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).
By my count the sixth whiskey+honey combo liqueur we’ve discussed on this website, Irish Mist is as old as the hills… but updated and rebranded for the ’10s. The new bottle isn’t going to wow anyone with its uniqueness (hey, flared base!), but what’s inside may do the trick for you. Of all the honey-flavored…
It takes balls to call your spirit “The World’s Best Tasting Tequila,” and if we were judging on guts alone, Oro Azul would get top marks across the board. But what this line really offers is affordability plus the promise of 100% agave tequila. They also come in conversation-piece-friendly pyramid-shaped bottles. Here’s how they stack…
Here’s a look at two new releases from Dewar’s, one of the Scotch world’s biggest blenders. Dewar’s Founders Reserve 18 Years Old Review Just about the top of the line of the Dewar’s blended whisky stable, the brand new Dewar’s Founders Reserve 18 Years Old is a blend of some refinement. Gentle and easygoing, this…
By now everyone knows that Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Olympics (sorry, Chi-town), and should you find yourself wishing to toast the city’s victory (any excuse for a cocktail…), you’ll likely pour yourself a caipirinha, the semi-official cocktail of all of Brazil. If that’s too staid, Leblon offers this spin on the drink.…
The top shelf bottling of the Bache-Gabrielsen lineup, here’s a cognac that’s worth its fancy bottle, its wire-sealed lid, and its wooden box. This pure Grande Champagne cognac includes spirits that date back to 1917 — the youngest was distilled in 1960. That’s 49 years old at least, and it’s obvious once you pour the…
Ever wonder how blended Scotch whisky is made? Well tomorrow I get the opportunity to find out firsthand by blending my own. Johnnie Walker sent this awesome kit (see right, click for large version) full of single malt and grain whiskeys, and during an hour-long session we’ll be blending our own Black Label under the…
Once again Buffalo Trace brings us five limited-edition whiskeys, and for 2009 they carry the same names as last year. However, the formulations and barrels from which these whiskeys have been drawn are different, making them unique expressions that you’ll only get in 2009… and while supplies last. Sazerac Rye 18 Years Old 2009 Review…
This Highland Scotch whisky is hardly a major name in the spirits world, and production has stopped and started several times in the last few decades. Now Deanston is back and going strong, and its 12-year expression is likely the most common one you’ll find. Deanston 12 is a very light whisky, somewhat oily in…
If nothing else, I recommend you get your hands on the press book for Conjure Cognac, a new spirit brought to you by rapper/actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Filled with pictures of Bridges sniffing samples at France’s Birkedal Hartmann while surrounded by dapper Frenchmen, it’s as bizarre a promo for a spirit as I’ve encountered. As…
Yamazaki isn’t the only whiskey Japanese distillery Suntory makes, but for ages it’s been the only one it has sold overseas. Now Suntory is expanding the distribution of another of its products: Hibiki 12 Year Old Whiskey. This is a very easygoing, blended whiskey, pale gold in color and with a light, blonde-wood character that…