Month: December 2021

Rudy Giuliani cannot catch a break—and he has only himself, Donald Trump, and The Big Lie to blame. In a year that has seen the former New York City Mayor hold a press conference next to a dildo shop, prattle on endlessly while oily goo leaked from his head, be sued for $1.3 billion by the company that makes voting machines, and reportedly hurtle toward bankruptcy, Rudy himself seems more concerned about why Fox News has banned him from appearing on the network. But all that could change if and when the House’s January 6th Committee comes for the one-time TIME Person of the Year.

According to Vanity Fair, Rudy may very well be one of the next people on their subpoena list. According to VF staff writer Charlotte Klein, the subject in question is a phone call Trump made to the Willard Hotel, where Rudy and Trump’s other lawyers and strategists like Steve Bannon had set up a kind of war room in order to help the then-president save the job the American people had voted him out of. As Klein writes:

In that call, first revealed last month, Trump reportedly relayed that his number two, Mike Pence, was not inclined to insert himself into the certification process on Trump’s behalf and pressed his advisers for other ways to stop Joe Biden’s certification. That conversation was among several strategy discussions Trump is said to have had with his Willard-based aides the night before the insurrection.

Bannon and Eastman, of course, have already been subpoenaed, and Trump has been attempting to use “executive privilege” as an excuse for not allowing the committee access to White House records from those days. Given the fact that the former president has refused to pay the legal fees he owes to Rudy, or attempt to help his former lawyer/BFF in his time of need, who knows what Giuliani—ever the loose cannon—might have to say (intentionally or otherwise).

But the House subcommittee isn’t the only group wanting a piece of Rudy. As The Grio reports via Yahoo! News, two Georgia poll workers who were essentially accused of working to overturn a presidential election by Giuliani are now also suing him for spreading such damning lies about them. Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss, filed a lawsuit at the U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. last week against Giuliani and OAN, who they accuse of “working together” to spread what they knowingly knew were lies about them and their fellow poll workers.

“As part of that campaign, OAN repeatedly turned to Giuliani, a member of former President Trump’s campaign team, and one of the central orchestrators of the conspiracy theory that the 2020 election was rigged,” the complaint reads.

According to Yahoo!, the complaint—which is more than 80 pages long—specifically cites manipulated security footage of Freeman, Moss, and others counting ballots following the 2020 presidential election. Team Trump published an edited version of the video on December 3, 2020 and claimed it showed Freeman and Moss “rigging” votes.

If Giuliani attempts to ignore the subpoena, perhaps the committee could get him to film a Cameo video about his illicit behind-the-scenes dealings.

(Via Vanity Fair)

I didn’t think it was possible, but 2021 absolutely crushed 2020 in terms of sneaker drops. Last year gave us future classics like the Travis Scott Cactus Jack Dunks, the Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Dunkies, those fuzzy psychedelic Grateful Dead SB Dunks… okay, maybe more SB Dunks than anyone needs in a single year, but it also introduced us to the Foam RNNR (for better or worse), the Salehe Bembury New Balance 2002Rs, Union Jordan 4s, and a handful of dope Off-White drops. Serious gems for 12 straight months in the midst of a pandemic when no one was leaving home much.

And yet, somehow, this year was better. Substantially better.

We’re two years into this decade and we’re having an unprecedented run of amazing sneaker releases despite all the production difficulties caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Who knows what didn’t come out this year that was supposed to. So we say bring on 2022! But first, let’s celebrate this year in sneakers by collecting all of our favorite sneaker drops of the year. These sneakers were the best of the best, the pairs that captured our imaginations, dropped our jaws, and gave us all those SNKRS app Ls that left us way more heartbroken over a pair of shoes than any human should ever be. This isn’t a ranking, it’s simply a celebration of 2021’s footwear. But rest assured, any one of these is great enough to be your favorite of the year.

Here are the all-time best sneaker drops of 2021.

AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High Cosmic Fuchsia, February 2021

It’s easy to forget this sneaker dropped this year because it was released back in the early days of 2021, but the Cosmic Fuchsia high-top Dunk is seriously dope. Designed by AMBUSH founder Yoon Ann, this Dunk featured a bold monochrome colorway with a reimagined silhouette that adds depth via enhanced paneling and a floating swoosh that resembles motorbike pipes.

Find the AMBUSH x Nike Dunk High Cosmix Fuchsia at your favorite aftermarket site.

CLOT x Nike Air Max 1 Kiss Of Death, March 2021

Sure, it’s a refresh of a fifteen-year-old sneaker, but what sneakerhead this year didn’t attempt to pick these kicks up when they dropped in a raffle at the retailer JUICE? The Kiss of Death featured a translucent toe box with a beige suede upper, a crimson snake-skin Swoosh and matching accents, and a glow-in-the-dark heel panel atop a bright orange midsole.

Who doesn’t love a sneaker that allows you to flex your sock game in new and interesting ways?

Find the CLOT x Nike Air Max 1 Kiss of Death at your favorite aftermarket site.

Yeezy 450 Cloud White, March 2021

Kanye can be incredibly polarizing, but if you love sneakers you have to admit, he’s one of the few interesting footwear designers operating right now. Case in point — the 450 Cloud White. It straight up doesn’t look like any other shoe on the market. Designed in partnership with the father of the Instapump Fury, Steven Smith, the 450 Cloud White dares to push against the idea of what a modern sneaker should look like, and it does it pretty damn successfully.

Does it look more like something an alien would wear than a human? Absolutely, but who cares? Sneakers should be fun and the 450 is that if nothing else.

Find the Yeezy 450 Cloud White at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Max 90 Love Letter, March 2021

The Air Max 90 enjoys legendary sneaker status. It’s like a Jordan 1, you don’t have to do a lot to it to make it dope, just drop it in an amazing colorway and let the shape do the rest. One of the sneaker’s best colorways this year was this women’s size exclusive Air Max 90 that combined pastel pink with crimson red and white over a leather upper.

Designed in anticipation of Valentine’s Day (and subsequently delayed until March), this sneaker captured a bit of what made 2020’s Strangelove Dunks so special but put it on an arguably cooler silhouette.

Find the Air Max 90 Valentine’s Day at your favorite aftermarket site.

Skepta Nike Air Max Tailwind V, April 2021

Designed in partnership with British grime MC Skepta, this alien-esque take on the Tailwind is the only sneaker released this year that manages to reflect the dark and dire times we’re living in. There is something about the Tailwind V that looks sterile, stale, isolated, cold, and uninviting.

It’s moody and shimmers with iridescent accents, giving it an illuminated vibe that looks like something you’d find in a dark alleyway. It manages to send chills down my spine, that’s a sign of great design.

Find the Skepta Nike Air Max Tailwind V at your favorite aftermarket site.

Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Low Easter Egg, April 2021

This year saw superstar reggaeton singer and rapper Bad Bunny throwing his hat into the world of sneakers via a partnership with Adidas. To date, Bad Bunny has been solely focused on a single silhouette, the Adidas Forum Low, the best of which was this pastel pink iteration that dropped in celebration of Easter.

Featuring an upper of mixed suede and leather, with a strap-secured lacing system, the Bad Bunny Easter Egg sports Bad Bunny branded graphics and a thick double-layered cushioned tongue. It doesn’t look like what you’d expect from a reggaeton-inspired sneaker, which is kind of Bad Bunny’s whole thing in the first place, so we dig how this is reflective of his artistry.

Find the Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Low Easter Egg at your favorite aftermarket site.

A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 Raised By Women, April 2021

This Air Jordan 3 made in collaboration with Atlanta-based luxury streetwear brand A Ma Maniére inspired a lot of internet chatter leading up to its release date and it still stands as one of 2021’s finest pieces of footwear.

The sneaker attempted to pay tribute to the power of women, A Ma Maniere wrote during the sneaker’s launch, “As we look to the future of our communities, our country, and the world, from the White House to any house, we are all raised by women.” The three dropped in a full-size unisex run with a matching apparel collection bathed in the same off-white, white, and grey tones of the sneaker.

A Ma Maniere would follow up this ultra hyped drop with an Air Jordan 1 in the same colorway and you best believe we included that one on this list too!

Find the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 3 Raised By Women at your favorite aftermarket site.

Aleali May Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT Califia, April 2021

April was one hell of a month for sneakers and has clearly dominated our yearly roundup. Closing out the month is another strong drop, the Aleali May Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT Califia. Inspired by May’s high school drill team, the Califia features a mix of true blue and green with cream chenille detailing at the wing logo over an off-white midsole and a slightly shimmery swoosh.

The sneaker presents itself as a modern reinterpretation of a classic Nike University color combination, and we love it for that.

Find the Aleali May Air Jordan 1 High Zoom CMFT Califia at your favorite aftermarket site.

UNDEFEATED Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Hall Of Fame,” May 2021

With Kobe Bryant’s Nike contract expired we’re not completely sure the next time we’ll ever get another Kobe 5 Protro release, so we may be looking at one of the last! The “Hall of Fame” reads like a tribute to Bryant and features The Laker’s gold and purple color scheme with metallic detailing, a gradient swoosh, and faux-snakeskin paneling meant to evoke that Mamba Mentality.

Find the UNDEFEATED Nike Kobe 5 Protro Hall Of Fame at your favorite aftermarket site.

Puma x Rhuigi Suede, June 2021

In 2021, you’re not going to find a single Puma on any year-end sneaker lists, except ours! We’re not afraid to give Puma some love, even if they miss the mark more often than they hit. One of the brand’s best drops this year was this special suede sneaker they made in collaboration with Rhude’s Rhuigi Villaseñor. Featuring distressed detailing, an animal print heel, and classy brown accents over an off-white base, the Rhuigi exudes class and luxury, echoing the aesthetic of Rhuigi’s Rhude brand.

Find the Puma x Rhuigi Suede on sale (ouch) at Foot Locker.

Salehe Bembury x New Balance 2002R Water Be The Guide, June

New Balance’s 2002R silhouette is having a bit of a moment this season, and one of the greatest iterations of the sneaker to drop this year comes straight from Salehe Bembury, who has a particular talent for putting together super fresh New Balances.

Inspired by the life force of water, the 2002R Water Be The Guide sports a fuzzy suede upper with an open-hole mesh base, leather detailing, and a shearling New Balance “N” logo at the midfoot.

Find the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 2002R Water Be The Guide at your favorite aftermarket site.

Auralee x New Balance 550, July 2021

Made in collaboration with Japanese streetwear brand Auralee, this take on the New Balance 550 exudes class. By draping the sneaker in a simple aged Ecru grain leather upper, this New Balance 550 keeps your eye focused on the sneaker’s simple shape and lets the silhouette do all the heavy lifting. It makes you appreciate just how talented New Balance is at crafting simple performance-focused sneakers that look as great as they are comfortable.

It has a vintage vibe to it that we don’t doubt looks more beautiful with age.

Find the Auralee x New Balance 550 at your favorite aftermarket site.

Fragment Design x Travis Scott Air Jordan 1, July 2021

This is without a doubt the biggest sneaker to drop this year with Travis Scott’s name attached to it. It’s easy to see why this was such a success, the sneaker is a crowd pleaser through and through. First of all, it’s an Air Jordan 1 so people are already going to love it, couple that with Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack branding and a design courtesy of famed Fragment Design label head, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and you’ve got a certified hit on your hand.

The combination of Sail, Black Military, and Blue Shy on the upper is enough to make us forgive the stupid backward swoosh gimmick. A month later the sneaker dropped in an equally great low-top version. We prefer the high.

Find the Fragment Design x Travis Scott Air Jordan 1 at your favorite aftermarket site. Be warned though, this one is massively expensive.

Off-White Nike Dunk Low 1 of 50, August 2021

This year, the late Virgil Abloh dropped one of his most ambitious sneaker projects ever, a fifty sneaker collection of low-top Nike Dunks. It was admittedly hard to pick just one of the fifty to represent this achievement in sneaker design, but we’re going to have to go with the pack’s first drop.

The debut pair features a crisp white upper with an exposed foam tongue, Abloh’s trademark Helvetica branding, a metallic silver swoosh, and a yellowed midsole with Flywire laces that zig-zag across the design. It’s not easy to reimagine a classic, Abloh did it fifty times.

Find the Off-White Nike Dunk Low 1 of 50 at your favorite aftermarket site.

Social Status x Nike Dunk Free Lunch Strawberry Milk, October 2021

We would’ve liked this list to include both colorways from the Social Status’ Free Lunch Nike collection, but considering the sneakers are so similar and we’re trying to keep this list a tight 20, we had to pick one, so we’re going with the Strawberry Milk.

This Dunk features milky shades of pink and white, a chunky swoosh, and an upper composed of velvet and leather. It has a collector’s item quality to it but that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t stop at wearing the f*ck out of these until they fall apart.

Find the Social Status x Nike Dunk Free Lunch Strawberry Milk at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Max 1 x Patta Aqua Noise, November 2021

As we hit the winter months, the sneaker drops started to slow down considerably but a few releases managed to catch our eye as the perfect cap for a near-perfect year of sneaker releases. This iteration of the Air Max 1 made in collaboration with Amsterdam-based skatewear brand Patta is one such release.

Featuring a mix of grey and aqua tones, the Aqua Noise sported a mini swoosh, a wavy-mudguard, dual-branding at the tongue and heel, and an off-white midsole. It’s clean and slightly understated, one of the year’s top five sneakers for sure in spite of its simplicity.

Find the Air Max 1 x Patta Aqua Noise at your favorite aftermarket site.

COMME des GARÇONS Homme Plus x Nike Air Foamposite One, November 2021

I have a love-hate relationship with this shoe. On one hand, I love that it looks like something that belongs in a glass case at a contemporary art museum, and then on the other hand… I hate that. It attempts to push the expectations of sneaker design, which I can always appreciate, but I’m not sure I’m totally sold on the result.

The upper features zen garden-esque swirls dressed in either an all-black or all-white colorway. It’s a statement sneaker if there ever was one. What does it say about you if you own it? You’re a pretentious asshole. Just kidding, of course, it’s a dope design worth appreciating even if we’re not entirely convinced it works.

Find the COMME des GARÇONS Homme Plus x Nike Air Foamposite One at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Jordan 2 Low x Off-White White and Varsity Red

This Off-White Air Jordan 2 has the unfortunate baggage of being Virgil Abloh’s final design released while the late great designer was still alive. The fashion world is still reeling from the loss, but the sneaker stands as a powerful final statement from one of footwear’s GOATs.

The design served as a tribute to the legacy of the Air Jordan 2 and featured an artificially aged design that attempted to capture what a vintage pair might look like had it been locked away in a time capsule. The pair sits atop a cracked midsole and was revered-engineered from an original pair MJ actually wore.

As a final detail, Jordan’s signature was printed on each pair, a reference to his tendency to sign a pair of shoes and give them away to kids after games.

Find the Off-White Air Jordan 2 at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Jordan 1 x A Ma Maniére Sail and Burgundy, November 2021

When A Ma Maniére dropped the Air Jordan 1 Sail and Burgundy, it felt like a victory lap. High off the success of the A Ma Maniére Jordan 3, the Sail and Burgundy offers everything the previous release offered, just on a Jordan 1 instead of a Jordan 3.

The sneaker features a textured suede upper with snakeskin detailing on the collar and swoosh, and a soft quilted sock liner in a beautiful off-white and brown colorway. In any other year, this would be the best sneaker release, but it had to compete with the A Ma Maniére Jordan 3, which came first. As such, this feels a bit like retreading old ground, as beautiful as it is.

Find the Air Jordan 1 x A Ma Maniére Sail and Burgundy at your favorite aftermarket site.

Air Jordan 11 Cool Grey, December 2021

This feels like an anti-climactic way to end a list of the best sneakers of 2021, but what can we say? This sneaker is simply beautiful. That’s to say, it’s simple and beautiful. Featuring a monochromatic leather upper dressed in tones of grey, the uninspiredly named Cool Grey features a crisp white midsole over an icy outsole and is one of the sneakers OG colorways.

It’s not mind-blowing, but it’s a celebration of one of the greatest Jordan silhouettes of all time on the year of the design’s 20th anniversary. For some Jordan 11 fans, this colorway is the holy grail.

Find the Air Jordan 11 Cool Grey at your favorite aftermarket site.

Travis Scott, who was removed from a number of festivals’ lineups in the wake of the disaster at his own Astroworld Festival in November, may soon be returning to at least one fest’s big stage in 2022. At least, that’s what fans think after the Rolling Loud Twitter account teased the early-bird presale for the traveling festivals’ upcoming Miami event in 2022. “This early bird presale is for the ragers that trust the process,” read the tweet, purposefully adding the nickname Travis uses for his most enthusiastic fans.

It didn’t take long for those fans to read between the line and begin expressing hopes for Travis’ return to the stage since first being dropped from the Day N Vegas lineup and eventually receiving pink slips to such fests as Coachella, as well as business partnerships with Anheuser-Busch and Dior. Travis has received criticism for his role in the Astroworld disaster and his responses to it after he hired a lawyer with past Trump connections as his defense in the upcoming combined lawsuit against him from over 3,000 plaintiffs.

It wouldn’t be the first time Rolling Loud offered a troubled artist a path to redemption — or at least, revenue, given the unapologetic stances of the previously “canceled” rappers who performed on the festival’s stage. Rolling Loud’s organizers were close friends with the problematic XXXTentacion, who performed there while under investigation for accusations of horrifying abuse, and more recently, Rolling Loud backed DaBaby’s upcoming tour after his homophobic comments onstage got him censured by GLAAD, Elton John, and Dua Lipa — statements that ironically occurred during his Rolling Loud Miami performance earlier this year.

If Travis does perform, it seems there are still plenty of fans who would be delighted, even as at least 10 of his fans’ families mourn their unfortunate deaths at Astroworld. See some of the responses below.

Despite catching COVID earlier in the year, Joe Rogan has continued to refuse to get vaccinated, and now, it’s costing him sold-out comedy shows. On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the podcaster revealed that one of his shows in Canada has been canceled because of his unvaccinated status. The 4/20 event had been sold out, but because Rogan refuses to comply with vaccinate requirements or have the venue’s audience be cut in half to meet COVID restrictions, he pulled the plug.

“I don’t even think I can get into the country,” Rogan said. “I don’t think I can go and even if I do go, I don’t trust that Vancouver is not going to follow suit with what Toronto did — where they cut capacity to 50%.”

Never one to skirt controversy, Rogan then touted his natural immunity, which is a debatable protection from COVID particularly as the new Omicron variant becomes the dominant strain. Via Mediaite:

“I’m not vaccinated. I’m not gonna get vaccinated. I have antibodies. It doesn’t make any sense,” he added. Rogan, who has had Covid-19, has been a prominent skeptic of the Covid-19 vaccinations and has endorsed alternative treatments.

However, none of this should be a surprise to the comedian. Back in August, he was already complaining about COVID restrictions affecting his comedy shows, and he was adamant about not forcing his fans to get vaccinated just to see him perform.

“If someone has an ideological or physiological reason for not getting vaccinated, I don’t want to force them to get vaccinated to see a f***ing stupid comedy show,” Rogen said at the time.

(Via Mediaite)

Seemingly every couple of months, Twitter lights up with (very important) conversations about how little artists actually get paid every time their song gets streamed. It varies between streaming services, but according to the RIAA’s 2020 report, Spotify averages $.00437 per stream while Apple Music averages about $.00783. However, the company that pays artists the most per stream is pretty surprising, seeing how it’s oftentimes credited for nearly killing the music industry: Napster.

Thanks to a recent tweet by T-Pain, fans were shocked to learn that Napster still actually exists seeing as the company filed for bankruptcy in 2002 after losing a wave of copyright infringement lawsuits. T-Pain shared a screenshot of a dubious chart originally posted to Reddit which claims how many times a song has to be streamed on a given platform in order for the musician to make $1. T-Pain’s chart shows an artist’s song on Napster has to be streamed 53 times in order to make $1, which is actually accurate per the RIAA’s 2020 report, compared to 315 streams on Spotify (although RIAA’s numbers show it’s more like 229 times).

While it’s fairly well-known that Spotify is one of the biggest streaming platforms with one of the worst artist payouts, fans on Twitter were even more surprised that Napster is still around. T-Pain’s tweet instantly made Napster trend on Twitter, with many people reacting to the news that Napster essentially went from “villain” to the “hero” of streaming.

Others were simply reminiscing on the times they stayed up all night downloading a few songs on Napster.

In 2021, we did our best to cover the newest and best bottles of whisk(e)y as they dropped throughout the year. Considering that the world of whiskey is international and oh so vast, we found the task to be… pretty much impossible. There are just so many expressions produced that even when we release our 50 or 100 favorite whiskeys of the year, a few choice bottles of the good stuff are sure to slip through the cracks. This post aims to amend that (as best we can).

The ten bottles of Scotch whisky below are bottles that I think need a little boost before 2021 winds down. There are no real parameters here, it all really comes down to whether or not the whisky tastes good and whether we covered it previously. That said, these picks happen to all be relatively accessible and not particularly expensive.

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

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• 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

Speyburn Bradan Orach

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $27

The Whisky:

This entry-level single malt is named after the Golden Salmon that swims the River Spey. The juice is a no-age-statement marrying of malts that leans into the honeyed hues of the region.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is pure honey dropping over fresh and very green apples with a hint of lemon oils and a touch of bourbon vanilla lurking deep in the background. The palate harnesses that vanilla for a creamy texture that helps the stewed apple vibe pop with plenty of dark spice, buttery notes, and a touch of lemon drop candy. The finish allows space for that candy note to drive towards a short and sweet end that’s just touched with cinnamon spice warmth.

The Bottom Line:

This is a great entry-point single malt that’s pretty damn enjoyable. It’s also a wonderful base for any single malt cocktail.

Highland Park Viking Heart 15

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $135

The Whisky:

Highland Park’s Master Whisky Maker Gordon Motion hand-picked sherry seasoned American oak barrels of single malt to create this new expression. The whisky is then decanted/bottled in a throwback ceramic bottle from Wade Ceramics, which has been making bottles like this since the early 1800s.

Tasting Notes:

Even though this is a peated whisky, the nose is all about bright notes of orange and lemon oils with a deep vanilla sauce vibe, a touch of dried heather, and old sticks of cider-soaked cinnamon. The palate lets the smoke sneak in via grilled pineapple that turns towards smoked plums, soft and moist Christmas cake with plenty of dried fruits, and a sense of cinnamon-flecked tobacco leaves that have just been singed around the edges. The peat sneaks in late via an almost sea salt element that lets the orange oils, vanilla, and cinnamon-tobacco all mellow towards a silky finish.

The Bottom Line:

This is deliciously complex while still feeling very accessible. It’s peaty, yes, but that smoke is tied to sweet fruits and mild spice, meaning that it never overpowers your senses.

Springbank 21

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $265

The Whisky:

This 21-year-old whisky, released in 2021, was crafted with help from old Port, sherry, and bourbon barrels. The peated Campbeltown whisky (a region I plan to cover more in 2022) is built to highlight the unique and very fruity notes of the style.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all about the malts with a vibe that’s halfway between an oatmeal cookie and a Graham cracker with rich vanilla pudding notes, a touch of buttery toffee, and a final burst of deep red strawberries. The fruitiness takes on a savory note that’s kind of like smoked watermelon before heading back towards those cookies with plenty of cinnamon warmth and nutty depth on the palate. The finish arrives slowly with a nod towards peat as a passing fancy that’s buried beneath a vanilla cream laced with cinnamon, oats, raisins, and bitter over-roasted coffee beans.

The Bottom Line:

This is a phenomenal peated malt. The peat is so drawn back and nuanced that it’d be easy to miss it the first time around on this dram. Still, add a little water or a rock and this will bloom beautifully in your glass.

Glengoyne Cask Strength

ABV: 58.8%

Average Price: $99

The Whisky:

This whisky is all about the blend of casks involved in the mix. The majority (55 percent) comes from refill oak casks, 29 percent is from first-fill Olorosso sherry, and 16 percent comes from first-fill bourbon casks. That whisky is then vatted and bottled as-is without any filtering or fussing.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear fruitiness on the nose that’s all gree apple and peach skins that have taken on a little patina next to eggnog, apple crumble made with plenty of cinnamon, and almost fatty white chocolate squares. The palate stews all those fruits while adding in hints of buttered popcorn, salted caramel drizzled over ginger cake, a hint of banana bread with plenty of walnuts, and a fleeting touch of orange oils. The finish mellows dramatically as the stewed fruits take center stage with a slight savory fruit vibe (think kiwi) and a touch of malt biscuits with a hint of nutmeg and clove.

The Bottom Line:

There’s a ton going on in this dram but it all makes sense. There’s a build to the taste that crescendos and then fades very nicely on your senses. Just make sure to add a little water or a rock to really let it bloom.

Benromach Cask Strength Vintage 2009 Batch 4

ABV: 58.5%

Average Price: $80

The Whisky:

There are several releases of this cask-strength whisky that are worth calling out. Last year’s Batch 4 was a highlight. The juice was sourced from only 29 first-fill bourbon and sherry casks. That small grouping of barrels was vatted and the whisky was bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Deep orange oils mingle with dark chocolate notes on the nose that have just been burnt around the edges as caramelized sugars mix with a dusting of dark spice. The palate takes on a stewed fruit note that’s more red/ tart berries than orchard fruits as hints of fresh honey lead towards peppery spice and a hint of smoked applewood. The finish ties to the sweeter notes of the red berries to a smoked plum vibe as that slightly burnt dark chocolate makes a final nod on the velvet finish.

The Bottom Line:

The peat in this is so attached to the fruit and chocolate that you’ll probably miss it. This is a great dessert whisky that’s bright yet lush.

Bruichladdich The Biodynamic Project

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $132

The Whisky:

This whisky is the first of its kind in Scotland. The whisky is distilled from unpeated barley from a single farm. It goes beyond that though. The farm is regenerative and pulls more carbon into the soil than it emits, meaning this is a carbon-negative whisky from the jump. The whisky then ages for ten years in ex-bourbon barrels and is bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

This whisky is a fruit bomb on the nose with peach syrup from the can, stewed apples with plenty of spice, butter, and pie crust, hints of vanilla pods, a touch of orange oil, and the faintest hint of apple, cherry, and apricot Turkish Delights. The palate has real peaches-in-cream vibes that lead towards dark chocolate-covered toffees with a flake of salt and a few petals of dried nasturtium and lavender. The finish leans into the malt to the point that feels like a warm bowl of Cream of Wheat cut with brown sugar and cinnamon with a dash more of orange oil, toffee, and vanilla.

The Bottom Line:

This is a bold and delicious whisky. Make sure to add some water or a rock to let this one explode with more flavors and textures.

The Glenallachie 21 Cask Strength

ABV: 51.4%

Average Price: $265

The Whisky:

Glenallachie’s Master Distiller Billy Walker hand-selected just five casks for this release. The barrels were ex-Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry puncheons (a large barrel that’s around 100 gallons, give or take). Those whiskies were vatted and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a note of grapefruit pith when you nose this dram that leads towards honeyed chocolate truffles with a touch of cinnamon and orange. The palate goes full Christmas cake with plenty of dried nuts, candied and dried fruits, rich wintry spice, and a touch of chocolate maltiness next to candied ginger, more orange, and a note of golden corn syrup. That sweetness attaches to the fruit and spice to create a stewed plum vibe on the finish that luxuriates in mild spice, sweet and meaty stone fruit, and a touch more of that chocolate.

The Bottom Line:

This is like drinking silk. It’s pure wintry vibes and soft as velvet. I can’t overstate how easy-drinking this beautiful whisky is.

Craigellachie 17

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $179

The Whisky:

Craigellachie is the other main whisky that helps make Dewar’s (the other base spirit being Aberfeldy). This expression is made with old-school stills and stored in old-school warehouses. The juice is aged in ex-bourbon casks for 17 long years and vatted to highlight the uniqueness of the brand.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in by that familiar and deep vanilla note with some apple pie in there next to a dried and salted pineapple candy, a touch of smoked oats, and a savory fruit (almost a honeydew melon). That pineapple note holds on and intensifies to a pineapple and vanilla pudding on the palate as dry and woody spices arrive next to a hint of dry tobacco, cedar, and a billow of dry smoke. The end embraces the smoke through the filter of that pineapple pudding as it slowly fades out.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re looking for the perfect bridge between smoked and fruity scotch, this is the bottle for you. It’s subtle yet very vibrant and fruity. It’s also one of those drams that really needs a little water (or a rock) to let it fully bloom.

Aultmore Foggie Moss 12

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $75

The Whisky:

Speaking of Dewar’s, this is part of their Last Great Malts range. The juice is a rare release from a distillery that releases bottles every few years (this bottle dropped back in 2014).

Tasting Notes:

The nose bursts forth with notes of ripe apples and pears next to a seriously creamy vanilla base with touches of orange blossoms and soft cedar bark. The palate wraps those apples and pears into a soft and buttery puff pastry with plenty of soft spice and brown sugars as the vanilla thickens into a pudding with the florals becoming slightly more dried towards the mid-palate. The finish hoists those stewed apples and pears to center stage as the mild spice gently fades away.

The Bottom Line:

This rarity is a damn fine dram of whisky. It’s not simple by any stretch but it has this accessibility that holds you tight and feels right on your senses, especially if you’re looking for a whisky that mimics a delicious breakfast pastry.

Loch Lomond 18

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $104

The Whisky:

Loch Lomond is renowned for making both malt and grain whiskies, both peated and unpeated, and winning tons of awards for doing so. This expression was the creation of Loch Lomond’s Master Cooper, Tommy Wallace, who hand-selected the barrels to be vatted, proofed with Highland water, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The oak comes through on the nose but is tied to applewood that’s been dipped in fresh and floral honey to the point that it feels like a honeycomb rolled in heather petals in a nearby field. The palate delivers on that while adding in an almost savory gooseberry next to grapefruit oils and an old cedar box full of berry-laced tobacco. That berry tobacco note leads to a nutty flourish near the end that then gives way to a hint of Band-Aid and clove as the peat just sneaks in on the finish.

The Bottom Line:

While this is peated, it’s the beautiful fruits and floral honey that will linger the longest in your senses. This really is a great all-around Highland dram that highlights the beauty of the region’s unpeated and peated styles in one glass.

As adults, sometimes we forget how much impact our words can have on the children in our lives. But most of us can recall things that were said to us as kids, positive or negative, that stuck with us. Some of those words may have influenced how we see ourselves our whole lives, for better or for worse.

Elyse Myers is a popular TikToker who has a knack for storytelling. Most of her videos are funny, but one of her most recent ones has a serious—and seriously important—message for us all.

“It is no secret that as a child, and specifically as a middle schooler, I was a little bit…round,” she said. “That would have been one way to describe me. Other ways that would have been more appropriate? Funny, cute, has curly hair, determined, sarcastic, witty, smart, talented, musical—so many ways to describe me, but the one thing that people loved to latch onto was the size of my body.”

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“Was I ashamed of that?” she asked. “No. Other people seemed to be. You would be shocked at how determined other kids and adults were at making sure that I knew that they knew that I was larger than other kids my age.”

Myers then made a statement that millions of people, especially women, can resonate with:

“I was made aware of the size of my body long before I was ever taught how to love it.”

Watch:

Myers is dead on. Her story about a male substitute teacher going out of his way to “save her from herself” by telling her in so many words that she should give up the idea of being a cheerleader because of her size is appalling, but unfortunately not uncommon.

“The audacity of a man to walk up to a 7th-grade girl, in front of her friends, and comment on her appearance in any way is disgusting,” she said. “I met that man for one hour when I was like 11, and I am 28 and still undoing the damage that that one sentence had on my life. So if you are an adult, if you are around children—if you are around humans in any way—I want you to understand how powerful your words are. As easily as they can tear someone down, they can build someone right back up, but it’s going to take a hell of a lot more work to build them up after you’ve torn them down.”

In reality, it’s always far easier and faster to break something than to build it. In fact, research from The Gottman Institute found that in a happy, stable relationship, couples had an average of five positive interactions for every one negative one. Couples who had a smaller ratio than that were less happy, and a 1:1 ratio, meaning evenly balanced between positive and negative interactions, equaled an unhealthy relationship “teetering on the edge of divorce.”

It takes far more positive words to create a positive experience than it does negative ones to create a negative experience, which is why it’s so important for us to choose our words carefully. And because children are so impressionable, what we say to them sticks.

“I was taught how to perceive my body through the eyes of other people that didn’t love me, that didn’t care about me, that thought they could just make a passing comment and move on with their life, and I carried that forever.” said Myers.

“We have to teach people how to speak kindly about themselves, how to love themselves, how to see them as beautiful and worthy and more than just what they look like. If I had as much attention poured into the things that I was good at, and I cared about, and I loved, I would have been a completely different kid.”

Right on, Ms. Myers. Thanks for the reminder that what we say matters more than we might think.

Jim Cramer, the longtime host of CNBC’s Mad Money, is known for his incessant—and often unwarranted—yelling. Now he’s on the receiving end of a string of shouting voices, who are berating him for posting a misleading image to Twitter of what appears to be an aisle full of empty store shelves with a snarky one-word caption: “suboptimal.” But the only thing that might be suboptimal here is Cramer’s eyesight, as it was clear to most people who took even a quick glance at the image that these “empty” shelves were simply being prepped to be filled with Whitman’s samplers, conversation hearts, and other Valentine’s Day-themed items.

As The Wrap noted:

Cramer was presumably offering economic commentary on the potential plight of consumers amid the combined effects of supply-chain shortages and the Omicron variant’s COVID-19 surge.

But what Cramer apparently failed to see were pink strips below the featured shelves, prompting many to take the CNBC host to the presumptive cleaners over what they saw as a short-sighted attempt—with the photo revealing nothing more than a store that had made room for Valentine’s Day inventory.

Cramer’s tweet quickly went viral and got the term “Valentine’s Day” trending. And it didn’t take long for his fellow Twitter users to point out the err of the CNBC host’s ways. Some people called on Cramer to publicly acknowledge that he had either made a mistake, or was intentionally trying to mislead his 1.7 million followers:

Others were more straightforward:

While others helpfully suggested that Cramer get out of the damn way so that the store’s employees could do their jobs:

Cramer has yet to follow up on his photo, or tweet again.

(Via The Wrap)

The Matrix Resurrections is proving to be the most polarizing blockbuster since The Last Jedi, but one aspect of the (good imo) film that nearly everyone can agree works is any scene where Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are together. They have a real-life “soul friendship,” as Moss described it, and it shows when they’re playing Neo and Trinity. Moss said she’s “watched him grow in the last 20 years” and is “in awe of it,” while Reeves responded with an equal amount of admiration. “You’ve got a flavor. It’s Trinity! It’s Carrie-Anne Moss, Trinity flavor,” he exclaimed. “All the fierceness and mind, focus, commitment is there in the gestures. Untamed and wild and controlled.”

We should all be so lucky as to receive a compliment from Reeves, and Moss received the greatest compliment of all: an invitation to join the John Wick franchise.

“I love John Wick,” she told People. “I really started to understand Keanu’s outrageous gift for telling story through his body. And I didn’t fully understand that until I went deep into John Wick with one of my children. It was very bonding for us too. It was amazing to have that experience with my son and to watch the depth that Keanu is able to [create] with his body. It’s really an art form.” After hearing her affection for John Wick, Reeves asked, “You want to play an assassin?”

“I’d love it,” said Moss.

Reeves: “Really?”

Moss: “Yeah!”

Reeves: “Okay. Let’s get on that.”

Moss: “I’ll start practicing.”

Reeves: “Be careful for what you wish for. I’m on it now.”

John Wick already has Reeves and Laurence Fishburne. It can make room for another Matrix star — especially since John Wick: Chapter 4 was just bumped to 2023. That gives director Chad Stahelski (who plays, yes, Chad in The Matrix Resurrections) plenty of time to let Moss join the film as the world’s most stylish assassin, or whatever.

(Via People)

In the debate sparked over a potential Verzuz with Jay-Z, Future agreed with many of his listeners in Atlanta that he could successfully take on Hov in a battle of their hit songs. While that may or may not be true, Future definitely has the fanbase numbers behind his claims — but that’s probably because he’s much more active on social media than Jay-Z. Not only does the rapper boast over 18 million followers on Instagram (while Jay-Z recently deleted his own account), he’s just become the first artist to reach 10 million followers on SoundCloud.

Future’s SoundCloud page just hit the major follower milestone, which is very impressive seeing as the rapper hasn’t dropped a project since his 2020 Lil Uzi Vert collaborative album Pluto x Baby Pluto. While Future may have just reached 10 million followers on the music streaming service, the rapper has actually been one of SoundCloud’s top-followed artists for a while. Big Sean follows closely behind Future’s numbers with 9.5 million followers.

Future saw the news of his SoundCloud milestone on Instagram and re-shared his achievement while adding a few emojis for good measure.

SoundCloud isn’t the only streaming service the rapper has dominated on. On Spotify, Future has racked up just over 10 million followers — 10.9 million to be exact — and boasts over 31.7 monthly listeners on the platform.