Review: Berkshire Mountain Distillers Craft Brewers Whiskey Project – UFO White, Big Elm, and Spencer Ale
Sheffield, Massachusetts-based Berkshire Mountain Distillers recently embarked upon one of the most ambitious craft distilling projects I’ve ever heard of. The five-years-in-the-making project will see BMD partnering with a dozen different breweries across five states, turning their beers into whiskey. Each whiskey will be the product of a single brew bearing the name of the…
Review: Wines of Stoller Family Estate, 2021 Releases
Stoller is a name that’s been around in Oregon winemaking just about forever — its Chehalem brand is probably its best known — focusing as most do in these parts on pinot noir. We received three of them — two reds and a rose — so let’s dig into the trio. 2020 Stoller Family Estate…
Review: Johnnie Walker Blonde
Formally known as Johnnie Blonde from Johnnie Walker, this is an avowed mixer from the brand, “a brighter, sweeter whisky perfect for the fun-loving and the curious” and “one of the most versatile whiskies the team at Johnnie Walker has ever made.” Launching exclusively in Houston, Texas, the summery blended whisky is indeed as light…
Review: Milagro Tequila Select Barrel Reserve, Complete Lineup (2021)
It’s been five years since we last reviewed Milagro’s Select Barrel Reserve Tequilas, and there are good reasons for taking a fresh look. Most notably, Milagro has lowered the prices for all three of its higher end tequilas. We took issue with the price in the past and it’s nice to find them more in…
Review: Cazadores Tequila Anejo Cristalino
The budget tequila brand Cazadores is not one we’d normally peg as releasing a cristalino (aka filtered anejo) bottling, but here we are all the same. This cristalino is aged for two years in barrel before being filtered back to clear. Naturally, this bottling also comes at a reasonable price. Let’s give it a whirl.…
Pairing Talisker and Oysters at Home with Real Oyster Cult
A common scene at food-centric events (back when we got to go to food events) would frequently be the Talisker booth, where one busy guy would be tasked with shucking oysters and dousing them with a splash of Talisker whisky to be fed to the faithful. It’s a fun combination — moderately peaty Scotch with…
Review: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon (2021)
Blanton’s was one of the first whiskey reviews to grace the digital pages of Drinkhacker way back in 2007. Even then it was already held in high regard, but in recent years its popularity has skyrocketed like so many bourbons coming out of Frankfort (where Buffalo Trace Distillery is located, for the uninitiated). Master Distiller…
Review: Rootstock Spirits Applejack 5 Years Old
Rootstock Spirits is a craft distillery in western New York that focuses on the many fruits grown in this region, especially apples. One of the specialities of the operation is, of course, applejack. This bottling is a 5 year old expression (the black label in the photo above), which is an upgrade over the distillery’s…
