Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that she plans to run for reelection to Congress. “Our democracy is at risk because of assaults on the truth, the assault on the U.S. Capitol, and the state-by-state assault on voting rights. This election is crucial. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy,” she said in a video posted to Twitter with all the enthusiasm of a C-list actor recording a Cameo. “And that is why I am running for reelection to Congress and respectfully seek your support. I would be greatly honored by it and grateful for it.” It’s nothing you haven’t seen from a politician before — unless you’re a QAnon member, in which case you believe the video confirms, without a doubt, that MJ, I mean, Pelosi had something to do with… the death of Bob Saget?
Pelosi recorded her video (with some green screen help) in front of San Francisco’s Painted Ladies, the row of Victorian homes made famous in the Full House opening credits. SF Gatereports that “Anons speculated that the inclusion of the Painted Ladies is actually a reference to Full House, which uses the Alamo Square icons in its opening credits. And because Full House star Bob Saget recently died, this means… something.”
Here is a convincing argument from a popular QAnon forum:
“Using the ‘Painted Ladies’ the background this close to Saget’s death makes me think it’s comms,” wrote one user. (“Comms” refers to “communications,” generally used by Anons to designate supposedly hidden messages from the military or politicians.) “There are plenty of other iconic SF backgrounds that could be used. 95% of the pop couldn’t tell you where those houses are. Not that common.”
Another user agrees:
“It may very well tie-in with Sagat [sic],” another agreed, although no one could quite pin down how the death of a popular comedian relates to the re-election campaign of a longtime politician.
Hey, QAnon, I have three words for you: Cut. It. Out.
For years NBA fans have wanted the league to offer something akin to NFL RedZone, the beloved channel that takes viewers from game to game, allowing them to keep tabs on all of the action happening around the country and on various channels.
The problem is, there are some obvious differences in how football and basketball operate and the pace of games that require some changes, because every possession is a scoring chance in basketball and, as The Starters poked fun at years ago with the help of Ernie Johnson, there would be no way to try and see every bucket of every game in the same way RedZone promises every touchdown (and field goal) from every NFL game on Sundays.
However, there is a market for a channel that bounces back and forth between games that are close late, and possibly even putting a couple games on the same screen when things are tight late on a multi-game night. The folks at Turner and the NBA have apparently been thinking about this as well, and on Monday night Jared Greenberg and Steve Smith will debut a show called NBA CrunchTime on the NBA App, starting at 8:30 p.m. ET when the early games are getting into the fourth quarter.
Tonight, exclusively on the @NBA APP, watch the biggest moments of the night as they happen live on #CrunchTime. Join @steve21smith and me as we give you the NBA’s version of “RedZone” starting at 8:30p/et, 5:30p/pt.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this works, but there is a real chance that this could become something much bigger for the NBA, particularly on those Mondays and Wednesdays when there are often 10 or more games happening on the same night. For now, this is an NBA app exclusive, but if successful, it could become something for NBATV to consider adopting — or it may become a part of the League Pass package.
For now, we’ll see how it works for an eight-game night in which every game will have tipped off by 8 p.m. ET.
With The Batman getting ready to hit theaters in just a little over a month, Robert Pattinson has revealed that his agents were just as surprised as the general public when he signed on to the new take on the Dark Knight from director Matt Reeves. After becoming a teen heartthrob thanks to performance in the Twilight films, Pattinson has gravitated towards more indie fare. When he started floating it to his agents that he wanted to play Batman, they were puzzled by his sudden interest in a mainstream comic book role.
“I just kept obsessively checking up on it for the next year or so,” Pattinson said. “Even my agents were like, ‘Oh, interesting. I thought you only wanted to play total freaks?’ And I was like, ‘He is a freak!’”
As it turns out, Pattinson is a huge Batman fan, and he loves all of the films featuring his favorite freak/superhero. Via Total Film:
“I was always really looking forward to them coming out. There was the combination of just being so attracted to it, but also feeling like it’d had a lot of movies made about it, and none of them are bad movies. People kind of shit on some of them, but they’re not actually bad. They all kind of completely achieve what they set out to achieve, and they’re all really interesting, according to their time and place. I don’t know. I just had a weird instinct about it. But I’ve always loved the character.”
That wild freak, The Batman, swoops into freaking theaters on March 4.
Welcome toEuphoria Style Watch, your shopping guide to the latest episode’s best fits and where to buy them. Last night’s episode, “You Who Cannot See, Think of Those Who Can” will forever change the way we look at hot tubs. To say episode four was “unhinged” doesn’t do it justice, it was a straight-up sh*t show.
Who had the messiest evening — Cal, Cassie, or Rue? All three of them are f*cking up (with Cal that’s been a constant) but the only person we’re really feeling sympathy for is Maddy.
We were all Kat last night.
HBO
What’s worse, being thrown up on in a hot tub on your birthday, or throwing up all over yourself while crying in a hot tub because you’re hiding a secret from your best friend whose mom has to pull you out while you’re covered with your own cheap-alcohol-induced vomit? I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to give it to Maddy here. What the hell did she do to deserve this, Cassie? Be your best friend?
At the very least, we got to see Zendaya cosplaying as Leo in Titanic, so this week wasn’t without its hilarious moments.
HBO
Messiness aside, last night was also full of great outfits (though fewer than usual), which we’re certain a lot of people are eager to get their hands on. So we went on the hunt to find ’em all. Let’s dive into this week’s five best fits and keep our fingers crossed that next week gives us more Fez and Ashtray antics and a lot less throw-up.
Maddy — All Of It
HBO
Maddy continues to be Euphoria’s best-dressed character and is probably single-handedly keeping 2022 swimwear sales afloat in these cold winter months. It’s become a bit of a running joke in this series, but at this point, the show has put Maddy in a bikini in three of four episodes, this time it was a hot tub so things make a little more sense (episode 1 kicks off the show on New Year’s Eve so it’s presumably still winter in the Euphoria universe), but unless we see some indication that we’re no longer in winter, we won’t be able to sustain our disbelief for very much longer.
Anyway, I digress. Last night Maddy rocked a lot of great outfits. The most sought-after is probably the simple satin green slip dress she wore during her long talk with Nate, unfortunately for you, that piece is nowhere to be found on the internet. Fortunately, we know the brand.
The slip dress and robe combo come courtesy of luxury womenswear brand Blumarine’s SS18 season. Currently, the brand has nothing like it, but a few “vintage” pieces can be found on aftermarket sites like Depop and Etsy. The aforementioned bikini is by Motel and is pretty affordable, but the Euphoria custom designers mixed and matched two different sets. The bottoms come from the Leyna set while the strappy top is from the Parmia set. Neither of which are available in the same black color Maddy wore, though many variations are available.
HBO
Finally, Maddy’s birthday dress is the Devon Slip Dress by Marc Jacobs which is readily available in a XS to XL size run. Damn, Maddy is really making us work here.
Grab the bikini top and bottom here, the Marc Jacobs Devon slip dress here, and search the Blumarine satin slip here. Check out Blumarine’s current season here.
Cassie — The Party Dress & One Piece
HBO
Oh, Cassie. I think I speak for everyone when I say: what the f*ck are you doing? Last night’s episode was an absolute mess for our girl Cassie, both figuratively and literally but we have a feeling things are going to start turning around as we enter the last half of the season. We hope.
Messiness aside, Cassie wore some pretty eye-catching outfits including this puff sleeve mini dress from NA-KD as well as a pink one-piece Gamma Wrap swimsuit by Frankies Bikini during that now-infamous hot tub scene.
Grab the mini dress here or here, and the one-piece which is available for waitlisting, here.
Fez — Ralph Lauren Sport Capsule Large Logo Polo
HBO
There simply wasn’t enough Fez in this episode but we did get enough glimpses of Angus Cloud’s insanely popular character to notice he was rocking a Ralph Lauren Sport large logo polo shirt in blue. It’s nice to see our guy finally break free from those Palace and Supreme chains!
The shirt is a short-sleeve two-button polo made from cotton and features a classic straight fit and a colorbock colorway in black and blue.
The genuine article is currently pretty hard to find, as it’s not part of Ralph Lauren’s current season, but a few are floating around on aftermarket sites and certain retailers. Be sure to check out the rest of the Sport capsule collection here.
We’re getting pretty sick of Jules and her antics this season but it’s sort of understandable when you consider she’s with Rue, and Rue… well, is Rue. Drug addicts don’t make for ideal partners so do us all a favor and break up already!
Jules scenes were brief this episode, but we did see her rocking an oversized t-shirt courtesy of LA-based streetwear brand Polite Worldwide. The t-shirt features an embroidered collar that reads “polite” and sports a hand-painted graphic of a sun setting behind mountains with the word “utopia” across the neckline.
Pick up the Utopia Hand Painted Shirt at Polite Worldwide’s official store.
We’re going to have to close this list at a tight four this week, there just weren’t enough outfits worth copping, unless you count Rue’s high-waisted cotton briefs, which we don’t. But if you’re looking for those you can grab them here.
In IFC’s new film Clean, Adrien Brody‘s character (also named Clean) walks through life in the margins, literally cleaning up the streets as a garbage man and through acts of kindness and care for his neighbors and neighborhood while quietly reeling from the consequences of addiction and loss that pushed him into retreat. In the corner of his eye, he sees it, though: a reason to free his rage and capacity for destructive violence on the gangster (a tremendous Glenn Fleshler) who is poisoning that neighborhood from within. A clash is inevitable and explosive when it finally does happen.
For Brody, this is a story years in the making. A passion project in the fullest sense for all the ways he influences the finished product — co-writing the script (with director and previous Bullet Head collaborator Paul Solet), producing a project that was independently financed, creating a hip-hop-centric score with myriad influences, and getting into peak shape to play a reluctant vigilante who would have preferred to stay on a path of peace.
Uproxx spoke with Brody about the years-long journey to get Clean (and his music) in front of you (it’s in theaters and available to stream on VOD now), accessing his own untapped rage, influences and homages, and playing people who overcome hardship both in this film and in his upcoming work as former LA Lakers coach and icon Pat Riley in HBO’s Winning Time.
This is more than just you on camera. This is you producing and shepherding it to life, co-writing it, doing the score. Why this film specifically [for those firsts]?
First of all, it’s a genre that I just love so much. And I haven’t found a role quite like this, where I just wanted to create a character that had complexity and was heroic in spite of being so deeply flawed. And those feelings of being a failure that crush your self-esteem and that so many of us endure and yet have to prevail… I feel like those are the real heroes. There’s so much injustice in the world. There’s so much inequality. And I wanted to tell a story that honored what’s going on around us that would still be entertaining and still fit this revenge saga vibe and be rewarding to the kind of audience that appreciates that. [It’s something] that I grew up appreciating. The kind of audience that appreciates a more character-driven artistic piece. And I feel I haven’t seen a lot of that. I wanted to create something that I guess honored all of that and all of those creative yearnings. And then the music has been another component in my life that has kind of been underserved.
I’ve worked with all these wonderful creative people in my lifetime. And I grew up in a very creative household, and I grew up in a pretty rough urban environment. And so, it’s an amalgamation of all of these influences. And I had to put it into something. It’s kind of an art project. It’s like the whole thing is really sculpting together all of these things and bringing in collaborators who I admire and appreciate, and wonderful actors like RZA and Mykelti Williamson, who I’ve worked with. It was such a painful journey, but wonderful. And it’s been a very long haul. And so, I’m really grateful.
This is such a wonderfully positive week for me, because first of all, it’s the first time anyone beyond me blasting out a couple of things on Instagram or with my boys has heard any original music from me. And I feel like it’s such a part of this world. It is a character. I get to create another character, another element of the storytelling. And that’s just really exciting creatively.
You say this is a very painful, very long process. Are you already thinking about what’s next? And also is it a package deal? If you do this again, does it have to be you doing the score, doing the music, as well as acting?
No, no, there’s no prerequisite. I don’t have any mandates for how I work or choose to work. I’m very experimental in the process. There are things I’ve learned that I’ve definitely learned the hard way, and we all do. And I’ll be a better filmmaker moving forward from those experiences. Work on the ground is the best film school you could ever have. I’m steeped in independent filmmaking. So I’ve spent a lifetime problem-solving with all the collaborators I’ve been working with whether I’m just an actor on it or not. Effects aren’t working that day, the crane doesn’t operate, the camera’s frozen, the location sucks, there’s no light? How do we pivot and keep telling that story and honor the script and honor the audience and honor all the hard work that we’re immersed in and keep going in a creative way? It’s all about problem-solving and storytelling. So yeah. I mean, I feel like if I can offer up something that I feel is an asset, I will offer it up, and I’ll do the work.
In terms of honoring the genre, how do you decide when to lean into it and when do you try to change things up a little bit? Because there are moments in some of the fight scenes where I see some definite inventiveness, but there are also moments that feel very much steeped in that genre and feel very much like a nod to some of the things that have come before. And I’m going all the way back, like Death Wish all the way to John Wick.
That’s all intentional.
Yeah, of course.
That’s all intentional. Paul Solet is just a wonderful writer, our director of the film, and I brought him on because I love his sensibilities and his understanding of the craft of screenwriting. I have yearned to do this for a long time and didn’t quite have the confidence to fully manage all of that responsibility structurally. And so, it’s both of our influences that are infused in the storytelling. We both love films from the ’70s and both grew up loving movies, like Death Wish as well. I feel like it’s really fun to create someone new and work within that space. I grew up seeing martial arts movies, my whole childhood. My dad used to take me to Canal Street in Chinatown, and we’d go see wonderful martial arts films regularly in the theater. And it was such a big influence on me. I wanted those sequences. I wanted to have a bit of creativity within that brutality. And I found them really entertaining. I still find them entertaining. But when I was young, it was so exhilarating to see your hero prevail and have these skills and someone that you don’t anticipate. It’s like, he’s the wrong guy to mess with. And he’s just the guy in the neighborhood. He’s trying to do right. He keeps his head down. He’s picking up trash, but you do not want to cross this guy.
I love that oh shit moment in the movie. I just love it so much because these guys who are so used to exerting their power and influence over their community and dominating the people in their community for their own means… He puts them all to the test, and we all want that. That’s fun and that’s rewarding. And we all need that. Frankly, we need someone to go out and clean up the streets because they’re filthy. And we live with that in our society. And in a fictional world, you can do that.
When you’re in some of these really heavy violent scenes, how do you get into that headspace? Are you channeling any kind of pushed-down rage within yourself? How do you get there to do a scene like that, where you’re just covered in blood and there’s so much physicality, so much choreography involved?
I have no shortage of … I have a deep well to dig into for lots of stuff, put it that way. And that’s the beauty of being an actor… finding a creative place for that, and for your own anger or frustrations of what’s wrong in the world around you and your own helplessness. And you can channel that. And I think lots of people can. It’s something that is an emotional technique that I’ve had a great deal of training in my lifetime and applying it. A lot of people have what it takes from their life experiences to draw from, to express real emotion. They just have to learn to suppress their inhibitions and their feelings of being self-conscious in that moment. And that’s all acting really is, is finding those truths and doing the work to get to those truths. And there’s a lot to be angry about in the world, and there’s a lot of positive solutions, but both of those need to be at your disposal in life and as a character
Totally offtopic, you’re in the upcoming Lakers show, Winning Time. And you’re playing Pat Riley. I know you can’t say a lot about that, but I’m curious what you’re tapping into to find Pat Riley.
Well, Pat had a lot of hardship and a lot to overcome as well. Pat is an amazing, inspiring human being to me and to many people and a very complex person as well. And when the show picks up, he’s not the Pat Riley that you know yet. He’s far from it. And I too understand that burning desire to, I guess, be able to apply all that I know and all that I want to share and all that I have to give to the game in my own respect and I identify [with] what he’s felt. He’s a veteran, he had a ring, he played for the Lakers, and then he had to kind of start again from a pretty humble place. And a lot of luck and perseverance and mental fortitude got him to that leadership position that he’s in now. And it’s been a long road for him.
It was very exciting to also learn about him and who I’ve always seen with the perspective that he’s got… He’s got it, but I didn’t know all that he had gone through until I did a lot of that research. And that’s all of us. That’s everybody that you see, that you feel, “Hey, they must have it great,” or, “They’re shining,” or, “They’re doing such great work.” It’s such a journey to get there. And that makes for the best characters. And that makes for people who have an understanding and from their life experiences and a sense of gratitude when they’ve overcome those obstacles or [when] they’re not facing them currently.
On last week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart, Adele’s “Easy On Me” held onto its No. 1 spot as the Encanto hit “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” rose to No. 2. Now, on the new chart dated February 5, the two songs have swapped spots as “Bruno” rises to No. 1 for the first time, which is a historic feat for multiple reasons.
This is the first No. 1 song for all the track’s credited artists — Carolina Gaitán, Mauro Castillo, Adassa, Rhenzy Feliz, Diane Guerrero, Stephanie Beatriz, and Encanto Cast. This breaks the record for most credited artists on a No. 1 song, with seven. The previous record-holder was 2017’s “I’m The One” by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil Wayne. “Bruno” is now just the second song from an animated Disney film to top the Hot 100, following “A Whole New World” from Aladdin.
Additionally, this is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first chart-topper as a songwriter (and overall) and the first No. 1 placement for a song with only one credited songwriter since Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” in 2017. This is a rare feat, as “Bruno” is just the 14th song penned by a single songwriter to go No. 1 since 2000.
Every No. 1 song with only one credited songwriter since 2000 (2/4):@Outkast Hey Ya! (2003; Andre 3000)@dpowtermusic Bad Day (2006; Daniel Powter)@plainwhitets Hey There Delilah (2007; Tom Higgenson)@souljaboy Crank That (2007; Soulja Boy)
Every No. 1 song with only one credited songwriter since 2000 (4/4):@edsheeran Perfect (2017; Ed Sheeran)@EncantoMovie We Don’t Talk About Bruno (2022; @Lin_Manuel)
On top of that, “Bruno” isn’t even the only Encanto song in the top ten, as “Surface Pressure” rises from No. 10 to No. 9 this week, while other musical highlights from the movie are sprinkled throughout the rest of the chart.
#1, We Don’t Talk About Bruno #9, Surface Pressure #20, The Family Madrigal #27, What Else Can I Do? #36, Dos Oruguitas #48, Waiting On A Miracle #82, All of You
Earlier this month, anti-skirt activist and director Sean Penn was under fire for saying some weird things. Penn told i News that he thinks men in America are “wildly feminized” in a string of strange, off-topic comments. “I don’t think that being a brute or having insensitivity or disrespect for women is anything to do with masculinity, or ever did. But I don’t think that [in order] to be fair to women, we should become them.”
In an interview with The Independent, Penn was asked to clarify his comments, maybe in an effort to have him clear the air. Instead, he doubled down, stating that “men have, in my view, become quite feminized. I have these very strong women in my life who do not take masculinity as a sign of oppression toward them. There are a lot of, I think, cowardly genes that lead to people surrendering their jeans and putting on a skirt.” Questionable.
These comments didn’t sit right with Westworld actress Thandiwe Newton, who went off on Twitter over Penn’s comments. She, very eloquently, called Penn a “jibbering fool.”
.@SeanPenn Dude what are you SAY-ING?? Like for REAL? You’re a jibbering FOOL. MF you used to be sexy but now you’re just tragic Men for Becoming ‘Feminized’ – Variety https://t.co/MXKD474ihJ
She added, “In front of your DAUGHTER!? That poor little mite. Thank God her Mum’s so dope. Please stop ruining the brilliance of #LicoricePizza with this nonsense.”
For the past year, Donald Trump has been cosplaying as Webster Dictionary’s definition of a “sore loser” but his latest remarks — first at a rally held in Texas, then in a press release issued Sunday night — have left lawmakers and political pundits shocked. That’s because, for the first time, Trump is blatantly admitting to attempting to pressure his former Vice President Mike Pence into overturning the 2020 Presidential Election.
In a statement released by his team, Trump addressed bipartisan efforts to update the Electoral Count Act of 1887 in order to make it clear that no vice president has the right to change the outcome of an election. Trump sees this proposal as proof that Pence did have the power to call the 2020 Presidential Election in his favor (he didn’t) and Pence simply chose not to.
“What they are saying, is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away,” Trump wrote. “Unfortunately, he didn’t exercise that power, he could have overturned the Election!”
Trump has made it known that he believes voter fraud and other forms of election tampering caused him to lose the presidency but this marks the first time he’s admitted to actively trying to pressure a sitting vice president into overturning the vote, not just investigating it or refusing to certify the vote. Even more troubling, during a rally held over the weekend, Trump called on his supporters to rise up should he find himself in any legal trouble for his latest comments with the Jan. 6th Committee currently looking into his role in the insurrection.
“If these radical, vicious, racist prosecutors do anything wrong or illegal, I hope we are going to have in this country the biggest protest we have ever had — in Washington D.C., in New York, in Atlanta, and elsewhere because our country and our elections are corrupt,” he told the crowd.
CNN’s John King covered the recent rally and interviewed New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman about what Trump’s latest speech means and she had a fairly bleak interpretation of the former president’s mindset.
“He’s in, John, burn it all down mode and has been for some time,” Haberman said. “You take all of that together and you see the portrait of somebody who really doesn’t care anymore … who knows he can keep pushing the bounds and there haven’t been that many penalties.”
Scotch whisky at around $40 to $50 opens a nice gateway to the wider world of both blended scotch and single malts. This is where blended Scotch whisky starts to go a little deeper (and gain nuance). It’s also the price point where big-name 12-year-old single malts start to come into play.
Essentially, this is where Scotch whiskies start to get familiar, fun, and very interesting. I had a blast re-tasting these.
For this list, I’m ranking ten bottles of Scotch whisky — both blended whiskies and single malt whiskies — that I love. There’s a lot out there, so this isn’t meant to be exhaustive. This is just a list of the stuff that resonates with me right now and I think really rocks at this price point.
When it comes to the ranking, I’m going on taste alone. Some of these will vary pretty greatly but the overall vibe here is great taste at a great price. That all being said, these are bottles that you should be able to find pretty easily at your own liquor store (I’m not going into esoteric releases that don’t leave Islay or the Highlands). Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of 2021
Ballentine’s is a classic grocer-turned-whisky-maker, a tried and true Scottish tradition. In this case, the juice in the bottle is built from 50 different grain and single malt whiskies that are at least 12 years old. Once those barrels are vatted, the whisky is proofed down to a very accessible 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice mix of fresh honey and lush vanilla on the nose next to hints of sweet oak and soft malts. The palate leans into the honey with a creamy edge as short hints of wildflowers balance against vanilla creaminess, a touch of holiday spice tied to the malts, and a nice dose of that sweet oak with a lightly charred sense. The finish is short and sweet and balances that vanilla and honey cream against florals and lightly spiced malts.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t going to blow you away but it is solid for what it is. It’s a very straightforward blended whisky that’s clearly built and works really well in a highball or on the rocks in a pinch.
Ardmore is the distillery behind super cheap blended scotch, Teacher’s Cream. This Highland single malt is a blend of 80 percent peated malt and 20 percent unpeated malt that’s proofed down to a very drinkable 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Floral honey and rich and butter toffee mingle on the nose next to a hint of cinnamon brioche and a touch of peated malt. The palate lets that floral honey get creamy as a cream soda vanilla vibe kicks in but is countered by a smoky peated edge that’s more like an old fireplace that’s just puttering out for the night. The end is full of wintry spice attached to the malts that tempers the smoke towards the background as the floral honey smooths everything out.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty good place to start if you’re looking to dip your toes into the “peated” whisky world. It’s smoky, sure, but only just and really leans into the softer honey notes of the Highlands. Still, this is more of a mixing whisky than a sipping one.
This single malt from Diageo is a great gateway to good single malt. The juice is aged for 12 years — mostly in ex-bourbon barrels and a few ex-sherry cask-matured whiskies — before it’s cut with that iconic Speyside water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is a delicate sip of whisky that leans into notes of dried florals and sweet fruits counterpointed by spicy oak and worn leather. The palate lets the spice amp up a bit while the fruit touches on both orange oils and orange blossoms with whispers of bourbon vanilla, dried fruits, and fresh honey. The end really holds onto that lightness while fading fairly quickly, leaving you with a cedary leather, more of that sweet fruit, and almost creamy vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a great candidate for a bourbon drinker. There are very familiar notes at play that’ll feel like going back home to Kentucky while still feeling new, fresh, and definitely malty. While this is definitely more of a mixing whisky, you can throw this on some rocks and it’ll be perfectly fine.
This is basically Johnnie Black– a slightly peaty blend of over 40 whiskies from around Scotland — that’s been casked again in deeply charred oak for a final maturation. The idea is to maximize that peat and amp up the Islay and Island whiskies’ smokiness.
Tasting Notes:
Clove-forward spice and billows of softwood smoke — think cherry and apple — greet you on the nose. The palate has a vanilla creaminess that’s punctuated by bright apple, dried fruit, and more peat that leans more towards an old beach campfire than a chimney stack. The spice kicks back in late, warming things up as the smoke carries through the end with a nice dose of oakiness, fruitiness, and sweet vanilla creaminess.
Bottom Line:
All Johnnie Blacks are built as sippers, especially on the rocks. This one is definitely for someone looking to go all-in on the peated whiskies while still feeling like they haven’t gone into the wildly peated ones yet. This is an approachable peat/smoke that’s balanced well with fruit and sweetness throughout.
Shieldaig is distilled by a big distillery in Scotland that a lot of other whiskies, gins, and blends. This expression is a Speyside peated malt that’s finished in Olorosso sherry casks to temper that peat in the whisky.
Tasting Notes:
The nose balances honey, apples, and toffee with a very distant hint of peated malts, dark spices, and a touch of nuttiness. The palate largely delivers on those notes while adding in layers of vanilla creaminess, apple butter, orange zest, ashy malts, and soft oak with hints of figs and plums in the background. The finish brings it all together with spicy stewed raisins, prunes, and dates next to a light walnut shell dryness and a hint of smoked malts.
Bottom Line:
This really has a nice balance of fruit and peat. It’s hard not to dig this, especially on the rocks or in a highball.
This is a classic bottle of peated malt. The Islay whisky is made with iconic Port Ellen peated malts and then primarily matured in ex-sherry casks for at least ten years. Those casks are married and then cut with local lake water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of stonefruit, orange oils, and earthen peaty smoke that greets you. The palate leans into the iodine and earthiness with plenty of campfire smoke next to black pepper, vanilla, and an underlying nuttiness. With a little water, a coffee bitterness arises next to a hint of black licorice. The end really embraces the smoke, adding fattiness like an old meat smoker as the fruit and nuts make a final appearance on the very slow fade.
Bottom Line:
Grabbing this whisky is going all-in on peated whisky. While this doesn’t have the BandAid or Windex qualities of some of the bigger Islay malts, it does hit you with significant smoke. Though I’d argue, this is more of a backyard smoker kind of smoke that’s perfect for pairing with brisket or a pile of smoked ribs.
This Highland malt is all about maturation. The whisky is barreled in three different bourbon barrels. One set is first-fill bourbon barrels (meaning that this whisky was the first thing to go in the barrel after the bourbon was drained). Another set of barrels were re-fill bourbon barrels (meaning that the barrels had already held local whisky at least once before they were refilled with this whiskey). And the last set of barrels were re-charred bourbon barrels (meaning the barrels took on a brand new layer of char but were still seasoned with bourbon deep inside that wood).
Tasting Notes:
This is a rush of apple and pear orchards on the nose with hints of steel-cut oatmeal (uncooked) next to floral honey, vanilla husks, and a bright note of lemon oils. The palate really leans into the apple/pear vibe while the lemon turns into a lemon cream pie with stiff peaks of vanilla whipped cream and a lard-based crust supporting everything. The end has a light touch of spicy malts next to all that lemon creaminess and apple and pear woodiness that just hints at a moment of smoke that feels more derived from the oak getting charred again than “peat.”
Bottom Line:
This is another great bridge between bourbon and scotch. The lemon and orchard fruits really help this one pop, especially as an on the rocks sipper. Overall, this is a great candidate for a brilliantly bright whisky highball, thanks to all that citrus and fruit.
This is a pretty unique whisky. The distillery is located in Scotland’s far north Orkney Islands. The juice in the bottles is a classic peaty single malt that spends 12 years maturing in European and American oak, both of which were seasoned with sherry. The whiskies are then married and proofed down to a very accessible 40 percent.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real sense of rich and almost rummy holiday cake full of dark spices, dried fruits, candied citrus, and nuts with a hint of smoke. A touch of fragrant honey arrives to smooth out the texture while adding sweetness. That smoke pops back in on the finish but it’s more like a chimney smoke from a house a few doors down on a snowy day than a funky peaty smoke from a bog.
Bottom Line:
This is another solid on the rocks scotch, especially if you’re looking for a wintry spice bomb that’s just touched by peat. This feels homey and easy at the same time.
This no-age-statement whisky from The Glenlivet goes back to the 1800s in style and substance. The whisky is made with mountain water from Speyside and distilled in old lantern-shaped stills. That juice is then aged in traditional oak and first-fill bourbon barrels before it’s blended like the old days (before age statements were a thing).
Tasting Notes:
Fruit bursts from the whisky on the nose with lemon, lime, and orange oils next to bright Granny Smith apples and juicy pears next to bourbon vanilla, creamy toffee, and a touch of honey. The palate holds onto that bright fruit, especially the orange and pear as the toffee becomes buttery and brittle with a little bit of green banana sneaking in next to cream soda and apple candies. The finish is long with creamy vanilla and toffee sweetness balanced out by all those citrus oils and pear vibes.
Bottom Line:
This is just super easy to drink. It’s not mind-blowing or anything like that, but it’s not meant to be. This was built to be an easy and fun sipper or mixer and that’s exactly what it is.
This is an entry whisky not only to Speyside but to single malts in general. The juice is aged in a combination of used American and European oak before it’s married, rested, proofed with Speyside’s iconic water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This dram is creamy like a vanilla pudding with a bright pear orchard vibe, some mild toffee, and hints of sweetgrass next to mild oak. That leads towards a very easy and soft woodiness with a touch of candied pear and more vanilla cream before hints of soft cinnamon spice poke up in the background with those soft malts. By the end, it’s clear how light and approachable this whisky is as that pear, vanilla cream, and milt spice slowly fade away, leaving you with a silken mouthfeel and just enough malts and toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is shockingly easy to drink for a whisky (from any region). The flavor notes are so clearly rendered and concise. This is a dream in a cocktail or highball but works perfectly well on the rocks too. It’s versatile and, generally, really freaking tasty.
At the upcoming Grammy Awards, Marilyn Manson secured himself a nomination thanks to his work on Kanye West’s album Donda. Ye received backlash for working with Manson in light of allegations of sexual assault and abuse he faces, but it appears that hasn’t deterred West from containing to work with Manson, who is reportedly involved in the making of the upcoming Donda 2.
Digital Nas, a producer who worked on the first Donda album, told Rolling Stone, “I see Marilyn a lot in the studio. Like, every day I go to the studio, Marilyn is there working on Donda 2.” He continued, “[West] doesn’t want Marilyn to play rap beats. He wants Marilyn to play what he makes, and then Ye will take parts of that and sample parts of that and use parts of that, like he did [generally when making] Yeezus. […] He has some producers from Yeezus working on Donda 2 this time around, [as well as] Marilyn, me, a bunch of producers from Donda 1.”
He also noted that West and Manson have “a crazy dynamic,” saying, “I would have never, ever thought that would happen, but it happened.”
Furthermore, Nas speculated why West decided to work with Manson, saying, “I think it’s moreso that Ye is coming from a standpoint of like, ‘We all make mistakes.’ I think that’s maybe why he had DaBaby and Marilyn at that one show. I’m just assuming it is from a standpoint of like, ‘We’re all sinners. We all make mistakes. We shouldn’t point the finger at someone for the mistakes they’ve made or something like that.’”
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Men for Becoming ‘Feminized’ – Variety 
