Month: January 2021

We all know the term farm-to-table, right? It’s a well-worn buzzword (phrase) in the restaurant business, created to showcase the use of locally sourced fruits, vegetables, meats, and other ingredients. People like eating at a restaurant with this label because it makes them feel good about supporting local farmers. It’s no wonder that the already craft-driven world of bourbon whiskey has embraced the same idea — with terms like “farm-to-flask” and “grain-to-glass.”

Ostensibly, those terms mean the same thing as farm-to-table. We’re talking about bourbon whiskeys made using grains and corn sourced locally (sometimes even on-site) which are then distilled, aged, and bottled in-house. Brands who take this step are able to control every part of their production chain — which might not always be for the better but certainly does result in some fascinating juice.

Below, you’ll find 12 of our favorite grain-to-glass bourbons — expressions we love that take commitment to craft up a notch.

Black Button Four Grain Bourbon (New York)

ABV: 42%

Price: $49.99

The Story:

Rochester, New York’s Black Button is quickly becoming one of the most highly respected distilleries in the state. Its award-winning small-batch, four-grain bourbon is made from 60% corn, 20% wheat, 9% rye, 11% barley — with each grain coming from Edgewood Farms in nearby Groveland.

Everything is distilled, aged, and bottled by Black Button is 100% New York State. That includes the corn in the mash!

Tasting Notes:

Take a whiff of this whiskey and you’ll be treated to notes of charred oak, sweet treacle, toasted vanilla, and rich leather. The first sip is filled with hints of buttery caramel, sticky toffee pudding, subtle cinnamon, and tobacco. The finish is dry and ends with flavors of vanilla beans and brown sugar.

Bottom Line:

This locally sourced bourbon from Western New York is rich, highly sippable, and filled with strong vanilla and caramel presence.

Sonoma Brothers Bourbon (California)

ABV: 46%

Price: $42.99

The Story:

Sonoma Brothers is run by twin brothers Chris (a Santa Rosa firefighter) and Brandon Matthies (a Santa Rosa police officer). The base for their bourbon is GMO-free, locally sourced corn, malted barley, and wheat. It’s aged in new, charred American oak barrels on-site.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of dried cherries, vanilla beans, and toasted marshmallows. Take a sip and you’d enjoy hints of spicy cinnamon, creamy caramel, cooking spices, and charred oak. At the end, you’ll find a final hint of sweet caramel.

Bottom Line:

Sonoma, California might be known for its wine, but don’t overlook this exceptional grain-to-glass bourbon. Free of rye grain, it’s perfect for fans of mellow bourbons.

Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon (Wyoming)

ABV: 44%

Price: $39.99

The Story:

Wyoming Whiskey was founded by the Mead family. Previous to this endeavor, the family was well known for running a ranch for more than 100 years. They source the (corn) from Brent and Sherri Rageth’s farm, just north of theirs. The other ingredients are also sourced locally too, making this a truly Wyoming whiskey through and through.

Tasting Notes:

Take the time to give this whiskey a proper nosing and you’ll be struck by the myriad scents including rich brown sugar, vanilla beans, and subtle charred oak. On the palate, you’ll be greeted with notes of creamy caramel, crème Brule, butterscotch, and just a kiss of spicy cinnamon. The finish features hints of vanilla and sticky toffee pudding.

Bottom Line:

Over the past few years, Wyoming Whiskey has continued to garner awards and gain fans. Get on board before you’re left behind. (Though this is a smaller operation, you can still find this bourbon in most states.)

Laws Four Grain Bourbon (Colorado)

ABV: 47.5%

Price: $46.99

The Story:

Laws, located in Denver and founded by Canadian former investment banker Alan Laws, sources all of their grains and corn from local farms. Two local farms make their heirloom rye, wheat, and barley. On top of that, Alan Laws mills, ferments, and distills everything (including his Four Grain Straight Bourbon) all at the distillery.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find hints of candied orange peels, clover honey, charred oak, and cracked black pepper. The sip is filled with notes of sweet cream, buttery caramel, rich leather, pipe tobacco, and toasted vanilla. The finish is long, warming, and dry.

Bottom Line:

Denver might be known as a beer town, but distilleries like Laws are attempting to change that perception.

High Wire Revival Bourbon (South Carolina)

ABV: 42%

Price: $55

The Story:

Charleston, South Carolina’s High Wire’s flagship spirit is Revival, a bourbon made from 100% Jimmy Red corn. This particular corn variant was grown for years on nearby James Island before almost completely disappearing. High Wire and a team of researchers spent six years rebuilding the crop for use in its whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

If you take the time to nose this whiskey, you’ll be treated to hints of toasted marshmallows, spicy cinnamon, and charred oak. The first sip is filled with flavors of maple candy, sweet chocolate, cooking spices, and caramelized sugar. The finish is long, warming, and ends in a final crescendo of spicy cinnamon candy.

Bottom Line:

Proving that corn-filled bourbon can be made in other places besides Kentucky, Revival is sure to surprise you and fascinate your post-pandemic drinking guests.

Hillrock Estate Solera Aged Bourbon (New York)

ABV: 46.3%

Price: $89.99

The Story:

Back in 1999, Jeffrey baker bought a farm north of New York City. He and his wife Cathy Franklin organically farm 850 acres of corn, barley, and rye. They use those ingredients to make their award-winning Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon. Technically, this bourbon has been aged for six years. But since it’s made using the solera method, the blend might contain much older whiskeys.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll get dried fruits, toasted oak, creamy vanilla, and just a dash of peppery rye. The sip features dried cherries, buttery caramel, sugar cookies, and sweet sherry. The finish is medium in length, has a nice bit of heat, and ends with a final kick of cracked black pepper.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey isn’t cheap. Because of that, you should save it for a special occasion and sip it slowly to unlock all the different flavors solera aging imparts.

Coppersea Excelsior Bourbon (New York)

ABV: 48%

Price: $63

The Story:

If you didn’t already know it, “excelsior” is the motto of New York State. The folks at Coppersea chose to give their bourbon this name because it’s made using grains and corn sourced from Hudson Valley (where the distillery is located). On top of that, the hot juice is aged in barrels that were actually made at a cooperage in the area.

Tasting Notes:

Take a sniff and you’ll be transported to a world filled with spicy cinnamon, creamy vanilla, and a nice kick of peppery rye. The first sip yields dried fruits, buttery caramel, nutty sweetness, and more cracked black pepper. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a final whisper of white pepper.

Bottom Line:

In recent years, New York has become a center for whiskey production. This is especially true in the grain-to-bottle segment, with Coppersea being one of the most underrated brands.

Frey Ranch Bourbon (Nevada)

ABV: 45%

Price: $54.99

The Story:

Frey Ranch Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most well-known grain-to-bottle whiskeys in America. This Nevada-based sustainable bourbon is made using heirloom grains and corn farmed, distilled, and matured on this farm distillery in the Lake Tahoe watershed.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find hints of charred oak, tobacco, dried orange peel, and sweet vanilla. The palate is swimming with flavors of buttery caramel, candy apples, cooking spices, oak, and subtle cinnamon. It all ends with a long, dry caramel-meets-pepper finish.

Bottom Line:

You’ll have a hard time finding a better example of farm-to-flask whiskey. The non-GMO corn, winter rye, winter wheat, and two-row barley used in the brand’s whiskeys are all grown right there.

Far North Bødalen Bourbon (Minnesota)

ABV: 45%

Price: $52.99

The Story:

Named for a valley in Norway, Bødalen is Far North’s first fully farm-to-bottle whiskey. This 90 proof bourbon was made using 60% corn, 30% rye, and 10% barley — all grown in Minnesota. On top of that, the barrels used to mature this expression are made from Minnesota oak.

It’s aged for 18 months to perfectly round out the various flavors.

Tasting Notes:

Take time to give this a proper nosing and you’ll find aromas of caramel corn, candied orange peels, caramel, and buttercream. On the palate: hints of buttery vanilla, sticky toffee, spicy cinnamon, and just a hint of sweet corn. On the finish you’re met with a long, warming embrace and hints of caramelized sugar and subtle, spicy rye.

Bottom Line:

This was a limited-edition bottle. If you’re able to get your hands on one, savor it. Maybe pay homage to Norway by finally streaming Lilyhammer on Netflix.

Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon (Illinois)

ABV: 43.5%

Price: $39.99

The Story:

Whiskey Acres is an estate distillery, similar to New York’s Hillrock Estate. This means the brand grows everything on-site that’s used in the distillation process. This includes the secondary addition of wheat to soften and open up the whiskey before maturation.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’re welcomed by the scents of sweet corn, toasted vanilla beans, charred oak, and candied orange peels. The first sip yields notes of rich caramel, candy apples, dried cherries, and just a hint of spicy, sweet cinnamon. The finish is medium, full of sweet heat, and ends with notes of sticky toffee and citrus.

Bottom Line:

Whiskey Acres Straight Bourbon is mellow, soft, creamy, and perfect for your favorite whiskey-based cocktails.

Jeptha Creed Bloody Butcher Bourbon (Kentucky)

ABV: 50%

Price: $50.99

The Story:

The Nethery family, owners of Jeptha Creed, have a 1,000-acre farm located in Shelby County, Kentucky. The distillery sits smack dab in the middle of it. Jeptha Creed Bloody Butcher Bourbon is made using corn grown on the family farm. The brand also grows rye, wheat, barley, as well as pecans, apricots, figs, and other fruits, and nuts.

Tasting Notes:

Your nose will be treated to notes of caramel apples, toasted marshmallows, and charred oak. The first sip is swimming with flavors of candied orange peels, spicy cinnamon, buttery caramel, and toasted vanilla. The finish is long, spicy, and ends with a nice hint of caramel corn.

Bottom Line:

Jeptha Creed is a family business. Mother and daughter Joyce and Autumn Nethery are using the family farm to push the limits of what a farm distillery means and we’re all lucky to taste the results.

Dry Fly Straight Bourbon 101 (Washington)

ABV: 50.5%

Price: $38.99

The Story:

The first legal bourbon made in the state of Washington, Dry Fly Bourbon 101 is distilled using corn sourced from a local Hutterite settlement along with triticale (a hybrid made up of wheat and rye) produced locally by farmer Mitch Engel, before being aged for a minimum of three years in American oak casks. Dry Fly Bourbon 101 and all of Dry Fly’s spirits are made using products sourced from sustainable local farms in their area.

Tasting Notes:

Take a whiff and you’ll be transported to a world of cinnamon, charred oak, sweet treacle or molasses, and clove. The first sip is swirling with flavors of buttery caramel, toasted vanilla beans, marshmallows, allspice, and just a hint of peppery rye. At the finish, you’ll be greeted with a lingering, pleasing caramel sweetness.

Bottom Line:

This brand was named because its founder is a big fan of fly fishing, so crack open a bottle and drink it beside a creek, lake, or river.

Fans of Julia Stone will remember her collaborations with her brother Angus from the early 2010s, my favorite used to be the duet “Big Jet Plane.” Now that a decade has passed, like most of us, Julia has changed and grown as an artist in plenty of ways, and is set to release a solo album later this year. Sixty Summers comes nine years after her last solo record, and is understandably a culmination of a new sound. It features production by St. Vincent as well as some other appearances by indie royalty, like Matt Berninger of The National lending his vocals on today’s new track, “All We Have.” Bryce Dessner, also of The National, is featured on the record as well.

In the video for the song, which was shot on the Cape Forestier off the coast of Southport, Southern Tasmania, Julia and her co-star Jesse Gasparinatos are on a soothing nautical journey. Directed by Gabriel Gasparinatos and with cinematography by Tyson Perkins, the video is a welcome respite for plenty of fans who have been spending the bulk of their time indoors — and not traveling on a beautiful sea — due to the pandemic.

Apparently, the boat used in the shoot really does belong to Jesse, as Julia thanked him in a sweet note shared to Youtube along with the video: “Thanks to Manny, Madeleine & Billy Gasparinatos for the advice. Helen for the shack. Slippery, Chizza & Petey for the help. And to Jesse for your boat, time and enthusiasm you brought to this project.”

Watch the video above and look out for Sixty Summers, slated for release on April 16.

Before 2021, Joshua Bassett was primarily known to viewers of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, but then his co-star Olivia Rodrigo dropped a beautiful breakup song, “Drivers License,” and he was cast in the role of ex, whether those rumors are true or not. Maybe it’s only a coincidence that he’s since released not one but two new singles himself, and both of them deal with relationships and dishonesty. The first, “Lie Lie Lie” calls out an ex for twisting the truth, and tonight’s new single, “Only A Matter Of A Time” hews to pretty similar subject matter.

Whether the song is about Olivia or not, the narrative has been set, and most people will interpret it that way. Though “Lie Lie Lie” is very upbeat song with prominent guitar and lots of percussion, Basset’s second track is dominated by piano, a complete shift in tone. With lines ilke “When did you stop being kind / You twisted your words like a knife,” it’s actually kind of hard to relate it to Olivia’s song, because what she wrote is neither unkind or particularly vicious. A much more vicious song would be “Skin,” a track released by Sabrina Carpenter last week that seems to directly target Olivia’s song. Joshua is reportedly dating Sabrina, so maybe his song has something to do with their relationship! Guess we’ll never know.

Just last year The Killers made a surprising comeback with a new record called Imploding The Mirage, and tonight they followed up on that by releasing a surprise deluxe version of the album. Along with two stripped down live versions of songs on the album, “Caution” and “Blowback,” it also included a bonus track called “C’est La Vie.”

Though their 2017 record Wonderful Wonderful was, well, not that, Mirage has been getting rave reviews with critics and functioning as a sort of comeback album for a band who was massive in the early 2000s. This new song isn’t directly commenting on that shift, but it does cover the way fates can change rather quickly. The surprise deluxe release is probably not the new music the band has been teasing, especially since they shared what looks like a whole tracklist and Flowers also shared in an interview that they’ve already been back in the studio.

Hey, why not make sure every last piece of the previous era is released before entering a new one? Lord knows, Taylor Swift released plenty of Folklore ephemera before finally pivoting to the Evermore era, and it looks like The Killers are doing the same. Check out the new song above and the full deluxe album here.

Last year, Ty Dolla Sign released his third album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. The 25-track effort became one of the standout R&B albums of the year and a big part of its popularity can be credited to “Spicy” with Post Malone. The song became a favorite to many listeners and now, it’s received the remix treatment with help from YG, Tyga, and J Balvin.

Ty Dolla Sign leads the way on the remix with a new verse that sees him showing off his Spanish skills for a couple of bars. J Balvin steps through with a strictly Spanish verse of his own before YG brings his energy and undeniable confidence for a quick set of sixteen bars. Tyga adds some raps to the mix before Post Malone appears with his verse from the song’s original version.

The remix is just the latest piece of content Ty has given us since dropping Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. After its release, he brought his talents to NPR for a Tiny Desk concert, gave an impressive cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and joined Tiesto for “The Business, Pt. II.”

Press play on the “Spicy” remix above.

Featuring Ty Dolla Sign is out now via Atlantic. Get it here.

Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After a few years out of the game, JoJo has been back in all of her mononymous glory. Since a strong 2016 return, Mad Love, a record that came after a decade-long absence, now she’s putting albums out at a slightly faster pace, following up with a fourth record last year, Good To Know and a Christmas project, December Baby. But it looks like fans won’t have to wait another four – or ten — years for more new music from JoJo, because she’s back tonight with another new single.

“American Mood” is a complete 180 for the pop star, who usually leans into a polished R&B song. This song, on the other hand, is a folksy, almost country single with lots of finger-picked guitar and muted vocals from the powerhouse singer. Thematically, the song addresses immaturity and privilege in America, veering toward Jackson Browne in more ways than just the sonics, reflecting on the material differences that separate people. “American mood / to all the kids without a silver spoon,” she sings. “You deserve much more this one’s for you.”

Though it is a tonal change for Jojo, the shift in genre only helps reveal how versatile she is as a vocalist and a performer. Against the odds, she pulls it off. And for what it’s worth, I did see her show up as a surprise guest at a Maren Morris show in 2019. So if she’s going to keep going down this road, let’s hope those two have collab in the can. Listen above.

Lil Durk isn’t slowing down anytime soon. The Chicago native posted an impressive 2020 that featured his Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 album and his “Laugh Now Cry Later” track with Drake, which both peaked at No. 2 on their respective charts. While Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 and its deluxe reissue were more than enough music for a year, he returned in December with The Voice, his second project of 2020. Just a month after its release, Lil Durk updates The Voice with eleven new songs, and of the new additions, an early highlight finds him standing beside Lil Baby as the two reflect on their past lives.

The duo’s latest track, entitled “Finesse Out The Gang Way,” finds them both reminiscing on their individual rap careers as well as what it took for them to earn and enjoy a successful life. Lil Durk leads the way with a simple message just seconds into the song. “I came from nothin’, I had to go get it,” he says. “I had to finesse out the gang way.” His verses discuss the decisions he made to stay alive and how the people in his life have changed over the years while Lil Baby gives fans a rags-to-riches story to close out the song. After moving from “juvenile to the penitentiary,” Lil Baby flaunts his lavish lifestyle, which includes “rockin’ clothes I can’t even pronounce.”

You can listen to “Finesse Out The Gang Way” in the video above.

The Voice (Deluxe) is out now via Alamo/Geffen. Get it here.

Earlier in the year, Selena Gomez let fans know that she was going to be releasing the first Spanish-language project of her career. Kicking this new phase off with the first single, “De Una Vez,” she followed up a few days ago to announce the title of her new EP, Revelacion, and let fans know that it would be coming out in mid-March. She also teased another new song, “Baila Conmigo” – which translates to “Dance With Me” — and features the artists Tainy and Rauw Alejandro as collaborators.

Tonight, the video dropped and boy does it live up to the song’s name. In the Nogari-directed clip, Gomez is a star seen on TV while young viewers try to learn the dance moves she performs. Then, the two characters who have been studying the moves separately are drawn together, rather mysteriously, to dance together. It’s a welcome shift, as the pop stars are relegated to the realm of the silver screen, and the fans are the ones who really star in the video. There’s also a classic moment when one of the fans of the song is listening on a radio out in the middle of the ocean. Watch the clip above and look for Selena’s full EP coming in March.

After a monster 2019, Tyler the Creator kept things rather quiet in 2020, limiting his musical work to just a few guest features on tracks. His voice could be found on songs like Channel Tres’ “Fuego” and Westside Gunn’s “327” with Joey Badass. With a new year underway, the rapper picks up where he left off and joins Brent Faiyaz for their new single, “Gravity.”

The track is the duo’s first collaboration and it goes out to a significant other who stuck by their side through the ups and downs over the years. Despite their loyalty, Brent and Tyler ask them to move on to someone else so they don’t spend a lifetime waiting for their commitment to a full-on relationship.

The track was released with production from DJ Dahi and help from Adidas as a part of the brand’s Songs From Scratch series, which shares tracks that are rooted in “curated collaboration between artists” who, of course, create a song from scratch. While things were quiet for Tyler in 2020, Brent, on the other hand, had a pretty good year thanks to his sophomore album, F*ck The World. The ten-track effort stood out as one of last year’s best R&B albums and gave the Maryland singer a new group of fans who slowly fell in love with his music.

You can listen to “Gravity” and watch how the track came together above.

Mariah Carey paid Shawn Mendes quite the favor today — but Mendes fans with memories will realize she’s simply returning it. Today on Twitter Mariah offered a note of thankfulness for a laundry list of seemingly unrelated things.

“Grateful,” she wrote. “The sun, tea, my health, my family, old Shawn Mendes songs, music, humans!!!” Although the other elements on her gratitude list were pretty predictable, the Shawn shout-out stuck out, until eagle-eyed fans took a look at her pose in the photo with outstretched arms outdoors and began to remember a similar post that he’d made just a day ago:

His caption? “Grateful. The sun, coffee, my health, my family, old Mariah Carey songs, music, humans!!!”

Mystery solved! Though Mariah probably has had a listen through of Wonder, and she’s certainly heard Shawn’s inescapable earlier radio hits like “Stitches,” it isn’t that she’s begun stanning the next generation of singer-songwriters, but that she’s simply stanning them stanning her. Based on everything we know about Mariah — a recent recommendation of her own memoir certainly included — this all checks out. Presumably Shawn’s girlfriend and fellow pop star Camila Cabello will get in on the photo meme very soon, surely no one is a bigger fan of both Mariah and Shawn?