Review: 2018 William Hill Chardonnay Coombsville Winemaker’s Series
This wine is the inaugural release of William Hill’s Coombsville-sourced chardonnay, a single-vineyard release which was fermented in concrete eggs, “resulting in a site-driven, elegantly textured wine.” Well-textured, this ultra-creamy wine hits all the high points of this Napa Valley AVA: pears, butter, a lacquering of baking spice, and a hint of melon somewhere along…
Review: St. George Baller Single Malt Whiskey
California-based St. George Spirits produces a diverse portfolio of spirits. They make three different vodkas, four different gins, fruit brandies, liqueurs, even shochu and basil eau de vie. That creativity extends to their whiskey offerings, as well, with Baller Single Malt Whiskey being perhaps their most unique. “It’s a California take on the Japanese spin…
Review: 2016 Black Stallion Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
This 2016 release from Napa’s Black Stallion Estate Winery is an iconic expression of Napa cabernet, enduringly fruit-forward, exuding heavy notes of currants and dark chocolate amidst a slurry of mixed spices. Lush to the point of opulence, it leans heavily on the fruit, with notes of blueberry and blackberry — all chocolate-coated — lingering…
Review: Redwood Empire Pipe Dream, Emerald Giant, and Lost Monarch
Only two years ago Sonoma-based Graton Distillery released Redwood Empire, a blend of its own microdistilled spirit and sourced whiskey. Now the brand is back with not one, not two, but three new expressions which collectively replace the 2018 release. Here’s all the details to get you started. Purple Wine + Spirits today announced its…
Drinkhacker’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide – Best Alcohol/Spirits for Christmas
Ho ho ho! It’s the end of 2019 and that means your boozier friends and family are going to expect a little something liquid under the tree again. This is our 12th annual holiday gift guide, and as always we’re aiming to take some of the challenge out of finding the perfect wine or spirits gift.…
Review: ‘Merican Mule Moscow Style, Tropical Style, and Mexican Style (2019)
In 2017 the Moscow Mule became the ‘Merican Mule with the release of an authentic rendition of the classic cocktail, made from real vodka, ginger, and lime. Now the brand is expanding with two new (and wildly divergent) versions — the combination of ginger and lime being the only real theme in the trio. We…
Review: Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Chocolate Malted Rye Bourbon
The 2019 offering from Woodford Reserve’s always intriguing Master’s Collection has arrived, and to clear up any misconceptions from the get-go, it does not have chocolate in it. “Chocolate malt” is a term common in the brewing world, used to describe a heavily roasted, malted grain (in this case, rye), that takes on a caramelized, chocolate…
Review: Atlas Brew Works Dance of Days Pale Ale and Blood Orange Gose
Atlas Brew Works in Washington, D.C. has been at the forefront of the city’s growing craft brewing scene since they opened in 2012. The brewery produces a wide portfolio of hand-crafted artisanal beer in 20-barrel batches at their 100% solar powered taproom inside former warehouse space in the hip Ivy City neighborhood. By 2020, they…
