Rated D/F
Reviews of spirits, wine, and beer (and various errata like mixers and garnishes) comprise more than 80% of the content at Drinkhacker. This category is a catch-all for everything rated D+, D, D-, or F, our lowest rating. These products should be categorically avoided by everyone (and preferably discontinued altogether). On a five-star scale, these products would score 1.5 stars (for D+ ratings) or 1 star (for D, D-, and F ratings). On the traditional 100-point scale popular with many wine and spirits graders, these products would merit scores 68 or below.
Texas Heritage Vineyard can be found in the wine-soaked reinvention of Fredericksburg, Texas, where I’m told they have a dazzling tasting room. I haven’t seen it, but I have tried a couple of their wines, though none of their most renowned bottlings, which revolve around Italian grape varietals. 2019 Texas Heritage Vineyard Petite Sirah Paka…
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Our friends at High Camp make some pretty awesome drinking vessels — and they also make one thing you can actually consume, their own bitters, called Campfire Bitters. Campfire is a rarity in that it lists (most of) its ingredients on the label. Those include gentian, cinchona, cinnamon, salish, pepper, and then “natural roots and spices.”…
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Flying Embers is best known for making hard kombuchas, but it also produces hard seltzers and these canned cocktails, all made with zero sugar and zero carbs. Its unclear what these “cocktail inspired drinks” are made from, but it’s not distilled spirits and it’s not malt liquor. The labels sclaim “alcohol from organic cane sugar,”…
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Opici Wine & Spirits is a New Jersey-based importer that has set its sights on the world of wine. The two new bottles under “The Critic” label — which seem to be daring the likes of us to take a stab at it — are both sourced from Napa Valley fruit but land at $20…
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We recently tried three white wines from CK Mondavi, and today we dive deeper into their current offerings, reviewing two Chardonnays and two Cabernet Sauvignons. CK Mondavi consistently produces very affordable wines, and today we find out whether these four are bargain bottles worth seeking out. 2021 CK Mondavi Chardonnay – Golden straw colored, this…
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Pop into any bodega or convenience store and chances are there will be a cooler filled with ready-to-drink coffee options ready to refresh and energize. You probably won’t find DaySmith in those options, as this plucky little Texas upstart is just getting its feet wet in the market, but we were lucky to sample a…
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We first encountered this odd San Francisco-based operation’s whiskeys in 2018, when Gold Bar Original was the only expression on the market. Now Gold Bar has expanded to three offerings, including two bourbons. Only one is packaged in the “gold bar” decanter — although the “gold bar” bourbon is painted black — all of which…
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Jules Taylor is based in New Zealand’s Marlborough region, where the winemaker produces a series of eponymous, affordable bottlings. She was named New Zealand Winemaker of the Year for 2021. Let’s dig in to this trio of bottlings, all newly released. 2021 Jules Taylor Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough – Sauvignon blanc is Taylor’s specialty, and with…
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Remember how we said that fresh, organic infused vodkas were the hottest trend in the category? Well, they say the exception makes the rule, and here it is in the form of Viss, a candy-colored, heavily artificially flavored vodka that’s imbued with a sparkly substance that makes it shimmer in the bottle and in the…
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Chile’s Veramonte has numerous sub-labels, including Ritual and Primus, all of which we have reviewed extensively in the past. Today we look at a bottling from each of these brands, all of which are made with 100% organic ingredients. Let’s dive in. 2019 Veramonte Cabernet Sauvignon – Organic or not, this is cheap cab, underdeveloped…
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