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.
New Zealand’s Cloudy Bay recently sent us a trio of wines — with both the 2021 and 2022 vintages of its iconic sauvignon blanc represented. Let’s dig into all of them. 2020 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir Marlborough – A pedestrian pinot, slightly beefy with distant, demure fruit that tries only fitfully to break through the…
It is the most wonderful time of the year for some, and the least wonderful for others: Hallmark Christmas movie season. This Countdown to Christmas in the Hallmark Cinematic Universe (HCU) features many new faces due to major defections to other networks. However, Hallmark still wears the crown, delivering gentle films featuring weird holiday miracles…
Pearce, Arizona-based LDV presents two wines for us — both 100% petite sirah bottlings from the 2015 vintage. (Yes, these are current releases.) What does a hot climate do with a difficult grape like petite sirah? Let’s find out. 2015 LDV Winery Petite Sirah – Quite extracted from the start, you could be forgiven for…
Celebrity owned tequilas have become pretty common in recent years with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson representing Teremana, George Clooney representing Casamigos (though he has since sold it), AC/DC representing Thunderstruck, and many more. Well, here come another: Casa Del Sol tequila is co-owned by actress Eva Longoria of daytime soap opera and Desperate Housewives fame.…
Fainting Goat Spirits in Greensboro, NC is named for, well, fainting goats. I didn’t even know that was a thing, but apparently the occasional goat is indeed myotonic, falling stiff on the ground when startled or frightened but quickly getting back up again. Their resilience and their oddity are both qualities the team at Fainting…
Spanish Earl — named for famed Spanish general Juan del Aguila (and featuring his visage) — is a product from Kinsale Spirit Co., based in County Cork, Ireland. This unusual malt spends 4 years in bourbon casks before being split into two types of finishing casks, one an Imperial stout cask, the other a Jamaican…
It’s two words — “Nut Cracker” — on the label, but “Nutcracker” officially. Whatever the case, this is a pecan flavored rye whiskey from Durham, NC-based Lonerider Spirits, and with that you know everything about it that I know. One sniff and whoosh! it’s a sugar bomb that hits the nostrils. Overbearingly sweet and laden with…
We recently tried three white wines from CK Mondavi, and today we dive deeper into their current offerings, reviewing two Chardonnays and two Cabernet Sauvignons. CK Mondavi consistently produces very affordable wines, and today we find out whether these four are bargain bottles worth seeking out. 2021 CK Mondavi Chardonnay – Golden straw colored, this…
It’s been a year or so since we’ve covered the wines of Paso Robles-based Opolo, and then only spottily. Today we correct that oversight with a look at 5 current releases. 2019 Opolo Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles – Nothing overly earth-shattering here, this cab making for an approachable but straightforward experience that rests of currants…
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…