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).
Reportedly the first ever “extra anejo tequila” — a new designation recently allowed under Mexican law, established in 2006 for tequilas aged three years or longer — commercially released (others have since followed), Gran Centenario‘s Leyenda is as dark a tequila as I’ve ever seen. The oak-brown color is seriously misleading, for this is as…
Inspired by Rich Goldsmith (who asked if the primary two ingredients would work together — they do, and well), innovated by yours truly. I mixed up a bunch of these for our dinner guests tonight and they all went down quick. Great Prince of the Forest 1 1/2 oz. Jim Beam Red Stag 3/4 oz.…
Fragrant with light evergreen notes, Corzo is a delicate, lovely blanco tequila (100% agave, of course) that deserves top-shelf attention. Most blancos are heavy with vegetal agave notes — which can be pleasant but are often overpowering and sometimes harsh. Corzo is refined, but also full of flavor. It’s a bit minty, a bit like…
Rehorst? Funny name for a vodka, but it’s the name of the man behind Great Lakes Distillery in Wisconsin, which puts out this “Milwaukee Vodka” in a standard and unusual flavored version as well as a gin. We tried all three. Here’s how they stack up. Rehorst Vodka is distilled from red wheat and malted…
We’ve reviewed rare spirits before, but Martell’s Exquisite L’Or de Jean Martell cognac is to date the absolute rarest: Just 120 bottles are being sold. We got a taste — not much, mind you — but enough for a serious review. And my how quickly that went down. The 80-proof Martell’s Exquisite L’Or is, indeed,…
Polish. Distilled from rye (four times). Positioned as a luxury brand. At 13 bucks a bottle. Gvori’s price is hard to beat — go much lower and you’re getting your vodka in plastic jugs — but the body of this one is exceedingly unusual. The initial palate is quite sweet, but then it fades quickly…
Typical liqueurs may be bottom shelf at your local liquor store, but this stuff, this is the real deal. Thatcher’s is distilled in rural Michigan, using organic ingredients and even organic fruit juice for appropriate coloring. These liqueurs are in very limited distribution right now, but pester your local booze merchant, because they’re worth checking…
It looks like cachaca is continuing its rise, and now even mass market spiriters Seagram’s is getting into the mix. Seagram’s (yeah, the gin guys!) new line of Brazilian rum doesn’t say cachaca on the label (and doesn’t offer a whole lot of information about what they’re created from or where, aside from “Brazil”), and…
Limoncello is a lovely and simple liqueur that is made from lemon rind and sugar and steeped in alcohol. Served chilled, it can be a bracing way to start the afternoon or end the evening, and it’s an essential ingredient in any number of cocktail recipes. But it seems you can make a ‘cello out…
Arguably the oldest spirit-making region in France, Armagnac is Cognac’s bigger, sometimes crueler brother. Armagnac is located just a bit south of the Cognac region in western France, and like Cognac, it is the home — and the only home — of a distilled spirit that bears its name. Like cognac (the spirit), armagnac brandy…