Review: Starr Hill Double Bass Variants – Peppermint, Chipotle, and Mocha (Late 2017)
Last year, Starr HIll dropped a stout called Double Bass, a big, chocolate-infused brew loaded with confectionery notes. In November, Starr Hill took this mad brew a step further, releasing three variants, along with the original, in a limited release 12-pack called the Box of Chocolates. Alternately flavored further with peppermint, chipotle pepper, and mocha,…
Review: Dulce Vida Tequila Blanco (2017) and Pineapple Jalapeno
We last encountered Dulce Vida way back in 2010, when we looked at the core lineup of three standard tequila expressions. Today we take a fresh look at the blanco — rebranded but still organic and made from 100% Highlands agave, though now much less expensive — along with a new flavored expression, pineapple jalapeno.…
Review: Savile Rumtini
“Rumtini” would say, to me at least, that one is facing a martini made with rum. But the Savile Premium Rumtini is a ready-to-drink tiki cocktail, a blend of rum and citrus, not martini-like in the slightest. Intended to be served over ice, straight from the bottle, Savile is a cloudy yellow in color, something…
Review: The New Zealand Whisky Collection – Dunedin, High Wheeler, Oamaruvian, and South Island
While Australia has its own whiskey category here at Drinkhacker, New Zealand does not. Why? Because we’ve never reviewed any New Zealand whisky. Until now. Our friends at Anchor have recently embarked on a project to expose America to kiwi whisky — and this is some old, rare stock. Here’s the lowdown, from the horse’s mouth:…
Review: NV Chandon Sweet Star California
A definitive crowd-pleaser, Chandon’s Sweet Star is a lightly sweet sparkler, fresh and fruit-forward, with notes of pineapple, mango, and orange blossoms pervasive from start to finish. Mildly fizzy, the wine has a lovely creaminess that translates into a rich, velvety body — but also a zippy (though, again, somewhat sweet) finish. Easy to love,…
Review: Copper & Kings American Dry Gin and Old Tom Gin
From brandy to orange liqueur to absinthe, what doesn’t Louisville-based Copper & Kings make? You can take off of that increasingly short list gin, thanks to two new expressions now being distilled here — a dry gin and an old tom. Both are double distilled in alembic stills. We sampled both expressions. Thoughts follow. Copper &…
Review: Wines of Catalina Sounds, 2018 Releases
No, it’s not from an island off the coast of California, it’s from New Zealand: “The name Catalina Sounds evolved from the majestic Catalina flying boats that played a vital role across the South pacific during and after World War II.” The Catalina is New Zealand’s largest war plane, it seems. It’s also New Zealand’s…
Review: New Holland Beer Barrel Rye
New Holland Brewing Company’s Beer Barrel Bourbon was a pioneer, back in 2013, of finishing whiskey in beer casks. Now the Michigan-based company is back with a new whiskey: Beer Barrel Rye. The idea is much the same as before. This is a double-distilled rye (no mashbill available) that is aged in new oak barrels…
