Month: May 2022

In the wake of the gun massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which left 19 children and two adults dead, many have tried to offer solutions on how to prevent more of the same. Gun control activists have a simple solution: gun control legislation, arguing that the easily availability of semi-automatic weapons is what enabled this and other mass shootings. Republicans, however, have blamed everything but guns. One of them, Ted Cruz, even blamed doors, earning him scorn online and on late night television.

Cruz was also one of the speakers who didn’t cancel his appearance at the annual NRA convention, held mere days after the massacre, less than a five hour drive away in Houston. His speech wasn’t as bleak as the one given by former president Donald Trump. But it might have been enough to get him heckled at a restaurant afterwards.

As per Newsweek, Benjamin Hernandez, a board member at the activist group Invisible Houston, approached Cruz at an eatery. The video begins with the two posing for a photo, all smiles. As soon as the picture is taken, Hernandez’s tone pulls a 180, and he starts grilling Cruz about his stance on gun control, which he does not support. (Indeed, during his speech, Cruz repeated the old NRA line, “What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys,” ignoring that Uvalde cops on the scene reportedly did little to stop the mass shooter.)

Hernandez asked Cruz about background checks, saying, “Is that so hard?” Cruz accused Hernandez of not wanting to have a real discussion. He also repeatedly asked the Texas senator, “Why does this keep happening?”

As security personnel dragged Hernandez away, Cruz smiling and waving at him, he shouyted out, “Why, when 19 children died?”, adding, “Nineteen children died. That is on your hands. That is on your hands.”

Invisible Houston describes itself on its Facebook page as “an inclusive coalition at the Houston level to fight the rise of tyranny in America.” Hernandez was part of the throngs outside the convention center, protesting the NRA’s gathering. Cruz, however, seems to have mistaken him for one of his many young fans.

You can watch the video in the tweet embedded above.

(Via Newsweek)

In just a couple of weeks, Harry Styles will hit the road for the Love On Tour. The string of shows begins June 11 in Glasglow, UK, and continues through December 10 in Curitiba, Brazil. The Love On Tour also includes 15-show residencies in New York City and Los Angeles. The tour is in support of his third album Harry’s House which is set for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. While things were seemingly set for the tour, Harry is using his platform and the upcoming performances for a good cause.

Together with Live Nation, Harry pledged $1 million to the Everytown For Gun Safety Support Fund here in the United States following the Uvalde school shooting this past week. The tragic incident occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas and it left 19 children and two teachers dead, making it the deadliest school shooting since 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut back in 2012.

Harry made the announcement on Instagram saying that he would donate the funds from the Love On Tour shows to the gun safety fund, which Live Nation will match, up to $1 million. “Along with all of you, I have been absolutely devastated by the recent string of mass shootings in America, culminating at Robb Elementary School in Texas,” Harry wrote on Instagram. “On our North American tour, we will be partnering with Everytown who work to end gun violence, donating to support their efforts, and sharing their suggested action items.”

You can view Harry’s post above.

The gun massacre in Uvalde, which left 19 children and two adults dead, did a number on an event scheduled mere days later and in the same state: the annual National Rifle Association convention, held a four-plus hour drive away, in Houston. A number of scheduled speakers, including Texas governor Greg Abbott, pulled out at the last second. Donald Trump, however, did not. He showed up as planned, albeit with one stipulation: Those there to celebrate the right to bear arms were not allowed to bear arms during his speech.

Those that showed up were treated to a typical Trump speech, filled with bluster and insults and distortions. There was one section, though, that stood out from the rest: He attempted to pay tribute to the victims of the mass shooting, which was perpetrated by a teenager who legally obtained a semi-automatic weapon, a handgun, and a stockpile of bullets.

Alas Trump’s tribute was nothing more than him robotically reading the names of the victims, one by one, followed by the sound of a bell. He clearly did no research into how to pronounce the names of the deceased, many of them Hispanic and Latinx, badly garbling one after the other.

Not only was Trump’s tribute not moving. It seemed to many to be insulting and nightmarish.

Even with the attempted somber memoriam to innocent people who were preventably slaughtered, Trump made sure to end his speech with a dance.

Also in attendance was Ted Cruz, who has advocated, as Seth Meyers put it, “door control” over gun control.

While those inside the convention center were attempting to defend the use of semi-automatic weapons in the face of so much needless bloodshed, hundreds of protesters congregated outside, ranging from gun control activists to children.

Thanks to one of the best performances of his career, Jimmy Butler and the Heat are headed back to Miami and will bring the Boston Celtics with them. Despite Game 6 taking place in TD Garden and Boston having a chance to secure a spot in the NBA Finals, the Heat were able to pick up a 111-103 win to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Miami came out and landed the first punch with their backs against the wall. Led by a monster first quarter from Butler — who had 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals after one — and a team-wide 5-for-8 clip from three, the Heat were able to lead by as many as 10 points during the frame and found themselves up, 29-22 after one.

While Boston’s big issue — turnovers — was prominent in the first, Miami turned it over one fewer time. The bigger issue was that beyond the seven points on 2-for-3 shooting the team got from both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics shot 6-for-17 from the field to start the game and struggled to get into a rhythm on the offensive end of the floor.

Tatum was able to get into a groove early on in the second, as he led the Celtics to within one point.

Ultimately, Boston was able to go ahead as Miami’s offense got stuck in the mud for more than six minutes. The Celtics saw themselves rip off a 13-2 run to open up a cushion of as many as four points, although the Heat were able to finish the half on a 6-0 run to take a 48-46 lead into the locker room.

While things were close right out of the break, Miami ended up going on the first huge run about midway through the third. Thanks to a 13-2 run, the Heat went up by 12 points on the road.

Boston was able to settle down and get things a little more manageable heading into the fourth. Miami led, 82-75, behind Butler’s continued huge game and a surprising resurgence from Max Strus, who hit three triples in the quarter after not hitting a single shot from behind the arc since Game 3.

Butler continued to give them hell, but somewhat-unexpected hero emerged at the start of the fourth for the Celtics, as a 5-0 run by Derrick White got them within striking distance.

Down the stretch the game went, and a familiar pattern would continuously pop up: The Celtics would look ready to get over the hump, at which point Butler would do something to create just a little bit of breathing room. But that pattern was broken with about five and a half minutes left, as Al Horford hit his first triple of the night to tie things at 94, Butler could not respond, and White canned a wide open corner three to give Boston its first lead since early on in the third.

Miami was able to get an answer on its ensuing possession when Kyle Lowry pulled up from deep to hit a three.

The teams had matching trips to the free throw line thanks to Lowry and Smart, but after Brown got fouled and missed both, Butler came down, converted a layup through traffic, got fouled, and converted. And with less than 50 seconds remaining, the dagger came on a turnaround jumper as the shot clock expired.

Butler was the game’s premier performer with 47 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and a block in 46 minutes of work. Lowry, who has been a shell of himself for much of the series, had a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. For Boston, Tatum’s 30 points and nine rebounds led the way, while White gave them 22 off the bench and Brown scored 20.

Game 7 between the Heat and Celtics will take place on Sunday evening. The game is scheduled to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

An altercation prior to Friday night’s game between the Cincinnati Reds and the San Francisco Giants saw a player for each team get separated while the Reds were going through batting practice. Video of the incident showed that players from both teams were scattered around left field, and while details were scarce, it eventually came out that Tommy Pham and Joc Pederson got into it with one another.

According to C. Trent Rosecrans and Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, Pham slapped Pederson. While he was originally in the team’s starting lineup for the game, he was scratched prior to it beginning and was not with them in the dugout at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. ESPN reported that the pair were “quickly separated.”

The reason for the kerfuffle, per The Athletic, was something related to a fantasy football league involving both players.

“According to multiple sources, the beef stems from a disagreement the two had in a fantasy football league including players from several teams,” The Athletic reported.

“We’re investigating and learning as much as we can about the incident,” Giants manager Gabe Kapler said prior to the game. “I don’t have much more for you than that right now. I sense that we’ll have a clearer understanding after the game.”

Pham and Pederson have never been teammates in the majors with one another.

My story of how I found Secular Sabbath seems pretty similar to a lot of people. “I was on Instagram, saw a picture posted by a friend of a friend, and it looked really __________ .” Fill in the blank according to your disposition. “Cool” “fun” “creative” — you get the idea.

For me, it was “weird-but-in-a-good-way.” Not the most elegant descriptor but also… sort of fitting? I mean, I think this was the first clip I saw:

Y’know, just the widely beloved musician Rhye singing in his trademark falsetto to a super fat bunny. Or maybe it was this picture of the artist Buckley (whose work is incredible, by the way) covered in bodypaint while communing with a stuffed moon.

Seems like the best type of weirdness, right? It reminded me of the video for Edward Sharpe’s “Home.” Or old stories of the Source Family — which started as a health food store, built a commune in the Hollywood Hills, spawned a band, used weed as a sacrament, and dressed in velvet and linen.

I mean, when you see these tintype photos of Secular Sabbath, that comparison’s not too crazy of a stretch:

The point is: I had a hunch that this movement would be my jam.

Of course, it was nothing more than an educated guess, made based off of Instagram — perhaps society’s most deceptive social media platform. But it was surely enough to make me want to see Secular Sabbath in person during their recent retreat in Joshua Tree. Over a two-day span, the crew hosted a long-awaited second retreat in the desert (their first was pre-pandemic and was considered to be sort of an anti-Coachella), featuring ambient music, ice baths, yoga, tattoos, and a collaboration with the fledgling psilocybin outlet/ merch brand Yawn.

Since these are all things I like unabashedly, attending was a no-brainer.

But what I found in Joshua Tree surprised me. Not with how weird it was (though I think our society needs a lot more weirdness and I will fight to the death for the non-harmful weirdos out there), but with how clear its objectives were. Above everything else, I witnessed a community — people relating authentically (mostly without phones), honest discussions, and no Burning Man-esque stratification between attendees.

This, I’d learn, was all very much by design.

“Secular Sabbath was born out of my upbringing, at Esalen Institute in Big Sur,” Genevieve Medow-Jenkins told me last week. “As Esalen has become more commercial, I felt sad to see it taken away from the people that I loved. So I’ve created a community that isn’t tied to a specific place but rather the people that make it up — so no one can take it away from us.”

Within that context, the role of music in Secular Sabbath can’t be understated. Rhye played multiple sets, along with other ambient music acts. In fact, most Secular Sabbath events have some ambient music tie in and they recently started their own record label. On Friday night, the music went literally through the night. Rather than dancing, or even swaying very much, people lounged on air mattresses and lawn chairs under the desert sky. This chillness is also intentional.

“All I wanted out of the event was to spend time with people in a genuine way,” Medow-Jenkins said. “From that place, people can realize that if I can create as unique and strange as Secular Sabbath, they can create whatever their dreamscape is as well. What I aimed for was simply to create an environment in which people can grow and expand together.”

Watching my son sit in rapt attention during the performances (not seeking any other sort of stimulus beyond the music, my hand on his back, and the stars above) certainly left me feeling like my own dreamscape is within reach. Maybe the slice of the event I witnessed wasn’t as weird as I’d expected but it was every bit as profound. And daring. Because in a world in which division is a constant and authenticity is scarce, true connection and community, like what I saw at Secular Sabbath, becomes the wildest risk of all.

The Lakers have been in the coaching market ever since their season came to an end. After a season in which Los Angeles missed the play-in tournament, the team opted to fire head coach Frank Vogel, opening up a search for a coach who will help them return to the postseason.

The list of candidates got whittled down to a trio of finalists — Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, and former Blazers coach Terry Stotts — and right before Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Miami Heat and the Milwaukee Bucks tipped off on Friday evening, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Ham will be the one to get the job.

The news was confirmed by Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports that Ham will get a four-year deal to leave Milwaukee for Los Angeles.

As Wojnarowski noted, Ham is taking the job as a first-time head coach. After spending more than a decade playing in the NBA, Ham became an assistant with a trio of teams: the Lakers, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Bucks. One of Mike Budenholzer’s most trusted assistants and a member of the staff that helped guide Milwaukee to a championship last season, Ham inherits a Los Angeles team that went 33-49 this past season.

Apparently, it doesn’t matter how many “Super Dad” moments Kanye West is making sure get caught on camera because his divorce attorney just severed ties with the rapper. West’s lawyer Samantha Spector cited, “an irreconcilable breakdown in the attorney-client relationship,” in her withdrawal filings obtained by The Blast, which is some incredibly ironic language for a divorce attorney to take.

This marks the fourth lawyer that will now be representing West in the divorce proceedings against his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. In March, Ye switched up his legal counsel the day before the couple’s divorce hearing, firing Chris Melcher and replacing him with Spector, who previously served as the attorney for Dr. Dre’s ex-wife Michelle Young in their divorce. Now, the person listed in Spector’s documents as the new current representative for Mr. West is an out-of-state attorney from Pennsylvania, who isn’t even a divorce attorney.

While Kim and Kanye have worked hard to bring a sense of harmony to their relationship as parents moving forward, the divorce proceedings have been anything but harmonious. Kanye initially lobbied to have his social media posts kept out of the hearings (now why would he want that??) and has looked to employ loopholes to stall the proceedings altogether. And while Kim has said that she wants them to be the figure for “co-parenting goals,” in the latest episode of The Kardashians, she formally apologized to her family for her ex-husband’s antics.

The live music, bold fashion choices, and endless good vibes are what make music festivals memorable and downright fun. Camping at a music festival, on the other hand… isn’t always so glamorous. Communal bathrooms and showers (if you’re lucky), dusty supplies, chilly temperatures, and tent sleeping can make catching some much-needed Z’s after a day of raging rather difficult.

Fortunately, there are some simple measures you can take to ensure your festival camping survival.

If you’re heading up to Buena Vista Lake for the anticipated return of Lightning in a Bottle, chances are you’ll be camping out for the Memorial Day Weekend event. The Lightning in a Bottle lineup includes Glass Animals, Kaytranada, GRiZ, Chet Faker, Black Coffee, Four Tet, SG Lewis, Big Wild, Purity Ring, Little Simz, Seth Troxler, Maya Jane Coles, CloZee, Ekali, Jon Hopkins, GoldLink, G Jones b2b EPROM, Koffee, Monolink, LSDREAM, Big Freedia, Mr. Carmack, Opiuo, and tons more.

One up-and-coming performer of the weekend is Austin Millz, who just released his first single of 2022, entitled “What’s Next?” As a long-time music artist and festival-goer, he knows a thing or two about conquering a festival weekend, including what it takes to make it through a successful festival camping experience. If you’re making your festival camping debut this weekend at Lightning in a Bottle, check out Millz’s guide below. He’s sharing his top five tips for festival camping, so you can keep the good times rolling even after the show is over each night.

ALSO READ:

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• Life On Planets Shares His Hometown Travel Guide To Baltimore, Maryland
• These Photos From GRiZ’s Surprise Beach Pop-Up Will Power You Through The Week
• DJ/ Producer SOHMI Shares Her Guide To A Few Days In LA Before You Head To Coachella
• Rapper Rob49 Shares Where To Eat, Shop, And Explore In New Orleans, Louisiana

USB

Whether you’re a fan, an artist, or a performer at the festival, having a USB of your music or music you love is KEY. You NEVER know when the opportunity to DJ will strike. Maybe someone needs someone to DJ a set or DJ an afterparty, or maybe a performing artist forgot their USB.

I have personally witnessed these situations happen at this past Coachella, actually. It’s always good to be prepared.

Canopy Tent, Pillow, and String Lights

If you are camping at a festival in a hot destination, you NEED a canopy tree otherwise you’ll be waking up at 7 a.m. — and not because of the music from the ongoing after party either lol! A canopy is just the start, though. Having the right pillow ensures your place is comfy — nothing worse than using a balled-up sweatshirt because you forgot your pillow. Finally, ITS GOTTA BE VIBEY — throwing some string lights up shows you’re a veteran, not a rook. They’ll also make it way easier for you to find your campsite in the middle of the night after a long day of partying.

Water and Your Own Bottle

I don’t think this even needs explanation, but you have to stay hydrated. Or if you’re like my manager, he LOVES Electrolit — it’s the Mexican version of Pedialyte, made specifically for hangovers. Thank him in the morning when your hangover is minimal. I recommend drinking a whole bottle when you start your day. Definitely carry water with you everywhere, and try to get a reusable water bottle so you’re reducing waste.

Lightning in a Bottle has a lot of cool green initiatives, so it’s important to pull your weight and keep the community clean. I think there are some pretty cool hydro packs around now, so you can rock it with your best fest-fit.

Ice Cooler

Even if you have to go to the festival to get ice, you gotta keep your drinks cold. A lot of festivals have concession areas on the campsite, so that’s a good place to start. Gotta have a few Modelos, a bottle of tequila, and if you’re a real one, get dry ice! Just promise me to be careful when you put your hands into the cooler, the fog may look cool but it’s no joke!

Earplugs

You’re going to need your ears to be able to listen to all the amazing music this weekend! Especially at my set on Saturday, I better see y’all raging…safely with earplugs. It doesn’t matter if this is your first festival or if you’re a true vet, you only get one set of ears! I also better see y’all at my brother’s set, SG Lewis on Sunday. Excited to see you all this weekend!

The 2022 Ascot Award wrapped up earlier this week and we were lucky enough to get an advance look at the list of “Best in Class” spirits from the competition. And look at that, just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. What doesn’t “best in class” mean though? These are the bottles that not only got unanimous top scores from judges but were also deemed the best of among the best in a second double-blind taste test.

Look at it this way, while winning a medal always carries a certain panache from these competitions, the “Best in Class” is what you’re going to want to reach for.

We’ve already dropped the lists of “double platinum” bourbons and the finalists for the bourbon and scotch categories from this year’s Ascots. Now, it’s time to look at the “Best in Class” from the whole event. That’s the best rum, tequila, vodka, liqueur, mezcal, American single malts, rye, and, yes, bourbon and scotch. These are the prime cuts, the crème de la crème.

For this list, I’ve added our own tasting notes where I can and dropped in tasting notes from the awards or distiller where needed. You can also click on the prices on each entry to order your own bottle for a little long-weekend sipping. Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked

Best Tequila: Familia Camarena Reposado Tequila

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $21

The Tequila:

This tequila from the Southern Highlands of Jalisco is fairly modern. The pinas are cooked in brick ovens but autoclave (high-pressure cooking) and diffuser are used as well. The twice-distilled juice then goes into oak for 60 days before it’s proofed down with deep well water and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sweetness that attaches to the lightly roasted agave on the nose with a hint of vanilla and caramel lurking in the background. The palate leans into the roasted agave with freshly cracked black pepper and clove berries mingling with a touch of vanilla tobacco and a mildly sweet butterscotch mid-palate. The finish leans away from the agave toward the vanilla and butterscotch for a sweet and slightly peppery finish.

Bottom Line:

For me, this was always just fine. I’ve used it as a mixing tequila in the past. But maybe I’ll give it another shot as a sipper.

Best Liqueur: Foro Rosso Vermouth di Torino

ABV: 16.5%

Average Price: $12

The Vermouth:

Foro is always a great alternative to the bigger names in vermouth — Martini, Noilly Prat, and Carpano. This vermouth is from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy. The winery takes Moscato and Inzolia wines and then infuses them with wormwood twice before building a botanical bouquet of balsam, saffron, bitter and sweet orange peels, myrrh, mace, rhubarb, sandalwood, and cinnamon.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a beautiful balance of sweet and botanical with this vermouth. The nose has a mix of cinchona barks and orange oils with lush vanilla, a touch of pine, and a whisper of dried flowers. The taste leans into the florals with a savory edge as sage and summer wildflowers dance with vanilla candy and soft, sweet mulled wine. The finish is short, sweet, and full of dark woody spice and bitter barks.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty nice on its own with a few cubes of ice, an orange slice, and a green olive. Add a little soda water on top and you’ve got a killer summer refresher.

Best Vodka:  Deep Eddy Lemon Vodka

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $14

The Vodka:

This crafty vodka from Austin, Texas, is a corn-based spirit. This expression takes that corn juice is distilled ten times. The team then layers in real lemon juice and pure cane sugar juice.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all about that lemon with a pretty sweet edge that’s more sweet corn than refined sugar. The taste is exactly what you’d expect — sweet lemon-y vodka with a hint of neutral alcohol that’s almost mineral-y. The finish is short, slightly acidic, and not too overly sweet.

Bottom Line:

This is perfect for mixing up easy summer highballs. Two ounces of this over ice and topped with soda water is all you need.

Best Gin: Ventura Spirits Wilder Gin

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $35

The Gin:

This crafty gin from California is about the wilds of that land. The distillate is infused with wild-foraged botanicals from hills near the distillery between Ventura and Ojai. Sagebrush, purple sage, bay, yerba santa, pixie mandarin peel, and chuchupate all make appearances and give the gin a very local vibe.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“This dynamic mix of the wild and the cultivated bursts with fresh, savory aromas, like taking a walk through the mountains of the central coast.”

Bottom Line:

This feels like an easy buy the next time I’m in California and in need of a fresh gin. Until then, I’ll take the Ascot judges’ word for it.

Best Rum: Privateer Rum Distiller’s Drawer Intrepid New England Rum

ABV: 58.5%

Average Price: $94

The Rum:

This bespoke rum hails from the colder shores of New England. The rum is a 100 percent molasses spirit that spends an undisclosed amount of time mellowing in new American oak barrels before it’s vatted and bottled as-is to show off that cold New England weather in the bottle.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Through seasonal temperature shifts, New England’s maritime climate softened and balanced these flavors, while extended aging created new and complex layers of flavor and depth. A deep color with a pronounced nose and concentration of flavor, Intrepid includes notes of nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, caramel, and toasted almond.”

Bottom Line:

Winter spices, almonds, and caramel sound delightful in a rum. I’m definitely going to track one of these down and give it a shot.

Best Mezcal: Cutwater Spirits Mezcal Joven

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $60

The Mezcal:

This mezcal — from Durango, Mexico — uses wild Maguey Cenizo agave. Those agave pinas as roasted in volcanic rock pit ovens before going through open fermentation with the wild yeasts in the air inoculating the juice. Woodfired stills then distill the liquid into a spirit.

Tasting Notes:

This has a bold nose with hints of smoked cheese, red pepper spice, burnt lemon peels, and a line of smoke that’s kind of like burnt grilled cheese. The palate has a touch of barnyard funk under more smoked cheese as the sweetness of the roasted agave balances everything out. The finish is sharply peppery yet softly sweet with a hint more of that smoked cheese peaking in.

Bottom Line:

This is a funky mezcal. I’d say more funky than smoky even. Though it is clearly smoky, it’s deeper and more interesting in unique ways that help it stand out.

Best Whiskey Club Pick: 5280 Whiskey Society Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel “Thunder Chicken”

ABV: 55%

Average Price: Coming Soon

The Whiskey:

Russell’s Reserve is Wild Turkey dialed up a notch or two. The juice is classic Turkey bourbon with a low-rye mash bill. That whiskey spends several years mellowing in heavily charred oak before a group comes in and selects a single barrel for their bar, retail shop, or club.

Tasting Notes (from the Ascot Awards):

“A great balance of sweetness, oak, and citrus on the nose becomes a vanilla bomb on the palate supported by juicy fruit and spice all the way through.”

Bottom Line:

The 5280 Whiskey Society is a private Denver whiskey club. They do a lot of barrel picks every year and sell them via their website. And since this one is forthcoming, you might be able to grab a bottle if you keep an eye on the club’s website.

Best Bourbon: Bulleit Barrel Strength

ABV: 59.5%

Average Price: $92

The Whiskey:

This is the standard Bulleit but with a little more dialed-in flavor profile that allows the juice to shine on its own. The sourced bourbon is small-batched from hand-selected barrels and bottled at Diageo’s new Bulleit facility without any filtration or cutting down to proof.

Tasting Notes:

Expect sweet woody notes next to oily vanilla and a big note of black pepper. The taste delivers ripe peaches next to more peppery spice and a hint of Christmas spices, with the vanilla taking a backseat and the oak really stepping in to shine. The end is spicy, hot, oaky, and peachy, with a hint of caramel corn.

Bottom Line:

This is hard-core (modern) classic bourbon. It’s bold enough to be the perfect base for a killer old fashioned or Manhattan. Or you can just enjoy it low and slow in a rocks glass on its own.

Best Rye: Smooth Ambler Contradiction Rye

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This new release from Smooth Ambler mixes some very interesting whiskeys together. The blend is two Tennessee ryes (one 70 percent rye, one 51 percent rye), MGP’s 95 percent rye, and Smooth Ambler’s own rye which has a mash bill of 88 percent rye. Those whiskeys are then blended, proofed, and bottled in the hills of West Virginia.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a stewed cherry that’s heavy on woody cinnamon sticks next to hints of vanilla pods and maybe some dried florals. The palate leans into the woodiness of the cinnamon stick to the point of feeling like a cedar box full of spicy cinnamon tobacco as creamy vanilla leads to a toasted coconut vibe. The finish lets the creaminess of the vanilla drive a sweet edge as the spicy cinnamon tobacco is just kissed with cherry syrup and dark chocolate on the very back end.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty big co-sign from me. Smooth Ambler is making some serious magic happen out in West Virginia and this expression is only the tip of the delicious whiskey iceberg.

Best Scotch Whiskey: Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Batch #3

ABV: 46.2%

Average Price: $360

The Whisky:

This is Ardbeg’s yearly release of special batches of 19-year-old peaty malt. The whisky is Ardbeg’s signature peated whisky that’s bottled during a “haar.” That’s a thick and briny foggy morning on Islay, which imparts that x-factor into the whisky as it goes into the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

You’re drawn in with a super subtle waft of soft smoke with hints of sour cream, fennel, and cold-smoked salmon on a pine cutting board that’s been washed in the sea. The palate holds onto that briny seaside vibe as it veers towards sea salt-laden dark bricks of fudge bespeckled with dried orange zest and lavender. The end circles back around to a sooty smoke that feels like a warm granite rock that’s been dipped in the sea and then rolled around in the dying embers of a fire.

Bottom Line:

This is a world-class whisky that’s so well (and deeply) layered, that you’re sure to find something that speaks to you in that pour. That said, this is unabashedly bold and funky too.

Best American Single Malt Whiskey: Old Line Spirits American Single Malt Sherry Cask Finish

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This Baltimore distillery is catching a lot of attention lately. This release is and 100 percent malted barley whiskey that spends a spell in a new American white oak before it’s re-filled into old Oloroso sherry casks for a final maturation. That final whiskey is cut down to 100 proof before bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“There, our whiskey’s classic notes of caramel, brown sugar, and tobacco are made more complex with notes of stone fruit, nuts, and raisins.”

Bottom Line:

This is something I’m looking forward to trying very soon. Single malt and sherry casks are a great, classic match.

Best American Whiskey: Old Carter Straight American Whiskey

ABV: 66.8%

Average Price: $640

The Whiskey:

Old Carter might be the ultimate whiskey nerd label. The blends are hand-selected by the husband and wife team, Mark and Sherri Carter, from the best barrels they can find. Beyond that, they keep their blends and details pretty close to their chest to add a little mystery to the endeavor.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of rich and creamy vanilla ice cream scoop over a pecan waffle with hints of dark cherries, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a touch of old cedar all sneaking in. The palate leans into that waffle with a good pour over maple syrup over cinnamon brown butter, a fresh batch of glazed doughnuts, and a few braids of spicy orange-infused tobacco. The end leans back into the vanilla with a sheet cake vibe as the dark berries attach to the tobacco and wintry spice with a final note of creamy toffee and nougat.

Bottom Line:

These always wow. That said, they’re hard to find outside of Kentucky, and even then you kind of need to be “in the know” to get one. All of that aside, it’s worth the effort to track down something this delicious and decadent.

Best Light Whiskey: Penelope American Light Whiskey

ABV: 67.3%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This unique release from Penelope is a “light” in the sense of a light beer. This is all about the barrel having no char. So the “light” in this sense is the aging process. Anyway, this expression is a blend of MGP whiskeys (pretty much the only distillery making light whiskey) that’s left at a very high proof before bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This is a wild card with familiar notes of pancake batter with plenty of vanilla, caramel corn balls, sweet apple tarts, and a mild dose of very soft yet resinous pine. The palate moves from creamy vanilla pie toward apple crumble with plenty of butter and brown sugar, cinnamon, and tartness before a layer of soft floral citrus arrives. The finish feels like vanilla cupcakes frosted with an eggnog frosting with plenty of powdered sugar everywhere next to a woody yet subtle spice mix.

Bottom Line:

This is a great way to start your “light” whiskey journey. This is subtle, sweet, and long-lasting. Moreover, those killer ABVs are almost non-existent thanks to the team at Penelope’s masterful blending.

Best Tennessee Whiskey: Jack Daniel’s 10

ABV: 48.5%

Average Price: $400

The Whiskey:

This new age statement released from Jack Daniel’s feels like a throwback to a bygone era in Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is aged for at least ten years. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a thin line of wet and sweet wood. The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and married it to a sticky and spicy tobacco leaf while toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel vibes with dry corn husks that are just singed. The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with a mild savory fruit edge.

Bottom Line:

This was one of the best overall whiskeys of all of 2021, so it’s no surprise to see it picking up awards this year. If you can find one, grab it. It’ll change how you see Jack Daniel’s.

Best World Whiskey: Archie Rose Distilling Co. Single Malt Whiskey

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $140

The Whisky:

This Australian single malt is a unique expression thanks to its blend of barrels. The whisky is aged in 100, 200, and 300-litre Australian Apera sherry casks. Those whiskies are blended with malts aged in ex-bourbon casks and, finally, Archie Rose’s own 36-month air-dried ex-rye casks. That final whisky is then touched with local water before going into the bottle.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“The natural sweetness of these casks complements the savory charisma of the spirit, revealing fresh herbs, shortbread biscuits, raisins, toffee, and dark chocolate on the nose. Meanwhile, the palate is luscious with well-integrated flavors of sticky date pudding and amaretto with a final note of espresso.”

Bottom Line:

This sounds both unique and delicious. Hopefully, we’ll see more of it stateside before too long.

Best Wheat Whiskey: Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey

ABV: 66.25%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This Michigan whiskey is 100 percent wheat whiskey. The grains are 100 percent organic and grown locally around Michigan. The whiskey then ages for an undisclosed about of time before it’s blended into a final product that looks to Irish whiskey for inspiration.

Tasting Notes (from the Ascot Awards):

“The heat is perfect. Loving the initial sweetness, then the proof takes over in a great way. Smoldering char and rich vanilla bean. Great balance of spices and the finish is silky for such a high proof.”

Bottom Line:

“Smoldering char and rich vanilla bean”?! You have my attention, little Michigan whiskey. This is another one that I’m looking forward to getting my hands on. You can’t beat a great wheat whiskey and this sounds like one.