Review: 2017 Ferraton Pere & Fis Samorens Cotes-du-Rhone Rose
Ferraton Pere & Fils makes a wide range of Rhone Valley wines, including high-end single vineyard varieties… but also this simple rose, called Samorens, a Cotes-du-Rhone denominated blend of 75% grenache and the remainder syrah and cinsault. The wine is fresh, offering immediate notes of fresh orange, rose petals, and vanilla cream. Boldly floral on…
Review: 2017 Cote Mas Rose Aurore IGP
This simple rose wine proudly boasts “33% more wine” via a sticker on the bottle, thanks to its enclosure in a 1 liter container. Surprisingly, the wine denotes its blend on the back label: 30% cinsault, 20% syrah, and 50% grenache noir. Results: It’s a rose with tons of grip, tannic at times with notes…
Review: Woodinville Bourbon Finished in Port Casks
This limited release from Washington-based Woodinville starts with its five-year-old straight bourbon, then throws a twist at it: six months of finishing in Tawny Port barrels. The result is the essence of craft whiskey — burly wood, heavy spice — is here, particularly on the aggressive nose, which hints at a plum-dusted, raisiny note beneath…
Review: Smirnoff Ice Margarita
Too lazy to construct a proper margarita after a long day at the office? You’re not alone, which is why so many folks can barely get the cap off a bottle of beer before their butt hits the couch. The latest flavor in the long-running Smirnoff Ice line is a natural: Margarita, helpfully subtitled “refreshing…
Review: Charbay Double Aged Rum (2018)
Back in 2005, Charbay launched its first rum, 100% copper pot distilled from Hawaiian and Jamaican sugar cane syrup. Now, in 2018, that rum is back on the market, with the same formula and again at a scorching cask strength — though today it’s at 137 proof vs. the original’s 136.8. The rum is aged…
Review: Wines of Lucas & Lewellen, 2018 Releases
Santa Barbara-based Lucas & Lewellen isn’t a household name in the wine world, but that could change: This operation is turning out approachable wines at even more approachable prices, three of which we recently had the opportunity to taste. Let’s dive in! 2017 Lucas & Lewellen Sauvignon Blanc – Crisp and grassy, the wine showcases…
Review: Distillery 291 Single Barrel Colorado Rye and Single Barrel Colorado Bourbon
Despite being best known for its craft breweries, Colorado has seen plenty of distilleries open across the state, many of which, unsurprisingly, make at least one whiskey. Distillery 291, which began distilling in 2011, makes whiskey almost exclusively (its Citrus Clove Liqueur is the exception). Its seven distinctive whiskeys adhere to the founding vision of…
Welcome to Drinkhacker 2018
It’s our sincere hope that you’ve already noticed: Over the last few weeks we’ve been radically revamping and redesigning Drinkhacker, a move that was probably long overdue. Foremost, you’ll note that the monolithic design — big pictures followed by long stretches of text, rinse and repeat — is now gone, replaced by a more streamlined…
