New York City’s toothiest former-mayor was the victim of an assault. Or more accurately: The Masked Singer contestant Rudy Giuliani was lightly slapped on the back in a Staten Island grocery store by an employee who allegedly called him a “scumbag.”
Giuliani compared the incident, which resulted in the ShopRite worker being arrested and charged with second-degree assault involving a person over age 65 (he’s also been “suspended pending termination”), to “if a boulder hit me. It knocked me forward a step or two. It didn’t knock me down, but it hurt tremendously.” He also said that it felt like a gunshot and that he could have “hit the ground, cracked my skull, and died.”
Giuliani appeared on Monday’s episode of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, where he fumed about Fox News not covering what happened. (The “fascist” news network reportedly banned him last year.) “One of the only two living ex-mayors in New York, and probably, I’d say the most famous, was assaulted,” he said. “It’s note even on Fox. And, uh, even if I were, even if Putin got assaulted, it would be on Fox.” Good point, Rudy: yes, I think Fox News would cover the president of Russia getting (barely) slapped in public over the guy who got duped by Borat and shaves in public after eating soup.
You can watch the clip below:
Rudy Giuliani is all worked up because Fox News is not covering his “assault” over the weekend:
The world may be on fire but don’t worry, HBO Max has released its streaming lineup for July, and there are plenty of shows and movies that should help you disassociate from reality.
We’re talking about more teen murder mystery with a new Pretty Little Liars series, some cartoon comedy courtesy of Bob’s Burgers, another Issa Rae-helmed show about Black female friendship, and more. For the sake of your mental health, just turn off the news and tune into a streaming service this month … preferably this one.
Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and HBO Max this July.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max series premiering 7/28)
Based in the same universe as the original series, this new teen murder mystery introduces fans to a different town filled with the same serial-stalking horrors that plagued the OG PLL crew. A group of disparate teens in a small blue-collar town are plagued by another murdering psychopath with a flair for the dramatics and they soon suspect they’re being targeted thanks to the sins committed by their parents two decades earlier. If you missed the wild twists and turns of the Freeform series but want a bit more horror thrown in, this one might be for you.
Bob’s Burgers Movie (movie streaming 7/12)
The Belchers are back and dealing with a whole new catastrophe that threatens their burger business in this feature film. A ruptured water line and an inconvenient sinkhole pop up just as summer begins, forcing the family to get creative in order to keep their customers. Meanwhile, the kids are off on a mystery-solving mission that could determine the fate of the restaurant.
Rap Sh*t (HBO Max series premiering 7/21)
Insecure creator Issa Rae is behind this new comedy series that follows two estranged friends in Miami who try to start their own rap group. As the two women struggle to create their brand, they’ll have to fix their own issues with each other to make their music careers work.
Here’s everything coming to HBO and HBO Max this July:
Avail. 7/1 A Kind of Murder, 2016 (HBO) A Simple Plan, 1998 (HBO) Act of Valor, 2012 (HBO) Angels in the Outfield, 1951 Arbitrage, 2012 (HBO) Backstabbing for Beginners, 2018 (HBO) Baggage Claim, 2013 (HBO) Blanes Esquina Muller (AKA Blanes St and Muller), 2020 (HBO) Bringing Out the Dead, 1999 (HBO) Catch a Fire, 2006 (HBO) Code of Silence, 1985 (HBO) Confidence, 2003 (HBO) David Copperfield, 1935 Doctor Who: Eve of Daleks, Special Frank Miller’s Sin City, 2005 (HBO) (Unrated Version) Godzilla, 1998 Goodbye, Mr. Chips, 1969 Hollow Man, 2000 (HBO) (Director’s Cut) How to Screw It All Up (AKA Cómo mandarlo todo a la mierda), Max Original Season 1 Premiere I Spy, 2002 Indecent Proposal, 1993 (HBO) Julia, 2009 (HBO) La Ciudad De Las Fieras (AKA City of Wild Beasts), 2021 (HBO) Last Night in Soho, 2021 (HBO) Lisztomania, 1975 Lone Survivor, 2013 (HBO) Lord of War, 2005 (HBO) Losing Isaiah, 1995 (HBO) Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, 1968 Mrs. Winterbourne, 1996 One for the Money, 2012 (HBO) Overboard, 1987 (HBO) Pawn Sacrifice, 2014 (HBO) Postcards From the Edge (1990) Rio 2, 2014 (HBO) Running Scared, 1986 (HBO) Safe, 2012 (HBO) She’s Having a Baby., 1988 (HBO) Sleepers, 1996 (HBO) Sleepless in Seattle, 1993 Snow Day, 2000 (HBO) Spy Kids, 2001 Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, 2002 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, 2003 Suite Francaise, 2014 (HBO) That Awkward Moment, 2014 (HBO) The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, 1947 The Con is On, 2018 (HBO) The Counselor, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version) The Great American Pastime, 1956 The Heat, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version) The Impossible, 2012 (HBO) The Legends of Zorro, 2005 The Other Woman, 2014 (HBO) The Plot Thickens, Season 3 Premiere The Raid 2, 2014 The Satanic Rites of Dracula, 1974 The World’s End, 2013 (HBO) This is Elvis, 1981 Thoroughbreds, 2017 (HBO) Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, 2012 Warrior, 2011 (HBO) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, 1993 (HBO)
Avail. 7/2 Before Midnight, 2013 Sidewalk Stories, 1989
Avail. 7/7 Miss S, Max Original Season 1 Premiere The Visitors, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Avail. 7/9 Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015
Avail. 7/10 The Anarchists, Limited Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/11 Tuca & Bertie, Season 3 Premiere
Avail. 7/12 Craig of the Creek, Season 4C Premiere Edge of the Earth, Sports Documentary Series Premiere (HBO) The Bob’s Burgers Movie, 2022 (HBO)
Avail. 7/14 FBoy Island, Max Original Season 2 Premiere Vote for Juan (Vota Juan), Season 1 Vote for Juan (Vamos Juan), Season 2 Vote for Juan (Venga Juan), Max Original Season 3 Premiere
Avail. 7/15 Kung Fu, Season 2 Premiere The Rehearsal, Comedy Series Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/16 Godzilla, 2014 (HBO)
Avail. 7/17 Rat in the Kitchen, Season 1 Premiere
Avail. 7/19 We Baby Bears, Season 1D Premiere
Avail. 7/21 Almost Fly, Max Original Season 1 Premiere Pacto Brutal – O Assassinato de Daniella Perex, Max Original Documentary Series Rap Sh!t, Max Original Season 1 Premiere The Last Movie Stars, Max Original 6-Part Documentary Premiere
Avail. 7/23 Walker, Season 2 Premiere
Avail. 7/26 Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 1A Premiere
Avail. 7/27 We Met in Virtual Reality, Original Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/28 Citizen Ashe, Max Original Premiere Love Monster, Max Original Season 3 Premiere Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Max Original Season 1 Premiere Wellington Paranormal, Season 4 Premiere
Avail. 7/29 Superman & Lois, Season 2 Premiere The Milestone Generation, 2022
Here’s everything leaving HBO and HBO Max in July:
Leaving 7/9 Horrible Bosses 2, 2014 The New Mutants, 2020 (HBO)
Leaving 7/11 Black Mass, 2015
Leaving 7/13 Blue Exorcist (Subtitled), 2016
Leaving 7/23 Human Capital, 2020 (HBO)
Leaving 7/26 The Accountant, 2016 This Is Life with Lisa Ling, 2014
Leaving 7/31 2:22, 2017 (HBO) 10, 1979 300, 2006 A Bridge Too Far, 1977 (HBO) American Gigolo, 1980 (HBO) Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002 Baby Boom, 1987 (HBO) Bad Milo!, 2013 (HBO) Bad Words, 2014 (HBO) Bells Are Ringing, 1960 Black Gold, 1947 Blinded by the Light, 2019 Blue Streak, 1999 Boys’ Night Out, 1962 Brewster McCloud, 1970 Bridget Jones’s Baby, 2016 Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2001 Broken English, 2007 (HBO) Camelot, 1967 Captains Courageous, 1937 Carefree, 1938 Casa de mi Padre, 2012 (HBO) Changeling, 2008 (HBO) Children of the Damned, 1964 City of Ghosts, 2013 (HBO) Collateral, 2004 (HBO) Collide, 2017 (HBO) Company Business, 1991 (HBO) Defending Your Life, 1991 (HBO) Dressed to Kill (HBO)(Extended Version) Employee of the Month, 2006 (HBO) Epic, 2013 (HBO) Fled, 1996 (HBO) Friday the 13th, 2009 Girl Crazy, 1943 Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, 2017 Igor, 2008 (HBO) Illusions, 1982 In the Heat of the Night, 1967 (HBO) Inception, 2010 Jason’s Lyrics, 1994 (HBO) Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988 (HBO) Lady in White, 1988 (HBO) Lars and the Real Girl, 2007 (HBO) Laws of Attraction, 2004 (HBO) Lethal Weapon, 1987 Lethal Weapon 2, 1989 Lethal Weapon 3, 1992 Lethal Weapon 4, 1998 Little Shop of Horrors, 1986 Logan’s Run, 1976 Lottery Ticket, 2010 (HBO) Magic Mike XXL, 2015 (HBO) Monsters, 2010 (HBO) Morocco, 1930 Murphy’s Law, 1986 (HBO) My Blue Heaven, 1990 (HBO) My Dream is Yours, 1949 No End in Sight, 2007 (HBO) On Moonlight Bay, 1951 Ondine, 2010 (HBO) Presenting Princess Shaw, 2016 (HBO) Private Parts, 1997 (HBO) PT 109, 1963 Queen Christina, 1933 Rob Roy, 1995 (HBO) Romance on the High Seas, 1948 Rush, 1991 (HBO) Rush Hour 3, 2007 Salt, 2010 Santa’s Slay, 2005 (HBO) Seneca, 2019 (HBO) Sense and Sensibility, 1995 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954 Shaft, 1971 Shall We Dance, 1937 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949 Show Boat, 1936 Sleuth, 2007 (HBO) So This Is Paris, 1926 Special Agent, 1935 Splinter, 2008 (HBO) Stage Fright, 1950 Stepmom, 1998 Summer of ’42, 1971 Supernova, 2000 (HBO) Sweet Bird of Youth, 1962 Take Me Out to the Ball Game, 1949 Tenet, 2020 (HBO) The Accidental Spy, 2001 (HBO) The Asphalt Jungle, 1950 The Barkley of Broadway, 1949 The Big House, 1930 The Birdcage, 1996 (HBO) The Dishwasher, 2019 (HBO) The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 2005 The Great Gatsby, 2013 (HBO) The Green Hornet, 2011 The Haunting, 1963 The Hours, 2002 (HBO) The Hunter, 2012 (HBO) The Letter, 1940 The Life Before Her Eyes, 2008 (HBO) The Omega Man, 1971 The One Below, 2016 (HBO) The Opposite Sex, 1956 The Out-of-Towners, 1999 (HBO) The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2020 (HBO) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948 The Wedding Singer, 1998 The Wings of Eagle, 1957 The Woman, 1939 Uncommon Valor, 1983 (HBO) Unlocked, 2016 (HBO) Victor/Victoria, 1982 What They Had, 2018 (HBO) Wild Wild West, 1999 Winter Meeting, 1948 Without Love, 1945 You’ve Got Mail, 1998 Zathura: A Space Adventure, 2005
With the cat out of the bag that the God of Thunder’s naked butt will not be censored when Thor: Love and Thunder dad rocks into theaters, Chris Hemsworth is opening up about the nude journey he’s been wanting to take since Day One. While attending the Hollywood premiere, the Marvel star says he’s literally been dreaming of giving MCU fans the whole package after going shirtless in 2011’s Thor.
“It was 10 years in the making that scene — kind of a dream of mine,” Hemsworth told Variety. “The first time I played Thor I took my shirt off and I thought, ‘You know what’s gonna sweeten this… a decade from now it’s all gonna come off.’”
Granted, the fourth installment in the Thor series probably doesn’t need any help at the box office, leaning into naked Thor is one way to get mere mortal butts into seats. That’s why director Taika Waititi made it a point to let fans know about “the full Hem’s Worth” while stopping by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week. Waititi also played up Hemsworth’s ridiculously jacked physique because, again, how can you lose with this marketing strategy?
“With Chris, he’s worked so hard on that,” Waititi told Colbert after confirming that the censored shot in the trailer wouldn’t be pixelated in the final product. “It’s so many squats! It’d be depriving humanity if I didn’t show that.”
Thor: Love and Thunder will flash those thunder cheeks in theaters on July 8.
We’ve made it to the end of the awards for the famed San Francisco World Spirits Competition, folks. We now know the best of the best Scotch whisky expressions of 2022. Last night, the “best in class” awards were announced in San Francisco at a Gala event (where I was a presenter), and there were actually a few surprises along the way.
For the list of “best in class” Scotch whisky, this is what you need to know. The whiskies below had to be awarded a gold medal from each judge during the first round of double-blind tastings. Then, those judges had to decide whether to send that bottle to “sweeps” where it was double-blind tasted again, and those judges decided whether or not to send it to a “finals” round where it would vie for “best in class” via one last blind tasting.
And here we are. The seven Scotch whiskies below are the ones that actually rose to the top of each of their categories. Moreover, the last entry not only won “best in class” for their category, but it also won “best overall scotch” and “best in show” spirit (or best overall spirit across all categories) — an amazing feat given that over 5,000 expressions were submitted and adjudicated this year.
I’m providing my own tasting notes for most of these (where I can) to give you an idea of whether any of these are worth adding to your own bar cart. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod really hits it out of the park with these blends. This one starts with 32-year-old barrels of both single malt and single grain whiskies. Then all the single malts are blended and re-barreled in an “exhausted” barrel (meaning the barrel has aged its last whisky and would otherwise be repurposed). MacLeod does the same with the grain whiskies. Those grain and malt whiskies are then blended and put into another exhausted barrel for a spell. Finally, those barrels are blended and filled into an ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry barrel for a final maturation.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding full of black-tea-soaked dates, sharp cinnamon, nutmeg, buttery toffee sauce, and vanilla ice cream with hints of orange zest, wicker, and an old leather tobacco pouch. The palate largely delivers on the nose’s profile with meaty dates, figs, and prunes countered by woody spice, dark fruit leather, and a touch of honey barrel staves. The finish is shorter than expected with all that dark and dried fruit leaving you with a sweetened and wintry vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is always a strong contender. It’s one of the most revered blended whiskies in the world and no surprise in a “best in class” category. That said, this is a special bottle that you’re likely only going to break out for big events.
Best of Class Blended Scotch, No Age Statement — Pure Scot Midnight Peat
This is another Scotch whisky that’s blended and bottled for the Australian whisky market. The malt and grain whiskies are blended and then finished in barrels that held spice and peat-forward whiskies. That whisky is then blended, proofed down, and bottled as-is.
“NOSE: Creamy toffee, floral with citrus apples. PALATE: Rich campfire smoke with toffee apples, honey, and custard. FINISH: Medium with spicy, sweet mouthfeel and tingle from the campfire smoke.”
Bottom Line:
This Australian release is an interesting one. I have a bottle on the way and will give my own detailed notes when I review Australian whiskies down the road.
This whisky from the very popular Famous Grouse is a dialed-in expression. The juice in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80 proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background. The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.
Bottom Line:
I like having this one around as a great cocktail base whisky. It also works as a solid on the rock sipper too, especially for the price tag.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, Up to 12 Years — Loch Lomond ‘The Glengarry’ 12
This single malt from the famed Loch Lomond Distillery is all about the aging process. The hot juice is loaded into ex-bourbon, re-fill bourbon, and re-charred oak barrels for 12 long years. Those barrels are then blended and the whisky is proofed down with Highland spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a mix of white summer flowers and a lot of fruit kind of like a fruit salad out of the can. The palate really amps up the fruitiness with overripe peaches, bruised pears, and plenty of grilled pineapple next to a rummy spiced cocktail vibe with a little bit of vanilla, allspice, and woody cinnamon. The finish keeps it easy with more canned fruit syrup, a hint of sweetgrass, and a bit of malty spice.
Bottom Line:
This one is a little sweet for me, but I get the attraction. Overall, I’d use this for cocktails or highballs.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 13 to 19 Years — Lagavulin 16
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at the famed and beloved Lagavulin Distillery. Finally, the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before being blended and proofed with spring water from a creek just outside the distillery walls.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
Hell yeah, this is a great whisky and a killer peated Islay malt that’s pretty much an icon at this point. Pour this over a rock, sip it neat, or make yourself a Smoky Cokey. No matter what path you choose, you won’t be disappointed!
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, No Age Statement — Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength Single Malt
This Campbelltown whisky is a rarity, like most whiskies from the tiny region. This whisky spends a final 12 months maturing in 30 percent Pedro Ximenez sherry butts and 70 percent heavily charred American oak before bottling truly as-is — no proofing, no filtering, no coloring.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is thick with a lot of savory fruit — figs, summer squash — next to sweet oranges, overripe pineapple, and robust but fresh florals. On the palate, that floral nature takes in a nasturtium vibe with a layer of spice next to a thin line of saltwater taffy wax paper wrappers, rum-soaked cinnamon sticks, and a thin layer of creamy vanilla. The end has a vibe that’s kind of like malt-soaked tropical fruit next to spicy vanilla pudding with a whisper of singed apple bark lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is another classic that’s also going to be a bit hard to find outside of very high-end whisky situations. It’s a quintessential Campbeltown whisky that works wonders neat or on a single rock. It’s approachable, deep, and worth the search to find (especially if you’re into the unique stuff).
Best of Class Independent Merchant Single Malt — GreatDrams Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
This new release from the much-lauded Great Drams — an independent bottler in the UK — is another winner. The Islay whisky in this case was aged in ex-bourbon casks before making its way to the Great Drams blendery where it was bottled as-is.
“Beautifully balanced, classic Islay peated whisky notes as well as lovely soothing vanilla and citrus fruit notes along with cinnamon and warming spice notes too.”
Bottom Line:
Great Drams is always killing it in the bottling space. Their releases are dailed-in and killer barrel picks from across the U.K. that never fails to wow. This is worth tracking down if you’re in the U.K. and bringing home.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 20 Years and Older/Best of Class Overall Scotch/Best in Show Whisk(e)y — Benromach 40
This Speyside distillery is for the whisky nerds out there. This particular release just dropped last summer with only 1,000 total. The whisky in those bottles was produced in 1981 and then spent four decades chilling out in old Oloroso sherry casks before going into the bottle as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This is soft on the nose with flourishes of plum puddings and mince meat pies next to candied ginger, lightly spiced malts, a hint of dark cacao powder, orange zest, and old brown sugar. The palate keeps that subtly as stewed apples with a hint of saffron dance with a dash of grapefruit pith, more orange zest, old maple syrup, and waxy dark cacao nibs freshly picked from a tree. The end has a twinge of tannic old oak stave with dry sweetgrass and cedar bark braids next to a thin line of black-tea-soaked dates and allspice.
Bottom Line:
This is just delicious. I tasted it again only yesterday and it was shockingly soft and lush with a real depth that just keeps on going. There’s always something new to find every time you go back to nose and sip. It’s a hell of a bottle.
After fans weren’t really feeling his second album, LIve Life Fast, Roddy Ricch went back to the drawing board and returned with a new EP, The Big 3, getting back to basics and resetting ahead of his plans to follow-up his fan-favorite mixtape series Feed The Streetswith a third installment this year. On the EP, he reunited with Mustard, the producer behind some of his biggest hits, and together, the dynamic duo dropped some “Real Talk” for their longtime fans.
In the new video for “Real Talk” released today, the Compton and Long Beach natives take it to the dusty dunes of the California desert, cruising with a small fleet of Ford trucks in perfect formation. Roddy sits at the lead, rapping from atop the hood of a Mercedes-AMG. In a separate scene, the rapper and DJ stand on a mirror reflecting the crystal blue sky, resulting in some stunning imagery. And finally, in the video’s third act, they both perform on a makeshift basketball court at sunset, a striking shot made more poignant with Roddy’s Nipsey Hussle tribute shirt. It looks like Roddy’s bounceback is in full effect.
Watch Roddy Ricch’s “Real Talk” video featuring Mustard above.
The Big 3 is out now via Atlantic Records. Get it here.
Roddy Ricch is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Bar none. This is the end of the very long SF Spirits Awards medal rollout.
To get this high-level award, the bourbons had to go through three rounds of double-blind tastings with three sets of judges all unanimously agreeing that the pour deserved to move up the ranks towards the finals and compete for “best in class.” That’s a lot of hoops for any spirit to get through. There were 5,000 total spirits entered this year and nearly 1/5 of those were whiskeys. So for a single bourbon to rise to the top, it has to be very distinct and absolutely delicious.
I’m going to be providing my own tasting notes on the “best in class” bourbon winners from each category below. Hopefully, those notes can help you decide whether it’s worth adding any of these bottles to your own bar cart at home. Let’s get into it!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This bourbon is around eight years old, though there’s no age statement. The juice is bottled as-is at 125 proof without the usual chill-filtration that 1792 goes through.
Tasting Notes:
This is hot on the nose with a supporting act of classic bourbon notes of vanilla, toffee, and booze-soaked oak. The palate delivers on those promises while adding in notes of cinnamon sticks soaked in mulled wine, grilled corn cobs, and dried cherries soaked in brandy and covered in dark chocolate. The mid-palate is just hot, hot, hot as a sense of Irish Spring soap arrives next to sweetgrass, vanilla tobacco, and a pile of firewood on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is always a solid pick for any burgeoning bourbon lover. The Barton 1792 juice is part of the famed Sazerac portfolio (which includes things like, you know, Pappy and Weller), making it a refined bottle of whiskey. I personally like this one over a rock or two or mixed into a killer Manhattan, but it works really well neat too.
Best of Class Small Batch Bourbon, Up to 5 Years — Penelope Private Select Bourbon
This whiskey from Penelope really helps solidify the brand as a powerhouse in blending. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbon mash bills (one is 21 percent rye, another 90 percent corn, and a 45 percent wheated bourbon — all from MGP), which create a four-grain (corn, wheat, rye, and barley) bourbon. All of this is to say that this is a masterful blend of four to five-year-old barrels into something bigger than the individual parts.
Tasting Notes:
You get a sense of dry cornmeal on the nose next to apple crumble, plenty of wintry spice, a hint of mulled wine, wet brown sugar, and a thin layer of wet-yet-sweet cedar. A hint of brandy-soaked cherries arrives on the palate with a dusting of dark chocolate powder next to more apple pie filling, spice, and buttery crust alongside a sweet, toffee-heavy mid-palate. The end arrives with a dry wicker vibe, cherry tobacco chewiness, and a hint of that dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is just straight-up good. It’s unique, deep, and yet very accessible and kind of fun. I pour it over a rock to let it bloom in the glass a little.
Best of Class Single Barrel Bourbon, Up to 10 Years — Nashville Barrel Co. Single Barrel Bourbon
Nashville Barrel Co. is doing some of the best work in the bottling game, full stop. They’re sourcing incredible barrels (a lot from MGP) and bottling them as-is without any cutting, filtering, or fussing — they let the whiskey speak for itself and it’s kind of magical. This expression tends to be five to eight-year-old barrels that will vary slightly in the flavor profile while always leaning into bold and distinct flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Depending on which bottle you come across, expect a nose full of cotton candy, buttered popcorn, vanilla beans, freshly baked cherry pie with a lard crust, and plenty of caramel sauce, mild leather, hints of oak, and a dollop of orange oil. The palate will lean into the spice with plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice with maybe a hint of anise and sweetgrass before a mid-palate of Almond Joy and salted caramel candies take over. That sweet mid-point will give way to a finish with nutty dark chocolate clusters with hints of dried fruits, old leather, sweet oak, and plenty of wintry spices.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the funniest and best whiskeys on the list. It’s just a classic pour all around that delivers more and more depth the more you nose and taste it. But at the same time, it’s also a fun and easy drinking experience that you can just go with. It’s a great balance.
Best of Class Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon — TX Texas Straight Bourbon Finished in Cognac Casks
This Texas bourbon is made at Firestone & Robertson Distilling Company with an undisclosed mash bill. What we do know is that this whiskey spends two years maturing under the hot Texas sun before it’s transferred into Cognac casks for a final 17-month rest.
Tasting Notes:
Apricots and floral honey mingle on the nose as a hint of raw oats, soft leather, and plum pudding round things out. The palate leans into the spices from the wintry plum pudding with plenty of lush vanilla and salted caramel sweetness on the mid-palate. The finish ramps up the dark brown spices with a Red Hot vibe as the floral honey returns with a hint of grape seeds and skins on the dry backend.
Bottom Line:
This was one of the biggest surprises of the night. The Texas whiskey beat out some stiff competition in a very wide (and growing) category. That all said, this is a super easy sipping experience with a nice and fruity vibe that’s as good for beginners as it is for hardcore bourbon stans.
Best of Class Wheated Bourbon — W. L. Weller 12 Year
This expression of Weller rests in the warehouse for 12 long years. A fair amount of juice is lost to the angels during that stretch. In the end, the whiskey is vatted from the barrels that survived and then proofed down to a soft 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a deep, creamy sweet corn note on the nose that gives way to old wool sweaters and vanilla pancakes rolled around soft marzipan. The palate has a warm biscuit vibe with hints of buttery toffee syrup and old cutting boards that still smell of dark spices and dried fruit. The end takes its time and touches back on the cakey vanilla, buttery syrups, soft marzipan, and old, fruit-stained wood as it gently fades away.
Bottom Line:
This was a no-brainer. I had a dram or two yesterday of this and, yeah, it’s just freaking great. It’s so easygoing while delivering a big flavor profile. It’s classic through and through.
Best of Class Tennessee Whiskey — Jack Daniel’s 10 Year
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 the other no-brainer of the night. This is a really good pour of whiskey that’s helping re-shape the way people think about Jack Daniel’s. If you can get your hands on a bottle, you will not be disappointed.
Best of Class Small Batch Bourbon, 6 to 10 Years/Best of Class Overall Bourbon — Old Ezra 7 Year
This brand from Luxco is still sourced juice though they did start distilling their own in 2018. This bottle is a seven-year-old blend of barrels with a bourbon mash bill of 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and ten percent rye, which just so happens to be Heaven Hill’s bourbon mash bill. These barrels are blended down and left as-is at cask strength for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is a pretty classic bourbon from nose to finish with a strong sense of rich caramel, pancakes with plenty of vanilla, sweet oak, wet brown sugar, and a whiff of cherry tobacco. The palate leans into the woody brown spices as a dark cherry vibe sweetens the mid-palate. The end circles back to that sweet oak and spicy cherry tobacco on a short finish.
Bottom Line:
This was another big surprise. “Best of class overall Bourbon” is a huge win for Lux Row. I really dig this, but it’s wild that it beat our Weller and Jack. Moreover, you can actually get this on the average liquor store shelf right now. Though that’s going to change after this award. Consider yourself warned.
It’s been a bit over a month now since Rina Sawayama announced her latest album, Hold The Girl. The LP’s September release is still a few months away, which means there’s plenty of time for more advance singles.
The latest one arrives today as Sawayama shares “Catch Me In The Air,” a spacious and driving single of which Sawayama says:
“I really wanted to write about this weird relationship with single parents — you do catch each other in the air. […] ‘Catch Me In The Air’ was written in between lockdowns with Oscar Scheller and Gracey. I wanted the whole song to sound like it was on an Irish coastline, like a Corrs video. We put in a key change to go into the chorus, at the end of the pre-chorus to make it lift and soar like a bird. I then worked on it more with Clarence before taking it to Stuart Price. This was the first song that Stuart and I worked on together, and it was the most incredible experience. I’m such a huge fan of his work with Madonna and Kylie [Minogue] so it was a dream come true. We would send each other stock images of coastlines, people doing yoga on a pier, meditating in the middle of a field, hay bales, etc. to get inspired sonically.”
Listen to “Catch Me In The Air” above.
Hold The Girl is out 9/2 via Dirty Hit. Pre-order it here.
It’s no secret that networks will often want to take their biggest hit and try to develop a spin-off, though it seems like only a handful really make it out into the world. So it makes sense that Netflix would want to explore some more Upside Down-themed stories, and they might be doing just that.
While speaking with Variety, those Duffer Brothers were at it again chatting about the upcoming season four finale that is being hyped as the most upsetting episode ever, but they also started discussing the potential spinoffs that the series could inspire.
Netflix has yet to confirm a spinoff, and it will likely not happen until Stranger Things wraps after next season, but the brothers have already started sketching out a timeline for a new series. “There’s a version of it developing in parallel [to season 5], but they would never shoot it parallel,” Ross explained. “I think actually we’re going to start delving into that soon as we’re winding down and finishing these visual effects, Matt and I are going to start getting into it.” The brothers have famously been fine-tuning the finale just days before it airs.
Matt Duffer then added, “The reason we haven’t done anything is just because you don’t want to be doing it for the wrong reasons, and it was just like, ‘Is this something I would want to make regardless of it being related to Stranger Things or not?’ And definitely. Even if we took the Stranger Things title off of it, I’m so, so excited about it,” Matt adds. “It’s going to be different than what anyone is expecting, including Netflix.” We are all well aware of what happens when you reboot a show for the wrong reasons.
Whatever the spinoff may be, let’s hope it takes place in the ’90s so that Netflix can get the Spice Girls to reunite. Hey, they were able to get Kate Bush out of hiding. Anything can happen!
The long and strange cycle of Jeopardy! guest hosts following the death of Alex Trebek may soon, finally, come to an end. That is, of course, if the announcement of a new host actually sticks this time.
It’s been nearly two years of drama since Trebek’s passing, as the long string of guest hosts and outrage following the announcement of Mike Richards as his replacement has filled headlines and sparked plenty of controversy. But all of that is apparently coming to an end.
As Variety detailed in a backstage interview with Jeopardy! producer Michael Davies at the Daytime Emmys, the folks behind America’s most popular syndicated game show are gearing up to officially announce a replacement for Trebek. Davies, now at the reigns of the show following the departure of Mike Richards in the fallout of his own attempt to take over as host, said the “awkward” phase of the show did have some good news: namely in some spectacular runs from contestants:
“The scandal was, as we call it at ‘Jeopardy!,’ ‘the awkward months,’” executive producer Michael Davies said backstage. “But it showed the power of our audience and how passionately our fans care about the program, which is just so important. What’s happened over the course of the season — Matt Amodio, and Amy Schneider and Mattea [Roach] and Ryan [Long] — really made us just remember how incredible the game is. The stars of our show and Mayim [Bialik] and Ken [Jennings] have done incredible job hosting.”
Davies is certainly not wrong, as we’ve seen some records fall and huge paydays during the stretch where no one really knew who would be hosting at any given time. But the bigger story is that the show expects to name permanent hosts “very soon.” And not just one.
Davies added, ‘we hope to have a hosting announcement very, very soon. But with all of our plans for ‘Jeopardy!’ — which is more ‘Jeopardy!,’ not less, more versions — we’re going to need multiple hosts to represent the entire audience, to represent the entire country, in order to take this franchise forward.”
The “more versions” Davies is referring to are the primetime ABC events that Mayim Bialik is currently slated to host, though there has been some speculation that something different is now in the works. The whom here is, of course, the biggest question on fans’ minds, but it’s certainly intriguing that Jeopardy! is comfortable having multiple hosts tackling different formats of the show. By now fans certainly have their favorites, and though it will be impossible to please everyone it seems like they are confident there’s plenty of answers in the form of questions for everyone that wants the hosting podium.
Earlier this year, Chicago rapper Vic Mensa was arrested on felony narcotics charges for possession of hallucingenic mushrooms and LSD at Washington Dulles International Airport after returning from Ghana with Chance The Rapper. US Customs and Border Protection noted he had 41 grams of liquid LSD, about 124 grams of Psilocybin capsules, 178 grams of Psilocybin gummies, and six grams of Psilocybin mushrooms in his luggage. According to TMZ, a representative for Loudoun County Commonwealth’s Attorney says Vic pled guilty to one count of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance — a misdemeanor — in exchange for a year of unsupervised probation.
The lesser penalty came in lieu of a 12-month jail sentence and includes a $1k fine, 25 hours of community service, and a substance abuse assessment. Vic also gave a statement to TMZ, calling for reform of drug laws to decriminalize hallucinogens and advocating their use in mental health treatment. You can read that statement below.
In this case, I have decided to plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge. I have been extremely vocal about my mental health, the culture at large and access to mental health treatment. It is important to note the extensive research being done on the topic of psilocybin [shrooms] and the many significant movements underway for legalization and decriminalization.
Esteemed universities such as Johns Hopkins, University of California, NYU, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and The Imperial College of London have all immersed themselves in years-long research programs with full departments and centers dedicated to this work. Unfortunately, our laws have not kept up with the research showing that psychedelic plants and compounds can be successfully used to treat otherwise treatment-resistant mental illness .
I have contributed positively to many communities and will continue to do so with this case. My hope is that the silver lining to this matter will be increased focus on the effectiveness of psychedelics to treat mental illness and mood disorders that millions are battling with depression and anxiety with hope that all of our laws will change accordingly.
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