of fine wine lovers still need? FlyWithWine seems to putting that question back on the table by offering a portfolio of select products that seek…
Read More
It’s not every day that vintage Port shows up on our doorstep, and even rarer that it’s of the quality that we see in the wine we’re reviewing today. Vintage Port is not declared every year, and 2010 was not designated as one. That however doesn’t stop Port producers from releasing something in those…
Read More
It was a terrible, no-good two years for in-person spirits events (make that in-person events of any kind), but things are finally, thankfully starting to return to normal. Chris noted (with some surprise) that Whiskies of the World held its San Francisco event last fall but at a reduced scale. Washington, D.C.’s famous Jack Rose…
Read More
It’s unicorn launch time — again — as Beam (now formally known as the James B. Beam Distilling Company) launches Hardin’s Creek, a brand that will offer “unique and rare, limited-edition whiskeys rooted in the Beam family legacy. These new whiskeys have been crafted by Freddie Noe, recently announced as master distiller of the new…
Read More
Julian Van Winkle III, by all accounts the godfather of today’s bourbon hysteria, put the family name on more than just bourbon. While the annual 15-, 20-, and 23-year-old bourbon releases are some of his most sought-after inventions, a slightly lesser known, but no less coveted, rye whiskey sits among the “Pappy” lineup. The Van…
Read More
We’ve long been impressed with the bourbons rolling out of Virginia’s A. Smith Bowman distillery. While new, hyper-rare limited edition releases under the Abraham Bowman label come around roughly once a year, there hasn’t been any change to the lineup of their core portfolio since the addition of Port Finish in 2017. Now the distillery…
Read More
One of the pioneers of ready-to-drink cocktails is Fishers Island Lemonade, launched by Bronya Shillo in 2014 based off the popular signature cocktail served up at the Pequot Inn (based in Fishers Island), which was owned by her family. This year they have added 3 new flavors and a frozen version of their lemonade. Their…
Read More
The second release — or book, I guess — in Laphroaig’s collectable Ian Hunter Story series has arrived. Like the 2019 Book One, it’s a 30 year old whisky, though this one is completely aged in oloroso sherry casks instead of bourbon. Here’s the short of it: In over a decade of tasting at least…
Read More
Cascade Brewing, located in Portland, Oregon, is not a typical brewery. The first detail to clue you in is a look at their line-up of beers: not one IPA. Heck, not even an amber ale, stout or lager in sight. In fact, I’m hard pressed to find a single beer that neatly falls into one…
Read More