Spirits
Spirits are beverages made by the process of distillation. The “Spirits” category is not commonly used at Drinkhacker because the vast majority of reviews we publish fall into this category. It is used only occasionally to help organize our category list (and mainly gets clicked by accident).
Wolfcraig is a new blended Scotch whisky brand with an unusual backer: González Byass USA, best known for producing and distributing Spanish sherry and brandy expressions. While Byass owns Nomad, this is the operation’s first foray into ultra-premium whisky, and it’s doing so in style, with Richard Paterson (of The Dalmore fame) and Ian Macmillan (of…
Last fall, North Carolina’s Southern Distilling Company jumped into the increasingly crowded world of American single malt in a pretty big way. With a portfolio dominated by house-distilled bourbons, single malt was something of a surprising addition for one of the state’s largest distillers and contract producers. And they appear to be going all in…
Lazy K Bar is one of the oldest ranches in Montana (Big Timber, to be exact), and now it’s also a whiskey. Be advised: They don’t distill it there. This is a blend of Kentucky bourbons, aged 8, 9, and 10 years old, from an unstated distillery. Did I mention Cole Hauser, who appears on Yellowstone,…
The American whiskey industry is saturated with terminology that carries no formal or legal definition. When this language is used loosely, its meaning often shifts from one producer or drinker to the next, creating confusion when terms are applied without consistency or clarity. One such term is “short barrel.” The Shortbarrel brand entered the market…
Nicaragua’s Flor de Cana has a massive collection of rums with age statements (real age statements, not that old numerical trickery situation), including an 18 year old expression. Why, then, did the company drop a 17 year old rum late last year? Turns out it’s a limited release available only at select retailers — and…
Glen Scotia Distillery was a powerhouse whisky producer in Scotland’s Campbeltown region, once a booming center of whisky production for most of the 19th century with over 30 distilleries. Today, it is one of only three distilleries on that tiny, west coast peninsula to have survived the ups and downs of the Scotch industry. Under…
While Bholsa is named in tribute to the caves on the northwest coast of Islay, it is also the second Ardnahoe release to make the transatlantic journey stateside, arriving non–chill filtered, Oloroso-matured, and free of cosmetic enhancements. Ardnahoe Bholsa Review Much like when one knows they are in the presence of an Ivy League business…
Buchanan’s, hot off its Buchanan’s Pineapple release, is back with another new blended Scotch, and while it’s not a flavored expression it is described by the company as “pulsing with ritmo” and “bursting with tropical fruit and spiced notes.” The twist here is that the whisky is made with wine yeast, not slices of pineapple.…
Anniversary editions can be risky propositions. They can arrive on the market with more pomp than substance: slap a nifty label on it, upcharge by a factor of three to five, laugh all the way to the shareholder steak and cigar dinner. True to Nikka form, this 40th anniversary release of Nikka Whisky from the…
A couple of years ago, Stranahan’s opened a tasting room and restaurant in nearby Aspen, and your prize for trekking out here is access to its “Aspen Exclusive” releases, one-off releases that come out roughly annually and which are only available here. The first Aspen Exclusive was a Calvados-finished single malt; this second release, which…