Review: Casamigos Tequila – Blanco and Reposado
George Clooney seems to like his tequila like he likes his women: Sweet. This much talked-about celebrity project doesn’t hide its backer on the back label like some vanity spirits: The Cloon’s signature is right on the front. (It looks like “Geogo Cloy” but that’s close enough, I think.) Available in blanco and reposado expressions,…
Review: 2010 The Dreaming Tree Crush Red Wine North Coast
Every good musician needs his own wine. OK, every musician, good or not, needs a wine. The Dreaming Tree is a pet project of winemaker Steve Reeder and musicmaker Dave Matthews. A blend of North Coast California Zinfandel and Merlot, it’s a big and fruity wine with ample berry flavors — raspberry and a little…
Recipes: Jacob’s Ghost White Whiskey Cocktails
With the announcement that Jim Beam’s Jacob’s Ghost is now available nationwide, we decided to reach out to Beam’s master mixologist Bobby Gleason to celebrate its release. He took Jacob’s Ghost for a spin to see how it fares in some old classics. Ghost Cosmo 2 parts Jacob’s Ghost 1 part orange liqueur 1 part white…
Review: Auchentoshan Valinch 2012
2011’s Valinch — a cask-strength version of Auchentoshan Classic — was a real knockout, so the Lowlands-based distillery is back with a follow up for 2012. This edition (still no age statement) offers a substantially different sipping experience. On the nose, there’s a distinct and overwhelming green olive character, tempered by notes of pine needles…
Review: Auchroisk 30 Years Old Limited Edition 2012
This final installment in the 2012 Classic Malts Selection whiskys is a fat old 30 year old from Speyside’s Auchroisk, aged in a mix of American and European oak. Malty and woody on the nose, it’s interesting but restrained at first blush. The body brings out lots of sherry notes that you don’t really catch…
Review: Glen Garioch 1986 Vintage
This is the fifth vintage-dated expression from Glen Garioch, joining 1978, 1990, 1991, and 1994 on the market. Bottled in 2011, it’s a 25 year old single malt from this Highlands distillery, and it’s a whopper of a whisky. At cask strength, it’s quite a heater. The nose is full of intriguing notes from the…
The Drinkhacker Bookshelf: Celebrating Booze Book Review Month
By happenstance, this past February became Booze Book Review month. We had a pretty generous amount of reading material on our desks, which resulted in roughly 1/4 of our book reviews for the entire 5+ years of the site’s history being published in 28 days. Here’s a quick catch up with links to each review:…
Review: Caol Ila Unpeated 14 Years Old Limited Edition 2012
In January we covered five of this year’s seven Diageo’s Classic Malts Selection. Why five? At the time, two weren’t yet upon our shores, so we’ve been waiting… and waiting… and waiting. Finally they’re here, and first up we look at this unique Caol Ila, an unpeated malt from an Islay distillery that’s synonymous with…
