Month: November 2021

There’s a lot of scotch out there, folks. Currently, 36 bottles of Scotch whisky are shipped around the world every second. That’s well over a billion bottles hitting shelves each year. And remember, all of that whisky comes from only 134 distilleries across Scotland. It’s kind of mindboggling (and far eclipses bourbon’s numbers).

So we totally understand if you feel daunted when deciding which bottle of single malt scotch to pick off the shelf. That’s where blind taste tests come in.

Today, we’re tasting eight single malts from Scotland with two throughlines. One, all of these whiskies are unpeated single malts, sometimes referred to as sweet single malts. Two, all of these bottles should cost less than $100 at most stores. Beyond that, we’re ranking each expression based on taste alone.

Our lineup today includes:

• Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or
• Cardhu Gold Reserve
• GlenDronach 12
• Aberfeldy 12
• Arran Sherry Cask
• BenRiach 12
• Aberlour 16
• Balblair 12

Let’s get to it!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of 2021

• A Blind Ranking Of Affordable Blended Scotch Whiskies
• Our Favorite Scotch Whisky At Every Price Point From $30 To $500
• We Blind Tested Blended Scotches In The $40 Range And A Clear Winner Emerged
• The Best Bottles Of Scotch Whisky Between $50-$60
• Blind Scotch Taste Test — Which 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky Is Best?

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a very soft opening with shortbread cut with lemon and vanilla with a clear butteriness and touch of fruit. The palate leans into buttery toffee with light oak and a soft spiced red berry pudding with a ginger/vanilla cookie sticking out of it.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Soft rings through this whole sip as the nose gently expresses toffee-covered apples next to light yet tart berries and a touch of suede. The taste has this chewy oatmeal cookie with plenty of spice and dried fruits vibe next to dark chocolate-covered toffee and apple cores on the very backend.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This opens with spicy berries next to tart apples with a hint of lemon/lime and old leather. The sip leans into a honey sweetness with vanilla beans, dark plums, and spicy malts. The finish smooths out with a mineral water softness as old cedar boards mingle with a raisin tobacco chewy spice on the very end.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is pure leather and honey on the nose with hints of raisin-filled malt crackers just touched with vanilla extract. The taste delivers on that honey promise with a honey wafer cracker vibe next to a thin line of orchard fruits (especially apples and pears) with a very light brown spicy edge warming the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Eggnog nutmeg draws you in with a touch of dark cherry, meaty dates, and old leather on the nose. The palate shifts towards oatmeal cookies with a hefty dose of cinnamon and plenty of soft sultanas as a hint of ginger lurks in the background. Then this big and almost overpowering sense of green pinewood arrives and veers the taste towards orange rinds and not much else besides a chewy and warm buzz.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Pear candy dominates the nose with hints of fresh maple syrup adding more sweetness as leather edges in next to … blueberry? The taste circles back to the pear but stews them in holiday spices next to sherry-soaked plum pudding. The finish has a warm malty oatiness that mellows towards orange-infused marzipan covered in dark chocolate.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is all dark berries, old leather, and big chunks of nutty and fruity holiday cake with plenty of spice. The palate delivers on that while layering a lightly dried rose vibe next to clove-heavy plum jam, sweet cedar, and velvet mouthfeel. The end embraces those dark and spicy fruits with a jammy feel as a slight note of cellar cobwebs arrives on the backend.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Apple cores and lemon candy hit on the nose with a touch of malty warmth. The taste leans into spiced honey with a touch of orange oils and woodiness. That wood turns into a dry cedar as an old leather pouch full of rich, spicy, and slightly sticky tobacco emerges on the finish.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Balblair 12 — Taste 8

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $70

The Whisky:

This entry-point single malt from the Highlands is an easy drinker. The juice is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon casks and “double fired” or charred, used American oak barrels. The results are touched with a little water to bring it down to proof and then bottled.

Bottom Line:

I’ve had a really hard time getting into this whisky. Part of that is the hardness of the nose. It’s also a little one-note for me and feels more like a solid cocktail mixer than a sipper.

7. Arran Sherry Cask — Taste 5

ABV: 55.8%

Average Price: $60

The Whisky:

This Islands whisky is aged exclusively in sherry oak for an undisclosed amount of time. The casks are slightly small format, allowing more of the flavors from the oak to impart into the spirit. The whisky is then vatted and bottled without filtration or cutting.

Bottom Line:

I was really digging this until that over-powering raw wood note took everything over on the mid-palate. I definitely need to try this again on its own and add some water to see what’s going on.

6. Aberfeldy 12 — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Whisky:

This Highland malt is the cornerstone of the much-beloved Dewar’s Blended Scotch. This whisky is a very accessible single malt that spends 12 years resting before it’s married and proofed with that soft Highland water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This didn’t necessarily fall flat today. It’s more that it felt a little thin compared to the other offerings. That being said, it was still very tasty with all that lovely honey, fruit, and spice.

5. BenRiach The Twelve Speyside Single Malt — Taste 6

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $75

The Whisky:

Dr. Rachel Barrie’s reimaging of BenRiach has been a stellar success. This dram marries 12-year-old malts that matured in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-port casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This went down very easily but there wasn’t a wow factor anywhere in this sip. That’s not saying it isn’t good but just not as big as I wanted it to be.

4. GlenDronach 12 — Taste 3

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $67

The Whisky:

This Highland malt is blended by Dr. Rachel Barrie, the brand’s Master Blender to highlight the beauty of those Scottish Highlands. The juice is a blend of whiskies aged for 12 years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This being in fourth place doesn’t mean much. I think had I been in a different mood or the weather been different, this could have been number one or two. It’s a solid sipper that’s really hard to find a single fault with.

3. Cardhu Gold Reserve — Taste 2

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

The Whisky:

Cardhu is one of the oldest Speyside distilleries in the region. The juice in this bottle is a “cask selection” of their 12-year-old expression which basically means that these were the honey barrels that came together in the vat to create a heightened sense of the brand’s style and structure.

Bottom Line:

This was so soft and lush while still being distinctly flavored. It’s hard not to really like this whisky but it didn’t quite hit the top rank today. That is in no way disparaging. This stuff is pretty delicious.

2. Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or — Taste 1

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $82

The Whisky:

This dram from Glenmorangie is a much-loved Highland malt. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed number of years. The whisky is then transferred to French Sauternes barrels which held sweet dessert wines where it spends two more years finishing.

Bottom Line:

This remains one of my favorite single malts at this price point. It really is just a wonderful dram that drinks incredibly well.

1. Aberlour 16 — Taste 7

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $96

The Whisky:

This small Speyside distillery has been producing quality whisky for over 200 years. This expression is aged 16 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-Olorosso sherry casks. It’s then married and proofed with soft Speyside water from the Highlands and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is delicious. Maybe it’s the season but this dram was far and away the whisky I wanted to drink more of right now. In fact, it’s going to be hard not to finish this bottle as the snow starts to fall and the holiday candy arrives.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I don’t know if I can say I was surprised the Aberlour 16 won. That brand has been killing it lately with their whole line. Also, it was the oldest and most expensive bottle on the list. So it’s not a shocker.

Overall, this was a welcome break from all the bourbons I’ve been drinking lately. The softness of every single one of these single malts was delightful. I felt comforted while still getting to drink some serious whisky. It was a nice change of pace.

Summer Walker has left her supporters in tears with her newly-released sophomore album, Still Over It, which details the singer’s struggles with love. To promote the new album, she stopped by The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to perform “Unloyal,” an early standout. A live band provided a jazzy touch to the performance while also covering for Ari Lennox, who appears on the official song but was not present for the appearance.

Walker’s performance came as she broke several records on Apple Music with Still Over It, which earned the biggest album debut ever, the biggest R&B album debut ever, and went No. 1 in 40 markets globally. She also responded to a recent report from Rolling Stone that claimed she signed a “brutal” record deal and described her as “effectively an indentured servant for a series of albums.”

“I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online,” she wrote on her Instagram Story. “I didn’t say anything because I wanted to stay focused on releasing my album. Yow let me clear the air. What that article said is not my current record deal. Over the years my deal has changed many times. I’ve always had my own representation and full support from LVRN. Thank you to my fans for always having my back and for all of the love ya’ll keep showing my new album. Appreciate y’all!!”

You can watch Summer perform “Unloyal” in the video above.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Last week there was great and long-awaited news: The FDA granted emergency authorization for children ages 5 to 11 to finally get the Pfizer vaccine. There was much rejoicing amongst parents, who’ve long had to sweat over their kids’ possible exposure to a highly transmissible disease, and much naysaying amongst Republicans, who have taken out their frustrations on Big Bird and the Muppets. But of course, not everyone is on board. And, alas, one of them might be running for governor of Texas.

As per The Hill, Oscar-winning actor and possible gubernatorial candidate Matthew McConaughey has come out against establishing a mandate for vaccines in schools for young children, at least for now. He dropped the news at the New York Times‘s DealBook summit, where he tried to draw a line between preaching for the efficacy of vaccinations while claiming they shouldn’t be required.

“I’m vaccinated. My wife’s vaccinated. I didn’t do it because someone told me I had to — [I] chose to do it,” McConaughey said. “Do I think that there’s any kind of scam or conspiracy theory?” he asked himself. His reply: “Hell no.”

But. “Right now I’m not vaccinating mine, I’ll tell you that,” he added.

McConaughey claimed that he’s “quarantined harder” than his friends since the pandemic began in earnest about two years ago. Part of that has been using a “heavy amount” of COVID-19 testing. “I’m in a position though where I can do that, and I understand that not everyone can do that,” he admitted.

That, of course, is still a marginally better position than that taken by current Texas governor Greg Abbott, who has, like many Republican governors with high cases of COVID cases and deaths, downplayed the pandemic and come out against vaccine mandates. But it’s still a very low bar. And it didn’t impress one person: US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.

“Many kids have died. Sadly, hundreds of children — thousands — have been hospitalized, and as a dad of a child who has been hospitalized several years ago for another illness, I would never wish upon any parent they have a child that ends up in the hospital,” Murthy told CNN mere hours after McConaughey’s statements went public. “And the vaccines have shown in these trials for children 5 through 11 they are more at 90% effective in protecting our kids from symptomatic infection, and they are remarkably safe as well.”

McConaughey was also asked about another problem plaguing his native state: the draconian abortion law that went into effect Sunday, prompting panic as well as satirical and amusingly saboteurial attempts to discredit it. The actor called it “overly aggressive,” but added, semi-cryptically, “It doesn’t doesn’t seem to open up the room for a sensible choice to be made at the right time.”

His more elaborate response may not exactly ease the nerves of advocates for safe and legal abortions in Texas. “I believe in this: more responsibility, more personal responsibility to make the right choices,” he said. “And we got to pick context with each situation, and each person’s situation, each woman’s situation.”

(Via The Hill)

At the end of last month, Ed Sheeran returned with his first full-length album since 2019. Entitled =, it wound up continuing a streak of chart-topping releases, becoming his fifth consecutive album to go No. 1. He also stopped by Saturday Night Live to perform “Shivers” and “Overpass Graffiti.” Long story short, things have been going pretty well for Sheeran lately, but he feels like he’s not getting enough love from his fellow pop peers.

During a recent interview on The Breakfast Club, Sheeran opened up about his anxieties. “I’m not accepted by my genre,” he claimed. “I thought it was quite telling that my album came out and the only people that emailed me in-depth about liking it were like Dave and Stormzy and people from the UK rap and UK grime scene.” He added, “My peers largely, I feel, in the pop scene often don’t want me to succeed. … I’ve never felt accepted by my scene.”

This could be one of the reasons why Sheeran’s new album is an entirely solo effort. However, he and Taylor Swift do have a song they wrote together on the way. It will appear on Swift’s upcoming album Red (Taylor’s Version), which arrives on November 12.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

On Monday, Denver Nuggets center and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was ejected after an incident with Miami Heat forward Markieff Morris. Following the incident and the game, members of the Heat chose not to address the media, but things spilled into the media to the point where Jokic’s brothers and Marcus Morris, twin brother of Markieff, got involved in the discourse. Opinions on what transpired, and what potential discipline should be, flowed on all sides, but the NBA officially announced its discipline on Tuesday evening.

The end result was a one-game suspension without pay for Jokic for what the NBA described as “forcefully shoving” Morris from behind. In addition, Morris was fined $50,000 as a result of the Flagrant 2 foul that “initiated an on-court altercation” with Jokic. Within the same release, the NBA announced that Heat star Jimmy Butler was fined $30,000 for “attempting to escalate the altercation and failing to comply with an NBA Security interview as part of the review process pertaining to an on-court matter.”

Many speculated that Jokic could receive harsher discipline and, for the Nuggets, this may seem like a lucky escape. After all, Denver is heavily reliant on Jokic and that is doubly the case with current injuries to Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. leaving the team without shot creation. The NBA indicated that Jokic’s suspension will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 10 against the Pacers, which would presumably allow Jokic to return to action on Friday for a home game against the Atlanta Hawks.

Remember earlier this year when Republicans tried to save Dr. Seuss, Pepé Le Pew, Mr. Potato Head, and more from the evil libs? We’re well past that. This past weekend, the GOP has had another one of their unpredictable changes of heart. Now they’re mad at Big Bird, all because the fictitious avian told children to get vaccinated. It’s been wild and weird, with everyone from Ted Cruz to Laura Ingraham coming for a fictitious character who dared tell kids to stay healthy during a once-in-a-century public health crisis.

And now Newsmax has stepped into the ring. As per The Daily Beast, host Eric Bolling — who left Fox News in 2017 amidst sexual misconduct allegations — devoted a section of his show Monday to denouncing Big Bird and his neighbors, bragging that he said “15 years ago that Sesame Street are a bunch of communists,” as a completely sensible adult human is wont to do. On Tuesday, he was back at it, this time extending his ire to their cousins the Muppets.

Like the folks on Sesame Street, Bolling and the Muppets go way back. He’s had their number for ages, telling his audience that this isn’t the “first time these little felt communists have tried to infect the minds of our youngest and most vulnerable children.” (It’s true, Big Bird has been preaching for vaccinations for almost 50 years.)

Bolling then showed clips from his other battles with inanimate objects brought to life by human puppeteers with funny voices. There was that time, during a 2011 Fox Business segment, when he compared the Muppets to “communist China.” Bolling was one of many far right commentators who railed against that year’s revival movie, entitled simply The Muppets. It’s not that they felt it let down the franchise. Rather, they were insulted that the villain was a Texas oil baron named Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper. (No such brouhaha happened when 1979’s The Muppet Movie made its baddie an evil Southern capitalist played by Charles Durning.)

“Here’s what happened: The Muppets were blaming an oil baron for closing down the studio. That’s cute, you little oppressive Muppets,” Bolling said after his clip. “They didn’t even try to hide their disdain for success by naming the guy Tex Richman, but I took them to task.” He sure did.

Bolling also showed a clip of him first apologizing to Kermit the Frog for helping create a ludicrous controversy over a movie about puppets, only to dare he and Miss Piggy to a debate — moderated, he suggested, by Donald Trump. (Again, this was 2011.)

The Newsmax host added that Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy “never took me up on that offer.”

It was clear Bolling remained bitter. In a tone that wavered between sarcasm and seriousness, he called Miss Piggy a “portly pink dummy who took to the media to trash me for exposing her leftist tyranny.” He then re-extended the offer to characters who aren’t real.

“Guess what? The invite is still open Miss Piggy, if you or your emasculated frog boyfriend Kermit ever want to join this desk, it’s free,” Bolling crowed while looking at a Kermit doll. “First, I thought they were mere ideologues and now I think they’re just stuck on stupid.” He added, “I mean, they don’t get it.”

At least Bolling attempted to be humorous, however awkwardly. Ted Cruz and Laura Ingraham almost seem to they think they’re angry at real, anthropomorphic animals.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Travis Scott was reportedly unaware that a tragedy took place in the crowd at the Astroworld Festival until quite a while it ended. A source connected to the rapper told TMZ that he was never notified about the deaths and injuries that occurred. As a result, Travis left the premises and headed to a nearby Dave & Buster’s for a party that was hosted by Drake. “Travis didn’t know the severity of the situation when he arrived at the party,” the source told TMZ. “As far as timing, this remains consistent with the fact that no one including the police had publicly confirmed the gravity of the events that had taken place.”

Travis brought out Drake as a surprise guest at the festival, and the two performed songs including “Sicko Mode” and “Way 2 Sexy.” The TMZ report comes after Travis’ partner Kylie Jenner, who is currently pregnant with her second child with him, came to his defense about the festival.

“Travis and I are broken and devastated,” she wrote in a post to her Instagram Story. “My thoughts and prayers are with all who lost their lives, were injured or affected in any way by yesterday’s events.” She added, “And also for Travis who I know cares deeply for his fans and the Houston community, I want to make it clear we weren’t aware of any fatalities until the news came out after the show, and in no world would have continued filming or performing.”

In the lead up to the 2021-22 NBA season, the league rolled out a list of the top 75 players in NBA history. It wasn’t done in the clearest format, including the fact that the list eventually included 76 players, but the reaction was swift and arguments began on which players should have made the cut that didn’t. One prime example was Dwight Howard, with many pointing out that the veteran center’s on-court profile was certainly deserving of inclusion.

Howard, who is still playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, was left off, however, and Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report asked him about the snub this week.

Almost before the question was finished, Howard said “I knew I wasn’t going to be on it.” When pushed on why, Howard promptly attributed the omission to “politics” and said that he “already knew” the list would not include him as soon as word broke that the top 75 would exist.

Howard certainly isn’t the only player with a real case for inclusion but, as much as he did say that he knew it was coming, the eight-time All-NBA center did assert that he should have made the final cut.

“I most definitely should be on that list, but it’s okay,” Howard said. “It is so okay. I’m not upset about it. I was for probably like 30 seconds. But I said, ‘You know what? Life is great. I’m alive. I’m still playing basketball in my 18th season. Who cares about a list made by people who ain’t never bounced a basketball before? Who cares?”

For years, Howard’s reputation has seemingly led to his play being underrated. On top of eight All-Star inclusions and eight All-NBA selections, he is a five-time rebounding champion and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year. In addition, Howard had a firm case for several seasons as a top-three player in the sport and, while the back half of his career hasn’t been at the same level, it would be unwise to overlook just how good he was at his peak.

It is certainly debatable on whether “politics” was the reason he wasn’t included. In fact, Howard’s claim that the list was made by “people who ain’t never bounced a basketball before” isn’t necessarily accurate, either.

Justin Bieber will be trying out a new location for an upcoming concert. Thing is, it’s not part of the real world. Bieber teamed up with Wave, a leader in virtual entertainment, for an interactive virtual concert that’s set to occur later this month. The collaboration, entitled “Justin Bieber – An Interactive Virtual Experience,” will combine gaming, real-time motion-capture, and live musical performances. He will also perform songs from his 2021 album Justice.

Thanks to Wave’s technology, Bieber will turn into a digital avatar as he performs an entire live show from a virtual world for the very first time. Viewers will be able to appear on stage with him at certain times as well as influence his performance and environment in real time. “I am a big believer in Wave and love the platform as a new way for me to engage with my fans,” Bieber said about the upcoming performance. “I’m excited to be using this technology to bring people together and connect with fans from all over the world. I can’t wait for them to check out this interactive performance.”

The concert will air on November 18 at 6pm PST/9pm EST and people can sign up on wave.watch to experience the event for free. Rebroadcasts will occur on November 20 at 8pm PST/11pm EST and November 21 at 11pm PST/2pm EST. The United Kingdom, Europe, and South America will receive a rebroadcast on November 21 at 7pm GMT while Australia, Asia, and the Pacific’s own will air that same day at 3pm AEDT.

You can read more about the upcoming interactive experience on Wave’s website here.

The GOP has always had a sick obsession with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, not the least being her colleagues in Congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene has a long history of harassing the New York representative, even once stalking her outside of her office. But Paul Gosar may have gone too far. Over the weekend, the Arizona congressman shared an anime video someone had made of him killing both AOC and President Joe Biden. AOC had a devastating response to the tweet, which could land Gosar in hot water. But perhaps the angriest response came from his very own sister.

Jennifer Gosar, the youngest of the representative’s nine siblings, went on MSNBC and it is clear that she does not look up to her oldest brother.

“I am absolutely beyond aghast at how much this man has gotten away with,” she said. “I don’t know what he would need to do for any one of those people in quote ‘a leadership position’ to hold him accountable.”

She added, “No one, no one holds him accountable. Not Kevin McCarthy, not [ed. former] Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, not Senate Leader Chuck Schumer, not Speaker Nancy Pelosi, not Attorney General Merrick Garland. No one holds him accountable.” She then called him a “sociopath.”

Paul Gosar’s sister wasn’t only concerned about him posting violent videos of him murdering his colleagues. She said there was “evidence” that he was part of a “conspiracy to commit treason against the United States of America.” She added, “Where is the accountability?”

Jennifer also spoke about the latter issue on CNN back in June, telling Anderson Cooper that she believes “my brother was an organizer of, or part-organizer of [the insurrection], and I have no evidence to the contrary to suggest anything different.”

Sure enough, Paul played a major role in Rolling Stone’s explosive report on how several Trump loyalists reportedly played a major role in the lead up to the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. According to sources who are cooperating with the bipartisan committee into the fateful day, he offered organizers a blanket pardon for anything they might do in the attempt to overturn the 2020 election. Gosar, who has spent the 10 months since the incident trying to work up the far-right mob over the shooting death of insurrectionist Ashlii Babbitt, denied it.

In her blistering takedown of Paul Gosar, AOC had a lot to say about him. She called him a “creepy member I work with who fundraises for Neo-Nazi groups” and a “collection of wet toothpicks.” She sad that white supremacy is “for extremely fragile people &sad men like him, whose self concept relies on the myth that he was born superior because deep down he knows he couldn’t open a pickle jar or read a whole book by himself.” But of course, she said, he’ll “ face no consequences bc @GOPLeader cheers him on with excuses.”

But perhaps not this time.

(Via The Hill and The Daily Beast)