Month: November 2020

After news of rising Chicago rapper King Von’s death Friday, many musicians like YG, Chance The Rapper, Dreezy, and more offered their condolences. Lil Durk, who was very close to the rapper, didn’t hear the news until Friday afternoon and shortly thereafter took to social media to express his grief.

Durk shared a tribute to Von on his Instagram page following news of his passing. “MY TWIN GONE,” he wrote in the caption. “I LOVE YOU BABY BRO – D ROY.”

Durk had become close with Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett, after Durk signed the rapper to his Only The Family record label. At the time of Von’s death, both the rappers were awaiting trial for a February 2019 incident where the two were accused of robbing and shooting a man in Atlanta.

According to several reports, Von died after sustaining gunshot wounds following an altercation in an Atlanta nightclub. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the incident left three dead and three injured. Following news of his death, rumors circulated which claimed Von had been shot by a police officer, but TMZ recently reported those claims to be false, saying the shooting happened before officers were able to arrive on the scene.

See Lil Durk’s reaction above.

With mail-in ballots still being counted, Americans are waiting on the edge of their seats to see if Joe Biden can successfully unseat Donald Trump as president. Snoop Dogg decided to let off some steam and distract from the stress of the election by playfully trolling Trump and his supporters.

In a message posted to Instagram Friday, Snoop laid out an argument that at first made it seem like he was siding with Trump. “I get it, you hated him 4 years ago and you still hate him now,” the message began. “I’ve seen a lot of hate thrown his way, but this guy is a consistent winner and an overachiever. Call it jealously, call it envy, some people just can’t handle how successful he is and how much money he has, could even be jealous that’s got a hot foreign model as his wife.”

In the post’s very last sentence, it becomes clear that the message not actually about Trump: “I know its possibly going to get worse over the next several days, but like him or not, Tom Brady is turning things around in Tampa Bay.”

Fans who feel for Snoop’s antics were confused at first because the rapper has been very vocal about his contempt for the president. Back in September, the rapper slammed Trump as a “racist” and listed off all the various groups of people has has “disrespected.” “Seems like he disrespecting every color in the world and everything that ain’t what he is, which, is a racist,” Snoops said. “So, with that being said, people that voted for him got exactly what they wanted. He gave them what he said he was going to give them.”

Check out Snoop Dogg’s social media fake out above.

Tekashi 69 has long been a problematic pain in the ass, but rap fans are calling foul on his latest stunt, as it’s even more disrespectful than usual. Under a post about King Von’s death, Tekashi commented with a crying laughing emoji, mocking Von’s friend and mentor Lil Durk as he apparently discovered the news from commenters on his Instagram Live stream.

69’s animosity toward Lil Durk goes back a long-ish way, stemming back from 69’s initial rise in 2018 when he seemingly instigated beef with just about every Chicago rapper. Earlier this year, after Tekashi was released, Durk alleged that Tekashi’s new management tried to pay him to participate in a troll war with the rainbow-haired troublemaker as a form of promotion. While he claims he turned the money down, the troll war ensued anyway, with Tekashi trolling Durk at every opportunity and Durk more than happy to return the favor, clowning Tekashi’s disappointing album sales total.

As King Von was signed to Lil Durk’s label, Only The Family Entertainment, apparently Tekashi found amusement in the way Lil Durk learned that King Von had been shot in Atlanta. As Durk and his crew turned up in their car, a screen capture shows fans posting about the shooting to try and get his attention. It takes him a while to notice the comments and a look of concern shoots across his face as he cuts the stream. Surely, Durk is in some distress by now, as his artist and friend was gunned down. Tekashi reveling in his pain has hip-hop fans up in arms as they deplore his ugly behavior.

See responses from fans above. Meanwhile, many of hip-hop’s more respectable representatives have suitably responded to Von’s death. You can see their reactions here.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Special — (Saturday, HBO 8:00 p.m.) Settle in for a virtual ceremony — hosted by genuine nice guy and rock god Dave Grohl — to honor this year’s inductees: Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G., Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, T-Rex, and Ahmet Ertegun. Special guests will include Luke Bryan, Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Don Henley, Billy Idol, Iggy Pop, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bruce Springsteen, St. Vincent, Ringo Starr, Gwen Stefani, Charlize Theron, and Nancy Wilson.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 10 (Disney+ series) — The Baby Yoda star vehicle puts the cutest little guy in genuine peril this week after last week’s turn from Timothy Olyphant as the coolest marshal in the galaxy. Rewatch the Olyphant episode, too. Go for it.

Saturday Night Live (Saturday, NBC 11:29 p.m.) — Host Dave Chappelle keeps with tradition, along with musical guest Foo Fighters, in hosting the post-election episode.

El Presidente (Amazon Prime series) — Here comes the English dub of the Chilean web drama series about Sergia Jadue, a small-town soccer club director who finds himself thrust into the big leagues of the Chilean soccer association. Naturally, he goes mad with power and serves at the behest of “soccer godfather” Julia Gondona, and the FBI’s digging hard on an inherent corruption scheme

Country Ever After: Season 1 (Netflix series) — As a reality series with heart, country singer Coffey Anderson and his hip-hop dancer wife, Criscilla, seek to maneuver through their country vs. city perspectives of life and parenting. They’re in Los Angeles, so it’ll be a trip to see which side wins.

Ferro (Amazon Prime series) — This series tells the unknown story of one of the most beloved Italian singers, who’s looking toward a new chapter in life while hitting age 40. The journey whirls through Milan, Los Angeles, and more locations to (at least) virtually satisfy your wanderlust.

Operation Christmas Drop — (Netflix film) Another holiday rom-com’s coming your way, this time starring Vikings star Alexander Ludwig and Kat Graham. She portrays a congressional aide, and he’s a tropical U.S. Air Force captain, and service members are rallying to remain open in the face of semi-nefarious forces.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

How To With John Wilson (Friday, HBO 11:00 p.m.) — This week, the comedy docuseries explores humans’ ability (and inabilities) to tap into memories. Wilson also spoke with us about capturing the intimacy and absurdity of life in New York.

Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.

Good Lord Bird (Sunday, Showtime 9:00 p.m.) — Ethan Hawke stars as violent abolitionist John Brown in this series that takes place in the Kansas territory in 1856. This week, John Brown puts his ultimate plan into action, and his success is not only threatened by his own impulsiveness but Onion’s crucial mistake.

The Undoing (Sunday, HBO 9:00 p.m.) — Hugh Grant’s fascinating turn as a possibly shady dude (and it’s about time) returns with Jonathan back on the scene and doing (or at least attempting) some explaining.

Fear The Walking Dead (Sunday, AMC 9:00 p.m.) — Morgan stands in the way (as he very well should in all matters) of Dwight and Sherry and their desired goal.

Fargo (Sunday, FX 10:00 p.m.) — Deafy’s closing in on his target while Josto’s heart is having a mood, and Loy’s playing with fire.

The Walking Dead: World Beyond (Sunday, AMC 10:00 p.m.) — The next spinoff in this universe continues to feel itself out with a newcomer that will shake up the group. Is the tire fire still going? No doubt.

Hot on the heels of their “pretty cool but also very weird” Adidas 40th Anniversary Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back sneaker collection, Adidas is dropping another Star Wars-branded line. This time, they’re jumping into the universe of the hit Disney+ show — and best post-George Lucas Star Wars product — The Mandalorian. While the Empire Strikes Back collection was hit or miss overall, the pairs that were actually dope (the Boba Fett and Luke Skywalker shoes immediately come to mind) were full of all sorts of small, character-specific details that made sneakerheads and Star Wars nerds alike froth with excitement.

The Mandalorian collection is not quite as detailed, but it’s a significantly more consistent offering — a collection of mostly earth-toned colorways across silhouettes like the Adidas Boost, Superstar, Gazelle, and Top Ten Hi. In celebration of the kick-off of The Mandalorian season 2, we’ve ranked all nine sneakers from worst to best. Let’s dive in!

9. Gazelle Darksaber

Giancarlo Esposito is a fantastic actor. His portrayal of Gus Fring in Breaking Bad has solidified him as one of the greatest TV villains of all time. This, however, has tricked too many people thinking that Giancarlo makes a good villain, in general. What made Gus Fring terrifying was that underneath his bookish exterior, he was a quiet storm of evil. In The Mandalorian, he’s just about the only actor who could look nerdy holding the ultra-cool Darksaber. It doesn’t quite work, in this shoe writer’s opinion.

Annnnyyyyyway, Giancarlo plays the big bad in The Mandalorian, Moff Gideon, and this Adidas Gazelle is designed with his character — and the mandalorian-made blade he wields — in mind. The Gazelle Darksaber features an all suede upper in a mix of core black, silver metallic, and grey which matches Moff Gideon’s suit, with a glowing set of three stripes that are meant to recall the cracked light of the Darksaber.

We’re ranking it last because it’s just a little too nerdy for its own good.

8. Nizza Beskar Steel

The Beskar Steel utilizes Adidas’ Nizza high platform sneaker silhouette and pays homage to the no-named Mandalorian Armorer in the series’ first season. Like the Armorer, the Nizza is dressed in a luxurious mix of brown, raw dessert, and maroon, with a rugged canvas upper, furry suede three stripes and heel stripe, and a gaudy golden tongue label with premium leather accents. This is easily the flashiest sneaker in the whole set but Adidas’ decision to use the Nizza here is a puzzling one.

If you wanted to go this flashy, why not choose a sleeker silhouette? The Nizza feels miscast here. We love the concept, just not the execution.

7. Top Ten Hi The Child Youth

One of the most effective silhouettes in Adidas’ entire Star Wars-branded output is the Top Ten Hi. It’s on the Boba Fetts, the Chewbaccas, and now Baby Yoda is getting the classic b-ball treatment. Themed around Baby Yoda’s floating pod, this youth-sized colorway features a spring-ready mix of cream white, pale nude, and glory mint over a mixed leather and suede upper with Baby Yoda branding on the tongue. If you’re a Mandalorian-head and you’re cursing at us right now for calling Baby Yoda “Baby Yoda” and not, “The Child”… deal with it!

He’ll always be Baby Yoda to us.

We really like this colorway but the fact that it’s exclusively youth-sized means it’s not particularly accessible.

6. NMD_R1 The Mandalorian Youth

The NMD_R1 is Adidas’ other frequently appearing silhouette in the brand’s Star Wars offerings — repping Lando Calrissian, the Storm Troopers, and now The Mandalorian himself. The NMD_R1 Mandalorian is the collection’s only other youth-sized sneaker and while altogether it’s a fine design, it just doesn’t really reflect the character it’s named for in our opinion. Aside from the silver stripe, this design’s mix of brown, pale nude, and maroon doesn’t do much to reflect the Mandalorian’s color palette of silver and blue chrome. Instead, it captures the desert-like earthy tones of the show itself.

Still, this colorway atop a blacked-out Boost midsole is a pretty solid look and one we wish Adidas would’ve sized up.

5. NMD_R1 The Mandalorian

We’re not too burned up about Adidas making the previous sneaker youth-exclusive because the Men’s-sized NMD_R1 Mandalorian is a significant step up. Featuring a sleek all-over armor print over a stretchy textile upper, The Mandalorian sports a colorway of core black and silver metallic — with a simple brown Boost midsole with speckled detailing and Mandalorian helmet branding on the tongue. The sneaker’s unique armor print is a pretty cool look and this graphic-laden textile upper is one we think Adidas should adopt into some of their other Primeknit designs.

A Yeezy with Mando-inspired armor print? Let’s make it happen, we know Ye is a huge Star Wars nerd anyway.

4. The Child Superstar

If Adidas’ The Child Superstar didn’t have Baby Yoda branding, it would be one of the hottest colorways of Adidas Superstar to drop all year. This colorway of linen green, core black, and cream white is simply beautiful. Make more sneakers utilizing linen green Adidas, why are you robbing your other sneakers of this eye-catching tone?!

The Child Superstar is the collection’s prettiest pair, with a full-grain leather upper that looks like it’s meant to be viewed through a display case, making this the most collector’s worthy of the whole set. Adidas seems to realize that, they made this one exclusive to members of their Creators Club, which if you’re interested, is totally free to sign up for.

3. ZX 2K Boost Mudhorn

Making a sneaker based on a creature that appears in a minor but semi-significant scene in the series’ first season was a weird decision but Adidas did it, and they made it look pretty dope in the process. Utilizing the retro-futuristic ’80s by-way-of 2030 ZX 2K silhouette, the Mudhorn features a mesh upper with floating no-sew overlays in a mix of cloud white, glory mint, and core black atop a speckled print midsole with Mudhorn signet branding on the tongue. The design on the Mudhorn just comes together so perfectly, it doesn’t feel forced and best of all it stands up on its own as a design completely disconnected to the series that inspired it, making it one of the collection’s most functional and wearable pieces.

This one hits the heights of Adidas’ other Star Wars collection.

2. NMD_R1 The Child Find Your Way

Yet another NMD_R1 in the collection, The Child Find Your Way, which I think we can all agree is the worst named sneaker in the whole collection, is pretty damn clean. Featuring a delicious mix of cream white and pale nude with clear mint three stripes, this women’s runner features a tactile and lightweight knit textile upper atop a Boost midsole with EVA plugs for an ultra-wearable and stylish pair of running shoes that just happens to be Star Wars themed.

The best sneakers in this collection are the pairs that don’t look like heavily branded Disney sneakers and if this pair didn’t feature the cheesy “Find Your Way” branding on the tongue, we might think it was something out of Beyonce’s IVY PARK collection.

1. Top Ten Hi The Child

In a way, it’s fitting that the Top Ten Hi has become the best silhouette for Star Wars-branded Adidas. The basketball silhouette is a product of the late ’70s and early ’80s, just like Star Wars, and its mix of retro design lines and futuristic sleekness is reflective of what you might find in a galaxy far far away. Much of Star Wars’ most iconic inventions are repurposed junk from the ’70s. Old camera flashes became lightsabers, trash cans became droids, so why can’t ’70s high top basketball sneakers be the footwear of choice for X-Wing pilots in the rebel fleet?

The Top Ten Hi The Child features a fire mix of blue, cream white and linen green (there’s that linen green again) over a mixed leather and suede upper with speckled galaxy-esque laces and Baby Yoda branding on the tongue. While the Boba Fetts may be the fan-favorite this year, the Top Ten Hi The Child is Adidas’ best Star Wars-branded sneaker of all time.

Election 2020 is turning out to be just as batsh*t crazy as 2020 itself, which of course isn’t surprising, but certainly is annoying.

Due to Trump’s baseless claims that the election is rigged against him and that if only legal votes were counted he’d be winning, states and counties that have spent years honing their elections to make them as secure as possible, that rallied to adjust their systems to accommodate the needs of voters in a global pandemic, and that have managed to pull off hundreds upon hundreds of elections without widespread fraud now have to battle a president publicly attacking the integrity of our entire electoral process.

Good times, America.

No one disagrees that elections should be run fairly. No one disagrees that ballots should be cast within legal boundaries. No one disagrees that every legally cast vote should be counted. No one disagrees that ballot counting should be overseen by representatives of both parties and that poll watchers should raise concerns if they see something questionable in the vote tallying process.

And that has been happening in ballot counting centers across the nation. Unfortunately, so has some ridiculous tomfoolery from the Trump camp.

Julie Moroney is a law student who answered the call for non-partisan poll watchers in Detroit, Michigan, and she shared on Twitter what she experienced as she watched Wayne county ballots being counted.

Moroney wrote:

“I was at the TCF Center in Detroit yesterday as a non-partisan poll challenger. The woman in the maroon shirt with the black mask was one of the GOP challengers I monitored. At one point, she yelled that a ballot needed to be thrown out because it ‘looked sticky.’ Another time she demanded that the poll workers stop what they were doing and backup all computers in case of power outage or tornado(?). Just baseless, bad faith challenges to slow the process.

And after Trump filed his lawsuit and MI was called for Biden, the GOP strategy shifted to challenge every single ballot. I know this because I overheard their organizers pass on the new message. They didn’t even pretend to have a reason for doing so, just repeated ‘I challenge this ballot; I challenge that ballot’ over and over again as the poll workers tried to count.

At one point, my good friend and law school classmate @sumnertruax looked over at me and said ‘this is not how democracy is supposed to work.’ It was so true, and so sad. The optics of it all weren’t lost on me either. Picture a huge space filled with predominantly Black poll workers just trying to do their gd jobs while white MI GOP challengers hovered over them, yelling at them that they’re wrong, doing a bad job, or committing crimes.

The harassment and intimidation — both from the GOP challengers in the room and the GOP supporters banging on the windows trying to get in — is seared onto my brain. Security guards had to escort us out a side entrance so we could leave the building safely.

One of the most jarring things was stepping outside of the building and seeing the sun set across the river in Canada. The juxtaposition of exiting the epicenter of ‘American democracy’ that felt more like mob rule and seeing the Canadian flag gently flap in the wind a mile away, An example of a functioning democracy…the irony was painful.

I left exhausted, but mostly just sad. I love America, but some of you make it so hard.

How did we get to a place where you challenge other people’s ballots simply because you believe they voted for the other guy? How did we get to a place where you file a lawsuit claiming lack of access, when you have 100+ challengers in there fucking shit up? How did we get to a place where you’re so deep into conspiracy theories that you claim ballots are coming out of thin air when you are there, witnessing the process, and doing everything in your power to impede it?

Go home. And let the incredible, hard-working and honest poll workers #CountEveryVote.”

Poll workers are seriously patriotic heroes right now. What is usually a tedious-but-necessary job has suddenly become a target for quacks and fanatics who simply can’t believe that the most unpopular president since Gerald Ford could possibly fail to be reelected in a fair election. Why? Because Trump says so. It’s really that simple.

Nevermind the fact that if Democrats were really rigging the election, there’s no way on earth Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham would still have their seats. Nevermind the fact that Republicans won races in every one of the swing states where Trump is trying to raise doubts, with the same ballots used to vote for or against him. Nevermind the fact that Trump is a malignant narcissist who literally cannot admit to losing, no matter how clear the outcome of the election.

No one disagrees that legitimate concerns about ballots and votes should be investigated—when there is evidence. Yes, there are occasional irregularities in every single election, and those should be looked into. But you can’t just stand behind the presidential podium and claim the election is rigged or fraudulent or stolen because you’re losing or because the electoral system that has successfully elected 45—soon to be 46—presidents isn’t being run exactly the way you want it to be.

As Moroney’s fellow poll watcher said, “This isn’t how democracy is supposed to work.” Indeed, it is not. And the fact that the dysfunction is coming from the president himself is the saddest thing of all.

Click to download here.

Thanksgiving And Jackie Jr Are Cancelled

Matt and Vince invite comedian Jason Webb onto Pod Yourself A Gun (A Sopranos Podcast!) to discuss a conveniently-timed Thanksgiving episode of The Sopranos, and Janice invites a narcoleptic Christian with a ponytail to dinner on episode 3 of season 8: “He Is Risen.”

This episode reminds us that being in the mob is just as much about petty social slights as it is about doing crimes. There’s lots of gossiping, someone gets their feelings hurt over a declined drink invitation, and someone else gets uninvited from Thanksgiving dinner. So, it’s kind of like Thanksgiving with your family, until someone dies on the toilet, and then it’s just like your family.

Naturally, watching the episode led to some conversations about how families in Jason’s neighborhood settle disputes with their stepdads, the chainsaw bear carvings industry, how to get someone so horny they turn into a dairy product, and a Saved by the Bell Mashup song.

If you love the podcast as much as Jackie Jr. loved that Chevy Cavalier, leave a five star review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe to Pod Yourself A Gun on Apple Podcasts.

Email us at [email protected]; leave us a voicemail at 415-275-0030.

Support the Pod: become a patron at patreon.com/Frotcast and get more bonus content than you could ever want. (-written by Brent Flyberg).

There is at least some reason for optimism in Washington in the coming NBA season. Despite persistent rumors about other suitors lining up to make a run at him, Bradley Beal has said repeatedly that he prefers to stick around, although he’s also left himself something of an out should things go south.

The Wizards are also anticipating having a healthy John Wall back in the lineup as they hope to climb their way back into respectability after a couple of rough seasons and a poor showing during their run through the seeding games in Orlando this summer. Wall is one of the league’s most fiery competitors, using his aggression combined with his athletic ability to attack opponents relentlessly in the open court and at the rim. So it’s no surprise that his on-court demeanor starts with a certain mindset, one that calls back to an old-school sensibility.

On a recent episode of the No Chill podcast with Gilbert Arenas, Wall echoed a popular sentiment among former players that the NBA is too friendly these days.

“A lot of guys be too friendly now,” Wall said. “In their era, they weren’t friendly. They were trying to rip each other’s heads off. Now it’s like guys are buddy-buddy.”

Arenas has said previously that he had no issues handing the keys over to Wall when he arrived in Washington as a star rookie, in part because he knew his career was winding down, but also because he saw in him a kindred spirit who shared his competitive nature.

Even before the restart, Wall has claimed that he’s at “110 percent,” health-wise, which should give Wizards fans reason for cautious optimism after Wall missed most of the past two seasons with injuries. He’s also looked solid in recent pick-up games against other NBA stars.

John Wall, James Harden, Michael Beasley, Andre Drummond & P.J. Tucker all playing pick-up ball

(via @RemyTraining23, remy_runs_miami, themiamiperimeter/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/4mPlZLagnv

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 3, 2020

Still, the grind of the NBA season will be a very different story, as Wall tries to prove he can still produce at an elite level and get his team back on track and back into the conversation again.

Jim Beam is the second best-selling American whiskey brand in the world, behind only Jack Daniel’s. That makes Jim Beam the best-selling bourbon, globally. The brand is in a growth phase, too — thanks to an industry-wide whiskey boom — with a nearly seven percent increase in sales between 2018 and 2019. In the simplest terms, there’s a very good chance that if you’ve ever taken a sip of bourbon, it’s come from one of Jim Beam’s many warehouses.

Which begs the question: What’s the best bottle of bourbon from Jim Beam’s main lineup?

First, a little context. There are seven core bottles in the line, with two limited editions from this year (Old Tub and Repeal Batch). That’s nine bottles of bourbon in total. Just to be clear, we’re not talking about the entire Jim Beam umbrella. We’ll rank the core expressions of Knob Creek, Basil Hayden’s, Booker’s, Baker’s, Old Crow, Old Grand-Dad, and Maker’s another time. This is just the seven core Beam bottles, plus the two 2020 limited editions. (We’re also not getting into flavored bourbons from Beam. That’s eight more bottles and a whole other style.)

So what are the best bottles of Beam? Check our ranking below.

9. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This is an interesting bourbon. The “Devil’s Cut” in this case is what’s left in the oak of the barrel after the “angel’s share” evaporates during maturation. That extracted hot juice is re-barreled and aged again. Finally, it’s blended with six-year-old Beam and cut down to proof with that soft Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of a charred oak barrel with a hint of spiciness and honey on the nose. The sip leans into the oak with a cinnamon-spiked cream soda sweetness and body. A bit of caramel corn arrives late, with a mellow billow of smoke setting off a lingering finish.

Bottom Line:

I do like this expression but it’s just missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on. I’ve had it on the rocks, in a highball, and in a cocktail, and it was… fine. But, I’ve never really reached for it again — hence its ranking here.

8. Jim Beam

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $18

The Whiskey:

This bourbon has a low-rye mash bill. It’s aged for four years before the barrels are blended and it’s cut down to 80 proof. This is a lot of folks’ entry point into the wider world of bourbon because it’s a quaffable whiskey that’s very affordable and on pretty much every liquor store shelf right at eye level.

Tasting Notes:

You can sense the corn next to classic bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla, and orchard fruit. The sip centers the vanilla and caramel as a distant echo of oak arrives on the tongue. The sip warms, with a bit of spice next to a sweetened caramel corn edge on the fast finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid all-around whiskey. You can shoot it with a beer back. It works in a highball. You can mix up old fashioned cocktails all day long with it. More importantly, it’s so cheap that you can practice making cocktails with this and not break the bank.

7. Jim Beam Double Oak

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This was initially released for the international market, no doubt to compete with double oaked single malts from Scotland. It’s now available in the U.S. and worth giving a shot. The juice is aged in new American oak per bourbon trade laws. The whiskey is then transferred to a brand new oak barrel for another round of aging, adding some nice depth to the dram.

Tasting Notes:

There’s, of course, a rush of wood on the nose but it leans more towards a dry cord of firewood than a charred barrel. The vanilla and caramel drive you towards toffee sweetness and a wisp of campfire smoke on the palate. By the medium-length end, you’re left with the vanilla, wood, and smoke lingering together.

Bottom Line:

This is an interesting sip and blooms nicely with a touch of water or a few rocks. The smokiness really adds that little something which helps this whiskey stand out. That also makes it a nice highball candidate.

6. Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This expression replaced the old Black Label 8 Year. The juice in this bottle is aged longer than your average four-year-old Beam, but there is no age statement on exactly how long. The best way to think of it is that it’s aged for as long as it needs to be, according to the distilling team.

Tasting Notes:

This bourbon is where Jim Beam starts to get dialed-in to its core notes of vanilla, caramel, corn, and oak, with a hint of orchard fruit. Yes, all of those elements were there in standard Jim Beam above. But there’s more refinement in this whiskey with a little bit of sweet smoke added in. By the end, the vanilla is more like a dried vanilla pod, the caramel is richer, the fruit is a bit more tart (sweet apple-ish), the oak is more toasted than charred.

The fade isn’t too long but sticks with you.

Bottom Line:

It’s really hard to argue with this bourbon at this price point (it could easily cost $30 or more). This one works with some rocks or in a highball but really shines as a cocktail base.

5. Jim Beam Repeal Batch

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $16

The Whiskey:

This bourbon was released in 2018, to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition by recreating the first batch of bourbon made by Jim Beam after the dry-era ended. The bourbon was a hit and has become a yearly limited release from the brand.

Tasting Notes:

This one draws you in with the smells of a sizzling skillet full of bananas in brown butter and brown sugar with a dollop of vanilla. The palate carries on in that direction, adding in cornmeal, cinnamon spice, and a touch of woody oak. The end comes along fairly slowly with the oak, buttery fruit, and vanilla fading quickly through the senses leaving you with a touch of sweet smoke and bitter char.

Bottom Line:

This is a stand out on the list. Still, it reminds me more of Tennessee whiskey (thanks to that banana edge) than a classic Kentucky bourbon. I don’t say that like it’s a bad thing. I actually really dig this bourbon, especially in a highball. It’s just that I’d rather drink a couple of different Tennessee whiskeys that nail these flavor notes a bit better.

4. Jim Beam Single Barrel

ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

This is an interesting whiskey. Each bottling is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than one percent of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.

Tasting Notes:

Toasted oak, fairground caramel kettle corn, and oily vanilla pods greet your senses. The palate delivers on those promises and adds in a fresh honeycomb sweetness next to a rush of zesty orange oils and a wisp of cherry pipe tobacco smoke. The sip warms up with a mild matrix of Christmas spices as the caramel corn sweetness edges this whiskey towards a big, long finish.

Bottom Line:

You really need to add some water and let this one bloom but it’ll be worth taking your time with it. I also really dig this one in a Manhattan with a good rinse of orange oils over the drink and a nice cherry dropped in.

3. Old Tub

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This expression used to only be available in half-bottles and only at the distillery. This year, Beam decided to release it nationwide for a test run and it’s a hit. The limited-edition juice is a tribute to what the brand was — both in the label and in the bottle — before Prohibition. Yes, Jim Beam used to be known as Old Tub Bourbon worldwide. The whiskey is bottled-in-bond at 100 proof and goes through no filtration before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a subtle roughness to this whiskey that draws you in — rough-milled dry corn, raw honey, freshly sawed wood, and vanilla pods. The caramel popcorn sweetness is there but not overdone as the vanilla, woody oak, and very distant spice and fruit come together to create an all-around easy-sipper by the end. As that end lingers, you get a final note of orange citrus that’s counterpointed by a lingering sense of limestone.

Bottom Line:

I really didn’t know where to put this. This is just an interesting sip. I really hope it gets a yearly release because it’s a throwback that adds something to the conversation.

Try it on the rocks first and then go from there.

2. Jim Beam Rye Pre-Prohibition Style

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This rye was designed by the master himself — Master Distiller and whiskey legend Fred Noe — as a return to the bigger and bolder days of rye before Prohibition defanged a lot of the industry and its recipes. The juice is a throwback recipe to the 1920s version of Beam’s rye, giving the whiskey a fruitier and spicer edge in the process.

Tasting Notes:

Berries mingle with black pepper spice on the nose with a hint of candied cherries. Christmas spices cut with plenty of candied fruit — ripe and tart berries — slide in next to hints of vanilla and toffee as the rye pepperiness powers the sip. As the dram builds before the fade, notes of black licorice, fresh mint, and dried flowers arrive and mingle with the rye spice and sweet fruits.

This sip lingers long enough to keep you warm, a nice perk this time of year.

Bottom Line:

This was nearly the number one expression from Jim Beam on this list. This bottle is a f*cking good rye at a fantastic price point. This is a great workhorse bottle, too — it works as everything from a shooter to the base of a cracking cocktail. I dig it in a highball, Sazerac, or Manhattan personally, but also drop it into a boulevardier every-now-and-then.

1. Jim Beam Bonded

ABV: 50%
Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

While this doesn’t come from only one percent of Jim Beam barrels or go through a special secondary aging cycle, this bourbon is Jim Beam’s high watermark when it comes to Kentucky bourbon. The juice is aged in a bottled-in-bond facility for four years where it’s also bottled at 100 proof with no bullshit. This is the standard Beam bourbon mash bill but there’s just something extra happening that makes this expression shine.

Tasting Notes:

This bourbon beckons you in with notes of toasted oak, red cherry, and vanilla. That leads to fresh honey, sweet caramel corn, rich toffee, bold vanilla, crisp apple, more of that red cherry, peppery spice, and a note of fresh mint. With a little water, the dram edges towards bitter dark chocolate with a nice billow of pipe tobacco while holding onto the mint, toffee, and vanilla oakiness.

The end is long, meandering, and full of warmth, fruit, spice, and bourbon goodness.

Bottom Line:

There’s a reason bonded bourbons are colloquially called “the good stuff.” This is really a fine bourbon all-around. And at $22 per bottle, it’s one of the better value bonded bourbons that you can score anywhere on the market right now. It’s also a workhorse whiskey and makes for a nice sipper, is tasty on the rocks, shines in a highball, or rules as a cocktail base.

This Sunday, NASCAR will head to Phoenix Raceway for the Season Finale 500 where four drivers — Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and Denny Hamlin — will have a chance to win the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.

The race will be on NBC at 3 p.m. ET and those four will, in that order, begin the race in the first four positions, with whoever finishes first winning the championship. On Thursday, we got a chance to talk with Brad Keselowski about Sunday’s championship race, his thoughts on the finale moving from Miami to Phoenix, why this season has taken him back to “old school racing,” and the nuances of his growth as a driver more than a decade into his Cup Series career.

How are you doin, man?

Good, good. Just chillin in North Carolina, and by chillin’ I mean it’s freezing.

Well, Phoenix will be a little warmer for you this weekend at least.

Oh yeah. I’m looking forward to that, I’m a warm weather guy.

How are you feeling coming into this weekend and with a shot to win your second championship?

I’m feeling pretty darn good to be honest with you. Cars are fast. Get to live my dream, and just ready to make it happen, you know.

You’ve got three straight Top 6 finishes to get you to Phoenix. What’s been clicking for you and the team and getting good cars to the tracks?

Well, having good cars is always the important part, right? It’s hard to make a slow car go fast, but it’s really easy to take a fast car and screw it up. So, you gotta have good fast cars and then you’ve gotta execute, and our execution has been pretty strong. Had a little slip up at Martinsville where I sped on pit road, but other than that, I’m proud of the way we’ve been able to run our race and get good finishes and make the most out of everything we have.

This is the first year y’all are going to Phoenix for the finale rather than Homestead. What are your thoughts on finishing at that track and your approach going in?

Um, I feel good about it. A little bit selfishly I think I’m going to run better at Phoenix than I would at Homestead, so, I’m not complaining about that. But I do, I feel really good about it. I feel like our car is going to be really strong and I like Phoenix, I like the area. One of our sponsors is out there, so that’s always cool. And, I’m just pumped. It’s hard to say or express it strongly enough how pumped I am.

This is your seventh straight year in the Playoffs and ninth overall. What have you learned over your career about how to approach the Playoffs and how to make it through stages and get as far as you can in this to have a shot at a title?

Well, I think probably the biggest takeaway is not to let the highs be too high and the lows be too low. It’s really easy to get caught up either way, and I think you always have to have a rebound mentality and expect bad things to happen and be prepared.

This season I feel like that’s had to be a feeling throughout, given you start off the year and then we have the shutdown with COVID and then coming back and everything changes. What has been your experience this season in handling the changes with the new protocols and without the track time and garage time.

Well, obviously it’s been a change. You know, I don’t enjoy seeing people get hurt and knowing that there’s people suffering and that’s the reason for this. That’s not any fun, but the actual changes to the schedule themselves, if you somehow separate that mentally, I’ve actually enjoyed. I’ve enjoyed going to the racetrack without practice. I’ve enjoyed you know, get to a racetrack, drive my butt off, and go home. I’ve enjoyed some of those different aspects, and you know, it’s not sustainable, but I’m not complaining and I try to find the opportunity along the way.

Yeah, when I talked to Alex Bowman a few weeks ago he said something similar. Does it feel like it once was, where you’re pulling up to the track and you go race and it’s maybe, it’s still a grind but does it take you back to the way racing was when you first got into it?

Oh yeah. Absolutely. It’s like old school racing where they’d just show up and race. Didn’t have time to do all this other stuff, they just did it. And I like that.

When you look back, you’ve been doing this for a decade now, and you compare 2020 Brad Keselowski to when you came in the Cup Series, where do you think your biggest growth has been as a driver?

Well it’s hard to pick one area. If you do it right it shouldn’t be one area, it should be all areas. But there are gonna be areas that are more than others, naturally. I think I’ve probably grown the most on my short run speed. The ability to run fast early into a run. That’s probably been the biggest growth for me.

Is there anything specifically there that’s helped you do that, because there are guys that are better on short runs and others who prefer to have those continuous laps and get in that groove. What do you have to do to pick up that short run speed?

Well, that’s a little bit more tribal knowledge, I don’t want to share too much of that. But there’s things, how ’bout that?

Fair enough. I guess one thing with that, for a lot of casual fans you look at it and, it’s like, alright they go out and are racing. What can you tell, without giving that tribal knowledge as you said, everything that goes into your growth as a driver, the nuances that aren’t as apparent to someone just tuning in a few Sundays a month?

Well, you know, at the end of the day we drive in circles. It looks pretty simple from the outside, because it is pretty simple. How you get there and how you do it fast, that’s the challenge. How do I do it better than the next guy? And you know what, they’re pretty darn good. So there’s a lot of refinement that comes along the way. Physically, mentally, across the board to try and get there. It’s not an easy process. It’s an iterative process in a lot of ways, which means you’ve got to put in the reps and do your homework. It makes it rewarding at the end of the day when you are successful, but I can certainly understand why from the outside it looks a lot easier than it is.