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).
Here’s an outstanding return to form for Evan Williams’ Single Barrel bourbons, which the company’s been bottling for years, an amazing whisky that I highly recommend. The 2000 Single Barrel shares a lot of DNA with the 1999, but while last year’s version is noteworthy for its lightly bitter, wood and charcoal finish, the 2000…
Just hitting the market this month comes Woodford Reserve’s latest limited-edition bourbon, aged in specially treated barrels to create a distinct flavor profile. With its Seasoned Oak Finish, Woodford Reserve ages the new make spirit in over-seasoned oak which has been exposed to extreme weather conditions for up to five years before being fashioned into…
Last night, The Balvenie was kind enough to host a few media types for a dinner and tasting of its four current release Scotch bottlings, including its Madeira Cask 17 Years Old, which just arrived in the U.S. a week ago. Some of these are classic bottlings that have been around for years (seriously —…
Some things never change, and in the case of Drambuie, it’s the insides that haven’t been altered at all. But Drambuie has updated its bottle for the first time in years, giving it a much more modern look. Giving the stuff a fresh taste, the Scotch-based liqueur is just as syrupy and sweet as you…
My friends at Appleton rum sent along this twist on the Sazerac, perfect for the holidays. I added a splash of Navan to imitate the infused rum and used regular sugar in lieu of demerara, but the results were still quite good, if very “rummy.” I’d also suggest a cocktail glass instead of the suggested…
Proof positive that there’s a liqueur for everything — and I don’t mean that in a bad way — I present to you J. Witty Spirits, which to date makes just one product, an organic, artisanal Chamomile tea liqueur. Chamomile tea hardly has a brutish reputation, but one sip and you’ll find its namesake liqueur…
As the story goes, Antiguo de Herradura was a version of Herradura served only to guests of the Herradura estate, beginning in 1924. These bottlings are said to be recreations of those original spirits (they’ve been bottled in Mexico since 1995, when they were re-launched), a higher-end version of Herradura tequila for those special moments…
This is not Captain Morgan, folks. The Kraken, with its sea creature label and black-as-coffee liquid within, makes a striking impression on the bar and in the glass. The idea is kitschy: A drink as strong and dark as kraken (giant squid) ink, powerful enough to take him down. And, yeah, at 94 proof and…
The Wild Geese Irish Soldiers & Heroes — in a million years I wouldn’t have come up with a name for a line of whiskey like this one. This collection of four new Irish whiskeys (named after soldiers forced out of Ireland during hard times) all share a common DNA, but offer some subtle differences…
Gordon & MacPhail is one of the most — if not the most — well-respected independent bottlers of Scotch whiskys in the world. Recently the company put out three young and inexpensive renditions of whiskys drawn from the casks of some major-name distilleries. Here’s how they stack up. All are 86 proof and, oddly, eight…