Drinkhacker

Review: 2025 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau Your first 2025 vintage wine of the year is here, and by that we of course mean the latest Beaujolais Nouveau, the ultra-fresh red made from gamay grapes that is intended for consumption before the end of the year. As we have frequently sampled, Georges Duboeuf sent us its current release, hot off the press. Let's dig in. Darker in color than I expected, this year's vintage looks rich and dense, but offers a nose of fresh grape must, cranberry, and black pepper, with just a hint of vegetation and turned earth running beneath it.

Review: 2025 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau

Review: Crafthouse Cocktails, Complete Lineup Crafthouse Cocktails has James Beard Award cred behind it courtesy of bartender Charles Joly, but it's the approach to real ingredients and authentic recipes in its canned, RTD offerings that really caught our attention. The operation currently offers seven different canned cocktails, all 200ml in size (good for about 1.7 servings in each). They aren't carbonated (thank God) unless they're supposed to be -- and are noted as such before.

Review: Crafthouse Cocktails (Complete Lineup)

Review: Crown Royal Marquis and Chocolate Crown Royal recently dropped two new expressions, one a finished whisky (rum barrels), and one a heavily flavored one (chocolate). We got 'em both. Thoughts follow. Crown Royal Marquis Review Crafted for "the next era of nightlife" -- which I thought was "staying home" -- Crown Royal Marquis is a blend of Canadian whiskies finished in Caribbean rum casks. There's no age statement on this one, which arrives in a deep maroon velvet bag, and which showcases a dark amber hue in the glass.

Review: Crown Royal Marquis and Chocolate

Review: 2023 Cecchi Storia di Famiglia Chianti Classico DOCG What if I told you you could find DOCG-class Chianti Classico for 20 bucks a bottle? Sometimes even as little as $12? Cecchi Storia di Famiglia is a slightly unconventional bottling of the wine -- 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon -- but the approach works surprisingly well. The bright fruit of a traditional Sangiovese wine is evident but it has a fruit-forward density you don't often find in a Classico expression.

Review: 2023 Cecchi Storia di Famiglia Chianti Classico DOCG

5 Outstanding Zinfandels For Thanksgiving 2025 But wait, there’s more. Mildly dissatisfied with limiting our Thanksgiving wine suggestions exclusively to Pinot Noir, we pivot to five Zinfandels at a variety of price points for Thanksgiving dinner. Zinfandel is always a good call to pair with turkey, as a Zinfandel with lower tannins provides a bit of juiciness. Which, depending on who is running point in the kitchen this year, can absolutely run the risk of being sandpaper dry and overcooked.

5 Outstanding Zinfandels For Thanksgiving 2025

Review: 2023 Eight Years in the Desert California Red Wine With its oversized Burgundy bottle, textured label, and mysterious name there's a bit of mystery around what this Orin Swift California-designated blend really is. Turns out it's a mix of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Syrah, aged 7 months in French Oak, 35% of which is new. At 15.6% abv, it's a powerhouse of a wine, gooey and unctuous with overwhelming notes of currants, macerated cherries, and raisins developing against a backdrop of dark chocolate and licorice -- almost dessert-like.

Review: 2023 Eight Years in the Desert California Red Wine

Review: Hardin’s Creek The Warehouse Series 2025 – Mushroom, Beaver, and Owl Back in 2023, Beam launched a trilogy of bourbons designed to show the impact of location on aging. The Kentucky Series of Hardin's Creek looked at warehouse terroir by presenting identical distillate aged at one of three different Beam campuses: Clermont, Frankfort, and Boston. The results were eye-opening, and I had some distinct preferences among the trio.

Review: Hardin's Creek The Warehouse Series 2025 - Mushroom, Beaver, and Owl

Review: Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Rye and Bourbon (2025) In 1964, Congress declared bourbon a “distinctive product of the United States,” cementing its place as America’s native spirit. While distillers may choose from a range of secondary grains to shape its flavor, bourbon remains, at its core, a whiskey born from corn. Ask someone to name the state most closely tied to bourbon, and Kentucky almost always tops the list.

Review: Cedar Ridge Double Barrel Rye and Bourbon (2025)

Review: Field of Dreams 2025 Player Series Bourbon and All-Star Whiskey Bourbon is often called America’s native spirit. Baseball, of course, is America’s pastime. Both are born of the same soil — stitched into the fabric of a growing nation that found its rhythm in the mid-1800s, when railroads, steamboats, and telegraphs began to connect small towns and big dreams from coast to coast. As whiskey began to travel beyond local taverns and baseball teams journeyed beyond county lines, both became more than local curiosities.

Review: Field of Dreams Player Series Bourbon (2025) and All-Star Whiskey - If you blend it, will they come?

Review: 2024 Unsanctioned Pinot Gris Oregon "Less fuss. More fun." That's the sell for Unsanctioned, an Oregon wine blended from 90% Pinot Gris and 10% Sauvignon Blanc -- incidentally the maximum amount of blending allowed under Oregon’s winemaking guidelines to still be called a Pinot Gris. Crafted by winemaker Quin Donahue, this stainless-steel–fermented wine is sourced from premier vineyards across the Willamette and Umpqua Valleys. Aromas of green apple, Asian pear, and key lime jump from the glass, while flavors of white peach, lime, and melon deliver a juicy, bright, and refreshing finish.

Review: 2024 Unsanctioned Pinot Gris Oregon

Review: Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old Cask Strength (2025) Bunnahabhain introduced a cask strength version of its flagship 12-year-old single malt back in 2021. It started life as an annual release but then took 2024 off. Now it’s back and slated for regular, yearly appearances, or so we’re told. Bunnahabhain is the most northerly distillery on Islay, the island best known for its peaty whiskies. While there are a few notable peated offerings in the Bunnahabhain stable, the distillery focuses more on unpeated single malts including a range of age-stated expressions that top out at a whopping…

Review: Bunnahabhain 12 Years Old Cask Strength (2025)

The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2025 We tasted plenty of great tequila this year -- and lots of good mezcal, too. For 2025, we've got three mezcals on our list of the top agave spirits released this year, a record since we started compiling this top 10 list in 2019. No lime and salt required today, but a hearty snack won't hurt as we delve into 2025's list of the best tequilas and mezcals to hit the market.

The Top 10 Tequilas and Mezcals of 2025

Review: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon 10 Years Old (2025) It's hard to believe, but Angel's Envy has never put out an age-statemented release before now, and they're coming out of the gate hard, with a 10 year old version of the long-running Cask Strength Limited Edition Bourbon.. Fans of the brand know that Angel's Envy puts out a Cask Strength edition each year around holiday time, and this year's differs namely by the inclusion of the age statement.

Review: Angel's Envy Cask Strength Bourbon 10 Years Old (2025)

Review: Wente 2024 Pacific Mist Pinot Grigio and 2022 Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon No big prologue today. Here's a pair of affordable offerings from California's Wente, both made from Central Coast grapes: 2024 Wente Pacific Mist Pinot Grigio Central Coast - One of the mildest pinot grigios I've encountered in recent memory, this harmless wine offers a gentle pear note on the attack, chased by touches of honeysuckle. The body's a little oily, though citrus notes temper it with some acidity.

Review: Wente 2024 Pacific Mist Pinot Grigio and 2022 Southern Hills Cabernet Sauvignon

Review: 2022 Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon Orin Swift never met a gimmick he didn't like, and even I have to say this one is pretty fun. Mercury Head is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon with no front label -- only a real mercury head dime embedded into the glass of the bottle. The dime alone is worth about $1.50. The wine inside makes up the other $168.50 of the asking price.

Review: 2022 Orin Swift Mercury Head Cabernet Sauvignon

Review: Widow Jane The Vaults 15 Years Old 2025 Brooklyn-based (and Heaven Hill-owned) Widow Jane is back with its seventh iteration of The Vaults, a 15 year blend of straight bourbon whiskeys finished in a changing lineup of secondary casks. As usual, the base liquid is a mix of Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana-distilled bourbons. No surprise there, but when it comes to secondary maturation, Widow Jane is taking a fabled turn.

Review: Widow Jane The Vaults 15 Years Old 2025

Review: Mutiny Island Ginger Lime Infused Vodka Adding to the Mutiny Island collection of infused breadfruit-based vodka line, the brand recently released its Ginger Lime infusion. Infused with natural flavors of ginger, lime, and natural flavors, it does not disappoint. Mutiny Island Ginger Lime Infused Vodka Review The invigorating aroma of ginger and zesty lime aromatics set the stage for a refreshing experience. Upon tasting, the balance between the zing of ginger and the bright acidity of the lime is evident, as is the vodka's silky texture.

Review: Mutiny Island Ginger Lime Infused Vodka

Review: Mount Gay Single Estate Series 25_04 Mount Gay's fourth Single Estate Series rum is here (Single Estate Series #3 was a white rum which we did not taste and which is not available in the U.S.), the Barbados-based producer's exploration of terroir in the rum world. This fourth release was created using 100% sugar cane grown at the Mount Gay Estate in 2019. The molasses produced from that can had a particularly high sugar content of 72%.

Review: Mount Gay Single Estate Series 25_04

Review: Tequila Centinela Cristalino and Tres Anos Tequila Centinela may be new to us at Drinkhacker, but according to their bio, the family-owned distillery has over a century of experience with tequila production. Founded in 1904, it was the first tequila distillery established in Arandas, the home of Highland tequila in Jalisco. As the self-described “Guardians of True Tequila,” Centinela makes their tequilas without additives from estate-grown agave roasted in traditional masonry ovens.

Review: Tequila Centinela Cristalino and Tres Anos

Review: Silverbelly Last Call Bourbon (2025) Country music legend Alan Jackson has built a career that stands as tall and timeless as a Tennessee oak. Over the decades, the Georgia native has penned and performed countless hits that speak to the heart of American life — and more than a few that raise a glass to good whiskey. His very first No. 1 single arrived back in 1991, and since then, whiskey has often found its way into his lyrics.

Review: Silverbelly Last Call Bourbon (2025)

Review: Gamble Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blancs – 2023 Reserve and 2024 Yountville Today we take a second visit this year to Napa’s Gamble Family Vineyards, with two new sauvignon blanc wines on tap. 2023 Gamble Family Vineyards Reserve Sauvignon Blanc - The reserve release of the sauvignon blanc Rob reviewed last year. Similar in tone, this is a tropical, fruit-forward wine with a rush of peach and pineapple, tempered by a gentle bitterness that comes across as quite minerally, almost steely.

Review: Gamble Family Vineyards Sauvignon Blancs - 2023 Reserve and 2024 Yountville

5 Outstanding Pinot Noirs For Thanksgiving 2025 No, we didn’t crowdsource opinions from forty Williamsburg-based sommeliers who speak of Pinot Noir as if it is Latin scripture for this Thanksgiving roundup. Instead, we trusted our instincts and selected five bottles we’ve tried and enjoyed over the last 12 months. They span a healthy range of price points, perfectly suited for surviving another round of family small talk, bringing to a Friendsgiving where you really don’t know anyone in the room, or enjoying a nice, quiet holiday meal sans friends and family.

Five Pinot Noirs For American Thanksgiving

Review: Suavecito Tequila Anejo Single Barrel Suavecito is a new tequila brand that makes the full gamut of expressions, but it's this unique single barrel offering that caught our attention of late. Single barrel expressions are of course common in the whiskey universe, but are rarely seen in tequila, where blending is king. Per the company: This small-batch, limited release is a masterclass in aging and craftsmanship.

Review: Suavecito Tequila Anejo Single Barrel

Review: Pantera de Oro Tequila Extra Anejo Cask Strength Pantera de Oro is a new tequila that, for now, exists only as an extra anejo. That's always a little alarming to me -- tequila should start with the basics and grow from there -- but we won't hold that against the brand as we look to experience what it has to offer. The inaugural release—Lot #1—features 20,000 one-liter bottles of cask strength Extra Añejo tequila, distilled at NOM 1608 - Los Valores.

Review: Pantera de Oro Tequila Extra Anejo Cask Strength

Review: Wines of Early Mountain, Late 2025 Releases Earlier this year, Christopher returned to Early Mountain Vineyards, a stalwart of the “just about to arrive/emerging wine region of Virginia” people (usually the same ones) have been championing for over a decade. His reviews served as confirmation that, yes, Virginia is still emerging gracefully, and there are still gems to be found and enjoyed from around the commonwealth.

Review: Wines of Early Mountain, 2025 Releases

Review: WhistlePig “The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame” Rye Whiskey 2025 We're twelve years in on WhistlePig's Boss Hog collection, officially the most insane thing anyone ever does with a whiskey -- and they do it every year, always differently. The name of the game with Boss Hog is unusual finishing of its well-aged rye whiskey, and this year's release is of course no exception. (Who can forget release X, inspired by the Ten Commandments?)

Review: WhistlePig "The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame" Rye Whiskey 2025

Review: Herdade do Peso 2020 Parcelas Red and 2021 Revelado Red One of our favorite corners of Europe is Portugal’s Alentejo (ah-len-tay-zhoo) region. It’s a vast, sunlit expanse where an impressive number of varietals form a patchwork of grapes grown in a diverse array of climates and altitudes. Alentejo has a knack for adaptability: it can produce wines that feel like luxury without draining bank accounts, or easygoing bottles that overdeliver for their price.

Review: Herdade do Peso 2020 Parcelas Red and 2021 Revelado Red

Review: Diageo Scotch Whisky Special Releases 2025 Diageo's Special Releases for 2025 are here, this year dubbed "Horizons Unbound." As always, that really just means we have some unusual finishes and barrel treatments on tap, though there's also plenty of familiar stuff in the mix this year, too. Eight whiskies are on offer this year. As always, we tasted through them and have some thoughts. Here they are, ordered in order of preference.

Review: Diageo Scotch Whisky Special Releases 2025

Review: J.P. Wiser’s Canadian Whiskey 10 Years Old – Detroit Red Wings Edition A bit of a programming note before we crash the Corvette directly into the freeway median of nostalgia: I’m a native Detroiter, city and suburb, and my love for the Detroit Red Wings runs incredibly deep. My two favorite seasons are currently overlapping: autumn and hockey. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve the club, beginning with the arrival of baby-faced Steve Yzerman when I was 7.

Review: J.P. Wiser's Canadian Whiskey 10 Years Old - Detroit Red Wings Edition

Best Bourbons Under $100 You’ve sifted through the bourbon offerings in the under $50 segment. What about something that’s a little more upmarket? Just a little more upscale than 50 bucks can get you? With this story, we’re raising the stakes on the best bourbons on the market, and setting our maximum price at $100. As you can imagine, this opens the door quite a bit to a really huge range of whiskeys that manage to get on the shelf at that price.

Best Bourbons Under $100 - Our top 15 picks, ready for your holiday shopping list!