Review: Templeton Stout Cask Finish Rye
Templeton’s rye whiskey expressions are no strangers to Drinkhacker. We’ve steadily followed their releases through the years, starting with their 4 year old rye back in 2009 (!) and as recent as early 2022 with their revamped 4, 6 and 10 year ryes. They have had an interesting and somewhat uneven journey in between (replete…
Review: Tequila Codigo 1530 Estate Harvest Blanco
The latest release from Codigo 1530 — owned in part by George Strait and nothing if not an innovator — is a literal return to roots: A blanco made with agave grown on Codigo’s own land. Less than 1% of all tequila produced is estate grown, making this a real rarity — though the decision…
Review: Beers of The Bruery, 2022 Releases
Everything’s available as a subscription these days, including beer. Case in point: The Bruery’s Reserve Society, which gives drinkers access to its limited-edition beers once a year, netting you 12 750ml bottles for $325 plus tax. (You can choose between sours, non-sours, or a mix.) Members also get discounts on additional online purchases plus priority…
Review: Maker’s Mark BRT-01 and BRT-02 2022 Limited Release
Maker’s Mark’s oddly-named annual Wood Finishing Series releases continue with 2022’s BRT-01 and BRT-02, a pair of whiskeys designed to showcase the distinct differences generated by aging at the top of the rickhouse vs. the comparably cool bottom of the rickhouse. While Maker’s Mark (and many other distilleries) rotate barrels from top to bottom over…
Introducing Tubes, a New Single-Serve Wine System
Purchasing and opening a bottle of wine is a big commitment. With 5 or 6 glasses in a bottle that can easily cost hundreds of dollars, it’s easy to understand why the wine world is so intimidating to people. Bet wrong and you’re out a small fortune — and possibly wasting a whole lot of…
Review: 2019 Zenato Alanera Rosso Veronese
This wine from the Valpolicella region of Verona, Italy benefits from the “appassimento” production method in which the grapes are dried before being pressed. In this case, 50% of the grapes harvested were partially dried for 45-60 days. The result is less water and more intense grape character in the tank. The grapes used are…
A Guided Tour of Shochu from Honkaku Spirits
Christopher Pellegrini is my go-to expert on shochu. He’s lived in Japan for 20 years, has written a book about the spirit, and recently started a company, Honkaku Spirits, to export the stuff to the U.S. As Pellegrini noted during a recent, lively Zoom tasting from Japan, where we tasted 8 of his company’s products,…
Review: Hallmark Christmas Wines, 2022 Releases
It is the most wonderful time of the year for some, and the least wonderful for others: Hallmark Christmas movie season. This Countdown to Christmas in the Hallmark Cinematic Universe (HCU) features many new faces due to major defections to other networks. However, Hallmark still wears the crown, delivering gentle films featuring weird holiday miracles…
