Month: March 2021

It’s no secret that BTS were huge in 2020. The group had three No. 1 singles in the span of just three months, smashed YouTube streaming records, and even had their country revise military service laws so that they could keep performing. That’s why it comes as no surprise that BTS were officially the best-selling musicians of 2020 across the globe.

The International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry (IFPI) released their official year-end numbers for 2020, which calculates the best-selling musicians of the year. BTS have been on the steady incline for several years, as they finished at No. 2 in 2018 and No. 7 in 2019. But in 2020, they were finally able to secure the top spot as the best-selling musicians of the year. Their impressive feat makes them the first Korean group, and first Asian group as well, to be the top-selling artist globally.

Taylor Swift, however, landed closely behind BTS at No. 2 after releasing two LPs in 2020. Swift was the best-selling artist globally in 2019 after Drake claimed the titled in 2018. This year, however, Drake came in at No. 3 while The Weeknd was at No. 4 and Billie Eilish claimed fifth place.

In a statement about the official report, IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore congratulated BTS for their accomplishment. “BTS are a global phenomenon,” Moore said. “They have had another outstanding year, releasing three albums, and continually finding creative and engaging ways to share their story with the world. They truly show the power that music has to bring joy and happiness to people the world over.”

Finneas may have gotten a name for himself after producing his sister Billie Eilish’s debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. But the musician has been steadily sharing singles of his own, including the recently released heartfelt ballad “Till Forever Falls Apart” with rising songwriter Ashe. Celebrating their joint single’s official debut, the two songwriters took to Malibu during sunset for a swooning performance of the track on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

The performance is set against a picturesque ocean landscape at golden hour. Ashe opens the track, delivering each heartfelt lyric with devotion before Finneas joins her in harmony.

About the single, Ashe said in a statement that it’s one her “favorite songs” she’s ever made:

“‘Till Forever Falls Apart’ is one of my favorite songs with one of my favorite people. If I’ve learned anything from ‘Moral of the Story,’ it’s that accepting the hard truth is strangely comforting. This song, while sounding like the most romantic song I’ve ever written, is about acceptance as well. The lyrics, ‘I’m gonna love you knowing we don’t have forever’ is about how it’s more important to have had the chance to love than to stay in love. Finneas is one of the most talented people I know and it’s fitting to release this song with someone I love so much. I’m lucky to know him and I hope to never know a life without him in it.”

Echoing her statement, Finneas complimented Ashe’s artistry: “Ashe to me, is a timeless artist. Her music will be as relevant and important 30 years from now as it is today. Making music with her has always been an extension of our friendship and I could not love this song more.”

Watch Finneas and Ashe perform “Till Forever Falls Apart” on Jimmy Kimmel Live! above.

In June, Nicki Minaj’s husband Kenneth Petty is due to stand trial on federal charges of failing to register as a sex offender upon moving from New York to California in 2019. Now, the victim of his original sexual assault case says she’s being harassed by both the family and fans of Nicki Minaj as they attempt to bully her into recanting the 26-year-old charges. In a lengthy story in The Daily Beast, the victim speaks out.

The charges stem from a 1995 incident when Petty and his victim were both 16; Petty was convicted of one count of attempted rape in the first degree, assault in the second degree, unlawful imprisonment in the second degree, and criminal possession of a weapon. He served out his sentence — which included a 2006 charge of murder in the second degree that he pleaded down to manslaughter — receiving his release in 2013 and marrying Nicki in 2019. However, he surrendered to US Marshals in LA after a warrant was issued for failing to update his sex offender status after moving.

According to The Daily Beast’s profile the victim — referred to as Jennifer — a campaign of ongoing harassment from people claiming to be associated with the Pettys, from offers of hush money to thinly-veiled threats, prompting her to move no less than three times since Petty’s arrest last year. She says she even received a phone call from Nicki Minaj herself to discuss a non-disclosure agreement, disconnecting the phone number later after Jennifer seemed reluctant to accept the offer.

A man connected to both parties — referred to in the report as “Barry” — continued to reach out to Jennifer to recant her original statements from 1995, offering a $20,000 bribe to sign a letter recanting. The story was mirrored in a post on Facebook from Jennifer’s adult daughter Kenya, who declined to comment for the story. US Marshals eventually reached out to Jennifer after being tipped off by an online acquaintance that she was allegedly being intimidated by the Pettys.

Jennifer moved again after Kenya was approached at a club by another man claiming to be an acquaintance of her mother and Petty’s, making her feel threatened and convincing Jennifer that her daughter was unsafe with her. Others connected with Petty are noted as also making threats on social media, mostly via gossip accounts, which have also been inundated with angry comments from Nicki Minaj fans.

You can read the full story here.

A limited series revival of Party Down, the cult comedy that ran for two brilliant seasons from 2009-2010, is in development at Starz. It’s finally happened: I am having fun. This is no half-baked TV show reunion, either (that’s not a pot reference, Ron): the original creative team, including Rob Thomas, John Enbom, Paul Rudd, and Dan Etheridge, are returning for six new episodes, while the original cast is expected (but not yet guaranteed) to do the same. Will it star Jane Lynch or Megan Mullally? Hopefully both.

“At the end of 2019, the Party Down cast and producers were all reunited at a retrospective for the show hosted by Vulture. We had such a good time that we wanted to find a way to get the team back together again,” Thomas (who also created iZombie and Veronica Mars, which had a successful revival) said in a statement. “The cast is so busy these days that finding a window where we can do it may require trigonometry, but we’re determined to make it happen.”

“Before the cast of Party Down became well-known television and movie actors and award winners, they were all wearing the same pink bowties as part of a less than competent team of Los Angeles cater-waiters while chasing their dreams of stardom on the Starz series,” said Christina Davis, President of Original Programming for Starz. “Fans have been waiting more than 10 years for this revival to happen and we’re thrilled to be in development with Rob, Paul, Dan and John at the helm.”

Party Down follows a catering company made up of Hollywood wannabes, including Henry Pollard (Adam Scott), Casey Klein (Lizzy Caplan), Kyle Bradway (Ryan Hansen), and Roman DeBeers (Martin Starr), all led by failed Soup R’ Crackers owner, Ronald Wayne “Ron” Donald (Ken Marino). It’s a very good show. You should watch it.

There is some history when it comes to terrible basketball scenes in superhero movies. Precedent, if you will. The motivation behind them is understandable, I guess, if we’re in the mood to give them the benefit of the doubt. These movies are looking for ways to demonstrate that the character has developed superpowers and are using a normal human athletic activity to drive it home. That’s fine, in theory. It’s less ideal in practice, though, and yes, this is where I mention the Catwoman basketball scene, a scene in which Halle Berry dominates Benjamin Bratt on a playground and dunks over him because… cats are good at basketball? I don’t know. It’s insane. The whole thing appears to have been edited by a child on a sugar high. I watch it once a month.

That’s not the only example, though. It’s not even the one that makes me — a grown man who spends most evenings watching action movies or basketball games, and takes both very seriously — most angry. That honor goes to a brief scene from the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-man, the forgotten middle child of the Spider-man movies, sandwiched between the Tobey Maguire trilogy and the Marvel fold-ins with Tom Holland. The one with Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. This scene drives me crazy, still, today, nine years later, to the degree that I’m writing about it with no obvious anniversary or other tie-ins to make it relevant. My rage just bubbled over, finally, again, and here we are. It happens sometimes.

Here’s the scene. Watch it once and take it all in, and then meet me below for a discussion. If you’ve never seen it before, you are in for a treat.

A little background will help. Just a little, though, because everyone knows the Peter Parker story by now: Teen dork gets bitten by a science spider, develops powers, his beloved uncle dies, etc. What you need to know for this scene, in addition to that, is that there’s a jerky jock in his school named Flash who has been bullying him. Here’s Flash, being a jerk, both generally and specifically.

Classic Flash.

The other thing you need to know is that Peter was bitten by the science spider not long ago and his blood is now saturated with radioactive spider things. And rage. He’s a very angry Spider-boy. And so, after he comes over to help clean up the paint spill, when Flash swats a second shot out of the sky because, apparently, Flash is some sort of 5’11 Joel Embiid in this movie, Peter reaches out with his sticky spider hand and snags the ball before it causes more damage to the banner.

Two things are worth noting here:

• If one is trying to conceal one’s newly-developed superpowers, it is probably not advisable to utilize them to snag a speeding basketball in a gymnasium filled with fellow teens
• I have watched this scene maybe 50 times and the closest I’ve come to understanding what is happening in this gymnasium is “a basketball/cheerleading practice during which some sort of spirit crew is also painting banners on the court and some other students are just, like, chilling in the bleachers”

This is not a real thing. Schools have many rooms in them. There is no need to hold like four events in the gym at once. And even if it were a real thing, I’m not exactly sure where you get off being mad about a basketball knocking over the paint can you have sitting on the basketball court during a basketball practice. It looked like a pretty nice day at the start of the clip. Take the art project outside. Get some Vitamin D. It’s not my biggest problem with the scene, but still. All of what happens next could have been avoided with the tiniest bit of planning.

This is Peter taunting Flash with the ball and clearly using his sticky spider fingers in full view of dozens of other students. Which, again, is not a good way to protect his secret, but is not all that big a deal when you consider what happens next.

Peter and Flash have words. Peter will not give him the ball back. Flash challenges him, like, “Fine, nerd, if you want to play basketball, let’s play basketball.” None of this is entirely unreasonable on Flash’s part because, and I really can’t stress this enough, they are trying to have basketball practice. The best part is that the coach is clearly visible on the court at the beginning of the scene and he does not do a single damn thing while any of this is happening. Doesn’t even blow the whistle.

Anyway, all of that leads to this. And it’s where things really get out of hand. I can feel my blood pressure ticking north already. Here we go.

Travel.

Charge.

Doesn’t even attempt to dribble the ball a single time.

Just runs straight ahead like a fullback.

I hate it.

And then…

My man flies through the air like a damn bird, taking off from what appears to be the three-point line, entire body at rim-height in a pose you’d normally see from a rollerblader at the X-Games who just launched himself off a ramp, and then dunks the ball with such ferocity that it shatters the backboard into a million pieces.

This is… actually kind of cool. It’s not my problem with the scene. This is what I’d do if I had superpowers if I’m being honest. What’s the point of being a god among men if you don’t take some time out of your day to destroy your enemies with sick dunks? It’s probably a good thing I don’t have superpowers. The city would be overrun with crime and all the backboards would be mangled.

Point being: Look at this guy.

This brings me to the infuriating thing about the scene, though. Let’s run down some factors we’ve already mentioned:

• A gymnasium full of teenagers
• Basketball coach standing maybe 25 feet away
• A student does what I think we can safely call the single greatest dunk in the history of basketball

Do you see what I’m getting at here? Do you see why this scene drives me nuts? In any even semi-realistic universe — even one where science spiders bite dorky teens and turn them into superheroes — this should have been all anyone talked about for the rest of the movie. Every single scene should have included at least one person whispering “that’s the kid who did the dunk” as Peter walked by. The basketball coach should have been knocking on Uncle Ben’s door every night to beg Peter to sign up for the team. College basketball coaches — John Calipari cameo, at least — should have been calling the house constantly after stories of this dunk weaved their way through the basketball community.

I know I’m being a little ridiculous about this. It’s a fun superhero movie. You’re not supposed to ask too many questions about it. But, I’m sorry, my brain can’t get past it. There are a million ways to show that he has powers now and is out for revenge against bullies. Have him win a food fight in the cafeteria. Have him win some prizes at a carnival. This was too much. If anyone on-set understood basketball at all, they would have known that this dunk is a trajectory-altering moment in the story. Everyone should have been amazed for the rest of the movie. You cannot expect viewers — me, to select one viewer at random — to just move past this.

That’s why what happens next is so maddening.

“Young man, you just did the single most remarkable dunk anyone has ever seen, soaring through the air like a bird, in a feat of athleticism that is so impressive it’s almost troubling, as though you have — and I don’t even know why I think this, it’s so outlandish — recently been bitten by a science spider and received some sort of supernatural powers that could eventually be used to fight crime or at least win us a state championship, and in any event is probably the type of thing that should be tested by some group of doctors and scientists just for research purposes. One week of detention.”

Get out of here.

“Did you humiliate that boy?”

“Uh, I don’t know, maybe during the part where I ROCKETED THROUGH THE STALE GYMNASIUM AIR AND SHATTERED THE BACKBOARD LIKE A CARTOON MONSTER IN A LOONEY TUNES MOVIE, UNCLE BEN, WHICH NO ONE SEEMS TO BE MENTIONING EVEN THOUGH NOT EVEN THE GREATEST OLYMPIANS OUR COUNTRY HAS TO OFFER COULD HAVE DONE IT, LET ALONE ME, A PREVIOUSLY AWKWARD HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT. GEEZ.”

“You’re lucky they’re not gonna make us pay for it.”

Come on.

“Uh, yeah. I feel freakin’ great dude. I can do wild dunks now. It’s cool as hell. Why is everyone being a bummer about this?”

I’m so angry I could spit on the floor.

Here’s the funniest part, though. Join me on a brief walk through some additional bullet points:

• Because Uncle Ben had to come to school for this meeting with the principal, he had to change his shift at work
• He asked Peter to pick up Aunt May from work
• Peter forgot and Aunt May had to walk home
• Peter and Uncle Ben got in a big argument about it and Peter stormed out
• Uncle Ben went out looking for him
• Uncle Ben caught up to Peter outside a convenience store that was just robbed by a bandit who Peter did not attempt to stop
• Uncle Ben confronted the bandit and got shot during a struggle over a gun
• Uncle Ben died

All of which means, if we track this back far enough, this dunk caused Uncle Ben’s death. That is, to me, hilarious. Maybe the funniest thing I’ve ever seen in any movie. Uncle Ben died because Peter did a sick dunk and everyone got mad at him about it. Please explain this to everyone you know.

Although I guess, if we track it back a little further, the real villain here is whoever double-booked the gym for the basketball practice and pep squad crafts meeting. That’s what started all of this. Someone needs to hold that person accountable. Leave Peter alone.

Senate Minority Leader (and ex-Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell recently reconfirmed his Ride-Or-Die status regarding former President Trump. It wasn’t the most surprising move, even after Mitch actually stood on the Senate floor and condemned Trump’s failed MAGA coup, but if anyone was curious, Mitch is still very much most interested in protecting his own legacy. That’s why a new report from The Intercept is particularly interesting: it details how Mitch is pushing hard for certain legislation to move through the Kentucky Senate, and if successful, Mitch would be able to essentially dictate his immediate successor in the event of his death.

That tells us a few things, including a confirmation of how nervous Republicans are about losing their majority status in the Senate. Every body counts in that place, and losing another GOP seat would shift the balance of power even more to the left than its current nonexistent margin (currently, Democrats hold 48 seats, and Republicans hold 50 seats with 2 Independents who caucus with the Dems, so and VP Kamala Harris serves as tie-breaker). Also, it tells us that Mitch (age 79) is at least slightly concerned about his health, although he insisted that he was “just fine” in late 2020 when photos of his bruised and discolored hands made the rounds.

In any event, the Intercept article emphasizes that Mitch is aiming to preserve his legacy, and that’s part of why he’s already complied his own desired list of successors. The legislation that Mitch is pushing places the power to name his replacement in the state GOP’s hands and takes it away from Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear. Here’s more about the state bill, which was brought by Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and co-sponsored by Republican state Sen. Tom Buford, about the scheming process going down in Kentucky:

“Leader McConnell has discussed the legislation with [Senate] President Stivers and is fully supportive of the measure,” a spokesperson for McConnell confirmed.

Multiple sources say it is McConnell who is pushing this bill, but the claimed reasons for why he is pushing the legislation vary from health concerns to the makeup of the upper chamber….

Other Republicans in the Kentucky Legislature, who asked not to be identified over fear of reprisal from their party, see this move as less about McConnell’s health and more about hand-selecting his replacement and giving that successor the benefit of incumbency. One frustrated Republican elected official, who declined to be named for the same reason, referred to the bill as McConnell’s “escape hatch.”

In another twist, Republican state Sen. Tom Buford has insisted (to the Intercept) that although the timing looks strange (he believes that McConnell is in good health, along with Sen. Rand Paul), there’s “no specific reason why now.” Yet Buford does state that part of the legislation’s impetus involved the 2017 attack on Paul by his neighbor, who left the senator with several broken ribs and a chunk of missing lung. In any event, it’s very safe to say that McConnell will do anything possible to make sure there’s no Democratic butt in his seat anytime soon, if ever.

(Via The Intercept)

Lil Baby refuses to take a break after completing the rollout for My Turn, sharing the video for his latest single “Real As It Gets” featuring Louisville rapper EST Gee ahead of his All-Star weekend matchup with their mutual homeboy Jack Harlow. The video is a stripped-down affair, utilizing an empty parking lot, a crowd of people, a few luxury cars, and a whole lot of jewelry to highlight the two rappers’ boastful rhymes.

Despite being an absolute juggernaut through 2020 — even outselling Taylor Swift — Lil Baby has yet to take a break in 2021. Already he’s released a collaboration with Russ, another with collaboration with Lil Durk, and teased a potential joint album with the latter thanks to their working chemistry on songs like “3 Headed Goat.” This is in addition to starring in his first-ever Super Bowl commercial and plotting to open his own restaurant in Atlanta, proving he’s got even bigger plans for the future of his career.

Meanwhile, EST Gee is already looking like he’s about to have a similar year to Lil Baby’s 2018. After appearing on Jack Harlow’s That’s What They All Say single “Route 66” just days ago and now getting a similar co-sign from Lil Baby (who also appeared on Harlow’s debut album), the Kentuckian has been placed in prime position for a big breakout, provided he can capitalize on the additional looks.

Watch Lil Baby’s “Real As It Gets” video above.

Oh, you thought blockbuster season was reserved for the summer months? That’s cute.

After a year in lockdown, Hollywood decided to do us all a favor and bring some of the year’s most anticipated movie events to our living rooms and you know what? We deserve this. That’s why hosts Britt Ellis and Taylour Chanel are celebrating the spectacle of it all in the latest episode of Obsessed.

The ladies are here to bring you the only Spring Movie & TV guide you’ll need, breaking down the action-packed features and inventive sci-fi series we’ll all be talking about in a couple of months. So yes, that means Britt is hyped for the creature-feature of the century, Godzilla vs. Kong, while Taylour’s feeling a bit “meh” about all the CGI overstimulation. But both pop culture gurus are ready to see Emma Stone bring Disney’s biggest baddie to life in Cruella. They’re also here for HBO’s Victorian steampunk fantasy adventure, The Nevers, and for Michael B. Jordan’s spy thriller, Without Remorse, coming to Amazon Prime. Finally, they’re ready to dive into how moviegoing has changed thanks to the pandemic, before predicting what the industry’s “new normal” might look like moving forward.

So really, are you not entertained?

Check out the latest episode of Obsessed for everything you need to add to your binge-watching queue this spring.

Blind tasting whiskey can reveal a lot, thanks to fewer preconceived notions clouding the experience. You’re literally going in blind! Where that can really get interesting is when you start blind tasting whiskeys from the same source but not the same label.

This week, we’re tasting six separate brands that are all made at the iconic Heaven Hill Distillery. All together, Heaven Hill makes a lot of booze. Way more than just six whiskeys. Still, unless you’re deep in the industry, you may not realize that, for example, Larceny and Rittenhouse are cooked off the same stills and rest in the same warehouses. Or that budget brands like Evan Williams and premium brands like Elijah Craig have the same mash bills and are aged in the same place.

To sort through this, we decided to see where the similarities and differences fall with six whiskeys made in the same place. But we’re not sticking to one mash bill from Heaven Hill. We’re ranking six of their whiskeys which include rye whiskey, a wheated bourbon, budget bourbons, and premium bourbon.

Let’s dive in!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of a cinnamon toast nose that leads towards a hint of maple bar. The taste leaves that behind and blows out your senses with how hot it is. Once you get past that bold heat, there are touches of rummy sweetness and dry wood (not cedar or pine — more reedy) with a hint of savory fruit on the very end.

Goddamn! This was hot and nearly blew out my sense of taste. I needed a break and a whole glass of water to get back on track.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of old vanilla husks that’s more woody than sweet on the light nose. A sense of apple peels, stems, and seeds arrive with a very light spice. That lightness is very approachable (after the last sip) while leading towards a note of … banana, I think.

When it comes to heft, this is the polar opposite of the last dram.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

Toffee leads to dried fruit and a very minor note of savory fruit. There’s a clear cinnamon vibe on the taste that’s touched by vanilla and dark chocolate … and a hint of dried wicker. The end leads you towards a cherry tobacco smoothness that’s a nice last touch.

Yeah, this is the rye. But damn, it’s going down well with that cinnamon and cherry.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a vanilla vibe on the nose that’s subtle-yet-warm. The taste has this berry bramble like you’re falling through the stems and leaves and end up on a bed of blackberries and blueberries (hello, Elijah Craig). The sip touches on mild notes of vanilla and pepper with a hint of oak with a real velvet body tying everything together. The end leads towards a mild dried floral fragrant note along with those dark berries.

This is a keeper.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a very, very slight vanilla and caramel hit on the nose. The taste is pure water that feels like it’s been dropped with essential oils of vanilla, oak, “spice,” and maybe apple. Wow. This is watery.

I’m honestly a little shocked.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a classic nose of vanilla cake that leads towards cornbread. The taste is light yet peppery with hints at slightly musty oak and tobacco chew. The end is short but really leaves you nodding with a nice balance of tobacco, vanilla, and corn.

Yeah, Evan Williams b-i-b is still solid.

Part 2: The Ranking

6. PennyPacker (Taste 5)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This was created as an export-only bourbon for the European market. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it was the best-selling bourbon in that market. In 2013, it was released on the U.S. market as a bargain bourbon from Heaven Hill via Borco bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was so watery it was almost offensive. Seriously, this tasted like I left a rocks glass out overnight with a pour of bourbon over ice in it and then woke up and drank it the next morning while downing a few Aspirin. Hard pass.

5. Heaven Hill Old-Style (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $12 (one-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s entry point bourbon. The stuff is matured (for up to four years) in Heaven Hill’s massive warehouses and blended to be quaffable at a very affordable price and accessible proof.

Bottom Line:

This was shockingly more nuanced and deeply flavored than PennyPacker, even though it’s the same ABV and likely the same mash bill. I’m not the biggest fan of Old-Style — it is what it is and that’s fine — but I got a whole new respect for it this time around. There’s a least a there there when it comes to the taste, albeit fairly light with very middle-of-the-road “bourbon” flavors.

4. Larceny Barrel Proof A121 (Taste 1)

ABV: 57.4%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after wheated bourbons on the market. The mash amps up the wheat with 68 percent corn supported by 20 percent wheat and 12 percent malted barley. The juice then spends six to eight years maturing in Heaven Hill’s vast warehouses. It’s then small-batch blended and bottled with zero fussing at barrel proof.

Bottom Line:

Hum… This was a slap in the face as the first dram. It really took a minute to get over since it was so warm. That being said, there’s a lot going on in this dram once you get past the initial warmth and it’s worth digging into more. Though, I’m definitely going to do that on the rocks going forward.

3. Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye (Taste 3)

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

This rye is very much a bourbon drinker’s rye. The mash bill is only 51 percent rye with 37 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. The juice then matures under the federal regulations allowing it to be “bottled-in-bond” and is barely proofed down to 100 proof with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was a nice change of pace in this tasting. The cinnamon really popped and gave it away, of course. Still, this is perfectly drinkable and I’m looking forward to making a Sazerac with it.

2. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond (Taste 6)

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $18

The Whiskey:

The juice is standard Evan Williams that’s barreled in a federally overseen warehouse. Then, after those barrels are blended, the juice is just brought down to 100 proof, allowing a bit more of that Heaven Hill craft to shine in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

This continues to be a whiskey I really can’t get enough of. It’s been my go-to (non-scotch) highball mixer recently. For the price, you just cannot beat this bottle.

1. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 (Taste 4)

ABV: 61.8%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

This expression is all about finding the best barrels in the Heaven Hill warehouses and letting that whiskey shine on its own. These are released three times a year and have been winning award after award. The whiskey in the bottle is generally at least 12 years old and bottled with no cutting down to proof or filtration whatsoever, thereby letting the barrel shine on its own.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the nicest drams I’ve had in 2021 (the year is young, I know). But that rush of berries is really hard to beat. This stands out as a fine whiskey all around. Moreover, the ABVs are higher than the Larceny, yet this doesn’t punch you in the senses at all.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

There were a couple of throughlines, though they were subtle. That dry reed and stem note popped up throughout. There was a savory fruit note that also seemed to peek in every now and then. It was kind of a melon note but could be more like a squash.

Did these whiskeys all feel like they were from the same distiller?

A few did, yes. You can kind of see how Old-Style gets to Evan Williams and how that can become Elijah Craig with a lot of luck in the warehouse. The Rittenhouse even felt familiar. The biggest stand out was the Larceny, by far. And the less said about the PennyPacker the better.

Overall, that Elijah Craig is what I want to drink more of while Evan Williams is what I can afford to drink more of.

A couple weeks ago I rewatched The Empire Strikes Back, a movie I’ve probably seen more times than any other movie. It’s just a movie that, for me, I see from a new perspective almost every time I watch it. The thing I always find so fascinating about it is the sharp contrast from the last scene of the original Star Wars to the opening scenes of The Empire Strikes Back: We jump from a literal victory ceremony to the Rebel Alliance living on an ice planet being attacked by frozen ice planet bears. It’s such a great way to signify, oh, things have changed without actually explaining to the audience that things have changed.

But I’m truly fascinated by the role of Han Solo on Hoth. I’m convinced, as presented in 1980 and not counting any more recent canon, he’s not a true member of the Rebel Alliance at this point and seems to be more of a freelancer who is just there “helping out.” (I’ve written about this before, but he’s referred to as “Captain” because he’s the captain of the Millennium Falcon, he wears no military gear like everyone else, and seems to just be able to leave anytime he wants.) At times, to the people actually in the Rebellion with a military rank, he seems like the equivalent of “your boss’s friend who is kind of a jerk,” but you have to humor this person or your boss will get mad. And the more I watch this movie the more I’m convinced people in the Rebel Alliance find him very annoying. And here is a list of proof:

1. I’ll See You In Hell

Okay, this one is pretty obvious, but let’s just start here. Yes, this is a heroic moment for Han, but then he has to confirm everyone’s suspicions about him by yelling at some more Rebel soldier who was just giving sound advice. Han confirms that Luke hadn’t checked back in for the night, so Luke still somewhere out there in the cold as night swiftly approaches. Han asks about taking a Snowspeeder, but is informed they aren’t adapted to the cold yet. He informs everyone in the room that he will take a Tauntaun to find his friend. This is when a Rebel soldier gives Han good advice that the Tauntaun will freeze to death before the first marker. Han ignores this, and saddles up anyway on the doomed beast. Then as an added “eff you,” tells the wise soldier, “I’ll see you in hell.”

What? Why? There’s no way this wasn’t talked about later in the commissary. “Look, I was just trying to tell this guy what would happen. Who does he think he is anyway? What is he even doing here to begin with? Why do I have to wear military fatigues and he just waltzes around in pirate gear? Screw him anyway.” Anyway, guess what, Han’s Tauntaun froze to death just as he was told.

2. Could Be A Speeder? One of Ours?

If this were a trial, this might be exhibit A. Some strange transmissions are being picked up at Echo Base, which, as a viewer, we know is from an Imperial Probe Droid that were sent throughout the galaxy in search of the Rebel base. Han, who seems to be just hanging out at the base with nothing much to do, decides to stick his nose into the conversation and starts barking out his theories, based on nothing, with the expert technician who actually knows what he’s doing. This is kind of a remarkable scene, because Han starts suggesting that the transmissions could be from one of the Rebellion’s own vehicles. The technician, who doesn’t have time for any of this nonsense, just abruptly cuts Han off and says, “No.” Not, “Hm, I don’t think so.” Or, “Well, that’s a good guess but we don’t have any speeders out there.” Just a flat-out, “No,” delivered in a tone that reads, “Please leave me alone and why are you here anyway?”

3. It’s A Good Bet The Empire Knows We’re Here

Oh, speaking of that prior scene … then it gets worse. Han decides, on his own, with no actual order from an authority, to go investigate the transmission. It’s almost like Rebellion leadership decided, “Well, I guess we can’t really stop him. He just hangs out here.” So Han and Chewbacca go out to investigate and come across an Imperial probe droid looking for any proof of the Rebels whereabouts. So the big plan Han and Chewbacca have is for Chewbacca to yell at it, then Han shoots it, forcing the probe droid to self-destruct. Now, yes, the probe droid would have eventually found proof and probably already had the proof. But Han could have just let it be, then warned the base and maybe given the Rebel fleet a bit more time to evacuate. By just “shooting it,” that left little to doubt about what was going on there. I bet there were many conversations that went something like:

“Wait, we have to evacuate? What happened?”

“Oh, would it surprise you to learn that Han Solo was involved?”

“Ugh, that guy. Why is he even here anyway? What a loser.”

4. I Can Arrange That

Look, I love the exchange between Han and Leia in the corridors of Echo Base. It’s what makes The Empire Strikes Back a great movie. But just for a second, take yourself out of watching it as a viewer and put yourself in the shoes of the numerous Rebel soldiers who have to make their way around Han and Leia arguing in the hallway. Look at how annoyed everyone looks:

There’s no way they aren’t all thinking, “What the hell? This is how these two spend their time?” Which just adds to the gossip around the base that Han is just a derelict who, while everyone is just trying to do their best and fight the Empire, he’s getting into love spats with one of the leaders of the Rebellion. Han is literally making a huge scene in a hallway while people are trying to save lives. Honestly, if I were in the Rebellion, I would hate Han Solo: This jerk who just wanders around the base wearing his civilian clothes causing trouble for everyone.

5. I’ll Come Right Back And Give You A Hand

Sneaking this one on here, but the Millennium Falcon is a big starship that is falling apart and is taking up some prime parking real estate inside Echo Base. Again, if I were a Rebel pilot trying to find a space for my X-Wing or my Snowspeeder, I would be very annoyed room has to be made for someone’s personal smuggling freighter who just seems to be hanging out on the base causing trouble. Not to mention anytime he needs to know something he starts screaming, “Deck officer! Deck officer!,” and starts ordering people around even though it seems like he doesn’t really have the authority to do that.

6. I Have A Price On My Head

Has anyone noticed General Rieekan doesn’t look too upset when Han tells him that he has to leave? Rieekan makes absolutely no argument as to why Han should leaves, kind of smiles, and basically says, “Oh, darn the luck. Well you know owing money to someone is a terrible thing, so I think you’re right to want to leave and pay that off. You’re a good fighter, but don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” Never once does Rieekan say, “Well once you get that debt paid off you’ve always got a place here in the Rebellion. Nope, Rieekan acts like they will never see each other again and seems totally fine with that outcome. And then Leia is standing there with a look on her face that reads, “Well … maybe this is for the best.” Which then instigates the argument the two have out in the hallway. I have no doubt anyone around who heard this conversation between Han and Rieekan sighed in relief, “Oh finally.”

In the end, this is all better for us, the viewer. Because in Return of the Jedi Han finally takes the title of general in the Rebellion, and I assume is better liked. But it makes for a far less interesting version of the character.

You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.