Month: January 2023

Yes, there are good Scotch whiskies that only cost around $30 to $40. Hell, I’ll even go so far as to say that a good $35 Scotch whisky isn’t all that rare. The thing is, there’s a lot of hot garbage on those lower Scotch whisky shelves too. Sometimes you need a primer to separate the wheat from the chaff.

That’s where I come in with my list of 10 great Scotch whiskies that all cost between $30 and $40.

For this list, I pulled in 10 Scotch whiskies — both single malts and blended whiskies — that taste pretty good at this price point. Scotch does tend to lean a lot more expensive than your average American whiskey. That’s especially true if you’re looking for an “experience” with the juice from Scotland. That makes it worth knowing where to reach when it comes to cheaper bottles.

For the ranking, I’m going on taste alone. These are all good in their own way but not all of them are equal. Some have a bit more depth and just hit the palate in a subtler and deeper way than others. It should be noted, however, that we’re still 100% talking about mixing whiskies below. Yes, you can drink these on the rocks if you want (I’ll mention which below), but these whiskies really shine best when mixed. That’s a reality of the price point.

Let’s dive in!

• Johnnie Walker Vs. Chivas: Which Scotch Whisky Brand Will Win Our Blind Test?
• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2022, Ranked
• The Best Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
• World Class ‘Sipping’ Single Malt Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
• The Best Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Blind Tasted And Ranked

10. Grangestone 12 Highland Single Malt

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Whisky:

Grangestone is an offshoot of William Grant & Sons and is primarily a blender/bottler. That means this whisky comes from an undisclosed Highland distillery (or distilleries really) within the William Grant & Sons stable. The whisky is aged 12 years. But beyond that, there’s not much more information.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Milled oats mix with a lightly spiced malt (think clove, cinnamon, and orange zest) next to a touch of prunes, dark chocolate powder, and a hint of vanilla extract on the nose.

Palate: The palate builds on the orange and vanilla towards what feels like a banana cream pie with a cup of sweet black tea on the side and a hint of toffee in the background.

Finish: The finish holds onto the bitterness of the tea and marries to the dark chocolate as a light walnut shell arrives and dries out the short end with a light sweet woodiness.

Bottom Line:

This is fine a perfectly suitable highball whisky for either nice mineral water with a citrus twist or some ginger ale.

9. Buchanan’s DeLuxe Aged 12 Years

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $33

The Whisky:

Buchanan’s is making a big comeback. Part of that is due to this expression snagging a Double Gold from San Francisco World Spirit Competiton in 2020; another part is the quality Diageo whiskies in the blend.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The whiskey opens with a real sense of dark chocolate married to bright orange zest.

Palate: The palate builds on that adding hints of vanilla pudding and dark spices next to a cedar woodiness and a little bit of spicy/ chewy tobacco.

Finish: A whisper of peat arrives late and far in the background as the chocolate orange throughline lasts the longest on the fade.

Bottom Line:

This whisky has a long history as a classic “on the rocks” whisky. I don’t think it quite hits that mark. It does, however, perfectly suit cocktail or highball mixing with good resonance.

8. Johnnie Walker Black Label

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $34

The Whisky:

Johnnie Walker is the best-selling whisk(e)y in the world. That means that there’s no getting away from this brand. The classic Black Label is a blend of over 40 whiskies from three dozen distilleries in the Diageo stable, including powerhouses like Talisker and Lagavulin.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Citrus meets spicy Christmas cake and a bit of powdery white pepper on the nose.

Palate: Those wintery spices carry on through the taste as creamy maltiness, caramel sweetness, and dry herbs bounce on your tongue.

Finish: The oak comes in late with a dose of peaty smoke that’s cut by an orange zest flourish on the quick end.

Bottom Line:

This is the first step up the Johnnie Walker ladder from Red Label. This is built as their entry-point “sipping” whisky. I still think this works better in highballs and cocktails than on the rocks, but I’m certainly not going to stop you from drinking it that way. It is a classic after all.

7. Old Parr 12-Year-Old Blended Scotch

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $33

The Whisky:

This old-school blend is built around Cragganmore and Glendullan single malts. The whiskies mellow for 12 years before they’re vatted and proofed for this bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There are cinnamon apple cookies on the nose with a touch of honey, nuts, and dry malt.

Palate: The taste is very malty with a touch of cedar, tobacco spice, and more honey/apple/cinnamon.

Finish: The end is warm, malty, and slightly sweet thanks to the honey.

Bottom Line:

This is just nice and easygoing scotch. It definitely benefits best from fizzy water or cocktail applications though.

6. Monkey Shoulder

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $32

The Whisky:

This Speyside blend is crafted as a workhorse whisky. The juice is drawn from the William Grant & Sons distilleries, focusing on Kininvie, Glenfiddich, and The Balvenie. The juice is then rested for up to six months after blending to let it mellow even more before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a nice welcoming note of creamy vanilla that almost becomes cream soda, next to hints of zesty orange marmalade, malts, and dark spices.

Palate: The taste delivers on those notes by amping the spices up to Christmas cake territory with a slight tart berry edge next to that cream soda sweetness.

Finish: The end is short and sweet with a nice lightness that really makes this very drinkable.

Bottom Line:

This is the best mixing whisky on the list. It’s built as a mixer, so use it that way.

5. Chivas Regal Extra Aged 13 Years

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Whisky:

This expression from Chivas is all about single-barrel aging. The hot juice goes into Oloroso sherry casks for 13 long years. Once those barrels hit the right flavor profile, they’re batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a nice mix of vanilla, caramel, and fresh pear with a thin line of dried apricot and maybe some old vanilla pods.

Palate: The palate stews those pears in very sweet syrup while the malts lean into sharp cinnamon with a hint of roasted almond and maybe even some toasted coconut.

Finish: The end amps up the pear vibes as vanilla and cinnamon combine on a pretty short end.

Bottom Line:

Chivas is the quintessential “on the rocks” whisky and a good place to start that level of the ranking. Still, this has a sweeter edge that speaks to subtle cocktail mixing a bit more than sipping. But again, no one is going to stop you from enjoying this over a glass full of ice cubes.

4. Compass Box Artist Blend Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

The lion’s share of this blend — 45% — comes from a single grain whisky aged in ex-bourbon from Cameronbridge Distillery. 22% is a single malt aged in ex-bourbon that comes from Linkwood Distillery. The rest is a mix of French oak and ex-bourbon single malts and blended malts from the Highlands, Clyneilish, Linkwood, and Balmenach. Those whiskies are vatted and then proofed down before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a very clear and concise note of apple candy with a hint of salted caramel ice cream cut with a touch of eggnog spices.

Palate: There’s a nice maltiness that leans into a creamy vanilla, soft holiday spice mix, butter toffee, and a hint of milk chocolate near the end.

Finish: The finish is warming with a whisper of tobacco next to a woody apple, spice candies (maybe ginger), and a final hint of cocoa and caramel.

Bottom Line:

This is a great cocktail base, especially for a citrus-forward cocktail. It also works really well on the rocks as an every day, table scotch.

3. Old Pulteney 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $39

The Whisky:

Old Pulteney is all about sea vibes. Their entry-point spirit is aged for 12 years in second-fill bourbon casks before it’s batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of creamed honey with a touch of sea spray on the nose.

Palate: The taste really holds onto that creamy honey while notes of wildflowers and oaky spice mingle with malts.

Finish: The end is fairly short and leaves you with a sense of that creamed honey and a touch of spicy warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid and unique single malt that blended sweet honey with seaside vibes, which feels very Scotland. It’s perfectly fine on the rocks but really shines in cocktails more.

2. Aberfeldy 12

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $39

The Whisky:

This Highland malt is the cornerstone of the much-beloved Dewar’s Blended Scotch. This whisky is a very accessible single malt that spends 12 years resting in various casks before it’s married and proofed down and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The heart of the nose is in the mingling of pear and honey with a hint of Christmas spice, especially nutmeg.

Palate: The palate expands on that with a lush maltiness, creamy vanilla, mild spice, and more of that honey and orchard fruit.

Finish: The end gets slightly nutty and bitter with a little water as the honey, fruit, and spice linger on the senses.

Bottom Line:

If you’re making a penicillin, use this. If not, pour this over some rocks and enjoy an easy sipping experience.

1. Glenmorangie The Original 10-Year

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Whisky:

The Glenmorangie is a classic Highlands single malt. The juice is created on the tallest stills in Scotland, which allows more spirit creation along the way as it’s boiled. The whisky then spends ten years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with soft grains next to a rush of dried fruits and supple leather with a floral hint that leans toward dry hibiscus and fresh woodruff.

Palate: The palate is gentle with hints of wet malts next to powdered dark spices, fresh honeycombs, and a thin line of vanilla oils just touched with orange zest and maybe a twinge of grapefruit.

Finish: The end arrives with a soft honeyed sweetness that feels like it’s drizzled over an orange cake with a hint of malted cracker graininess next to an echo of old apple chips.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid single malt that really does shine on its own. Yes, you can mix a mean cocktail with it, but you can also 100% enjoy this over a rock or two and feel like you’re drinking a really good Scotch whisky.

HBO Max is home to so many of the best shows on streaming, yet sadly, a lot of the streaming service’s shows are being pulled as the Warner Bros. Discovery merger continues to take shape. The outcome is almost as bizarre as trashing the completed Batgirl movie (and depriving the world of a Brendan Fraser performance), but the list of cancelled and/or removed shows includes some rather surprising titles. For one thing, the homicidal robots of Westworld will no longer visit (or leave) their theme park, and Amazon’s The Boys is not missing a chance to swing at their rival.

This sounds like a total Homelander move, all while fans are still worried over what to expect for the future of, say, Doom Patrol. However, not all tortured Supes are on the line. The Boys seems to be increasingly solid as the show progresses, and their Compound V maker, Vought International, is here with some trolling. In a tweet, Vought announced that they’re slicing services while not slicing prices. In fact, that price might be going up, which could be a swing at Hulu, which recently hiked package prices, albeit without massive content removal.

“To begin 2023, we’re proud to unveil the most effective restructuring in entertainment history. Vought++ is now Vought+ again!” reads the satiric tweet. “We’ve unbundled your favorite apps like VTV+ and VSPN+, and eliminated 35% of our films. All for the new low price of $119/month, plus!”

Booooo. Don’t worry, though. The Boys actually has some better news in another recent tweet: “Frenchie says he’s makin’ it to Herogasm next year”

Mother’s Milk will relieve to, well, pass the below torch and take a load off.

Bourbon whiskey hits a true sweet spot in the $20 to $30 range. There are bottles of bourbon at this price point that are not only mixable but perfectly suitable as everyday sippers. That’s why I’m ranking my 15 favorite bourbons that all clock in under $30.

Look, this isn’t about transcendence or insane depth of flavor in bourbon. This is simply about what’s drinkable and actually tasty at this price point. No, you’re not going to confuse one of these whiskeys with a Pappy 15 or Michter’s 10. They’re built from different components that deliver different results. That doesn’t mean these whiskeys are bad or worse, it just means that they’re a different and cheaper breed of bourbon. There’s plenty to enjoy at this price point, is what I’m getting at.

For the ranking, I’m going on taste alone. Some of these land with a little more “wow” on the palate than others. Moreover, some of these whiskeys really do work as slow sippers over some rocks or mixed into a killer cocktail while still cocking in under $30 per bottle. As always, that price point depends on your local taxes, retail situation, and allocations — these prices are based on Kentucky price tags. Let’s dive in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The 30 Best Bourbon Whiskeys For Fall, Blind Tasted & Ranked

15. Elijah Craig Small Batch

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is Elijah Craig’s entry-point bottle. The mash is corn-focused, with more malted barley than rye. The whiskey is then rendered from “small batches” of barrels to create this proofed-down version of the iconic brand.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a light sense of rickhouse wood beams next to that mild taco seasoning on the nose with caramel apples, vanilla ice cream scoops, and a hint of fresh mint with a sweet/spicy edge.

Palate: The palate opens with a seriously smooth vanilla base with some winter spice (especially cinnamon and allspice) next to a hint of grain and apple pie filling.

Finish: The end leans towards the woodiness with a hint of broom bristle and minty tobacco lead undercut by that smooth vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This is an essential bottle to have on hand for mixing cocktails. It has a classic Kentucky bourbon profile that’s meant to be built upon with bitters, sugar, water, and maybe a little citrus.

14. Old Grand-Dad 114

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

Hailing from the Jim Beam stills and warehouses, this “Old” whiskey is a fan favorite. The whiskey is from Jim Beam’s high rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured until it’s just right. The barrels are blended, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring the proof down, and it’s bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla tobacco meets hints of rye spiciness with a dose of caramel and old oak on the nose.

Palate: The palate holds onto that rye spice as notes of cherry and oak dominate the vanilla and toffee sweetness.

Finish: The end returns to the spice with a chewy tobacco edge that lingers for a short time but leaves you wanting more.

Bottom Line:

This has a nice warmth to it that’s lightly spicy, which makes it a fun “beer and a shot” whiskey. It also works really well in a highball application with some bitters, ginger ale, and orange.

13. Two Stars Bourbon

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This whiskey hails from one of Sazerac’s many other distilleries. In this case, Clear Spring Distilling Co. is behind the brand. This whiskey is a pretty straightforward bourbon that’s aged around two years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of vanilla, caramel, and oak that’s neither bold nor muted alongside a hint of sourdough crust and maybe mint.

Palate: The sip has a moment of orchard fruit next to the caramel that then leads back toward the vanilla.

Finish: The end is short, a bit hot, and sweetish with a cherry edge tied back to the vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This is another solid mixing whiskey. The youngness with that hint of sourdough and warmth on the finish precludes it from being a true sipper. But if you’re pouring this over rocks and adding something fizzy, you’ll be set.

12. Ezra Brooks 99

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

This whiskey, distilled at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, is kind of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky. The whiskey has a pretty standard mash bill of corn, rye, and barley. The juice is then aged but before it goes into the bottles it is charcoal filtered. That whiskey is then batched, proofed down with limestone water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This also leans very classic bourbon with hints of corn on the cob with melty salted butter next to hints of soft leather pouches filled with roasted peanut shells, a touch of caramel, and a vanilla/chocolate ice cream vibe.

Palate: The palate keeps things super easy as that rich vanilla ice cream leads towards holiday spices, tart green apples, and a freshly baked cornbread bespeckled with dried chili flakes and black pepper.

Finish: The finish is soft and fast with that spice leading back towards a leather tobacco chew.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid cocktail bourbon with a nice proof that shines through the mixing process. It’s complex enough to stand up to a whiskey sour but subtle enough to make a decent Manhattan too.

11. Maker’s Mark

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s signature expression made with Red winter wheat and aged seasoned Ozark oak for six to seven years. This expression’s whiskey is then sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a “small batch”). Those barrels are then blended and proofed with Kentucky limestone water before bottling and dipping in their iconic red wax.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of those heavily charred oak barrel notes next to classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly.

Palate: That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel that leads towards a soft mineral vibe — kind of like wet granite.

Finish: The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stays in your senses.

Bottom Line:

This is an excellent mixing bourbon. I tend to use it for easy, everyday Manhattans when I don’t want to think about it too hard.

10. Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $23

The Whiskey:

This is a standard bourbon from Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, otherwise known as Willett. This blended batch of bourbon is all about the small level of proofing to bring it down to bonded level (100 proof). That lack of an overabundance of water lets those barrels shine a touch more.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a nice mix of woody vanilla next to cherry hard candies that mellow towards cherry cotton candy lace with echoes of oak and toffee in the background.

Palate: The palate leans into the cherry but layers in wintry spices with vanilla sugar cookies and caramel apples straight from the fairgrounds.

Finish: The finish isn’t long but doesn’t disappear either, as that cherry and spice merge into cherry cough drops.

Bottom Line:

This is just quintessential Kentucky bourbon. There are no bells or whistles here but it doesn’t need them. Plus, this stuff makes for a great mixing bourbon to have on hand.

9. Jefferson’s Very Small Batch

ABV: 41.5%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

This is a sourced bourbon from around Kentucky. The age, mash, and vital details are undisclosed. What we do know is that the team at Jefferson’s spends a lot of time tinkering with their barrels to create accessible and affordable bourbons.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens pretty thin with hints of caramel, vanilla pods, and maybe a touch of leather and oak with a mild berry vibe.

Palate: The palate is subtle. There are notes of classic bourbon caramel and vanilla countered by a hint of stewed apple, buttery toffee, and maybe a hint of nutmeg.

Finish: The end stays pretty mild but does build to a nice finish full of classic bourbon notes.

Bottom Line:

This is another classic bourbon but with a lower ABV, which makes it a pretty good “starter” bourbon for pure newbies.

8. Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $26 (1-liter)

The Whiskey:

Early Times spent decades as the best-selling bourbon in the world. Their Bottled-in-Bond is a throwback to that heady era in the early to mid-1900s when bourbon was king of the booze scene. Then this whiskey nearly died in the 1970s and 80s when bourbon took a massive hit in sales. This particular expression was reintroduced in 2017 as a limited release. It was such a huge hit that it turned into a standard release.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Orange oils, pancake syrup, pecan waffles, and holiday spices mingle on the soft nose.

Palate: The palate luxuriates in this rich and creamy vanilla next to a mildly spicy tobacco leaf and another hit of those orange oils.

Finish: The end adds in a slight allspice pepperiness with more of that creamy vanilla, tobacco, and a final hint of buttery brown sugar syrup.

Bottom Line:

This is another great entry-point bourbon with no bells or whistles. It’s just standard good stuff that gets the job done either as a shooter, on a ton of rocks, or in a cocktail/highball.

7. Weller Special Release

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This is a classic wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace, which doesn’t publish any of its mash bills. Educated guesses put the wheat percentage of these mash bills at around 16 to 18%, which is pretty average. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. Overall, we know this is a classic wheated bourbon, and … that’s about it.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a tannic sense of old oak next to sweet cherries, vanilla cookies, and that Buffalo Trace leathery vibe with a hint of spiced tobacco lurking underneath.

Palate: The palate has a creamy texture kind of like malted vanilla ice cream over a hot apple pie cut with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts next to Frosted Raisin Bran with a hint of candied cherry root beer.

Finish: The end takes that sweet cherry and apple and layers it into a light tobacco leaf with a mild sense of old musty barrel warehouses.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the better stuff. This really is built as a cocktail or highball base, but you can drink it over some rocks in a pinch. Still, this feels and tasted like a $25 bourbon.

Don’t expect it to taste like Pappy because the brands are closely related. It doesn’t.

6. 1792 Small Batch

ABV: 46.85%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Barton 1792 Distillery is a no-age-statement release made in “small batches.” The mash is unknown, but Sazerac mentions that it’s a “high rye” mash bill, which could mean anything. The whiskey is batched from select barrels and then proofed down and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a woody cherry bark next to sour apple pies, distiller’s beer, and caramel candies next to vanilla cream with a counterpoint of cumin and dry chili lurking in the deeper reaches of the nose.

Palate: The palate opens with a Cherry Coke feel next to rich and buttery toffee, vanilla malts, and sharp Hot Tamales cinnamon candy with a nod toward allspice and root beer.

Finish: The end is soft and lush with vanilla smoothness leading to black cherry tobacco braided with cedar bark and wicker.

Bottom Line:

This works really well over the rocks thanks to that Cherry Coke vibe. That said, you may want to focus more on solid cocktails with this one as it’s already nice and sweet, allowing you to dial back the added sugar in cocktails a tad.

5. Four Roses Small Batch

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and mid-ryes with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts. The whiskey is then blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft and sweet apple and cherry woods greet with a good dose of sour red berries dusted with brown winter spices, especially clove and nutmeg.

Palate: The palate leans into soft and salted caramel with a hint of those berries underneath while the spices get woodier and a thin line of green sweetgrass sneaks in.

Finish: The finish is silky and boils down to blackberry jam with a good dose of winter spice, old wood, and a hint of vanilla tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is where things get way better. This is a good sipper with a rock or two that also makes a killer cocktail base.

Also, this like the Weller above will likely cost a bit more in your neck of the woods. That doesn’t take away from how good/affordable this whiskey is.

4. Benchmark Single Barrel

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This expression is from the single barrels that actually hit that prime spot/flavor profile to be bottled one at a time. This is the best of the best of the barrels earmarked for Benchmark in the Buffalo Trace warehouses. Those barrels are watered down slightly before bottling at a healthy 95-proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: That orange and caramel really come through on the nose with a thin line of creamy dark chocolate and some nutmeg and cinnamon.

Palate: The palate largely adheres to that flavor profile while adding in layers of dark fruit, old leather, mild oak, and orange cookies.

Finish: The finish arrives with a sense of winter spices and dark chocolate oranges next to a twinge of cherry-kissed spicy tobacco chew and a final note of old porch wicker.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those whiskeys that has no business tasting as good as it does and costing this much. You can easily drink this on the rocks and be 100% satisfied. It’s not a “wow” whiskey by any stretch. Think of it more as the whiskey you share with your old friend on the back porch on any given day that… just works.

3. Kirkland Signature Bottled-In-Bond by Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $24 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was sourced for Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand from the famed Barton 1792 warehouses by Sazerac. The juice is made from a base of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% barley. The barrels were aged for at least four years per “bottled in bond” regulations before they were blended and proofed down for this special release.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of old leather gloves next to brandy-soaked cherries covered in dark chocolate, creamy honey, and eggnog spices with a hint of sour mulled wine next to pecan waffles, brown butter, and maple syrup.

Palate: The palate has a big cherry moment that fades into fresh pears and winter spices — cinnamon, allspice, star anise, black licorice — before hitting a soft woody wicker note with a hint of wild sage.

Finish: The end lets the cherry and pear shine as old musty cellar beams and old red bricks with a hint of pear tobacco rolled with cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This punches way above its price point. It’s great. While it makes a killer cocktail, you can easily sip this on the rocks and be perfectly happy.

2. Jim Beam Single Barrel

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this whiskey is pulled from less than 1% of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla pound cake and salted caramel are countered by spicy cherry tobacco, mulled wine vibes, and dark chocolate cut with orange zest and a hint of corn husk.

Palate: The palate brings in some floral honey sweetness and more orange oils with a sticky toffee pudding feel next to more spicy cherry tobacco and a hint of coconut cream pie.

Finish: The end amps up the cherry with a little more sweetness than spice before salted dark chocolate tobacco folds into dry sweetgrass and cedar bark before a hint of fountain Cherry Coke pops on the very back end with a sense of sitting in an old wicker rocking chair.

Bottom Line:

This might well be the best value bottle from Jim Beam’s whole line. It’s cheap but doesn’t taste cheap for a single moment. It’s classic Beam — cherry, spice, vanilla — that works wonders over a few rocks or built into a subtle, whiskey-forward cocktail.

1. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

Jimmy and Eddie Russell go barrel hunting in their Wild Turkey rickhouses to find this expression. The whiskey is a marrying of bourbons Jimmy and Eddie Russell handpicked with a minimum age of ten years old. They then cut it down to a very accessible 90-proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is just a straight-up classic with depth on the nose leading to rich vanilla, salted caramel, sour cherry, wintry spices, and a touch of old oak.

Palate: The palate opens with orange-oil-infused marzipan covered in dark chocolate next to bolder holiday spices, moist spiced cake, and a very distant whisper of barrel smoke.

Finish: The end is a lush mix of orange, vanilla, chocolate, and spice leading to an old leather pouch full of sticky maple syrup tobacco.

Bottom Line:

I’ve seen these on sale for $24.99 a bottle. I bought a case. This is great bourbon that’s crazily low-priced. Shot it, mix with it, or just sip it — it’s all good, folks.

Shakira has a surprise on the way this week. Today (January 9), the Colombian superstar shared a cryptic message about a new project that harkens back to her “She Wolf” days.

A plane flew over Miami today with a banner teasing something from Shakira that’s coming on Wednesday, January 11. The message on the banner read: “Una loba como yo no está pa’ tipos como tu.” In English, that message translates to: “A she-wolf like me is not for guys like you.”

In 2009, Shakira unleashed her album, She Wolf. She released the title track in English and in Spanish as “Loba.” The disco-influenced banger became a cultural phenomenon that peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Shakira’s lyrics about letting your inner she-wolf out of the closet also made the track an anthem for the LGBTQ+ community.

If what’s coming on January 11 is a new song, from the message that Shakira shared today, it appears it will be another dig at her split from Gerard Piqué. Last year, she seemingly touched on her breakup from Piqué in her global hits “Te Felicito” featuring Rauw Alejandro and “Monotonía” with Ozuna. On New Year’s Day, Shakira posted an optimistic message about love after healing from “betrayal.”

There comes a time in an actor’s career when interviews become less about promoting current projects, and more about riding the nostalgia wave and mentioning fan-favorite movies that should come back for another round of fun. While sometimes it’s a little over the top (we don’t really need a Mean Girls sequel, right?) other movies might benefit from a little world-building, like, I don’t know, the beloved 1997 sci-fi classic Face/Off starring Nicolas Cage and John Travolta? There is no reason this should not happen, and Cage agrees!

“I would love to get back into the Face/Off ring,” Cage recently told E! News, seemingly unaware of the power that that collection of words holds. Not only does Cage want a sequel, but he also has an idea in mind.

“I think Face/Off is so unique and there’s a lot to mention there that could be explored, especially dealing with the offspring of the characters,” He explained. “It would be almost like three-dimensional chess, three different layers, with the kids and the parents and everybody trying to like face-off.” Imagine the cameos! The jokes! There is so much potential here.

Cage then mentioned that he and Travolta would act like “two kids in the back of the school room” while filming the original film, so they would both probably want to be involved in the sequel. “John I always saw as a kindred spirit of sorts, and so much fun to work with and real positive energy. I don’t know if I would look at it as it like master class as much as like just really fun,” Cage added.

Not every movie needs to be a master class! Sometimes you just need to see John Travolta and Nicolas Cage exchange faces, and that can be enough. In fact, it’s more than enough.

(Via E! News)

Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene was temporarily locked out of her Twitter account earlier today thanks to a copyright claim over the unauthorized use of a clip of Dr. Dre’s 1999 hit “Still D.R.E.” After Dre issued a statement deploring her use of his song and calling her a “hateful” person, Greene was cheekily defiant upon her return, quoting another Dre hit from the same album, 2001, once she had her access back. “The next episode,” she tweeted, along with a screenshot of the TMZ post about her lockout containing her response.

Upon hearing about Greene’s use of “Still D.R.E.” in a video she tweeted gloating over her far-right fringe clique’s victory over newly appointed House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Dre told TMZ, “I don’t license my music to politicians, especially someone as divisive and hateful as this one.” The video has since been removed as a consequence of Dre’s takedown request, although as of press time, the tweet itself remains. After being temporarily locked out of her account, MTG shot back through TMZ, “While I appreciate the creative chord progression, I would never play your words of violence against women and police officers, and your glorification of the thug life and drugs.”

“The thug life.” These people cannot possibly be even a little bit serious. I kind of hope someone presses her to actually quote the lyrics she thinks contain violence against women or police officers in a song in which Dre promises to “hit my boys off with jobs” and touts signing GOAT white rapper Eminem. Everything funny today.

A popular Chipotle quesadilla hack is getting the official treatment! The hack in question is a simple one: adding fajitas to a quesadilla. You’d think this would be something already on the Chipotle menu, considering fajitas make everything from the burrito to the bowl better, but it’s not. The quesadilla itself is a digital menu exclusive, so getting it customized is always kind of a pain because the app doesn’t even give you the option to add fajitas.

This means you have to add it to the notes section of your order and hope whoever is building your quesadilla listens, or worse, go into a Chipotle and try to convince them to do it for you even though, again, the quesadilla is a digital exclusive. (Brands, we shouldn’t need an app to get your dumb food.)

The point is that for whatever reason Chipotle makes doing something incredibly simple difficult for everyone involved. Well, that all changes in March when the fajita-packed quesadilla officially joins the digital menu (ugh, f*cking Chipotle), saving us (and the employees) the trouble of you trying to hack the menu. The way the grilled onions and bell peppers add savory, vegetal, and sweet notes to the quesadilla will make it so that you’ll never be able to have that plain ‘ol meat and cheese quesadilla ever again.

Might this be the best new addition to the Chipotle menu since that guajillo steak and pollo asado? Yes. Now if only we could get a guajillo steak or pollo asado fajita quesadilla. Make it happen, Chipotle! And don’t make us go online to get it!

Seeing a whale in the wild can be a moving experience for many people. That’s why thousands of people pay money to go on whale-watching excursions, hoping to catch a glimpse of the gentle, majestic, intelligent creatures in their natural habitat.

Lucky whale watchers get to catch much more than a glimpse, and some even see a whale breach up close. But very, very few ever get to see anything close to what a recent group of tourists on a whale-watching cruise off Dana Point, California, got to witness.

Boats are required by law to stay at least 100 yards away from whales, but if a whale approaches a boat when it’s stopped, there’s not a whole lot a captain can do. Starting up the engine would just disturb it, so the best thing to do is just enjoy the encounter.

In this case, when a gray whale swam near a Capt. Dave’s Dana Point Dolphin & Whale Watching Safari tour boat, passengers and crew thought they might be witnessing something tragic. The whale was splashing about and was soon surrounded by blood in the water. Some speculated that maybe a shark or other predatory animal had attacked the whale.

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As it turned out, they were witnessing the miracle of life—it was a mama giving birth to a baby gray whale.

Twitter user Jeremy Theisen shared a video of the event, and though it’s difficult to see what happens, you can hear the people on the boat wondering what was happening before it became clear.

u201cPart 2 – Mom and baby @DolphinSafari @NatGeou201d

— Jeremy Theisen (@Jeremy Theisen)
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Capt. Dave’s shared drone footage of the exciting moments after the birth as the calf learned to swim and the mama seemed to show off her newborn to those who witnessed the event.

“This is a first for all of us. We’ve never actually seen it happen,” Capt. Gary Brighouse can be heard saying, according to WXXI News.

Captain Dave’s shared in a statement on YouTube:

“After surfacing, the newborn calf began learning how to swim and bonding with its mother. The female even brought the calf over to the boats as if to show off her offspring and say hello.

Gray whales prefer to give birth in the warm and protected lagoons of Baja California, Mexico. The lagoons offer safety from predators such as orcas, as well as warm water for calves who have not yet built up a thick layer of blubber.

Although some gray whales do give birth in Baja, there are times when calves just won’t wait and are born during the migration. Gray whales migrate annually along the U.S. west coast, swimming 10,000 to 12,000 miles round-trip. It is one of the longest migrations of any mammal. The whales travel from their feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas near Alaska to the mating and birthing lagoons of Baja, and back again.”

Alisa Schulman-Janiger runs the Los Angeles chapter of the American Cetacean Society’s Gray Whale Census and Behavior Project, which tracks the migration patterns of whales along the coast. She told NPR that the footage of the birth and immediate aftermath was “astounding” and a windfall for researchers.

“The fact that you can see the blood pool means the calf must have just come out,” she said. “That isn’t something that is seen very often or documented often. In fact, I don’t know if there’s any other video footage of something like that.”

Schulman-Janiger explained how the mama whale was holding the calf up so it could rest and breathe and that they exhibited typical bonding behavior. She said she wished she had been there, adding: “It’s extraordinarily rare and really, really special for people to be able to share in those first few moments of a young whale’s life. A whale could get to be 50, 60, 80 years old. And this is just the beginning of that calf life.”

What an incredible thing to witness.

In 2020, most parents got a crash course on bringing their kid to work, when work was suddenly at the kitchen table. Overnight, the roles of work and parenting collided, notwithstanding that for some parents this is the norm due to high child care costs or other life circumstances. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., is making sure that families don’t get lost in the shuffle in the U.S. House.

The congressman’s family came into Washington, D.C., from California to watch him get sworn in on January 3. But when things took a bit longer due to the prolonged speaker vote, Gomez felt it was important for his son to be on the floor with him when he cast his historic vote for Hakeem Jeffries. Jeffries will be the first Black minority leader in the House.

Bringing your baby to work can be a challenge, whether you work from home, in an office or in Congress. Babies may be little bundles of joy but if you miss their feeding time they become hungry bundles of anger. And Gomez’s 4-month-old son, Hodge, was on a strict feeding schedule so he knew things could get a bit more complicated. It didn’t discourage his decision.

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Gomez told Today, “His feedings are at 7 in the morning, then four hours later at 11, then again at 3, then at 7 o’clock at night. He’s an alarm clock. At three hours he starts getting fussy and cranky, and that’s when you have to keep him occupied because once he gets to three and a half hours, that’s when he gets really upset.” But the working dad did what he had to do to make it work and when it was his turn to cast his vote, he had a message for the House.

u201cOn behalf of my son Hodge and all the working families who need an expanded #ChildTaxCredit.nnI cast my vote for Hakeem Jeffries.u201d

— Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@Rep. Jimmy Gomez)
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When his name was called, Gomez stood with Hodge strapped to his chest in a baby carrier. The representative cast his vote for Jeffries saying, “On behalf of my son Hodge and all the working families who need an expanded Child Tax Credit, I cast my vote for Hakeem Jeffries.” Fellow Democrats applauded and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., gave baby Hodge a belly rub, after all, the moment was a big one for a 4-month-old.

The Child Tax Credit is a tax benefit for families that have children under the age of 18 that can reduce the amount of federal taxes they owe and often result in a tax refund at the end of the year for lower income and middle class families. At the height of the pandemic when families were spending more time at home, putting an additional financial burden on already struggling families, the federal government began giving advanced Child Tax Credits.

These advanced tax credits came in the form of a monthly monetary deposit, which improved the livelihood of families across the country. The American Rescue Plan extended the Child Tax Credit to families that normally wouldn’t qualify due to their income level by raising the credit from $2,000 to $3,000 for children 6 to 17 and from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of 6.

u201cBack at it again. #Day2 #118thCongressu201d

— Rep. Jimmy Gomez (@Rep. Jimmy Gomez)
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That’s all fantastic news, right? It would be but the expanded Child Tax Credit ended in December 2021, which is why Gomez called special attention to it when he cast his vote. Ending the expanded credit catapulted 3.7 million children back into poverty, according to the Center on Poverty and Social Policy.

Once the House elects a speaker, members can revisit the expired expanded tax credit, and Gomez did his part to ensure that his colleagues don’t forget. Here’s hoping the next time baby Hodge has to come to work with dad, it’s a lighter work day. Sitting in the House chambers voting on things seems like a pretty tough job for a baby.

In 2023, there are a lot of reasons not to like Airbnb. What was once a unique way to experience your travel destination is now… kind of wack when compared to a good ‘ol hotel. Where did Airbnb go wrong? That’s easy, it’s the hosts. If you’re an Airbnb host, this might be hard for you to hear but: You. Are. All. Kinds. Of. Nuts.

We understand you’ve probably been burned by shitty guests in the past, but the fees, the rules, the random pop-ins, that ominous feeling you give off that makes it feel like you’re watching us — it’s turning the public off and driving us back into hotels because hotels know how to f*ck off and let us live without asking anything of us aside from cold hard cash.

We know your gripes, Airbnb hosts, but remember — “That’s what the money’s for!” If you can’t handle that… Maybe you weren’t cut out to be a mini-hotelier?

This conversation bubbled a number of times over the past year and people are having it again now, after a recent post by Twitter user and writer Jeremy Gordon — who fired off a tweet over the weekend that has since been viewed over 7 million times. That post has become a peg for people to roast the Airbnb brand (again).

Getting compared disfavorably to a Holiday Inn is not a good look, but Gordon has a point, with everything that the typical Airbnb stay requires of its “guests” the Holiday Inn, with its low prices and privacy, feels like a f*cking godsend. Airbnb clearly needs to revamp its whole model and if the brand is scratching its head over how to do that, we gathered up some of the best tweets in response to Gordon’s post that highlight everything the brand is doing wrong.