Oliver Stone has rarely met a political argument he didn’t want to take a controversial stance on. Over the past several months, as tensions between Russia and Ukraine have ratcheted up, the Oscar-winning filmmaker has been sharing his own takes on exactly what is happening, and they’ve largely been pro-Putin—which is hardly a surprise to anyone who is even semi-acquainted with the moviemaker’s filmography. As Deadline reports, Stone has been using his own social media channels to share his views on the Russia-Ukraine situation and has been a sought-after figure to weigh in on the crisis. As Deadline’s Tom Tapp wrote:
Early last month, Stone told KCRW’s Robert Scheer: “The United States and its allies in NATO have been provoking Russia for, since two years now—actually three years—over the Ukraine…”
In the same interview, the director decried “bloodthirsty” media coverage saying, “they have no proof that Russia intends to invade Ukraine; I doubt that they would. I think Russia is concerned only with the Donbass region.”
But following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Stone seems to have changed his tune—though he has criticized the media for calling Russia’s invasion an “invasion.” On Thursday of last week, he condemned Putin’s actions via a Facebook post, which began:
“Although the United States has many wars of aggression on its conscience, it doesn’t justify Mr. Putin’s aggression in Ukraine. A dozen wrongs don’t make a right. Russia was wrong to invade.”
Of course, like most things with Stone, he found a way to bring it back to JFK when he stated: “Now is the time, as JFK and Khrushchev faced down the perilous situation in Cuba in October 1962, for the two nuclear powers to walk this back from the abyss.”
Saying that something is underrated is a little tricky because the very concept of what underrated means is different for everyone. To us it’s not strictly about popularity, it’s more that something doesn’t get the credit or praise that it deserves. And that sense of being overlooked by media and core aficionados is certainly evident in the crowded world of beer, especially when it comes to European brews.
The general lack of love for certain Euro-brews is likely because we have so, so many craft breweries to choose from here in the US (over 9,000 at last count). Naturally, we tend to stick with beers from well-known craft brewers or the craft outfit in our neighborhood — forgetting the European trailblazers who made our favorite IPAs, stouts, pilsners, and sour ales possible (and the breweries still crafting those high-quality beers today).
“English pub beers in general get short shrift here in the States,” says Andrew Frazee, brewer at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, California. “Standard bitter and dark mild both are beers big on flavor but low in ABV. Chewy, biscuity base malt paired with rich caramel and chocolate malt flavors and fruity English yeast! What’s not to love?”
Pub beers aside, there are countless other classics — from pilsners to lagers to lambics — that have been perfected in Europe and just don’t get enough love on this side of the pond. To find them, we tasked a handful of well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us their picks for the most underrated European beers on the market right now.
I recently had a Bitburger Pils. I haven’t had it in a long time. When I tasted it again, it reminded me that it’s a quality brew. It has a clean lager and malt character and is well balanced. It’s easy drinking with a smooth, clean finish. Classic.
Boon’s Oud Geuze sits on shelves everywhere and it’s every bit as good as the vast majority of regular offerings from other lambic producers, much of which people will spend a lot more for. Boon is just so refined and delicious. It’s subtle and smooth while being flavorful and interesting. It has a little citrus, a little sour, a touch of grape, a hint of pepper, you can write paragraphs about what you’re tasting in this beer.
Saison Dupont is an underrated European beer. It’s a perfect example of the style and makes the perfect, refreshing, everyday beer that you can rely on and know it’s well crafted.
The most underrated European beer in my opinion is Weihenstephaner Original Premium. It’s a helles lager with incredible drinkability while still offering notes of crisp malt. It’s definitely a beer that deserves more praise.
I feel like Pilsner Urquell gets criminally overlooked in the United States. I think part of the reason for this is that it’s often drunk too cold in the U.S. at temperatures that are better served for less flavorful American lagers, which numbs the tongue and mutes the aroma. Serving Pilsner slightly warmer (42-46°F) really brings forward the bready Moravian malt and herbal, spicy Saaz hop aromas. Pilsner Urquell is also almost never served from a side-pull faucet in the U.S. like it should be because most American pubs don’t have one. The small screen inside the faucet produces a dense, wet foam that makes the aromas jump out of the glass and gives the beer a creamy, velvety texture.
I think Pilsner Urquell would be much more appreciated in the U.S. if it was served the way it was intended to be because when it is, it’s one of the best beers on the planet.
Duchesse de Bourgogne is my pick. While not rated poorly by most people, I don’t think this beer is talked about enough. This beer is remarkably complex and one of the best examples of mixed fermentation beers that is regularly available.
I’m going with Fuller’s London Pride, ideally enjoyed on cask. Many classic European beers aren’t given enough love these days. Cask ales in particular could teach us a lot about the enjoyment of the subtleties of malt and hop flavor from a nice mellow pint whilst relaxing at the pub. Americans are used to big flavor in their craft beer — the bigger, the better — and these small pleasures are lost on them. Beer as the backdrop rather than the exclamation point can be rather refreshing, especially once one becomes accustomed to the soft malt sweetness balanced with earthy hops.
St Bernardus 12
St Bernardus
Douglas Constantiner, founder and CEO of Societe Brewing in San Diego
I think St. Bernardus 12 is the most underrated European import because it’s pretty easy to get so people forget just how good it is. The fig, date, and caramelized sugar flavors are grounded by this boozy backbone, and I just like it. A complexity that is both available and affordable is a great combo.
Kronenbourg 1664 is one of the most underrated beers in Europe. This crisp, refreshing pilsner comes from France, but the German influence is obvious. It’s sweet, slightly malty, and has almost non-existent bitterness. It’s a truly crushable and memorable beer that deserves more credit.
In director Coodie’s comprehensive Kanye West-centered documentary, Jeen-Yuhs, viewers get an intimate look at Ye’s creative process. Through over 20 years of footage, fans see the work that went into his iconic albums, including The College Dropout,Late Registration, and Graduation. In the Netflix documentary’s third and final part, titled “Act III: Awakening,” we see parts of the Wyoming sessions, which took place between 2017 and 2018, which resulted in the albums Ye, the Kid Cudi-collaborative Kids See Ghosts, and Teyana Taylor’sK.T.S.E.
In an outtake shared by Time, Ye and Taylor work on a song called “Cold Blooded,” which ultimately didn’t make the final tracklist of K.T.S.E. Unsatisfied with the sound of the song, Ye strips “Cold Blooded” of its original beat, then creates a new instrumental track in real-time.
Before making a name for himself as a rapper, Ye climbed the industry ladder producing tracks for Jay-Z, Ludacris, and Alicia Keys. In recent years, he’s worked behind the boards for artists like Christina Aguilera, Lil Nas X, and Pusha T.
With Jeen-Yuhs, we get a look at how some of Ye’s biggest songs and albums, both of his own and ones he produced for other artists, came to be.
Prodigious rapper Lil Wayne recently went on the I Am Athlete podcast featuring Brandon Marshall, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, and Omar Kelly to talk about what he’s been up to. He just released a collaboration with Machine Gun Kelly on the new single “Ay,” and about a month ago he unveiled the music video for his track “Cameras” from his aptly-titled mixtape Sorry 4 The Wait. On this podcast, though, he was asked more about his process, including how long it takes him to write song lyrics since he’s practically known for his clever quips. “It depends on what it is,” he said. “When it’s my sh*t, on god, man, I could take seven weeks on two lines.”
Explaining why he has such an arduous process, he said, “I’ve said so much that I don’t ever wanna say the same thing. Also, you have to understand your audience. There were certain things I could have said to my audience in 95 that you’re not trying to hear right now. But you know I mean I could figure it out and that’s the beauty of it.”
Listen to the podcast above, where he also discusses Young Dolph, Drake, and where the state of rap is headed.
This week was full of plenty of pleasant surprises in pop music. “Head On Fire,” the addictive collaboration between Griff and Sigrid, welcomed even more guests with King Princess and MØ hopping on to the track, while Charli XCX returned with an ’80s-inspired track and a stunning music video that received a wide array of reactions on the internet.
Persistent hitmaker Khalid always knows what he’s doing. He mumbles over a steady trap beat on the verses of this new song, but sings with a visceral, autotuned soprano voice on the chorus in a way that evokes nostalgia. It helps that the video depicts him lounging in the backseat of a sleek car as it’s driven through a colossal, almost unreal landscape, conveying a sense of pure bliss and unfiltered emotion.
Fefe Dobson — “Fckin In Love”
The Canadian star who’s written songs for artists like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez came back with this energetic, ecstatic anthem. It kicks off with a thumping soundscape and a declaration of content hedonism: “We just made love / I’m in bliss, I don’t wanna get up.” It serves as a great entrance into spring.
Sir Chloe — “Mercy”
The Bennington, VA-based group is “swollen with doubt and animosity” on the dejected “Mercy.” The song builds as the begging continues, intensifying and growing bigger. The vocals are certain and matter-of-fact, almost deadpan, making the listening experience hypnotic.
Griff, Sigrid, King Princess, MØ — “Head On Fire”
Griff and Sigrid’s original collaboration for this track was such a pleasant surprise; who knew it could get better? King Princess and MØ strengthen the grip of “Head On Fire,” adding gorgeous harmonies that are easy to get lost in.
Justin Bieber, Omah Lay — “Attention”
This rhythmic track shows how sweetly Bieber’s tender voice mixes with that of Lay, which is as soft but made even more bewitching with sparkling autotune. The premise of the song is simple; “It’s basically about sometime in everybody’s life, you’re lonely,” Lay said. When they repeat, “Show me a little attention,” it’s in a sincere whisper and it makes the listener wonder who could say no.
Cecilia Gault — “Kira Kira”
Cecilia Gault’s brand of pop is hallucinogenic and irresistible, like being immersed in a videogame. Though the chaos of it can be headache-inducing, it’s worth it in the end. This track in particular flaunts that talent unapologetically and unforgettably.
Charli XCX — “Baby”
“Baby” is a quick, determined spurt of desire, simultaneously reminiscent of ’80s disco and early-2000s Britney Spears. The best part of the song might be its brisk, urgent pace, communicating that it’s not willing to wait for anyone. The dancing in the music video definitely adds to the magnetism of the music.
Mallrat — “Teeth”
Australian miscreant Mallrat has always loved to imbue pop songs with murky, ominous bass. “Teeth” opens with that; uncomfortably deep chords bring the listener into the track, and then her soft-spoken, detached vocals come next. Though her lyrics portray a sense of fear, she sounds like an all-powerful force that others should be afraid of instead: “When I ask I receive / Don’t play fair, don’t be sweet,” she intones mesmerizingly.
The Regrettes — “That’s What Makes Me Love You”
“That’s What Makes Me Love You” is a wholesome ode to love. It’s devoted to pushing away dark, anxious thoughts, and giving in to ridiculous amounts of affection and dedication to another person: “I wanna have babies let’s go fucking crazy move out of this city to Tokyo / I’ll learn the piano and you can play cello and every night playing ‘La Vie En Rose,’” Lydia Night sings, bubbling with happiness.
Benee — “Never Ending”
Pop-sensation-via-TikTok-star Benee has been showing off her versatility by dipping in and out of different genres. Sometimes a song of hers is difficult to be classified as any one thing; this autotune drenched ballad has the texture of emo rap with a recurring trap beat. The hooks, though, echo the sentiment of a heartbroken pop song: “Push me over failed lover / Am I just not enough for ya?” Either way, her music demands to be put on repeat.
Some artists mentioned are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music.
Did you know that artists who perform the Super Bowl halftime show do so basically for free? While the NFL covers the production costs for the performance, it does not pay the artists directly for agreeing to perform on the most-watched event of the year. However, that doesn’t mean artists don’t get anything out of the arrangement. The visibility that the performers receive often results in increased catalog sales in the … ahem … aftermath of the show, with a ton of future opportunities waiting as brands scramble to work with them and take advantage of the publicity.
Case in point, after performing this year’s halftime show, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s “Still D.R.E.” video became their first to reach a billion views on YouTube, while all of Dre’s co-stars — Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and Snoop — all saw an increase in streams overall. However, it turns out the biggest beneficiary — at least in terms of accolades — might well be Eminem, who saw his catalog spawn 73.5 million new units, making him The Recording Industry Association of America’s most-certified singles artist in history. The RIAA tweeted about the achievement today, congratulating Eminem on the awards, which include “Lose Yourself” (naturally), “Love The Way You Lie” featuring Rihanna, “Not Afraid,” and nearly 50 other Platinum records, as well over 30 Gold ones.
Even before performing at the Super Bowl, Eminem reached streaming distinctions that almost no other artist can boast. In December, every Eminem album crossed the one billion streams threshold on Spotify,
lending weight to his comment earlier this year that “no one ever really gets canceled.” Eminem is living proof after spending his whole career setting people off — even doing so by kneeling during the halftime show (at least this time it was the right people getting rankled) — and if nothing else, you can say it paid off big for him.
Renée Zellweger dropped by The Tonight Show on Monday night to talk about her dramatic transformation for her upcoming NBC series, The Thing About Pam. In the true crime series, Zellweger is virtually unrecognizable in the role of Pam Hupp due to a serious amount of prosthetics that took up to four hours to apply. Prosthetics that Zellweger unfortunately learned she’s highly allergic to.
“By the time you get it on, you’re so excited, and you stand there and then you go ‘Oh wait. I think I’m allergic to this,’” she told Jimmy Fallon (via The Wrap). “I was so allergic to the adhesive, it was hilarious. Y’all, lots of Benadryl. Lots of Benadryl.”
However, Zellweger powered through even as she learned that acting with prosthetics was not as easy she thought it would be. “Well, I didn’t know that it’s a whole different skill that I didn’t know I didn’t have,” she said. “And I really didn’t have it. I really didn’t.”
You can see Zellweger’s transformation into Pam Hupp below:
NBC’s “The Thing About Pam” is based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband Russ’ conviction, although he insisted he didn’t kill her. He was later exonerated. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp. A thorough examination of the scheme was featured on several episodes of “Dateline NBC,” becoming one of the most popular topics to ever air on the hit franchise. It also became the subject of a popular 2019 podcast, “The Thing About Pam,” which remains one of the most downloaded podcasts on Apple Podcasts.
Last offseason was filled with the “will he, won’t he” drama of Aaron Rodgers threatening to retire (and try to host Jeopardy!) due to his frustrations with the Green Bay Packers front office. Rodgers ultimately showed up to camp on a restructured deal that would allow him to walk after the 2021 season if he wanted, but another MVP campaign (and a season off the field in which Rodgers made himself a polarizing figure, to say the least) apparently brought the two sides much closer together.
Instead of moving on for greener pastures, Rodgers is going to stay with the Packers and try to win some more MVPs and maybe another championship in Green Bay, and the Packers are going to make him the NFL’s highest paid player on a per-year basis to do so. On Tuesday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network announced Rodgers and the Packers have agreed to a monstrous 4-year, $200 million deal with $153 million guaranteed to play through his age 42 season in Wisconsin.
The #Packers and MVP QB Aaron Rodgers have agreed to terms on a 4-year, $200M deal that makes him the highest paid player in NFL history, sources say. He gets a whopping $153M guaranteed and his cap number goes down. A monstrous commitment by GB for years to come.
It is a wild contract and the guarantee and annual salary are more than Patrick Mahomes got in his 10-year, $450+ million monster deal two years ago. Rodgers has certainly shown that he’s still at the top of his game at age 38, and the Packers are banking on him having a Tom Brady-like run into his 40s with this deal. As for the rest of the league, those wanting veteran QB help immediately due to a weak QB class in the Draft now will shift their attention to other disgruntled QBs (Russell Wilson, despite the Seahawks insisting they won’t trade him) and teams tired of their veteran signal-callers (like the Colts with Carson Wentz and Niners with Jimmy Garoppolo). They also could call Green Bay about former first-round pick Jordan Love, who one would think is very available. now.
Matt Hutchins, the husband of Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (who was killed by a gun held by Alec Baldwin, although he insists that he didn’t fire the weapon) recently expressed anger towards the film’s star. Baldwin’s also a producer, so he’s potentially liable in lawsuits filed against the film, and the Hutchins family (among other plaintiffs) has sued the production along with Baldwin. Matt Hutchins also accused Baldwin of offloading blame to other parties, and he told ABC News (of Baldwin) that he was “just so angry to see him talk about her death so publicly in such a detailed way and then to not accept any responsibility after having just described killing her.”
In Matt Hutchins’ eyes, Baldwin was acting “like he was the victim,” and Baldwin also had a few things to say about Rust lawsuit plaintiffs while speaking at the Boulder International Film Festival. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Baldwin did articulate that there were only “two victims” during the incident (the second being director Joel Souza, who was shot but not fatally so). Yet Baldwin went on to suggest that “certain” plaintiffs in Rust lawsuits are going after “deep-pocket litigants.” He continued:
“From the beginning, from the moment this happened, everybody has put out — besides all the anguish and the suffering, horrible feelings we have and, of course, there are two victims and nobody else is a victim, so to speak — we have dealt with a situation where specific people are not as interested in finding out what really happened.
“What you have is a certain group of litigants on whatever side, who their attitude is, well, the people who likely seem negligent have enough money. And the people who have money are not negligent, but we’re not gonna let that stop us from doing what we need to do in terms of litigation. Why sue people if you’re not going to get money? That’s what you’re doing.”
This is probably not the best tactic for Baldwin to take during ongoing litigation (for which Baldwin is named, in addition to “others responsible for the safety on set and whose reckless behavior”) for a tragic incident that only occurred in October 2021. During the process of (as THRdescribes them) Baldwin’s seemingly disjointed remarks, he also called out how film-set deaths are comparatively low when compared against other industries, including “the airline industry, the automobile industry, the gun industry itself.” He wasn’t done yet. “Four people have died,” he said out of “all the billions of rounds of ammunition that were fired on movie and TV sets in the last 75 years.”
The 63-year-old Hollywood vet added that he’d “been without incidents” for the duration of his career, and you can watch video footage of his remarks over at CNN with more litigation developments surely to come.
With St. Patrick’s Day rapidly approaching (March 17th), it’s definitely time to dig into some Irish whiskey. I already grabbed a dozen Irish whiskeys off my shelf and blind tasted them to find the best out there. But that was a little slanted. Can you really blindly taste cheap whiskey against limited edition and very expensive whiskeys and expect the more aged expressions not to dominate? Sadly, no. Craft and time in the barrel are sure to win the day.
This time around, I’m tasting eight affordable Irish whiskeys. I’m also doing it double-blind so I don’t know what’s in play. I simply asked my wife to pick out eight bottles that all cost less than $40 — it’s easy to spot the cheaper stuff thanks to metal twist tops and nothing fancy on the label (like “single barrel” or “limited edition”). She then poured all eight and put the bottles back. I came in a started tasting and taking notes.
The results were actually pretty surprising. Here’s how it shook out.
There’s a light grain note with a hint of leather jacket, orchard fruit, and “spice” on the nose. The palate is pretty light and touches on orange zest, a hint of vanilla beans, and a sugar cookie sweetness. Beyond that, the sip just kind of disappears on the finish.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a thin maltiness on the nose with a touch of vanilla that’s all dominated by rum-raisin. Old cellar beams with plenty of black mold lead towards a very mild dry tobacco with a hint of “fruit.” The end is short and warm with a hint of dark soil on the finish.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This is warm and malty and bursts with apple Jolly Ranchers on the nose. The palate holds onto that apple candy and adds vanilla and spiced malts with a hint of red berries, sweet caramel, and Honey Nut Cheerios with a line of mineral water.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Lemon citrus, wildflowers, and sweet grains lead towards a dark fruit leather that draws you in (Jameson?). There’s a vanilla and holiday spice mix on the palate with roasted almonds and a touch of wet sweet oak. The finish has this creamy texture that’s damn near chewy (Jameson.) with a final hint of mineral water and grains.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a chocolate-caramel candy nose that’s touched with old leather and dry straw. The palate is all creamy milk chocolate with a mild mid-palate of dark fruits and light spice. The finish leans into roasted almonds with a grainy spice and a hint more of that chocolate.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with pears and vanilla next to new leather and an echo of “oak.” The palate is “woody” in a sense that it’s not distinctly any particular wood while notes of neutral grain spirit mingle with raisins and the plastic bottle that held vanilla extract.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose mixes leather and grains with orchard fruits and winter spices. The palate leans into the spicy malts as old pub furniture dominates the palate in a very nostalgia-inducing way. The finish is warm and leans into a vanilla-laced candy bar with mild chocolate and nuts.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
A light touch of caramel, vanilla, and almond are dominated by pear on the nose with a hint of oak. The palate has an orange/honey vibe that leads to Almond Joy wrappers and a nutty cinnamon roll.
Tullamore’s entry-point whiskey is a blend of triple distilled grain, malt, and single pot (malt and unmalted barley mash) whiskeys. Those spirits are then aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before blending.
Bottom Line:
I’m shocked this came in last. I generally love Tullamore D.E.W. as a table whiskey, especially with some soda water or ginger ale. Alas, here we are. It wasn’t so much as this was thin, there just wasn’t a lot going on to keep my attention or make it memorable.
This is Bushmill’s classic and original recipe (so to speak). The grain and malt juices are rested in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before they’re married, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
Besides the apple candy, there wasn’t a whole lot going on. This really felt like a whiskey and Coke or whiskey and ginger pour than anything else.
This whiskey is a blend of Irish whiskeys sourced from distilleries all around Ireland. The whiskeys in the mix are mostly aged in ex-bourbon casks with a few barrels of sherry cask-aged whiskey thrown in there too.
Bottom Line:
This faired far better against whiskeys in its price range than against rare bottles of Irish whiskey, which is no surprise. In the end, this felt like a perfectly suitable mixing whiskey.
Teeling was the first distillery to reopen in Dublin after nearly a century of tough times for Irish whiskey. The craft distillery ages its juice in bourbon barrels before transferring that whiskey to Central American rum casks. Those barrels are then batched, proofed, and bottled in Teeling’s big, dark bottle.
Bottom Line:
I kind of had an inkling this was Teeling. I’m not a huge fan of their Small Batch but adore their older and more bespoke releases. I guess that’s why this fell very middle of the road for me today too.
Jameson is the classic tripled distilled Irish blend. The juice is a blend of single pot and grain whiskey. Those age in oak — primarily ex-bourbon barrels with ex-sherry thrown in too — until they hit that classic sweet spot.
Bottom Line:
That creamy finish really saves this sip. And, yes, I knew it was Jameson. Still, this had a little more depth overall and felt like it could work on the rocks as easily as with some ginger, Sprite, or Coke.
This grain whiskey is a blend of two casks. The majority of the whiskey was aged in ex-bourbon barrels with a small contingent coming from whiskey aged in Marsala casks from Sicily. Those barrels are blended and then proofed down before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was pretty damn nice for what it is. There was some depth and it felt like it could be a nice on the rocks sipper but was a little non-specific too. Regardless, this felt like it’s worth the money for something slightly different that’s also perfectly fine.
This whiskey begins as barrels of three to 10-year-old whiskeys. Those whiskeys are then aged in a range of barrels from French oak wine casks to ex-bourbon to rum casks. The blend is built from those barrels and then proofed down to a very accessible 92 proof.
Bottom Line:
This also faired far better against Irish whiskeys in its price range. There was a good flavor profile that feels like it’d stand up in a highball with fizzy water or a cocktail. I don’t think I’d pour one on the rocks but I wouldn’t turn one down either. It’s was very solid in the end.
Kilbeggan is an outlier Irish blend. The whiskey is only distilled twice, instead of the usual three distillations most Irish whiskey goes through. That juice is then aged for over four years in ex-bourbon casks before it’s blended, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever had this particular expression from Kilbeggan before — I know I had their rye last year. Anyway, it was so unique on the nose and palate thanks to that choco-caramel vibe that it stood out and rose above the rest. That chocolate depth really felt like it’d shine well in a cocktail or maybe as a shot with a Guinness back.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Kilbeggan came out of nowhere on this tasting. With so many whiskeys carrying a very non-descript “grain,” “fruit,” and “wood” note, it stood out for having truly unique flavor notes. But let’s not go crazy, it was still obviously a very inexpensive whiskey that’s mostly made for mixing and on the rocks pours in a pinch. It’s not life-changing.
Overall, I expected Bushmills, Tullamore, and Jameson to dominate and they… just didn’t. They were fine but really felt like mixers all around. I’d say the Grace O’Mally and Busker were big surprises too. They’re fairly new to me (in the grand scheme of things) and are perfectly suitable for mixing and shooting your way through another Saint Patrick’s Day.
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With 73.5 million NEW certified units, 
166 MILLION career Single Awards! 
s! 
