After getting ruthlessly slamming by Jon Stewart (and Stephen Colbert) for taking part in the GOP’s effort to block the Honor Our PACT Act last week, Ted Cruz is back with another brutal self-own. During a senate hearing on the latest FBI guidelines for extremist symbols, the Texas senator took offense to seeing the Gonzalez battle flag on the list. In a particularly dramatic move, Cruz apparently pulled off one of his boots and slammed it on the table to show that, as a proud Texan, he wears the flag every day.
Also included on this is a text that I was particularly struck is the Gonzales Battle Flag – Come and take it – as indicative of being a violent extremist militia. Well, I will self report right now that every day in the Senate, I wear my boots that have the Gonzales battle flag on the back of them. Director Ray, what are y’all doing? This makes no sense. Do you agree with this FBI guidance? That the Betsy Ross flag, and the Gadsden flag and the Gonzales Battle Flag or signs of militia violent extremism.
Not fazed by Cruz’s theatrics, FBI Director Christopher Wray responded, “I will tell you that when we put out intelligence products, including ones that reference symbols, which we do across a wide variety of contexts, we usually make great pains take great pains to put caveats and warnings in the document that make clear that a symbol alone is not considered evidence of violent extremism.”
However, on social media, folks had a field day with Cruz’s latest “tough guy” moment, which possibly involved him sitting there the whole time with one boot off? You can see some of the reactions dragging Cruz below:
Act of self-serving performative horseshit by jellyfish who voted against a bill for veterans sick or dying because of selfless & genuine acts of service to the nation. Oh, he then lied about why he voted against. Voted for it after publicly shamed. But tell us about your boot. https://t.co/sHO4BoEj9U
I have this muted and haven’t heard the audio, but I hope he said “If Trump really lost the election I’ll eat this here boot right naw.” https://t.co/Ycgh9Dam5i
While there’s nothing actually ha-ha funny about Alex Jones, the mere fact that his life is like something out of a Looney Tunes cartoon can make stories about the performance artist conspiracy theorist kind of chuckle-worthy. Mostly because of the ineptitude that constantly surrounds and befalls him. Like the lawyer who is currently attempting to defend the InfoWars host as a jury decides exactly what Jones owes the parents of the children who were murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut nearly a decade ago by a 20-year-old gunman, which Jones repeatedly claimed was a hoax.
Unbeknownst to Jones, his lawyer accidentally sent the contents of the InfoWars host’s phone—including two years’ worth of texts—to a lawyer representing the Sandy Hook parents, and did nothing to protect the information. Jones was only made aware of this when the lawyer who received this information told Jones about it… while he was on the stand. And Trevor Noah could barely get through telling the story on Wednesday night’s episode of The Daily Show.
Noah, describing Jones as a “man who makes Donald Trump look like a reasonable human being,” kept bursting into laughter while explaining that “one of the funniest moments came when [Jones] found out that his inept lawyer had screwed up and sent the prosecution evidence that proved Alex Jones had committed perjury.”
Jones attempted to come up with some sort of response, which included seemingly acknowledging that whatever they were reading was real, claiming not to be “a tech guy,” then randomly breaking out into a cough, presumably in an attempt to cough himself to death.
“I like how he was so shocked he started turning into every emoji,” Noah said. “At one point, he even tried to give himself COVID. Did you see that? ‘I can’t speak. You know the disease I said is fake? I’ve got it. I’ve got it now.’”
“You know you’re in trouble when the truth chokes you up like you’re on an episode of Hot Ones,” Noah continued. “But you realize this moment is huge. Because it shows that Alex Jones probably committed perjury. Which means Alex Jones lies about stuff. Yeah, I know—that’s shocking. Because now I’m starting to wonder: does that mean entrails from planes aren’t turning the frogs gay?”
You can watch the full segment above, beginning around the 9:20 mark.
“About Damn Time” could end up being the biggest song of Lizzo’s career. Currently, it’s at least in the conversation, as it recently became her second No. 1 single (after “Truth Hurts”) and it now has two weeks on top (to the seven of “Truth Hurts”). Whatever the case, what can be confirmed is that it was clearly an excellent choice for lead single from Lizzo’s album Special. There was a time, though, when Lizzo didn’t think that would be the case.
Lizzo is the guest on today’s new episode of Hot Ones and at 8:52 into the video, Sean Evans asks how Lizzo chooses her lead singles. Lizzo responded with the “About Damn Time” backstory, saying:
“‘About Damn Time’ was the last song I wrote for the album. I was turning in my masters in March. I wrote ‘About Damn Time’ in February, and I was like, ‘This one? [I don’t know] about this one.’ ‘Cause the hook wasn’t done, the verses wasn’t, ‘In a minute, I’ma need a….’ It wasn’t there yet. So I was like, ‘Uh-uh’ [shakes head].
And when I finished it, I was like, ‘Oh f*ck, this song needs to come out right motherf*ckin’ now. ‘I been so down and under pressure? I’m way too fine to be this stressed?’ It’s like, hello, we needed that right then when I dropped that motherf*cker. She I’m so bad at picking singles for myself because I think everything I do is incredible. I really do.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Lizzo talks about the Minneapolis music scene, her best older rap song, and more, so check it out above.
Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
“Oftentimes, records that are real personal will come from a place where I know where it came from and I can pinpoint that to an exact situation that really happened in my life. It can get hard to listen to, and especially hard to perform. Some songs, I’ve been performing, and I’m just like, ‘Man, that’s just a lot; I can’t perform this sh*t right now.’”
About being called labeled a “toxic” R&B singer, he said, “I don’t really think about it, to be honest. I don’t, like, wake up and go to sleep thinking about the state of R&B. Anything that somebody else is making, that’s on them. Any opinions that somebody got on what I make, that’s just how they perceive it.”
He added, “During the process, I write what I write and make what I make. We have to drop it under some category, so we put it under R&B. I don’t really be thinking about it like that.”
Yesterday a doozy dropped when the legal team representing the families of the victims of the Sandy Hook massacre revealed that Jones’ own lawyers accidentally sent them a digital copy of the Infowars host’s cellphone. That stunning display of legal incompetence meant that Jones was forced to come clean on his communications relating to the school shooting and on how his business profited from his claims that the tragedy was simply a hoax. At one point during the trial, Mark Bankston — the attorney for the Sandy Hook parents — asked a sputtering, red-faced Jones if he knew what the word “perjury” meant. Jones tried to play off the error by suggesting his team intended to send those two years’ worth of texts and emails that directly contradicted his testimony to their opposition but today, in another bizarre turn of events, the right-wing conspiracy theorist is now demanding a mistrial over the mistake.
According to reporting from Vice, Jones’ attorney, Federico Reynal filed an emergency motion this morning, pleading with Judge Maya Guerra Gamble to order Bankston to destroy the evidence he sent before it can be used against Jones in other legal proceedings. (This is his first of many defamation cases being launched by Sandy Hook survivors.)
“I hate to be put into this position by the conduct of plaintiff’s counsel, but it appears they want to have a mistrial,” Reynal told the judge.
Reynal tried to argue that, though he did send a link to access the data, he followed that up with another email saying “please disregard.” Bankston clapped back, saying Reynal’s “please disregard” note was “legally meaningless,” and reminding the attorney that he was given 10 days to cite which information was privileged before Bankston brought it to trial.
Reynal says this is grounds for a mistrial and requests one, again. Bankston responds that he notified Reynal right away, cited a specific rule that Reynal is now citing “so I know he knows how to read it.”
Bankston is saying by Reynal’s own description of events he made a willful failure of discovery and didn’t turn stuff over until after the case went to trial
Now the judge has already denied Reynal’s request since all of the information in question was supposed to have been turned over in the discovery phase a year prior to the trial but things have taken an even more grim turn for Jones because of this fiasco. The Jan. 6th committee, which has already deposed the Infowars host once over his involvement in the insurrection, is now requesting the data sent to Bankston be turned over for their investigation. Apparently, there might be some incriminating texts between Jones and Roger Stone that the committee could use in their case against Donald Trump.
Bankston just referred to Jones’ “intimate messages to Roger Stone,” which first, ew, and secondly, I think I hear the January 6 committee having a party from here
CKaytranada is making quite the comeback this year. In addition to releasing his own new single “Twin Flame” with Anderson .Paak, Kaytranada has also picked up production work for Joyce Wrice on “Ice Tea,” IDK on his new album Simple, and now, on the newly released Lou Phelps EP, Touché. Lou is, of course, Kaytranada’s actual brother and has an impressive list of production credits to his name as well. In fact, the two have performed together as a duo and Phelps has worked with Kay on most of his projects to date.
Speaking about the new EP, Phelps told Complex, “This EP is an introduction to a new chapter of music I’m exploring. I did something that sounds different to my ear but that still felt natural. These three songs display my confidence in the bars, the production is amazing, and flows fill the pocket perfectly. I think it’s a nice setup for whatever is coming next in my career and I look forward to sharing all the other joints I have tucked as well.”
Despite the fact that Paramount+ has 43 million subscribers and a hefty roster of content (which is mostly made up of South Park specials), it still isn’t quite as popular as fellow streamers Netflix and Hulu. Paramount knows this, which is why they have been channeling much energy into their theatrical releases, which have been dominating the box office this year.
In a second-quarter earnings call this week, president and CEO Bob Bakish says that the decision to halt releases during 2020 and 2021 made their theatrical releases much more successful. “Nowhere is our popularity more evident than at the box office,” Bakish explained. “Look no further than Top Gun: Maverick, which is already the biggest film [of] 2022 and our fifth No. 1 title this year. In fact, Top Gun: Maverick just cleared $1.3 billion at the global box office and became one of the top 10 domestic movies of all time.” The other No. 1 releases this year include Jackass Forever, Scream, The Lost City, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (surprisingly).
Bakish shared that the company was forced to make hard release decisions early on in the pandemic, as did Warner Bros and other studios who were sitting on expensive productions throughout 2020.
“In the early stages of the pandemic, we were very selective with our releases, holding certain films until market conditions improved,” Bakish added. “While we couldn’t release Top Gun: Maverick and The Lost City earlier, we held off because we knew these phenomenal stories would bring audiences back to theaters. That proved to be the right call.” It was indeed the right call, in terms of making money! The movie became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.
While delaying proved to be the right call for certain movies, there are other studio releases that were given the short end of the stick when released both online and in theaters, like Black Widow. Luckily, Tom Cruise seems very happy with the Top Gun reception, so maybe movies really are back!
August 4 is a big day for the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. It’s the day that James became eligible to sign an extension with the team — a max deal for the former league MVP comes out to $97.1 million over the next two seasons, and would mean James extends his stay with the Lakers through the 2024-25 campaign.
The issue, to whatever extent it is an issue, is that the two sides did not immediately agree to an extension. In an appearance on SportsCenter on Thursday, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin indicated that this might not get resolved right away, even if both sides have a vested interest in keeping this from dragging into the regular season.
“I’m told nothing is imminent [in regards to a LeBron James extension with the Lakers.]… You can see LeBron’s camp wait to see how things play out with the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster leading up to training camp.”
“I’m told nothing is imminent,” McMenamin said. “As you mentioned, this extension window goes until June 30, and so you can see LeBron’s camp wait to see how things play out with the Los Angeles Lakers’ roster leading up to training camp. Now, I think both parties would like to put this to bed before the ’22-23 season begins, because if they don’t, it will be a year-long distraction — trying to figure out body language, trying to parse out the comments he makes after wins and losses to see if that can be a glimpse into his future.”
McMenamin then went on to lay out the things that are important to James right now, which include trying to win another title and his long-held hopes of taking the floor with his oldest son, Bronny, who is eligible to come to the NBA in 2024. Both of these things will be part of the conversations when the Lakers and James’ camp sit down to talk about an extension.
If the two sides cannot figure something out, James would be slated to hit unrestricted free agency at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
If you love whiskey, you know that experimentation is the name of the game. The combination of mash, yeasts, aging, and blending create literally infinite variations. This also means you’ve got new bottles dropping daily — some good, some bad, some downright ugly.
That’s where I come in. I’m your inside man who gets to try the new stuff early and report back on what’s actually good. And today I’m calling out 15 of the best new whiskeys across all categories. What’s wild is that even with 15 bottles on this list, it’s still only scratching the surface.
This list isn’t about price — this is about taste. These whiskeys are very good. So good, in fact, that I’m not ranking them. They’re all winners in my tasting notebook.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This “spirit distilled from grain” was made with George Dickel’s high-corn mash bill with about eight percent each of rye and malted barley as support. It was barreled in new oak and left to rest in Cascade Hollow’s single-story rickhouse. After 15 years, Head Distiller Nicole Austin decided to bottle these spirits at barrel proof (with no fussing) — even though they’d dipped below the legal ABV standard to be called “whiskey.”
Tasting Notes:
Soft orchard fruits and dry grains draw you in on the nose initially before turning toward a fresh cherry Necco Wafer with a cut of old leather, sour currant, and damp white moss. There’s a faint hint of pine resin buried deep in that nose too. The palate is supple with a silky vanilla base supporting hints of cinnamon apple sauce, a flourish of buttery honey, and whole wheat biscuits with a twinge of buckwheat and maybe some sweetgrass. The mid-palate hits a light marzipan note before fading toward more vanilla, a touch of nutmeg, and almond shells on the very soft finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a great whiskey that also blows up the idea that “barrel proof” = “high proof” in every whiskey. Those semantics aside, this is delicious, deeply hewn, and worth the hunt, if simply for its uniqueness. The best part is that you won’t need a rock to calm this barrel proof whiskey down — it’s already perfectly dialed.
This brand-new expression from Jim Beam is about highlighting the beautiful high-end barrels from Beam’s vast rickhouses. The juice in the bottle is classic low-rye Beam that rested for 16 years and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the bottle as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a rich spice mix of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, almost bitter cloves, and dusty allspice with a hint of black licorice leading to a buttery caramel sauce with a flake of salt, twinge of vanilla oil, and whisper of cherry tobacco in an old cedar humidor. The palate builds on that classic foundation with layers of old boot leather, hard sultanas, meaty dates, stewed plums, and rum-soaked Christmas cake with candied orange rinds and cherries. The end soaks the raisins and candied fruit in maple syrup with a hint of sour cherry laced with ancho chili peppers and woody spices.
Bottom Line:
This is f*cking delicious and classic — everything you could want from a classic bourbon that’s also fresh and modern. While this is a killer neat, add a little water or a rock to really let it bloom.
Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Original Cask Strength
The newest release from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley is an evolution of their brand. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbons which create a four-grain bourbon. That blend was then bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a balance of old leather boots and freshly cracked black pepper next to a hint of walnut shell, vanilla pod, and orange zest. The palate leans into what feels like star fruit as orange marmalade, salted butter, and fresh honey drip over rye bread crusts. The end comes with a good dose of peppery spice and old leather as those walnuts and the orange zest combine with a handful of dried fruit and a dusting of winter spices on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a wonderful evolution from Brother’s Bond’s initial release — which was a perfectly fine small batch bourbon for cocktails primarily. This is a great neat sipper that’s light, fresh, and yet somehow nostalgic. It also makes a great Manhattan.
This new release from Nelson’s Green Brier is a significant evolution for the brand. This high-rye bourbon is aged for four years before it’s masterfully blended into this expression. It’s then bottled without any fussing or meddling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is pretty classic with clear notes of vanilla and orange zest, winter spices, candied cherry, and apple pie filling with a light grainy edge. The palate holds onto that graininess as dark chocolate and dark cherry lead to a hint of zucchini bread with pecans and a whisper of lemon. The end has a warmth that leans into white pepper and green tea as soft, almost chocolate-roasted grains round out the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bottles that disappeared fast from my bar cart. It’s a crowd-pleaser that also offers some serious depth. It’s also a good workhorse — making a hell of an old fashioned while still being a very good neat or on the rocks pour.
F.E.W. Motor Oil Whiskey Finished in Rum and Vermouth Casks
This whiskey is a collab between Illinois’ F.E.W. Spirits and rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The juice in the bottle is a blend of F.E.W. Bourbon finished in rum barrels, F.E.W. Bourbon finished in vermouth barrels, and a mesquite-smoked wheat whiskey. Those barrels are vatted and proofed down to 101 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a clear sense of chocolate malts next to dry reeds and rich spice with a slightly floral edge. Think sassafras by way of whole cinnamon and very subtle hibiscus. The palate starts off with a dry chocolate cookie before layering in vanilla husks, brown sugar, and a faint whisper of fat from a brisket smoker. The end lets the brown sugar and dry spices mingle with a thin line of that fatty smoke rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
This was a hit from the first sip. It’s well-rounded and nuanced but still hits hard with serious depth. That blend of chocolate malts and smoky fat hit just right in the middle of summer too.
This expression is made from last year’s instant-classic Stellum Bourbon barrels. The ripple here is that the blend of this bourbon was created from specific rare barrels used for Stelllum that were blended until the exact moment of the vernal equinox. That whiskey was then bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Fresh chili peppers greet you with a sense of soft malted grains, old leather gloves, dried sweetgrass, and a flourish of creamy toffee underneath it all. The palate leans into leathery stone fruit with fresh and floral honey, sharp woody cinnamon, burnt orange rinds, and bright clove berries. The end created an orange creamed pudding with a hint of green tea, black dirt, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and old oak staves from a cellar.
Bottom Line:
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite whiskeys of the year overall. It’s just so freakin’ good from top to bottom. Just make sure to add a drop of water or a rock to really let this one shine in the glass.
The second Booker’s release of 2022 is a masterful blend of barrels from seven locations around Jim Beam’s rickhouses. Those barrels are mostly from the seventh floor of those rickhouses, with one coming from the ninth floor. All of them averaged out to this whiskey being seven years, one month, and seven days old before it was batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a rush of dry nutshells next to old cellar beams, soft old boot leather, salted caramel sauce, sweet black cherries, and dry tobacco leaves and cedar bark braided together. The palate has a creamy and lush vanilla underbelly that supports a hint of chocolate chip cookie next to fresh broom bristles, caramel apple from the state fair, and a whisper of freshly cracked black peppercorn with a dash of dried ancho underneath it all. The end is all about salted peanuts covered in dark yet creamy chocolate with beautiful lush vanilla tobacco chewiness wrapped in that old leather and cedar.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s going to be hard to beat this year — and it’s been an amazing year for bourbon, ryes, and whiskeys in general. Overall, I like the heat of this one neat, but you might need a rock to calm it down a tad and help the deeper flavors express themselves.
The Bardstown Discovery Series has become one of the most beloved and sought-after blended whiskeys in the game. Their latest edition is a mix of 35 percent eight-year-old Georgia bourbon, 31 percent 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon, 19 percent 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey, and 15 percent 12-year-old corn whiskey from Ontario. Those barrels are shipped to Bardstown where they’re masterfully vatted and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is dense yet inviting with hints of sour apple next to waxy cacao nibs, old boot leather, bruised plums, wet cedar bark braids, soft winter spice, and a hint of wet forest mushroom underneath it all. The palate is ultra lush with creamy vanilla leading things off as layers of cinnamon cake, dry reeds, and a twinge of spicy orange tobacco leaf mingle. The end is pure silk thanks to that vanilla with an accent of chanterelles and stewed plums in a ginger/cinnamon/clove brown sugar syrup base.
Bottom Line:
This is my favorite Discovery to date. It’s so funky and fresh while still feeling like it’s comforting. It also takes your senses on a journey. When you add a little water, it gets super creamy as the fats move forward and you get this malted spicy orange chocolate vibe that’s just wonderful.
The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The juice is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly ten to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine. The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate. The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is another winner all around. In fact, it just won a gold medal at Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans — in case you needed more reason to track it down.
2022’s Ardbeg Day release is an outlier for the distillery. The juice is made with a mash of peated Islay barely mixed with a heavily roasted barley in the mix. That dark barley imbues a layer of dark chocolate to the juice that lasts through the aging process.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a hint of wet charcoal next to sour and almost waxy cacao nibs on the nose plus white pepper, grapefruit, and a hint of dried florals. The palate meanders through notes of cigarette ash, anise, savory scones with dark chocolate drops, and cardamon with a small line of Band-Aid and pear sneaking in late. The finish has a note of menthol/chocolate tobacco with a bit of dry asphalt.
Bottom Line:
A smoky chocolate bomb? Yes, please!
Overall, this is a classic Ardbeg with a fresh POV. If you’re down with (real) smokiness, then this is going to be your jam for the rest of the summer.
Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch
Former Master Taster for Old Forester Jackie Zykan just left her post at Brown-Forman and her new whiskey is already out. Zykan’s first release at her own shingle is a sourced whiskey from Neeley Family Distillery in rural Kentucky. The bourbon is made from a sweet mash (a brand new mash with every cook instead of reusing mash for a sour mash) with a high-ish rye content over pot stills (a true rarity in bourbon these days). Those barrels aged for four to five years before Zykan picked a handful for this inaugural release at batch proof.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of digestive biscuits and whole wheat pancakes cut with vanilla and pecan next to hints of anise, caramel candy, and cinnamon-toast tobacco. The palate holds onto the massive graininess with a clear sense of rye bread crumb next to thick oatmeal cookies with more of those pecans and plenty of raisins and spice. Later, a hint of white pepper arrives and leads the finish to soft espresso cream with a dash of nutmeg and creamy toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is a great introduction to a brand-new whiskey. The juice feels unique to bourbon and like something truly new.
The Balvenie just added a new release to its core lineup last week. The juice here is a masterful blend from whisky legend David Stewart. After around 15 years of aging, the whisky is transferred to Pineau des Charentes casks (a French fortified wine) for a final maturation, which is The Balvenie’s first foray into French oak finishing. The whisky is then bottled with a touch of water but as-is otherwise.
Tasting Notes:
Red geraniums and fresh honeycomb greet you on the nose with supporting characters of green grass, pear skins, apple cores, a hint of a cinnamon roll with vanilla frosting, and a dash of nutmeg. The palate leans into a lemon curd with a hint of grapefruit pith before layering in floral honey, ginger beer, vanilla-heavy shortbread, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a good dose of orange zest with a pinch of dark chocolate powder mixed in. The end is light and airy with a hint of savory fig next to ginger-infused rock candy dipped in creamy dark chocolate that’s just kissed with cinnamon spice.
Bottom Line:
This is one of my favorite new Scotch single malts of the year (so far). It’s light and fun while still feeling like a deeply hewn unpeated single malt of the highest degree.
Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Kentucky Oak Edition
This new edition to the Redbreast family marries Kentucky and Ireland in the barrel. The juice starts off as classic Redbreast aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Those barrels are vatted and then re-barreled into air-dried new American oak barrels made from trees from the Taylor family’s Elk Cave Farm in Kentucky (which is renowned for its oak orchards). After around seven months of finishing in that barrel, the whiskey is vatted, slightly proofed, and bottled without fussing.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of fresh, almost wet cedar bark next to moist marzipan cut with orange oils and covered in dark chocolate with sour and candied cherries in the background. The palate starts off buttery and sweet with a rich toffee leading to brandy-soaked sour cherries dipped in creamy dark chocolate next to rushes of woody cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and clove berries with a hint of anise and maybe some cherry root beer. The vanilla is rich and smooths the finish into a lush sip, leaning into Calvados-laced marzipan next to spiced dark chocolate tobacco leaves stuffed into a cedar box with a hint of old leather jackets and dried wicker lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is just spectacularly good. It’s so soft and nuanced while still hitting on great Irish and Kentucky whiskey notes. It’s also one of the easiest drinking whiskeys on this list that offers the most rewards in the flavor department.
The evolution of the already beloved Dovetail from Barrell Craft Spirits is an instant classic. The juice is a blend of rare barrels from Indiana, Tennessee, and Canada with ages reaching above 20 years old. Those whiskeys are then finished in a combination of rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards cabernet barrels before batching and bottling in Louisville, Kentucky at cask strength and with zero tweaks.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is wild — in the best possible way — with hints of fresh leather next to bright habanero peppers, grape must, green apple skins, pear candy, tart red berries, woody Christmas spices, orange oils, vanilla oils, and salted peanut and caramel ice cream. The palate is bold with strawberry rhubarb pie in a lard crust leading to poppy seed cake with plenty of vanilla and lemon next to a hint of savory herbs (fennel and caraway come to mind) and savory melon. The end mixes almost burnt black tea with jasmine and very bright honey with a twinge of sweet black licorice and a whisper of miso and pipe tobacco smoke laced with dark orange chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is a wild ride! It’s so deep and engaging. You just want to keep nosing and tasting and adding water and air to see what comes out of that flavor profile next. This is a phenom to its core.
Michter’s Single Barrel 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This year’s only Michter’s 10-Year release is an instant classic. The whiskey is made from a corn-rich rye whiskey mash bill with a good dose of barley in there. The absolute best barrels are chosen — with some up to 15 years old — for this release. Then each of those barrels is individually bottled as-is with a hint of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Rich and lush toffee combine with soft marzipan on the nose as a dash of freshly cracked black pepper leads to cinnamon-laced apple cider and cherry-soaked cedar bark. The palate is part Red Hot and part zesty orange marmalade with creamy vanilla pudding, sweet and spicy dried chili peppers with a hint of smoke and woodiness, and this fleeting whisper of celery salt. The end dries out the almond with a vanilla cream tobacco, soft and sweet cedar, and dark chocolate orange vibe all balanced to damn near perfection.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best whiskeys of the year (all of these whiskeys on this list are, so far). Poured over a single rock, this is divine. That said, I’m looking forward to mixing this into a Manhattan very soon. This whiskey makes the best (I’ll die on this hill) Manhattan there is.
This is wholesome family content and brilliant marketing all rolled into one sweet story.
Emily Beaver and her wonderful crochet creations have been getting a lot of love online lately, not only for her evident prowess with a needle, but also for her delightful models—her parents.
Emily’s mom, Amy Beaver, started it all by wearing one of Emily’s designs, which caused a spike in views on her social media.
Pretty soon, videos of Jeff dancing, twirling and being an absolute goofball while wearing Emily’s bralettes went viral. Like, mega viral. One video of him wearing a full rainbow ensemble while the family performed a “drag race” inspired routine got nearly 19 million views. Influencer status: unlocked.
where she attributed the success of her LoveBeav crochet line to her parents’ ability to embrace the silliness.
“We could care less what other people think about how silly it might look,” she told GMA. “My dad has never been afraid to look silly, especially if he’s having fun doing it, so there was never any hesitation on his part.”
The strategy has definitely worked. Emily shared that since creating videos together with her family, her business has exponentially grown—going from “barely any sales at all, to usually selling out my entire restock each month.”
Sales have been so strong, in fact, that Emily now solely works as a full-time crochet artist.
She even got to partner with Michael’s Craft Store, one of her favorite places for finding crochet supplies.
One of her most popular items seems to be her “Third Eye” bralettes, which come in a variety of colors. Jeff really likes the green one, as you can see.
“Totally don’t have this relationship with my parents but I would do this for my kids. You all are awesome,” wrote one person.
“You three could truly lighten the world I believe! Always makes my heart happy!” wrote another.
For Emily, making videos together has been the ultimate highlight. She told GMA, “The most important thing for me and my parents is that we are spending quality time laughing and enjoying what we are doing.”
The Beaver family is clearly having a wildly good time, and their joy is contagious. Whatever they’re selling—be it crochet tops or silly dad dances or family videos—we’re buying.
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