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 the B rating is used for products that are good but which we don’t exactly love — and which we can provide with a qualified recommendation. On a five-star scale, these products would score 3 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 83 to 86 points.
Four new releases from our friends in Temecula in southern California. 2021 Danza del Sol Sauvignon Blanc Estate – A bit unctuous and sweet, with notes of brown butter and a thick layer of spice, this doesn’t immediately connote sauvignon blanc, save for the notes of fresh grass and florals on the nose. The body…
Read More
Spring means the arrival of idle, easygoing moments that are lighter in fare and this trio of wines from CK Mondavi is no exception. Those enduring the soul-crushing chokehold of inflation on their bank accounts may find this a bit more suitable to their liking than something retailing at higher price points. Also, of note:…
Read More
We’ve reviewed some of Merlet’s premium Cognac expressions in the past, but never its two most affordable bottlings, the VS and VSOP expressions. Today, we rectify that. Both are 80 proof. Merlet Cognac VS – Eaux-de-vie mostly from Fins Bois crus, but also from Bons Bois and a little bit of Petite Champagne in the…
Read More
Curamia is a new tequila and the brainchild of Dafna Mizrahi, a chef from Guadalajara, Mexico. The brand launched late last year in the U.S. with only a blanco expression; a reposado has since arrived. Of special note is its female-centric street cred: Curamia is the first tequila brand 100% female-founded and made by women:…
Read More
For its recent 10th anniversary, Evanston, Illinois-based Few Spirits dropped a special edition bottling, a bourbon made from a four-grain mashbill (no breakdown specified), aged six years in oak. It’s available exclusively in Illinois and on Few’s own direct-to-consumer channel, BuyFewSpirits.com. The bright, burgundy-hued whiskey keeps things on the level, aromatically. Peanuts and caramel corn, laced…
Read More
Octomore — the self-proclaimed world’s peatiest whisky — is back for round 12, this time with a twist. While the “x.2” release is usually a duty-free release, Octomore 12.2 is available for the first time in general retail. Details from the distillery: This twelfth series of Octomore returns to explore a delicately balanced, soft smoke…
Read More
Luretta hails from the Gutturnio region, a new DOC in northern Italy, south of Milan. Frizzante style wines are most common here, and while the winery produces sparkling wine — in the metodo classico style — it also produces a still red wine, also reviewed here. NV Luretta Principessa Blanc de Blancs – A brut…
Read More
Another Swiss vodka, we know only that Lucky Fly Vodka (though the bottle looks more like simply “Fly Vodka”) is “distilled from grain.” No other production information is available. Another clean if somewhat anonymous vodka, the nose is gently industrial with a modicum of earthiness to it. A light sweetness endures on a moderately creamy…
Read More
As amari-style liqueurs go, Amerisse is wholly unique. This bitter aperitif starts off with a base of Merlet’s creme de cassis which is combined with bittering elements including gentian, angelica, sagebrush, and rhubarb — plus “other berries and citruses.” The result is Amerisse “Liqueur Amere au Cassis,” a dark purple liqueur that will have you…
Read More
Yes, that Elvis. Charleston, South Carolina-based Grain & Barrel Spirits is producing this Elvis Presley inspired duo of whiskeys, joining numerous other brands in the G&B lineup, including Chicken Cock Whiskey, Dixie Vodka, and Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey. The two expressions of Elvis are sourced from two different distilleries in different states — neither in…
Read More
