The Sixers and Jazz played in one of the best and most exciting games of the first half of the regular season on Wednesday night, so naturally the conversation afterwards was about the officiating.
The main point of contention came with 30 seconds left, when Royce O’Neale appeared to save a steal before he stepped out of bounds, but was ruled on the floor to be out. Upon review, the call was upheld as we eventually found out that the officials determined the ball hit the referee standing out of bounds before O’Neale saved it, which was not really visible on the initial review because of the angle.
Joel Embiid would hit a preposterous three to tie the game and force overtime on the ensuing possession, and from there, the Jazz were on tilt. Donovan Mitchell, who had 33 points to lead Utah, was ejected for two technical fouls in overtime and after the game he went off on what he feels is a pattern of the Jazz getting “screwed” by the officials. Mitchell will be joined on the Thursday fine list by his fellow All-Star teammate, Rudy Gobert, who went in even harder on the refs, insinuating calls are rigged against the Jazz because they’re a small market team and wondering what they have to do to get calls that others get around the league, as transcribed by the indomitable Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Rudy Gobert’s full comments after the game on the way the Jazz are officiated: pic.twitter.com/SRToSdu3TR
Gobert wasn’t happy with the way he felt Embiid, who had a dominant 40-point, 19-rebound performance, pushed him around at times, and he was also unhappy with the lack of calls for his guards on some late drives where they thought there was contact. Still, there are always calls that are questionable to downright blown on both sides, and it’s hard to really buy in on the “the NBA is rigging things against Utah” when the Jazz just went on a 22-2 run, with wins over most every top team in the NBA, before losses to the Heat, Pelicans, and Sixers this week. That stretch of three losses in four games seems to be the root of the issue, because, well, it’s kind of hard to buy in on the league having it in for the team with the best record.
There were undoubtedly some misses by the crew in Philly, but that happens nightly and the Jazz have surely been the beneficiary of some calls this season that they probably don’t remember because you never do. The All-Star break is probably coming at a perfect time for Utah, a team that went on a phenomenal run and is now getting everyone’s best shot and has dropped three close games, causing frustration to rise and a week off might help them get back level-headed for the second half push for the 1-seed in the West.
It’s kind of amazing how much bourbon whiskey and Scotch whisky start to vary at these higher price points. Whereas bourbon is zeroed in on one-off barrel picks, one-off limited editions, and proprietary blends at this point, scotch is only just now getting into limited editions with unique finishings and slightly older agings. Quality-wise, we’re starting to hit a long road of nothing but greats — depending, of course, on whether you like the sweeter or the smokier side of Scotland’s signature tipple.
The ten bottles featured below are generally found in the $80 to $90 price range here in the United States. As always, these prices are going to vary. It really just depends on where you’re standing when you buy the bottle.
With everything priced close to the same, it opens the door for us to focus solely on the taste of each of these expressions. There’s no other metric or ranking. We’re simply talking about the best-tasting whisky at this dollar amount and giving you the bottom line for why it made the cut.
Auchentoshan is a great example of a Lowland malt that harkens back to the old days of varied oak aging. In this case, the triple-distilled whisky is aged in ex-bourbon oak for around 12 years and then is finished in ex-Olorosso and ex- Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a fruitiness on the nose that speaks to blue and blackberries with slight tartness next to orange oils and a hint of prune. The taste has a toffee-covered-in-almond vibe, next to more of that dark fruit with an almost “maple syrup spiked with woody cinnamon sticks” note (hello, bourbon barrel). The end is surprisingly light, a little woody, and full of plenty of fruit as it slowly fades out.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice change-up to the usual sweet scotches from further north. It’s got a touch of bourbon deep in the body of the drink (that maple) but still feels like a bright and very drinkable single malt.
Chivas 18 is the brand’s signature high-end blend. The juice is built around a specially made Strathisla 18 single malt. That juice is supported by 20 other single malts from around Scotland with various casking processes.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a bar of bespoke dark chocolate from a really fancy-schmancy shop that’s been bespeckled with dried berries — blackberry, blueberry, raspberry — on the nose, plus a rich and very buttery toffee that draws you in closer. The palate holds onto that chocolate bar while adding in dry rose pedals with a slight singe, creating a whisper of sweet and fragrant smoke. The end builds on that floral and bitter chocolate note as it very slowly fades away while warming your soul.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic “on the rocks” scotch, full stop. That being said, don’t sleep on mixing this into some killer scotch-based cocktails.
Born a stone’s throw from the sea on Islay, Laphroaig is the peat-lover’s whisky. This expression is a very unique dram in that it’s aged for five to eleven years in an old bourbon barrel and then transferred to one-quarter-sized casks, also made of used American oak. The small format oak allows the whisky to interact with the wood in a more concentrated manner, speeding up the whole process.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rush of red charcoal burning in a firepit and spitting earthy smoke into the air with a hint of toasted coconut and butter fried bananas cutting through the pall. That banana sweetness and butteriness manage to hold on as hints of fresh Band-Aids sit next to the billows of smoke and ashy embers dominating the palate, along with hints of brown spices popping in from time to time. The end is extremely slow and will build and fall with notes of the banana, spice, smoky ash, and earthy peat.
Bottom Line:
Speaking personally, this is not my thing. But I can still absolutely appreciate the craft and understand how it could totally be someone’s beloved dram. If you’re looking for a peat-monster, it’s our pick at this price point.
“Oog-a-dal!” This dram, also from Islay, is a blend of old and young single malts aged in ex-sherry casks with ones aged in ex-bourbon casks. The final product is a single malt that’s deeply flavored yet still approachable.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a definite peat smoke on the nose but it’s kissed with sea brine and counterpointed by notes of holiday cake stuffed with candied orange, fatty nuts, dried fruit, and plenty of dark spice. Those spices marry to the smoke as the palate sweetens with toffee and becomes almost like silk with a rich choco-tobacco chew arriving late, bringing a buzz to the tongue. The end really embraces that chew as notes of toffee, dried fruit, and spice lurk behind the billows of briny smoke.
Bottom Line:
Peat aficionados who need more balance than a pure peat bomb can offer will appreciate the touch of sea brine alongside the smoke. Still, this is a bold smoky whisky that’s simply not for everyone.
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Fennel leads to some dried fruits and fresh apples on the nose. The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, figs, pear candies, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe. The end is full of sweet fruits and has just the right touches of oak, vanilla, and savory greens as it fades at a good clip.
Bottom Line:
This is a personal favorite single malt at the moment. It’s also a great candidate for drinking neat. It really doesn’t need any cooling down as it’s already perfectly well-rounded and pure silk. Still, get a few drops of water in there to really let it bloom and take your time enjoying it.
This small Speyside distillery has been producing quality whisky for over 200 years. This expression is aged 16 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Olorosso sherry casks. It’s then married and proofed with soft Speyside water from the Highlands and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a matrix of dried dark fruits next to powdery dark spices with hints of walnuts and dried florals that draw you in on the nose. The taste delivers on those notes while adding a deep plummy jam cut with clove and slightly sweet wood. The end really holds onto that jammy fruit and spice as it slowly fades across your senses, leaving a velvet texture in your mouth.
Bottom Line:
Aberlour 16 is always one of those, “Oh, shit!” drams because it’s so refined, deeply flavored, and easy-drinking. While water does help it bloom, this is a super easy whisky to drink neat.
This blend used to be called Johnnie Walker Platinum, which was aged for 18 years. You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This is the same juice, which is comprised of 18 whiskies all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rich and buttery toffee that’s counterpointed by a bowl of ripe and sweet fruit that really draws you in. The caramel malts mix with marzipan, creamy vanilla pudding, and a nice rush of juicy winter tangerines that have just been peeled. Adding a little water, those orange oils marry to a deep, dark chocolate nature, which leads towards a velvety and ever-so-lightly smoky close.
Bottom Line:
This expression just beat out Johnnie Blue in our ranking of the brand. It’s one of the tastiest blended scotches there is. It’s also pretty cheap for what it is, making it great whisky to sip neat, on the rocks, or even try in a highball.
This whisky from the Isle of Jura is a one-of-a-kind that highlights both expert barrel work and blending. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon for an undisclosed amount of years. The whisky is then re-casked in seven barrels: first-fill ex-bourbon from the U.S. and Vosges, Bertranges, Jupilles, Allier, Tronçais, and Limousin barrels from France.
The ripple here is that all of those French barrels were new (never held wine) when the whisky went in.
Tasting Notes:
This is shockingly un-woody. Instead, you get a burnt coffee note next to a dark chocolate bar cut with candied ginger and, maybe, a hint of strawberry. Black licorice arrives with a note of burnt orange peels and grilled peaches with a drop of honey next to a wisp of beach campfire smoke. The end lingers for just the right amount of time as the distant smoke fades, leaving a hint of sea spray, cacao, and burnt fruit.
Bottom Line:
There’s a softness to this dram that makes it very approachable. The minor note of smoke is more a briny accent than a dry billow to the senses, which is easy to dig. You’ll definitely need to take your time though and add a bit of water, nose multiple times, and really let it settle on your senses to get the deeper notes.
This is an interesting blend that made its way to the U.S. via South American migration. The Scotch blend is a mix of Diageo single malt and single grains that are all at least 18-years-old. Those whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before their married into this well-crafted expression.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of malt next to hints of orange zest, honey, and bright cherry. The palate really delivers on the cherry as the orange zest becomes candied and a nutty edge arrives, ushering in a subtle and almost sweet smoke. The smoke dries a bit as a note of pine arrives late, supported by the orange, cherry, and honey with a touch of warm spice.
Bottom Line:
This is another classic “on the rocks” whisky that also works really well as a cocktail mixer, especially if you’re looking for a very mild smoky vibe.
This Distiller’s Edition from the seaside Talisker Distillery is all about that sea and the finishing barrel. The whisky spends a final maturation in Amoroso sherry casks, which is more of a dry sherry than a classic sweet one, giving the final product a unique depth.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a dried fruit edge that leads towards a bit of sea spray with hints of Christmas cake spices, vanilla, and toffee. The taste has a vibe that’s kind of like the wax paper wrapping of saltwater taffy or salted caramels with bright berry notes, a bit more of that spice, and the distant wisp of campfire smoke from way down the beach. The end has this choco-peppery buzz with vanilla roundness and another whisper of that briny campfire smoke.
Bottom Line:
This has the perfect balance of very distant and briny smoke with beautifully rendered vanilla, spices, and fruit. It’s so subtle and almost unbelievablyy soft, making this a fantastic sipper any time.
Even though the streaming wars are heating up and every studio/network seems to be building their own platform, Netflix still has, arguably, the best movie library of them all. They’re getting better at categorizing them too, but when you have a film library that big, it’s hard to make sure all of the worthwhile titles get seen. That’s where we come in. Let this must-watch list be your guide to the overcrowded streaming landscape and an end to the mindless scrolling through Netflix’s movie catalog. There’s something for everyone here and it’s all good.
The second film in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight trilogy is undoubtedly its best. Not only does Christian Bale fully immerse himself in the role of Bruce Wayne/Batman, playing the tortured-billionaire-turned-vigilante with a singular conviction, the film also boasts Heath Ledger’s Joker, a maniacal villain worthy of sharing the screen with our hero. The film marks one of Ledger’s final roles before his death, but it’s a viscerally gripping portrait of a man burdened by past trauma and driven by his madness for chaos and destruction. Sure, we’re all rooting for Batman to win, but we can’t deny the fun in seeing Ledger blow sh*t up for two-plus hours.
Leonard DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, and Alec Baldwin star in this crime thriller from Martin Scorsese about an undercover cop and a mole in the police department who attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in Boston. DiCaprio plays the good guy (or as close as) with Billy, a disturbed officer playing the part of a criminal to get close to Nicholson’s kingpin, Frank. Damon plays the rat, Sullivan, who serves as a police officer on the force, but really works for Frank. The two unknowingly thwart each other at every turn, playing a thrilling game of cat and mouse before their secrets eventually come out.
Daniel Day-Lewis stars in this gritty, Oscar-winning drama from Paul Thomas Anderson playing a turn-of-the-century prospector, who risks his faith and his family for oil. Daniel Plainview is a shrewd, callous businessman who adopts the orphaned son of a dead employee to make himself look more appealing to investors. When he hits oil in California, he wages a war with a local preacher and his family who stand in the way of Daniel’s progress. Violence and yes, plenty of blood, follow.
Martin Scorsese delivers another cinematic triumph, this time for Netflix and with the help of some familiar faces. Robert De Niro and Al Pacino team up (again) for this crime drama based on actual events. De Niro plays Frank Sheeran a World War II vet who finds work as a hitman for the mob. Pacino plays notorious Teamster Jimmy Hoffa, a man who frequently found himself on the wrong side of the law and the criminals he worked with. The film charts the pair’s partnership over the years while injecting some historical milestones for context. It’s heavy and impressively cast and everything you’d expect a Scorsese passion-project to be.
This dramatic interpretation of August Wilson’s iconic play is already garnering considerable awards buzz. That’s mainly due to Viola Davis, who turns in a stunning performance as the legendary Blues singer, and the late Chadwick Boseman, who plays a frustrated young Jazz musician whose ambition disrupts a fateful recording session.
Oscar-winning writer/director Alfonso Cuaron delivers what may be his most personal film to date. The stunningly-shot black-and-white film is an ode to Cuaron’s childhood and a love letter to the women who raised him. Following the journey of a domestic worker in Mexico City named Cleo, the movie interweaves tales of personal tragedy and triumph amidst a backdrop of political upheaval and unrest.
Casino Royale marks Daniel Craig’s first James Bond entry, but he plays the suave MI6 agent like he’s been doing it for decades. The film gives fans of the spy franchise a soft reset, as we’re introduced to the new Bond when he sets off on his first mission as 007. Bond’s tasked with catching a private banker funding terrorist operations by beating him in a high-stakes game of poker in Montenegro, and he’s joined by Vesper Lynd (a terrific Eva Green), an MI6 accountant with a secret that threatens to derail the mission and may cost Bond his life.
Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, and Cybill Shepherd star in this Martin Scorsese crime thriller about a veteran with mental health issues who works a night job, driving a taxi around New York City. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, a Vietnam war vet who moonlights as a cap driver to cope with his insomnia. During a long shift, he contemplates assassinating a politician to help out the woman he’s fallen in love with (Shepherd) and killing a pimp after befriending an underage prostitute (Foster). It’s a wild ride, full of darkly comedic moments, and an even more harrowing looks at the consequences of war.
Public scandal often makes for good drama, but that’s not why Todd McCarthy’s biographical re-telling of one of the most shocking cases of child sex abuse in the Catholic Church makes this list. Yes, the film has a famous list of names attached, including Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Keaton. Yes, it’s a true story about a group of Boston Globe investigative journalists, who uncovered decades-worth of corruption and molestation accusations buried by leaders of the church. Yet with McCarthy’s restrained direction, the film rejects the trope of glorifying its heroes and sensationalizing its narrative to instead give us an accurate, detailed, and unbiased look at history.
Guillermo Del Toro’s fantasy war epic focuses on a young girl named Ofelia, who grows up during a time of political unrest in her native Spain after a brutal Civil War ravages the country. Ofelia escapes the horrors committed by her stepfather when she accepts a challenge from a magical fairy, who believes her to be the reincarnation of Moanna, the princess of the underworld. If she completes three tasks, she’ll achieve immortality. The film is a play on folklore and fables from Del Toro’s youth, but there’s an undercurrent based in reality — the real cost of war — that grounds this film and makes it even more compelling.
Another Quentin Tarantino classic, this violent visit back in time to America’s era of slavery carries major Western vibes and gives Lenoard DiCaprio a refreshing turn as the film’s big bad, a plantation owner named Calvin Candie. Tarantino favorite Christoph Waltz plays a German bounty hunter who teams up with Jamie Foxx’s Django, a former slave looking to free his wife (Kerry Washington) from Candie’s clutches. There’s a lot of gore and uncomfortable dialogue and over-the-top action, really, everything you’d expect, but DiCaprio, Waltz, and Foxx make it all worth it.
David Fincher directs a who’s-who for this biographical drama centering on screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz during the time he was crafting the script for Citizen Kane. Gary Oldman plays Mank, a singular kind of man engaging in emotional affairs with Hollywood actresses (played by Amanda Seyfried) and on-set feuds with directors like Orson Welles, and we watch as work on perhaps his greatest project slowly upends his personal life.
Amy Adams turns in a haunting performance as a woman being, well, haunted by her ex-husband. More specifically, by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she assumes is some kind of threat or tale of revenge. As Adams’ Susan reads the novel — which plays out as a kind of separate film — she reminisces on her relationship with her ex-husband (played by Jake Gyllenhaal) and her current relationship with her cheating spouse (Armie Hammer). It’s a beautifully-shot neo-noir that feels like the most dangerous break-up drama you’ll ever see.
The film that turned the tide of public opinion on Sea World and convinced Pixar to change the ending of Finding Dory, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s animal rights muckraker is more than just 83 minutes of theme=park shaming. In telling the story of Tillikum, the psychologically damaged orca who spent his life in captivity and was involved in the deaths of three people, the movie is an elegy for the freedoms that marine creatures like him were once able to enjoy. Is there an ethical way to view creatures like Tillikum up close and personal, and if so, should we trust a private company to deliver it to us?
It’s hard not to watch this Aaron Sorkin-penned, David Fincher-directed masterpiece and have your viewing experience colored by Facebook, and founder Mark Zuckerberg’s, many political misdealings. Jesse Eisenberg plays the boy genius, an outcast whose brainchild is the product of a bad breakup and sexism. He partners with Andrew Garfield’s business-minded Eduardo Saverin and the two create the famous social networking site before Zuckerberg outs his friend and alienates himself. The story isn’t new, but watching it play out is still thrilling, mostly because Eisenberg is just so damn good at being a dick.
Jonah Hill and Michael Cera play a couple of best friends in search of a good time in this raunchy high school comedy from pals Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Seth (Hill) and Evan (Cera) hope to close out their senior year by getting wasted and getting laid with a blow-out to end all blow-outs. Their mission to get booze for the party, impress their crushes, and have a memorable night is derailed rather quickly thanks to fake IDs, a couple of incompetent cops, bar fights, and their own bickering. It’s a gross, over-the-top, and surprisingly poignant look at friendship and what happens when we outgrow people.
Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded courtroom drama is finally here, and besides carrying some serious Oscar buzz, it’s also delivering a handful of ridiculously good performances from its impressive cast. That cast includes everyone from Succession’s Jeremy Strong to Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, Eddie Redmayne, and Watchmen breakout Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The film follows the true story of a group of anti-Vietnam war protesters charged with conspiracy counts and inciting riots during a demonstration at the 1968 Democratic Convention. We heard that Strong asked Sorkin to tear-gas him for this thing so, yeah, it should be an intense watch.
Michael B. Jordan carries this powerful drama from Ryan Coogler. The film marks Coogler’s debut and covers the true story of Oscar Grant III, a Bay-Area resident who was killed in 2009 by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle at the Fruitvale district station of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system in Oakland. Rather than focusing solely on the tragedy, Coogler weaves a compelling story of a young man who wrestled with his past and had hope for his future just before his life was taken from him.
The early aughts action-comedy borrows elements from famous Kung Fu films of the ’70s and pairs them with a completely ridiculous plot and some impressive cartoon-style fight sequences to produce a wholly original flick that we guarantee you’ll marvel at. The film follows the exploits of two friends, Sing and Bone, who impersonate gang members in the hopes of joining a gang themselves and inadvertently strike up a gang war that nearly destroys the slums of the city. Of course, the real draw here is the absurdist, over-the-top comedy that takes place during some of the film’s biggest action sequences. It’s laugh-out-loud funny, but only if you check your brain at the door.
This gritty crime drama hailing from the Safdie brothers transforms star Robert Pattinson into a bleach-blonde sh*t-stirrer from Queens who’s desperate to break his developmentally disabled brother out of prison. Pattinson plays Connie, a street hustler and bank robber with grand plans to break out of his urban hood while Benny Safdie plays his brother Nick, who gets roped into his schemes. When Nick is sent to Rikers Island for a job gone wrong, Connie goes on a downward spiral to get him back. Pattinson’s manic energy carries this thing, and there’s plenty of police run-ins, shootouts, and heists (however botched) to keep the adrenaline pumping.
Julia Child is deep in the American home-cooking psyche. The funny, charismatic, often eccentric TV chef made her mark in the culinary world by bringing French cuisine to American shores via television and cookbooks. This film follows the true-life story of a young food blogger struggling to find her voice and decides to parse Child’s seminal Mastering the Art of French Cooking by cooking all 524 recipes and giving her review of each. Meryl Streep’s transformation into Child is profound, and Amy Adams brings it as the earnest and inquisitive food blogger on a quest. It’s really hard not to love this movie … especially if you’re a foodie or Francophile.
Edgar Wright’s 2010 action comedy about a hapless boy, who must defeat evil ex-boyfriends in order to win the hand of the girl he loves, is a fast-paced ride that bombards the senses. Michael Cera plays a loveable goof in the titular hero, a young man enamored with a woman named Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead). In order to be with his lady love, Scott must fight her evil exes (six guys, one girl), who challenge him to truly strange contests. The film is a cinematic mash-up of Japanese anime and gamer culture, intended for the crowd who grew up on Nintendo and comic books, but it brings plenty of laughs all the same.
Greta Gerwig’s love letter to her hometown of Sacramento, California follows Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf as they navigate the often-frustrating relationship between mother and daughter. Ronan plays “Ladybird,” a young woman attending Catholic school who longs for the culture and change of scenery that New York City promises. Her mother, Metcalf, is overbearing and overprotective, and the family’s lack of money and social standing contributes to a rift between the two. Some hard truths are explored in this film, but watching Ronan manage teenage angst, first love, and everything in between will give you all kinds of nostalgia.
Charlie Kaufman’s latest film is based on a book of the same name and stars Chernobyl’s Jessie Buckley as a young woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, which normally would be a happy event except she’s secretly been planning to break up the with the guy. That guy is Jesse Plemons, who seems to be in everything these days, and along with Toni Collette and David Thewlis who play his parents, they make for hellish dinner mates. There’s a sinister vibe permeating everything about this straightforward plot so if you think you know how this ends, let us be the first to tell you: You don’t have a clue.
Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight will always be remembered for winning the Academy Award for Best Picture after a mix-up that initially named La La Land as the winner. But that’s just an asterisk attached to a momentous coming-of-age story set over three eras in a young man’s life as he grows up in Miami, grappling with the sexuality he feels will make him even more of an outcast while searching for guidance that his drug-addicted mother (Naomie Harris) can’t provide. The film is both lyrical and moving and won justifiable acclaim for its talented cast, including a Best Supporting Actor award for Mahershala Ali as a sympathetic drug dealer.
Noah Baumbach’s star-studded divorce drama is pure Oscar bait, but in the best way. The film takes a look at messy breakups with Scarlett Johansson playing an actress and mother named Nicole, who is intent on separating from her stage director husband Charlie (Adam Driver). Laura Dern and Ray Liotta play their hard-hitting lawyers, who don’t help in diffusing the tension and resentment building between the pair when Nicole moves herself and their son across the country. It’s an intimate look at the emotional wreckage of a divorce and the struggle to put a family back together again, and it’s carried by some brilliant performances by Driver and Johansson.
This adventurous mindf*ck starring Adam Sandler finally landed on Netflix, and our only advice before watching this criminally-good romp is this: prepare yourself for a wild, over-the-top ride. Sandler gives one of his best performances, and the Safdie Brothers prove they’ve got a knack for crafting thrillers textured with grit and a realness that just can’t be beaten.
This time-hopping drama set in the backwoods of West Virginia is basically an excuse for director Antonio Campos to assemble his own Avengers-style squad of Hollywood A-listers. Seriously, everyone’s in this thing — Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Bill Skarsgård, Eliza Scanlen, Sebastian Stan, Mia Wasikowska, Riley Keough, Jason Clarke, Haley Bennett, that kid who played Dudley in the Harry Potter franchise. The whole gang’s living in shacks and picking up hitchhikers only to murder them later and speaking in tongues and falling victim to generational trauma. It’s a heavy watch, and there’s not really a happy ending, but boy does Pattinson deliver a batsh*t crazy turn as a perverted preacher.
Your love or hate of this film will squarely fall on who you feel about the film’s lead (real-life) character, Chris McCandless. On the one hand, McCandless struck out on an adventure to eschew the doldrums of modern life in the Alaskan wilderness. On the other hand, his woeful underestimation of the wilds and unpreparedness is maddening and cost him his life. Still, the kid gets a lot of points for at least trying when so many don’t.
Before he was bringing The Mandalorian to Disney+ and helming Marvel movies, Jon Favreau wrote, directed, and starred in this foodie gem about an overworked chef who upends his life to rediscover his passion. Favreau plays Carl Casper, a head chef at a high-end eatery who, fed up with his life, decides to quit and buy a food truck in order to get back to his neighborhood roots. Come for the food porn, stay for Favreau, who’s just as good an actor as he is a director.
This beautifully animated French fantasy film follows the story of a young man named Naoufel, or rather, his hand which has been severed from his body and spends most of the film escaping labs and trying to get back to its owner. The film flits between the past and present, watching Naoufel’s life unfold from a young orphan to an accidental carpenter’s apprentice — which is how he lost his appendage — all while exploring themes of love, loss, and destiny.
Any Spike Lee joint is worth a watch, but this genre-bending thriller about a group of black Vietnam War vets returning to the battlefield decades later feels especially timely. That’s because Lee manages to shed light on a little-known part of our shared history: the way our country treated Black soldiers returning from the war, but he also raises the stakes with a subplot that includes a buried treasure hunt and a heartwrenching mission to retrieve the remains of a fallen comrade. The cast, which includes Black Panther’s Chadwick Boseman, is brilliant, the story is gripping, and you’ll probably be seeing more talk of it come awards season, so go ahead and watch it now.
DiCaprio and Scorsese team up again, this time for a dramatic thriller that feels different from their normal fare but still just as intense. DiCaprio plays a detective drawn to a mysterious island that houses a psychiatric facility for the criminally insane. He’s investigating the case of an escaped convict, but a conveniently-timed storm, a hostile staff, and some strange happenings lead him down a rather dark and dangerous rabbit hole. There’s a twist ending here worthy of its build-up, and DiCaprio shares the screen with some notable talents including Mark Ruffalo, Michelle Williams, Sir Ben Kingsley, and Emily Mortimer.
Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this truly bonkers crime thriller from Dan Gilroy about a con-man who muscles his way into L.A.’s crime journalism scene and very quickly becomes the star of his own reporting. Lou Bloom (Gyllenhaal) is a petty thief who stumbles his way into the stringer profession — photojournalists who chase crime scenes to sell the footage to local TV stations. As Lou begins to record more exciting crimes, demand for his work grows and he starts staging scenes, obstructing police investigations, and inserting himself in high-speed chases to get the best shot. It’s a twisted, depressing look at the ethics of journalism and the consequences of consumerism, and Gyllenhaal has never been better.
Netflix spent much of 2017 trying to establish itself as an alternative to movie theaters as a place to find quality new films. The results were mostly strong, and none stronger than Mudbound, Dee Rees’ story of two families — one white and one black — sharing the same Mississippi land in the years before and after World War II. Rees combines stunning images, compelling storytelling, and the work of a fine cast (that includes Jason Mitchell, Carey Mulligan, Garett Hedlund, Jason Clarke, and Mary J. Blige) to unspool a complex tale about the forces the connect black and white Americans and the slow-to-die injustices that keep them apart.
Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star in this muted crime thriller from David Fincher based on a best-selling series of books. Mara plays a gifted young hacker with a dark past who teams up with Craig’s journalist to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy woman from a prominent family 40 years earlier.
Chris Evans stars in this sci-fi thriller from auteur Bong Joon-ho. The film, set years into the future following a devastating ice age caused by mankind, follows Evans’ Curtis who lives in poverty on a train that continuously circles the Earth and contains all that remains of human life. Curtis is part of the “scum” that the people relegated to the back of the train while the “elite” enjoy the privilege of wealth and status that comes with living in the front. Curtis sparks a rebellion that ends in bloodshed and a devastating reveal when he makes it to the train’s engine room and discovers just how the elite have been fueling their operation. It’s a dark, grimy action piece that should give fans a new appreciation for Evans’ talent.
This documentary, narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, is based on the unfinished manuscript, Remember this House, by James Baldwin. The author and civil rights activist recounts the history of racism in the United States through personal observations and his relationships with friends and leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a beautifully-shot, sobering reminder of how far we have yet to go when it comes to equality.
Writer/director Trey Edward Shults followed up his unnerving family portrait in 2015’s Krisha with a look at another family under the most desperate of circumstances. After an unknown illness has wiped out most of civilization, a number of threats — both seen and unseen — come for a family held up in their home out in the wilderness. It’s a subtle, dream-like tale that stars Joel Edgerton and Christopher Abbot as two patriarchs intent on keeping their families safe, no matter the cost.
Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith share the screen in this Oscar-nominated tearjerker about a struggling salesman trying to provide for his family. Smith plays Chris Gardner, a man at the end of his rope who’s looking to make a fresh start in a new career. When Gardner’s ex splits, leaving him to take care of their young son, we watch as he attempts to create a better life for them both despite the setbacks and roadblocks put in his path. It’s heavy, emotional work that Smith does here. It’s also some of his best.
This sci-fi drama is a bit of a hidden gem over on Netflix but we think it’s time more people checked it out. That’s because it features some terrific performance, most notably from Pedro Pascal who plays a miner with nefarious designs, and Jay Duplass, who plays a dad who travels to an alien moon with his teenage daughter to mine precious gems and ends up in a fight for both their lives.
Michael Shannon, Joel Edgerton, and Adam Driver star in this thrillingly dark road trip flick from director Jeff Nichols. The story follows a father (Shannon) and his young, gifted son, who are on the run from the Feds and a religious cult after both groups learn of the boy’s special abilities. The sci-fi here is played more for mystery — we’re never quite sure what the boy can do, but it’s dangerously big — big enough to have Driver’s government investigator spooked. Shannon is terrific as a father scrambling to do right by his kid, and Edgerton is sturdy as the friend/hired gun who transports them where they need to go.
Priyanka Chopra stars in this crime drama based on a NY Times bestselling book. Adarsh Gourav plays Balram, an academically gifted young man hailing from one of the lowest castes in Indian society. He longs to break free of the poverty and systemic oppression that prevent him from going to school and bettering his station, so he becomes a driver for a very wealthy family. Chopra plays the wife of Balram’s employer and over the course of the film, their lives become intertwined in extreme ways as Balram does whatever he must in order to rise through the ranks and earn a better life.
Patricia Highsmith made her name with dark, misanthropic thrillers like The Talented Mr. Ripley and Strangers on a Train. But her early work also included The Price of Salt, a novel about the relationship between a shopgirl and an older married woman. Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett bring this doomed romance to life, playing a pair of lovers kept apart by societal conventions. Their heartbreaking romance ends as well as can be expected, but the journey definitely involves some tears.
Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce play off each other in this fictionalized comedy about two of the most powerful men in the Catholic Church. Hopkins plays Pope Benedict XVI near the end of his tenure as he struggles with the disillusionment of his role and his faith. Pryce plays Cardinal Bergoglio (who would later become Pope Francis) who’s also going through a crisis of faith and wishes to leave his post. What follows is two hours of two of the greatest actors paling around with each other, delivering some laughs as they get deep about the philosophical leanings of these two great men.
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence star in this drama that’s equal parts rom-com and a harrowing look at mental illness. Cooper plays Pat Solitano, a former high school teacher who recently completed a stint at a mental institution. Things aren’t going well for Pat. He’s moved back in with his overbearing parents (a wickedly-funny Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver), his now ex-wife cheated on him, he doesn’t get along with his therapist, and he’s operating under the delusion that if he gets fit and gets his sh*t together, he can get his wife back. Lawrence plays Tiffany, a young woman with problems of her own. She’s depressed after the death of her husband and prefers sex with strangers to drown the pain. The two strike up a friendship that pushes both to their mental and emotional limits. It’s a messy, complicated love story, which makes for a nice change of pace if sappy-sweet rom-coms just aren’t doing it for you.
Willem Dafoe lends his name to this little indie that generated plenty of buzz during awards season just a few years ago. It follows the story of six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) who lives with her mother in a run-down motel near Walt Disney World. Moonee, along with a couple of kids also living at the motel, gets into all sorts of mischief while her mom works first as an exotic dancer, then resorts to prostitution when things get rough. Poor and neglected, Moonee still finds joy in her unforgiving environment and though things end on a bittersweet note, this feels like one of the more hopeful movies on this list.
Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun stars this psychological thriller from South Korean filmmaker Lee Chang-dong. Yeun plays Ben, a rich millennial with a mysterious job who connects with a woman named Shin Hae-mi on a trip to Africa. The two journey back home together where Ben meets Shin’s friend/lover Lee Jong-su. The three hang-out regularly, with Lee growing more jealous of Ben’s wealth and privilege while he’s forced to manage his father’s farm when his dad goes to prison. But it’s when Shin disappears, and Lee suspects Ben’s involvement, that things really go off the rails.
Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams take on the planet’s most-watched singing competition with this campy comedy about an Icelandic duo named Fire Saga, who are set on achieving glory on the world’s biggest stage. Ferrell and McAdams play Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir, artists chosen to represent their nation in the Eurovision Song Contest, a real competition that features musicians from all over the world, who are often performing in wild get-ups. Dan Stevens almost steals the show while Pierce Brosnan and Demi Lovato make appearances. We’re calling it now: “Volcano Man” is going to be a bop for the ages.
This coming-of-age indie is based on a beloved book, but if fans were worried that the story of a depressed teenager who finds friends and a sense of belonging in a group of lovable misfits wouldn’t translate on screen, they shouldn’t have been too concerned. Stephen Chbosky wrote the novel, but he also penned the screenplay and directed this flick, which sees Logan Lerman play Charlie, the social outcast, and Emma Watson play Sam, the alt-pixie-dream girl he falls for. Everyone’s good in this, but it’s Ezra Miller’s Patrick who really stands out.
Barack Obama has never been one to keep his music interests a secret. The former president has shared numerous playlists over the years, and on Wednesday he delivered another one. After a recent episode of his and Bruce Springsteen’s Renegades: Born In The USA podcast, Barack dropped his shower playlist — all 44 tracks of it — after speaking about one of his favorite habits. “I sing in the shower, I sing outside of the shower. I am unembarrassed about singing,” he said during the episode. “My daughters and my wife sometimes roll their eyes.”
The playlist finds notable contributions from Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce (“Freedom”), The Roots (“You Got Me”), Stevie Wonder (“Living For The City”), Billie Holiday (“Strange Fruit”), and more. Bruce Springsteen himself makes nine appearances on it, including “My Hometown,” “American Skin (41 Shots),” and two versions of “Born In The U.S.A.”
The playlist arrives after Barack and Bruce launched their podcast at the end of last month. So far, the duo has shared three full-length episodes, where they’ve discussed their respective lives, the U.S., and, of course, their love for music.
Two months ago, Barack showed off his wide-ranging music taste with his favorite songs of 2020 playlist. Megan The Stallion, Travis Scott, Dua Lipa, Lil Baby, and J. Cole were among the many names that appeared on it.
If you’re unlucky enough to suffer a near-death experience, you probably do your best to prevent whatever almost killed you from doing so the next time. Not Mike Pence. Almost two months ago after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, some with the intention of actually hanging him, the former vice president wrote a fiery op-ed. No, it wasn’t about stopping the voter fraud lies that nearly got him hanged. It was about amplifying them all over again.
The piece was called “Election Integrity is a National Imperative,” and it was published in the conservative online rag The Daily Signal. The right is angry about HR 1, a Democratic-led bill that seeks to overhaul the nation’s election process. And so Pence decided to combat by parroting misinformation about “significant voting irregularities,” despite no evidence of widespread voter fraud.
And about the events that endangered not only his life, but his family’s life, as well as everyone working in the Capitol building, from congress people to aides to security — and which led to five deaths — he merely said they were “tragic.”
Many found it bizarre not only to minimize a day that could have led to many more deaths and the toppling of democracy. It also seemed surreal that someone would repeat mistruths that almost got him murdered.
Mike Pence is sticking with MAGA and The Big Lie, even though they wanted to fucking kill him. Maybe he really is a masochist.
What the fuck, Mike Pence, they were gonna hang your ass. You have to be fucking joking. https://t.co/0HfxHaAXRY
— Holly Figueroa O’Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) March 3, 2021
Remember, Mike Pence giving a pass to the ppl who literally tried to murder him by repeating their lie (which got 8 Americans killed) because he’s still willing to grovel for the votes of ppl who tried to murder him is actually peak Mike Pence
Mike Pence’s next op-ed will be about how comfortable nooses can be. The scratchy fibers can really tickle a guys neck. And don’t get him started on trap doors. He is all in on them.
Luckily there’s Daniel Dale, CNN’s intrepid, tireless, and — after four years of Trump — exhausted fact checker, who pointed out the lies and distortions Pence wrote, about the 2020 election and about the Democrats’ attempt to clean up the election process.
No, Democrats’ HR 1 bill doesn’t ban voter ID. No, it doesn’t register undocumented immigrants to vote in federal elections. No, it doesn’t require the counting of ballots mailed after Election Day.
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Utah Jazz 131-123 on Wednesday night in an overtime thriller that saw Joel Embiid put up a monster 40-point, 19-rebound performance in the win including a wild three to force OT.
However, it wasn’t without controversy, most notably a rather dubious review with 30 seconds to go to determine whether Royce O’Neale stepped out of bounds before saving the ball. The referees ruled the call of Sixers ball would stand, with the explanation given by the Philly broadcast being the ball hit an official out of bounds, but that wasn’t something anyone noticed initially during review and no further replays were shown — and this angle makes it impossible to tell whether that was the case.
In overtime, Donovan Mitchell, who led the Jazz with 33 points on the night, got tossed for a pair of technicals in close succession — and with some help of a trolling Joel Embiid — as Utah’s frustration with the officials boiled over after that review.
After the game, Mitchell figured he’d get his money’s worth out of calling out the officials, going off on what he believes has been a consistent issue for the Jazz “continually getting screwed” by the refs, saying it’s “f*cking ridiculous” and the team is “sick” of what they feel is uneven calls going against them.
It’s clearly something that’s been bothering Mitchell for some time because it is a bit out of character for him to go in like this after a game, and he’ll at least get his money’s worth out of his sure to come $25,000 fine from the league for this. Utah fans will certainly agree with him, although there were some questionable calls on both sides in this one — including Mitchell drawing a three-point foul in OT as he jumped into Seth Curry. In any case, the NBA won’t take kindly to this, but maybe it’ll earn the Jazz some more 50/50 calls in the future. Either way, Mitchell didn’t hold back after this loss and at least got this off his chest.
At this point in our journey to find the best bourbon whiskey at every price point, we’re out on the frontier — bushwhacking to discover the very good and increasingly rare stuff. These are bourbons that might be a little out of reach for reasons of both availability and aftermarket markup. Some of them won’t feel like traditional bourbons anymore, thanks to rare cask finishings that shift their taste profiles; others will feel like the mountaintop of just how dialed in those “trademark bourbon flavor notes” can get.
All told, it’s an exciting price point for bourbon whiskey. Though we admit, it’s also getting into that space where you probably want to be something of an aficionado to really savor what you’re drinking.
The ten bottles below are meant to represent a general price point between $80 and $90. It’s important to note that these prices can shift dramatically. Some of these bottles are going to be extremely hard to find outside of small corners of Kentucky (or wherever they’re made). That means prices will sometimes skew much higher — or, if you’re lucky, lower — depending on where you are in relation to where the whiskey is produced and distributed.
With all that price talk out of the way, it’s important to state that this is really all about taste. We choose these ten bottles because they taste really f*cking good. And trust us, the competition between $80 and $90 was stiff, just like the proof on many of the bottles.
Michigan’s Traverse City Whiskey Co. makes some quality juice thanks to the harsh northern winters of Michigan and all that freshwater that surrounds the state. The juice in this bottle is a fairly high-rye bourbon (71 percent corn, 25 percent rye, and four percent barley). The whiskey spends four years in the barrel, enduring those harsh winters and short, balmy summers.
The honey barrels are hand-selected by the Traverse team for their taste and bottled at barrel-proof, letting that commitment to process shine in the glass.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with this sense of rich toffee next to a dark chocolate bar that’s been spiked with orange zest and a touch of musty oak. The taste leans into an almond encrusted butter toffee with dark berries next to rich shortbread and a touch more of that old oak. The end brings in a classic and silken note of vanilla with a hint of warmth leading back to the dark chocolate, citrus, and almost bitter wood.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic Midwest craft bottle at this point. The juice is a great candidate for an exquisite cocktail, but also works wonders on the rocks.
This masterful blend of sourced whiskeys is a highwater mark for Nelson’s Green Brier out in Nashville. The nine-year-old barrels are hand-selected from a reserve sourcing program. Those high-rye bourbons (the 36 percent rye MGP mash bill) are married and then transferred to Olorosso sherry casks for a final maturation before the whiskey is slightly proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of a Christmas cake full of dark spice next to fatty nuts, vanilla, dried fruits, and candied orange peels with hints of plummy wood popping up on the background. The taste follows that path and adds in more dried fruits with a toffee sweetness and buttery edge next to a touch of dried florals. The end builds as the vanilla and spice meld into a bread pudding body with a lingering sense of spice on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect post-dinner sipper. It’s not a “dessert” bourbon by any stretch, but it really does feel like a great digestif with a single rock to really let it bloom in the glass.
Woodford’s Master’s Collection aims to highlight each step of the whiskey-making process. This expression focuses on the maturation step by really underscoring the effect of the wood. This four-grain bourbon (corn, rye, oats, and barley) was aged for nine years in a specific American oak called Ozark Oak, which imparts a real sense of terroir into the body of the juice.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear fruitiness on the nose that reaches towards earthy huckleberry brambles, sweeter blackberry, and cherry with almost toasted oak on the nose. The palate dries out all that fruit to a bitter/sweet edge while hints of clove-spiked oranges arrive with a touch of tobacco chew and buzz on the tip of the tongue. There’s a slight cereal note near the finish as that tobacco buzz grows and warms, and the fruit makes one last appearance next to more oak on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a fascinating one-off expression. Since it dropped in 2018 (and Woodford has been releasing different expressions since then), it may be a little hard to find. Still, it’s a unique look into a special barreling in the bourbon world, which is pretty rare and wonderful to experience.
Just make sure to let this dram bloom with some water and really take your time with it.
Jefferson’s Bourbon is a highwater mark and what great example of what contract distilling, on-site distilling, and masterful blending can do when working in harmony. The whiskey is a blend of around eight-year-old bourbons that are married and then spend an additional 15 months resting in Gosling’s Old Rum casks (barrels which held that rum for up to 16 years). The results are proofed down with that soft Kentucky limestone water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of rummy molasses and spice on the nose that’s countered by a light hint of ripe banana and an almost rye bread crust. The palate then veers into classic bourbon territory with big and rich vanilla notes next to almost buttery caramel corn, hints of sweet oak, and a dash of spiced chocolate. The end is medium-length, pure silk, and hints back at that banana, rummy spice, and vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a damn-fine sipper. We’d argue you don’t even need water to enjoy this velvety bourbon. Still, a little water will help you find deeper cacao notes and more tropical fruits, making this one worth your time and effort.
291 Colorado Whiskey is one of those craft distillers that have been around for a minute and have remained one of the most lauded for all that time. Their Small Batch is a great entry-point into the wider world of the brand. The juice isn’t a “straight” bourbon, since it’s only aged for one year, but Aspen wood staves are added into the barrels to create a deeper sense of maturation without taking half-a-decade to achieve it.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a push towards cornbread dripping with butter next to hints of berry bushes plus a touch of caramel apples. The taste adds a good dose of cinnamon to the mix as the caramel leans away from apple and towards kettle corn with hints of nougat and maple syrup arriving late. The end holds onto the warmth of the cinnamon and the sweeter edges while a pine-y resinous note sneaks on the short finish, adding a nice nuance to the sip.
Bottom Line:
This is going to be really hard to find if you’re not in Colorado — or at a whiskey trade show. Still, if you do come across a bottle, give it a shot in cocktails. It makes one of the best ever high-end old fashioneds.
Bib & Tucker is another classic example of what great blending can do with sourced juice. The Tennessee bourbon is a marriage of ten-year-old whiskeys aged in the lowest char barrels available, allowing more direct contact with dried wood rather than black char. Those barrels are blended and then proofed down with soft Tennessee water.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of vanilla bean (pod, seeds, essence) up top with hints of spicy chewy tobacco, dry oak (almost pine), and a distant note of fresh corn husks. The palate really holds onto that velvety vanilla as the corn husks dry out and notes of orange-infused dark chocolate mingle with that spicy tobacco, which starts buzzing on your tongue. The end is long-ish, has touches of that dry pine, and holds onto both the vanilla and dried corn husks.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty f*cking tasty and definitely complex. You’re going to need to give it time and water to really plumb the depths of the pine and choco-citrus, but it’s worth the effort.
Kentucky Peerless Distilling takes its time for a true grain-to-glass experience. Their Single Barrel Bourbon is crafted with a fairly low-rye mash bill and fermented with a sweet mash as opposed to a sour mash (that means they use 100 percent new grains, water, and yeast with each new batch instead of holding some of the mash over to start the next one like a sourdough starter, hence the name). The barrels are then hand-selected for their taste and bottled completely un-messed with.
Tasting Notes:
Naturally, this will vary ever so slightly, but expect notes of blackberry next to worn leather, rich toffee, vanilla oils, and wet tobacco leaves. The taste holds onto the toffee and vanilla as the tobacco dries out and spices up, with touches of cedar bark and a few bitter espresso beans. The end is long, holds onto the vanilla and tobacco, and touches back on the berries as it fades through your senses.
Bottom Line:
This is another bottle that might not be easy to source outside of Kentucky (or literally off the distillery grounds). Still, it’s an interesting whiskey that’ll hit some classic notes while expanding your whiskey knowledge about the difference between sweet and sour mashed juice.
Wilderness Trail is the whiskey nerd’s whiskey. Their High Rye Bourbon is a mash of 64 percent corn, 24 percent rye, and 12 percent barley grains that are fermented with a proprietary Wildness Trail yeast using the sweet mash process. The whiskey then spends four years and nine months aging before it’s bottled without any filtration and barely proofed.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a mild holiday cake vibe with brown spice, nuts, and dried fruit mingling with touches of oak, chocolate-covered berries, and biscuits. The taste becomes a sort of buttered-biscuit-smothered-with-berry-jam that’s been touched with spice as a note of sweetened vanilla lurks in the background. The end is long and leans back into the fruit as the vanilla and spice create a silken mouthfeel.
Bottom Line:
These are generally reserved for barrel picks, so only select retailers will have them (if they picked a barrel and bottled it up for retail). If you’re lucky enough to come across a bottle, give it time and really dive in with the nose first. Let it bloom and go back and forth between the nose and the taste to let it build on your senses.
This is the “original” single barrel bourbon. Buffalo Trace’s Blanton’s is hand-selected single barrels that meet the sky-high standards of former Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee, who created the expression back in 1984.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of Christmas spices right away, leaning towards eggnog spiked with vanilla. The taste holds onto the spice, especially nutmeg, as caramel kettle corn, fresh honey, and vanilla husks dominate the palate. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome as hints of eggnog spice, dry vanilla, and popped corn fade away.
Bottom Line:
This is just quality booze. The bottle is cool and the stoppers are collectible. But what really matters is the svelte juice in that bottle. It’s amazingly easy to drink straight while also making a killer Manhattan, if you can pay that sort of money for a cocktail (try it at least once!).
Barrell Bourbon is one of the best blenderies in the bourbon game right now. This fairly new batch marries bourbons from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana that are anywhere from five to 15-years-old. The juice is then bottled at cask-strength, allowing what was in those barrels to shine the brightest.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a fruity note on the nose that leans slightly savory towards melon as a creamed corn with a bit of maple syrup offers up a counterpoint. The taste touches on notes of dark chocolate-covered marzipan as that savory fruit feel dances between rhubarb and fig with dried orange tobacco chew and maybe a whisper of black licorice. The end is shockingly short and reveals an espresso bean bitterness and almost saltiness with a little water in the mix.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those drams that causes you to pause. There’s a lot going on that doesn’t sound like it’ll work on paper. But once you add a littler water, go back and forth on the nose, and really dive in, you’ll find a great goddamn whiskey.
The two teams currently atop the East and West met on Wednesday night when the Jazz visited the Sixers as their final game before the All-Star Break, and despite the weeklong break coming up both teams brought their A game into Philly.
The Jazz came out hot, as they are wont to do, lighting the Sixers up from three-point range, going 21-of-44 from deep on the night. However, the Sixers climbed back into the game on the back of an absolutely monstrous performance from Joel Embiid, who put quite the bullet point on his MVP resume with 40 points and 19 rebounds against Rudy Gobert and company.
His biggest shot of the night came late, after a somewhat dubious review led to the ball staying with the Sixers after it appeared Royce O’Neale saved the ball before stepping out of bounds — the explanation given was that the ball touched a ref while out of bounds. With the clock winding down, Embiid caught the ball in the post against Bojan Bogdanovic and, recognizing the time for a quick two had gone, darted to the three-point line, pumped, and then hit a preposterous shot over Bogdanovic’s contest to tie the game.
Joel Embiid gets behind the line and buries the three to force OT! @sixers 118@utahjazz 118
A Mike Conley floater on the other end went begging, and the game went to overtime where the Sixers ran away with a 131-123 win thanks to a 9-0 run to close on strong play from Tobias Harris (who finished with 22 points) and Embiid as well — and two technicals from Donovan Mitchell, who had 33 to lead the Jazz in scoring, to get himself ejected as Utah was on tilt with the officiating after the review on O’Neale. Embiid even helped the refs with the decision to T up Donovan.
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 4, 2021
There was also a period in the third quarter where Dwight Howard took over with the bench unit, hitting a rare three and making some big defensive plays, to erase a double-digit deficit for the Sixers, which was the real catalyst for making this game as fun and competitive as it was down the stretch.
Embiid did a bit of everything on both ends, hitting a couple clutch threes late, putting on a show on the block and in the midrange against Gobert down low, and coming up with some key blocks late.
The Sixers will go to the break at 24-12, atop the Eastern Conference and feeling great about where they stand and with Embiid firmly in place as one of the MVP frontrunners this season. The Jazz drop to 27-9, but likewise finish first in the West after half of the season, and will look to continue their tremendous team play and execution in the second half to earn homecourt throughout.
As Stereogum points out, the Maroon 5 singer was interviewed by Zane Lowe on Apple Music as part of promotion for the band’s new single with Megan Thee Stallion, “Beautiful Mistakes,” when he began pontificating about the golden era of musicians joined in a group together. Solo stars like Avril Lavigne are okay by him, but Levine said he’s nostalgic for the days when bands were in the pop limelight. Is it weird to expound about this when collaborating with a solo female rapper? Perhaps.
Here’s what Adam had to say:
You look back at that stuff and, it’s funny, I’ve been showing my kid music videos, my little girl. And it’s funny how you go back and re-watch like these old videos, and listen to these old songs, and I’ve been playing her a lot of Avril Lavigne records. Like, dude, “I’m With You” is like — it’s, yeah, that gives you tears. It’s crazy, because you don’t remember it in the same way, because you took it for granted, because it was like when you were growing up, and it was just part of what you had on the radio. But there’s some really great songs that I didn’t understand how good they were back then.
It’s funny, when the first Maroon 5 album came out there were still other bands. I feel like there aren’t any bands anymore, you know? That’s the thing that makes me kind of sad, is that there were just bands. There’s no bands anymore, and I feel like they’re a dying breed. And so I kind of, in a weird way, as far as… I mean, there still are plenty of bands, and maybe they’re not in the limelight quite as much, or in the pop limelight, but I wish there could be more of those around.
The Simpsons has lived through five presidents, three of whom served two terms and two who did not. If it was a person it would have been able to get its license to drive half its life ago. And it’s not going anywhere any time soon: As per Deadline, the crown jewel in Fox’s original TV line-up — which, despite some criticism from old school Simpsons heads, still has its fans — has been renewed for another two seasons, taking it all the way to 2023. In other words, it will turn at least 34, and if it gets another season it could — were it, again, a person, and just to give you some perspective — be old enough to run for president of the United States.
This isn’t a shock: Humanity has surely long passed the point of wondering if the deathless show will ever call it quits. The Simpsons first bowed in late 1989, and ever since then it’s soldiered on no matter what, its characters frozen in the same age lo these last 32 seasons. There was even a big screen movie, released 14 years ago, but its showrunners knew its rightful home was on the small screen, seemingly forever.
The Simpsons may be the longest-running scripted primetime series, and by a lot. The runner-up, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, has “only” been on for 22 seasons. But it’s far from the longest-running scripted TV show. General Hospital, America’s beloved soap opera, has been on since 1963. But then there’s Coronation Street, the British soap opera, which actually holds the record, having been on since 1960, with over 10,000 episodes. Still, 34 seasons is nothing to sneeze at, and there’s no reason to believe it won’t live much, much longer.
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(@AmyAThatcher) 
Joel Embiid gets behind the line and buries the three to force OT! 
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