Bow Wow has been talking about releasing his final album for a long time now, but today, we at least found out part of his plans for its release. Now that Snoop Dogg has retained ownership of the legendary Death Row Records, Bow Wow, whose name was actually inspired by Snoop, his onetime mentor, wants to put out his swan song with the rapper who helped him start his rap career almost 30 years ago.
Bow Wow, who loves to participate in Twitter Q&A sessions (even though the app’s users haven’t always been so kind to him), revealed his plans when a fan asked him, “When you getting back in with uncle Snoop?” The younger rapper replied, “Spoke to snoop last week. Very soon. My plan is to put my final album on death row and close my music career out where it began.” He also compared himself to the recently retired future NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade. “Im tryna do the d wade and come home and close it out.” D Wade famously finished his illustrious NBA career in Miami, where he was drafted, after leaving to play for his hometown Chicago Bulls and reunite with LeBron James in Cleveland.
Spoke to snoop last week. Very soon. My plan is to put my final album on death row and close my music career out where it began. Im tryna do the d wade and come home and close it out. https://t.co/rzQATRFRMu
Over the years, Bow Wow has taken a lot of flak for some of his antics on social media, but he’s also recently begun to receive an increased acknowledgment from his peers and successors such as Drake, who said, “If it wasn’t for you, there wouldn’t be no me,” as well as Soulja Boy, who he joined for a raucous edition of the Verzuz battle series.
The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.
Twenty years ago, 16-year-old Avril Lavigne started working on songs for her first album, Let Go. With massive early hits like “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi,” Avril quickly became a force to be reckoned with in mainstream pop, bringing a pop-punk sound and skater influences into the spotlight with her — and becoming one of the first women to have worldwide success in the very male-dominated space. To this day, Let Go remains one of the best-selling albums by a Canadian artist, and has been certified seven times platinum (!). Following up her debut with 2004’s Under My Skin and 2007’s The Best Damn Thing — which spawned her first No. 1 hit, “Girlfriend” — by 21, Lavigne was a household name.
Though the impact of rock diminished considerably in the 2010s, Avril continued to release albums with Goodbye Lullaby in 2011, her self-titled, Avril Lavigne, in 2013, and the more emotional Head Above Water in 2019, which addressed the singer’s battle with Lyme disease. But over the course of the last few years, the ennui of the pandemic and a de facto “pop-punk revival” set the stage for Avril to come back in a big way. Signing with Travis Barker’s DTA Records, Avril burst back onto the scene at the end of last year with the classic alternative anthem “Bite Me,” a song more reminiscent of her debut album than anything in recent memory. In the video introducing the song, Avril and Travis lead a pack of axe-wielding men in tutus to help her take revenge on an unsavory ex. Whether you’ve recently been dumped or are just full of pent-up aggression due to the impact of the pandemic, this song sounds like the kiss-off we all needed.
Announcing her seventh album, Love Sux, at the top of 2022, Avril shared another early single, the Blackbear collaboration “Love It When You Hate Me,” and a tracklist that included other collaborators like Machine Gun Kelly and Mark Hoppus, along with a couple appearances from Barker himself. Even though she’s been in the game for two decades, Avril is still pushing herself to try new things, and when it feels right, go back to the old ones. Love Sux feels apiece with her sound on Let Go, even though it’s more polished and perhaps a bit more brash. It’s quite possibly the best album Avril has ever made, and she feels it too, along with a gratitude that even twenty years in, this is still what she gets to call her job. We talked about all of this and more in a recent phone interview prior to her album release, check out a condensed, edited version of our conversation below.
This is your seventh album, but it feels like a shift back toward the beginning of your career. How does it stand apart from your more recent work?
You know, I wrote my first album when I was 16, and I’d just left high school. I was writing from my perspective as a teenager, and now, 20 years later, I’m writing songs with more experience. I’ve lived a little, and gone through a lot, so I have a different perspective. I would just say that this album does reflect where I’m at. Basically, the album’s called Love Sux, and I went into it feeling exhausted and kind of jaded about love. I was over it, and wanted a little bit of a break and to focus on myself. That was the headspace I was in when I was writing, and “Love Sux” was one of the first songs I wrote for it… but that didn’t last very long.
Making this record was so much fun, I’m in a really great place, I’m in a happy place in my life. The album, even though it’s called Love Sux is tapping into relationships, and how crazy they are, and the ups and downs of love — all of the wild emotions and roller coaster rides that love can put us through. It’s done in almost a humorous way, the songwriting has a sense of humor to it. It’s light and funny, and even though the songs are talking about heavy stuff it’s done in a lighthearted way. It’s like a tongue-in-cheek way of venting.
People are definitely relating to the tongue-in-cheek frustration! There’s also so much excitement around this record, and pop-punk in general. As an early pioneer in that space at its peak, how do you feel about the sudden resurgence of everyone being into it?
For me and my music, I’ve always had a connection to pop-rock, pop-punk, rock and roll, and emo music. I’ve always had that element in my albums, and it’s always been with me — at all of my shows, all of my concerts. Music is cyclical, things are trendy, or played on the radio and then not — like it’s so wild that rock and roll would not get played on the radio? — but when I saw pop-punk finally being accepted, and being more mainstream again, I was like ‘F*ck yes b*tches, let’s go.’ Like with the Machine Gun Kelly and Travis’ album that Kells (MGK) is putting out (their joint album, Mainstream Sellout, is coming out in March), and I’m so stoked to see my friends doing so well in music, and the new generation discovering rock music. If you look at the success of the When We Were Young festival, it shows the appetite for this type of music is the strongest it’s ever been. I love that people identify with my music, and I love that it’s come back around. This is the music that I grew up listening to, and that helped shape me as an artist, so I’m really stoked to be a part of it.
What surprised you most about working with Travis Barker?
It’s just been really great to see him evolve. He’s so much more than a drummer. He has a great sense of production. He knows a lot about songwriting. He’s a businessman. He’s a studio wizard. Like, there’s so much more to him than being a drummer. He spends every waking moment — like, he’s always working, he’s always in the studio. He loves music, he’s so passionate about it, and really shows. I’m really enjoying working with him, because he’s also an artist, so he understands. He’s been around for a long time and doing his thing for a long time, and so have I, and so we can really relate to each other.
How did you select some of the guests and collaborators for this album?
It was pretty organic. Travis and I started talking. I linked up with Mod Sun, Mod introduced me to John Feldmann. We wrote tons of songs, I wrote songs with Travis, and then Kells (MGK) hit up Mod and he came into the studio with us. And then Mark came in the studio and we hit up Blackbear. It’s kind of just like everybody knows everybody. And it was just like, the guys wanted to be a part of the album. What’s cool is these are people that I’m a really big fan of — it’s like as close as I can get to feeling like I’m in a band. I’m loving it. This album just happened, and I was like ‘let’s rock out b*tches, no holding back.’ I was like ‘I want to make a pop-punk record, let’s f*cking go.’ I didn’t have a label at the time, I didn’t have managers. I’m like twenty years into my career and it’s like, I’m just doing this sh*t for me now, and I want to make the music I want to make. This is where my heart is, and what I’m feeling. I think it’s like my favorite record.
I’ve listened to all your records and it’s my favorite one. Can you talk a little bit about the timeline for when you were making it?
Right when the pandemic happened Travis and I started chatting. I started working on the record like November 2020, so I was working on it basically all of last year. I’d actually done the record, and I was like ‘oh sh*t, now I’ve got to get everything together on the business end. In the studio, I wore a mask the whole time and was being very careful. I had a Zoom session with Mark, and then Bear recorded in his studio and sent over his parts. It was crazy, even though we worked on Zoom with Mark Hoppus, I was like ‘damn, this guy is so talented.’ He was like recording himself, engineering himself, and writing. He was so fast with lyrics and melodies. Obviously, I love their songs, and knew that he was a good songwriter and singer, but to get to see him work in real time, I was really blown away by his talent. I listened to their music when I was younger, so it’s kind of come full circle.
Can you talk about the impact of “Sk8er Boi” on your career? I know there’s a film in the works, and that song’s staying power is pretty incredible, like realizing it’s 20 years old and still has the impact it does.
I love how much people still really bring that song up. I love how warmly everybody still feels toward it. It’s a really special thing, and unique, to have a song that really stands out. I have a lot of big songs, but that one, everyone seems to resonate with. It’s taken on… it’s insane to see a whole new generation discovering music of mine twenty years later. It’s pretty unbelievable. But the song is going to take a new life of its own as I turn it into a film, I’m in the process of doing that now. I have a writer and a director at the moment, and I’m producing it and assembling a team right now.
Since Let Go came out in 2022, the album and “Sk8er Boi” are turning 20 this year. How are you feeling about that anniversary?
It feels crazy. 20 years! It does and it doesn’t feel like it… it kinda flew by, right? I’m really excited to be celebrating it this year. I’m getting a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame around the anniversary. I’m planning on doing some fun shows that are just songs from that album. There’s a re-release of the album happening with some demos on it. It’s so crazy that it’s been 20 years.
Going back to Love Sux, what’s your favorite deep cut from the album fans should look out for?
My favorite is “Love Sux!” Because it was the headspace I was in, and I think a lot of the songs are in that vein basically. It reminds me of “Girlfriend” a little bit, the songwriting style, and “Girlfriend” is one of my favorites. It’s very much a nursery rhyme chorus.
Anything else you want to add that I didn’t ask you about?
I’m just really grateful toward my fanbase. They’re just so loving and supportive and passionate, 20 years in. They’re so amazing, so present and there. I feel like owe it all to them, and I’m still here today because of them. I’m really grateful to be here, 20 years later, still making music. I’m really having so much fun. Something I’ve learned about myself is music is very natural for me. I started writing poems when I was little, and songs when I was like 13, 14, and I’ve been onstage since I was 5. And this far into my life, I’m here because I want to be here, and I’m having fun. And it’s nice to be at that point, too. I’m just really thankful and grateful to be here.
Avril Lavigne is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
When it comes to rum cocktails, there’s often a lot of sugar involved. That is in large part to tropical drink culture layering in the sugars and fruit juices. But, as with all cocktails, rum cocktails go far beyond just being tropical juice and sugar bombs.
Case in point, the El Presidente. This gem is the perfect, refined, and, dare we say, grown-up rum cocktail. Especially for a weekend that bridges winter and spring.
This drink goes back to Havana in the 1920s, a time and place where so many great cocktails were born. The drink has roots in the old colonial “presidents” of Cuba of the era but has a muddled history at best (no pun intended). Overall, the drink is built from white or light rum, bianco vermouth, orange liqueur, and a touch of grenadine.
This is an easy stirrer that you can master at home with a little practice. It’s also a deeply layered cocktail that feels like a level up on both your palate and cocktail mixing game. Let’s get into it!
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
Choose a good light/white rum for this cocktail. It’s the highlight of the drink and will shine through. I’m using Equiano Light Rum which has a nice balance of tropical fruit, sugar cane, and vanilla/wood notes.
Then there’s the vermouth. This drink calls for a bianco vermouth, not dry vermouth (they’re very different things). A bianco is the most refined white vermouth out there with a higher-quality wine at the base and more of a herbal/floral/vanilla vibe. Bianco vermouths also have a small dose of sugars added to make them a sort of bridge between dry vermouth and the darker sweet vermouth.
When it comes to the orange liqueur, I like to use Grand Marnier in this cocktail. It’s a cognac-based orange liqueur that has a deeper taste and color — which I think adds an extra little something to the overall drink. You can use triple sec if you have it on hand.
Zach Johnston
What You’ll Need:
Coupe or cocktail glass
Mixing jug
Cocktail strainer
Barspoon
Jigger
Pairing knife
Zach Johnston
Method:
Prechill the glass in the freezer.
Add the rum, vermouth, Grand Mariner, and grenadine to the mixing jug. Fill with ice about 1/2 and stir until the jug is ice-cold to touch (about 30 seconds).
Strain the cocktail into the prechilled glass.
Express the orange oils over the glass and rub the rim and stem of the glass with the peel. Trim the peel and make a twist for the rim of the glass. Serve.
Bottom Line:
Zach Johnston
There’s a lot going on with this cocktail but it all comes together so nicely. The nose draws you in with botanicals, florals, and that rush of vanilla. The taste has this slight rum vibe that’s just touched with berry sugars and orange. The whole thing feels elevated with real depth in every sip.
Overall, this feels like a drink you find at a serious cocktail party, and then you can’t stop making them for the next few months at home. It’s so diverse in its flavor profile from the barks to the florals to the rummy sugar cane that you’ll be hooked instantly.
The Rundown is a weekly column that highlights some of the biggest, weirdest, and most notable events of the week in entertainment. The number of items could vary, as could the subject matter. It will not always make a ton of sense. Some items might not even be about entertainment, to be honest, or from this week. The important thing is that it’s Friday, and we are here to have some fun.
ITEM NUMBER ONE — We are witnessing greatness
The Righteous Gemstones is so good. This is, I suppose, not exactly breaking news. I’ve been shouting and/or writing about the show for weeks now and will probably continue doing so long after the season finale airs this Sunday. A big part of this is the cast. What a murderer’s row. What an embarrassment of riches. Danny McBride and John Goodman and freaking Walton Goggins just killing it as Baby Billy Freeman. And Tim Baltz as BJ, who I love dearly for a bunch of reasons. But please, whatever you do, if you’re ticking off reasons and people that make the show great, do not forget to mention Edi Patterson as Judy Gemstone.
It’s an amazing performance, honestly. Every scene is a revelation, every line delivery a masterclass in just doing everything all at once. Nothing is left on the table, ever. It’s like looking straight into a supernova. I can’t get enough of her and I can’t get enough of her relationship with BJ — a man who we have seen swirling and sniffing milk as though it’s wine at a big family dinner — and I kind of want to see an entire spinoff limited series about how they met and started dating and their wedding and all of it. This is a woman who is so equally proud and insecure that she can quickly back herself into statements like this when the subject of Disney World comes up, which is perfect both with and without context.
HBO
Patterson talked about some of her process in finding Judy as a character this week at Vulture, and if you are wondering if every quote about Judy gives you a window into the demented funhouse between her ears, I am pleased to report that the answer is a resounding yes.
“She does take me over, and I love it and I welcome it, and I’ve invited her in,” says Patterson of a creation she describes as a “walking id.” She herself is exuberant where Judy can be fatalistic and nimble where Judy can go askew, but all she needs to feel “fully Judy” is the character’s exuberantly curly hair. She is committed enough to getting character details right that she practiced her clogging routine for the series’ breakout season-one song “Misbehavin,’” which she co-wrote “over and over and over and over and over and over and over,” but the key to her embodiment of Judy is more instinctive: getting “as free of logical thought as I can get.”
Yeah, that about sums it up. Judy has rocketed up my list of favorite characters on the show for exactly these reasons, too. Sometimes I find myself just like watching her in the background while other characters are talking or doing things. She’s always making a face or fidgeting in her chair or doing some other tiny thing that gives you a little glimpse into what a maniac she is.
Sometimes you don’t need to work that hard to see this, though. Sometimes it’s right there in the center of the screen in a sparkly dress. Sometimes, to cite one specific example, she’s doing this.
HBO
I have watched this maybe 600 times since it happened on the show and it has blown me away a little bit each time. It’s like a whole silent comedy bit, filled with exaggerated gestures and dramatic stomping and about six other things that are happening in there. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve seen on television in months — maybe years? — and it’s important to me that we don’t lose it in all the “Baby Billy selling Covid-curing elixirs out of a trailer attached to a BMW convertible” of this season.
Judy Gemstone is a treasure. Edi Patterson is a treasure. The whole show is a treasure, top to bottom, but those two things are important to remember. As is this next paragraph, also from that Vulture piece, in which things get surprisingly deep and kind of meaningful.
“Judy helps me to remember that we’re all gonna die someday, and none of us knows when we’re gonna die,” Patterson says matter-of-factly, her expression the most serious it’s been during our entire 90 minutes together. “You might as well just let it rip because all you’ve got is this moment.”
“You might as well just let it rip because all you’ve got is this moment.” That’s… profound. A powerful life philosophy. Maybe the best yearbook quote I’ve ever seen. Please take at least five minutes this weekend to think about it. And to appreciate what Edi Patterson has been doing the last few weeks on your television screen. So, 10 minutes, total. You can squeeze that in somewhere.
ITEM NUMBER TWO — I am concerned about John C. Reilly
HBO
I am very excited about Winning Time, the upcoming HBO series about the Showtime-era Los Angeles Lakers. It has everything I’ve ever asked for in a prestige television series, including but not limited to:
Basketball
An excuse for me to talk about basketball a lot as part of my actual job
John C. Reilly as legendary hedonist and Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss
Perfect, all of it. And it has the thing about its title, where it is based on the book Showtime by Jeff Pearlman and Showtime is an objectively perfect name for a television show, except for the small issue where Showtime is also the name of one of HBO’s top premium cable competitors, and so now the title is the objectively worse Winning Time. It’s all quite silly and petty and it makes me laugh a lot.
But back to John C. Reilly. He is so perfect for this role. He even looks a little like Jerry Buss. It’s great. It’s the best. But it’s also kind of an issue, as we see all laid out once again in a new Hollywood Reporter feature about the making of the show. The short version goes something like this: Will Ferrell allegedly really wanted the role, but his longtime collaborator Adam McKay (producer and top banana on the show) first cast Michael Shannon and then called up Reilly when Shannon backed out. Without calling or telling Ferrell. Which may or may not have.m broken their already strained relationship. From the article:
But before Reilly signed on — before he grew out his hair and his mustache and got into a physical shape that allowed him to squeeze into Buss’ tight-fitting pants — he reached out to Ferrell. Recalls McKay: “It was at this weird moment where Will and I weren’t exactly hugging each other, even though there was nothing that terrible, and he called Will and said, ‘Hey, McKay just came to me with this.’ And Will was very hurt that I wasn’t the one to call him, and I should have. I fucked up.” Reilly is more diplomatic, offering only: “Will is one of my best friends, Adam is one of my best friends, I was delighted to get the job and that’s all I really have to say.”
Which brings me to my point: I feel kind of bad for John C. Reilly here. It stinks when two of your friends are fighting and you’re stuck in the middle of it. It is legitimately one of my least favorite things in the whole entire world. And it’s even worse here because John C. Reilly seems super proud of and happy about this show — again, I’m very excited — but he’s got all of this hanging over his head now and has to answer questions about it all.
It does not seem fun. This is a bummer, in part because John C. Reilly seems like a good and talented dude, and in part because it means I won’t be able to watch Step Brothers again without thinking about it all. This last part is admittedly a smaller issue. A borderline non-issue, really, unless you happen to be in the room with me when the movie is on and I launch into this whole story again and ruin the movie for you, too.
So it’s a problem for all of us, really.
ITEM NUMBER THREE — Patti Harrison freakin’ rules
The fact of the matter here is that Patti Harrison is the best. You’ve seen her. You know this. You’ve watched her steal entire sketches on I Think You Should Leave. Go watch the Capitol Room sketch again where she’s shouting about bald boys and wine. Go watch the “Santa isn’t coming” sketch from the first season. Watch the sketch I posted right up there, in which she mostly just shouts about tables and turns it into high comedy. It’s incredible and chaotic and I love it a lot.
This is one of the many reasons it’s cool that she was featured in a big fancy New Yorker interview this week. Another reason: I do not know if I’ve ever seen a print interview come across funnier and more engaging. It’s hard to be fun and charming in print. You lose all the stuff you can rely on in-person — delivery, body language, etc. — to accompany your words. Things can lose context and come across wrong. Your best hope usually is just to come across as, like, not a loser.
Which, again, makes this all kind of awesome. Look at this answer about getting started in comedy and having interactions with celebrities.
I later worked in a writer’s room with Jason Segel, and at the end I was, like, “I didn’t want to be a freak or anything, but my college improv group was named after a quote from ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall.’ ” It’s when Russell Brand’s character is performing and Jonah Hill’s character is, like, “I just went from six to midnight.” Jason was, like, “Oh, yeah, that was actually an ad-lib that Jonah did!” Then years later I saw Jonah Hill at an event, and I was so trashed. I was, like, [slurring drunkenly] “I need to tell you, my college improv troupe . . .” He was an angel. I don’t think there’s any world where I tell either of them this dull information and they’re, like, “Fuck you, bitch.” But maybe that’s what I wanted? Maybe that’s the response I feel I deserve.
That’s just great. All of it, beginning to end. I can see her doing it and I can see Jason Segel’s face and I can see Jonah Hill’s face and I can see them both being sweethearts about it. I love that she told this story in the freaking New Yorker.
I also love that she told this story about growing up and having parties at her house on account of having a cool fire pit.
Yeah, you make a ton of beautifully meaningful friendships that way, based on if you have a fire pit, and if people are allowed to drive their trucks through your back yard. I was kind of a terror, to my mom and my neighbor, because I was, like, “Dude, it’s O.K. It’s going to be fine. They can drive their trucks back there.” And then they would leave big tire marks in our yard, and my mom would have a meltdown, and I was just, like, “Hey, I didn’t know Corbin was going to do that. That’s just not like Corbin to have done that.”
Come on, Corbin.
There are two primary takeaways from all of this:
If you have ever thrown a party at your house where your idiot friends broke and/or trashed something and you later had to explain it to your parents, this anecdote probably had you squarely in the cringelaugh zone
Again, Patti Harrison is the best
In my mind, Corbin was bald. It makes this screencap a little funnier, which I did not think was possible.
NETFLIX
Great work by everyone here. Except Corbin. Just, like, be cool for once, guy. No one will get to hang out at the fire pit if you ruin it for everyone. Come on.
ITEM NUMBER FOUR — Abbott Elementary did the window thing!
ABC
The fact of the matter is that I will simply not shut up about Abbott Elementary, a fun and good network sitcom in a time when fun and good network sitcoms seemed like a thing of the past. It makes me really happy, for a slew of reasons I’ve discussed many times, some of which are related to it being set in Philadelphia and nailing little authentic touches like the use of the word “jawn” and people pronouncing the word “hoagie” like “heaugie.” (Go Birds.) I am thrilled that it is putting up Modern Family-style numbers on the ratings scoreboard. I hope it runs for 10 seasons and leads to a million more shows set in Philly and I hope one of them is about Allen Iverson and my beloved 76ers.
But that’s an issue for another day. Preferably tomorrow, but still. For now, I need to discuss the thing where this week’s episode gave me another GIF to add to my increasingly/surprisingly full “WINDOW STUFF” folder. Here, look at this, which I will share stripped of context only because it is better with context and I want you to watch the show.
ABC
It’s a good piece of business. But it also, as I alluded to earlier, brings the total of window-related GIFs I have on my computer to at least four. That feels like too many window-related GIFs for any one person to have. I do not care. They crack me up. The best example here is the one from Bosch a few years back where Lance Reddick tried to murder a man using only disdain. If anyone ever looked at me like this, I suspect I would turn to dust and blow away immediately. I mean…
AMAZON
And it gets better because, up against truly staggering odds, he did the same thing again a season or two later. Look at a king do king things. I need him to start doing it in every show. And in John Wick. I need him to retroactively go back and do it on The Wire. He’s so good at it.
AMAZON
And it gets even better than that, because not only are there multiple GIFs of Lance Reddick rolling up a window as he’s chauffeured off to presumably go stare someone into stone on a show where he also grumbles the main character’s last name once every 4-6 episodes, sometimes while sitting at a piano, there’s also this: my beloved Lalo Salamanca from Better Call Saul rolling up and rolling down like the diabolical prince he is.
AMC
The takeaways here are as follows:
There is a surprising amount of quality window-related business on television
You will not be able to get any of this out of your head now either, a fact I feel like I should both apologize and take credit for
I’m doing great
Show me Cousin Greg from Succession doing this next. Or NoHo Hank from Barry. Or Judy Gemstone. You know what? I’ll just go ahead a make a full list this weekend and get it to you Monday.
ITEM NUMBER FIVE — Something is afoot here
Getty Image
Two things are true about Wordle. The first is that, yes, it can be a little annoying to see 700 people post their results on social media every morning and I can understand if the whole thing makes you roll your eyes, especially if you don’t play it yourself. The second thing is that I am hopelessly hooked on it and involved in no fewer than three group chats where we post results and talk shit, including one with my mom, who is, like me, a competitive maniac. It’s been fun, both for the challenge and for the way it’s provided an easy excuse to stay in touch with a lot of people and serve as an ice-breaker in a bunch of conversations with people I might not otherwise be texting with every day. In conclusion, Wordle is a land of contrasts.
Anyway, my point here: Earlier this week, 227 and Sister, Sister star Jackee Harry posted this on Twitter.
There are, as far as I can tell, three possibilities here:
Jackee guessed the word “thorn” — this particular day’s answer — on her first try, which would be a weird word to open with
Jackee is cheating at Wordle
Jackee is doing a bit
The good news here is that all of these fascinate me equally. Any one of them would bring me endless amounts of joy if we could confirm it all. Please ask Jackee about this if you see and/or know her. This is important.
And speaking of important Wordle-related issues, there’s also this:
I know what you’re thinking and I can explain. Yes, I follow both Jackee and Oscar the Grouch on Twitter. Yes, I feel great about it. No, I will not be explaining any of this any further.
Thank you.
READER MAIL
If you have questions about television, movies, food, local news, weather, or whatever you want, shoot them to me on Twitter or at [email protected] (put “RUNDOWN” in the subject line). I am the first writer to ever answer reader mail in a column. Do not look up this last part.
From Zack:
I assume you’ve seen this already but it’s too important to risk it. Have you seen the news stories about Hank the Tank, the bear in California who has been breaking into homes and stealing food? The articles about him read like they were written specifically for you, not just because of the “FOOD HEIST” part of it. There’s also phrases like “no apparent fear of humans” in there, too. So I guess my real question here is… why isn’t this a television show already with a talking bear who robs houses? Like a Yogi Bear crossed with a Home Alone? There are so many shows. I’m sure some streaming services could do it.
A few important things here:
This was a perfect email
I received it on Thursday morning
There are now updates to the Hank story
Specifically, we learned that Hank the Tank, the bear that robs people’s houses, is actually… THREE BEARS.
On Thursday, state wildlife officials issued a pardon and vindication of sorts for the 500-pound black bear that they had originally said was solely responsible for burglarizing nearly three dozen homes in the Tahoe Keys neighborhood of South Lake Tahoe over the past few months.
Officials with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife said Thursday that DNA samples collected from the properties showed that at least two other large black bears had broken into some of the homes.
First of all, I love it, obviously. Hank the Tank received justice due to DNA evidence. It’s a perfect news story, beginning to end. And the end gets even happier, because this could have all gotten really sad otherwise.
As a result, the distinctive bear with a light-brown muzzle and an inky black beach-ball shaped body won’t be killed or relocated to a sanctuary — options state officials had been weighing as they decided what to do about the habitual bear burglar.
So, yes, Zack, I also need this to be a television show now. Let’s have Jack Black voice Hank and let’s have Patti Harrison voice one of the other thieves and let’s have… hmm, let’s have Jake Johnson play the park ranger who suspects there’s more to the story. Eight episodes on Hulu as soon as possible.
Thieves have stolen over $200,000 worth of props from the set of Netflix series “The Crown” while the production was shooting nearby.
PROP HEIST
WE HAVE A PROP HEIST
A ROYAL PROP HEIST
Over 350 items were taken during the heist, including a replica Fabergé egg, a grandfather clock clockface, a dressing table, crystal glassware and silver and gold candelabras.
Is it weird that, to me, all of this is now significantly more intriguing than anything that is happening on the actual television show where this happened? Like, all due respect to The Crown and Claire Foy, but I would much rather watch a show about a guy — possibly a team of guys? — plotting and scheming to steal six figures worth of props from a fancy show about the Queen of England. That sounds like some Extremely Brian Stuff.
I need it at once. Cast Walton Goggins. Or do it in the next season of Lupin. And cast Walton Goggins in Lupin. Listen to me.
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire police told Variety: “Police were called at 4.30pm on Wednesday 16 February following a report of theft from vehicles at Pastures Road, Doncaster. It is reported that three vehicles containing props used in film and TV were broken into and a number of items taken. Officers investigated the incident but all existing lines of enquiry have now been exhausted. The case has been filed pending any new lines of enquiry.”
As exciting as this all is to me, I do have some bad news: I posted this story on Twitter and got this reply and I have been furious ever since that I did not think of it first.
Samuel Adams/Modelo/Coorsm Miller High Life/istock/Uproxx
With the craft brewing boom across all corners of America over the past four decades, the grocery beer aisle has expanded to a point that would’ve been unrecognizable even 10 years ago. These days, you can find old-school, macro-produced lagers from your grandparent’s generation sharing shelf space with award-winning IPAs encompassing umpteen sub-styles. And in between it all, you can find plenty of imports from every corner of the beer-drinking world.
Some are great. Some not so much. We understand that it can be a confusing time if you’re new to the beer game, but that’s where we come in. And today, we’re going to take a look at the beers you can find in pretty much every grocery store around the country. We also brought in some ringers to give us a helping hand.
We asked some well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us their favorite “grocery store beers” — meaning the names everyone knows and has access to. They fired back with lot of opinions and some great picks worth grabbing.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale has been widely available for more than 10 years. Now with their Asheville, North Carolina brewery, they’re churning out the freshest beer possible from coast to coast (and abroad). In my opinion, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a textbook example of what American pale ales aspire to be.
The answer is Coors Banquet. I like it because it’s literally available everywhere and sometimes when you’re drinking all these IPAs, hazies, DIPAs, etc., you just need a “spacer.” You know, the kind of thing to give your palate a break. Banquet is definitely no-frills, but there’s nothing like that cold Rocky Mountain water hitting your gullet on a hot summer day.
It’s the kind of beer that’s classic and available anywhere.
Guinness Draught is my pick. It’s extremely sessionable at 4.2 percent ABV, unique, and extremely drinkable without sacrificing flavor. It was one of my first beers and a beer I still love to see on draft. Special shoutout to their Foreign Extra Stout as well.
Old Style Lager has always been a favorite “grocery store” beer for me. My Grandpa Bob would always drink it, and we always have some at every family gathering as a tribute to him. It’s cheap, refreshing, and always there.
If I could only pick one, it would be a crispy, thirst-quenching Narragansett Lager. It’s a staple at any bar worth going to in New England. It’s light in body and designed to be consumed by the handful.
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale
Bell
Rob Day, senior director of marketing at Springdale Beer Co. in Framingham, Massachusetts
Bell’s Two Hearted Ale is my favorite grocery store beer, hands down. This is the most reliable, widely available, excellent beer I know. It’s an all-around great IPA and you can get it pretty much everywhere.
Modelo Especial
Modelo
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone® and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
If I’ve got beer in my cart at a grocery store, it’s more than likely going to be Modelo Especial (specifically in cans). When I make tacos at home, I go big and it’s a day-long investment. The honey blossom aroma of the beer compliments all the taco aromas floating around the kitchen, and there’s just something about that clean-but-sweet barley finish that sets up your palate for taco after taco.
Sam Adam’s Boston Lager is just a solid beer drinker’s beer. There are good bready malts and noble hops, it’s clean and crisp, it’s available pretty much everywhere, and it isn’t too expensive. I much prefer this over the light lagers, they’re just too thin and flavorless for my tastes.
If I had to pick a classic “grocery store” beer, I would probably go with Miller Genuine Draft. It was my go-to lawnmower beer early on. It is clean and refreshing, easy to drink, and has a little more flavor than Bud or Coors, in my opinion.
Pilsner Urquell
Pilsner Urquell
Brian Jaszewski, director of product management at Sprecher Brewing Co. in Glendale, Wisconsin
I always go to Pilsner Urquell. A good lager is tough to beat as a daily drinker, which is why we focus on perfecting them here at Sprecher. It delivers exactly what it promises every time, and your palate only has to work as hard as you want when you are drinking it.
Anchor Steam
Anchor
Jamie Boalbey, director of beverage and operations at Pitfire Pizza in Los Angeles
Without a doubt for me, Anchor Steam is my favorite “grocery store” beer. A timeless classic, it has the perfect harmony of malts and hops with a refreshing, clean finish that leaves you craving more. It’s a can’t-miss beer that’s available in most every grocery store.
Tecate is my go-to. If I’m looking for something super light, a Tecate fits the bill nicely. It’s easy drinking and a bit fuller tasting than American macro lagers, which tend to use rice as an adjunct. Tecate is slightly sweeter and softer with a corn addition.
Sweetwater IPA
Sweetwater
Brad Bergman, brewing director at Sycamore Brewing in Charlotte, North Carolina
I really enjoy Sweetwater’s IPA. You can find it most grocery stores in the Southeast. For as ubiquitous as it is, there are really a lot of nice flavors. Citrusy, tropical, bright, and not too heavy or sweet, it’s a nice IPA (especially if found fresh) that I see all around.
Allagash White is my favorite “grocery store” beer. It is a true American classic, delicious, and infinitely drinkable. What could be better than this hazy, slightly spicy, and memorable beer? The flavors are perfect any time of year.
Miller High Life is a can’t-miss grocery store find. Something about drinking out of a clear glass bottles makes me happy. It’s a rare joy and a horrible idea for most beers. This is refreshing, crisp, and the kind of beer you never want to stop drinking.
The kind of beer that’s classic, available anywhere, and no-frills? Swami’s from Pizza Port is my pick. Somehow, no matter where you are — you could be in Mammoth or right around the corner from the brewery — but their “packaged on” dates are always within the month.
Spring is right around the corner (finally), which means it’s time to lock down your seasonal travel plans. Of course, planning any vacation includes finding a place to stay and an epic spot is often a precursor to an epic trip. There are lots of hotels we love, but if you’re traveling with a group, craving more privacy, or looking for something ultra-unique, rental properties are often your best bet.
If you’re still in need of destination inspiration for your spring and summer travel plans, today’s your day. Airbnb just release their most wish-listed US-based properties so far in 2022. From an A-frame cabin in Zion National Park to a cliffside abode to a cottage curated for a hobbit, the Airbnbs below are reason enough to book your next flight.
Kettle House Galveston – As Seen on TV DIY (Galveston, TX)
Airbnb
This quirky, newly-renovated 1960s home was originally built as a steel storage tank. Now, it’s one of Airbnb’s hottest picks. With two bedrooms with a total of three beds, this property fits up to six guests. It’s only an eight-minute walk to the beach and 12 miles to the historic Strand, making it the perfect setup for a beachside weekend in good ol’ Galveston, Texas.
Bottom Line:
How often will you get the chance to stay in a refurbished storage tank? This kettle house provides an eccentric accommodation option compared to your average beach house or hotel — def solid for the IG feed.
Zion is easily one of the most beautiful outdoor destinations in the US, and this EcoCabin Airbnb gives you a first-hand look at the vast red-rock desert landscape. The A-frame cabin takes glamping up a notch and gives guests the opportunity to disconnect from the busyness of everyday life and reconnect with nature. The single-bed space fits two people, so it’s ideal for an adventure-seeking couple or two guests who are looking to get off the grid.
Bottom Line:
Imagine waking up to an unobstructed view of the Zion Mountains every morning. Sounds pretty great, right? Plus, the Zion EcoCabin is close enough to town for when you want to try the local restaurants or pick up essentials at the grocery store.
This Airbnb is more than a rental property but a work of art. It features a 30-foot swing in the middle of the living area, and the entire property was renovated surrounding the placement of the swing and its arc — from the placement of the bed to the kitchen and bathroom. Even the finished basement is decorated with artwork made with materials sourced from the renovation process. It’s the ultimate lodging experience in one of Ohio’s liveliest cities.
Bottom Line:
A swing…in the middle of a house. Yep, if you’re an architecture and design fanatic, you’ll want to book a stay at The Swing House ASAP.
There’s no better place to find your zen and reconnect with nature than at this Naturalist Boudoir in Lumberton, Texas. Not only is the woodsy, boho-chic property itself beautiful, but the secluded location provides a private, peaceful space to totally unplug. Between the all-encompassing nature, the on-site hot tub, and the outdoor patio areas, you’ll leave the Naturalist Boudoir feeling fully rejuvenated.
Bottom Line:
We all need to escape the realities of everyday life and the online world from time to time. If you find yourself near Lumberton, this gorgeous Airbnb is the place to do just that.
Cliff Dweller: Spend a Night Suspended from the Ridgeline! (Campton, KY)
Airbnb
Calling all adventure seekers! Book a stay at Cliff Dweller for a once-in-a-lifetime lodging experience. Bolted high on a cliffside above the canopy in the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, you’ll first have to climb up several hundred suspended stairs. Despite hanging from the side of a ridge, the actual accommodation has enough room for four guests (2 beds), complete with a kitchen and bathroom.
Bottom Line:
What adrenaline junkie wouldn’t want to spend the night suspended from a ridgeline? It’s going to be a memorable experience, to say the least.
Ideal for eco-tourists, architecture fans, and anyone looking for a calm weekend away, this green retreat is tucked in the woods of Rhinebeck, New York on 30 preserved acres of land. The house is an open plan with zero closed-off bedrooms, but it can sleep up to three guests. The entire house is an eco-conscious, geometric masterpiece, making for a unique yet relaxing vacation.
Bottom Line:
You won’t be “roughing it” in the woods when you stay at this Airbnb per se, but this property definitely adds an element of going back to the basics. With geothermal heating, solar electricity, and a wood-fire stove, you’ll get a taste of a more natural, sustainable lifestyle.
This Scandinavia-like Airbnb will make you feel worlds away without having to go very far. This “earth home” is tucked beneath the foothills of the Elkhorn Mountains, so you can truly feel immersed in the outdoors. It features four full-sized built-in sleeping nooks, a secret door to a hidden private bedroom, and a shower you enter through a tree trunk with 13-foot ceilings. It fits up to 12 people (with limited privacy). So grab your closest group of friends and set out on a memorable adventure.
Bottom Line:
If you’re down to live like a straight-up hobbit for a weekend (because why not?), then definitely book a trip to Creekside Hideaway.
Unique ‘Earthouse’ Retreat w/ Spring-Fed Creek (Springfield, MO)
Airbnb
This is another property you might miss if you don’t look closely. The “Earthouse” is built into the landscape of Springfield, Missouri. The modern underground home includes three bedrooms and three bathrooms for up to eight guests. It’s also got a fully-equipped kitchen and living room complete with a flat-screen Smart TV, electric fireplace, and high-end decor and artwork. Not to mention, the spacious outdoor yard offers a fire pit, a patio with a six-person dining table, additional outdoor seating, a propane grill, and a garden.
Bottom Line:
Unique is right. This Earthouse Retreat is the perfect hideaway for families and friend groups who want something out of the norm.
This kind of weird yet totally cool property is the ultimate desert hideaway in the desert of Taos, New Mexico. The “Earthship” offers an off-the-grid living experience while still providing modern amenities for added comfort. The property’s electricity is captured and stored from sunlight, while rain and snowmelt are collected into large cisterns. It also features a wall of solar-charged thermal mass that keeps the house at a relatively constant temperature of 72 degrees year-round.
Bottom Line:
This El Prado-based Earthship is eccentric in the best way possible. For anyone looking to escape into the New Mexico deserts, this Airbnb is definitely worth checking out.
Another hobbit-worthy Airbnb — any Lord of the Rings fans will get a kick out of staying in this little cottage. It will make you feel like you’re living in Hobbiton. Located near Bryce Canyon, Brian Head, and Zion National Park, this property gives you a story-worthy stay with access to nearby adventure and the great outdoors. It fits two guests for a cozy couple of nights of living out your childhood fantasies.
Bottom Line:
This might be the cutest house you’ll ever stay in. It’s like a fairytale IRL.
The right-wing media network has, in the past, catered to its MAGA base by publishing some fairly light coverage on Putin and the many atrocities he’s committed over his decades-long reign, but the tyrant’s choice to invade the sovereign, peaceful neighboring nation seems to be a step too far — even for a news organization whose own reporter once claimed that the COVID-19 vaccine contained a Satanic tracking device.
In a statement tweeted out by political reporter Allan Smith, Newsmax condemned Putin, Fox News, and Carlson before pointing out that their own correspondents are on the ground, in Ukraine, reporting the truth about what’s happening there.
Statement from right-wing network Newsmax: “Newsmax strongly opposes Putin, his unprovoked attack on a sovereign and democratic nation, and has strongly criticized Fox News’ top host Tucker Carlson for supporting Putin and Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/YEtfYhc2ma
“Newsmax strongly opposes Putin, his unprovoked attack on a sovereign and democratic nation, and has strongly criticized Fox News’ top host Tucker Carlson for supporting Putin and Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine,” the statement reads.
Whether the stronger stance against Putin is a business play — Fox News and Carlson remain the biggest rating rivals for Newsmax’s many on-air programs — we’re guessing people are not going to let them forget about this cover story they published literally two months ago:
The UK’s Wireless Festival has announced its headliners for 2022, as well as a big change to the festival format. After being held at a single location since 2015, the festival has once again expanded to multiple venues this year, taking place at two of its old locations, Finsbury Park and Crystal Palace Park, as well as the National Exhibition Center in Birmingham.
Fittingly, the roster of headliners has also expanded to include an impressive collection of mostly US-based acts, which include ASAP Rocky, J. Cole, and Tyler The Creator at Crystal Palace Park on July 1-3, then Cardi B, SZA, and Nicki Minaj at Finsbury Park from July 8-10. On that same weekend, BRIT AWards winner Dave, Cardi B, and J. Cole will be the headliners at the NEC.
Local headliner Dave is coming off a strong 2021 that saw him release his sophomore album We’re All Alone In This Together. Dave was nominated for — and won — the Best Hip Hop/Rap/Grime Act award at this year’s BRITS, where he performed “In The Fire” from his new album complete with a flamethrowing guitar. His selection as a Wireless headliner signals his leap from emerging artist to bonafide superstar.
No other acts have been announced as yet, but you can find more information on the Wireless Festival website.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
As The Daily Beast reports, even many of those people who have perfected the art of smiling and nodding along when the former president says something outrageous are bothered that instead of condemning Putin’s actions and standing with the United States in its support of Ukraine, Trump is instead describing Putin as being both “smart” and “savvy” and in a way seems to be applauding Russia’s decision to launch an attack on Ukraine.
“I was stunned to hear that,” Dan Coats, who previously served as the director of national intelligence under Trump, told The Daily Beast. “I cannot think of any other U.S. president that would in a situation like this say what he said.”
It got to the point that by Thursday afternoon, several longtime associates who had spoken to Trump since Tuesday told him that he might want to avoid lavishing too much praise on Putin, and perhaps refrain from complimenting the Russian president’s intellect so much, according to two sources with knowledge of the matter. At least one adviser recently mentioned to Trump that it would be more advantageous to simply stick to calling Biden feckless and bumbling. Neither of them had high hopes that the ex-president would take the advice.
Finding a great bottle of Scotch whisky can be a pretty daunting task. There’s so much of it out there, so many regions, and then very different styles (peated and unpeated) with very different flavor profiles. That’s why we try to break it down by price, region, and through the help of blind tastings. Today, I’m going even deeper and doing a double-blind tasting with eight random bottles from my shelves.
While blind tastings are crucial for judging whiskeys without explicitly seeing the brand, I always know the contestants going in. So as I place each whiskey, there’s still an aspect of “knowing” (or guessing) what’s what. Whether it’s guacamole or beer or bourbon, we’re the ones picking those entrants from the grocery store or liquor store. With a double-blind, I’m going in with no idea what’s in the glasses in front of me.
There was one rule for pulling these bottles (my wife was kind enough to help me): don’t take more than one bottle off a single shelf. That way I would get as varied as possible a selection of whiskies (since I often have five, six, or more expressions from a single distillery sitting on the shelf together). Beyond that, there are no rules besides me having no idea what I’m in for and trying to guess what each dram might be.
Let’s dive right in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
There’s a clear sense of shortbread cut with lemon and vanilla next to malty spice, buttery toffee, and a touch of soft oak on the nose. The palate leans into that buttery toffee with some winter spice leading to creamy vanilla pudding, fruity underbelly, more of those spicy malts, and a sharp cut of fresh ginger. The end brings back the shortbread with a real butteriness.
My Guess:
More buttery and citrus-heavy? I’d say this is something in the Glenmorangie range.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Prunes and dates lead to a smoked apricot vibe with hints of old leather, orange-infused marzipan, dried roses, and a honeyed sweetness on the nose. The palate is so soft and holds onto that orange/marzipan/rose vibe before turning towards a malty dark chocolate mid-palate with smoked almonds and plums lingering on the backend. The finish is full of spicy malts and smoked stone fruits with that dark chocolate adding a thin layer of bitterness.
My Guess:
Wow! I have no idea what this is but it’s f*cking delicious.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Soft leather leads to an apple orchard full of sweet, tart, and woody apples with apple blossoms supporting the nose’s depth while a fresh and buttery brioche mingles with sweet oak. The taste opens with vanilla cookies and pear candies with a dried flower note next to a rich and fresh honey. That honey drives the mid-palate towards apple and pear stems and cores with this apple/pear/honey/floral vibe attached to a subtle maltiness.
My Guess:
Apple, brioche, florals, and honey means Glenfiddich. It’s an older one with that apple core and stem vibe but not sure which one.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with smoked peaches next to a smoldering chunk of cherrywood with singed sage and rosemary leading towards an echo of smoked brisket fat covered in a lot of black pepper. There’s a burnt toffee sweetness that leads to eggnog spices, green herbs after a rainstorm, and sweet potting soil. Then an ashen vibe — kind of like a campfire the morning after — kicks in on the mid-palate and gives this away. That ash leads to walnut shells, old black tea bags, sweet black licorice whips, and a touch more of that smoky brisket fat.
My Guess:
Ardbeg. 100%. It’s either the An Oa or Uigeadail. That specific “ashen” note gives it away.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Old orchard wood, soft leather, dried orange peels, raspberry jam, and creamy dark chocolate gently mingle on the nose. That jam leans into a spiced cherry compote as stewed plums with plenty of allspice and clove lead to soft walnut cake with a malty backbone. The mid-palate takes that walnut and sweetness and moves the taste toward velvety malts and soft and sweet orchard wood, a dusting more of that dark chocolate, and dark berry silkiness.
My Guess:
This is stunning whisky. I just can’t place it.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Wildflowers and granola bars draw you in on the nose as a hint of brine and salted caramel linger on the back end with orange oils and softwood. That brine becomes a full rush of seaspray as tart apples lead towards a Caro syrup mid-palate sweetness. That sweetness fades into a spicy malt as sea salt and sweet oak dominated the finish.
My Guess:
I cannot place this. That seaspray feels like a Skye or Islay distillery but it’s not peated. Orkney maybe? Campbelltown? I have no idea.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with new leather, plum jam, dark chocolate nibs, and oak staves dipped in barrels of fresh honey. That dark chocolate vibe leads to layers of orange oils, soft vanilla cream, dark fruit leather, and candied pecans. The sweet and nutty mid-palate moves towards creamy and buttery dark chocolate sauce as stewed and spicy plums finish the sip with a warming, leather, and dark fruity end.
My Guess:
All that dark fruit, leather, nuttiness, and dark chocolate … This has to be an Aberlour. It’s so sherried. Maybe the 18-year?
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Smoked apricots lead to singed star anise and a honey-chocolate note on the nose that’s subtle and very enticing. Crispy salmon skins and anchovy oils counter a soft and distant beach campfire on a rainy day with smoked sea salts, buttery toffee, and smoked apricot. That apricot drives the mid-palate towards silky layers of orange oils, more of that fatty salmon skin, and a final wisp of that campfire smoke from way down the beach.
My Guess:
Caol Ila. Not sure which one, but am sure what it is thanks to that fish fat/distant smoke vibe.
Bruichladdich’s philosophy on whisky making is pretty unique. Each batch highlights local, unpeated Scottish barley that’s fermented and distilled. That juice then goes into some combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-wine casks for a varied amount of time. That means each batch is unique. Bruichladdich then provides a code on their bottles so that you can go to their website and find out what makes the bottle in your hand special.
Bottom Line:
This was so good, interesting, and unique but here it is, last. Overall, this was the “smallest” whisky on the list. There was plenty there but it feels utterly unfair that it was tasted against some of the absolute marvels on this list.
This dram from Glenmorangie is a much-loved Highland malt. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed number of years. The whisky is then transferred to French Sauternes barrels which held sweet dessert wines where it spends two more years finishing.
Bottom Line:
Hey! I got this pretty close to right. Nice. It’s also wild that a whisky this delicious is nearly last. This list is nothing but bangers from top to bottom.
This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s just … cool. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special.
Bottom Line:
I had no idea what this was. I do feel that had I known it was in the lineup, I’d had sussed it out and ranked it higher. So, this is a pretty good example of how double-blinds really push the envelope.
That all aside, again, this is a phenomenal whisky.
This is a quintessential Islay peaty whisky. The juice is aged in a combo of Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak, and ex-bourbon casks before being married and rested again in Ardbeg’s bespoke oak “Gathering Vat,” allowing the whiskies to really meld into a cohesive dram.
Bottom Line:
I knew what this was almost immediately. That said, it’s hard to place that “ashy” vibe in a lineup of whiskies that absolutely nail so many deep and beautiful flavor profiles.
It’s all in the name of this yearly special release from Glenfiddich. The whisky matures for over 23 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then filled into French Cuvée casks that held Champagne. That whisky is then cut down to proof and bottled just in time for the holiday season.
Bottom Line:
Called it! I wish I had dialed in on the age statement but here we are. This whisky was a delight and I wish I had more of it — my wife picked some pricey, rare drams!
A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the juice in this Highland bottle represents that for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Olorosso sherry casks exclusively. The juice then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.
Bottom Line:
Damn! I was so close with Aberlour 18. Still, this is a deep, dark, and delicious whisky (and clearly a great value pick). I wanted more immediately.
This yearly release from the tiny Islay distillery, Caol Ila, is all about the finish. The 12-year-old juice is finished in Moscatel sherry casks to give it a truly deep fruitiness next to that briny Islay peat.
Bottom Line:
I love this whisky. Had this been up against other peated whiskies only, it would have won hands down. I just couldn’t argue the brilliance of today’s number one though.
This Highland whisky is a local tradition of sorts, dating back to the brand’s origins in the 1820s. The whisky in the bottles is hewn from barrels of at least 18-year-old whiskies. The maturation is done exclusively in hand-picked Olorosso sherry casks from Spain.
Bottom Line:
It didn’t matter that I couldn’t place this. It was the winner by far. This whisky is stunning and truly delicious.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Let’s see… I called five brands though never really nailed down the right expression. I still consider that a win. Though it’s pretty embarrassing I completely missed Johnnie Blue.
If I were to do this again, I don’t know what I’d change. This was so varied and had some seriously heavy-hitting masterpieces. I did learn that GlenDronach continues to wow with their range. Their 21-year is perfection in a glass if you’re looking for an unpeated pour.
In the end, I recommend all of these for different reasons. But if you want a truly transcendent experience, go for the GlenDronach for an unpeated pour or the Caol Ila for a peated pour. They’re both next-level whiskies that my particular palate adores.
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