Rated C
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker. At the C level, products are considered common and lackluster at best. These products are almost never recommended, as better alternatives abound. On a five-star scale, these products would score 2 stars. On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores of 72 to 74 points.
Essentially a liqueur made from a French varietal of cantaloupe, this lightly golden liqueur is evocative of melon, but it takes its time to get there. The nose and attack are aggressively sweet, floral, almost perfumed, with an indistinct note of candied melon. The palate showcases the cantaloupe a bit more clearly, but it’s muddied…
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We haven’t written anything about Finlandia since it launched its Fusion flavored line — over a decade ago. Now, like every vodka maker under the sun, it’s back with a new approach to flavored vodka, offering two infused vodkas that contain no artificial flavors, sweeteners, or sugars. These don’t claim to be “all natural” infusions…
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Sierra Nevada has four beers in its “Little Thing” series, and recently the brewery refreshed the packaging for all of them, bundling them together in a mixed 12-pack called the Little Things Party Pack. We reviewed a couple of these beers last year, but this is our first look at the quartet together. Let’s try them…
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We first encountered this odd San Francisco-based operation’s whiskeys in 2018, when Gold Bar Original was the only expression on the market. Now Gold Bar has expanded to three offerings, including two bourbons. Only one is packaged in the “gold bar” decanter — although the “gold bar” bourbon is painted black — all of which…
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Woodford Reserve’s 2021 Master’s Collection release has finally shown up: Woodford Reserve Five-Malt Stouted Mash, a single malt release that is designed to be “a whiskey that exhibits the flavors of a classic beer.” It’s not made from beer but rather, as the name suggests, five malts mixed up, fermented, and distilled — though I’m…
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Remember how we said that fresh, organic infused vodkas were the hottest trend in the category? Well, they say the exception makes the rule, and here it is in the form of Viss, a candy-colored, heavily artificially flavored vodka that’s imbued with a sparkly substance that makes it shimmer in the bottle and in the…
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“The Covered Bridges Whiskey Company” is a New Jersey-based operation making Kentucky whiskey, including a straight bourbon and a straight rye. In other words, while the company has a lush backstory about the value of covered bridges, gristmills, and the history of one Isaac Ruddell, dating back to 1788, this is still all sourced stock…
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Ready for two new expressions from the cream liqueur masters at Baileys — including it’s first “light” expression? We weren’t either, but we cracked them open all the same. Baileys Deliciously Light – So you want the decadence of Baileys, but not the calories (140 per 1.5-ounce serving, by the way)? You could consider the…
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If there’s one thing (besides quality) Firestone Walker can hang their hat on, it’s the ability to thematically put together a variety twelve-pack of their offerings which make sense and are easy to enjoy from to the next without facing abrupt transitions. This time around, they’ve gone tropical with a trio of flavored IPAs. Each…
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Sierra Nevada is one of the most notable and long-lived craft distilleries in the country, having grown from humble beginnings in Chico, California to the third-largest independent distillery in the country. Our coverage of the brewery has been spotty over the years. With this review we delve into most of the core lineup, going all…
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