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, we see products that are relatively undistinguished, except perhaps in one or two minor factors. These products are generally not 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 75 to 78 points.
Whiskeys from Balcones, arguably Texas’s best-known distillery, have been stacking up here at Drinkhacker HQ. Today we’re killing a trilogy of bottles, including two new releases and the second edition of another well-liked expression. Balcones Pilgrimage – Texas single malt made from Golden Promise barley, aged in used casks and finished in Sauternes casks. No…
Strainge Beast is the hard kombucha spinoff of California’s Sierra Nevada, and the product is available in (at least) 6 flavored versions, at two different abvs. The standard version of the product, available in 16 oz cans, is canned at 7% abv. The newly released “light” version is just 4% abv and comes in 12…
It’s been seven years since we last reviewed Tyku’s (no longer Ty Ku) line of sake, and it’s high time for a refresh. Tyku, made by Nara prefecture’s Umenoyada Brewery, is one of the largest and easiest to find brands of premium-grade sake in the United States. While Umenoyada is well known for their sweet…
Located in Sebastopol, California, the Ron Rubin winery is Certified Sustainable and devoted to producing widely available and enjoyable wines at a reasonable price. Today we’re trying two wines that we’ve tried before, an unoaked Chardonnay bottled under the Pam’s label and a Pinot Noir. Let’s see how the newer vintages stand up. 2020 Pam’s…
Mountjoy is best known for its CBD-infused seltzers, but its latest endeavor is much different endeavor: Non-alcoholic spirits designed to mimic gin, tequila, and rye whiskey. Each bears an anagrammatic name — and 170mg of CBD per 750ml bottle (or about 10mg CBD per serving). There’s not a whole lot of information about what these…
Alberto Ore should be a name familiar to fans of Spanish and Portuguese wines. His Sierra de la Demanda Tinto and Escalada Do Bibei labels were reasonably smart purchases a few years ago, and I still have a bottle or two hanging back waiting to be poured in a year’s time. Expectations ran high when…
Natty Light, the brand you know and love, is spreading its wings with numerous new products including, of course, a malt beverage-based seltzer, which is available in four flavors. The twist? They’re all sour — the first ever sour seltzer, per the company — so fans of the mouth-puckering stuff may find them a refreshing…
It’s an overload of new Rodney Strong releases, many representing the brand’s more entry-level offerings. Let’s dig in. 2020 Rodney Strong Rose of Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – Boldly acidic, with notes of peaches and strawberries up top, fading to elements of sour plum and a pinch of Christmas spice. There’s only a minor…
The marriage of sherry and peat can prove to be a challenging equation to balance. Some distilleries manage to figure it out with elegance and style. Others have birthed mutations best forgotten, relegated to the island of misfit bottles. Thankfully this Laphroaig does not fall in the latter category, but sadly neither does it rise…
Pluma Negra is a new mezcal brand out of Oaxaca’s San Juan del Rio, where the Hernandez family has been producing mezcal for 45 years. Maestro Mezcalero Rodolfo Hernandez is “a third generation Mezcalero who uses time honored traditions to create Pluma Negra — animal drawn tahona to crush the maguey, pine barrel fermentation, and double…