Review: Strike Performance Accelerator Energy Beverage
Strike makes no bones about its value proposition as a “performance accelerator energy beverage.” Consider this another contender in the evolution of the “sports drink” category, made ubiquitous first by the likes of Gatorade and followed suit by brands such as Monster, which relies mostly on caffeine and sugar to perk you up for…
Review: Crown Royal Noble Collection Rye 16 Years Old
Crown Royal’s latest Noble Collection release eschews tricks and keeps it simple, bottling a straight rye at the age of 16 years. Bold butterscotch and brown banana notes lead the way on the nose here, though the sweetness quickly blows off and leaves more savory elements behind — bacon fat and some black pepper emerging…
Review: Partake Peach Non-Alcoholic Gose
What to do if you’re an ardent craft beer lover but can no longer indulge? For Ted Fleming, it was to create non-alcoholic beers that would sate his high standards for craft brews and retain the social buzz of imbibing in the company of friends, a common origin story for many who have embarked on…
Review: Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon
1783 is a relaunched expression from Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams Bourbon brand, and like the prior bottlings, it is clearly designed with one thing at top of mind: Affordability. It’s a step up from standard Evan Williams Black Label, with a fancier bottle and a slightly higher abv, the relaunched expression hitting 90 proof, up…
Review: 2019 Hahn Pinot Noir Arroyo Seco
This Monterey, California-born bottling of pinot noir from Hahn plays it close to the vest, restrained notes of cherry and blackberry layered with gentle elements of licorice, pencil lead, and roast beef, giving the wine a distinctly savory edge. Hints of rhubarb and mixed greenery take the finish in a somewhat vegetal direction, and while…
Review: 2016 Bodegas Faustino Crianza Rioja
“Tradition is not inherited, it is conquered,” remark the marketing folks from Bodegas Faustino, and it’s one of the better taglines I’ve run across lately. It sounds like something Nick Saban would yell at his team before a big game. While not looking to conquer anything when opening this Crianza Rioja (red wine aged for…
Review: Appleton Estate Rum 15 Years Old Black River Casks
Appleton’s latest Jamaican rum expression is a 15 year old bottling, courtesy of Master Blender Joy Spence. The “Black River Casks” in question “pay homage to the Black River in Jamaica’s Nassau Valley, the source of the limestone-filtered water used to create all Appleton Estate rum.” As far as I can tell, there’s nothing unique…
Drinkhacker 2021 Wine Cheat Sheet / Vintage Chart
October is here, which means our wine-centric “Vintage Chart Cheat Sheet” has been updated again. In case you’ve missed past installments, this is a handy document designed to tell you, in general, whether a vintage of wine is particularly good or not. The sheet is designed to be printed out and kept in your wallet,…
