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).
We haven’t looked in on Cooper Spirits’ Lock Stock & Barrel (LSB) line of rye whiskey in quite a while. Since our last taste of their 16-year-old rye release, the brand has produced several even older expressions along with a blend, dubbed Vatted, that, in addition to featuring non-Canadian ryes, serves as a more entry-level…
Opened in 2021, Great Jones Distillery is Manhattan’s first and only legal distillery since Prohibition. Being so new, they aren’t yet bottling their own whiskey. Their products are currently distilled, aged, and bottled at Black Dirt distillery in upstate New York. Today we will be trying three of their whiskeys, but only the standard bourbon…
For many whiskey enthusiasts, “Indiana whiskey” has long been synonymous with MGP in Lawrenceburg—a powerhouse known for its scale and consistent quality. But just 150 miles southeast in Borden, another name has steadily built its own legacy: Starlight Distillery. Founded in 2001, Starlight initially made its mark with brandy, releasing its first commercial expression in…
Here’s a kind of fun one-off from Jamaica’s Hampden Estate: “The Maverick” is an exclusive release crafted by Christelle Harris and her husband Matthew Hann, in celebration of the birth of their son, Maverick. His birthday of May 13, 2024, is noted on the front of the label. The rum is a blend of three…
Planteray (nee Plantation) recently dropped two new rum products, both readily obtainable, unlike some of its luxe limited edition releases. The first is a new blended product designed to be an entry-level offering with a solid level of pedigree. The other is (to my knowledge) Planteray’s first coconut flavored product. Let’s dig into both. Planteray…
Attempting to “review” Malört has always been something of a fool’s errand. Despite some die-hard adherents, most people consider the stuff to be a inside joke concocted by Chicagoans and which should never be consumed outside of a bar bet. Malört is having something of a renaissance these days, however, rising up the pop culture…
Another year, another Ardbeg Day — and another special edition from the mind of Dr. Bill Lumsden. For 2025, the Ardbeg Committee release begin featured is called Smokiverse. It is the first Ardbeg crafted from a “high-gravity” mash with the idea that it results in “a distinctly vibrant, tropical and fruity spirit.” What’s a high-gravity…
Wild Common is a Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based tequila company founded by, of all people, National Geographic photographer Andy Bardon. While the operation has a three expressions and a mezcal on the market, we have never had a chance to review any of them — until this fourth tequila, an anejo, came along. The 100% highlands agave…
It has taken us too long to really dig into the Loch Lomond portfolio, but after our first taste of their entry-level, non age-stated Original single malt in 2023, we’re finally back with some thoughts on the next rung in the Loch Lomond ladder. The distillery’s portfolio actually offers a trio of 12-year-old expressions: the…
We’ve covered plenty of premium bourbon blends from Bardstown-based, non-distilling producer 15 Stars but only one rye whiskey to date. Today, we can add a second to the list with this latest offering, Founder’s Reserve Fine Aged Rye. The six-year-old First West Rye blend that we sampled last year looks pretty pedestrian on paper when…