Month: August 2021

South Park is one of the longest-running shows on television. The crude Comedy Central program is famous for its references to pop culture and lack of fear in who it will make fun of. Don’t expect it to go away anytime soon, either, because recently Viacom CBS and South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker reached a new agreement that includes making 14 movies for Paramount+. That’s a lot of movies, and doing so is going to bring in a whole lot of money, but tucked into those reports about the new Paramount+ deal was a little detail about a new 3D video game.

South Park has an interesting history when it comes to video games. Most of it is not good, but they recently found some success through South Park: The Stick of Truth and South Park: The Fractured but Whole. This success came via developers taking a hint from the show and emulating the successful formulas of other games such as Paper Mario. Throw in some traditional South Park writing and they had a nice video game stew.

However, those games were developed by Ubisoft. According to an email Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw received from Stone, this game is going to be developed internally.

One nugget of news from our colleagues on the Hollywood beat: South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are making a new video game (in addition to a whopping 14 new movies). The game is under development by an in-house studio, Stone told Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw in an email. The previous two games, both well-received role-playing games, were published by Ubisoft Entertainment SA, which did not respond to a request for comment.

It’s a little odd to hear that the creators of South Park plan to internally develop this game. They certainly have the resources to do so, and they’ve always taken an interest in how games using their IP are being developed, but does this just mean that they plan to make the video game in the same offices they make the show in? The statement says that they will be utilizing an internal studio, but what does that mean exactly? Are they going to spin off and start a South Park video game studio, or is this going to be an entirely autonomous game studio started by Parker and Stone?

Whatever it ends up being, if this new game is successful, then that could mean more South Park games in the future that will come directly from the source. That’s a rarity for licensed games.

Welcome to SNX DLX — Our weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. This week’s list only features seven entries, but four of those are double sneaker drops. So really, this list consists of eleven shoes total. That’s a whole lot of shoes!

This week might not have any Jordan drops that are going to break the internet but we’ve got new Yeezys, Virgil Abloh’s latest Nike collaboration, and a must-cop collection from Los Angeles-based streetwear Undefeated. So it’s still a pretty jam-packed week, as far as hyped sneaker drops are concerned.

Let’s stop talking about it and just get into it. Here are the week’s sneaker drops you need on your radar.

Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low Flash Crimson/Brown Basalt

It’s summertime, which means it’s the best season to pick up sneakers that double as legit hiking gear like Nike’s ACG Mountain Fly Low. Featuring a lightweight upper with reflective laces and eyestay webbing to keep your feet locked in and secure, the Mountain Fly also sports a sticky heavy tread rubber outsole, React foam, and Vaporfly technology throughout.

In keeping with its nature-inspired design, the two new colorways looked to natural settings to influence their colorways. the Flash Crimson is inspired by the lava of Hawaii’s Big Island, while the Brown Basalt takes its cues from Hawaii’s lava-rock landscape.

The Nike ACG Mountain Fly Low Flash Crimson and Brown Basalt are out now for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Undefeated x Nike Dunk VS Air Force 1 ‘5 On It’

Los Angeles-based streetwear label Undefeated can always be counted on to produce fun and notable sneaker collaborations, but the latest sneaker in the brand’s ongoing “Dunk VS AF-1” collaboration, the ‘5 On It’ really takes things to the next level, thanks to its nostalgic design concept. The designers were tasked with choosing four sneaker fabrics popular on sneakers from the late ‘90s and early ’00s era, plus a wildcard fabric, to lay across a pair of Air Force 1s and Dunk Lows.

Both sneakers consist of uppers made from full-grain leather, canvas, nubuck, and hairy suede, (all fabrics I’d like to point out, are still popular) and snakeskin. On the SB Dunk, which features a glittering blue and purple colorway, the snakeskin is spread across the sneaker’s mudguard and panels. On the AF-1, it’s the heel tab and swoosh that get the snakeskin treatment, over an off-white and light grey colorway. Both are dope!

The Undefeated x Nike Dunk VS Air Force 1 ‘5 On It’ is set to drop on August 6th for an unannounced retail price. Pick up a pair exclusively at the Undefeated webstore.

Bodega x Reebok Club C 85/ Club C Legacy

Reebok’s Club C is one of my favorite sneaker silhouettes of all time, but like a lot of other early classics (think the Adidas Stan Smith, or the Nike Cortez) it’s not fancy collaborations or unique colorways that make this sneaker dope. It’s all in the shape. The simple green accents on a crisp white pair is the only color this sneaker ever needs to be, or so I thought until I saw Reebok’s new collaboration with Boston-based brand Bodega.

Released as part of Bodega’s 15th anniversary this collaboration consists of two Bodega iterations on the classic design. One is a crispy white and brown pair that utilizes the retro Club C 85 shape, while the chunkier Club C Legacy gets a brown and purple makeup. The 85 has that classic leather makeup while the Legacy is a bit more modern with suede accents and a mesh toe box.

The Bodega x Reebok Club C 85/Club C Legacy is set to drop on August 6th at Bodega and August 7th on the Reebok webstore for a retail price of $120.

Eastside Golf x Air Jordan 4G

I hate sneakers that aren’t really functional pieces of footwear, but it’s kind of hard to look at this Air Jordan 4 collaboration between Nike and Eastside Golf and not love it. Sure, you’ll never be able to really wear these on the streets because of the golf spikes, but if you’re looking to make a statement on the course, no one will be able to avoid your kicks if you show up rocking these. So bring a little bit of the streets onto that course the next time your boss invites you.

Featuring a white cement esque colorway, the 4G features gold eyelets, a speckled mudguard, and blue accents atop a translucent sole with an Eastside Golf portrait. It’s flashy and fun, even if it’s not technically streetwear.

The Eastside Golf x Air Jordan 4G is set to drop on August 7th for a retail price of $275. Pick up a pair at Eastside Golf.

Off-White Nike Dunk Low 1 of 50/ 50 of 50

Look, in the world of sneakerhead’s you either love or hate Virgil Abloh. I’m definitely in the love camp, while his designs don’t always click for me, I truly appreciate the ways in which he reimagines classic sneaker silhouettes and brings them to the present, and sometimes, even pushes them to the future. But I gotta admit, sometimes Abloh can do this in an annoying way.

Do we need 50 new iterations of the Air Force 1, arguably Nike’s most popular non-Jordan silhouette? I mean, maybe? But honestly, I kind of feel like that answer is no. Abloh could’ve just given us “The Ten” part two, featuring just 10 new redesigns of our favorite Nikes, but he decided we needed 50 versions of the same shoe instead. Okay cool… But then he decided to release them two at a time, beginning with numbers 1 and 50. Why numbers 1 and 50? Who knows but I can tell you right now, it doesn’t make the release more enjoyable.

Both pairs feature the hallmarks of Abloh’s design ethos — deconstruction, weird zip-ties, a tab hanging on the Swoosh, as well as a crisscrossed lacing system over traditional laces and metallic Swooshes. The 01 features a white upper on a gum sole, while the 50 is its opposite, featuring a black-on-black design.

The Off-White Nike Dunk Low 01 and 50 have already been released exclusively at Off-White locations via raffle, so if you want to score a pair of these be sure to hit up the aftermarket sites like Flight Club.

Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR MX Cream Clay

In the intro to last week’s SNX, we let you know that Yeezy Day would fall on a Monday this year, well it turns out Yeezy Day turned into a week-long event. We’re not complaining, bring it on! One of the highlights so far is this MX Cream Clay iteration of Ye’s surprisingly popular FOAM RNNR sneaker. I mean sandle. I mean slip-on — look I’m still not completely comfortable with calling this thing a shoe.

The MX Cream Clay features a marbled all-over print design that kind of resembles a macchiato. I can dig it even though I’m not fully convinced by this shoe yet.

The Adidas Yeezy Foam RNNR MX Cream Clay is out now. Pick up a pair at aftermarket sites like GOAT for a retail price hovering in the $250 range.

Adidas Yeezy 700 V3 Dark Glow

There is a reason the triple black colorway is so popular across a variety of different silhouettes. I mean, just look at it, it’s what Darth Vader would wear if he rocked sneakers. Is that a nerdy thing to say? Absolutely but, you get excited about shoes, it’s time to admit it, you’re a f*cking nerd.

Featuring a mesh upper with matching charcoal RPU overlays, this sneaker sits atop an EVA midsole with a polyurethane core for better foot support. The only part of this sneaker I don’t love is the fact that the RPU cages glow blue, which I guess is better than glowing green? For some people, that’s going to be a dope feature, but I’ve just never been a fan of glow-in-the-dark sneakers. Call me crazy.

The Adidas Yeezy 700 V3 Dark Glow is out now. Pick up a pair at aftermarket sites like GOAT for a price hovering near $250.

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Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

I watched Pig on VOD this week (you can read Vince Mancini’s review here) and found it to be a decadent feast for the senses. It was also a damn good (though very dark) food movie. I’m no Vince, but if you want my opinion, I feel like you should definitely watch it yourself this weekend wherever you stream your movies.

It might have caused me to miss some narrative threads, but while watching this film about a man’s obsession with a truffle hog all I could think was, “Wow, I really want to eat truffles. Like… right now.” Thankfully, it’s black truffle season in Europe and I can get some prime bulbs from Italy pretty easily. (There are some perks to living in Germany, to be sure.)

My craving brought me back to one of my favorite pasta recipes of all time: Tagliatelle al Tartufo. The primarily Roman dish is one I always, always eat multiple times whenever I’m in Rome (assuming I’m there during the right season, that is). That late summer harvest of black truffles feels light and earthy while still reminding you that a colder, darker fall is not far away.

For my recipe, I’m sticking close to a recipe I learned during a pasta-making course in Bologna. It’s fresh, buttery, and full of layered black truffle goodness. It’s also fast. You make this in the time it takes to cook the fresh pasta, so around five minutes flat.

In short, it’s the perfect dish to make before you sit down to stream Pig this weekend.

Tagliatelle al Tartufo

Ingredients:

• 1-lb. fresh tagliatelle
• 2 black truffles
• 2-oz. unsalted, high-quality butter
• 1-oz. Grana Padano cheese plus more for serving
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper

This is enough to feed four easily, or six if you’re doing courses. I’m using a fresh black truffle from Northern Italy. It’s not terribly expensive but it’s not cheap either.

The rest is dead simple: Great Italian butter, fresh pasta, 20-month-old Grana Padano cheese (you can sub good parm if needed), and salt and freshly cracked black pepper. That’s really it.

What You’ll Need:

• Large pasta pot
• Sautee pan
• Fine grater
• Truffle shaver
• Tongs

Method:

• Bring a large pasta pot of water to a boil with a large punch of salt.
• Bring the sautee pan up to heat.
• Add the pasta to the water and use the tongs to stir. Cook for two to three minutes.
• In the meantime, melt the butter in the pan until it just starts to bubble.
• Grate one, small black truffle directly into the butter. Kill the heat and toss the truffles in the butter. Add a large pinch of salt.
• Use the tongs to bring the pasta from the water directly into the pan.
• Add the cheese and start to toss the pasta in the butter to create a silky sauce. Add in small spoonfuls of pasta water to keep the sauce light and creamy.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Roll the pasta into a waiting bowl.
• Hit the pasta with a little more cheese and pepper.
• Shave 1/2 of a black truffle over the pasta.
• Serve immediately.

Bottom Line:

The beauty of this dish is how light it is. The butter and pasta water create this thin yet just-creamy-enough pasta sauce that’s a delicious delivery mechanism for the butter-warmed truffle. The cheese is just salty enough to help add a little savoriness to the otherwise very earthy and soft truffle flavors.

The pasta has a nice bite (it is fresh after all). But the truffles are what make this dish truly pop. There’s this light touch of soft moss next to an almost sweet earthiness that really marries well to the butter. The deep umami goes beyond just “fungi” and digs into a warm forest floor where you can taste the pine needles and moss in every breath you take.

The best part of this, though, is how easy it is to make. Once your water is boiling, it’s five minutes from pan to plate. It’s also adaptable. I’ve had versions in Naples that included anchovy. Some summery versions outside of Rome have roasted artichoke hearts. Versions further north will really amp up the butter and cheese base to the point of a proper cream sauce. I had a version in South Tirol once that had a medley of forest foraged mushrooms in the sauce along with the truffle. Which was amazing, obviously.

So, please take this recipe as a jumping-off point for your own al Tartufo journey. Becasue, let’s face it, truffles in pasta are one of life’s great pleasures and certainly one that you should have in your pasta arsenal. Especially if you’re watching Pig tonight.

Simple champagne cocktails definitely deserve to be part of your late-summer vibe. One of the best representations of this genre of light, warm-weather drinks is Champagne iced tea. It’s super easy to make, delicious, and will be your next go-to for outdoor parties, brunches, or just lazy weekends.

There are two things you need for this. One is a demi-sec or sweeter sparkling wine. Veuve Cliquot created their Rich line specifically for making these sorts of drinks where you add in a spice, botanical, citrus, fruit or, in this case, tea to make the juice pop in the glass. The second thing you really need is a good, loose-leaf Earl Grey tea. Opening a teabag won’t work here. Spend a little more and get good tea for this recipe.

Beyond that, you just need some ice, a tea steeper, and a big ol’ wine glass. It’s that easy — so let’s dive in!

Champagne Iced Tea

Ingredients:

• 4-oz. Veuve Cliquot Rich
• 1 tbsp. loose leaf Earl Grey Tea
• Ice

You really need to specifically use Veuve Cliquot Rich for this. That expression, from the famed French Maison, is specifically designed to be poured over ice with a single extra ingredient as an accompaniment. In fact, this recipe is straight from Veuve’s own recommendations for this bottle.

The wine in the bottle is a bottle of classic champagne with a base of 45 percent Pinot Noir, 40 percent Meunier, and 15 percent Chardonnay juice, with a small dose of sugar to drive the taste away from dry towards sweet. You can grab a bottle here for $70.

As for Earl Grey, I like to use Windsor-Castle Earl Grey. It’s a very floral yet creamy and bitter black tea. It really works with the creaminess of the Veuve while pairing nicely with the citrus, fruits, and woodier edges.

What You’ll Need:

• Large champagne bulb, Spanish gin-n-tonic glass, or Burgundy wine glass
• Fine mesh tea strainer

Method:

• Fill the glass about 2/3 with ice.
• Add the loose leaf tea to the strainer.
• Pour the ice-cold champagne over the tea in two pours. Pour about two ounces of champagne and let it run through fully before pouring the rest through. A few small tea leaves will make it through the mesh strainer, that’s okay.
• Serve.

Bottom Line:

This is almost unbelievably refreshing. There’s a beautiful sweetness and very fragrant tea vibe that just pops with the fizz, yeast, and fruit of the champers.

Since this sparkling wine is built to be turned into an icy summer sipper, it really shines with the ice cubes and a single additional flavor profile. What’s really interesting is that the tea remains floral only on the nose while bringing a serious black tea bitterness on the palate with a smooth creaminess and touch of vanilla, grapefruit, and summer fields of wildflowers in full bloom.

I really can’t understate how crushable this drink is. Just try it while the sun is still out.

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

This article originally appeared on 09.18.15

What happens to airplanes after they’re no longer fit to roam the skies?

Decommissioned planes are often stripped and sold for parts, with the remains finding a new home in what is sometimes referred to as an “airplane boneyard” or “graveyard.” Around the world, these graveyards exist; they’re made up of large, empty lots and tons of scrap metal.

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An abandoned 747 rests in a Bangkok lot. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Photojournalist Taylor Weidman recently stopped by a graveyard in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the city’s Ramkhamhaeng neighborhood sits a lot peppered with parts from jets and commercial liners. What’s most interesting, however, aren’t the planes, but rather the people who live among the wreckage.

This man exits through the back of one of the plane shells. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

This is the interior of what was a Boeing 747. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Life in the graveyard is about as bare-bones as it gets.

The three families living in the lot seem to get by with little more than the shelter created by the hull of a 747, mats, and makeshift curtains. For money, several collect recycling, and as the International Business Times reports, “they occasionally supplement their income by charging tourists and photographers 100 Baht (about £1.80 or $2.77) to look around their homes.”

This woman sits underneath a photo of Thailand’s king. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Living on just a few dollars a day, the planes contain comfort that wouldn’t be found elsewhere. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Weidman’s photos shine a light on the luxuries we so often take for granted in life; namely, the ability to travel.

Seeing vehicles once used to jet people around the world for business, pleasure, and everything in between used in a much more fundamental way — as the basic shelters needed for survival — is its own form of forced perspective. It also highlights the creativity of those living in the lot; being able to transform airplanes into places to call home is no small feat.

The three families have some small comforts, like sheets, clothes, and the occasional small appliance. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

This man rests in one of the partitioned rooms, listening to the radio. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Most of all, Weidman’s photos tell a story about the importance of empathy.

The families in the Ramkhamhaeng lot are human, just like you and me. Like all of us, they’re doing their best to survive.

A lot resident collects recycling outside one of the residences. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

This young boy plays outside one of the planes, hiding from his grandmother. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

This stunning collection of photos brings just a brief glimpse of what it’s like to step into their shoes; something we should all strive to do more often.

Women inspect watches for possible resale value. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

This man is bringing buckets of water back to his family on a hot day. Photo by Taylor Weidman/Getty Images.

Single malt Scotch whisky is a two-sided coin. On one side are the value bottles that don’t taste like value bottles at all. I’m talking ten to twelve-year-old whiskies from some of the most well-regarded distilleries in Scotland. The other side is comprised of the big money bottles. While these long-aged single malts can start around $200, they can fetch thousands of dollars (especially on the aftermarket).

But where is the true cut-off in terms of flavor and value? Are $200 bottles really that much better than, say, a very solid $60 bottle? I’m not so sure. I believe that the differences in flavor and aroma are often so slight that the average (even not-so-average) whisky drinker can’t completely discern the differences.

To put this little theory to the test, I’m once again embarking on a blind taste test. This time around, I took four $200 (and beyond) bottles and paired them with four bottles in the $60 range.

Part 1: The Taste

Since there’s a big price difference, there should be a huge difference in the rankings, right? Not necessarily, as this is based solely on my senses of smell and taste. Just because one single malt is over $200 and another is $55 doesn’t necessarily mean that I’ll be able to discern the quality difference. We’re not talking bottom-shelf swill and $1,000 bottles here.

Our lineup is as follows:

$200 bottles

• The Dalmore 18
• The Balvenie Portwood 21
• Glendronach Allardice 18
• Glenmorangie Signet

$60 bottles

• Craigellachie 13
• Aberlour 12
• Glenfiddich 14
• Glen Scotia Double Cask

Let the blind tasting commence!

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a mixture of spice and sweetness with candied orange peels, toffee, cinnamon, and vanilla beans taking center stage. Sipping this single malt reveals hints of raisins, citrus zest, berries, and sweet sherry — with just a hint of spicy pepper at the finish.

From my notes: “What an insanely luscious opener.”

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

When I nosed this whisky, I found aromas of vanilla beans, candied apples, a teensy bit of stone fruit, and just a hint of smoke. The palate is crazy complex. I noticed dried cherries, raisins, sweet caramel-like malts, brown sugar, and a gentle smoky finish.

This isn’t smoky like an Islay malt. The smoke is more like a compliment to the other flavors.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

First, I was struck by the nose of caramel apples, candied orange peels, and a nice hit of wood char. The palate is loaded with flavors of caramelized sugar, sweet cinnamon, wood char, and slight spices. It all ends with a nice sweet, spicy finish.

The only problem with this whisky is that it’s a little sweeter and woody than I’d prefer a single malt to be.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

One sniff and I was totally aware that this was a sherry aged (at least sherry rested) whisky. The fruity, sherry flavor almost knocked me to the ground. There’s also butterscotch and vanilla in there, attempting to sneak through. Sipping it was more of the same. On top of the prevalent sherry, there were also hints of dried fruits, toffee, and ripe berries.

Overall, a little sweet for my liking.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

The nose is littered with scents like salted caramel, candied apples, vanilla beans, and dried fruits. On the palate, I found hints of chocolate fudge, dried cherries, fresh berries, and more vanilla. The finish is sweet, mellow, and memorable.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a surprising amount of chocolate aroma on the nose. This is followed by dried fruits, toffee, and subtle spices. Sipping this whisky, I found notes of candied orange peel, chocolate fudge, brown sugar, maple syrup, and a gentle, nutty sweetness throughout.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of dried cherries, raisins, vanilla, and buttercream frosting are found on the nose. When I took the first sip, I found a symphony of maple candy, butterscotch, brown butter, dried fruits, and a pleasant hit of sweetness and wood char at the very end.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

The nose was a bit abrasive for my liking. There was a hint of smoked bacon, a bit of caramel, and dried fruits. The palate was nutty and was highlighted with caramel apple flavors, but that was about it. The finish was hot, spicy, and a little much for my palate.

Part 2: The Ranking

I love partaking in blind taste tests, especially when they involve single malt whisky. The flavor profiles, depending on the regions and type of aging, can be so vastly different. There are bound to be exciting lower-priced bottles that find their way higher up in the rankings than their prices dictate.

Are you as excited as me? Keep reading to see how they stacked up.

8) Craigellachie 13 (Taste 8)

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $60

The Story:

For years, Craigellachie was simply used as one of the whiskies in the Dewar’s blend. First released as a single malt in 2014, it’s referred to as the “bad boy of Speyside” because of its bold, aggressive, rich, slightly smoky flavor.

Bottom Line:

This was a fairly aggressive whisky, to say the least. It was spicier than I’m used to but not completely unpleasant. Just not as mellow as I’d prefer.

7) GlenDronach Allardice 18 (Taste 4)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $190

The Story:

Named for GlenDronach’s founder James Allardice, this 18-year-old whisky was aged totally in Oloroso sherry casks. It’s known for its fruity, sweet, sherry-centric, mellow, almost dessert-like flavor.

Bottom Line:

There’s “mellow and smooth with a nice sweetness” and then there’s cloyingly sweet borderline dessert whisky. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great whisky. I’m just only going to drink it paired with sticky toffee pudding or some chocolate.

6) Glenfiddich 14 Bourbon Barrel Reserve (Taste 3)

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $59.99

The Story:

This single malt was created as a gateway between Scotch and bourbon drinkers. It’s a little bit of Scotland and a little bit of Kentucky in one tasty little package. This 14-year-old single malt is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in new, charred American oak barrels from a cooperage in Kentucky.

Bottom Line:

While many single malts are known for their flavors of vanilla, citrus, and toffee, this whisky relies a lot more on the charred wood flavor usually found in an American bourbon.

That char was… fine. But I didn’t love it.

5) Aberlour 12 Double Cask (Taste 7)

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $63

The Story:

There’s a reason that bartenders are in love with Aberlour 12 Double Cask. It’s because the folks at Aberlour turned the flavor up to eleven by maturing this whisky in both oak barrels as well as sherry casks. The result is a well-rounded, slightly sweet, rich whisky.

Bottom Line:

This is a really well-balanced whisky. There’s a nice fruity sweetness throughout that makes me think there was some sherry finishing, but also a nice rich, caramel-malty flavor.

4) The Balvenie 21 PortWood Finish (Taste 2)

ABV: 47.6%
Average Price: $240

The Story:

This is the flagship whisky in The Balvenie’s Port Wood series. It was aged for 21 years in oak barrels before finishing in 30-year-old port pipes. It’s well-known for its mix of sweetness, richness, and slight smoky flavor.

Bottom Line:

This is the kind of whisky I’d want to drink after a heavy meal. It ticks all of my whisky boxes. It’s sweet, rich, and subtly smoky.

3) Glenmorangie Signet (Taste 6)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $230

The Story:

This award-winning single malt was crafted from a blend of two very different whiskies. The first was made using single estate Cadboll malt and the second was made using malted chocolate barely. It was aged in American oak barrels. While there’s no age statement, it’s believed that the whiskies included are some of Glenmorangie’s rarest and oldest.

Bottom Line:

This is a truly unique whisky. It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly makes it so special. Perhaps it’s the chocolate, caramel, and citrus elements. Or perhaps it’s the fact that it’s so incredibly smooth and sippable.

2) Glen Scotia Double Cask (Taste 5)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $56

The Story:

At one point, Campbeltown was home to more than thirty distilleries. There are a lot fewer these days with the likes of Springbank and Glen Scotia leading the way. This memorable single malt from the latter was aged in both first-fill bourbon casks as well as Pedro Ximénez sherry butts.

Bottom Line:

The is a very well-balanced single malt whisky. There’s a great caramel backbone that is complemented by a nice fruitiness. A great after-hours sipper and, obviously, an incredible value buy.

1) The Dalmore 18 (Taste 1)

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $240

The Story:

Few Scotch brands conjure luxury more than The Dalmore. Even the bottle looks fancier than its counterparts. Its 18-year-old expression is first matured for fourteen years in American oak casks before being transferred to Matusalem sherry butts for three years prior to spending one more year in another sherry cask.

Bottom Line:

While I enjoyed every dram on this list (to some degree). None were as memorable and decadent as this one. It’s clear that this whisky spent a great deal of time in sherry casks because it’s sweet, fruity, and amazingly mellow. But it’s also obvious due to the vanilla and chocolate flavors that it didn’t spend its whole life in sherry. Overall, an amazing pour.

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

The United States will go for its fourth consecutive men’s basketball gold medal late on Friday evening. Despite a rocky start — both to their exhibition slate in the lead-up to the Olympics and the tournament in Tokyo — Team USA managed to get to the gold medal game after taking down Australia earlier this week.

Their tallest test yet, however, stands between themselves and a gold. While France is not the highest-ranked team that the Americans have played in this tournament, they have had the United States’ number in recent years. The French knocked out the Americans in the quarterfinals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019 and handed them a loss in their first group play game at the Tokyo Olympics. Between Rudy Gobert’s size, Nic Batum’s general Nic Batum-ness, a battle-tested backcourt with Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo, and a bench with NBA-caliber talent, France both matches up well against the United States and are not afraid of the three-time defending champions.

But from Team USA’s perspective, plenty has changed since these two teams met at the start of the Games. The Americans have gotten better and better as the tournament has gone on, knocking off longtime international foe Spain and Australia in the quarterfinals and semifinals. If the United States’ collection of offensive maestros are able to knock down shots, it’s hard to see the French getting a gold medal. But of course, they’ve managed to prevent Team USA from doing this before, so they have warranted optimism in their ability to get the job done.

TIP TIME: Friday, August 6, 10:30 p.m. ET
STREAM: NBCOlympics.com
TV CHANNEL: NBC

What does Ted Cruz like to do in his free time, besides flee the country during a historic storm and butcher the voices of The Simpsons? Say the word “chutzpah,” apparently.

The Daily Show compiled a supercut of the Texas senator massacring the Yiddish word for arrogance. “You know, there’s a Yiddish word, ‘chutzpah,’ and Joe Biden is embodying chutzpah,” Cruz says in one clip, practically firing spit all over the camera, while in another, recorded while speaking at the National Religious Broadcasters Annual Convention, he exclaims, “There is more than a little chutzpah in that.” What is he referring to? I’m not sure. And honestly, I’m OK with that. Anyway, the supercut ends with a clip from the season six episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, “The Bar Mitzvah,” where Larry David repeatedly tells someone to “shut the f*ck up.” The Daily Show was directing the message at Cruz, who felt compelled to respond on Twitter.

“@Trevornoah is a putz,” he tweeted, continuing their feud. It’s only a matter of time before Seth Rogen weighs in, but until then, everyone else was happy to fill in. “Wow Ted u really got him great comeback,” one reply to the senator’s tweet reads, but my favorite response is, “Gey strashe di gens, Rafael.”

It’s a good insult in any language.

(Via Raw Story)

Discovering your passion can be life changing. For Chef Benoit Angulo, his passion was unlocked while growing up in Venezuela when he learned to make arepas. Arepas are like a cross between a tortilla, a pancake, and sandwich bread and are very common in northern South America. Despite his young age, Benoit quickly became the designated expert for family and friends when it came to making the dish.

“It’s just what I grew up with. Arepas are a big part of Venezuelan culture,” Benoit says. “There is definitely a comfort food aspect to it.”

Benoit can track his love for cooking from those early moments. Although his passion ultimately led him away from his home country to establish a culinary career in the US, his cooking remains rooted in the traditions learned in the kitchens of friends and family, even as he innovates new flavors and combinations.

Over the past 10 years, Benoit and his business partner and wife Rachel Angulo have turned comfort food into a full-blown business, operating two successful food trucks in New Orleans and Chicago by the name of La Cocinita, which translates to “The Little Kitchen” in Spanish. In those rolling kitchens, Benoit has expertly combined his formal culinary skills with the traditional practices he picked up as a curious kid in Caracas, introducing the two cities to the world of arepas, patacones, tacos, and quesadillas Venezuelan-style.

“A lot of people come and just want the tacos they know and love,” Rachel tells me. “It’s the people that try something new, or try the arepas, that get hooked and want to come back.”

Starting a food truck, with its freedom to experiment and fewer barriers to entry, feels like an obvious play for a young chef trying to make a name for himself in the modern American culinary scene. However, Benoit makes it clear that the roots of their choice of business model run deeper.

“Growing up in Caracas, there are different little alleys and corners in every neighborhood designated as ‘the hunger street’ — ‘calle de hambre.’ Essentially, it’s a place where you go for a quick lunch in-between shifts or a place to go after a night out with your friends and a few drinks,” he says. “I felt like New Orleans was kind of lacking that aspect.”

The idea of bringing ‘hunger street’ a little closer to New Orleans came to Benoit after a late night of drinks on the town with Rachel.

“A big part of ‘calle del hambre’ is what they call ‘areperas,’ which are essentially arepa joints that have every arepa you can imagine, baked, fried, made over coals,” Benoit says. “My spiel when I pitched to Rachel when we were hungry after a few drinks was simply, ‘Do you want to open up a food truck?’ I was just thinking about wanting an arepa before bed, and that’s how it came about.”

But as simple a story as that sounds, Benoit and Rachel were immediately hit with roadblocks when they set out to turn La Cocinita into a reality. During the process of outfitting and modifying their food truck, they learned that there were no available permits for a new food truck in New Orleans and wouldn’t be for years. Couple that with some archaic rules about where and when food trucks could and couldn’t operate and Benoit and Rachel were in for a test of their own fighting spirit. They didn’t let that challenge stop them from realizing their dream, though. Instead, they worked with the local government to reform outdated and limiting laws — giving La Cocinita and other businesses in the community a chance to flourish.

Fast forward 10 years later and La Cocinita is now a staple of the New Orleans and Chicago street food scene, meeting the demands of foodies while expanding on the idea of a classic arepa.

“It’s not a classic Venezuelan Arepera. It’s something that’s influenced by our market. A classic arepa is arepa, shredded cheese, and butter… but being here, we made the decision to stuff our ingredients inside. It’s the same way I learned how to make them back home. Here in Chicago, we have actual Venezuelan moms making your empanadas and arepas, we have a Venezuelan heavy kitchen so that brings a lot of traditional influence, but with a modern twist,” says Benoit.

Like countless other restaurants and food trucks, Benoit and Rachel faced an existential threat to their business in March 2020 when COVID-19 hit. With her background in social work and a passion for helping others just as strong as Benoit’s passion for cooking, Rachel made sure that La Cocinita continued to serve the community. Waiting for the storm to pass just wasn’t an option.

“We had a team that wanted to work and food in the kitchen so it was kind of a no-brainer to start collecting donations for meals that we were discounting and serving to frontline workers,” says Rachel, who had previously worked in ICUs and quickly thought about the risk of burnout for doctors and nurses.

“We figured comfort food would bring a ray of sunshine to their days.”

The pandemic gave Benoit and Rachel a lot of time to think about what the evolution of their “little kitchen” looks like. Unsurprisingly Benoit is still exploring ways to push his culinary style to meet the demands of tomorrow. While the pandemic was hard on business, it helped Benoit and Rachel develop a future-focused game plan.

“We definitely have some ideas that were probably influenced by the pandemic,” Benoit says. “We’ve been talking about plant-based local sourcing type stuff, changing our menu in a way where we are a little more sustainable and more locally driven. One of those big things about the pandemic was revealing supply chain issues. That’s one of the many ideas we have for what La Cocinita will look like, but that’s the one I think about the most — how we’ll change and how we can have a more positive impact.”

Whatever La Cocinita’s future looks like, Rachel and Benoit’s efforts show that it’ll be one forged from passion and a fighting spirit.