Month: June 2021

Mare of Easttown did more than give viewers seven-plus hours of quality, Kate Winslet-driven television. It also did more than introduce the rest of the country to a thick, regional accent that few actors have been brave enough to attempt onscreen. Its greatest achievement may be hipping the nation to Wawa, the convenience store chain that’s made the lives of those in the Philadelphia area (and in other pockets of the East Coast) rich with coffee, hoagies, and (in the ’burbs, at least) gasoline. Now, as per The Philadelphia Inquirer, the company is returning the favor, although you’ll have to be a local (or willing to travel) to reap it.

The chain, which appeared early and often over the show’s seven episodes, is doing two things. First, it’s declared this Thursday “Mare of Easttown Day,” meaning the first 100 customers who show up at the opening of its newest store in Delaware County — where the show is set — will get both a free coffee and a “Wawa Delco” t-shirt. (The store is located in Upper Darby, the township located just west of the city limits, at 418 W. Baltimore Pike.)

But there’s more. From June 10 to the 17th, dozens of Wawa brick-and-mortars across Delaware County will start selling the “Mare of Easttown Spicy Cheesesteak,” a limited edition twist on the area’s most famous foodstuff. This version, only available for a week — and only in Wawas in the show’s home county — will pair the classic beefsteak with spicy pepper relish and cheddar cheese sauce. (Although Mare herself would surely insist on Cheez Whiz, ditto any self-respecting Philly or Delco resident.)

Again, to profit off this celebration you either have to be a Delco resident or be willing to do some shlepping. But if you do, make sure you don’t make like John Kerry in 2004 and ask to swap in some provolone.

(Via The Philadelphia Inquirer)

Denver Nuggets center won the 2020-21 NBA MVP award on Tuesday. He enjoyed a fantastic season and was a deserving winner. Plus, basketball fans had the opportunity to remember that Jokic was technically announced as a Braft pick during a Taco Bell commercial. Overall, it was a positive story but, as often, the full selection of voting results provided fuel for confusion. This time, the initial reaction centered on New York Knicks guard Derrick Rose inexplicably receiving a first-place vote.

Rose enjoyed a nice season for the Knicks and he was a key piece of their turnaround after arriving in a mid-season trade. However, no one could rationally believe he was even a fringe MVP candidate, much less a first-place consideration, and many people pointed that out by saying the culprit of the vote should be removed from future ballots.

In another subplot, Rose received as many first-place votes as Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, who finished second in overall voting.

https://twitter.com/pickuphoop/status/1402411638905618433

It wasn’t just Embiid either, as Rose got more votes than many legitimate superstars.

After a few moments of genuine disbelief in the basketball world, word broke that there was at least a slightly more reasonable explanation. Evidently, a fan vote was responsible for Rose’s first-place slot.

There is an entirely different argument about how Rose would even make the top of that list, particularly with the league overflowing with exciting star talent. Still, the madness did make for some entertainment and jokes in the minutes following the announcement, and it’s better that the winner at the top of the ballot wasn’t controversial.

It should be pretty clear that Donald J. Trump has little real affection for his kids. Three of them work closely with their father, but it’s more like a King Lear situation, with Ivanka, Eric, and the professionally ranty Don Jr. scheming to see who can claim his power after he’s gone. (Tiffany and Barron seem to do their best to stay out of his affairs.) So when another of the president-turned-failed blogger’s relatives was asked if he’d throw any of them under the bus if he had to, her answer was absolutely.

Mary Trump, Trump’s niece and the author of the damning exposé Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man, appeared on CNN, where she and host Chris Cuomo were discussing the criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, which employs both Don Jr. and Eric. Cuomo asked her point blank if he would “take one for his kids” should they be targeted by investigators.

Her reply came quick: “No, he wouldn’t.” She elaborated, adding, “I think if that were to happen, if prosecutors were to go after his children, he would fully expect them to take a hit for him, to benefit him. What he probably doesn’t understand is that’s not really how it works.”

Mary, whose main gig is as an accomplished psychologist, added that prosecutors “always try to get people to flip so they can go after the bigger target.” But Donald, she claimed, “would never imagine in a million years that his children would do that, although I’m fairly sure they would.” But should such a thing happen, “it’s going to be fascinating because he would never do anything to protect them if it were at his expense.”

When asked how she knew, Mary responded, “I’ve known him my whole life and unfortunately, I’ve had to analyze him pretty closely over the last four or five years.”

She then repeated one of the main themes of her bestselling book. “This is somebody who’s never changed,” she said. “He doesn’t evolve. And as you said earlier, he has one thing he cares about, and that’s himself. That will never, ever change, no matter who gets in his way, no matter who gets hurt, even if it’s his kids.”

Besides, Donald Trump can’t go to prison. He has to be free to tour the country with Bill O’Reilly later this year, regaling fans with stories of his one-term presidency, from his fast food buffet to the orb to the time he told a seven-year-old there’s no such thing as Santa Claus. Then again, Tiffany and Barron should be fine.

(Via HuffPo)

For the first time in modern NBA history, a second-round Draft pick is the league MVP. Nikola Jokic’s coronation as the top player in the Association for the 2020-21 season was capped off on Tuesday afternoon, when word leaked that the Denver Nuggets’ superstar would take home this season’s MVP award. While there were a number of other outstanding players this season, Jokic has been the obvious choice to take home the trophy for weeks.

The “first second-round pick to win MVP” distinction says a ton about Jokic’s game, the Nuggets’ scouting/developmental folks, and the fact that the best players don’t necessarily have to be taken in the first round. It also led to a number of people remembering the unique circumstance under which Jokic got drafted: while ESPN aired a Taco Bell commercial.

Very important: Imagine Kevin Harlan screaming “quesarito.” Ok, now that that’s out of the way, this is hardly a knock on ESPN or anything like that — you should not, under basically any circumstance, assume that a second-round selection is going to turn into a basketball god — more a funny reminder of how far Jokic has come. But having said that, Jokic didn’t catch everyone by surprise. Check out the date on this tweet:

As for how the laughing thing turned out…

Pretty accurate!

After being shut for more than a year, some of the biggest musical festivals are preparing for a strong return this year. But few will be able to match the energy Rolling Loud, as the platform just announced its third festival for the year. The Miami-born showcase will come to New York in the fall for a bout headlined by J. Cole, Travis Scott, and 50 Cent.

Out of the three acts, Cole is the only one who’s recently dropped a project, having released The Off-Season last month. Scott could have new music on the way, with his upcoming album, rumored to be titled Utopia, in the works. 50 Cent getting the headliner spot gives the New York rap legend an opportunity to put on a great show for his hometown.

Rolling Loud’s New York festival, which takes place during the weekend of October 28-30, will also feature a special guest performance from the state’s own Bobby Shmurda, who was released from prison earlier this year after spending almost seven years behind bars. Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, Jack Harlow, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Polo G, Moneybagg Yo, Joey Badass, Playboi Carti, Wale, Young Dolph, Griselda Records, and many more will also hit its New York stage.

Prior to the show, J. Cole is set to headline Rolling Loud’s Los Angeles festival while Travis Scott signed on as a headliner for its Miami festival.

You can check out the full lineup in the post above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The first time Olympic hopeful Kai Lightner walked into a climbing gym, he was six years old. The visit was suggested by a teaching colleague of his mother’s after she needed help getting him down off a 50-foot flagpole he’d shimmied up at school.

“I got in a lot of trouble for climbing up on things that I wasn’t supposed to,” says Lightner, laughing on an IG Live with Uproxx from Salt Lake City. “I grew up with ADHD and I couldn’t stay focused on the games that everyone else was playing. But for some reason when I started climbing, everything clicked — I could spend hours figuring out a route.”

These days Lightner is being encouraged to ascend, both literally and in the culture of his sport. The 21-year-old has racked up 12 national championship titles, recently filmed a “got milk?” commercial made by Free Solo director Jimmy Chin, and is aiming to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

We spoke with Lightner from the national selection / preview event in Salt Lake City to talk training, snack attacks, and bringing climbing into the next generation.

How early did this climbing obsession begin?

I have been climbing up on things since I was a kid. I used to climb over my baby gates. And when I was four, I would eat my lunch up on top of our basketball hoop. I would go up the beam and sit in the net. My first time stepping into that gym at six, I will never forget there was a wall with a massive overhang with a piece of purple tape on it. It was the only wall in the facility that I couldn’t get up.

I was so angry that I started crying while hanging off of it, and I didn’t want to let go until I beat it. I was probably up there for 15 minutes before they were able to pry me off. I came back every day for the next week trying to do that climb, until I finally made it to the top. I think at that point everyone around me realized my dedication and passion for the sport. They decided to get me into the competitive team, and it’s been upward since that.

Given that you started doing competitions so early, and those were indoor events, what was the first time that you made it outdoors to climb?

I had won a few national championships before I did my first real climb outdoors. One of my friends in the scene would make fun of me because I was spending all of this time climbing on plastic, but I had never been on a real mountain. I will admit that I was scared during the first experience. I was only about 10 years old.

The moments indoors are smaller, and, in a way, more intense. The environment is clearly different, there is more to enjoy outdoors and you have the time to do it if you want. It is much more calming, and there is a beauty that comes with that. It has become a really important part of my life now, and I make the time to do both throughout the year.

Starting at such a young age, what did your classmates in school think of your climbing?

Growing up my friends thought that me being a climber was really weird. They didn’t really understand it. I get it though, because we never really saw rock climbing, except maybe in commercials. And usually those were of smiling white families with their dogs. It just seemed like a “white people sport”.

So back home in North Carolina, my friends were curious why I didn’t try something that was more “normal”. I will never forget being in the 2nd grade and having one of my teachers saying it was strange that I climbed rocks, and that because I was so tall I should play basketball. For most of my family, they just didn’t really get it either.

Do you remember when your friends and family really started to take the sport and your career as a climber seriously?

I did a segment for the Today Show, and I remember a lot of kids in my classes coming up to me. They were shocked both that I was still climbing and that I was getting that kind of attention. There was a lot more respect once moments like that started happening, and I even got a few of them to go to the climbing gym with me.

I think that it is very important to see more people that look like you, or who are from your community. Especially that younger generation, because that is how you open those mental doors and provide new pathways when they are still possible. I have a lot of people in my circle who are now trying to rock climb and get outdoors more.

Who do you look up to in the sport of climbing, and in sports in general?

I look up to Adam Ondra tremendously as far as the sport is concerned. He’s probably the best climber in the world, and has the same kind of body type as me, I would say. As far as other sports are concerned, watching LeBron James play basketball is pretty special. Or watching Usain Bolt hit a track. Or watching Simone Biles do a routine. These are all ground-breaking athletes that are paving their own way.

Rock climbing being added to the Olympics made a lot of waves. What did you think when you first heard it announced?

There was a mixed reception in the climbing community about it. Back when I first started climbing, there wasn’t even a thought of that being a possibility. Personally, I see it as an amazing opportunity to represent the sport I love at a whole new level. I have loved watching the Olympics as an event over the years, it is something that I look forward to.

Once that announcement was made how did your training and focus change?

The format for the Olympics is different than any other event that happens in our sport. There are three different disciplines of climbing, including lead climbing where you are hitting large walls with a harness, bouldering where you are hitting smaller walls with somewhere between seven to nine moves with no rope, and then speed climbing where everyone hits the same wall while timed.

These disciplines are commonly individual. And it is unique that the Olympics are combining scores from all three disciplines to get the final numbers and awarding medals based on those. This is extremely physically demanding — because many athletes are having to get into one or two of the disciplines for the first time, truly. I have typically been a boulderer, so training lead climbing and speed climbing has been interesting. It has made me a better overall climber.

How much are you training these days?

I typically speed six hours a day in the gym, five days a week. That consists of two hours of climbing, an hour of core work, conditioning training, and a lot of stretching. The challenging thing about climbing is that it is not just one motion that you do over and over again to perfect, it is constantly changing. We are always traveling to different gyms or parts of the world to compete. So especially these days it requires a lot of workouts and a very diverse style of training.

I find leg day one of those elements that I have to really force myself to do. The sport has progressed a lot, and become more physically challenging. Back in the day, I could get away with not doing a lot of leg training because they are strong already, but with everything that we are putting them through it has become more and more necessary.

Do you listen to anything while you climb?

I am a huge music fan. I will listen to artists like Drake or Lil Baby. It helps me climb better and get psyched. If you see any photos of me in a competition, I definitely have my headphones on. You aren’t allowed to climb with music while you are on the wall. I like the Bose headphones. They stick to my head nicely. I like having ones that wrap around the head because the wireless ones can sometimes fall and get damaged.

What are you eating during all of these workouts?

Since I’m training for most of the day it is critical to have snacks and drinks around at the gym. I start my day off with a glass of milk, before I hit breakfast. it gives me potassium, the protein for the muscles, and the sustenance I need. I keep some at the gym as well to crack open when I need another boost.

I also like to have Clif Bars [one of Lightner’s sponsors] around for the carbohydrates and the energy that I need on the wall. Food is important not just to keep you fueled but it can be a great motivator as well in that situation. I try to have a general diet that is high in protein and constantly changing to keep it interesting.

Speaking of milk you recently shot an ad for them with the great Jimmy Chin.

It was great working with Jimmy Chin. As you can imagine, we had a lot of mutual friends. Such an amazing cinematographer. It was amazing to get to meet him finally, especially with how beneficial he has been for our sport for his projects like Free Solo. He is a storyteller who has the ability to tell the story the right way because he is a climber.

The project was very cool, and it felt so natural because I drink milk every day. It felt like another great way to promote the sport as well. I used to get in trouble for climbing up on the sides of buildings, and my mom would yell at me to get down. So getting to climb on this huge building in Chicago, not just getting to, being asked to, was amazing.

Let’s talk about how accessible climbing is these days. I just went to Vital which is an impressive new facility in Brooklyn. What has it been like watching its expanse?

I heard about that one! The facilities are there, I think almost every metropolitan area has a climbing gym established or being established these days. You can catch a metro or another public transportation and be there in no time. II like seeing it more prevalent in these communities of color. I think it will only get bigger.

I feel like that sport is still seen in a very specific light, with people picturing hippies living out of vans. So the idea of inner-city kids excelling at it, eventually in forums like the Olympics, would be impactful for the all-around perspective I believe. And to be a part of that is a huge honor.

What is your plan for the Olympics?

I have set my sights on the 2024 Olympics. I decided to go to school for a degree first. So I missed out on this year’s event. I am actually here in Salt Lake City right now for some national cups and for team selections. It is really exciting for me to get one step closer in that process. Being a part of it would be a dream come true.

In the ’80s, Americans lived through the Cola Wars, one of the most aggressive battles in the history of corporate junk food giants. Back then, there were only two real choices: Coke or Pepsi. Which, if you could tell the difference, kudos for your amazing sense of taste.

Today, America is besieged by the Chicken Sandwich Wars which began as a skirmish between Chick-fil-A and Popeyes and has since grown to include Burger King, McDonald’s, and Wendy’s.

A recent report found that Americans’ spending on chicken sandwiches has quadrupled since Popyeys challenged Chick-fil-A. Although other companies have since jumped into the fray, Popeyes appears to have benefitted the most from the skirmish.

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Popeyes made a name for itself by going after the big kid on the block, Chick-fil-A, and now Burger King is following suit. But the King and his court’s attacks on the Christian-owned chicken giant aren’t based on taste, but activism.

The National Christian Charitable Foundation, the nation’s sixth-largest charity and one of the biggest bankrollers… https://t.co/fKa1me6Oeb

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast)
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Earlier this month, The Daily Beast ran a story revealing that Chick-fil-A’s owner, Dan Cathy, had donated money to the National Christian Charitable Foundation (NCF). The NCF has donated millions to fight against the Equality Act, which would make it illegal to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in most settings.

The Equality Act, which is backed by President Joe Biden, was passed by the Democrat-controlled House back in February but has yet to be voted on by the Senate.

The report showed that Cathy has donated money to the NCF in 2016, 2017, and 2018, the most recent year the filings are available.

Chick-fil-A has a long, controversial history of supporting anti-LGBT organizations. In 2019, it said it would cease donating money to anti-LGBT Christian charities. Although that doesn’t prevent Cathy, the company’s chairman, president, and CEO from doing so.

*6/3-6/30 with every Ch’King sold, BK will contribute 40₵ to the Human Rights Campaign (Max. donation $250k)

— Burger King (@BurgerKing)
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So, last Thursday, Burger King tweeted that for every Ch’King Sandwich sold during Pride Month it will donate 40 cents to the Human Rights Campaign up to $250,000. The Human Rights Campaign is one of the most powerful pro-LGBTQ rights organizations in the country.

Burger King took a swipe at Chick-fil-A in its announcement by saying the campaign would go throughout the month of June, “even on Sundays.”

Chick-fil-A is known for closing its restaurants on Sundays in accordance with the Christian tradition of honoring the Sabbath.

The company further explained the decision in a statement to USA Today.

“This is a community we love dearly and have proudly supported over the years, so we couldn’t miss an opportunity to take action and help shine a light on the important conversation happening,” Burger King said in a statement.

So, like just about everything else in American life, the Chicken Sandwich Wars have merged with the Culture Wars, for this month at least. While Burger King’s decision to donate money to the Human Rights Campaign is a great way to offset Chick-fil-A’s long history of contributing to anti-LGBTQ causes, it’d be nice to see a future when we can all eat chicken freely without being forced to associate it with politics or religion.

Islay is renowned for its peated single malts. Of course, not all peated whisky comes from Islay, but most of the big names do, with Lagavulin, Ardberg, and Laphroaig all feeling pretty mainstream. Port Ellen — the small burg in the middle of the island’s windswept south shore — remains the epicenter of using peat (a flammable, super-dense soil drawn from bogs) to malt barley, which is then fermented to distill whisky.

When peat use in whisky is described to the newbie, the first question is usually: But… why? The shortest answer is “history,” which has then gone on to inform the palate of many a whisky lover. Peat is a traditional fuel in the fireplaces and furnaces of the Scottish Isles — so it was the natural choice to create heat and smoke to dry germinated barley. This application of heat stops the germination process and imparts phenols into the barley, creating dried malts. Those phenols are then carried into the mash and eventually the spirit, as it goes from a cloudy beer to a refined and matured whisky.

As with all things whisky, variation abounds. There is no single “smoky” or “peatiness” to all whisky from Islay. Each of the distilleries operating on the island today has its own vibe and character that imparts varying levels of peatiness into its expressions.

To get a handle on the peaty whisky of Islay, we’re calling out ten bottles we actually think you should try. Yes, even if smoky whisky isn’t for you. Think of this as a friendly introduction to the style, much like the friendly greeting you’d get if you made it to one of these tradition-bound distilleries. If any of the bottles pique your interest, click on the prices to try them for yourself.

Ardbeg 10

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s signature bottle and a true gateway to the peaty style of single malt scotches. The real highlight of this expression is the peat smokiness filtered through sherry casking. The phenol count tends to be on the higher end with this expression, so you’ll know you’re drinking a smoky whisky from the first nose. But it won’t absolutely floor you.

Tasting Notes:

Firepit smoke, red fruit, and a hint of lemon zest lead the way. Black pepper spice, fatty smoked meat, plenty of salty-sweet brine, a dose of vanilla, and a whisper of nuttiness all mingle and mix through the palate. A sense of bitterness and a touch of licorice come into play as the sip very, very slowly fades through the smoke, nuttiness, and fruit, leaving you warmed and awake.

Bottom Line:

We’re putting this first because it’s a great litmus whisky. You’re either going to be intrigued or spit it out. If this perks up your taste buds, then dive in! Though, you might want to try it over an ice cube or two to mellow it down a bit.

Bowmore Legend

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

Bowmore is Islay’s oldest distillery, dating back to the mid-1700s. Their Legend expression, incidentally, is their youngest release. It’s a peated malt that’s aged for around five years in ex-bourbon casks before it’s vatted, proofed down, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

This doesn’t feel young for such a relatively young scotch. The nose opens with a murky billow of smoke that’s infused with sea spray and a hint of dry hay. There’s a sweet and waxy saltwater taffy sweetness on the palate that’s followed by rich and almost salmon-belly-fat smoke with a touch of floral honey and vanilla underneath it all. The end is short, leaving you with a bit of iodine and ash next to a soft mineral water smoothness.

Bottom Line:

There’s an ease to this dram. It’s well-balanced between the sea and the smoke with a nice sweetness. Over a couple of rocks or in a cocktail, it really shines.

Bruichladdich 10 Port Charlotte Heavily Peated

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $85

The Whisky:

Bruichladdich really has fun with peated whisky. This expression keeps the peat phenols in the mid-range, leaning high. The casking is a mix of first and second-fill bourbon barrels and second-fill French wine barrels. That utilization of second-fill oak means there’s a very light touch of wood on this peated whisky.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine a dark chocolate orange drizzled in salted caramel and served on a wet leaf of seaweed and you’ll be on the right track for the nose. The smoke kicks in on the palate with a vibe that feels like those wet seaweed leaves thrown on a smoldering pile of pine to create a massive billow of smoke everywhere, as hints of buttery white wine and strawberry jam-covered scones linger in the background. The finish leans into the bready nature of the scones with a dry straw edge that followed by a mouthful of the seaweed heavy grey smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is quintessential. But it’s also not for the faint of heart. This is salty and smoky way before it’s sweet and bready. Have you ever smelt the smoke from a fire while on a boat in choppy seas? It’s kind of like that.

Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dhà

ABV: 46.3%

Average Price: $76

The Whisky:

This smoky Islay peated malt means “smoky two.” Well, that’s what “Toiteach A Dhà” translates to anyway. The whisky is a peated malt that’s matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and then married with an eye cast towards the sea and all that sherry wood.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of sweet and stewed plums with a focus on cinnamon sticks and an almost spicy smokiness. The palate shifts towards a savory fruit (think pumpkin) with flourishes of dark chocolate next to meaty dates and lightly salted sardines. The end leans back into the spicy and very briny smokiness as the malts ebb and flow between sweet and dry with a plummy texture.

Bottom Line:

The sherry shines through under all that brackish smoke. Still, this is a Bunnahabhain and it really keeps the sweeter aspects of the whisky front and center.

Caol Ila 12

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $74

The Whisky:

Caol Ila is a tiny Islay distillery that is more familiar to hardcore whisky fans than the casual drinker. This expression is the distillery’s entry-point whisky that highlights the subtle peatiness, gentle aging, and the soft lapping of the sea against the distillery’s outer white walls.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a matrix of dried roses soaked in water touched by orange oils, almonds, and a trace of classic Listerine buzziness. The sip has a savoriness that feels like olive oil speckled with coarse sea salt next to a distant billow of briny smoke, all counterpointed by sweet malts and fruits. The finish sweetens the smokiness with a fruity-yet-spicy tobacco edge while the end fades towards an almost salty-sour hint of citrus.

Bottom Line:

This is a definite, “Holy Shit!” whisky. It’s peated and smoky, sure. But that smoke is so subtle and refined in the build of this dram that it’ll draw you in more than push you away. Add some water or a rock to really let this one bloom in the ol’ Glencairn.

Kilchoman Sanaig

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $70

The Whisky:

Kilchoman is one of the newer distilleries on Islay, named after the creek near the stillhouse. The juice in the bottles is rendered from ex-bourbon and (primarily) ex-Olorosso sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mix of toffee, espresso bitterness, and bright tropical fruits on the nose that lead towards a very earthy (almost vegetal) note of spicy peat. The taste leans into peaches and cream with dark chocolate-covered raisins next to hints of tart red berries and more of that spicy smoke. The end is long and folds in a touch of sea salt into the spicy smoke and all that fruit.

Bottom Line:

This feels very bright for a smoky whisky. The smoke is very tied to the fruit and spice, making this a nice food-pairing dram.

Lagavulin 16

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $102

The Whisky:

This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin. Then the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.

Bottom Line:

This is the mountaintop of balanced and nuanced smoky Islay whiskies. It kind of has everything you want from a peated malt whisky while still feeling very accessible and incredibly easy to drink, especially when mixed into a classic Smoky Cokey highball.

Laphroaig 10

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This might be one of the most “classic” Islay smoky whiskies on the shelf. The craft behind this whisky is a blend of the unique Islay peat (used to smoke the malts) and the influence of the sea, which laps at the distillery’s outer walls.

Tasting Notes:

The smoke is what greets you with a hint of fruity wood, creating an almost sweet smoke next to a hint of anise and maybe some Band-Aid scent (not in a bad way!). The palate holds onto the smoke while adding a wet seaweed brininess next to hints of vanilla cream, peppery spice, and soft oak. The end really amps up the smokiness while holding onto the iodine of the sea with a final note of salted toffee.

Bottom Line:

This is a bottle that hooks people into smoky whisky. That being said, I really dig it in an Edinburgh sour with an egg white, Gomme syrup, and lime juice. It’s a killer summer cocktail.

Port Askaig 110 Proof

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $75

The Whisky:

Port Askaig selects prime barrels of peated Islay whisky for their drops. This expression is a cask-strength release of Islay peaty malts with a focus on ex-bourbon cask aging. The juice is then bottled as is — without any filtering, cutting, or added color.

Tasting Notes:

There’s an old smoker vibe with all the burnt sugars, apple cider vinegar, and fatty brisket of years past coming through the smokiness. The palate pops with a rush of lemon-lime-orange oils as smoky bacon fat leads back towards a mix of cumin-forward spices and maybe a touch of dried mint. The finish is long and returns to the apple and burnt sugars as the fatty smoke builds and eventually fades.

Bottom Line:

This is the perfect backyard BBQ whisky. It’s also a killer whisky to make a rib glaze with.

Compass Box Peat Monster

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $66

The Whisky:

Compass Box is one of the most interesting blenders working today. This expression is the perfect example of the craft of whisky blending, with six masterfully married peaty barrels coming together, focusing on Caol Ila and Laphroaig. A touch of Highland malt is added to bring in hints of dark spice to balance all that Islay peat.

Tasting Notes:

Yes, this is peaty but not ridiculously so, thanks to the subtlety that is Caol Ila. There’s a really rich and sweet apple/pear vibe that cuts through the earthy peat while a vanilla cream brings about a velvet mouthfeel. The smoke returns but is tied to the fruit — like a bushel of smoked apples, pears, and apricots next to a touch of ashy smoke — on the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is another great example of the power of sourcing barrels and masterfully blending them. You really can’t go wrong with the subtly of the smoke that builds and builds while still holding onto all that fruit. It’s a winner!

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Owen Wilson is a newbie to not only the MCU but superhero stuff in general. Indeed, in a new interview with Variety, he describes himself as being “pretty much a blank slate” when it comes to comics fare. So when the actor and screenwriter was cast in Loki, the spin-off series that follows Tom Hiddleston’s oft-nefarious trickster god, he had some work to do. But it was worse than that: He also had to find a way to get through reams of complicated expository dialogue involving something called the Time Variance Authority — an agency new to the MCU.

The TVA, is it’s called for short, isn’t exactly easy. In fact, we’re just going to quote Variety’s own, fairly concise description of it as an “inter-dimensional bureaucracy tasked with the awesome — and formidable — responsibility of maintaining a single, sacred timeline and pruning away all “variants” that could lead to the multiverse.” Loki has toyed a bit with the multiverse going back to The Avengers, when he used the Tesseract to escape certain events. So he winds up catching their interest.

But one person who didn’t have that much trouble with it is Wilson — or at least it wasn’t such a pain that it stuck with him. “I don’t really have much of a memory of it,” Wilson tells Variety about remembering how he got a handle on the subject. “I don’t know if I blocked it out of my mind the way you would math class. Because it is complicated, and it’s hard sometimes if you feel you’re saddled with a lot of exposition.”

Whatever happened, he was able to get through it. “We must have found a nice flow for it, where it was able to naturally work its way in to the conversations with Tom,” Wilson says. “Because I don’t remember it being too, ‘Oh god, now we’ve got to lay this out.’”

Wilson also admits some of the more philosophical aspects of the show — such as the idea of fate in a world with multiple planes of existence — wasn’t “one of the things that I really latched on to.” Instead he worried more about “making things believable for myself. Sometimes there would be logic stuff that I didn’t quite follow, and [director] Kate [Herron] was always very good about letting us talk about it.”

However Wilson got through it, it seems to have worked: He’s receiving some of the best reviews of his life for his performance, which manages to make lots of tricky exposition flow beautifully, all while acting as a more laidback counterpoint to Hiddleston’s revved-up Loki. The show bows on Disney+ on Jan. 9.

(Via Variety)

A whole lot of people were up in arms when the Los Angeles Lakers secured Andre Drummond on the buyout market after his tenure with the Cleveland Cavaliers came to an end. The general gripe — big market teams have an inherent advantage and can get players more easily than smaller market teams — certainly held water, but in the case of Drummond specifically, it turned out any fears that he would solidify a spot as L.A.’s main center were unfounded.

Drummond put up decent enough numbers in the regular season as a Laker — 11.9 points and 10.2 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game, largely while LeBron James and Anthony Davis were working to come back from injury — but when the playoffs came around, he saw his impact get reduced before eventually losing his starting role and picking up a DNP-CD in the Lakers’ Game 6 loss against the Phoenix Suns.

In the latest edition of Marc Stein of the New York Times‘ newsletter, we got a little glimpse into how Los Angeles brought Drummond on board. Stein reports that Drummond was promised a starting job by the team in order to get him to join the team.

“The Lakers promised Drummond a starting role to secure his commitment in free agency, according to two people familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly,” Stein reported. “By Game 6, Drummond was rooted to the bench, receiving zero minutes in an elimination game.”

Drummond is a good but limited player, and considering the way Deandre Ayton used his mobility to give him a headache in round one, it made sense that Frank Vogel would want to go with a more reliable option in a win-or-go-home game. This is not to say Drummond was the only person at fault for losing to the Suns, of course, but when the rubber hit the road, Vogel opted to go in a different direction. Now, the question is how this will impact his long-term prospects with the franchise, as the Lakers have said they view Drummond as a piece to their puzzle going forward.