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).
Amber & Opal whiskey is an excellent addition to the flavored whiskey category. Founded by music artist Ja Rule and several close friends, Amber & Opal hit the scene last year, hoping to bring new whiskey drinkers to the whiskey category. Amber & Opal is an invitation to experience new flavors in whiskey, making the…
At the 2025 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, Angel’s Envy dropped two new releases in its new Distillery Series, one-off half-bottle whiskeys that are only available at the Angel’s Envy distillery in Louisville. We received both to taste, and while you won’t find these (well, probably) at retail, if you happen to visit Angel’s Envy in person,…
Rosen rye is a resilient winter rye variety with deep roots in early 20th-century American agriculture. Its story begins in 1909, when Dr. Frank Spragg of Michigan Agricultural College (now Michigan State University) received a small sample of pedigreed rye seeds from Russia. These seeds were sent by his former student, Joseph A. Rosen —…
Booker’s is back with two special editions — one is the latest release of the Booker’s barrel proof series, “By the Pond Batch,” the second drop for 2025. The other is the second ever release of Booker’s The Reserves, a series that launched in 2024 to offer even more special releases from the Booker’s library.…
After filing for bankruptcy last year, Stoli Group’s Kentucky Owl continues to fight for its survival. The historic brand revived by Dixon Dedman in 2014 and purchased by Stoli three years later leapfrogged from boutique darling to largescale, corporate NDP seemingly overnight. Despite that huge transition, it managed to deliver some impressive releases, many of…
On February 3, 1940, The Glenlivet distillery accepted delivery of 15 empty hogsheads provided by longtime indie whiskey producers and partners Gordon & MacPhail, and filled them with new make spirit. No one probably expected those casks to sit in a warehouse aging for the next 85 years, but at least one of them did,…
Founded in 2017 by Ilio Mavlyanov, Sauvage Distillery is located in the quiet hills of Charlotteville, New York — right in the heart of apple country. Upstate New York is world-renowned for its apples, thanks to a cool climate, fertile soils, and a long growing season that make it an orchard paradise. Sauvage embraces this…
Pennsylvania has a long and storied relationship with rye whiskey — one deeply rooted in rebellion, resilience, and grain. In 1791, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, ever the champion of centralized power and elite financial interests, successfully lobbied for a federal excise tax on distilled spirits. It was a move aimed at paying down Revolutionary War…
We’ve covered many of Martell‘s Cognacs over the years, but its most foundational bottle has eluded us: Martell VS. Note that this is different from Martell VS Single Distillery: Most Cognac is a a blend of eaux-de-vie from dozens of tiny distilleries around the region, but Single Distillery was from one source. This VS is…
Founded in 2004 as Aiko Importers, the company set its sights on a new frontier in 2023, rebranding as Aiko Brands — a name that better reflects its evolving spirit and expanding portfolio. Among its most recognizable ventures for American whiskey lovers is the World Whiskey Society (WWS), established in 2020. The World Whiskey Society…