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.
Every wine drinker needs one (and only one) book like this: A magnificent, encyclopedia-sized tome that tells you everything you can possibly want to know about wine in a single book. Or tries to, anyway. As such a subject is basically unmasterable, the goal with a mega-book like this is to be as comprehensive as…
Buffalo Trace is a monster distillery, with 150,000 barrels of whiskey in inventory at any given time. 1,500 of those are “experimental” — wild stabs at genius from whomever’s manning the still that day — and every now and again Buffalo Trace sifts through the ricks to see what’s out there. Sometimes they even sell…
How do you cut the calorie level from a flavored vodka? Throttle down the alcohol level and cut out the sugar. The first idea is probably not a bad thing. The second one is what kills the deal. Firefly Skinny Tea opts for artificial sweetener instead of sugar, and to say that mars the “sweet…
Sometimes the wines we get aren’t our favorites. But we review them anyway, especially when the story behind them is so lovely. This line of inexpensive whites and reds from Argentina are created by a young, blind winemaker (Alex Elman, of course) and are produced sustainably (and affordably). The inaugural releases arrive this month on…
Spanish brandy is not a product most drinkers have a familiarity with — nor does it resemble French brandy in any shape or form. Hailing from Jerez, Spain, Manso & Contreras comes from a distillery that has been making brandy since the 1800s. While it’s a new brand — Manso is a native Cuban who…
Beaujolais is home to more than just Beaujolais Nouveau, it’s also home to more upscale reds and whites, primarily made with the Gamay and Chardonnay grapes. These light, very affordable wines are often served chilled or even with ice — even the reds. We sat down with the folks at Discover Beaujolais to taste through…
Contra Costa County in the San Francisco Bay Area includes Oakland… as well as, apparently, a good number of vineyards. Hannah Nicole, in “the shadows of Mount Diablo,” is a relative newcomer to the business. We tasted four of the winery’s recent releases. 2009 Hannah Nicole Sauvignon Blanc Reserve Contra Costa County – 12.5% Viognier…
PreToxx — now reformulated and repackaged since our 2009 review and featuring a capital T instead of a lowercase one — still has one great thing going for it: It’s a pill, so choking it down is easy. Designed to be consumed before you drink, one PreToxx pill contains the following: Vitamins B1, B6, B12,…
It’s an old story but I’ll tell it again: Cherry is the toughest flavor in the universe to pull off in a spirit. People keep trying, though, and the latest out of the gate is Stoli, with a “Wild Cherri” vodka. This naturally-flavored concoction (actually from Latvia, not Russia) starts off OK. It smells pretty…
Monthaven’s 2008 Chardonnay didn’t exactly impress us. Today the company is back to try again with its 2009 release, plus two new reds from the 2008 vintage, all served up in convenient 3 liter boxes. Yes, that’s 9 liters of wine. No, we did not drink it all. (Not possible.) 2009 Monthaven Chardonnay Central Coast…