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.

Review: New Liberty Bloody Butcher Bourbon 12 Months Old

By Christopher Null | April 26, 2023 |

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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Review: Log Still Distillery Whiskeys – Monk’s Road Small Batch and Rattle & Snap

By Christopher Null | April 25, 2023 |

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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Review: Stella Rosa Tropical Passion Brandy

By Christopher Null | April 22, 2023 |

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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Review: Daru Canadian Whiskey

By Christopher Null | March 30, 2023 |

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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Review: Cenote Tequila Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo

By Robert Lublin | March 19, 2023 |

Cenote tequila is a bit of a mystery. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “cenote” is a “deep sinkhole in limestone with a pool at the bottom that is found especially in YucatĂĄn.” The Cenote brand, according to their website, uses the name to invoke “the beauty of the YucatĂĄn Peninsula and the spectacular underground…

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Review: Monita Tequila Blanco

By Christopher Null | March 6, 2023 |

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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Review: Drake’s Organic Boxtails Perfect Margarita

By Robert Strohmeyer | February 16, 2023 |

Margarita lovers looking for a ready-to-drink option that’s USDA organic, non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, and kosher will find a worthy candidate in Drake’s Organic Boxtails Perfect Margarita. Eschewing all things artificial, Drake’s Organic boxes up this ready-made marg with a blend of Drake’s Organic Tequila, triple sec, and fresh citrus juice. Coming in at a boozier-than-usual…

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Review: Celaya Tequila, Complete Lineup

By Robert Lublin | February 6, 2023 |

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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Review: Paquera Mezcal Barril

By Christopher Null | February 3, 2023 |

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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Review: Clean Co Clean G and Clean T Spirit Alternatives

By Christopher Null | January 24, 2023 |

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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