Review: Blue Note Juke Joint, Crossroads, and Rye
In 2021, Monica sampled a rare expression from Memphis-based B.R. Distilling Company’s Blue Note brand. The operation has recently reformulated its lineup, which is now predominantly sourced from a distillery in Kentucky (purportedly Green River Distilling). We recently received three of Blue Note’s flagship products, including a recently launched rye whiskey. Everything we know about…
Review: Rolling Fork Heart of Gold Rum
It’s often been said that bourbon is America’s native spirit. However, rum was America’s first love. Long before whiskey became common in North America, the American colonists had a thriving domestic and imported rum industry. The American rum industry began to diminish heading into the American Revolution and was dealt a near-fatal blow with westward…
The Top 10 Summer Cocktails of All Time
As summer approaches, it’s natural to ask, aloud even perhaps, what should I be drinking right now? While selections like white wine and cold beer are obvious, numerous cocktails abound which feel tailor-made for summer sipping. But which are best? To find out, we polled the Drinkhacker staff and asked for each writer’s list of…
Review: 2016 Fiddlehead Cellars Pinot Noir – Seven Twenty Eight and Oldsville Reserve
We’re longtime fans of winemaker Kathy Joseph, who’s long been something of a benevolent mad scientist in the world of pinot noir, operating out of her home base in Santa Barbara County. Today we’re looking at two pinots from much different regions — Santa Barbara and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Both are the same vintage —…
Review: Never Say Die Rye
Upon hearing “Never Say Die,” James Bond may be the first thing that comes to mind. However, I’d like to introduce you to the whiskey brand of the same name. It’s perfectly understandable if you’ve not yet heard of Never Say Die Kentucky Straight Rye, as until very recently, they’ve been exclusively an export brand for the…
Review: 2022 Rombauer Chardonnay Carneros
Now that Rombauer is ensconced in the Gallo empire, what changes await its flagship wine: Chardonnay, harvested in Carneros? Well, it’s every bit as unctuous as you remember, kicking things off with bold notes of coconut and vanilla, to the point where you might feel like dessert is being served. The good news is part…
Review: Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Triumph Rye
There’s a pretty simple sales pitch for this latest Master’s Keep release: At 10 years old, it’s the oldest age-stated rye whiskey that Wild Turkey has ever released. During a Zoom-based tasting, Eddie Russell guided a handful of journalists through a quick history of the Wild Turkey distillery, his own personal taste profile, the reason…
Review: NV Berlucchi ’61 Extra Brut Franciacorta
The name of this wine is admittedly a bit confusing: the year listed does not refer to when it was bottled. Franciacorta first became a Designation of Origin in 1967, but it was a few years earlier, in 1961, when Berlucchi vineyards succeeded in making an outstanding vintage of sparkling wine in the French style.…
