Review: Renegade Pre-Cask Single Farm Origin Rums – Lake Antoine Upper Crater and Hope
Mark Reynier is obsessed with terroir. He was an early proponent of the concept, as it applies to whisky, when he owned Bruichladdich. He then built an entire whisky brand around the idea with Waterford Distillery in Ireland, offering almost tedious levels of production detail for each release. Last fall, Mark applied his obsession with…
Review: Natterjack Irish Whiskey
Hot on the heels of Keeper’s Heart, another Irish and American whiskey mashup has landed on the Drinkhacker review desk: Natterjack, from the unusually-named Gortinore Distilling. Unlike Keeper’s Heart, which blends Irish and American whiskeys, Natterjack is triple-distilled entirely in Ireland but from a very corn-heavy grainbill similar to American bourbons (80% corn and 20%…
Review: Canaima Gin
Canaïma gin is produced in Venezuela by a surprising maker: the distillers of Ron Diplomático. Made with 19 handpicked botanicals, six of which are native to the Amazonian rain forest (cashew (merey), acai, uva de palma, tupiro, seje, and copoazu), each is said to be individually distilled to make this unique gin. Traditional gin botanicals…
Review: Stella Rosa Tropical Passion Brandy
You know the wine, now get to know the brandy. The massest of mass market wine brands, Stella Rosa, parachuted into the brandy business late last year, offering a trio of brandies at launch — all flavored and imported from Italy. We received one of the three: Tropical Passion, which is further described on the…
Review: Heimat Barrel Finished Bosc Pear Liqueur
Ute Londrigan is the founder of Heimat NY, a small-batch fruit liqueur producer based in the quiet suburbs of New York, ideally situated between the bustling city and the lush and diverse fruit farms further north. The launch of Heimat NY in November 2018 seems almost predestined, as Londrigan carries the torch of the craft…
Review: Wines of Donnafugata, 2023 Releases
Sicily’s Donnafugata is no stranger to Drinkhacker’s pages. In fact, post #1, back in 2007, was a review of a Donnafugata wine. 16 years later we’re back for more, which now includes a partnership with Dolce & Gabbana, which provides a brand-appropriate spin on a few of the winery’s labels. Today we take a deepish…
Review: Bayou Rum Reserve and XO Mardi Gras
Bayou makes Louisiana-style pot still rums, and unlike most domestic producers, it is attacking the top of the market with its wares. We recently received two of its products, including its prized XO Mardi Gras expression. Let’s dive in. Both are 80 proof. Bayou Rum Reserve Select Barrel – Solera-aged, including maturation in “wet ex-bourbon…
Review: VinXplorer Beverage Backpack and WineHive Wine Rack
What more could wine consumers want these days? It seems the metropolis of wine accessories and accoutrements at one’s fingertips are busting at the seams already. What could the community of fine wine lovers still need? FlyWithWine seems to putting that question back on the table by offering a portfolio of select products that seek…