Month: May 2022

Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.

This week, Kehlani releases her third album Blue Water Road, complete with 13 tracks and features from Blxst, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambre, Thundercat, and Justin Bieber. Elsewhere, Giveon returns with “Lie Again,” his second single from his upcoming album, while Khalid continues to treat his fans with music thanks to “Skyline.”

Kehlani — Blue Water Road

Two years ago, Kehlani was focused on the pitfalls of love throughout her second album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. Nowadays, she has her eyes set on the better days ahead of her thanks to her third album Blue Water Road. The project, which leans more into a pop sound, carries 13 songs and strong features from Blxst, Syd, Jessie Reyez, Ambre, Thundercat, and Justin Bieber.

Giveon — “Lie Again”

It appears that Giveon is preparing us for his official debut album, and while it remains to be seen when it will arrive, we can enjoy another single from the Long Beach singer. “Lie Again” pleads with his lover to keep up the facade of their relationship as he’s in no space to hear the truth.

Khalid — “Skyline”

Khalid is hard at work completing his third album Everything Is Changing, and while the wait has been a bit longer than expected, he made it easier to endure by dropping Scenic Drive last December. His latest singles include “Skyline,” which sees the Texas native dip his toe into the pop world.

Kaash Paige — “Girlfriend”

It’s been a little while since we heard from Kaash Paige. Her last release came in 2020 with her debut album Teenage Fever. However, as she promised in her interview with Uproxx last fall, 2022 will be a big year for her, starting with the honest “Girlfriend.” She uses the track to warn a woman about her rockstar lifestyle as she requests to become the singer’s girlfriend.

PJ Morton — Watch The Sun

In 2020, PJ Morton released three projects into the world: The Piano Album, Gospel According To PJ, and Christmas With PJ Morton. After a quiet 2021, PJ Morton returns with his ninth album, Watch The Sun. It delivers 11 excellent songs with help from Chronixx, Mr. Talkbox, JoJo, Stevie Wonder, Nas, Wale, Jill Scot, Alex Isley, El Debarge, Zacardi Cortez, Gene Moore, Samoht, Tim Rogers, and Darrel “MusiqCity” Walls.

Mahalia — “In The Club”

After dropping her second album Love And Compromise in 2019, Mahalia’s releases have mostly been sporadic singles outside of her 2020 Isolation Tapes EP. It seems like the British singer’s next body of work could be on the way as she arrives with “In The Club,” which falls in line with her previous drops “Letter To Ur Ex” and “Whatever Simon Says.”

Umi — “Whatever U Like”

At the end of the month, singer Umi will unveil her long-awaited debut album Forest In The City. So far, the upcoming 15-track effort was led by “Sorry,” and now she adds a second single in “Whatever U Like.” The track arrives with a joyous video that watches the singer and her friends on a journey of self-discovery as they connect with the inner child within themselves.

Tayla Parx — “Rich”

In 2020, Tayla Parx dropped off her third project in as many years with Coping Mechanisms, but the following year, things were much quieter for her as she went all of 2021 with just a few singles. Now, she’s back in action with “Rich,” a bouncy yet timid track she uses to caution of her inability to deal with another heartbreak.

Amaal — Milly

Almost three years after dropping her Black Dove EP, Somalian singer Amaal steps back into the light with her new project Milly. It presents eight tracks and a lone appearance from Syd for what amounts to a graceful and ethereal project.

Siergio — Before It’s Too Late

Chicago bred singer-songwriter Siergio arrives with his third project Before It’s Too Late. The stellar body of work is carried by his sweet vocals and heartfelt stories of highs and love he experienced since the start of the pandemic. Previewed through singles like “Complicated” and “Take You Out,” Before It’s Too Late is a must-listen.

Cedric Brazle — “Product Of Love”

Florida native Cedric Brazle is ready to make his impact in 2022 with his new song, “Product Of Love.” The track unpacks his understanding of love and how it impacts his relationships.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A few weeks ago, BTS confirmed their next album is set to drop in June and now they’ve offered more concrete info on that front.

Today, BTS shared a “logo trailer” video for Proof, their upcoming project. They also wrote on Twitter, “0612091102120820…. 0610.” Fans were quick to note it looks like those numbers, when grouped in groups of four, represent the dates of previous BTS album releases. So, based on that pattern, Proof is coming on June 10, which is indeed a Friday, when new music is typically released. That date is also confirmed in the video.

Big Hit also shared a statement (as Bandwagon reports) that offers more info about Proof, saying:

“This is BIGHIT MUSIC.

After ceaselessly sprinting forward since 2013, BTS is celebrating their 9th anniversary this coming June. It is all thanks to ARMY who have sent us your unwavering love and support.

The BTS anthology album that embodies the history of BTS will be released as they begin a new chapter as an artist that has been active for nine years to look back on their past endeavours.

The anthology album ‘Proof’ that consists of three CDs includes many different tracks — including three all-new tracks — that reflect the thoughts and ideas of the members on the past, present and future of BTS.

We hope that you look forward to BTS’ anthology album ‘Proof,’ and relive the history that BTS and ARMY made together so far, and will continue to make in the future to come.”

Watch the Proof logo trailer above.

Draymond Green has received a whole lot of attention through the first two games of the Western Conference Semifinals. In Game 1, Green got tossed for a flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke, and in Game 2, Green left the game after taking an elbow to the eye and flipped off fans of the Memphis Grizzlies as he made his way into the back, something that he says “felt really good” because fans were booing him even though he anticipates a fine is headed his way.

Green’s comments drew the ire of Chris “Mad Dog” Russo on Wednesday’s edition of First Take, with Russo saying that Green is “so hard to root for” and that he wants him to “shut up and play,” because America is “tired of Draymond Green.” You don’t really need to hear the rest because you can more or less put two and two together on how the rest of it went, but if you’re interested, it’s the first two minutes or so of this clip:

Anyway, JJ Redick was on the First Take set on Wednesday, meaning that someone who is very good at responding to this sort of stuff was in prime position to fire back. Here is what Redick had to say.

“The same sort of connotations that the ‘shut up and dribble’ crowd has towards athletes, and I have a real problem with that,” Redick said. “Specifically with Draymond, the idea that America is tired of him, you do realize the guy has a very, very popular podcast that he hosts, where he talks — himself — for a majority of the episode, and people listen to that. He signed a talent deal with Turner because people want to hear what Draymond has to say. The reason they want to hear was Draymond has to say, is because just like in his press conference, he is real, authentic, and unfiltered, and as a player, he is real, authentic, and unfiltered. The edge that he carries himself with, he’s talked about this since game one, Klay Thompson has talked about this since game one, it’s what makes him great. It’s what makes him a future Hall of Famer. It’s the reason he is who he is. It’s just like saying, hey Ja Morant, stop dancing when your teammate’s making a three. The reason Ja Morant is great is because he plays with joy, and fun, and a carefree attitude, and a fearlessness. You can’t take away what makes aa player great. So there’s no ‘shut up and play.’”

Russo tried to respond by saying Green is polarizing and that for every fan who enjoys his podcast, “I can give you 50 million fans who would say the same thing: enough already.” He also attempted to say that while young fans might like Green, a “large segment of older fans who have followed the NBA for 60 years” do not like him.

Despite Russo claiming this “is not a political scenario or a race situation,” Redick pointed out that this rhetoric is the sort of thing that comes from a very specific place in the media world.

“I’m not saying it’s a race situation, I’m saying that the fans you’re talking about, they talk about athletes that way, like you just talked about an athlete,” Redick said. “People on Fox News talk about athletes that way, that’s my issue. I don’t actually care about the fans that watched Bob Cousy play, and watched Wilt play, I don’t care. I appreciate that they’ve been NBA fans that long, but I don’t appreciate the undertones.”

It’s one of the more direct repudiations we’ve seen of the kinds of old school fans who tend to have Russo’s worldview of sports. Redick’s comments earned him praise from another ex-player on ESPN, as Kendrick Perkins took to Twitter to commend him — among others.

Anyway, Redick is right.

During the first quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies, Draymond Green took an incidental elbow to the face from Xavier Tillman. He briefly headed to the locker room to get stitches, and on his way through the tunnel, he flipped off Memphis fans.

Post-game, Green explained why he flipped them off and why he’s perfectly fine with whatever the NBA does in response.

“You’re gonna boo someone who got elbowed in the eye and face running down blood, you should get flipped off,” Green said. “So, I’ll take the fine. I’ll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip them off.

“I could’ve had a concussion,” Green continued. “If they’re gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too.”

A fine is assuredly coming Green’s way and one he both expects to receive and is happy to pay, given how he took exception to Grizzlies fans’ behavior toward his injury. Fortunately, Green soon returned to the floor and played 32 minutes, logging six points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and one block.

Green is one of the most candid and outspoken players in the NBA. Tuesday’s happening is yet another example. Fans booing an injured player is always a hot-button issue, and it’s evident that Green has no qualms about responding — both to them and to the media — when it pops up.

Millions of people around the world are following every second of Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard, but Bill Burr is not one of them. On this week’s episode of his Monday Morning Podcast, the comedian/actor admitted that he’s not one of the people glued to their nearest live streaming device, as he is “too big a Johnny Depp fan to watch that,” according to Mediaite.

As Burr explained:

“I love that guy and I just—I don’t want to hear all these personal details and sh*t. From what I’ve seen the guy is f***ing destroying. And what’s great about this, is if he really does expose this woman for lying, I’m wondering. All these people that, you know, just accepted her lies about him if they’re going to apologize somehow.
“They publicly trashed him, it’d be nice if they publicly apologized and said ‘maybe next time we won’t jump to conclusions.’”

Burr, who is never shy about sharing his opinions—whether it’s about COVID, “creepy” Star Wars fans, “f***ing insane” cable news addicts, or Gina Carano being fired from The Mandalorian—is clearly Team Johnny on this matter.

“It really does amaze me how the pendulum just does not seem to swing the other way,” Burr said. “All of these women’s groups that when they see a woman that lies like this, which really hurts their position because there are women out there that are in a relationship that this woman evidently lied and claimed that she was in. And for someone to go out and lie about it, it hurts the people that are actually in it!”

You can listen to his full comments below.

(Via Mediaite)

Howard Stern absolutely unloaded on Hollywood for not reacting to Will Smith in the same treatment as Dave Chappelle’s attacker. While responding to the Chappelle incident during the Wednesday morning episode of his show, Stern couldn’t get over how Smith was just allowed to continue on with the Oscars like nothing happened after he walked onstage and slapped Chris Rock in front of a live audience.

Via Mediaite:

“This guy jumped up on stage and attacked Dave Chappelle. — As soon as that happened, did they let him go back to his seat and laugh and sit next to his wife and then give them an award? No! They took him back stage, they broke his arms and hands so bad.”

“They f*cking beat the sh*t out of him. But! At the Academy Awards everyone came over and consoled Will Smith — because it was live television and Hollywood didn’t know what to do about Will Smith,” Stern said.

There’s a world of difference between an A-list celebrity like Smith and some random person off the street, but Stern doesn’t see it that way. The longtime radio host blasted the Academy and all of the celebrities who let Smith get away with attacking Rock, which Stern feels has made people “nuttier and nuttier” and exposed comics to a world of trouble.

“The audience at the Oscars gave Will Smith a standing ovation after the attack, that’s the truth. It’s on film, it’s not fake news,” Stern said. “They didn’t break Will’s hands, they shook them and it’s wrong and they all should be ashamed of themselves.”

(Via Mediaite)

Following a discussion on Instagram, Drake exchanged some words with a troll in the comments. The exchange began on a post shared by @lethalshooter (aka high-profile basketball shooting coach Chris Matthews), who shared a screenshot of a tweet reading, “Tee Morant is approaching Lavar Ball levels of annoyance,” which was quoted with a reply saying “This is crazy cause he’s literally done nothing but be a supportive father on the sidelines giving props to his son & all his sons opponents.”

Drake commented on Matthews’ post, saying, “Imagine your son makes the league and he’s Ja Or Melo or Lonzo all you can do is be elated and competitive and oversupportive and its a rite of passage to that the OG’s talk sh*t”

“Ya son prolly play with ghost writers,” replied an Instagram user named @ceddybo_ybagnm.

Drake, father of a four-year-old boy named Adonis, clapped back in a way only the Certified Lover Boy could.

“I just followed your girl cause she’s prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life,” said Drake.

But it didn’t stop at a follow. Drake took it a step further, DM’ing the man’s wife, saying “I’m here for u ma.”

The man shared the message on his Instagram story, with several laughing emojis. So, fortunately, there doesn’t appear to be any bad blood here.

On his new album, I Never Liked You, Future toes the line between staying in his line and outright self-parody, to mostly positive effects. Over the course of his 12-year career, Future has developed a half-joking reputation for being one of hip-hop’s pettiest practitioners. He’s been glorified by fans as the “toxic king” whose gift for switching between genuinely wounded crooning to juvenile insults snarled at exes has become his calling card, the biggest draw to his music, and the biggest knock against him by critics.

With his latest, he gives everyone exactly what they want. Fervent fans will find plenty to love and detractors will find plenty to complain about. He remains one of the most versatile voices in rap today; in one moment, he’s “been in the field like the childrеn of the corn,” while in the next, he admits “every time I sip on codeine, I get vulnerable.” Both missives come on the same album standout, “Wait For U,” which features both longtime collaborator/fellow toxic bro Drake and intriguing newcomer Tems.

Future is far from the only rapper who can go from crediting his grandmother with making him a gentle lover when he cares on “Love You Better” to boasting that women faint when they get close to him on “Massaging Me.” He is the one who can do so in the space of one song without losing a beat, wearing both faces as naturally as some rappers brag about their street cred. He’s got plenty of that too, slangin “Chickens” alongside rising trap star EST Gee – although admittedly, 12 years into his career versus EST Gee’s two or three, the latter sounds much more convincing here.

By sticking to well-worn territory like his time in the trenches and his honestly baffling effects on women (there are times he sounds about as amazed as the rest of us that they’re willing to put up with his passive-aggressive antics), Future frees himself up to stretch out within his comfort zone – an underrated luxury for someone so deep into an already storied career. That he’s mostly able to continue to sound fresh on tracks like “Voodoo” after dropping similar tracks for so long is a testament to his skill and charisma. It’s not for everybody, but what Future (and Drake, or for that matter, any rapper who’s made it past the 10-year watermark) has figured out is that you don’t need to do everything for everybody.

Just like Pusha T, who recently released his own well-received, near-one-note effort, It’s Almost Dry, Future knows that his customers come to him for very few specific items, so he makes sure to have plenty of them in stock and packages them well. And because he’s so well-practiced, there are no real missteps, just tracks that don’t work as well as the others – “Holy Ghost” falls into this category. Something about ATL Jacob’s discordant beat just doesn’t highlight Future’s gritty voice as well as tracks like the soulful trunk rattle of “The Way Things Going.”

Sure, if you wanted to, you could turn up your nose at a track like “For A Nut” and lines like “f*cked her in the ass, made her pee-pee” from “I’m Dat N****.” But the over-the-top sexuality isn’t for you. If Future truly regretted unwittingly putting the late Juice WRLD onto lean and pills or ever actually feared losing fans for admitting his own sobriety, he’s shaken off those shackles and fully embraced the character. If rap is wrestling, this one is for the marks, the ones who fully accept the inherent silliness of the premise and suspend their disbelief anyway. If you never liked Future, he never liked you back, and he’s not doing a single thing to win you over. So far, it’s proven to be a winning strategy.

I Never Liked You is out now on Freebandz/Epic Records. Get it here,

When most of us first found out about Dave Chappelle getting tackled at his Hollywood Bowl show last night, we were probably shocked, confused, and a little bit curious. Why on Earth would this random person take it upon himself to attack the comedian onstage? Sure, Chappelle’s made some pretty controversial comments lately, and there are more than a few folks unhappy with him as a result, but they’ve mostly voiced their displeasure via walkouts and sternly-worded tweets. Could this attacker have had a personal beef with Dave?

As it turns out, maybe he did — albeit kind of a weird, one-sided one. The Daily Beast (bless them) not only identified the man (it wasn’t Will Smith), one Isaiah Arias Lee, but also unearthed his music channel on YouTube, which currently has 908 subscribers and a 2020 diss track about his opps-in-his-head titled, amusingly, “Dave Chappell.” Performing under the name “NoName Trapper” (lol), Lee spits some standard-issue disses against some unidentified “n****” who he can’t help but laugh at because they are, well, jokes (Daily Beast seemingly mistranslates the lyrics, but to be fair, the mixing is atrocious).

Lee also apparently posted a video of himself on the way to the show on his Instagram, using a filter that gave him devil horns and wearing the sweatshirt he’s seen wearing in the video of the attack — and its aftermath, which left him with what looked like a broken arm after a group including Dave Chappelle’s security, Busta Rhymes, and Jamie Foxx roughed him up backstage.

We’re neck-deep in a modern whisk(e)y boom but, somehow, Canadian whisky still hasn’t received its due. Part of that is that a lot of the best barrels produced in Canada are sent down to the U.S., where they end up in WhistlePig and Barrell Craft Spirit bottles (among many others). Another part is that the style hasn’t quite made an impression yet on its own. Root causes aside, it’s a shame that Canadian whiskey doesn’t get its due, because there are some gems being made right now.

To help you dip your toes into the tipple from up north, I decided to pull the eight Canadian whiskies that won double gold at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. There’s really not a better place to start than with whiskies that wowed the pros. After looking at the results, I realized that there were only 34 Canadian whisky entries this year, which is less than the American whisky entries by about a factor of 30. Moreover, I’ve never heard of some of the whiskies that actually took home the double gold this year, and I sample a lot of whiskies, folks. So, I’ve filled in my tasting notes where I can and grabbed tasting notes from the distillery where I couldn’t.

Let’s get into and find you a Canadian whisky to try.

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

BEARFACE Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak

ABV: 42.5%

Average Price: $44

The Whisky:

This single grain whisky from the northern Ontario wilderness is all about the aging process. The juice spends seven years resting in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into both old French oak and toasted Hungarian oak for a final maturation. That whisky is then blended and cut down with natural spring water for bottling.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Honey, marzipan, crème brûlée, butter and natural vanilla. Dry fruits and cranberry. Subtle flavors of saffron, balsamic, apricot, and a hint of pear. Spice, black cardamom, orange peel, mandarin, brown sugar, and smoke.”

Bottom Line:

They had me a “marzipan” and “cranberry.” Seriously, this sounds delicious and I’m definitely going to spend some time seeking it out.

Eau Claire Distillery Rupert’s Exceptional Canadian Whisky

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $28

The Whisky:

Coming from Alberta, this whisky is blended by Master Distiller Caitlin Quinn to feel like the brand’s signature single malt. The whisky is aged in oak for an undisclosed amount of time before blending, proofing, and bottling to highlight fruits and honey.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, Rupert’s Whisky starts with a sweetness and a hint of red fruits, chocolate, and nutmeg. The whisky then continues to a dried fruit and slightly nutty finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a whisky that I’d keep an eye out for if I was in Alberta. It’s nice but a little more like a cocktail base than a killer sipper.

The Fort Distillery Mountain Pass Canadian Whisky

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $29

The Whisky:

This northern Canadian whisky is made with a 100 percent corn mash. It’s then aged for four to six years in ex-bourbon barrels before it’s blended, proofed with glacier water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a sense of that corn on the nose with a hint of dried-out cobs that give way to old vanilla beans, a hint of dark spice, soft raisins, and plenty of rocky water. The palate leans into the vanilla with a line of butterscotch, cinnamon, and sweetgrass rounding things out. The finish is short with a return of those dried cobs, a little more butterscotch, and plenty of vanilla.

Bottom Line:

I tried this at a tradeshow last year. It was fine but fell squarely in the mixer column.

Pendleton Midnight Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $39

The Whisky:

This whisky is part of Hood River, Oregon, and part of Canada’s northern wilderness. The whisky starts off in Canada and ages for six years in American brandy barrels. That juice is then sent to Oregon where it’s blended and cut with glacier runoff from Mount Hood.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a mix of prune, figs, dark berry fruit leather, cinnamon sticks dipped in apple cider, a hint of eggnog, and a whisper of ginger snaps. The taste largely follows in the nose’s footsteps with a banana bread vibe with plenty of nutmeg, walnuts, butter, and a hint of old cedar box. The dry cedar carries through to the finish with a hint of walnut tobacco that’s just touched by the spice and leathery dark fruit.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid sipper all around, especially for $40 (give or take). The best part is that you can actually find this pretty easily on the West Coast and a few other states around the country. If you do snag a bottle, try it over some rocks first and they start experimenting with cocktails from there.

Pike Creek 10-Year-Old Canadian Whisky

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $33

The Whisky:

Hailing from the famed Hiram Walker warehouses in Ontario, Pike Creek 10 is a blend of rye and corn whiskies. Those whiskies are blended and then filled into rum barrels for a final maturation before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a mix of dried fruits and old nuts with a hint of chocolate and spice, kind of like a wintry trail mix. Dark fruits dance with rich caramel, vanilla, and rum molasses. Toffee, cream soda, figs, and plenty of rye spice counterpoint that rum sweetness on the palate. Freshly milled lumber arrives with a hint of orange on a sweet and warming finish with a touch of rainwater cutting things a little short.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid whisky all around. It has a serious depth but still feels very drinkable, thanks to those low ABVs. I do think this would be a killer if it wasn’t cut down so low on the proof though.

Shelter Point Distillery Single Malt Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $82

The Whisky:

This is a classic single malt, made with malted barley, from Oyster River, British Columbia. The whisky around five years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels next to the seas, which emulates the great single malts of the Islands of Scotland.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“The whisky shows a balanced marriage of fruits, caramel, barley, baking spices, honey, seaside whiff, hints of wine, smoke, and the sweet leathery mouthfeel of a high-quality single malt.”

Bottom Line:

This had me thinking about driving up to Vancouver. A seaside single malt from a place called Oyster River sounds like something I’d like a lot.

Shelter Point Distillery Smoke Point

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $58

The Whisky:

This is the same whisky as above but with a few ripples. In this case, the whisky is made from malted and unmalted barley. That juice is then filled into ex-bourbon barrels for five years. Those barrels are then blended and filled into ex-peated whisky barrels from Islay for a final maturation.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Smoke Point whisky is sweet, medicinal, and smoky on the nose with vanilla and caramel, with hints of a campfire. The palate is sweet and salty, with peated warmth comforting the soul. The satisfying finish is a delicious combination of creaminess with spices and toffee.”

Bottom Line:

You had me at “Islay peated whisky barrel finish.” I’m going to get my hands on these whiskies for reviews very soon. Stay tuned!

Swear Jar Craft Distillers Whisky

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $22

The Whisky:

Coming from Quebec, this whisky is made with a mash of Canadian rye, wheat, and barley. The whisky then spends three years mellowing in oak before blending, proofing with local well water, and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This has a nose full of lemon pepper, transporting you straight back to 1995, alongside hints of sweet oak, allspice berries, and a sliver of Irish Spring soap. The palate balances wintry spices — cloves and anise especially — with black peppercorns, a touch of stained pine panels, and boot polish. The finish leans into the polished leather as the pine and cloves mellow toward a soft caramel sweetness that’s slightly washed out by the low proof.

Bottom Line:

This is a wild ride. The first time I had it — at a whisky show last year — I didn’t really get it. I had one more time and it’s still a hard sell for me, even on a lot of ice.