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.
Let the record show I have absolutely no problem with going to the budget shelf, nor does anyone else on this staff. Through countless samples of flavored vodkas, beers, gins and whatever else comes our way, we have zero problem venturing forth into anything with a good-faith taste test. Our tongues are not so frail…
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When measured against its reputable Diageo siblings, Cardhu would not be the first choice of many a seasoned single malt aficionado. A quick glance at reliable sources shows independent offerings are rare on the market, and with the exception of the occasional special release in a limited-edition collection, there are seldom expansions beyond two or…
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Watch out Skrewball, there’s another peanut butter flavored whiskey on the market: Sheep Dog, a new product from spirits giant Sazerac. There’s not a lot of production information here, but the whiskey is naturally flavored and colored with caramel. Put simply, Sheep Dog makes Skrewball look like a masterpiece. Crack the bottle and vaporized sugar…
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Non-alcoholic beer and wine have been around for some time. Now non-alcoholic spirits are becoming a thing. Lyre’s makes nearly a dozen non-alcoholic knockoffs of just about everything on your back bar, from gin to whiskey to spiced rum. What’s this stuff made out of? Mainly water and sugar. A typical ingredient list looks like…
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Apothic is known for its aggressively flavorful, low-price red blends, and now it’s making its way into varietal wines for the first time, with a 2018 cabernet sauvignon. Alas, the wine is unapproachable from any angle, a ballbuster of a wine that is unctuous with notes of cheap candy, way-overripe berries, and Russell Stover-class milk…
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Crown Royal has been churning out flavored expressions in recent years, and this might be its most decadent to date: Crown Royal Canadian whisky blended with salted caramel flavoring. As with other flavored expressions of Crown Royal, the guy in charge of doctoring the whisky has certainly done so with a heavy hand. The nose…
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Come mister tally man, tally me banana! Banana liqueur tends to be one of those unsung cocktail ingredients that few give much serious thought to. A splash of something yellow to give a cocktail a vague tropicality, right? Think again. Banana liqueur has entered its own small renaissance, and mixologists are discovering myriad uses for…
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We’ve covered the wines of Cline on many occasions. Today we look at two of the operation’s bottlings from the Sonoma Coast, as well as its Sonoma County pinot noir. Let’s dive in. 2018 Cline Chardonnay Sonoma Coast – This is an approachable but somewhat innocuous chardonnay, particularly for a wine born in the rugged…
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You can’t drive more than 5 miles in California without encountering a Stella Rosa billboard (“It’s a Stellabration!”), and it’s safe to say that the brand has ample production to serve everyone who happens to drive past. Stella Rosa’s bottlings range from traditional blends to various fruit-infused expressions. Many of its wines are very low…
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Chronic Cellars is a hipster-friendly wine brand out of Paso Robles, California. With tongue-in-cheek brand names and eye-catching graphics (and, of course, it’s called “Chronic”), Chronic doesn’t immediately come across as a “serious” wine label. Turns out that’s not the case, as Chronic has a few impressive (and affordable) gems under its wings. That said,…
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