Rated B-
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker, and at the B- level we begin to shy away from recommending these products except in relatively uncommon circumstances or for certain types of drinkers. On a five-star scale, these products would score 2.5 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 79 to 82 points.
Philadelphia’s New Liberty Distillery makes its Bloody Butcher bourbon with a particular variety of eponymously named corn, grown just 25 miles away from the distillery in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The corn-heavy mash (70%) sees the addition of (curiously) malted rye (26%) and malted barley (4%) before fermentation. While a variety of Bloody Butcher expressions are now…
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Log Still Distillery is based in Gethsemane, Kentucky, where it produces a variety of whiskeys and gins. The project was born from the progeny of old-time whiskeymaker JW Dant, whose name is still being used on whiskey today, courtesy of his great-great-grandson Wally Dant, who revived the family’s 1836-established brand just a few years ago.…
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You know the wine, now get to know the brandy. The massest of mass market wine brands, Stella Rosa, parachuted into the brandy business late last year, offering a trio of brandies at launch — all flavored and imported from Italy. We received one of the three: Tropical Passion, which is further described on the…
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Daru has a picture of a lion on its label and a map of India on its reverse but — surprise! — it’s actually a Canadian whiskey. “Inspired” by the flavors of Indian whisky and created by the two children of an Indian emigrant, the brand dates back to 2020. The brand’s only bottling is…
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Cenote tequila is a bit of a mystery. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a âcenoteâ is a âdeep sinkhole in limestone with a pool at the bottom that is found especially in YucatĂĄn.â The Cenote brand, according to their website, uses the name to invoke âthe beauty of the YucatĂĄn Peninsula and the spectacular underground…
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Monita is a new tequila launched by Black entrepreneur Serita Braxton, and it promises a “unique, smooth taste” and a “flavor-filled profile.” It’s 100% agave, but there’s not much additional information available about agave sourcing or pina ages. While the three traditional expressions are available, we received only the blanco for review. Let’s give it…
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Margarita lovers looking for a ready-to-drink option thatâs USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher will find a worthy candidate in Drakeâs Organic Boxtails Perfect Margarita. Eschewing all things artificial, Drakeâs Organic boxes up this ready-made marg with a blend of Drakeâs Organic Tequila, triple sec, and fresh citrus juice. Coming in at a boozier-than-usual…
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Celaya Tequila is the brainchild of brothers and former NFL Pro Bowlers Matt and Ryan Kalil who tell of their great great grandfather Jose Celaya who, the story goes, was famous in the 1800s for the tequila he distilled in Sonora, Mexico. Since the old recipe no longer exists and the Kalil siblings are not…
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We previously covered one of Paquera‘s three mezcal expressions in 2019. Now we’re back with another look at its 100% Barril agave-based mezcal. A rather weedy, vegetal mezcal, Paquera’s 100% Barril expression features heavy notes of cooked greenery, turned earth, and underbrush — both on the nose and the palate. There’s a bold sweetness on…
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Clean Co produces a range of non-alcoholic “spirit alternatives” — including a non-alcoholic vodka, even — and while I’d like to tell you how they’re made, the company behind them doesn’t share a lot of information on that front. Available primarily in the UK, the Clean Co lineup is made without sweeteners or gluten and…
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