Review: Johnnie Walker Blonde
Formally known as Johnnie Blonde from Johnnie Walker, this is an avowed mixer from the brand, “a brighter, sweeter whisky perfect for the fun-loving and the curious” and “one of the most versatile whiskies the team at Johnnie Walker has ever made.” Launching exclusively in Houston, Texas, the summery blended whisky is indeed as light…
Review: Milagro Tequila Select Barrel Reserve, Complete Lineup (2021)
It’s been five years since we last reviewed Milagro’s Select Barrel Reserve Tequilas, and there are good reasons for taking a fresh look. Most notably, Milagro has lowered the prices for all three of its higher end tequilas. We took issue with the price in the past and it’s nice to find them more in…
Review: Cazadores Tequila Anejo Cristalino
The budget tequila brand Cazadores is not one we’d normally peg as releasing a cristalino (aka filtered anejo) bottling, but here we are all the same. This cristalino is aged for two years in barrel before being filtered back to clear. Naturally, this bottling also comes at a reasonable price. Let’s give it a whirl.…
Pairing Talisker and Oysters at Home with Real Oyster Cult
A common scene at food-centric events (back when we got to go to food events) would frequently be the Talisker booth, where one busy guy would be tasked with shucking oysters and dousing them with a splash of Talisker whisky to be fed to the faithful. It’s a fun combination — moderately peaty Scotch with…
Review: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon (2021)
Blanton’s was one of the first whiskey reviews to grace the digital pages of Drinkhacker way back in 2007. Even then it was already held in high regard, but in recent years its popularity has skyrocketed like so many bourbons coming out of Frankfort (where Buffalo Trace Distillery is located, for the uninitiated). Master Distiller…
Review: Rootstock Spirits Applejack 5 Years Old
Rootstock Spirits is a craft distillery in western New York that focuses on the many fruits grown in this region, especially apples. One of the specialities of the operation is, of course, applejack. This bottling is a 5 year old expression (the black label in the photo above), which is an upgrade over the distillery’s…
Review: Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills Distiller’s Reserve Rye Whiskey
The SLO in Rod & Hammer’s SLO Stills Rye isn’t a typo, it’s a (widely used) acronym for San Luis Obispo, the anchor city in California’s Paso Robles region. The produces four different whiskeys — two ryes and two bourbons; today we’re looking at its Distiller’s Reserve Rye, which is distilled from a mash of…
Review: 2020 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough
Whitehaven’s 2020 sauvignon blanc at last tempers the brash character we’ve seen in recent years and provides a more balanced if straightforward expression of New Zealand sauvignon blanc. Plump with pineapple but crisp with lemony acidity, it settles into a groove that evokes chewy, slightly funky guava on the finish. Nothing here will blow your…
