In just a few days, the almost six years Adele fans have spent waiting for a new album will come to an end. The singer will drop her fourth album 30 on Friday, which was led by “Easy On Me,” the single that’s spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the singles charts. She’s also shared a performance of the song “To Be Loved” on social media, which she delivers from the comfort of her living room.
Adele spoke about the song during an interview with Oprah for her special One Night Only, revealing that she played the song to her estranged father before he passed away this past spring. “My main goal in life is to be loved in love. And so I wanted to play it to my dad being like, ‘You’re the reason I haven’t done that yet,’” she said. “He was the reason I haven’t fully accessed what it is to be in a loving relationship with somebody.”
As for 30 as a whole, Erroll Garner and Chris Stapleton will make guest appearances on the song “All Night Parking” and a new version of “Easy On Me,” respectively. The album will also include unconventional appearances from Tyler The Creator and Skepta.
You can watch the full six-minute performance in the video above.
30 is out on 11/19 via Columbia Records. Pre-order it here.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are dealing with a rash of injuries and illnesses, including to their starting frontcourt of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. As a result, they started Ed Davis in his first action of the season on Wednesday against the Nets and called up Tacko Fall from the Canton Charge to fill minutes.
Fall, signed on a two-way deal with the Charge, saw some of his first minutes of the season against Brooklyn. He soon found himself right at the rim, being guarded by 6’1″ Nets guard Patty Mills. Fall is 7’6″ and 311 pounds, so he had a massive size advantage over Mills. And all Mills could really do is grab hold and hold on to try and keep Fall from shooting or dunking on him.
Mills had no shot here to actually defend Fall, so he made the right play. It is also a treat to see anyone of Mills’ size try and defend Fall because there’s nothing they can really about it. Fall is just a massive human and any moment like that where his size advantage is so apart just looks absurd.
Also, Fall needs to just go up strong and dunk it when he gets the ball in that spot against a player that much smaller than him. It’s an easy two points if he just up, even if it means taking a smaller player along for a ride.
It’s hard to believe it’s been over a year since Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. It’s hard to believe because he, many of his cronies, and a disarmingly large number of his supporters still think there was skullduggery, despite none of them being able to produce any evidence of same. While the former president still, improbably, has a firm grip on the Republican party, not everyone’s still happy to entertain his voter fraud fantasies. One of them is Rupert Murdoch.
As per The Guardian, the Fox News honcho — whose channel no longer always airs all his tantrums, leaving that to the shady, subpar likes of Newsmax or OANN — delivered an address at the annual News Corp shareholders meeting, which wasn’t remotely as chaotic as the one on the most recent Succession. There, he looked to the future, not to over 12 months in the past, as a large chunk of Republicans continue to do.
“The current American political debate is profound, whether about education or welfare or economic opportunity,” Murdoch told the crowd. “It is crucial that conservatives play an active, forceful role in that debate, but that will not happen if President Trump stays focused on the past. The past is the past, and the country is now in a contest to define the future.”
It’s not exactly a rebuke of Trump, and his network continues to allow at least a modicum of Trump or Trumpy nonsense. The failed blogger and Mar-a-Lago wedding toaster still cuts it up with Sean Hannity, while no doubt he loves when Tucker Carlson downplays the Jan. 6 Capitol siege that ended his presidency in disgrace.
But it’s something, even though it’s nothing new. Murdoch has been a Trump critic since for years, trying to get Fox News to “tilt” to anyone else, “even Hillary,” and reportedly calling him a “f*cking idiot” — the same term bestowed upon the body man Trump basically made a “deputy president” in his sad, doomed final stretch.
But don’t go cheering for old Rupert. Fox News continues to broadcast misinformation about vaccines while requiring them (or a negative COVID test) to enter the premises. And a former Fox News exec tried, and apparently failed, to convince him that his news network has long done “real damage” to America, as we see every day, every hour, every minute.
Months after she blessed us with the deluxe version of After The Rain, Baby Tate is hitting back to new releases. She kicked things off by dropping “Pedi” at the end of last month. Now, she’s back in action with her latest, “Dungarees” — a hard-hitting track whose new video finds her training heavily for an upcoming battle. The song is set to appear on the soundtrack for the upcoming film Bruised, which marks the directorial debut of Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry.
The entire Bruised soundtrack is also notable for a special reason: It marks the first-ever all-female hip-hop soundtrack. In addition to with Baby Tate, there’s Cardi B, City Girls, Saweetie, Latto, HER, Young M.A, Flo Milli, Rapsody, Ambre, Dream Doll, Erica Banks, and more. The soundtrack will be released this Friday, November 19.
Prior to sharing the “Dungarees” video, Baby Tate connected with Princess Nokia for “Boys Are From Mars.” She also laid a fire freestyle over Doja Cat’s “Get Into It (Yuh),” which had fans begging for the rappers to connect for an official remix.
You can press watch the video for “Dungarees” above.
Bruised: Soundtrack From And Inspired By The Netflix Film is out on 11/19 via Warner Records.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Last week, in another awesome display of promotion and marketing, Lil Nas X announced that he would appear on Maury to sort out some relationship drama. As promised, that episode arrived on Wednesday and it’s filled with equal amounts of comedy and drama. The entire story began with Lil Nas’ “That’s What I Want” video, which he released along with his official debut album Montero. In it, he and his love interest, who is played by Yai Ariza (the singer’s real-life ex-boyfriend), quickly fall for each other, but Lil Nas later finds out that Ariza is hiding a wife and child.
That brings us to the Maury episode. “Montero and Yai are football teammates who quickly became lovers. Montero was shocked to discover soon after that Yai was married with a child,” the video’s description reads. “Now, Montero is here to tell Yai’s wife, Ashley, about their secret love affair. Maury will get the answers they need. Will Montero get exactly what he wants?”
Lil Nas previously spoke about his relationship with Ariza during a past interview on SiriusXM. “We were dating, and we are still on very good terms,” he said. “You know, we may date again I’m sure. I love him, he is amazing.”
You can watch the full episode in the video above.
Giving the gift of beer can be really cool. Or it can feel kind of lame. Wrapping up a random six-pack isn’t necessarily that thoughtful — unless it’s a beer from far away that you know the giftee has been looking for. Then, yes, do that. Still, you should always be looking to go a little deeper for a gift for the beer-lover in your life, and with the proliferation of all things beer, it’s never been easier to get a beer-related gift.
When we say “beer-related gift,” we’re talking about everything from beer books to growlers to swag to, yes, actual beer. To that end, we put together a list of ten beer-centric gifts we think make for great gifts as 2021 winds down. Mostly, these are pretty straightforward beer-related gifts with a random, throwback entry in there and a really crazy expensive one (at the end) that you might only buy for a parent or spouse or yourself.
It’s also important to note that a couple of these ideas are based on you looking into local breweries or even beer bars to find something that suits the giftee from your own town/region. For instance, I get a beer subscription service from a local beer bar that puts packs together of Franconian beers only. So when I call out a beer subscription service, think local first. Let’s dive in!
Beer and Veg: Combining Great Craft Beer with Vegetarian and Vegan Food by Mark Dredge
Mark Dredge is one of the most interesting voices working in beer today (he literally wrote the book on lager). His latest cookbook looks at the world of beer through the lens of pairing it with vegetarian and vegan meals. It’s a great follow-up to his previous cookbook, Cooking with Beer, which would also make a great gift.
Bottom Line:
Beer is often associated with big, hefty meat dishes, often with a Germanic or Slavic bent. This book doesn’t throw that away, it just looks beyond the sausage, ham hock, and fried chicken towards the veg, legumes, beans, and greens that also pair amazingly well with a cold glass of stout, pale ale, saison, or lager.
Different styles of beer call for different glasses — sometimes vastly different. While we’re not going to get into the dozens of glasses you could have for beer tasting, we are going to call out this set of four glasses that’ll help someone get started. The German glass set includes one craft IPA glass, one craft stout glass, one craft American wheat beer glass, and one barrel-aged beer glass.
Bottom Line:
The glasses are crystal from RIEDEL, so they’re not dishwasher safe. That does mean, however, that they’re non-reactive and will not carry any old flavors in the glass over from previous pours (as long as they’re washed properly).
Let’s have a little fun. This is stupid, childish, and will probably break after one or two uses. But who cares? It’s fun and should bring a smile to your giftee’s face when they open it and especially when they use it. It’s the perfect gift exchange or white elephant gift — no one is ever gonna buy this, but they won’t protest if you buy it for them!
Bottom Line:
Admit it, you’ve always kind of wanted one of these, haven’t you? And look, a joke gift is fine in the right circumstance. At least with a joke gift like this, someone can actually use it to drink beer… albeit, in the most ridiculous way possible.
YETI has the cooler, tumbler, and colster game on lock. Their beer colsters actually keep your can of beer cold for a seriously long time. You can leave a beer next to the campfire and come back to it an hour later and it’ll still be straight-out-of-the-cooler cold. If there’s a better way to keep beer cold (once it’s out of the fridge/cooler), we don’t know it.
Bottom Line:
YETI has the name recognition that’s known for keeping things seriously cold for a very long time. That makes this a no-brainer for anyone looking to keep their beer cold while they slowly sip.
Growlers are always a good idea, especially if you’re heading out to camp or even throwing a backyard party and want some serious local brew. The uKeg is the way to go, thanks to pressurization and little CO2 or nitro cartridges that take the beer from a regular pour from a big bottle to a legit pour that mimics a taproom tap.
Bottom Line:
This really delivers your beer pouring ability to the next level, especially if you want to be mobile. The insulated body keeps beer cold for hours while the pressurized seal means that the beer will stay fresh for up to 14 days. Those are wins all around.
This is one of the “look local” entries that we mentioned above. Here’s the play, figure out which brewery your giftee really digs, and get them some swag from there. A shirt of their favorite beer is always a good and inexpensive place to start. Beyond that, most brewery merch sections will have special releases of beers, hoodies, beanies, socks, tap handles, glasses, and so much more. You might even find vinyl, neon signs, or barstools.
Bottom Line:
While this is a little more work than just clicking on a “buy here” link, it’s worth it. It shows you’ve paid attention and taken the time to do a little research. Again, think local and go from there.
A Beer Drop membership is a monthly service that’ll send the giftee ten beers from five craft breweries. Each month, Beer Drop receives about 400 beers from 50 microbreweries around the country and put packs together, meaning that there’s always pretty solid variation month by month. While $40 a month might seem steep, that only comes to $4 per beer. Not too bad, all things considered.
Bottom Line:
This is another recommendation that we’d urge you to go local with. Call up some really good beer bars and shops and see if they’re doing this already. If you don’t have time for that level of research, that “buy here” link is right below this sentence.
A bottle basket is a gift for a beer drinker in the know. These baskets are essential for decanting and pouring large-format Belgian beer bottles — think 3 Fonteinen Gueuze or Choufee. When you’re in Belgium this is how these bottles are served, usually tableside. That makes this gift something truly unique, especially if your giftee has a penchant for all things Belgian beer.
Bottom Line:
This is authentic and very specific for Belgian brews but very much a next-level gift. If you know someone who’s into Belgian beer, they’ll be hyped.
Yes, these are flip-flops with a beer opener in the sole. Hear me out, I bought a pair of these without realizing there was a beer opener in the sole. But it ended up being extremely useful since I lived near a beach at the time and was there all the time and needed a bottle opener.
It just … works.
Bottom Line:
It’s always nice being reminded of the beach and summer in the middle of winter. That aside, these are super useful (and decently made) flip-flops that will come in handy far more often than you can anticipate. Great for camping at a surf break.
This is the “go big or go home” gift. A full-on kegerator is a big swing and really meant to be part of a bigger home bar or maybe just something that sits next to a Traeger in a backyard. This kegerator comes with three taps, can hold three small kegs or up to one full-size keg, and has an easily detachable CO2 tank built-in. Plus, it’s already a fridge so it can be used as that when it’s doesn’t have a keg in there.
Bottom Line:
Tapped beer at home is a great gift for any beer lover. This is the real deal and does not come cheap. We also can’t imagine getting someone this gift and not getting them a dope keg of something to get that party started. But if you make that investment, you have a friend for life.
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.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. This week we’ve got only a few notable offerings — get used to it, at this point the sneaker year is essentially over. Sure, there are still a handful of end-of-the-year drops and holiday specials to look forward to but for the most part, it’s safe to start saving your money for all the sneaker drops that are sure to come in 2022.
That isn’t to say this week is without its bangers. We have new releases from Kerwin Frost, a very classy NOAH and Adidas collaboration, as well as a few notable Nike releases, namely the Bordeaux colored Jordan 1. Let’s dive into this week’s best sneaker drops, even though it’s a little thin you might still find your Christmas wish-list sneakers.
Adidas Kerwin Frost Forum Low Benchmate
Adidas
Multi-hyphenate personality Kerwin Frost already has one successful Adidas collaboration under his belt, the radical Superstuffed Superstar, and now he’s returned with two new drops, a high top, and low cut Forum. The high-top version is a little extreme for my tastes (fake teeth and eyeballs on a sneaker? Get out of here with that Kerwin), but I absolutely love the cartoony Benchmate, which combines Frost’s playful personality with one of Adidas’ best silhouettes.
It’s slightly reminiscent of College Drop Out era Kanye with its cartoon cast of characters and colorful palette. The sneaker got an initial drop at this year’s ComplexCon and by the second day a good portion of the audience was already rocking them, so this is a late-year hit and would make a great present for the Frost head in your family.
The Adidas Kerwin Frost Forum Low Benchmate are out now for a retail price of $180. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed.
Adidas
Nike ACG Air Mowabb Limestone/Olive Grey
Nike
Most of Nike’s greatest silhouettes have come from the mind of Tinker Hatfield — the Air Max 1, the Air Jordan 3, the Air Max 90, the Jordan 4 and 5, all designed by Hatfield, but many people forget some of his weirder designs. The Air Huarache has made a recent comeback, and now Nike is digging deep into the Hatfield vaults in an effort to try and make the ACG Air Mowabb a thing again.
Dropping this week in a light-colored Limestone and moodier Olive Grey colorway, the Air Mowabb is back! Featuring an inner bottle with a premium upper, the modern Mowabb has been updated with a stretchier collar and a softer foam midsole, two design changes that I think will help the hiking and trail sneaker find its audience.
The Nike ACG Air Mowabb in Limestone and Olive Grey are set to drop on November 18th. Pick up a pair exclusively via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
Adidas x NOAH Lab Race
Adidas
This week Adidas is once again linking up with New York streetwear brand NOAH for a set of retro-inspired sneakers. The Lab Race features a heavily-paneled silhouette made from Adidas’ new Primegreen material, which is made of 50% recycled content with no virgin polyester used in the construction of the sneaker.
The upper is composed of a mix of mesh and faux suede and drops in your choice of an earthy dark blue, brown, and cloud white colorway, or halo ivory yellow and green.
The Adidas NOAH Lab Race is set to drop on November 18th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed app.
Adidas
Adidas x NOAH Vintage Runner
Adidas
It looks like Adidas and NOAH can’t stop collaborating and with the hit rate they’re operating, we’re not complaining. Taking a cue from ‘80s sneaker style, the Vintage Runner combines ‘80s track style sneakers with a modern mesh and suede upper and Adidas’ Primegreen material.
It’s a little bit of vintage sneaker style mixed with modern touches. This is hands down the week’s best release in our opinion. The Vintage Runner drops in a brown, blue and red colorway, or a green, gold, and white makeup.
The Adidas x NOAH Vintage Runner is set to drop on November 18th for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Adidas Confirmed App.
Adidas
Lazy Oaf x Dr. Martens Collection
Katie Silvester/Lazy Oaf
Dr. Martens, continuing their year-long trend of linking up with the most unexpected collaborators, is dropping a three-sneaker collection in partnership with the playful London-based Lazy Oaf. Lazy Oaf takes on the Sinclair, Bex lace-up, and Bethan Buckled Mary Jane for this collection adding the brand’s happy/sad graphic motif as well as printed laces, bows, and other playful touches to Dr. Marten’s iconic silhouettes.
All three shoes in the collection come with customizable aspects in order to offer the wearer a chance to infuse their personality into each design.
The Dr. Martens Lazy Oaf collection is set to drop on November 18th. Retail prices for the Bex, Bethan, and Sinclair are $140, $160, and $210 respectively. Pick up a pair online at Lazy Oaf or Dr. Martens.
Katie Silvester/Lazy OafKatie Silvester/Lazy Oaf
Patta x Air Max 1 Rush Maroon
Nike
Our favorite Amsterdam sneaker boutique Patta has joined forces once again with Nike for a new wavy redesign of the Air Max 1 in an eye-catching Rush Maroon colorway. Featuring an upper of leather and nylon, the Rush Maroon features a metallic silver base with Pure Platinum overlays and a Rush Maroon mudguard.
Stateside this may just look like another dope collaboration between Nike and Patta, but it has a deeper meaning in Amsterdam. The city’s signature sneaker, according to Patta, is the Air Max 1, so they went the extra mile in commemorating this release. Each pair drops in a collector’s box with a commemorative silver plated charm bracelet.
Special packaging aside, we’re simply hyped because of how dope this color combination looks.
The Patta x Air Max 1 Rush Maroon is set to drop on November 19th for a retail price of $193. Pick up a pair at Patta or on aftermarket sites like GOAT.
NikeNike
Air Jordan 1 Bordeaux
GOAT
Looking for a dope holiday gift? Who in your life wouldn’t be thrilled to score a pair of these Bordeaux Air Jordan 1s this holiday season? This sneaker is a straight-up work of art. The Bordeaux features the always distinct AJ-1 silhouette with wine-colored leather overlays over a white leather upper with a metallic swoosh and wing logo at the collar.
Rounding out the design is a padded nylon tongue with a woven tag and a two-tone AJ1 capsule for extra cushioning and support under the heel.
The Jordan 1 Bordeaux is set to drop on November 20th for a retail price of $170. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or at aftermarket sites like GOAT or Flight Club.
On Wednesday, over 10 months after the incident that made him famous, Jacob Chansley, aka Jake Angeli, aka the QAnon Shaman was finally sentenced for his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol siege. Chansley had requested that the time he’d already served since being rounded up by the feds be at least partially counted as his sentence (while quoting Forrest Gump). Instead, he received 41 months, or three years and five months, in prison. Chansley’s lawyer, Albert Watkins, was disappointed with the ruling. But he wasn’t, and has never been, entirely sympathetic with what his client did.
Back in May, Watkins — who has tried to argue that Donald Trump “groomed” his followers to become rabid conspiracy theorists who believed in voter fraud nonsense — did not mince words about Watkins and others who tried to overturn the 2020 election.
“A lot of these defendants — and I’m going to use this colloquial term, perhaps disrespectfully — but they’re all f*cking short-bus people,” Watkins told Talking Points Memo. “These are people with brain damage, they’re fucking ret*rded, they’re on the goddamn spectrum.” Still, he mainted that they weren’t “bad people.”
Jump about half a year later, and Chansley is headed for the slammer. During the sentencing, Watkins tried to argue, as per NBC News, that his client was neither a planner nor an organizer, though he agreed with the judge that he “made himself the image of the riot.”
Outside of the court, though, Watkins was a bit more forthright and colorful. Asked about his opinion on Jan. 6, he told reporters that he’d like to have a beer with Trump, admitting that Trump does not drink, though he’d “have a beer.” And then he’d give him a piece of his mind. “I’d tell him, ‘You know what, you got a few f*ckin’ things to do, including clearing this fuckin’ mess up, and taking care of a lot of the jackasses that you f*cked up because of January 6th.”
The attorney for Jacob Chansley, a.k.a. the ‘QAnon Shaman,’ says Trump needs to take care of the ‘jackasses that [he] f*cked up because of January 6’ pic.twitter.com/zMtfC3e974
Watkins did admit that there were some things “that I agree with him on,” though he didn’t specify what. He also claimed that his opinion “doesn’t mean s*it.”
Overpriced bourbons exist, there’s no denying that. But overpriced bourbons aren’t necessarily over-crowding your local liquor store shelves, either. You can still easily find great bottles of bourbon between $20 and $60 without much effort at any store. Most “overpriced” bottles either have massive MSRPs (sometimes in the thousands) or a secondary market price tag that can feel absurd.
Before we go on, let’s make something clear. Just because something has a huge MSRP or secondary markup doesn’t mean we think it’s a bad product. It’s more that it’s a shame to see it cost so much money. There are a lot of stellar bourbons out there that the average bourbon drinker is never going to get to drink since they’re priced out from the jump. And many spendy bourbons are coming from sources that other, cheaper bourbons also come from. Sometimes those sources put out very similar products under different labels. That’s where the average bourbon consumer can really win.
The ten bottles below are grouped into “overpriced bottles” and “affordable alternative” bottles. We generally kept everything in the family when calling out bottles that cost obscene amounts of money and the bourbons we think you should buy instead. We also tried to match the source, ABV, or even the age (where possible) of the juice so that you’re getting something very similar for a different price.
This brand’s releases are notorious for being very limited and very pricey. This limited release from last year was a 2,000 bottle offer from the Stoli-owned brand. Dixon Dedman, their former Master Blender, reportedly spent years perfecting this blend from mostly 12-year-old sourced barrels with some 17-year-olds in the mix. Since the source of these barrels is “secret,” not much else is known about the whiskey.
Tasting Note:
The nose on this one runs pretty deep with an apple crumble vibe with plenty of rich and sharp cinnamon next to hefty caramel, a slight hint of banana bread with walnuts, and a hint of fresh but very faint white rose. The palate un-bakes the apple and brings in a tartness that’s covered up by a salted caramel while orange oils drip through a pile of white cotton candy with specks of dark and bitter chocolate creating a counterpoint and mid-palate shift. The finish embraces the mellow sweetness of a Graham cracker while the orange bitterness marries that chocolate on a final slow fade towards a dry and apple-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
Yeah. This is a great pour. It’s also one of Dedman’s last Kentucky Owl releases, which adds a patina to the bottle. But if you’re not a collector, what are you doing with this bottle?
The Barton 1792 Distillery is renowned (by insiders) as the source for a lot of great bourbons that have big price tags. This release is their own brand and blend that highlights the power of that juice. The whiskey is a “high-rye” mash bill (though suspected to only between 15 and 25 percent) that spends 12 long years mellowing at the Barton rickhouses before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Note:
The nose is fruity and full of caramel. As you nose further, that fruit breaks off into caramel apples straight from the fairground and an almost savory pumpkin or squash that’s been baked with some winter spices, walnuts, and butter. Interestingly, the sweetness dissipates on the palate as the apple gets woody and tart and the spice really amps up towards sharp cinnamon, white pepper, and maybe a touch of clove. A dry cedar vibe arrives late as a leathery pouch full of dry apple tobacco leaves you almost chewing the backend of this whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This is not the same thing. No one is saying that. But it’s also not a million miles away either. Where the Kentucky Owl is far sweeter, this is drier. Still, the ABVs are close, the age is close, and it’s possible the stills weren’t too far away from each other.
Plus, you can buy a case of this and still be $400 shy of the MSRP of the Owl.
This very premium release from Woodford is all about style and looks. The juice in the bottle is a standard Woodford bourbon (72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley with no age statement) that’s finished in XO Cognac casks for three years.
The real star of the show is the handmade crystal decanter that reportedly takes five whole days to make in Baccarat, France.
Tasting Note:
This opens with a bushel of spicy stewed dark stonefruits in holiday spices — think plums, figs, dates, and cherry — with a hint of shavings from a 100 percent dark chocolate bar, a touch of old leather jacket from the last century, and old cellar beams from a brie cave somewhere deep below the ground. The stewed berries really amp up and grow bright on the taste as dried figs and leather balance the sweetness and the old wood drives the mid-palate back towards syrupy cherry. The end lets a dusting of white pepper sneak in before the leather, wood, and dark berries fade away.
Bottom Line:
You’re 100 percent paying for a fancy crystal decanter here. Read on to see why.
This was the eleventh release in Woodford’s famed Master’s Collection. The whiskey in the bottle is a standard Woodford bourbon (72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley with no age statement) that was finished in brandy casks for two years. Those barrels were then vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Spice stewed berries and stonefruit lead the way on the nose with dark cherries and plums at the core of the smell and maybe a hint of tart berry sneaking in as plenty of woody spice mingles with dark cacao and old oak staves. The palate really leans into the berries and spice as the silky texture almost dries out towards a raisin with leathery skin, a touch of cobweb, and hints of old wood. The finish dries out considerably with a hint of pepper as the cherry layers into a very dry tobacco leaf as the sip disappears from your senses.
Bottom Line:
Same ABV, one year less in a brandy barrel (Cognac is just a regional brandy, folks), and no Bacarrat decanter — over $2,000 saved. I’ve had these side-by-side and they’re close. Very close. Unless you’re a collector of Bacarrat crystal, do yourself a favor and track this release down instead, especially if these tasting notes entice you.
Every year, Old Forester releases their most anticipated whiskey, Birthday Bourbon. This year’s release was a 12-year-old blend created from 119 barrels of the good stuff.
Tasting Note:
Berries really drive this nose with raspberries in cream next to blackberry compote, Luxardo cherries, and a touch of cranberry bread with walnuts, plenty of spice, and a moist, buttery, vanilla-laden cake vibe. The palate holds onto the syrupy cherry notes but veers more towards vanilla cream with woody spices, buttery toffee, marzipan, and a touch of green pepper pretty far in the background. The mid-palate has an old cigar box feel to it that dries everything out from the cherry to the vanilla, creating a sort of thin pecan cookie vibe with dry spice, tobacco, and berries in the mix.
Bottom Line:
The berries really drove the taste this year. It wasn’t bad by any stretch but it wasn’t amazing either. That makes the thousands you’ll likely have to pay for this bottle a little harder to swallow this year.
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE: Old Forester 1897 Bottled-In-Bond
This whiskey from Old Forester celebrates the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. The juice in the bottle is standard Old Forester bourbon (72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley with no age statement). The bourbon was blended from the best bottles in their bonded warehouse, proofed down to 100 proof with that soft Kentucky limestone water, and bottled.
Tasting Note:
Bright fruit draws you in with a light berry edge next to stone fruits and orchard fruits with mild touches of cinnamon-spiced caramel candy, a touch of cedar, and mild notes of wet florals. The palate turns the berries into a spiced pie filling as vanilla and caramel battle it out in a sweet vs. spice tug of war on your tongue. The finish arrives fairly quickly with dark berry pie filling, spice, and caramel leading towards a final note of dry wicker reeds.
Bottom Line:
This feels very “Old Forester” with those dark berry notes next to spice and wood. It’s a really solid bourbon all around and one that you can buy pretty damn easily.
Bib & Tucker’s barrel picks are always worth chasing down. The juice is a Tennessee bourbon (some say that means it must be Dickel) that’s aged for 12 long years in very lightly charred oak. The whiskey then goes into the bottle after being proofed down (ever so slightly) to 99 proof.
Tasting Note:
Expect a fairly classic bourbon nose of creamy vanilla, salted caramel apples, and a hint of soft cedar. The palate touches on dark orange oils next to bright red cherry with a vanilla pudding base and a subtle dose of dark spice leading towards salted and almost chalky dark chocolate. The end is quite quick and leaves you with more dark chocolate, orange, and a drop more of salted caramel.
Bottom Line:
While this isn’t overpriced in the sense that the bourbon hype machine has taken it into the stratosphere, it feels mis-priced. This is a 12-year-old sourced Tennessee whiskey that’s put together at Bib & Tucker. We fully appreciate the power of a good blender. But this just feels more like a great $50 to $80 whiskey and not a $150 one. This leads us to…
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE: George Dickel Bottled in Bond, Fall 2008
Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This year’s release is a whiskey that was warehoused in the fall of 2008. 13 years later, this juice was bottled at 100 proof (as per the law) and sent out to the wide world where it received much adoration.
Tasting Note:
The nose on this one is mildly sweet with almost earthy maple syrup next to pecans from a pie with a touch of dried apple and old leather. The taste runs deep with vanilla leading the way next to a touch of apple and pecan crumble. The mid-palate takes a turn away from all of that and dives into a candied cherry that’s dusted with dark chocolate and a ground-up fruit Neco Wafer or Flintstone’s multivitamin (that’s also cherry-flavored) before the finish gets this browned butter vibe with a touch of soft, sweet oak.
Bottom Line:
Similar proof. Similar age. Frankly, a better build in the bottle. One-third the price. If you’re looking for a Tennessee whiskey, need we say more?
This is an interesting wheated bourbon. The “Lot B” moniker on the label denotes that these barrels hit their mark at 12 years and weren’t going to hit the right taste marks for the 15, 20, and 23-year-old expressions. So instead of aging further, their cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water to bring them down to a manageable 90.4 proof and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s an orchard fruit sweetness on the nose not unlike a spiced apple pie filling, laden with brown sugar, light leather, a touch of cedar, and hints at corn. The palate builds on that by adding in walnuts, dried fruits, and a drizzle of salted caramel by way of vanilla pudding with a nice, almost eggnog edge. The end is medium-length with a hint of oak next to the sharp spices, more orchard fruit, and sweet vanilla that ties into a light and fresh tobacco in a cedar box.
Bottom Line:
Never forget the low MSRPs on bottles of Pappy. It’s absurd these have reached these heights. It’s great for the brand, sure. But it’s a shame so few people actually get to try this truly excellent wheated bourbon anymore. Just ten to 15 years ago, it really wasn’t a big deal to open one of these and enjoy it. Now, that’s a very distant memory. That’s a shame.
AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE: Weller Special Reserve Bourbon
This is Weller’s entry-level expression. The whiskey is hewn from Buffalo Trace’s lauded wheated mash bill. The barrels are hand-picked for their flavor notes. Then the juice is bottled at a very approachable 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice sense of a slightly salted caramel over a soft-yet-tart apple with a hint of kettle corn lurking on the backend. The taste starts with soft floral honey that peaks with a rich butterscotch candy still in its wrapper before falling away towards a cedar box full of vanilla tobacco leaves. The end of this one is silky with that floral honey circling back around and leaving you with a sweet sensation.
Bottom Line:
Weller was billed as the “poor man’s Pappy,” and that is barely still true. Every other Weller expression is inflated massively beyond its MSRP these days. Somehow, Special Reserve remains the one bottle you can still (sort of) get without overpaying too much. Look, we’re not saying this is the same thing. But it’s not that far away either (same stills, mash bill, warehouses, etc.). And at least you can find this bottle.
A library is a place where everyone is welcome. It’s a safe haven where strangers can peacefully come together, challenge their perspectives and leave having learned something new.
Twenty-one years ago, nonviolence activist and journalist Ronni Abergel decided to expand on this idea when he first created the Human Library. The nonprofit organization was designed to challenge prejudice and stereotypes by encouraging a more empathetic type of literacy.
Skip to Chapter 2021, and the Human Library is now is more than just a concept. It’s a movement for change.
“I had a theory that it could work because the library is one of the few places in our community where everyone is welcome, whether you’re rich or poor, homeless or living in a castle, professor or illiterate,” Abergel told CNN in a recent interview. “It’s truly the most inclusive institution in our time.”
The concept was simple: there would still be readers and books. Only at this library, the “books” would be often stigmatized or socially unconventional people. And the “readers” would come in with specific questions, ready to listen intently to the story each “book” holds.
Sticking to library language, they even have “books of the month.” The last winner was a Holocaust survivor who now spends her time traveling between the Netherlands and California.
The book titles are decidedly generic. “Transgender,” “Disabled” or “Homeless.” Normally this type of labeling is problematic, identifying one small aspect of a person’s experience as their defining characteristic. But this is exactly what helps start a meaningful conversation and bring awareness to certain automatic judgments we all have.
With only 30 minutes allotted, conversations get very personal very fast. Conservative Christians discuss faith with Muslims. Black activists meet with Trump supporters. Anti-vaxxers talk with pro-vaxxers. Through intimate, honest and heartfelt conversation, both readers and books gain closeness, understanding that at the end of the day, beyond conflicting societal structures and different walks of life, they are each looking at a human being sitting across from them.
Katy Jon Went, one of the Human Library’s coordinators in the United Kingdom, offers insight on how the Human Library helps us evolve past our own human nature:
“At the end of the day, the rest of the world sees us as something else before it sees us as humans. So even if we see ourselves as human, the world sees us first as trans, black or disabled. But if the world sees me first as those things, it is probably also how I see others. It is about recognizing the other aspects of being human: we are imperfect, we make mistakes, we do make judgements and we have unconscious biases.”
In challenging perspectives through peaceful discourse, we are able to connect beyond our previous limitations. That is what makes the Human Library so powerful. And the effects are more than psychosomatic. A recent study in April indicated that the reading sessions provided a positive impact on both reader and book in a lasting way, as participants were able to vividly recall their experience months after the initial session.
We don’t need a study to know that when we are emotionally affected by something—or someone—it sticks with us. When we are moved, we are changed.
Since its inception, the Human Library has done nothing but expand. There are now several locations that have popped up across the United States. When COVID-19 hit, reading sessions were available worldwide via Zoom. Corporations such as Microsoft have incorporated the Human Library into their diversity training. A new app is currently being developed where readers can search a desired book topic on their smartphone.
Interested in becoming a book? The Human Library is always looking to add to its collection. You can find out more about getting “published” at the organization’s website.
In a time where hate and prejudice continue to divide us, perhaps radical change comes through the simple act of just listening.
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