Review: Allagash Pictavia
Allagash has had considerable success with Curieux, their widely available, bourbon barrel-aged beer. But starting last year, the famous Maine brewery released it’s first Scotch barrel-aged beer called Pictavia for the former moniker of Scotland. I, for one, did not know Scots were once called Picts. Anyway, Pictavia is appropriately a Scotch ale aged in Scotch…
New Year’s Eve Cocktails for 2019
Ringing in the New Year can be done intimately with a loved one or in a party setting with friends. Today we offer up some great cocktail ideas for wherever the day takes you. To finish up we’ve got a cupcake recipe from Colina Colada Horchata that will complement any plans perfectly. Happy new year!…
Review: Busnel Calvados Pays d’Auge XO 12 Years Old
When it comes to French apple brandy (Calvados), Busnel (which has been producing since 1820) isn’t as big a name in the U.S. as Boulard, but that may be set to change as ultra-premium expressions like this XO bottling, carrying a 12 year old age statement, hit the domestic market. Curious about the label? Pays…
Review: Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout and Coffee Barleywine (2018)
The annual Black Friday release of Goose Island’s Bourbon County line of barrel-aged beers grew by one this year to eight, with six of those being more or less widely available to the beer-loving masses. Last year, I reviewed the Bourbon County Brand Stout and Barleywine, so I decided to revisit these two in 2018…
The Top 10 Whiskeys of 2018
Who likes whiskey? We do! Our Top 10 Whiskeys of 2017 was such a hit that we had to do it again, particularly since 2018 saw such a strong and varied collection of new whiskey hitting the market. As in 2017, this list was a collective project from the entire Drinkhacker staff, the result of…
Review: Everclear 190 Grain Alcohol
The reputation of Everclear is perhaps not the best, the kind of thing that is mentioned in the same breath as frat parties, jello shots, and the worst kind of Saturday night bad judgment. But Everclear, distilled from mixed grains, has a legitimate place in the drinking universe — and it doesn’t involve bar bets.…
Review: 2016 Balletto Chardonnay Twin Ridges
Santa Rosa-based Balletto has a heavy focus on chardonnay, producing five varieties designed to reflect the distinct characteristics of individual vineyards it utilizes. This expression, Twin Ridges, includes grapes from two vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region, just 10 miles from the Pacific Ocean. While the nose of the wine offers a classic (if restrained)…
Review: Basil Hayden’s Bourbon 10 Years Old (2018)
Basil Hayden’s continues to pump out expression after expression, but its latest rendition comes as a late-season surprise: A 10 year old version of its standby bourbon. Standard Basil Hayden’s doesn’t have an age statement any more (as of 2014 it is just “artfully aged,”) but when we originally reviewed it it was bottled at 8…
