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.
The Mexican lager is a style more associated with slices of lime and dashes of salt than ample flavor. Chances are you’re not buying a 30-pack of Tecate to impress, you’re looking for something ice-cold to occupy red solo cups while you put in some hard training for the World Series of Beer Pong. Very…
The operation at Burgundy’s Domaine Faiveley dates back to 1825. Today it is one of the largest owners of vineyards in the region, and the brand produces dozens of varieties of wine in this storied corner of France. In the U.S., the brand is imported by Frederick Wildman, which sent us two bottles in current…
Today’s sextet of releases from Petaluma, California-based Lagunitas includes copious special editions and limited brews, plus two oldies available in new formats (hint: it’s cans!): Lagunitas perennial releases of IPA and DayTime. Let’s dig in! Lagunitas Undercover Investigation Shut-Down Ale – In 2005, Lagunitas was shut down for 20 days due to shoddy operations, and…
Do you like salt? I love salt, or at least I thought I did. Then I tried drinking out of Root7’s Himalayan salt shot glasses. Whoa. A whole bunch of producers sell these gizmos, which are exactly what they claim to be: Take a big chunk of pink Himalayan salt, shape it into a cylinder…
The magical formula of wine aged whiskey barrels remains an elusive one, and next up to try is Cooper & Thief Cellarmasters, an outfit that’s become a staple at whiskey events, pouring its products for the whiskey-loving masses. Cooper & Thief has three wines in its arsenal (a sauvignon blanc isn’t reviewed here), and it’s got…
Portugal’s dry red wines remain undersung, but they’re growing in popularity and distribution in the U.S. Symington’s Quinta do Vesuvio and Dow are best known as Port producers, but both offer a few dry table wines as well. Today we look at a pair currently on the market. 2015 Pombal do Vesuvio Douro – A blend of…
Ribera del Duero’s 12 Linajes (made at Bodegas Gormaz) offers a typical selection of three wines of different quality levels, and while are all made with 100% tempranillo grapes, the age of the vines and barrel types differs with each wine. (See below for details.) Some addition background: The winery was founded in 1972, and was one…
This agricole style rum hails from the Saint James Distillery in Martinique, and it’s the primary entry in the company’s “gold rum” lineup — a middle ground between white rum and the more fully-aged dark rum category. Saint James Royal Ambre is made from fresh sugarcane juice (as all agricole rums are) and is aged…
Barefoot doesn’t just make crazy cheap nonvintage wine. It also makes these “wine-based spritzers,” which are tiny single-serve cans of wine, seltzer, and flavorings, all canned at 5.5% abv. We’re hardly in the spritzer season, but consider bookmarking this for when the weather turns warm and a poolside gathering is in the cards. Barefoot Spritzer Crisp White –…
At Drinkhacker we tend to shy away from two things: Jello shots and products with no vowels in their name. Slrrrp fails on both of those tests, but we figured we’d give this new product a stab anyway. What’s interesting about Slrrrp is that its prepackaged shots — each 50ml in size — don’t require…