Drinkhacker

Review: Old Forester The 117 Series – Bottled in Bond Rye Another Old Forester 117 Series release recently hit, and it almost snuck past us: The 117 Series - Bottled in Bond Rye is a fairly straightforward release for the series -- and it follows a previous 117 Series Bonded release, Bonded Bourbon. Naturally, this rye is the result of one distilling season (Spring 2015, to be exact), making it much older than the 4 years required by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

Review: Old Forester The 117 Series – Bottled in Bond Rye

Review: Wines of San Felice, 2025 Releases We receive samples from Tuscany's San Felice on a regular clip, and today we look at a quartet of outstanding wines in current release. For a good time, please check out Rob's wide-ranging interview with Carlo De Biasi, director of San Felice Wines. Meanwhile, let's dig in. 2023 Bell'Aja Bolgheri Blanco - White wines from Bolgheri are rare, but this blend of primarily vermentino is proof that we should be drinking more of them.

Review: Wines of San Felice, 2025 Releases

Review: Burnt Church Johnny Fever Bourbon Burnt Church Distillery, located in Bluffton, South Carolina—just 10 miles from Hilton Head—was founded in 2019 by Billy J. Watterson and Sean Watterson, with Chris Crowe serving as president. Though still a young player in the whiskey world, Burnt Church has made a strong impression thanks to custom-distilled releases through Kentucky partnerships, including Green River Distilling and Jeptha Creed…

Review: Burnt Church Johnny Fever Bourbon

Review: NV Champagnes of Piaff Piaff's branding may be on the plain side, but while the bottles may not look it, these Champagnes are top-shelf offerings both at home and here in the U.S. Newly available from importer Foley Family Wines, we recently took a spin through all three non-vintage wines Piaff offers. NV Champagne Piaff Brut - Touched lightly with sweetness, pears and apples lead the way here across a delightfully fruity experience that is tempered by moderate, bready yeast elements.

Review: NV Champagnes of Piaff

Review: Hardy Cognac – VSOP Organic and Legend 1863 Hardy is a reliable Cognac producer with some extremely expensive bottlings on the market. Today we're looking at some more affordable fare, both of which you should find widely and readily available. Both are 80 proof. Hardy VSOP Organic Cognac Review Hardy has had this organic VSOP on the market for years, but we've never reviewed it. It's recently been relabeled and features a bit of a Deco-inspired bottle now.

Review: Hardy Cognac - VSOP Organic and Legend 1863

Review: 3 Wines from Famiglia Casadei, 2025 Releases Famiglia Casadei is a diverse company that owns wineries across Italy. What ties these wineries together is Famiglia Cadedei’s dedication to ethical farming and sustainable wine making. As they explain: For Famiglia Casadei, viticulture represents a sustainable way to give back to the environment while crafting terroir-driven wines with a deep sense of place. Its sustainable approach has been woven into an innovative ethical protocol called Biointegrale which combines the Organic, Biodiversity Friend, and Demeter certifications bringing farming to the next level.

Review: Three Organic Italian Wines from Famiglia Casadei, 2025 Releases

Review: Whiskey Row Bourbon – Triple Wood and Cask Strength 2025 saw the arrival of a new bourbon brand, Whiskey Row -- named after the part of Louisville's Main Street which was a hub for bourbon shipping until Prohibition. (Today, it's become ground zero for whiskey brands from all over the place (not just Kentucky) to set up tasting rooms.) Whiskey Row Bourbon doesn't just pay homage to pre-Prohibition spirits, it also attempts to recreate the era's approach to blending.

Review: Whiskey Row Bourbon - Triple Wood and Cask Strength

Review: Bluebird Distilling Vodka and Classic Coffee Liqueur Pennsylvania-based Bluebird Distilling makes all manner of spirits, but to date we have mostly covered its whiskeys. We're switching things up today with a look at more products in the collection, including Bluebird's vodka and a coffee liqueur. Who's ready for espresso martinis? Bluebird Distilling Vodka Review Distilled from rye. Initially quite industrial on the nose, with bold hospital overtones. Time in glass allows herbal elements to emerge, evoking rustic rosemary and some peanut notes, ultimately coming across a bit like a lighter white dog whiskey.

Review: Bluebird Distilling Vodka and Classic Coffee Liqueur

Review: Wyoming Whiskey Buffalo Bill Cody Bourbon If the “most interesting man in the world” was real, he would probably look a lot like Buffalo Bill Cody. At the dawn of the 20th century, the showman was arguably the most famous person on earth. His legendary Wild West show introduced the world to the places and peoples of the American frontier, and when he died in 1917 cities and parks were named for him, kings and presidents mourned his passing.

Review: Wyoming Whiskey Buffalo Bill Cody Bourbon

Review: Sakes of Origami Sake Yes, they make sake everywhere -- but did you know they make it in Arkansas? Origami Sake has the look of an Asian brand, but it's made in Hot Springs, from locally grown rice. Origami also has a non-alcoholic sake on its roster, which is what first attracted me to the brand. Origami makes four sakes now, but sent us three.

Review: Sakes of Origami Sake

Review: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo Tequila 2025 Edition After a lengthy hiatus, our coverage of Jose Cuervo's Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo expression recently returned with the 2024 release, and now we're back with a look at 2025's bottling. As always, this Extra Anejo comes with a custom wooden box, this one designed by contemporary Mexican artist Ana Segovia. Per Cuervo: "The custom piece, titled “No Señorita, Esos Colores son Prohibidos” explores traditional charrería attire and encourages reflection on this symbol of Mexican national identity." 2025 also marks the 30th anniversary of Reserva de la Familia, making this year's release particularly prized.

Review: Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Extra Anejo Tequila 2025 Edition

Review: Tia Linda’s Ready-to-Drink Margaritas, Complete Lineup Tia Linda's -- that's Aunt Linda to you -- is a new ready-to-drink margarita brand based in Sacramento, California. The tiny cans are the real deal (or close to it), made with a blend of tequila and grain neutral spirits, lime and lemon (sometimes Meyer lemon), agave and cane sugar, triple sec, and salt. Each is 18% abv. Tia Linda's Classico Margarita…

Review: Tia Linda's Ready-to-Drink Margaritas, Complete Lineup

Review: The Perfect Fifth Canongate American Whiskey 15 Years Old The Perfect Fifth is an independent bottler based in Miami, Florida, established in 2019 by Karl Schoen. The company primarily focuses on well-aged single malt Scotch whisky but also bottles select American whiskeys. In the summer of 2025, The Perfect Fifth released the second edition of their Canongate 15-Year-Old Single Barrel American Whiskey. This release is part of the brand’s "Bottled and Born" series, which highlights the historic and ongoing connection between Kentucky and Scotland, particularly through the use of ex-bourbon barrels for maturing Scotch whisky.

Review: The Perfect Fifth Canongate American Whiskey 15 Years Old

Book Review: Booze & Vinyl Country The Dean Koontz of cocktail books returns to Drinkhacker with the fourth installment in his Booze and Vinyl series. If you’ve been following along up to this point, you’ll be well versed on the premise: pick a record, make a cocktail inspired by the record or artist behind the music, sit, listen, sip and enjoy. It’s really that simple. Several books into his career (of which we have reviewed eight), …

Book Review: Booze & Vinyl Country

Review: Yobo Soju Luxe, Yobo_Kish Bliss, and Yobo_Kish Shine (2025) Our recent trip to Korea opened my eyes to soju culture, how a small shot of a low-alcohol spirit could become an integral part of a meal, whether formal or not, expensive or cheap. (In fairness, no meals that I had in Korea were expensive -- even "fancy" ones.) Luxury soju is hard to find both in Korea and in the U.S., where very inexpensive bottlings dominate.

Review: Yobo Soju Luxe, Yobo_Kish Bliss, and Yobo_Kish Shine (2025) - Celebrity chef Kristen Kish gets her soju on!

Book Review: Aperitivo Books published by the estimable Ryland Peters & Small have found their way into my home before, as we struggled earnestly to achieve the minimal aesthetic presented in Hilary Robertson’s  Monochrome Home. But the independent publishing house places a premium on aesthetic quality, and Aperitivo is no different, albeit much more vivid and technicolor than minimally monochromatic. Immediately from the table of contents, you can tell this is going to be a different book: recipes for food and drink are sectioned by thematic elements rather than page order, and everything one would need to have a great night in with friends, solo or a date night at home is right there.

Book Review: Aperitivo

Review: Hirsch The Bivouac and Single Barrel Bourbons Silver and White We've been writing about Hirsch since its 2016-ish relaunch, and the operation has grown in size and scope ever since. Today, Hirsch has at least 7 expressions under its belt, including three (very different) single barrel releases that are hard to distinguish from one another aside from peeping the color of the label. Ultimately you really have to read the fine print on the back to know what you're getting.

Review: Hirsch The Bivouac and Single Barrel Bourbons Silver and White

Review: Old Dominick Reserve Bourbon 8 Years Old As Old Dominick Distillery in Memphis comes into its own, its house-distilled whiskey has steadily improved, evolving in character and complexity as its age statements climb. While the Memphis distillery makes Tennessee whiskey, Old Dominick also distills bourbon made with a high-rye mashbill of 52% corn, 44% rye, and 4% malted barley. On August 1, 2025, Old Dominick unveiled its most mature release to date: Old Dominick Reserve Bourbon 8 Years Old.

Review: Old Dominick Reserve Bourbon 8 Years Old

Georgian Wine Review: 2021 Dugladze Tibaani and 2018 Dugladze Kisi Qvevri Georgian wine is a major source of national pride and identity, with its winemaking method added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2013. My colleagues have reviewed wines from Georgia in recent years, and now I am fortunate enough to take a turn, courtesy of two wines from one of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Established in 1903, Dugladze is still a relatively new kid on the block but a fourth generation of the family is carrying on operations, fusing modern techniques with time-tested traditional wine-making methods.

Georgian Wine Review: 2021 Dugladze Tibaani and 2018 Dugladze Kisi Qvevri

Review: Wines of Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao, 2025 Releases From a distance, Portugal feels like an ever-evolving country forever at the crossroads caught between two ways of thinking, and somehow it all comes together in harmony. Old-world charm meets easy-going contemporary ambiance, with cobblestone streets winding past modern architecture and art galleries, and exciting Michelin-starred restaurants booked months in advance reside on the same street as a dive kitchen using lawn chairs and folding tables.

Review: Wines of Quinta da Fonte Souto Florao, 2025 Releases

Review: Michter’s Single Barrel Straight Rye 10 Years Old 2025 We tasted the latest 10-year-old, single barrel bourbon from Michter’s back in the spring, and the companion rye bottling wasn't too far behind. Once again, Michter’s highlighted in their accompanying press release the “extra-aged” possibilities of this whiskey despite the age-statement on the label, noting that they harvest single barrels “according to the flavor profile of specific barrels rather than automatically upon their reaching a certain age.” Keep that in mind when mulling the $25 price increase over last year’s MSRP, or, more likely, the steep additional markup you will have to stomach to add this one to the collection.

Review: Michter's Single Barrel Straight Rye 10 Years Old 2025

Review: 2025 Fio A Fio White Blend When translated from its native Portuguese, “fio a fio” means “thread by thread”, an homage to the nation’s textile and lace-making industries. It is also a rather appropriate way to describe how I am feeling about the upcoming adventures of Portugal’s mens national soccer team in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Delightful expressions aside, this Portuguese white is a blend of Fernão Pires, Loureiro, and…

Review: 2025 Fio A Fio White Blend

When translated from its native Portuguese, “fio a fio” means “thread by thread”, an homage to the nation’s textile and lace-making industries. It is also a rather appropriate way to describe how I am feeling about the upcoming adventures of Portugal’s mens…

Review: High West The Prisoner’s Share (2025) Located in the scenic mountains of Park City, Utah, High West Distillery has a history of releasing limited-edition whiskeys that incorporate secondary maturation. While A Midwinter Night's Dram is arguably the most well-known of these offerings, The Prisoner’s Share has also become a notable entry in the lineup. On June 1, 2025, High West released Batch No. 25C05 of The Prisoner’s Share.

Review: High West The Prisoner’s Share (2025)

Located in the scenic mountains of Park City, Utah, High West Distillery has a history of releasing limited-edition whiskeys that incorporate secondary maturation. While A Midwinter Night's Dram is arguably the most well-known of these offerings, The…

Review: 2022 Rosset Vallee d’Aoste Nebbiolo DOP This is a nebbiolo-based wine from northern Italy, but it's not Barolo, as its growing region is outside the specified range for Barolo, in the nearby Aoste Valley. The wine is brisk and acidic, showcasing notes of sour cherry, bitter rhubarb, and baking spice, whipped into a racy and very tart swirl. As the wine develops on the palate, the cherry notes continue to dominate, offering a pungent quality that never strikes the drinker as delicate.

Review: 2022 Rosset Vallee d'Aoste Nebbiolo DOP

Review: Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon Situated in the high desert of Fallon, Nevada, Frey Ranch Distillery is where Colby Frey—self-proclaimed "whiskey farmer"—continues to redefine what it means to be truly farm-to-glass. In mid-July 2025, the distillery unveiled a milestone expression: Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon, launching with two barrels -- #3011 and #3016 (the latter reviewed here). This release marks a first for…

Review: Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon

Situated in the high desert of Fallon, Nevada, Frey Ranch Distillery is where Colby Frey—self-proclaimed "whiskey farmer"—continues to redefine what it means to be truly farm-to-glass. In mid-July 2025, the distillery unveiled a milestone…

Review: Non-Alcoholic Beers of Bero, Complete Lineup "Born in London, crafted in America, and enjoyed worldwide," Bero hit the scene last year as a collaboration between longtime brewer John Herman and Spider-Man actor Tom Holland. The non-alcoholic beer operation launched with three expressions (more are on the way), all of which we review below. Bero Noon Wheat - A solid base of lemon and gentle wheat begins the experience, coming across as a perfectly on-point rendition of a wheat beer.

Review: Non-Alcoholic Beers of Bero, Complete Lineup

Review: Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Number Five Iowa's Cedar Ridge is perhaps best known for their regionally popular (and often very good!) bourbon, which can outsell some of the nation's biggest brands in its home market. But never content with just corn, Master Distiller Murphy Quint has also been churning out a series of single malts, including a limited-edition lineup dubbed "The QuintEssential." Today, we're looking at the fifth installment in that line, a 117.8 proof bottling that features five finishing cask types:

Review: Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential Number Five

Review: 2020 Hamel Stratum Estate Red Wine This Sonoma-born blend from Hamel features 66% cabernet sauvignon and 34% merlot but tastes like neither -- showcasing a densely earthy character that comes across closer to syrah, with heavy influences of cedar, anise, and rosemary. Very dry and tannic -- almost beefy -- as it develops, the wine finds a density that is cut only by some late-game notes of plum and raspberry. Brooding and undulating, the conclusion however retreats to notes that are thick and earthy, with lingering notes of tar. B / $50

Review: 2020 Hamel Stratum Estate Red Wine

This Sonoma-born blend from Hamel features 66% cabernet sauvignon and 34% merlot but tastes like neither -- showcasing a densely earthy character that comes across closer to syrah, with heavy influences of cedar, anise, and rosemary. Very dry and tannic…

Celebrate National Scotch Day With Cocktails Sunday July 27th is National Scotch Day. If you’re a fan of Scotch whisky, you might already have your favorite bottle ready to go for the occasion. If you’re not a Scotch fan already but curious about this category, there are a few important things to consider. Much like American whiskey, Scotland has five different whisky regions — Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland, and Speyside — with varying styles and flavor profiles.

Celebrate National Scotch Day With Cocktails

Sunday July 27th is National Scotch Day. If you’re a fan of Scotch whisky, you might already have your favorite bottle ready to go for the occasion. If you’re not a Scotch fan already but curious about this category, there are a few important things to…

Review: Glen Scotia 10 Years Old Campbeltown’s Glen Scotia has offered a 10-year-old single malt expression for well over a decade now, but this is our first time tasting it. In fact, we’ve yet to explore any of the distillery’s broad, age-stated lineup outside of the limited-edition 12-year-old, which doesn’t appear to even be a thing anymore since a packaging refresh in 2022. Oh well. Best to start at the beginning, I suppose.

Review: Glen Scotia 10 Years Old