Year: 2022

To put it lightly, things between DaBaby and DaniLeigh, who have a child together, are not going well right now. The two have had multiple disputes in recent months, and now DaniLeigh’s family is involved: In footage taken at a Los Angeles bowling alley last night, DaBaby and some associates are seen teaming up to beat up DaniLeigh’s brother Brandon Bills (real name Brandon Curiel).

In videos shot by bystanders, DaBaby and a handful of other people gang up on Bills to throw punches, grab him by his hair, and repeatedly slam him on the floor in the bowling lanes.

Bills later shared a video offering his side of the story, saying, “N****s wanna grab me by my hair. N****s didn’t catch no fair one, n****s they came and jumped me, my n****, once I slipped, n****. I spoke to you like a man, my n****. I said, ‘Yo, come… let’s talk, one on one, like some men, my n****, me and you on the side, my n****.’”

DaniLeigh also posted on her Instagram Story, writing, “Lame as hell!!!! Running up on my brother on some slippery ass floors with 5/6 of ya boys while he’s by himself and not even touching him!!! Lame and soooo sad!!!! I pray this stops now !!! Bc this is my family! And I got a daughter to raise . Sad [broken heart emoji].”

This comes after Bills addressed DaBaby back in November, saying, “When you come to the West Coast, bro, which I know you be out here, you’re going to catch this one-on-one fade, bro. One-on-one fade to see what happens between me and you. I want to see how gangsta you are, to see how much of a real man you are. This n**** wanna disrespect my sister online for the world to see, disrespect my family… This don’t even got nothing to do with my sister no more, bro. This gotta do with me and you.”

Check out videos from the fight above and below.

Super Bowl LVI is nearly here, and anticipation is considerable for the matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. While the Super Bowl is an annual event like no other in American sports, attracting the largest television audience for any event in the country by a wide margin, the big game also serves as a handicapping paradise for die-hard observers. Sports gambling has exploded across the country, with more than half of the 50 states now offering legal avenues to wager, but Super Bowl props went mainstream long before the most recent growth.

In this space, we will dive into 10 intriguing prop bets for your consideration, acknowledging that there are hundreds more available, depending on the outlets providing lines in certain areas. There is some slight crossover with our Winners picks for Super Bowl LVI, but value never sleeps. Oh, and be sure to shop for the best lines, even more so on props than on the side and total for Bengals-Rams.

Let’s roll through the plays.

Joe Burrow OVER 36.5 passing attempts (-115 at MGM)

This feels like a game in which Joe Burrow is going to have to throw and throw often. Burrow has surpassed 36.5 pass attempts in four of the last five games, and the only exception was a matchup against the Raiders in which Cincinnati led for the majority of the game. The Bengals could lead here, but the Rams have a tremendous rushing defense and it’s going to be on Burrow.

Joe Burrow OVER 11.5 rushing yards (-110 at MGM)

Burrow isn’t exactly known for his legs, as evidenced by this relatively low number, but he’s not going to hold anything back on the biggest stage. Most quarterbacks are taught to be judicious with rushing attempts, but this is the Super Bowl and — spoiler alert for later — I believe Burrow might be running for his life in the backfield.

Rams to finish with the longest punt return (-145 at Caesars) + Trent Taylor longest punt return UNDER 6.5 yards (-130 at Caesars)

Stick with me here, and I’ll explain two bets at once. Rams punter Johnny Hekker is tremendous at his job, and his superpower is preventing returns for opponents. Hekker has allowed only nine punt returns all season, an insane number on 51 punts, and they totaled only 60 yards. There is a decent chance the Bengals don’t have a single punt return yard, and Trent Taylor has to deal with Hekker’s star power.

Kevin Huber’s longest punt OVER 52.5 yards (-115 at DraftKings)

This is separate, but also related to the previous prop. While Hekker is elite at strategic punting, Huber is a guy who likes to boom his kicks. This one is also about simple math, with Huber having a punt of at least 53 yards in 13 of 20 games this season. There are also perfect conditions at SoFi Stadium, which certainly isn’t a bad thing for punting.

Tee Higgins OVER 5.5 receptions (+110 at MGM)

CJ Uzomah might play but, at the very least, he won’t be 100 percent healthy. That can lead to more work for Cincinnati’s receivers, and Higgins is the team’s primary threat over the middle. Combine that with Burrow’s sky-high projection for pass attempts, and this is a nice one.

Cooper Kupp UNDER 106.5 receiving yards (-115 at MGM)

This is simply a principle play. Kupp is awesome and he’s been the best receiver in the league this season. This number is also way too high because the entire world is betting the over. We’re taking a stand.

Van Jefferson OVER 30.5 receiving yards (-115 at MGM)

Kupp’s under and Jefferson’s over aren’t directly correlated, but it wouldn’t hurt to shift some targets to Jefferson. He has more than 30 yards in 13 of 20 games this season, and Jefferson is a big-play threat. Tyler Higbee is also a question mark, which could lead to more three-receiver sets with Jefferson, Kupp, and Odell Beckham Jr.

Joe Mixon UNDER 63.5 rushing yards (-115 at FanDuel)

Mixon has been under this number in six of the last eight games. I also expect the Bengals to throw a lot. The Rams are also tremendous in rushing defense. This one is pretty easy to spot.

Los Angeles OVER three sacks (-120 at Caesars)

Perhaps my favorite prop. The Bengals allowed nine sacks to the Titans, and the Rams are even more devastating up front. Cincinnati will certainly try to get the ball out of Burrow’s hands quickly, but they simply don’t project to be able to block Los Angeles. It’s not a given that four or five sacks will follow, but we’re playing the percentages with Aaron Donald and Von Miller living in the backfield.

The Los Angeles Lakers have struck fresh ground in their pursuit of rock bottom, losing to a Trail Blazers team that has spent the last two days trading away its biggest stars not named Damian Lillard, who is out with an abdominal injury.

The loss was absolutely dreadful, as the Lakers, with a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis, were unable to overcome Anfernee Simons, Jusuf Nurkic, and 43 minutes of CJ Elleby. The end of the game featured Simons hitting some big shots, followed by quite possibly the worst execution by two teams in the final minute of a close game we’ll see all season.

After all of that, the Lakers ended up losing 107-105 in what certainly felt like their worst loss of the season — a rather high bar to clear — and the immediate response afterwards from the most loyal former Lakers was one of sheer disgust. Magic Johnson, who is capable of seeing the glass half full in almost any situation, found himself speechless at the Lakers losing that game with maybe the saddest tweet he’s ever sent.

On the Lakers postgame show, James Worthy was likewise at a loss for words, calling it the lowest point he can remember in his time as a Laker, noting that this Blazers team was basically a pickup team after all the trades they’ve made and very few of those players they got in return available to play on Thursday night.

It really was something to behold, as the Lakers just could not find it in them to pull away from the rag-tag Blazer squad, and as shots started falling for Portland in the second half, they began to believe they could get the win and managed to finish off L.A. despite a wild ending.

Now the Lakers head into Thursday’s trade deadline with vibes about as low as they can be after losing to that Portland roster with Russell Westbrook on the sidelines, which won’t help smooth over his frustrations that he’s been scapegoated for L.A.’s struggles this season. Something has to change for the Lakers and it’ll be fascinating to see what they end up doing between now and 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, because there aren’t a lot of obvious answers for a team with a ton of questions.

This weekend Snoop Dogg’s will take the stage at the Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show alongside Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige for what’s set to be a monster performance. While one of Snoop and Dre’s most iconic songs might not make the setlist, it’s still bound to be epic. However, just days before the performance, Snoop has a new legal matter on his hands.

According to TMZ, Snoop and his longtime associate Bishop Don Juan were hit with a lawsuit for a sexual assault that allegedly occurred nearly a decade ago. The woman, who is a model and a dancer and was identified as Jane Doe, claims that Don Juan offered her a ride home after attending one of Snoop’s shows in Anaheim, California on May 29, 2013. She says she fell asleep in the car and when she woke up, they arrived at Don Juan’s home rather than her own. The lawsuit states that the “Plaintiff was exhausted and fell asleep at [Bishop’s] home.”

The woman then says she woke up at 4 am the next morning to Don Juan forcing oral sex on her. The lawsuit states that he “discriminated against and harassed Plaintiff because of Plaintiff’s sex and gender.” It was then that Don Juan told her to get ready to go to Snoop’s studio, where they would see if Snoop would make her a “weather girl” for some television show. When she arrived, she went to the bathroom due to a stomach ache. She claims Snoop then came in and also forced oral sex on her. She later said that Snoop didn’t hire her because she “refused to willingly and enthusiastically give oral sex.”

A source told TMZ that the woman demanded $10 million, but her request was rejected. Now Snoop and Don Juan are being sued for an unspecific amount in damages. Snoop denies the woman’s claims and seems to have referred to her as a “gold digger” in a recent Instagram post.

Indiana Pacers forward/center Myles Turner hasn’t played in an NBA game since the middle of last month due to a stress reaction in his left foot. He was set to be re-evaluated two weeks after the injury, but it remains to be seen if his next game will be in a Pacers jersey. That’s because his name has come up multiple times in trade rumors. As we wait to see what happens with him, Turner used some of his recovery time to make a giant, $100,000 bet.

Turner was joking with people on Twitter when rising Detroit rapper BabyTron stepped in to throw a jab at him. “ARE YOU EVER GONNA MAKE THE ALL STAR TEAM @Original_Turner,” BabyTron wrote. Turner issued his response, but not without checking out some of BabyTron’s music. “@_babytron No [cap] i have no idea who you are but I just listened and you ain’t bad… wager sumn,” Turner wrote. “I make an all star team or you get a billboard top 10 single.” He then placed his wager for the bet, writing, “Put 100 k onnit [handshake emoji].”

BabyTron seemed quite excited to make the bet as he eagerly replied, “ITS ON [handshake emoji].” As for BabyTron’s rap career, he’s quite the active artist, having released four projects in 2021: Lewis & Clark, Dookie Brothers 2, Luka Tronic, and Bin Reaper 2.

Shot clock violations are always deflating for an offense, as the inability to get a shot off that hits the rim in 24 seconds is rather embarrassing, but is usually to the credit of the opposing defense.

Great rotations, closeouts, and ball denials are typically on display when teams force a shot clock violation, but on Wednesday night Thunder guard Ty Jerome did something that I honestly don’t think I have ever seen on an NBA court when he dribbled for 24 uninterrupted seconds without even considering taking a shot or passing the ball until the buzzer sounded.

I have a lot of questions about this possession, because none of it makes sense. For one, the Thunder are down 15 late in the third quarter, so if there were ever a time to go fairly quickly and ensure you get a 2-for-1 to end the quarter, it’d be here. Instead, Jerome slowly strolls across the midcourt line and then stands there, bleeding clock, as if they’re playing it like the final possession of the quarter. Eventually Aleksej Pokusevski comes and fakes setting a screen and pops out way beyond the three-point line, which Jerome ignores and turns baseline on Scottie Barnes.

Jerome can’t shake Barnes, doesn’t pass to Lu Dort in the corner, and spins back to the middle of the court where there is a chance to kick out to Theo Maledon on the wing for a three as his defender is in no-man’s land kind of digging down. But Jerome again chooses to put his head down, but gets cut off once he gets to the baseline by Barnes, spinning and realizing there’s no chance for a shot at this point. Finally he decides he should probably pass the ball and finds Dort on the wing, but the problem is, at this point, there are 0.3 seconds on the clock and the buzzer sounds before the ball even gets halfway to Dort for one of the most breathtakingly bad possessions you’ll see in the NBA this season.

Barnes deserves credit for some terrific on-ball defense, but at some point Jerome has to give up the rock here because this clearly wasn’t working. Anyways, the NBA Draft Lottery is May 27.

Bethany Cosentino, one half of the rock duo Best Coast, arrived with saddening news on Wednesday. In posts to both her Twitter and Instagram accounts, she revealed that her beloved orange Maine Coon cat Snacks has died. “My true love,” she wrote on Twitter. “My guardian angel. There will never be another one like him.” Cosentino adopted Snacks around the release of Best Coast’s 2010 debut album, Crazy For You. In fact, Snacks can be seen on the cover art. This was the first of many instances that Snacks was incorporated into the duo’s music, with other examples being their songs “Goodbye” and “Leading.”

In a lengthy Instagram post, Cosentino shared multiple photos and videos alongside a tribute to Snacks. “I always knew this day would come, but I hoped it never would,” Cosentino wrote. “He was not just my cat. He belonged to all of you. He was the third member of this band. Our mascot. Our cover star. Our merch king. He meant everything to me and I’m going to miss him so much, but I know he will live on forever by way of the legacy he created simply by being himself.” She added, “He loved you all so much and he knew you loved him. 14 wonderful years. I’m so honored that I got to be his mom. I love you forever Snacks. Long live the king.”

Dave Chappelle has never been one to do the expected. In the aughts, the comedian abandoned his beloved TV show, walking away from a fortune, because he wasn’t comfortable with how it was being received. Over the last handful of years, though, he’s left people really puzzled, mostly by doubling, tripling, quadrupling, and so forth on trans jokes that enraged many, including employees at Netflix, who paid a fortune for his specials. Now he’s found another way to be controversial.

According to Dayton Daily News (as caught by The Daily Beast), Chappelle is one of a number of residents of Yellow Springs, Ohio who put the kibosh on what would have been a block of affording housing. Developers and the village had worked together on a new development, with plans to include a spate of single-family homes, duplexes, and townhouses. They also earmarked space among the allotted 53 acres to later turn into affordable housing.

Not so, said a number of Yellow Springs residents, Chappelle among them. Chappelle went further than most. He had threatened to pull his planned businesses from there, including a restaurant, a comedy club, and his own company, which had recently purchased a former fire station.

On Monday, during a city council meeting, Chappelle stood up to reiterate his threat.

“I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table,” Chappelle told the council. They then voted to go along as originally planned, without the space earmarked for affordable housing. Chappelle’s reasons for blocking the deal have not yet been made public. In the meantime, add “helping destroy housing for low-income people” to the list of shocking things the beloved comedian has done lately, including “taunting high schoolers.”

(Via Dayton Daily News and The Daily Beast)

Willett Rye is often considered one of the best rye whiskeys you can have on your shelf. The small-batch and high-proof whiskey comes with a lot of hype around it, thanks to Willett’s craftsmanship (and marketing). People line up to collect bottles of Willett bourbon and rye and the bottles often disappear from shelves as soon as they show up. (Get to know your local liquor store owners, fam!)

But with the breakneck speed at which rye whiskey is expanding, is Willett still really the best rye whiskey out there? One way to find out is to run a blind taste test.

For this blind tasting, I’m putting Willett Rye up against nine other well-known and fairly accessible rye whiskeys. I’m choosing a few standard bottles and a few absolute bangers to really push whether or not Willett is all hype or does indeed deliver.

Our lineup today is:

• Sagamore Spirit Rye
• Woodford Reserve Rye
• Pursuit United Rye
• Barrell Seagrass
• Hudson Whiskey NY Back Room Deal
• Willett Rye
• Catoctin Creek Cask Proof
• Woodinville 100% Rye Finished With Toasted Applewood Staves
• Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Travelers Bold & Spicy Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey
• Smooth Ambler Contradiction Rye

Let’s see where Willett lands!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear winter spice on the nose that’s supported by orange oils, candy-coated walnuts, and tomato paste (I swear). The palate opens with a dried orange vibe next to eggnog spiciness and creaminess with more candied nuts. There’s a vanilla cookie note near the end with plenty of soft brown sugar on an ultimately short and thin end.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This opens with notes of fresh leather next to rich toffee that then veers into dried mint and dill with a hint of dry grass that’s almost piney on the nose. The taste starts sweet, with a pear candy note and a hint of honey that leads towards a woody cinnamon spice dusted with dark chocolate powder. The finish leans into dry reeds and black peppercorns. You get a final hint of cherry candy on the very end.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a clear leathery note that leads towards a cinnamon-stewed cherry compote with a hint of nutmeg next to a little caramel, buttery streusel, and vanilla extract. That spicy cherry carries over to the palate as wet wicker leads to Granny Smith apple peels and sweet spice. The finish leans into the woodiness with applewood that’s sweetened by a note of brown sugar and winter spice.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Apple and cherry candies lead to a big leathery note with Wether’s Originals and a touch of peach pits next to an echo of dried roses on the nose. The palate tumbles through ripe peaches, pear candies, and savory wedges of melon with a bitter note of grapefruit sneaking in. The mid-palate fruitiness shifts towards a finish full of dry fennel seeds, fresh dill sprigs, and a hint of almost oily thyme with a cinnamon tobacco warmth and chew.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This starts with a light pear that turns into smoked apricot and maybe almonds on the nose. That smoked apricot carries over into the taste as menthol tobacco drives the palate towards vanilla-laced streusel, fruity spice, and deep barrel char. The end sort of disappears and leaves you with a red apple peel vibe with a hint of smoked char.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Apple blossoms, dry oak, and buttered popcorn open this one as layers of fresh and floral honey leads to caramel apples and a hint of soft leather. The palate is pure silk countered by a spicy cherry syrup, vanilla cream, and a touch of minty tobacco. The mid-palate dances between anise and caramel before landing on Tellicherry peppercorns, and a gentle cherry tobacco vibe.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Sticky toffee pudding with rich caramel sauce greets you on the nose alongside hints of roasted almonds and suede. The palate is plummy with prunes, figs, and dates that lead towards a rich and buttery toffee that’s just touched with dark cacao powder. There’s a maple syrup vibe near the end that helps usher in vanilla paste and spicy tobacco on the very end.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Dark red berries, tart stewed apples, kiwi skins, and a fruit basket with thin wooden staves and golden plastic foil draw you in on the nose. Orange peels spiked with cloves lead to a hint of white pepper before apple candy and pear juice take over. The finish relishes in the apple candy as a vanilla cream pie with a lard crust leads back towards woody apple tobacco on the very end.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a big note of sassafras and clove before mixing in Necco Wafers, old leather, caramel candy wrappers, and a touch of earthy moss or soil that has this faint layer of dried chili flake and cumin underneath of it. The palate opens dry dill and mint with white pepper that fades into a peaches and cream vibe with a hint of oily vanilla, almonds, and rich and chewy apple tobacco. The finish spices up that apple tobacco slightly and ends with a black truffle note.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Leather and stewed cherries open this one with hints of woody cinnamon, vanilla pods, and dried flowers. The palate holds onto that woody cinnamon and adds a cedar box full of cinnamon tobacco with hints of orange and vanilla oils in the background. The mid-palate hits on an Almond Joy note before veering into a cherry-chocolate tobacco note with a light touch of cedar on the end.

Part 2: The Ranking

10. Hudson Whiskey NY Back Room Deal Rye — Taste 5

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

This whiskey dropped late last year and has been getting a lot of attention this year on the award’s circuit. The juice in the bottle is Hudson’s three-year rye. That whiskey is then finished in their former bourbon barrels that Hudson sent to Scotland to age peated malt in. Those barrels were later sent back to New York so that this whiskey could finish aging in them.

Bottom Line:

That hint of barrel char was interesting. But this was just a little too thin compared to the other ryes on this list. Still, this is a really interesting sip of whiskey. Alas… sometimes interesting isn’t enough to breakthrough.

9. Woodford Reserve Rye — Taste 2

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was a long time coming. Master Distiller Chris Morris tinkered with this recipe for nine years before it was just right. The juice has a fairly low-rye mash bill — for rye, that is. The bill only calls for 53 percent of the spicy grain. The rest is made up of local corn and malted barley. The whiskey then spends up to seven years maturing at their Versailles, Kentucky facility before its blended, proofed with soft limestone water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was very solid but really felt more like a mixing rye for cocktails than a sipper. It was perfectly fine, complex, and tasty — don’t get me wrong — still, I’ll be reaching for this when making my next Manhattan and probably not my next sipper pour.

8. Sagamore Spirit Rye — Taste 1

ABV: 41.5%

Average Price: $43

The Whiskey:

This Maryland whiskey (though part of it is still sourced from Indiana) is two rye mash bills that are put together for maximum ryeness. The low and high rye whiskeys are aged four to six years before vatting. The juice is then proofed with limestone water from a Maryland ahead of the bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty damn nice (I can see sipping this neat without any issues). I think it fell a little flat today simply because of the low ABVs. Had I inserted the Cask Strength expression here, it’d have likely faired way better.

7. Smooth Ambler Contradticiton Rye — Taste 10

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $43

The Whiskey:

This new release from Smooth Ambler mixes some very interesting whiskeys together. The blend is two Tennessee ryes (one 70 percent rye, one 51 percent rye), MGP’s 95 percent rye, and Smooth Ambler’s own rye which has a mash bill of 88 percent rye. Those whiskeys are then blended, proofed, and bottled in the hills of West Virginia.

Bottom Line:

This was solid but certainly felt like a cocktail rye more than a sipper. That’s not a bad thing. It’s refined and bold. I’d also pour this over some rocks and be perfectly content too.

6. Pursuit United Rye — Taste 3

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This release is a blend of whiskeys from Kentucky and Maryland (which is the source of America’s rye whiskey heritage). The Kentucky rye is from Bardstown Bourbon Company (a 95 percent rye), which is contract distilling and aging whiskey for Pursuit United. The other rye is from Maryland’s famed and beloved Sagamore Spirits (a 52 percent rye), which makes some of the best ryes in the country.

Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil took barrels from each warehouse and masterfully married them to create this expression with a touch of water to bring the proof down a notch.

Bottom Line:

This was the first really solid sip of the blind tasting. I dig this a lot but it just didn’t quite go as far as some of the other ryes on this list. That all being said, this felt like the first true sipper of the mix — a bottle that I probably wouldn’t use in a cocktail.

5. Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye Cask Proof — Taste 7

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $78

The Whiskey:

This Virginia whiskey is made from 100 percent rye grains sourced from local farms. The juice matures for at least two years in Virginia before barrels are hand-selected for their brilliance. That whiskey then goes into the bottles with no filtering or cutting with water.

Bottom Line:

This was a fine dram of whiskey. There was enough depth that I’d definitely reach for this for a neat or on the rocks pour. It was also bold enough in the ABVs that I can see using this in a very nuanced cocktail too.

4. Woodinville 100% Rye Finished With Toasted Applewood Staves — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: Unavailable

The Whiskey:

Woodinville’s 100% Rye is a multi-award-winning whiskey. A couple of years ago, they created this distillery-only expression of that rye that celebrates Washington state’s biggest crop: apples. They added toasted applewood staves into the finishing barrels and let it rest until it was just right.

That whiskey was then vatted, proofed, and bottled for the distillery store.

Bottom Line:

I’d have put money on me putting this at number one. Anyone who reads my reviews knows that I’m ride or die for Woodinville’s whiskeys. All of that aside, this was a really good whiskey all around with a unique flavor profile and serious depth.

3. Willett Family Estate Bottled Small Batch Rye — Taste 6

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Willett is certainly a fascinating rye. The whiskey is a blend of Willet’s high rye mash bill of 74 percent rye, 15 percent malted barley, and eleven percent corn with their low rye mash of 51 percent rye, 34 percent corn, and 15 percent malted barley. That juice is then aged for at least two years before blending and bottling at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

Well, there you go. Willett came in third and it honestly wasn’t that close. At the end of the day, this was a bourbon lovers’ rye that’s freaking delicious and pure velvet. But it’s only “classic” and nothing more.

Sometimes that’s enough to win. Sometimes it’s not.

2. Barrell Seagrass — Taste 4

ABV: 59.2%

Average Price: $86

The Whiskey:

The juice in this limited edition bottle is a combination of rye whiskeys from Indiana, Tennessee, and Canada. Those whiskeys were aged in Martinique rhum, rhum agricole, apricot brandy, and Madeira casks before vatting at Barrell in Kentucky.

The idea was to harness the flavors of wood that aged juice next to the sea to bring that coastal x-factor into the blending process for this rye whiskey.

Bottom Line:

There was a small part of me hoping that this would beat out Willett and here we are! In fact, I would have put money on this hitting number one. It’s so fruity and floral and just goddamn delicious. This is a stellar sipper.

1. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Travelers Bold & Spicy Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey — Taste 9

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $34 (Heineman Travel Shops Only)

The Whiskey:

This is Jack Daniel’s essential Tennessee Rye Whiskey at a higher ABV. This whiskey has a mash bill of 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn, and 12 percent malted barley. The spirit is then rested in Jack’s vast warehouses until it hits just the right mark to be bottled as the limited-edition “Bold & Spicy” rye.

Bottom Line:

There’s a big part of me that can’t believe this was my number one. Then I remember how much I like Jack Daniel’s rye in general and it all starts to make more sense. Anyway, this had the most depth by far with those serious umami/earthy notes layered throughout, along with more classic green herbal rye notes.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Score one for Jack. I love Jack’s rye expressions but would never have thought they’d beat out some of these big-name ryes so easily. For me, today (caveats abound!), it really wasn’t even that close.

Still, the top five came down to fruity and unique ryes (Seagrass and Woodinville), a super deep and layered rye (Jack), and more classic bourbon-adjacent ryes (Willett and Catoctin Creek). That’s the gamut of American rye whiskey right there. You really can’t go wrong with any of those drams. Plus, there’s really something for any whiskey drinker when you look at how diverse these bottles are.

When it comes to Willett Rye, I can see why it’s so popular. It’s really close to bourbon in the flavor department and hits that out of the park. But there’s so much more to rye whiskey than following bourbon or just being spicy. And by that measure, it is easily beaten.

Ever since she released her epic video for “Motivation” back in 2019, Normani has left fans desperately awaiting a new project. Unfortunately, her official debut has yet to be released, leaving many to hope that this is the year it finally arrives. While we’ll have to wait and see about that, Normani recently teased her upcoming single during a Q&A session with her followers on Instagram. It began with a post to her Instagram story that read, “What do you think my next single sounds like?” on a piece of paper surrounded by colorful questions.

Many of Normani’s followers replied, with one saying, “I want your next single to sound like I’m on a cloud and I’m just drifting in your sound.” The singer replied, “You’re so cuteee. This one is really unique and different for me. Probably not what everyone is expecting.” Another person said her next song might be an R&B record like her most recent single, “Wild Side” with Cardi B. Normani replied, “Genre bending for sure. It’s just a great record” with a crying face emoji.

Aside from these tidbits, Normani did not reveal when the song will arrive and if it will have any guest features. This comes after she revealed that her upcoming debut album is “almost done” during an interview with Ciara.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.