Review: Austrian Sparkling Wines, 2023 Releases
Pet nat gruner and fizzy moscato from Austria? Wake up, Sally! This is happening. You probably won’t see either of these wines on the list at your favorite haunt any time soon, but if you’d like to consider the potential of Austrian sparklers, these two wines are a great place to start. 2021 Hager Matthias…
Review: Hemingway Rye 1st Edition
Hemingway Whiskey Company is a new project from the people variously behind Angel’s Envy whiskey, Papa’s Pilar rum, and The Old Man and the Sea. There’s plenty of credibility behind the bottle, but what’s inside is mostly MGP: 94% 9 year old Indiana straight rye plus 6% 4 year old Kentucky straight rye distilled by…
Review: Benzeni Floating Coasters
Take some ping-pong balls and put them inside a hair scrunchie and presto, you have Benzeni, a “floating coaster” that can wrap around any beverage so you can take it into the pool. Whether it’s as slim as a seltzer can or as fat as an insulated mug, Benzeni can adapt, courtesy of its stretchy…
Review: Teeling Single Pot Still Virgin Portuguese Oak Irish Whiskey
When Dublin’s Teeling released its Chinkapin Oak aged whiskey last year, I don’t think it was intended to be the first in a series — or at least I didn’t realize it at the time. Now the company is out with a follow-up in what it’s calling the Wonders of Wood (WOW) series — all…
Review: New Riff Heirloom Bourbons – Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage
New Riff loves pumping out special releases, and its latest takes a cue from the world of heirloom grains. Specifically, both of these are made from rare, regional, heirloom corn crops called, alternately, Yellow Leaming and Blue Clarage. Here’s some backstory: Both bottled in bond without chill filtration at 100 proof, the Yellow Leaming and…
Review: Mayenda Tequila Blanco
Who’s ready for a new tequila? And by that I mean a new tequila, complete with “two extra steps of craft and care” in the production process. Here’s all the info: Mayenda was named as a tribute to Mayahuel, the Aztec goddess of agave, and celebrates the rich history of the revered plant. Each small batch…
Review: Heimat Liqueurs – Bosc Pear, Rhubarb, Blackberry, and White Peach
When first introduced to Heimat, Drinkhacker jumped the line by diving into their limited release premium bourbon cask-finished Bosc pear liqueur ahead of their core offerings. No we are retracing our steps here to explore their mainstay, which are the unfinished fruit liqueurs as unadulterated and natural as they come (“the fruit, and nothing but…
Review: Diageo Orphan Barrel Project Scarlet Shade Rye 14 Years Old
Diageo’s Orphan Barrel Project continues its run with its first ever straight rye — a 14 year old bottling from Indiana that was aged in Kentucky and bottled in Tennessee. There’s no mashbill information provided, but based on my tasting, it’s safe to assume this is made from MGP’s 95% rye, 5% malted barley mash.…
