Month: May 2021

David Ayer’s 2016 Suicide Squad confined itself to a PG-13 rating, mostly because I imagine that “smashing blob people” doesn’t qualify as real gore? Also, Harley’s butt crack was covered, even if most of her tush was hanging out and straight-up ogled by the camera during several instances. Well, no one expected James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad to stay with PG-13, and in fact, there’s been multiple confirmations along the way of the R-rating for this Warner Bros. movie, which will release simultaneously on streaming and in theaters.

For instance, Gunn himself spoke toward how the R-rating of the film gave him more creative freedom, and Joel Kinnaman (who’s back as Rick Flag) called the relaunch “like heavily R-rated” as well as “a f*cking monster.” Now, the MPAA has revealed the precise reasons for the R-rating, and the last one is a little surprising. Via Collider, it’s all coming down due to “strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity.”

This, of course, will make everyone wonder who’s doing the disrobing out of the “horribly beautiful” assortment of supervillains in the film. One can’t expect Margot Robbie to be the one to go there, given that the actress pushed back hard on those hotpants from Ayer’s movie. That leaves the likes of John Cena, Idris Elba, and Pete Davidson, but don’t rule out Sylvester Stallone’s King Shark getting a little bit obscene. Or whatever character Taika Waititi is playing, for that matter.

The Suicide Squad will arrive on August 6. The relaunch also stars Viola Davis, Jai Courtney, Peter Capaldi, Mayling Ng, Alice Braga, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, and more.

(Via Collider)

On Wednesday, Ellen DeGeneres announced that she would be ending her daytime talk show in 2022, once the 19th season concludes. While the news might have come as a surprise to some of her fans, for anyone who has been paying attention—either to her ratings or the scandals that have hit the show—the decision seemed to be a long time coming.

While DeGeneres’s ratings have been slipping for years (which isn’t that uncommon in the daytime talk show landscape), they’ve taken a much harder hit in the wake of three of the show’s top producers being fired in August 2020 following accusations of sexual misconduct. Not to mention additional reports of The Ellen DeGeneres Show fostering a toxic workplace and the star herself not being quite as nice as she appears on-screen. All of which is to say: It’s time for a little shakeup.

The good news is that it looks as if NBC executives are reportedly casting a very interested eye in actor/comedian Tiffany Haddish’s way to fill the vacancy left by DeGeneres and her awkward dance breaks. According to a senior NBC source who spoke to Page Six on the condition of anonymity: “Tiffany is a favorite… She’s top of the list to get a daytime show—she’s a fresh voice.”

Haddish is also a proven quantity—and not just at the box office. In addition to filling in for DeGeneres a couple of times in the past year, Haddish has also hosted Kids Say The Darndest Things. Between that and her roles in hit movies like the surprise hit Girls Trip (2017) and her voice work in The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and The Secret Life of Pets 2 (both 2019), Haddish has proven herself as an adept comedian who knows how to appeal to audiences of all ages.

As of right now, neither Haddish nor her management team has made any comments on the rumors.

(Via Page Six)

A week after DMX’s tragic death, the world received a posthumous verse from him thanks to the Swizz Beatz and French Montana-accompanied track, “Been To War,” an effort that appeared in Epix’s Godfather Of Harlem TV series. The song makes for DMX’s second contribution to the show as the series’ current theme song is his and Rick Ross’ “Just In Case.” During an interview with Rap-Up, Swizz Beatz spoke about the song and revealed that it was the last song he and DMX recorded together before his death.

“I actually made that record for X, and wanted that record for X, but then we was coming with the show. And so it was like, you know what, it’s perfect,” Swizz said. While reflecting on the last few records they did together, he added, “Yeah, that might’ve been the last one.” Swizz then shared how DMX felt to be once again involved in the TV series from a music standpoint.

“He sent it to me and he was just so excited to be included in Godfather Of Harlem again, beyond the theme song,” he said. “And he just was like, I’m going to get it. ‘Cause he was taking a little long to finish the verse because he was traveling. And then he called me and he was just like, ‘I’m on it. I’m going to the studio and I’ll have it to you by tomorrow.’”

DMX kept his word and sent the song back to Swizz the following day. “I thought it was super fresh and he just was super appreciative, ’cause he was a big fan of Forest [Whitaker],” Swizz added. “Big fan of Godfather and it’s something he actually had fun doing.”

Listen to “Been To War” below.

One of music’s most popular podcasts came to an unexpected end on Wednesday morning. The Joe Budden Podcast, co-hosted by Joe Budden, Rory, and Mal, was declared “100,000% done” by Budden. The show’s 437th episode was uploaded to YouTube early Wednesday morning all to be removed a short time later, but not before some fans were able to get a listen to what transpired on it. Budden would eventually re-post the episode to his Patreon account for viewers to watch.

In the new episode, Budden, who is seated alone on the set that usually features Rory and Mal with him, begins by addressing the former of his previous co-hosts. “Rory feels like he has so many options here, somehow he still feels like he’s running the show [and] he still feels like he has choices and options, he feels like he’s entitled to more,” he said. “Rory, you are in breach of your contract. And from this point forward, you are fired and you are not welcome back.” Despite this, Budden did not reveal exactly how Rory breached his contract.

Elsewhere, Budden called Rory a “liability” and encouraged him and Mal to start their own show elsewhere. After the episode was initially posted to YouTube, Budden hopped on Twitter and gave a brief message, writing, “Helluva run!! God bless.” He also responded to a few fans who had thoughts on the podcast’s end.

You can read the tweets from Budden below.

In her second major interview to discuss ending her talk show after 19 seasons, Ellen DeGeneres offered her most candid thoughts yet on the toxic workplace accusations that have been plaguing her since last summer. While DeGeneres has maintained an apologetic stance and swears she was not aware of the problem (she immediately fired three of her top producers once the allegations came to light), the talk show host is now firing back with allegations of her own.

“It was too orchestrated, it was too coordinated,” DeGeneres told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY. “And also I have to say — if nobody else was saying it — it was really interesting because I’m a woman, and it did feel very misogynistic.”

Echoing her earlier remarks to The Hollywood Reporter, DeGeneres reiterated that the allegations are not why she’s leaving the show, but she did admit it that the situation almost made her not return for Ellen’s 18th season. Via TODAY:

“I really did think about not coming back, because it was devastating. It started with attacks on me and attacking everything that I stand for and believe in and built my career around … I am a kind person. I am a person who likes to make people happy.”

Despite maintaining her “happy” persona while addressing the situation and apologizing her to employees, DeGeneres candidly revealed that the allegations did have a profound effect on her, particularly because she now says so many false things were said. “When something is coming back at me that I know is not true, I guess I could take one or two of those shots, but four months in a row took a toll on me.”

Watch the rest of Ellen’s interview with Savannah Guthrie below.

(Via TODAY)

The ongoing saga of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) pestering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), while the latter ignores the former, is reaching a point where it’s no longer funny and might be dangerous. For months, Greene has pestered AOC on Twitter about wanting to “debate” her polar-congressional opposite over the Green New Deal. Since MJT was tweeting gibberish and is usually only looking for attention, AOC simply ignored Marjorie, which is generally the most effective method for dealing with a troll. Marjorie later revealed that she hasn’t even read the 14-page bill, which is a self-own but also proves that she’s simply obsessed with AOC.

Previously, Marjorie accelerated her antics by posting a staged photo where she tried to make it look like she and AOC were talking about their debate. That backfired because it really looked like AOC was caught by surprise, but MJT kept tagging AOC on Twitter about the “communists manifesto” with a “looking forward to debating you.” Well, Marjorie reportedly decided to move from one-sided Twitter squabbles to a real-life confrontation. It caused quite a scene, according to the Washington Post, as witnessed by two of their reporters. From the WaPo‘s write up on the incident:

Two Washington Post reporters witnessed Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) exit the House chamber late Wednesday afternoon ahead of Greene (Ga.), who shouted “Hey Alexandria” twice in an effort to get her attention. When Ocasio-Cortez did not stop walking, Greene picked up her pace and began shouting at her and asking why she supports Antifa, a loosely knit group of far-left activists, and Black Lives Matter, falsely labeling them “terrorist” groups. Greene also shouted that Ocasio-Cortez was failing to defend her “radical socialist” beliefs by declining to publicly debate the freshman from Georgia.

“You don’t care about the American people,” Greene shouted. “Why do you support terrorists and antifa?”

Ocasio-Cortez did not stop to answer Greene, only turning around once and throwing her hands in the air in an exasperated motion. The two reporters were not close enough to hear what the New York congresswoman said, and her office declined to discuss her specific response.

MJT then followed up on her obsessive display of anger with a tweeted claim that she “Just talked to @AOC again.” She then wrote, “You chickened out bc you are too scared to debate me about your Socialist Green New Deal. You are also a hate-America terrorist sympathizer. #JihadSquad.” To make matters even more ridiculous, “Members of Congress do NOT support terrorism & shouldn’t be afraid to debate their legislation.”

WaPo further reports that AOC (through a spokesperson) is now concerned about security when it comes to Marjorie, and that fear does not sound unwarranted:

Representative Greene tried to begin an argument with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez and when Rep. Ocasio-Cortez tried to walk away, Congresswoman Greene began screaming and called Rep. Ocasio-Cortez a terrorist sympathizer. We hope leadership and the Sergeant at Arms will take real steps to make Congress a safe, civil place for all Members and staff — especially as many offices are discussing reopening. One Member has already been forced to relocate her office due to Congresswoman Greene’s attacks.

Let’s hope for some beefed-up security outside of the House chamber. Geez, Marjorie.

(Via Washington Post)

While some media pundits are painting Liz Cheney as some sort of political hero after being ousted from her leadership position within the GOP for what Seth Meyers described as “the crime of not showing sufficient loyalty to Donald Trump,” he wasn’t about to let the Wyoming congresswoman off the hook that easily.

In Wednesday’s “A Closer Look” segment, Meyers spent ten minutes reminding viewers that while Cheney may have voted to impeach Trump in January, she was also an integral part in bringing Trump to the political forefront in the first place:

“Cheney helped lay the groundwork for Trumpism and the authoritarian Republican party that exists today. She defended illegal torture and lied about it; championed the Iraq War; and in one TV interview, pointedly refused to denounce the racist lie that President Obama wasn’t a United States citizen. A lie, of course, that was central to Donald Trump’s political rise.”

It was only by acknowledging the reality of the 2020 Presidential Election—and the fact that there was no voter fraud—that Cheney made herself a traitor to her own party. And while Meyers allowed that “living in reality” (as Cheney has been) “should be the bare minimum for holding public office… today’s GOP is so batsh*t crazy that simply living in reality is considered heresy.”

While Cheney vowed to keep fighting on, it will likely be all for naught if she remains on an island of one. Because, as Meyers so eloquently put it, “The GOP has calculated that it simply cannot move on from Donald Trump. No matter how unpopular and destructive to the country, they can’t succeed without him.”

As disturbing as that may sound, it echoes the Orwellian thinking that Lindsey Graham recently espoused during an appearance on Fox News in which he stated that:

“I’ve always liked Liz Cheney, but she’s determined we can’t grow with President Trump. I’ve determined we can’t grow without him. If you don’t get that as a Republican, you’re making the biggest mistake in the history of the Republican party. The reason our party is growing with minorities and with working men and women is because President Trump appears to be on the side of people working really hard.”

(It’s important to listen to the somewhat odd voice inflection Graham used when saying “appears to be” in the sentence above.)

But Meyers was there to bring reality back into the picture, stating:

“Donald Trump is not on the side of people working really hard. He’s on the side of people working really hard for him. And even then, he’s not even on their side enough to pay them. [And] Cheney is as responsible as anyone else in GOP leadership for Trump’s rise. This is not about heralding her as a hero because she isn’t one. It’s about the GOP’s hard turn against democracy.”

In other words: You reap what you sow.

You can watch the full clip above, including Meyers’s attempts to imitate Trump at both the 2:55 and 4:49 marks, above.

When you ask around about Dave Bautista — talking to people who have worked with him, specifically — it becomes clear that he’s a very thoughtful guy. After shooting wraps, he likes to buy gifts for his castmates. And not just any gifts, but really personal things. Often, people on the receiving end of Bautista’s gifts get lunchboxes. Oh, yes, Bautista loves lunchboxes and has, by all accounts, a pretty amazing collection. So what Bautista will do is find out what a person likes, then get them a lunchbox that corresponds to that. It really is a very thoughtful thing to do. (Also, note to the cast of Knives Out 2, you might want to clear some space for your new lunchbox.)

Also, even in interviews, which I get the impression Bautista does not like (then again, who would?), he’s incredibly thoughtful (there’s that word again) with his answers. I’m not sure he’s capable of lying. Or, at the very least, he’s a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeves and lets the chip fall where they may. He’s a realist and he knows his age and he knows if he wants to achieve his goals as an actor, he has to make his move now.

He’s currently starring in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead (as a guy leading a team robbing a Las Vegas casino during a zombie apocalypse), which will be in theaters this weekend, then on Netflix the following week. Bautista chose Army of the Dead over his pal James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad for a couple of reasons. First, he’s the star of Army of the Dead. But maybe more importantly he wanted to start a relationship with Netflix. And that paid off with his recent casting in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out 2. And Bautista admits that probably doesn’t happen without Army of the Dead.

And then there’s Drax. Yes, Bautista tweeted the third Guardians movie would be his last because he’ll be 54. When I countered that Harrison Ford will be 80 when the next Indiana ones comes out, Bautista made it clear why that’s a different situation.

We have a mutual friend. When I told him I was talking to you today he said, “You’ve got to ask him about his lunchboxes!”

Yeah, I’ve been collecting lunchboxes since 2003. Yeah, [our mutual friend] also gave me a lunchbox. He threatened me once, and I can’t remember what he threatened me about, but he threatened to shit in one of my lunchboxes.

What?

Yeah.

So isn’t one of the most valuable lunchboxes Superman fighting a robot? Do you have that one?

I do, yeah.

Wow.

Yeah, I have that one.

That’s very impressive.

Yeah, I have some that are actually really pretty rare and hard to get. I don’t have a huge collection. I’ve seen collectors with much bigger collections. A lot of people are really focused on international collections or very obscure lunchboxes, and I just kind of focus on what I like and what I remember as a kid: TV shows that I loved, superheroes, stuff like that. And a few that are kind of rare that are hard to get.

I have one lunchbox. I have The Fall Guy. It’s worth like seven dollars.

I think I have a The Fall Guy around here somewhere, but it’s pretty beat up. But I do have both original Six Million Dollar Man lunchboxes that are just pristine, brand new, tags and everything. When I wrapped on James Bond, I gave Sam Mendes a James Bond lunchbox and he just looked at me like I was ridiculous. He says, “Oh, I’m going to put that on my mantle, right next to my Oscar.”

Did that discourage you or encourage you to keep giving lunchbox gifts?

No, no. I don’t care. It’s kind of a gift of love from me. On Guardians 2, I gave everybody lunchboxes and I tried to find out what their favorite lunchboxes were or what their favorite cartoon shows were. I gave Zoe Saldana a Charlie’s Angles lunchbox.

See, I find this very thoughtful because you have to find out something about every person and then give them something just for them.

Yeah. I think so, but I don’t know, I’m biased.

I read your quote about why you did Army of the Dead versus Suicide Squad. And you mentioned creating ties with Netflix. With the news you’re going to be in Knives Out 2, does Knives Out 2 happen for you without you taking Army of the Dead?

Yeah, that’s a good question. I don’t know what the real answer to that is. There’s a part of me that would hope so, but I’ve made certain moves in my career that have been intentional, in the hopes that they would lead me someplace. Like when I switched agencies. I switched agencies, not because I had a bad agent, I loved my agent. We had a personal relationship and he was a real friend, but I felt that I had outgrown the agency I was with and I left about a year and a half too late and I missed a couple of projects. And I wanted to be at a bigger agency where I would be introduced to more filmmakers and be packaged into films and projects and have that take off. So my intention in building a relationship with Netflix was so I’d be in the mix. I’d be in the conversations with Netflix and I’d have kind of a home where I could go and pitch projects and they’d already be familiar with me, my work ethic, what I have to offer. So, I think, I hope that I would have gotten the part otherwise. I mean, even if I hadn’t been kind of already a family member at Netflix. But the truth is, probably not.

That’s interesting.

So, I’m kind of in the mix and I have other projects with them as well. Definitely, it was the right move. It still bothers me because I had to make that call to change. But still, I believe that it was the right move.

I only ask this because of your tweet the other day about you only want to play Drax in one more Guardians movie because you’re going to be 54. Your movie career started later than a lot of people’s movie careers start…

Right.

Do you feel more of an urgency? That you have to do the things you want to do and don’t have the time frame maybe someone who started acting when they were 20 has?

No, it’s more of a desperation. I constantly feel like I’m under a time crunch because I’m aging. And also, there’s going to be a point in my life where I just want to be home. I don’t want to be on the road anymore and I don’t want to be traveling anymore. I’ve kind of paid my dues out there on the road. But also, I’m fighting to stay in shape. It’s becoming harder and harder. And things like that, being in the entertainment business and aging, I mean, it’s a rough thing. You’re going to have 100 other, 1,000 other, 10,000 other actors and entertainers lined up right behind you to take your place. It’s how it is. It’s just being realistic. My journey has come full circle with Guardians. When James Gunn is done, I’m done. Drax will live on, but I’m going to be done.

Well, James did retweet your tweet and say there’s no Drax without you.

Right. Well, that’s a personal sentiment and that’s coming from a very good friend. And also, I think this will be it for him as well, so we’re kind of wrapping up this journey. But the character’s not going anywhere and they can revamp him and reboot him all day long, which I believe that they should. I would love to see it personally, as a fan. I would love to see them do Drax’s story justice because it’s such a great story. And I believe that if there’s somebody that can step in and put a whole different twist on it and play Drax, then it would just be a different look, but it’s a possibility and something I’d like to see personally as a fan.

Well, reading between the lines of what you were saying about taking Army of the Dead, it did feel like you were basically saying, “Look, Suicide Squad would have been fun, but it’s a supporting role, and if I’m going to make my move and be the star of a movie, I’ve got to be the star of a movie.”

Yeah, I mean, it’s hard to do. It is very hard to get out of your comfort zone. It’s hard to take a chance on yourself. It really is. It’s terrifying. You don’t really get ahead if you don’t. I mean, you can’t always play it safe. Sometimes you’ve got to take that risk. And it was a risk for me because I knew Suicide Squad was going to be successful. It’s going to be a huge movie.

Very true.

We all know it’s going to be a blockbuster. It’s already got a built-in fan base, the cast is incredible, director is incredible. But I really had to just kind of gamble on myself, which I made a habit of doing throughout my career. And sometimes it paid off and sometimes it hasn’t. But, still, I feel like I’ve gotten ahead because I’ve gambled on myself, I’ve believed in myself, and I’ve gone with my heart.

Speaking of gambling on yourself, your role in Blade Runner 2049 really hit me and it hit a lot of people. You put yourself out there with that one. It was a role that made people think, oh, he can do anything.

Well, I mean, I didn’t feel like I could do anything. That was the opportunity that I was looking for because I don’t get offered roles like that a lot. At that point, nobody was offering me roles like that. It was hard for people to see past my physicality and see that I actually wanted to… I used to tell people when I was just coming up, even after I got Drax, I was like I just really want to do some acting. I want to be a better actor. I want to do some drama. People would kind of giggle at me. My agent at that time, he really didn’t understand me, and it was kind of that small, little role in Blade Runner that just opened up some eyes and people started looking at me differently.

You conveyed so many different emotions in the screen time you had. There’s a lot going on with that character.

Thank you. Thank you. It did, it opened up a lot of doors for me and it afforded me the opportunity to build a relationship with Denis Villeneuve.

Oh, did it really? That role in particular got you more roles?

Yeah. And I think there are still some people, maybe not so many now, but I think there are still some people, at that time, who didn’t really know me. Who might not have even thought that I was capable of doing a job or playing a part. There’s a bad stigma that comes along with professional wrestling and I think sometimes people are worried about bringing that to their film set. They don’t know if I’m going to be an arrogant prick or I’m just going to be Mister Full-of-Testosterone and come in and just be kind of a dick on set.

Right. Or giving the Roddy Piper scream the whole time.

[Laughing] Yeah! I think there is some of that that just comes along with the background of professional wrestling. But I think I’ve shaken it at this point. I hope I have.

Though, I will point out, when you mentioned getting older, Harrison Ford is going to be 80 when the next Indiana Jones comes out. He’s somewhere laughing at you going, “Oh, 54. Yeah, okay, buddy.”

Yeah. But it’s fucking Harrison Ford!

Touche.

He’s Harrison Ford!

So with Knives Out 2, how does that work? Do they just come to you and go, “We want you,” or do you meet with Rian Johnson? How did that work out?

Yeah. It was both of those. It came to the attention of my agency. I think the first thing was the conversation with Rian and we got on really well. He knew I was super excited to meet him. And then we had a great conversation, really about everything else other than Knives Out. And then he said, “Man, you know, I’d really like to send you the script.” He sent me the script and I read it and I loved it. Then it was the conversation with my agent and I was like, “Man, I really want to be in this. I really want to be in it.” So they just started pursuing it and it was another conversation with Rian, and then they offered me the part.

So you read the whole script? Because last time we spoke you told me that you don’t like reading the whole script because you don’t want to be spoiled. And Knives Out 2 is maybe the most “spoiler” movie possible.

Yeah. I did read the script. And the reason I read it is because Rian wanted to talk to me about the script. So yeah, I read the full script so we could have an in-depth conversation about the full script. But typically I don’t, especially if I’m in a smaller part.

Are you sad you don’t get to see it all play out now?

Yeah! A little bit. A little bit. Yeah, I’m a fan and I love films and I loved the first Knives Out. I’m a fan and I don’t want the spoilers, man. I want to go to the movies and kind of be surprised. I guess that’s just who I am. I love films, man. I love films and I love television.

That’s all I have, but I’ll make sure to bring up to our mutual friend that he threatened to take a shit in your lunchbox.

Fucker. All right. It was a pleasure, man.

‘Army of the Dead’ will be in theaters May 14th, and hits Netflix on May 21st. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper was in the minority when he visited Phoenix and the scene of the current Arizona recount, a.k.a. the third Arizona recount. For one thing, he seemed to be one of the few individuals not carrying a gun, which made him stand out in a sea of MAGAs. Nor did Klepper seem convinced of the competency of the Cyber Ninjas, the company running the recount, which has zero experience with recounts.

Arizona Secretary of State Katie Hobbs chatted with Klepper and conceded that while “it’s comical to watch what is happening here in Arizona… I think that it’s also important to note that this is really dangerous to our democracy.”

Hobbs said that a number of Arizona voters are concerned about their ballots being in the hands of the Cyber Ninjas, a company run by a man who has regularly amplified conspiracy theories about 2020 voter fraud. Among the most prevalent of these theories? That a group of Chinese insurrectionists attempted to change the results of the election by submitting their own ballots… on bamboo paper. Which has led to a group of totally sane people having to use a UV light to look for bamboo in order to disprove this bizarre rumor.

“You can have some pretty far-fetched ideas on both sides, and what we’re doing is simply proving or disproving as many of those as we can,” Senate Audit Liaison Ken Bennett told Klepper.

While discussing the importance of a fair election with a man proudly brandishing a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum on his hip, he told Klepper that “There has been word that Antifa and BLM may be coming in, so they’re trying to be careful and secure the premises.” As for whether said Man With Gun had seen any signs of Antifa, he had not—but noted that there were whispers that they were infiltrating the carnival that was taking place next door to the recount. As in: an actual carnival. Antifa carnies? Yep! As Klepper noted, they were even mentioned in Cyber Ninjas’s “official documents outlining potential security threats.”

All of which begs the question: Which one is the real carnival?

Most people will look at a $500 price tag for a bottle of booze — yes, even whisk(e)y — and laugh. Even when you’re very wealthy, spending $300-$500 for a single bottle of Scotch whisky is a big ask. The liquid encased in glass can’t just represent a series of pours, it has to create experiences. Something special.

The ten bottles of very expensive Scotch whisky below are, at the very least, fitting of that “special” designation. They each come with a story, complex flavors, new layers of nuance, and a whole lot of craft. They’ll help you take your whisky journey to the next level — maybe even shoot you into the stratosphere.

If you do want to give one of these Scotch whiskies a shot, click on the price links.

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year

ABV: 46.2%

Average Price: $320

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s yearly release of special batches of 19-year-old peaty malt. The whisky is Ardbeg’s signature peated whisky that’s bottled during a “haar.” That’s a thick and briny foggy morning on Islay, which imparts that x-factor into the whisky as it goes into the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in with a super subtle waft of soft smoke with hints of sour cream, fennel, and cold-smoked salmon on a pine cutting board that’s been washed in the sea. The palate holds onto that briny seaside vibe as it veers towards sea salt-laden dark bricks of fudge bespeckled with dried orange zest and lavender. The end circles back around to a sooty smoke that feels like a warm granite rock that’s been dipped in the sea and then rolled around in the dying embers of a fire.

Bottom Line:

I don’t even like heavily peated whisky and I love this. So, maybe I do like big peated whiskies now. That’s how good this stuff is — it will make you question what you thought you knew about your own palate.

Mortlach 18

ABV: 43.4%

Average Price: $330

The Whisky:

This Speyside distillery is the aficionado’s label. This Mortlach expression spent 18 long years aging in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels before getting vatted, proofed down with that soft Speyside water, and bottled in a very art-deco decanter.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in with this sense of a wicker holiday basket brimming with sweet apples and pears mingling with shelled nuts, dried fruits, and sweet toffee candies all wrapped up in golden cellophane. The palate holds onto those sweet, nutty, and buttery notes while it dips into marzipan, salted caramel, and cherry tobacco. That tobacco holds on as the finish slowly fades away, leaving you with a final note of dark chocolate and orange oils.

Bottom Line:

There’s a pang in your heart when you drink this. It’s that sort of pain of realizing you’ve found one of your favorite whiskies (in any category) of all time that is just out of reach price-wise to be your favorite bottle. Still, that makes this an amazing celebratory bottle to have on your shelf for when you really need something beautiful in a glass.

The Macallan Sherry Oak Cask 18 Year

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $350

The Whisky:

This version of Macallan is all about the sherry oak aging. The whiskies are aged in hand-selected sherry-seasoned barrels for 18 years before they’re vatted, proofed, and bottled into this classic expression.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with this mix of ginger candies, vanilla beans, and cinnamon sticks with a touch of sultanas and dates. The palate builds on the spice with handfuls of clove, nutmeg, and allspice as cedar kindling mingles with a bright orange zest. That zest drives the finish as the ginger, dried fruit, and spice return, leaving you with this sense of spicy and sweet holiday candies.

Bottom Line:

If you love Macallan, you’re going to love this. The flavors are ultra-refined with a smoothness that few other whiskies possess. This is one of those “smooth” whiskies that you can use as an example of what “smooth” means when describing whisky. It’s really that easy drinking.

Chivas Regal 25

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $362

The Whisky:

This expression from Chivas is what the brand used to be back in the early 1900s before Prohibition struck everything down in the U.S. The 25-year-old blend was the high-water mark whisky of that era. Then it was gone. In 2007, Chivas decided to bring the iconic bottle of blended whisky back and we’re all better for it.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with orange-flavored marzipan, hints of dried fruits, and a subtle flourish of ripe peach skins with a malty underbelly. The palate holds onto that orange-marzipan vibe as layers of rich and dark chocolate arrive with silken vanilla and fruity/sweet woods. The finish on this one is long, bringing along a sense of creamy vanilla next to that sweet-yet-bright almond paste with orange oils.

Bottom Line:

This feels like the holidays in a glass. The vibe is very much like sneaking one too many sweets at Christmas. A nostalgia-activating, silken gem.

Highland Park 21

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $370

The Whisky:

This special release from 2019 is also sort of like a Scotch small batch. The whisky is a marrying of whiskies aged in nine first-fill sherry casks, eight bourbon casks, and nine refill barrels. Those whiskies are then vatted and brought down to proof on the windswept Orkney Islands.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of grilled tropical fruits drizzled with sweet and thick balsamic next to hints of shelled nuts and fresh ginger. The ginger spice persists as saffron-stewed pears mingle with vanilla husks, raisins, and pecans baked into pancake syrup. The end lingers for a while and warms towards the spicier end of the ginger as an earthy, almost mossy, peaty smoke dances through your senses.

Bottom Line:

This feels like it bridges the world of sweet and smoky scotch. The smoke is there, for sure, but it’s an accent for the fruitier and nuttier aspects of the sip. That makes this the perfect dram for anyone looking for the best of both worlds.

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Port Ellen

ABV: 43.8%

Average Price: $375

The Whisky:

This rare limited release from Johnnie Walker has a backbone from a “ghost” — or permanently closed — distillery, the famed Port Ellen. There’s more. The blend also includes juice from two other shuttered distilleries, Carsebridge and Caledonian. That means this blend is not going to be seen again, ever. If you need more convincing, the whisky also has Mortlach, Oban, Blair Athol, Cragganmore, and Dailuaine whiskies layered in there, too.

Tasting Notes:

This has a vibe of oaty soda bread smeared with salted farm-churned butter with a hint of lemon curd, orange oils, and smoked pear. The taste moves the smoke away from the fruit and towards lavender as wet tea leaves mingle with vanilla-heavy cream soda and sea spray. The peatiness kicks up a subtle notch, bringing this vibe of a thick paper bag that once held BBQ charcoal next to more smoked pears, plums, and ginger.

Bottom Line:

This is smokier than a lot of Johnnie Walkers out there thanks to that Port Ellen foundation. Still, this is so unique and full of whiskies we’ll never see again … it feels like you have to try it at least once.

BenRiach The Twenty Five Speyside Four Cask Matured

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $400

The Whisky:

This is a very special mix of BenRiach whiskies. The juices are peated and unpeated whiskies that spend 25 years in sherry casks, bourbon barrels, virgin oak casks, and Madeira casks before their brought together. The end result is proofed with Speyside water and bottled as is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s this feeling of hazelnut by way of a shot of espresso that merges with smoked stone fruits and dark chocolate on the nose. The taste then drives towards a rich eggnog creaminess and spiciness with more smoked stone fruits, salted honey-roasted almonds, and a woody apple tobacco chewiness. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with that tobacco chew and plenty of subtly smoked fruit.

Bottom Line:

You could argue that you’re not paying for one 25-year-old whisky with this bottle but four 25-year-old whiskies. That’s 100 years of whisky maturation in one bottle of booze. We’ll just leave you with that thought.

The Glenlivet XXV

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $456

The Whisky:

This masterpiece from Glenlivet is their iconic whisky that’s left to mature for 25 years. That whisky is then finished in an Olorosso sherry cask for that final chef’s kiss of perfection before going in the bottle at an incredibly accessible 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine the best, most bespoke dark chocolate-covered raisins from a ridiculously expensive chocolate shop and you’ll be on the right track. Those sweets are the foundation for burnt orange peels, Almond Roca candies, and sweet caramel malts with zero edges. The finish is so long that you might still be thinking about it on your death bed thanks to an orange/spice/nutty matrix of silky whisky smoothness.

Bottom Line:

If we were going to spend nearly $500 on a bottle of whisky, this is probably the one we’d pull that trigger on. It’s really that good.

The Balvenie Tun 1509 Batch No. 6

ABV: 50.4%

Average Price: $480

The Whisky:

These special limited editions from Balvenie are all about highlighting very special barrels in small batches. In this case, the batch was drawn from 21 carefully chosen barrels to highlight the best of the best from the distillery. The whiskies were aged in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-sherry that already held whisky. Those whiskies were then vatted in Tun 1509 where they rested and mingled for three more months before bottling as is.

Tasting Notes:

This draws you in with a flourish of floral summer honey notes next to bright orange oils, wet brown sugar, and a touch of freshly squeezed ginger juice. Those orange oils turn candied orange as a dose of super high-quality maple syrup (that feels like it was just boiled after being pulled from the tree) ties everything together. A dusting of dark holiday spices cuts through the sweetness as a salted caramel maltiness ushers in the long-winded finish.

Bottom Line:

Once these bottles are gone, they’re gone. These drops are pretty much the best example of what small batching special barrels of scotch can achieve, making the high price all the more palatable.

Tomatin Single Malt 30

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $499

The Whisky:

This Highland whisky spent 30 years aging in ex-bourbon and sherry casks. If you score a bottle that was released last year, that means that that juice went into those barrels in 1990. That, in turn, means that the grains for that juice were grown in 1989. Michael Keaton was Batman in 1989. The Cosby Show, Roseanne, and Cheers were the top-rated T.V. shows. Janet Jackson’s Miss You Much was the longest-running number-one single that year.

This is all to say, that you’d be drinking a whiskey from a different time entirely.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of wildflowers and honey up front that leads towards a very soft and almost wet leather with a hint of creamy milk chocolate. The taste veers towards bright and almost acidic tropical fruits in a rich vanilla pudding with plenty of cinnamon spice and a touch of candied ginger. The floral-honey vibe returns and melds with the spicy vanilla pudding as an oatmeal raisin cookie butteriness and sugariness lingers on your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is worth grabbing just to taste something that was made in the 1980s. Back before the whisky boom, whisky was made a lot more slowly (and deliberately) and that’s what you’re paying for in this bottle.

---

As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.