When Tucker Carlson started promoting the benefits of testicle tanning on his show, in many ways it seemed like the Fox New host had his personal rock bottom. But that was before he admitted how horny he was for the animated Green M&M in the candy company’s long-running commercials.
Last week, M&Ms unveiled some new versions of their colorful classic candy characters in order to make them more inclusive, but all Carlson saw was red — in the form of the Brown M&M, whom he dubbed “less sexy.” Weirdly, no one on the set cut off his mic, so the host kept going, insisting that: “M&M’s will not be satisfied until every cartoon character is deeply unappealing and totally androgynous, until the moment you wouldn’t want to have a drink with any one of them. That’s the goal. When you’re totally turned off, we’ve achieved equity.”
The real takeaway here is how infatuated Tucker must have been with the Brown M&M that at some point had WANTED to take a tiny piece of candy-coated chocolate out for a drink. And yet he still wasn’t over it by Monday night — and this time even brought the poor old Green M&M into the conversation. The way Carlson sees it, M&M’s attempt to be “woke” is what has led to his lack of lust for the new characters: “In its ad campaigns, Mars set about making its M&M characters as unattractive as possible because when you’re intentionally repulsive, it’s clear that you’ve got the right politics.”
That statement doesn’t really check out, because it would imply that Tucker has the right politics. But Carlson wasn’t done in explaining how the candymaker de-sexified its cartoon candy mascots:
So the Green M&M lost her sexy boots; the brown M&M her stiletto heels. The Orange M&M, meanwhile, became a poster boy for the mental health crisis and would henceforth ‘acknowledge and embrace his anxiety.’ Because America badly needs more neurotic candy.
Then, late last year, Mars went further: The company added obese and distinctly frumpy lesbian M&Ms to promote ‘feminism and body positivity.’ In other words, explained the Mars corporation, it’s good to be fat — have some more M&Ms.
Tucker: Mars made their m&m characters as unattractive as possible.. The green m&m lost her sexy boots, the brown m&m her stiletto heels.. The company added obese and distinctly frumpy lesbian M&M’s.. pic.twitter.com/qIiAXtwCMQ
Carlson noted that he first reported on the story last year and had pledged a “deeper investigation” into the matter — because why would a network with “News” in its name dare not to investigate this travesty? But before Tucker and co. could reportedly complete their investigation, “Mars announced that it’s suspending its ad campaign,” Tucker said.
He then went on some nonsensical tear about other people condemning him and his show for attacking M&Ms for being political in the first place. It all got a bit confusing and went a bit off the rails, which you can see for yourself above.
With That ’90s Show now streaming on Netflix, the showrunners are opening up about bringing the original That ’70s Show cast back for the new spinoff. Two of those cast members, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, are currently married in real life, which added an extra layer of fun to their characters reuniting on screen. Or at least that was the intent.
According to co-creator Bonnie Turner, Kutcher immediately returned to his old habit of memorizing his lines in the Forman basement. While the actor was stoked to be back on the show, Kutcher had a bit of a freakout when he fell asleep on the basement couch. Via Buzzfeed:
“He said, ‘When I woke up, it was Mila standing over me, and I opened my eyes. I looked around and I was in the Forman basement with my wife staring up at the [lighting] grid, dressed as Jackie. It was the strangest feeling I’ve ever had. I literally didn’t know [what year] I was [in] for a minute,’” Bonnie recalled.
Having a terrifying moment of being lost in time aside, Kutcher was reportedly so game for coming back as Kelso that he constantly practiced his “Damn, Jackie” line delivery while at home with Kunis.
“I guess Ashton had kept all the old Kelso wardrobe. He was texting me pictures of him in Kelso’s old winter jacket. Then Ashton was sending me videos of him playfully annoying Mila by running around their house going, ‘Damn, Jackie,’” co-creator Gregg Mettler told Buzzfeed. “They were just very excited to return to a place that was so special for them.”
That ’90s Show Season 1 is now streaming on Netflix.
When it comes to true believers in Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” that the 2020 election was stolen, there hasn’t been a more dedicated solider in that fight than MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. The embattled businessman claims he’s already spent over $30 million on investigations that voting machines were rigged, but all he has to show for it are multi-billion dollar lawsuits filed by the software companies behind said voting machines. However, the damage didn’t stop there.
While positioning himself for a contentious campaign to become the new head of the Republic National Convention, Lindell recently revealed that his election fraud evangelizing did not boost sales to his MyPillow brand. Instead, it did the opposite, and the company started hemorrhaging money as product was dropped by retailers like Walmart. Via CBS News:
Dominion’s lawsuit claims it’s all been good for his business and that “Lindell has increased MyPillow sales by 30-40% and continues duping people into redirecting their election-lie outrage into pillow purchases.” Lindell says that is not true.
“Now let me tell you the facts about MyPillow. When I tried to get this out to the people, MyPillow lost $100 million in retailers. We are not up 30-40% — we are down. We are down. I had to borrow money,” Lindell told WCCO.
Why it’s wild that Lindell admits he blew a $100 million hole in his MyPillow empire, nothing can beat the fact that there is actually a serious chance he could actually become the new chair of the RNC. According to Vanity Fair, the race is highly competitive, but also a “total sh*t show,” which is fertile ground for a guy like Lindell to take control. And all it cost him was roughly $130 million and the complete destruction of his once lucrative pillow brand.
After years of waiting, there will finally be a second season of Invincible, Amazon’s superhero comedy from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman. The animated series, based on the hit comic book franchise, follows young Mark as he learns the ins and outs of being a teenager who also happens to be the son of the super-powerful Omni-Man. As Mark discovers his own powers, he also learns that being a superhero is a lot less fun (and a lot bloodier!) than people expect.
Season two will pick up after the events of season one when Omni-Man and Mark had their devastating showdown after Mark realized what type of guy his dad really is. Spoiler: he’s a bad one who killed the Guardians of the Earth in cold blood. But he might not be gone for good!
The good news is that the key cast is returning for another round, including J.K. Simmons as Noah/Omni-Man and Steven Yeun as Mark/Invincible. We also got another look at Seth Rogen’s Allen the Alien in the season two teaser that was released earlier this month. Also appearing in season two will be Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, Mark Hamil, Jason Mantzoukas, Zachary Quinto, and Mahershala Ali.
As for when the episodes will premiere, there hasn’t been a confirmed date, though “late 2023” seems to be the aim. After all, there is a lot of stuff to do in order to make a TV show, which Mark explains in the meta-trailer: “I’ve been busy writing, designing, storyboarding, voice acting, key posing, in-betweening, cleaning up, color slapping, comping the whole thing, and all that for, you know, roughly thousands of shots. So, it’s kind of a lot.” It’s been almost two years since season one concluded, so the wait will likely be worth it…or we will have to deal with the wrath of a really mean dad. Either way, it will be good!
Season one of Invincible is available on Amazon Prime.
Rudy Giuliani is not in a good place, mentally-speaking. And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with his own cognitive abilities, nor the fact that his license to practice law has been revoked. Nor is it because his ex-wife successfully sued him to pay some overdue country club fees. No, Rudy’s pissed because he wasn’t successful in pushing The Big Lie hard enough — and now has to live with the fact that Joe Biden is in the White House not just because he is the leader the American people choose, but because Giuliani couldn’t find a way to overturn the results of the election (and was the only lawyer even willing to try).
As Raw Story reports, Giuliani took some time out during his Sunday radio show to talk about the 2020 presidential election (yet again) and to lament that he wasn’t able to do more to help Trump win. Especially as he claims that Biden doesn’t “know what he’s doing.”
“I don’t want a senile president, and I don’t want a corrupt president,” Rudy’s co-host, Dr. Maria Ryan, said.
“Well, the American people voted for him,” Giuliani replied. “They knew he was corrupt or at least half of them knew he was corrupt. I wasn’t able to get the message to the other half.”
Rudy went on to say that he holds himself somewhat personally responsible for not getting Trump’s message out to any and all Trump supporters. “And you know the tremendous burden I feel as a result of that,” Rudy said. “I mean, I’m the one who uncovered Biden’s corruption. Nobody knew about it.”
“You can’t put that all on your shoulders,” Ryan said. “That’s ridiculous.”
Has Ryan not met Donald Trump? Taking full responsibility for the L was probably written into Giuliani’s contract.
Do you know that Donald Trump is running for president again? It’s easy to forget. After all, he hasn’t exactly been campaigning — or leaving Florida much (unless it’s to make things real awkward at a memorial service). But he is, and he’s ready to hold his first big rally in ages, on Saturday in South Carolina. He handily defeated Biden there in 2020, and yet he’s having a bear of a time getting anyone big to join him on stage. It’s so bad his own team has been left stunned.
Maggie Haberman, who at least used to be the mainstream (read: non-Fox News or -Newsmax) reporter Trump talked to most, went on CNN to speculate on why Trump’s team has been coming up empty-handed. It could be because he, as she put it, “has not been running what one would consider a rigorous effort so far.” It could be that his fund-raising may be “struggling,” meaning the purportedly super rich guy simply can’t afford to hit the road like he once did. But that’s not the only rude awakening for Team Trump.
“I think they are also finding, his team, that people are not swelling around him in the Republican Party in these states the way they had believed,” Haberman said. “Now he still has supporters and still has his operation, it’s pretty small. I think they thought they would be able to get all of these people to just show up for him.”
She added, “He’s over and over and over learning the lesson he is not president anymore and for a lot in the Republican Party someone they want to be passed.”
Then again, this is Teflon Don, the guy who’s never had any serious comeuppance for his prolifically dodgy behavior. There’s always a chance he’ll inexplicably, undeservedly bounce back. But for now, the big guy needs a win, and gaming the system so he wins a golf tournament isn’t one.
You can watch Haberman’s CNN appearance in the video below.
Variety reports that the project has been “scrapped” and is “no longer in development at Universal,” seemingly due to the greatest-hits world tour that Madonna announced last week (with help from Jack Black). “Insiders familiar with Madonna said her sole focus is the tour, but she remains committed to making a film about her life one day.”
Madonna described the biopic as a “preemptive strike” against “people [who] were trying to make movies about me. Mostly misogynistic men. No one’s going to tell my story, but me.” You can find the dates for her Celebration tour below.
07/15 – Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena
07/18 – Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
07/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center
07/25 – Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
07/27 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
07/30 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
08/02 – Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse
08/05 – Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
08/07 – Pittsburgh, PA @ PPG Paints Arena
08/09 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
08/13 – Toronto, ON @ Scotiabank Arena
08/19 – Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
08/23 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/24 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
08/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
09/02 – Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena
09/05 – Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
09/07 – Tampa, FL @ Amalie Arena
09/09 – Miami, FL @ Miami-Dade Arena
09/13 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
09/18 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
09/21 – Austin, TX @ Moody Center ATX
09/27 – Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena
10/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center
10/07 – Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena
10/14 – London, UK @ The O2
10/21 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
10/25 – Copenhagen, DK @ Royal Arena
10/28 – Stockholm, SE @ Tele2
11/01 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
11/06 – Lisbon, PT @ Altice Arena
11/12 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/13 – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
11/15 – Cologne, DE @ Lanxess Arena
11/23 – Milan, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
11/28 – Berlin, DE @ Mercedes-Benz Arena
12/01 – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
Is there ever a moment when at least one sizable group isn’t angry at Sen. Lindsey Graham? That’s an actual question because he’s frequently making people furious. Whether he’s mad at himself for inaccurately predicting a so-called “red wave” or embarrassing Republicans by babysitting Herschel Walker and even irritating Democrats by crying over the dude, Graham knows how to dig himself into a hole.
In his latest faux-pas, he’s now enraged certain portions of the GOP voting base by defending President Biden. As everyone’s well aware, there’s a major controversy brewing after the Justice Department raided Biden’s Delaware home and uncovered classified documents, some of which date back to his decades in the U.S. Senate and others from his vice presidency. Lindsey Graham was asked about the subject, and he was quick to defend Biden. Yes, that’s somewhat surprising.
As revealed in the below clip from podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, Graham declared, “Ive known President Biden for a long time. I would be SHOCKED if there’s anything sinister [with those documents].”
Lindsey Graham: “I’ve known President Biden for a long time. I would be SHOCKED if there’s anything sinister [with his handling of documents].” pic.twitter.com/cliZ6L3ASU
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) January 24, 2023
It doesn’t matter much, although it’s very entertaining, that Graham also declared (twice in one day via Aaron Rupar), “If you come to my house, you’ll find Chick-fil-A bags all over the floor.”
“If you come to my house, you’ll find Chick-fil-A bags all over the floor” — Lindsey Graham pic.twitter.com/P3IEwMhFnr
Lindsey Graham is by far the biggest cancer on the GOP. I can’t think of anybody that more epitomizes the DC uniparty. Just the absolute worst in every possible way. https://t.co/vR10Sniv9x
Move over, Meek Mill. It looks as if you’re not the only musician who plans to deliver more than one project to fans this year. Alternative rapper and producer, Jpegmafia is planning to do the same. While fans of the musician patiently await his collaborative album with fellow rapper Danny Brown, Jpegmafia doesn’t plan on stopping there.
According to him, there are a total of three Jpegmafia albums slated to drop this year. The recording artist didn’t provide much regarding his plans or even clarify whether or not the Danny Brown album was included in the count; instead, he simply tweeted, “3 ALBUMS in 2023,” after uploading several images of him and other musicians hard at work in the recording studio. Based on this tweet, each project will be a full-length release.
Jpegmafia has been spotted with the rising alternative act Jeleel! and has a long list of potential collaborators, including IDK and Tkay Maidza, to name a few.
In the meantime, while fans wait for the Danny Brown collaborative album and his other anticipated projects, be sure to check out Jpegmafia’s 2021 full-length project titled LP!
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Rye whiskey is a lot of fun. The category is constantly expanding thanks to distillers and blenders who are willing to take risks with classic styles and push boundaries. That translates to a lot of great rye whiskeys on the shelf next to some near misses and flat-out bombs.
It’s a lot to sort out as a consumer — so to help you parse them, let’s highlight some of the best rye whiskeys under $50 on shelves right now.
For this list, I’m calling out 20 rye whiskeys from the U.S. market. I’ll call out international ryes (and there are a ton of great!) another time. Right now, let’s focus on the bottles you can actually (generally) find on liquor store shelves around the country in 2023.
When it comes to the ranking, this is all about taste. But let’s not fool ourselves, not all whiskey is created equal and a fair amount of rye whiskeys at this price point are better suited to mixing cocktails than slow sipping neat. That said, there are some true gems in the top 10 or so of this list. These prices are set for delivery in Kentucky or at distillery bottle shops, so local prices will vary slightly depending on where you are.
Also Read: The Top Five Rye Whiskey from the Last Six Months on UPROXX
This is the sibling bottle to the classic Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon. The juice is made from Wild Turkey’s standard rye mash bill. It’s then aged in heavily charred barrels for about six years. The whiskey is then batched and proofed down to Wild Turkey’s signature 101-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The peppery rye spice is cut with rummy Christmas cake topped with rich vanilla ice cream next to a clear note of toasted oak on the nose.
Palate: The taste leans into the spice with a rye version of the Kentucky hug, as hints of cedar, white sugar, popcorn, and charred bitterness lurk in the background.
Finish: Like Wild Turkey’s 101 Bourbon, the end is long and hot, with pops of peppery spice, creamy vanilla, and charred wood. A very distant wisp of smoke acts as a button on the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great place to start this list. Wild Turkey makes some magic happen with their rye whiskeys and this is your gateway into that world. Brasstacks, this is a cocktail whiskey that’s going to shine brightly.
This whiskey starts off by blending minimum of three-year-old rye barrels from Tennessee with a mash bill of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley. Once batched, the whiskey is then refilled in California into wine barrels sourced from Maury, France. Those barrels are batched after a short finishing maturation and then cut with pure mountain water from the Alexander Valley in Northern California.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of bourbon with cherry/vanilla notes that lead to orange rinds, gingerbread, and a touch of dark cinnamon, clove, and allspice.
Palate: There’s a lush body to the taste that leads to a hint of white pepper and tart red berries with a touch more of that creamy vanilla with slightly woody honey.
Finish: The end has a hint of cumin with that white pepper but ends up pretty light and vanilla-forward.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty solid rye whiskey all around. That said, I’d still lean toward this making a mean cocktail over a neat sipper.
This is a very local New York whiskey. The mash uses grains grown in New York before the juice is distilled and aged at the craft distillery. The whiskey ages for four years before batching, proofing, and barreling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey opens with a nose full of lemon and cumin with a dose of vanilla and pepper.
Palate: The palate is cinnamon candy forward with vanilla tobacco and lemon pepper mingling with a hint of old oak staves and maybe some sour cherry.
Finish: The end is light but spicy with a rush of dried fruits and sweet brown sugars.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice, solid rye with a good profile. Overall, it still falls squarely into the cocktail base category. Thanks to the citrus notes, I’d lean more toward smashes and sours when mixing up cocktails with it.
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 batching. The whiskey is then proofed with limestone water from a Maryland spring ahead of the bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Winter spices and orange oils mingle with candied walnuts and deep umami, kind of like tomato paste.
Palate: The taste marries dried orange peels with nutmeg and vanilla cream with more candied walnuts and a hint of pecan.
Finish: The vanilla amps up with a cookie vibe that leads to more of those winter spices and a good dose of wet brown sugar with a wet wicker end.
This 95% rye whiskey (a portion from Indiana) is shipped out to Sonoma County, California where it’s blended with Redwood’s own rye and proofed. The whiskey is named after the fastest-growing Redwood tree in the world, the Emerald Giant.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice fruitiness on the nose that’s kind of like dark fruit leather next to sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, plenty of vanilla, and some brown sugar butter.
Palate: The palate has a light white pepperiness that’s countered by sweet green herbs, burnt orange, and floral honey.
Finish: The green herbal vibe takes on a slight savoriness as light winter spices layer into tobacco leaves with a hint of cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid rye all around. It’s really nice in a highball with good fizzy water and a twist of lime, orange, or grapefruit.
This is a subtle rye whiskey. The mash bill only has 51% rye grains next to 35% corn and 14% barley. The hot juice is then aged for several years before being blended, proofed, and bottled with no age statement.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a real sense of a dark chocolate bar that’s cut with dried chili and a touch of cinnamon that draws you in.
Palate: The palate mellows that spice into a Christmas spice mix while a honey sweetness and texture lead towards sweet oak and the slightest wisp of pipe tobacco smoke.
Finish: The finish takes its time as those spices keep your senses warm and buzzing on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This feels classic and very bourbon adjacent. That aside, use this for your favorite cocktails.
This crafty distillery makes this whiskey with 95% rye and 5% malted barley right in Louisville (and via contract distilling). The hot juice is aged for three years in heavily toasted and charred barrels before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has an interesting nose that’s part spicy pork stew (chili, umami, fat) with bright peaches, vanilla, and summer wildflowers as a counterpoint.
Palate: The palate has a hint of old cedar next to cream soda, white pepper, and crusty rye bread with a hint of caraway seed and maybe some dry fennel.
Finish: The finish brings in heavily spiced chewy tobacco packed into an old cedar box with creamy vanilla and a dash more of that powdery white pepper.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for the perfect whiskey to pair with taco night, this is it. It also makes a nice, simple old fashioned.
13. Middle West Spirits Straight Rye Whiskey Dark Pumpernickel
This Ohio whiskey is made with dark pumpernickel rye, Ohio soft red winter wheat, yellow corn, and 2-Row barley malts. The juice is then aged for three years in new white oak before it’s bottled with a touch of local Ohio water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of slight sourdough rye funk on the nose with a hint of pumpkin seed, caraway, sweet cinnamon, vanilla husks, and a whisper of candied ginger.
Palate: The palate leans into that sour funk and caraway as oolong tea, piney honey, and spicy, raisin-filled oatmeal cookies vibe.
Finish: The mid-palate kicks in hard with the heat as sharp cinnamon and chili dominate until a soft sense of vanilla, toffee, and dark fruit leather mingle on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid whiskey and where we get into easy sipping over some rocks or great for mixing cocktail territory.
Terry Bradshaw’s rye whiskey is a compliment to his new bourbon. The whiskey is made at the Green River Distilling Company (now part of Bardstown Bourbon Company) from an undisclosed mash bill. That whiskey ages for a mere two years before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with soft leather and Dr. Pepper spices next to plenty of vanilla and a deep sense of burnt popcorn (that’s slightly rough).
Palate: The palate is oaky put white peach and brown sugar cut through it with a sense of subtle winter spices and mild peppercorns.
Finish: The end mixes soft vanilla with old oak as a butter toffee and spiced cherry tobacco finishes things off on the senses.
Bottom Line:
This has no business being as tasty as it is for only being two years old. Still, this is nice over a glass full of rocks and really works wonders in a cocktail or highball.
11. Still Austin “The Artist” Straight Rye Whiskey
This Austin whiskey is made with 100% Texas rye. The juice is loaded into the barrel at a lower proof and “slow watered” throughout the aging process so that the whiskey comes out of the barrel already proofed and ready for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with Wether’s Original candies still in the wrappers next to dark cherry, fig jam, a whisper of espresso bean bitterness, and a touch of orange rind studded with cloves.
Palate: The taste has a fruity saltwater taffy vibe next to vanilla, dried apricot, a touch of ginger candy, and some dark caramel.
Finish: The end leans into woody spices — cinnamon, cloves, and some soft nutmeg — next to burnt orange and sweet caramel tobacco.
Bottom Line:
Yes, this is one cent over the price point, but it’s good enough that I don’t care. This crafty rye has a nice balance and profile that really works as a sipper with a single rock or your next favorite cocktail whiskey.
Sourced from Castle & Key (a true whiskey nerd’s haven), this whiskey was made from a unique mash bill. The juice is derived from a mash of 60% rye, 20% corn, and 20% malted barley. Once distilled, that whiskey rests for at least four years before it was batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft sense of orange blossom and floral honey on the nose with a tart green apple skin vibe next to cinnamon, clove, and allspice, a touch of nuttiness, and some caramel sweetness.
Palate: The palate leans into sticky toffee pudding with black-tea-soaked dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salted caramel with a hint of orange zest, walnut clusters, and light chili pepper spiciness.
Finish: The end has a slight woody chili spice that leads back to the salted caramel and a light sense of walnut cake cut with plums.
Bottom Line:
I like this on its own with a glass full of ice and a dash of bitters to liven it up. That said, you really want to be making Manhattans or Sazeracs with this one.
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 — with only 53% of the grain in the recipe. 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.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens nicely with soft green grass next to a dusting of freshly cracked black pepper and dry cedar that’s countered by pear and marzipan.
Palate: That pear infuses into the marzipan on the palate as floral honey balances a rye pepperiness and hint of clove.
Finish: A whisper of fresh mint drives the mid-palate toward more of that sharp clove with a final note of honey-soaked pear on the thin finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect home bar cart mixing rye. It’s versatile and just works with every type of cocktail from a julep to a sour to an old fashioned.
Redemption is a Connecticut mainstay that sources its whiskey from MGP of Indiana. This MGP 95 is then finished in rum casks in partnership with Plantation Rum. They’re using both Jamaican and Barbadian rum barrels that are then blended for this fascinating rum cask finish expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a mix of rummy molasses that’s spiced with Christmas spices and vanilla, with a hint of tart fruit and sherried jamminess.
Palate: The taste doesn’t really deviate too much from those notes and holds onto the molasses, spice, and vanilla while a touch of oak arrives late with a note of citrus.
Finish: The end is short-ish and really leans into the rummy nature of the spices and sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper over some rocks that is a good base for fruity cocktails that could use a little dark spiciness.
This release from Smooth Ambler mixes some very interesting whiskeys together. The blend is two Tennessee ryes (one 70% rye, one 51% rye), MGP 95, and Smooth Ambler’s own rye which has a mash bill of 88% rye. Those whiskeys are then blended, proofed, and bottled in the hills of West Virginia.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a stewed cherry that’s heavy on woody cinnamon sticks next to hints of vanilla pods and maybe some dried florals.
Palate: The palate leans into the woodiness of the cinnamon stick to the point of feeling like a cedar box full of spicy cinnamon tobacco as creamy vanilla leads to a toasted coconut vibe.
Finish: The finish lets the creaminess of the vanilla drive a sweet edge as the spicy cinnamon tobacco is just kissed with cherry syrup and dark chocolate on the very back end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great blend. It’s balanced enough to work as a sipper over a few ice cubes or make your favorite version of a Manhattan.
This is a real throwback rye whiskey. Pikesville Rye was at the center of the Maryland rye whiskey scene until Prohibition put it in the grave. Heaven Hill saved the brand and moved the production to Kentucky while holding onto the whiskey’s traditions of longer aging and higher proofing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose pulls you in with a mix of dark cocoa powder packed into a cedar box with a touch of rye bread, caraway seed, and salted butter with this thin line of spiced honey.
Palate: The taste leans into clove and salted black licorice with that spiced honey leaning a little floral next to a touch of dry singed cedar bark.
Finish: The end mellows significantly towards a vanilla pudding spiked with eggnog spices and a touch more of that dark chocolate shaved overtop with a hint of spiced caramel sauce.
Bottom Line:
This has really grown on me as both a sipper and a simple cocktail base. It also works neat — starring true depth and fun in finding new notes with every return to the nose and palate.
Sazerac Rye is a great entry point for a refined touch and a throwback to the 1800s. The brand was named after the famed Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street in New Orleans where the Sazerac cocktail was born. Today, this expression is a true classic made at Buffalo Trace from their iconic rye mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a vanilla underbelly that’s pretty luscious which supports star anise, sasparilla, clove, cardamom, and a hint of red peppercorn.
Palate: The palate has big Christmas-time vibes with fruit cakes full of candied fruits and nuts with plenty of dark spice, mulled wine, more of that red peppercorn, and a hint of black licorice with old pine wood paneling lurking in the background.
Finish: The finish is bold yet soft and lush with anise and candied fruits creating a spicy cream soda with an old sweetgrass rope drying things out.
Bottom Line:
If you buy one bottle of rye whiskey to make a Sazerac, it has to be this.
This release from Jack asks “what would straight rye whiskey taste like if it was given the ol’ Lincoln County treatment?” Jack’s mash bill utilizes 70% rye mash bill and water from the nearby Tennessee mountains. They then treat the hot distillate as they would a standard Tennessee whiskey, with sugar maple charcoal filtration before barreling and aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is very mellow with soft layers of rich vanilla pudding, peach/apricot, rum-raisin, and cinnamon-heavy oatmeal cookies on the nose.
Palate: The palate lets the cinnamon sharpen a bit as the silky vanilla takes over and leads to applewood, floral honey, and a hint of nutmeg.
Finish: The mid-palate lets the fruity sweetness fade as a vanilla/cinnamon tobacco chewiness leads to an old oak stave.
Bottom Line:
This is way better than it has any right to be at this price point. This makes a killer cocktail and is just deep enough to work as a slow sipper on the rocks.
This is a bourbon drinker’s rye with a mash bill that’s believed to be very low rye. The barrels are batched and proofed at a higher ABV, allowing more of the barrel and rye to shine through than, say, Jim Beam’s other rye — Basil Hayden’s Rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Classic cherry Coke, vanilla, cedar, and peppery spice lead the way on the nose.
Palate: That matrix of flavors delivers on the palate with the vanilla getting super creamy as the cherry really pops as “ripe” and “vibrant” on the tongue before a hint of dried dill and maybe fennel sneaks in.
Finish: The spice is more attached to a moist tobacco leaf with a bit of a chew to it that’s also just touched by dark chocolate cherry vibes, a hint of dry porch wicker, and a final note of dry potting soil.
Bottom Line:
This is just freaking good whiskey. It’s very bourbon-forward, making it a good candidate for anyone looking to get into rye whiskey. Moreover, this makes a perfect cocktail base or slow sipper with a single rock in the glass.
Russell’s Reserve is where we really dive into the “good stuff” with Wild Turkey. This expression is a collaboration between Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who search through the center cut of barrels in their rickhouses for the exact right minimum-six-year-old ryes. The end results are a window into the Russells’ shared palate for the whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This a subtle rye with hints of crusty rye bread soaked in apple honey paired with a hint of vanilla, a touch of caramel, and mild orchard fruit.
Palate: The palate is all about a spicy and sweet Christmas cake full of dried fruit, nuts, and spicy minced meat pie with a flutter of black pepper.
Finish: The oakiness shines late as the winter spice, vanilla/caramel sweetness, and singed cedar fade away toward a touch of apple cider tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s just plain good, excellent even for this price point. It’s not going to blow your mind but it is going to 100% satisfy your soul either as a wonderful everyday slow sipper or a great cocktail mixer.
1. Micher’s US*1 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Michter’s well-crafted juice is warehoused until the deeply charred new white oak barrels hit just the right moment in both texture and taste. Those barrels are then hand-selected and bottled one at a time with a touch of Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Peppery rye and a hint of citrus open this one up before deep fatty nuttiness, dry espresso beans, soft dark chocolate sauce, and a twist of sharp spearmint dance through the nose.
Palate: There’s a distant line of toffee candies dipped in roasted almonds next to a brioche smeared with Nutella and dipped into a fresh cup of espresso with mild notes of white pepper, ground chili powder, and maybe a whisper of honey.
Finish: The finish leans into woody winter spice barks and buds — think cinnamon, clove, and allspice — with a sense of whole red peppercorns soaked in molasses, a whisper of walnut cake, and a thin line of toasted marshmallows dipped in dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This single-barrel rye is the rye that you can measure most others against (at this price point). It’s sweet, spicy, and full of real depth. It takes you on a journey. And while I like to sip this neat or over a rock or two, it makes one hell of a cocktail. Use it for your next Manhattan, boulevardier, or Sazerac.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
(@JennaEllisEsq) 
