The only thing better than a new James Cameron movie is a James Cameron quote about a new James Cameron movie. The director of two of the three highest-grossing movies ever vowed that his Avatar sequels will make you “sh*t yourself with your mouth wide open.” He also called it a “certainty” that the original Avatar would re-claim its top spot over Avengers: Endgame on the all-time box office hit (he was correct).
The latest memorable James Cameron quote:
“The trolls will have it that nobody gives a sh*t and they can’t remember the characters’ names or one damn thing that happened in the movie. Then they see the movie again and go, ‘Oh, okay, excuse me, let me just shut the f*ck up right now.’ So I’m not worried about that.”
That’s Cameron speaking to Empire about people who saw Avatar when it was released in 2009, claiming that they can’t remember anything about Avatar because it’s not good, or something. I’m an Avatar defender (not that a movie that made $2.8 billion needs defending), but to be fair, I had to look up that Sam Worthington played Jake Sully, and of course Zoe Saldana was Neytiri. It’s been 13 years since Avatar — a lot’s happened since then. I saw Jurassic World: Dominion three weeks ago, and I can barely remember that Chris Pratt’s character name is… I want to say Chad? That sounds right. Chad.
Over the weekend, though, some fans noticed that Crosby, Stills & Nash music had returned to Spotify. As for why that happened, Crosby says it’s about money and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. A fan on Twitter asked Crosby about CSN’s Spotify return and Crosby answered, “I don’t own it now and the people who do are in business to make money.”
I don’t own it now and the people who do are in business to make money https://t.co/TwyI2z2y1w
Billboard notes that according to a source, the band will donate proceeds from streaming to COVID-19 charities “for at least a month.”
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s discography is also currently on Spotify, although certain songs from the band’s albums appear to be unplayable. Young’s solo albums remain off of the platform entirely.
Meanwhile, Crosby recently shared the music he most enjoys while on the road, tweeting, “What do I listen to in the car ? Alison Krauss and Union Station …a lot. James Taylor …constantly. Marc Cohn …Join The Parade. CPR. Solo stuff. Beatles, Stones , Who. Weather Report. Miles. The Puppy.”
What do I listen to in the car ? Alison Krauss and Union Station …a lot James Taylor …constantly Marc Cohn …Join The Parade CPR Solo stuff Beatles, Stones , Who Weather Report Miles The Puppy
Over the weekend, The Strokes brought their talents to Denmark’s Roskilde Festival. The showcase kicked off on June 25 and concluded July 2 with performances from Dua Lipa, Post Malone, Tyler The Creator, Haim, Megan Thee Stallion, St. Vincent, Idles, and more. While many hoped that The Strokes’ performance would be smooth sailing, that didn’t seem to be the case as the band’s lead vocalist, Julian Casablancas, was hit with criticism for his part of the set. Concerns and criticism about Casablancas’ performance were shared all over social media, and after a while, he caught wind of it and took to Instagram to respond.
“I’m not tuned into twitter things enough to know what some confused fan thinks or pretends they know, but i’m fine… far as i know,” Casablancas wrote in a now-deleted post according to Stereogum. “People been asking me weiiird questionnns – ahh the dumb side of social media… Lame-Os running around so hard and free.”
He continued, “PS the concerns and questions are kind and fine! it’s the strangers announcing /acting like they know some sh*t that’s dumb. (weird questions not the dumb side haha).”
Casablancas’ Roskilde Festival performance comes after he sold his share of The Strokes’ catalog to Primary Wave for an undisclosed amount. His solo material and work with The Voidz were not included in the deal.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Politico has released the first trailer for Unprecedented, Alex Holder’s upcoming three-part documentary about Donald Trump and his family during the 2020 presidential campaign, including footage from the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol that was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee. You can watch it below.
In the trailer, Donald Trump Jr. vows to “make liberals cry,” Ivanka Trump jokes about borrowing a dog to draw attention away from a line on her dress, Eric Trump is just kind of there, and Donald Trump is obsessed about a glass of water on a table next to him. (What is it with him and water?) “Witness the 3-part documentary event… With exclusive access… To the most controversial family in the world… Gaining power is easy… Surrendering it is not,” it reads. (The Trump / Succession parallels are unmistakable.)
Here’s more:
Holder’s cameraperson joined the crowd as it marched on the Capitol. “We’ve got to get the roaches out, all of them,” a protester yells straight to camera as he appears to motion toward Congress. Next up is a montage of scenes from the frontlines as the rioters breach the Capitol and police in riot gear are attacked.
The trailer ends with Trump asking, “Do you miss me yet?” (No.)
Unprecedented (which is reportedly making the Trumps very anxious) premieres on Discovery+ sometime the summer.
The past month has been an unprecedentedly prosperous time for Kate Bush, whose 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” has become a hit thanks to Stranger Things and so far peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The newfound popularity is nice and it turns out it’s also yielded quite a payday for Bush: CBS News reports that according to data from Luminate, between May 27 (when the first seven episodes of Season 4 premiered) and June 23, Bush has generated $2.3 million in streaming royalties.
Luminate CEO Rob Jonas told CBS, “While we’ve seen a notable increase in catalogue music streams in recent years — with an annual 20-percent growth alone in 2021 — the Kate Bush story has taken the phenomenon to a new level.”
Since the season’s final two episodes were just unveiled on July 1, it’s possible/likely there will be continued interest in Bush’s music. She’s still riding the wave of the current resurgence, even: On the latest Hot 100 (dated July 2), “Running Up That Hill” ranks at No. 9.
As for Bush’s thoughts on the two latest episodes, she recently wrote in a post on her website, “I’ve just watched the last two episodes of Stranger Things and they’re just through the roof. No spoilers here, I promise. I’d only seen the scenes that directly involved the use of the track and so I didn’t know how the story would evolve or build. I was so delighted that the Duffer Brothers wanted to use RUTH for Max’s totem but now having seen the whole of this last series, I feel deeply honoured that the song was chosen to become a part of their roller coaster journey. I can’t imagine the amount of hard work that’s gone into making something on this scale. I am in awe. They’ve made something really spectacular.”
A number of hip-hop and R&B acts took their talents to London for this past weekend’s Wireless Festival. The bill promised performances from big names like J. Cole, ASAP Rocky, Tyler The Creator, Playboi Carti, Roddy Ricch, Don Toliver, Trippie Redd, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, and more. Lil Uzi Vert was also among the performers at Wireless, and while his set was certainly an electric one, it appeared that things got out of hand and resulted in a fan getting injured.
A woman took to TikTok, under the username @ccornonmycob, and claimed in a pair of videos that she was hit in the head with a phone that Lil Uzi threw into the crowd during his Wireless set.
“So as some of you guys may know, there is a video of Lil Uzi Vert throwing a phone into the Wireless crowd 2022 on Friday,” she said in the video. “I am sadly that chick that got their head smashed in by the phone. There was someone else but I don’t really want to mention him in case it is not permitted, but yes, there was some damage caused. But the guy got his phone back and everything is being dealt with.”
She continued, “For those who are asking why I didn’t move out the way, if you have been to Wireless Festival before, you will know how packed the crowd is. There is no space to move, and even if there was, I think the reaction time with the phone landing wouldn’t have been enough to actually move out the way in time. And even if I did, it would have hit someone either way. It wouldn’t have hit the floor first — it was head to head.”
A source close to the situation shared a statement with XXL. “During Uzi’s set at Wireless Fest, fans threw multiple cellphones onto the stage and inadvertently struck him,” they said. “He merely attempted to clear the phones from the stage, avoid slipping and safely continue his performance — he never intentionally directed it at a specific individual.”
You can watch the fan’s TikTok above.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Stranger Things 4 was mighty fun — but it was also mighty long, leading to criticisms of streaming bloat. The runtimes for the fifth and final season won’t be as butt-numbing, at least until the The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King-length finale.
“I think we’re aiming for eight [episodes] again,” co-creator Matt Duffer told Collider about the final season. “We don’t want it to be 13 hours. We’re aiming for more like 10 hours or something. I think it’s going to be longer than season one because we just have so much to wrap up, but I don’t think it’s going to be as long as season four.”
“For the first time ever, we don’t wrap things up at the end of four, and so it’s going to be moving. I don’t know that it’s going to be going 100 miles an hour at the start of five, but it’s going to be moving pretty fast. Characters are already going to be in action, they’re already going to have a goal and a drive, and I think that’s going to carve out at least a couple hours and make this season feel really different. I’m sure the wrap-up will be a lot longer, it’s going to be Return of the King-ish with, like, eight endings.”
Duffer was laughing when he referenced Return of the King, but considering the season four finale is nearly two-and-a-half hours long, maybe it wasn’t a joke.
As for when season five might premiere, David Harbour told GQ UK, “I think we’ll [shoot] next year. They’re finishing writing it this year, and they need to prep and stuff, so hopefully it’ll be this year. But I think that’s the plan. So it’d probably come out mid-2024, based on our track record.” No wonder the Duffers are considering using a time jump — Joe Kerry, who plays teenager Steve Harrington, will be in his early 30s by mid-2024. He could realistically have six lil’ nuggets by then (but seriously, make this spin-off series).
PLEASE LET STEVE HARRINGTON HAVE SIX LITTLE NUGGET HARRINGTONS
The Botox-loving Vladimir Putin defending his dismal Ukraine war (he has declared victory in a Ukraine province), but he’s also growing wildly defensive about his shirtless horseback jaunts. What a strange combo, so let’s back up a bit.
Before his imperialistic lust took over, Putin was also infamous (worldwide) for the above shirtless photo shoot from 2009. He’s also known to take “macho” photos of his martial arts exploits, but he’s apparently feeling the pain of a rock-bottom approval rate (his lowest in 20 years). The global pariah also became the subject of chiding at the recent G7 summit, where British PM Boris Johnson declared that Putin’s war on Ukraine is the “perfect example of toxic masculinity” while trashing his “crazy, macho war of invasion and violence.” Johnson added that maybe everyone should take off their shirts to “show that we’re tougher than Putin.” And Canadian PM Justin Trudeau suggested that Western leaders should band together for a “bare-chested horseback riding display,” too.
This was a pointed callback to the 2009 photos, and that’s exactly how Putin read it. He’s now furious and lashing out, via the NY Post:
“I don’t know how they wanted to get undressed, above or below the waist,” he said. “But I think it would be a disgusting sight in any case.”
The 69-year-old president added, “Everything in a person should be harmonious: both body and soul, but for that to happen it’s necessary to stop abusing alcohol and other bad habits, do physical exercise and take part in sports.”
Well, at least he’s got this U.S. lawmaker on his side? Oh nevermind. Putin’s running short on allies, and there’s word of a secret successor in the works while he’s reportedly at risk for a “hammer to the head” from someone in his inner circle, all while he can’t even get a little respect for those shirtless photos. It’s rough out there for an autocrat.
Scores of awards are handed out to various elite bourbons throughout the year. More and more each year — as new contests appear on the scene. It’s a seemingly endless cycle of medals, trophies, and new bourbon whiskies to keep up with. Meaning it’s a heck of a lot to navigate.
Well, friends, I’m here to help. I taste the vast majority of the awarded bourbons every year both as a tasting leader in the industry and as a judge at competitions. I can help you sort through all the static and find that one bottle of award-winning bourbon to actually put on your home bar cart.
To do that, I’m conducting a blind taste test of 15 award-winning bourbon whiskeys from this year’s spirits award competitions. I’m only going for the top awards though — double gold, double platinum, and best in shows — from a few different contests. If I started including gold, silver, and bronze placers from all the competitions worldwide, we’d be here until the end of 2023.
As for the ranking aspect, I’m going on taste alone. These are all award-winning bourbons. We know they’re well-made, nuanced, deep, etc. I will do my best to stay objective and simply find the best overall taste regardless of whether I know what’s in the glass. This is simply about what tastes good.
Our lineup today is:
Pursuit United Bourbon Batch 2
Kentucky Owl Wiseman
Penelope Private Select Barrel Strength
Smooth Ambler Old Scout
Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel
Stellum Bourbon
George Dickel Bottled In Bond Spring 2007
Barrell Bourbon Batch 030
Blue Note Juke Joint Uncut
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A122
Redemption High Rye Bourbon
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion #6
Boulder Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Christmas cake and almost sour mulled wine mix with a hint of honey and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate leans into the honey with a hint of burnt sugar next to a spicy chocolate tobacco vibe next to a twinge of orange oil and maybe some dry cedar. The orange and chocolate become more apparent on the backend as a soft holiday cake spiciness warms the palate.
This was a nice place to start. It’s complex yet very approachable. It’s pretty lush as well.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a little hard to pick through. I get notes of sweetgrass, toffee, a touch of salt, some circus peanut, and a dash of cumin with some allspice. The palate holds onto the toffee as cornmeal, vanilla beans, and a hint of sweet raspberry sneak in. Wet cedar leads the mid-palate toward a finish full of leathery pouches full of tobacco with a hint of mint and more allspice.
“These are not the droids you’re looking for.” I found this nice. But, it just wasn’t quite what I wanted in a glass of whiskey. That said, I could see using this as a funky/spicy foundation for a spicy cocktail paired with some South Asian food.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Cornmeal and apple pastries lead to mulled wine spices, brown sugar, and a little note of wet cedar bark on the nose. The taste leans into heavy brandy-soaked cherry vibes as waxy dark chocolate with a sour edge leads to apple fritters, winter spices, buttery crust, and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. The finish leverages the brandy cherries against old dry wicker with a dark spiced chocolate tobacco chew.
Hell yes. This is damn nice.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Corn tortillas and taco seasoning pop on the nose with a hint of dark chocolate and maybe some vanilla bean. The palate veers away toward cherry tobacco and dry straw with a more cinnamon-infused chocolate vibe. The end is sweet with a hint of marshmallow next to caramel and more cherry tobacco.
Well, that’s nice but a little all over the place. That taco seasoning (cumin, oregano, chili) isn’t off-putting but does leave you scratching your head for a moment. That said, I bet this is great with a plate of hard-shell tacos.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with still warm and salted kettle corn with a hint of cotton candy in the background while Hostess Cherry Pies mix with salted caramel, old jacket leather, and a hint of orange oil. The taste amps up the warmth with a mix of cinnamon, allspice, anise, and clove next to a lush nutmeg/eggnog creaminess that leads to Almond Joy and more salted caramel with a whisper of dry sweetgrass. The end is old and leathery with sweet cedar, dried fruits, and plenty of wintry spices.
This is a contender. It’s f*cking great.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Holiday cake spices with nuts and dried fruit draw you in the nose with a hint of honey and tart apple. The palate mixes vanilla cake with dried chili flakes next to blackberry jam with a line of cinnamon and nutmeg throughout. The end is part winter spice and part soft and creamy honey with a light vanilla tobacco buzz on the end.
I dig this. It’s really tasty but kind of middle of the road compared to some of the tastes above.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sweet almost oaty vibe to the nose with a hint of apple fritter with pecans next to old leather gloves and a hint of woody maple. The palate leans into the apple and pecan with a dry chocolate pudding sachet next to cherry Necco Wafers with a hint of health food store vitamin aisle. The cherry turns candied as the finish leans into browned butter, soft apple pie filling, plenty of dark and woody spices, and a hint of sweet oak.
There’s no question this is a Dickel product, thanks to that Necco Wafers vibe. Still, this is pretty goddamn tasty all around.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Plum jam with plenty of dark spices mingles with candied fruit and citrus next to a hint of nuts and an almost dark rum vibe. The palate shifts towards brambles full of blackberries and blueberries that are tart, sour, sweet, and earthy. The fruit stews toward a pie filling as lines of vanilla cream, sharp cinnamon, smoked chili in dark chocolate, and walnuts arrive. The end gets creamy and full of that chocolate and nuts with a hint of earthiness.
This was a lot. It was all good but I feel like I need a rest after getting through all of that.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This has a classic bourbon nose. Caramel, vanilla, oak, orchard fruit. The taste leans into the dark and woody spices with a touch of creaminess thanks to nutmeg and vanilla. The finish is part Red Hots and part vanilla tobacco with a twinge of cedar.
This was actually a nice break. It’s so easy drinking yet classic and familiar.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a hint of sourdough doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and pecans next to floral honey, caramel, and candle wax with a vanilla feel to it. The taste rolls through soft leather and singed marshmallows toward vanilla cream and cinnamon sticks with a touch of cedar. The end is all about the lush eggnog with dry braids of cedar bark leading to cinnamon-apple tobacco pipe tobacco with a warming old leather pouch wrapped around everything.
This is another classic with a great profile. I don’t know where it’ll land, but it’ll be high on the list.
Taste 11
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla and orange lead to red and slightly tart berries with a mix of brown spices on the nose. The palate is more about chocolate-dipped cherries with black pepper, clove, root beer, and a hint of lemon zest. The end has an old glove feel with a lemon pepper sharpness that leads chocolate-cherry note on the slow yet warm fade out.
I feel like this is the fifth or sixth pour where I’ve said, “yup, that’s sure nice. We’re deep in this tasting and this is a solid entry.
Taste 12
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose of this feels lush with creamy vanilla, soft Christmas cake, gentle candied fruity, soft nuts, and a whisper of old cedar. The palate brightens the fruit toward a red berry with floral notes leading to soft marzipan and a hint of an old leather boot. The end lets the cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg merge into soft pipe tobacco that’s just touched with vanilla and red berry with a twinge of sourness lurking underneath it all.
Damn, this really is good. This is top tier for sure.
Taste 13
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Dark fruit leather and vanilla wafers mingle with applewood and a good dose of salted caramel on the nose. The taste adds to that with layers of dark cherry tobacco, sharp winter spices, suede, and a hint of cotton candy with cedar bark lingering in between. The end comes around with notes of Blackberry Hostess Pies, soft leather, chewy yet fruity tobacco, and moldy wicker furniture.
Damnit, this is going to be impossible to rank. This is so damn good too.
Taste 14
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Honey and apple break out on the nose with a bit of the apple core, vanilla pod, and caramel. There’s a warm spicy note to the taste that leads to walnuts dipped in maple syrup with a buttery apple pie crust next t some sweetgrass. The end has a woodiness to it that’s part wintry spice and part sweet oak with an underlying cherry tobacco vibe.
This is very good but feels a little more middle of the pack than “OMFG!”
Taste 15
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is all fruit on the nose with tropical fruits really popping next to a hint of vanilla and caramel. The palate feels like a pineapple-forward and slightly spicy rum drink with a hint of sticky toffee pudding next to a dried apricot. The finish is pretty sweet with a cotton candy vibe next to more sweet fruit and a hint of dark chocolate.
This reminded me of a hazy IPA. That’s fine, I guess.
This Colorado bourbon is a bit of an outlier. The juice is made from a mash bill of 51 percent corn, 44 percent malted barley, and only five percent rye. That makes this one almost closer to a grain whiskey from Ireland or Scotland than a standard bourbon. The whiskey ages for four years before blending, proofing, and bottling in the Rocky Mountains.
Bottom Line:
That fruity nose and body just aren’t for me in this one, especially on this panel. Had this been up against other crafty bourbons with little barrel time, it would probably rise to the top. But that’s not why we’re here today.
This sourced whiskey comes from Kentucky. The juice is a blend of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and nine percent malted barley whiskey that’s aged for up to four years before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was good, fine, well-made. It just didn’t grab me as a great sipper. I’d mix a killer cocktail with this in a heartbeat though.
Old Scout is MGP’s classic high rye bourbon — 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and four percent malt barley — that’s aged for five years. The juice is batched in small quantities and proofed down with West Virginia’s Appalachian water.
Bottom Line:
This was good, albeit it was a little funky. I liked the funk but it didn’t propel the pour to any heights against this lineup.
This new-ish release from Kentucky Owl is meant to be an affordable and accessible Kentucky Owl from the otherwise elite brand. The juice is a blend of contract distilled whiskey from Bardstown Bourbon Company and sourced barrels from around Kentucky that are four to eight years old.
Bottom Line:
This was a little funky, which helped it stand out but didn’t really elevate it amongst the pours in this particular tasting.
Awards:
Double Gold 2022 SFWSC
11. Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion #6 — Taste 14
Bardstown Bourbon Company is one of the best blenders/distillers around. Their Fusion Series #6 release marries 56 percent three-year-old high-ish rye bourbon with 30 percent 11-year-old low-rye bourbon and 14 percent three-year-old low-rye bourbon to create this mix. Both three-year-olds are from Bardstown’s own still with the 11-year-old being sourced juice.
Bottom Line:
I hate to say it, but this felt a little basic today. Not bad, at all. It was just very “this is damn good whiskey, so… who’s next?”
These bottles are the masterwork of chef-turned-master-blender David Carpenter. The juice is hand-selected MGP single barrels that provide a classic bourbon base that then leans a little softer on the palate.
Bottom Line:
I felt like this could have been anywhere between 12 and five on this list. It is quality juice that really depends on my mood where I’d place it. On one hand, I’d really love this over a single rock to let it bloom a little. On another hand, I can see using this for a great Manhattan.
So.. here we are.
Awards:
Double Platinum 2022 Ascot Awards
9. George Dickel Bottled In Bond Spring 2007 — Taste 7
Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This year’s release is a whiskey that was warehoused in spring 2007. 13 years later, this juice was bottled at 100 proof (as per the law) and sent out to the wide world where it received much adoration.
Bottom Line:
I knew this was Dickel. That said, today it landed a bit like an outlier. It was 100 percent solid but didn’t grab my attention like some of the others on this list.
The juice in that bottle is a cask-strength blend of whiskeys from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. This whiskey is all about the blending process that Stellum (part of Barrell Spirit Company) employs to make this special and award-winning juice. Basically, the process is a sort of hybrid reverse solera technique where the blend gets more juice to keep the proof high and the blend consistent in flavor as the batch is drained off.
Bottom Line:
This was the perfect “middle of the road” bourbon for this list. It’s refined and tastes great but hits very classic notes and that’s about it.
2021’s Barrell Batch 030 launched the brand’s awesome blends into a new direction by adding Wyoming bourbon alongside Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee whiskeys. The final mix ended up being a blend of five, six, nine, ten, eleven, and 15-year-old bourbons that were bottled at barrel proof.
Bottom Line:
This is another great outing from Barrell Craft Spirits. This pour was well-rounded and engaging. There was also a lot going on and I was starting to look more for comforting than challenging in this tasting.
As mentioned above, this is a vatted from 40 total barrels from three different states. While the team at Pursuit United doesn’t release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively. This final release of 2021 from Pursuit United put 9,342 bottles on the market in six states (Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky).
Bottom Line:
This was a pretty easy whiskey to rank high on this list. It’s complex yet 100 percent approachable as an everyday sipper.
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.
Bottom Line:
This was pretty damn good today. It stood out. It was complex and delicious. The only reason it’s a little lower is that I could have used a single cube to calm it down and let it bloom a little.
Awards:
Best of Class Small Batch Bourbon Up to 5 Years 2022 SFWSC, Best Blend of Straight Bourbon 2022 Ascot Awards
This year’s first drop is a 12-year-old whiskey made from Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash of 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and a mere ten percent rye. Those barrels are masterfully blended into this Barrel Proof expression with no cutting or fussing. This is as-is bourbon from the barrel.
Bottom Line:
This felt both classic and bold. Moreover, it was just really good juice from top to bottom.
Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location.
Bottom Line:
Buy this bottle. It’s great. Plus, it’s actually fairly available still. That won’t last forever.
Awards:
Double Platinum 2022 Ascot Awards
2. Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel — Taste 13
These whiskeys for E.H. Taylor, Jr. are aged in the famed Warehouse C at Buffalo Trace from their mash bill no. 1. While the exact parameters of that bill are undisclosed, this is the same recipe as Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and Stagg. In this case, the barrels are picked for their Taylor flavor profile and bottled one at a time with a slight touch of water to bring them down to bottled-in-bond proof.
Bottom Line:
I flipped back and forth on this and the next entry for a while. Both are pretty fantastic all around. I think this feels a tad more classic and that’s it. Otherwise, this is pretty much perfect whiskey.
Awards:
Double Gold 2022 SFWSC
1. Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel — Taste 5
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.
Bottom Line:
This was both a surprise and kind of not one at all. These single-barrel picks from the team at Nashville Barrel Company are some of the most revered in the industry right now. Why? They always taste great. This was both an instant classic and took me somewhere new.
Awards:
Best in Class Single Barrel Bourbon Up to 10 Years 2022 SFWSC
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
This was way harder than I thought. While there were bottles that appealed more to my palate than others, a lot of it was great. Honestly, 14 through 6 all could have been a tie.
That said, I stand by the top five on this list. Those bottles all have a great flavor and depth that are worth seeking out. Obviously, some of them will be harder to get than others, but it’s worth hunting a few expressions down to a) have a great bottle on your bar and b) enjoy something really, really good, 3) see what resonates with award voters.
Over the last handful of years, the term “Florida Man” has become a fixture of memes and the news, and with good reason: There are so many Florida Men. Defined as an eccentric who commits some outside-the-box deed in the Sunshine State, it’s been used to describe everything from criminals to oddballs. It can be a Florida man who calls 911 to brag about his muscles, or it can be a Florida man who sees Spider-Man: No Way Home nearly 300 times. It can also be a Florida man who steals an R2D2 statue for a creatively bonkers reason.
As per South Florida Sun-Sentinel (as picked up by The Daily Beast), a Florida man named David Proudfoot was busted stealing a grab bag of items from Disney resorts, among them a $10,000 statue for one of Star Wars’ most beloved droids. When questioned as to why he stole so many items, he had an unpredictable reason: He had a pending application to be a Disney security guard and he wanted to locate gaps in their security system.
Given how much he stole, Proudfoot probably did them a good service. In fact, it sounds almost like the plot of the 1992 movie Sneakers, in which Robert Redford leads a group of professional thieves who loan themselves out to businesses to do exactly what Proudfoot did. Maybe they should hire him.
Meanwhile, the Florida man running the state, Ron DeSantis, was the subject of a new, damning ad from California governor Gavin Newsom, pointing out that residents are losing civil rights left and right.
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