Texas’ top Republicans made it pretty clear that most of them are strongly opposed to abortion when, in 2021, they took the shockingly drastic step of imposing a near-total abortion ban in the Lone Star State. In the more than year since that controversial decision, much bigger decisions have been made on the topic of a woman’s right to choose — including the Supreme Court’s unprecedented decision to reverse the half-century old Roe v Wade ruling. But Texas senator Bob Hall has an entirely different — and absurd — reason for wanting to end abortion: so that all those aborted fetuses stop ending up in our food products.
This is not a drill!
As Vice reports, Hall recently introduced a bill in Texas requiring that any food containing “human fetal tissue” be “clearly and conspicuously labeled” to indicate so much. Which shouldn’t really be a problem, since the idea that food manufacturers are adding aborted babies into their products is outright insane.
A spokesperson for the FDA provided Vice with a statement in response to Hall’s absurd accusations, stating: “There are no conditions under which the FDA would consider human fetal tissue to be safe or legal for human or animal consumption.”
“Prominent conspiracy theory movements like QAnon hold (falsely) that elite Democrats are running a cannibalistic, Satan-worshiping, child sex-trafficking ring. QAnon’s beliefs are linked to antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ tropes that hold that Jewish and LGBTQ people are trying to hurt children, and even drink their blood. These conspiracies, which have flourished partly through lockdown isolationism and election denialism, have radicalized a stunning number of Americans and torn families apart.”
While food manufacturing would in no way be impacted should Hall’s bill become law, it could require changes to scientific and legal studies as, according to Sherman, “fetal cell lines can be used to develop and test drugs. These lines can be collected from a single miscarriage or abortion, then replicated in labs, over and over again, for decades. (Cell lines derived from aborted fetal tissue can be preferable, both because it’s easier to collect and because fetal tissue derived from a miscarriage may carry whatever genetic or chromosomal problem may have caused the miscarriage in the first place.) Fetal cell lines have led to development of many major vaccines, such as the vaccines against chickenpox and Hepatitis A.”
On Thursday, January 19, 2023, New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack-Altwies issued a written statement announcing that Alec Baldwin, producer/star of the indie western Rust, is being charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The action comes nearly 15 months after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was accidentally killed by a firearm being used by Baldwin on the film’s Albuquerque set. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer, is also facing the same charges.
“After a thorough review of the evidence and the laws of the state of New Mexico, I have determined that there is sufficient evidence to file criminal charges against Alec Baldwin and other members of the Rust film crew,” Carmack-Altwies wrote. “On my watch, no one is above the law, and everyone deserves justice.”
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, the Oscar-nominated actor expressed “shock and sadness” over Hutchins’ death. But the more questions that were asked about exactly what happened on the set that led to the tragedy, the more Baldwin seemed to back away from bearing any responsibility — despite the fact that he was the person holding the gun that killed the DP and injured director Joel Souza.
Though Baldwin had the gun in his hand, he insisted that he never pulled the trigger. He also claimed that while “someone” was responsible for Hutchins’ death, that someone was “not me.” And when Halyna’s widower, Matt Hutchins, filed a lawsuit against Rust producers, Baldwin’s reaction was to accuse the plaintiffs of attempting a money-grab from “deep-pocket litigants.”
In order to prove her case, it’s the DA’s job to show that Hutchins’ death wasn’t just a tragic accident. As TIME writes, Baldwin “could face at least five years in prison if a jury finds that the actions that led to Hutchins’ death were more than simple negligence.”
David Halls, the film’s assistant director, signed a plea deal with Carmack-Altwies’s office. In exchange for pleading guilty to negligent use of a deadly weapon, Halls will face a suspended sentence and six months of probation. But Andrea Reeb, the special prosecutor who was appointed to assist the DA in handling this case, isn’t letting Halls off the hook that easily.
“If any one of these three people—Alec Baldwin, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, or David Halls—had done their job, Halyna Hutchins would be alive today. It’s that simple,” Reeb said. “The evidence clearly shows a pattern of criminal disregard for safety on the Rust film set. In New Mexico, there is no room for film sets that don’t take our state’s commitment to gun safety and public safety seriously.”
You can read Carmack-Altwies’s full statement below.
The Last of Us might be HBO’s latest smash hit, but it might not have happened if it weren’t for another massive HBO franchise you might have heard of.
Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, the on-screen duo who are making their trek across a dystopian landscape to escape some zombies, were actually on the same show at one point, which is also what inspired Ramsey to become an actor in the first place. “I don’t think that I’d be an actor if it wasn’t for Game of Thrones, ’cause I never really set out to be [one], and then it sort of happened,” Ramsey told Entertainment Weekly.
Ramsey was just thirteen when she was cast in the hit fantasy series, which helped her realize that she actually wanted to have an acting career. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. So it set me up and prepared me for The Last of Us, and all my other projects, in ways that I don’t think anything else could.” Pascal joined the series in season four.
Thanks to the GoT connection, the two Last of Usleads already felt like they had a bond before filming even began. “I feel like it made us come from a family without knowing each other already,” Pascal explained, adding that their experiences on the show were so similar. “To have two characters that the fans liked make their entrance and make their exit is parallel for the both of us and a kind of bonding thing before we even got a chance to bond. So, yes, I am grateful for that.”
But when it comes to learning the mistakes of those who came before them, Ramsey doesn’t think The Last Of Us will have a similar journey that Game of Thrones did. “I don’t think it’s gonna be as long as Game of Thrones,” Ramsey mentions. “I don’t think it’s gonna be this show that goes on forever.” Considering how the final season was received, keeping it short and sweet will be for the best.
As a professional in the spirits industry, I can assure you that there are some expensive whiskeys out there that are worth dropping a little extra scratch on. Part of that is just the reality of the marketplace in 2023 — where the final “price” of a bottle could mean a few different things. All premium whiskeys are released with MSRPs (manufacturer’s suggested retail price), but the rarity of the release and/or the hype around the juice in the bottles or the brand itself often means that bottles go for well above their original MSRPs.
Most people have adjusted to the fact that we live in an era where premium whiskey sells for inflated prices. Which eventually leads any well-meaning neophyte (including my editor) to ask: “Okay, but which expensive whiskeys are actually worth paying so much more for — especially in a marketplace where you can easily get really good whiskey for $30 to $50?” Today, I’m going to answer that by listing 20 bourbon and rye whiskeys on the U.S. market that I would personally pay extra for to have on my shelf (I’m saving international whiskies for another day).
The first and biggest rule I follow in premium whiskey purchases is that it has to taste really goddamn good. If it doesn’t, then what is the point? Look, I buy bottles for investment, flipping, trading, and auctioning all the time. But even then, I’m buying bottles I’m sure taste good because — as with any investment — things could go south. I can’t drink my house if the housing market tanks. If the whiskey market tanks, I can 100% crack open an expensive whiskey bottle and enjoy it with my friends and family.
So I win even when I lose. (Sort of.)
When it comes to the 20 bourbon and rye whiskeys below, they all taste great. That’s why they’re listed. But they all cost more than their MSRP on the open market. Generally speaking, you have to put in a lot of work and have a huge network to get these bottles at MSRP — which is what you really want to do if you’re going to take whiskey investing seriously. But this isn’t about investing and turning a profit. This is about ranking bottles of expensive whiskeys that are actually worth paying that little bit extra to have (and sure, maybe holding onto for a little while, too).
These are the bottles I’d pay a little extra for.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This rare Michter’s expression is pulled from single barrels that were just too good to batch or cut. Once the barrels hit the exact right flavor profile, each one is filtered with Michter’s bespoke system and then bottled as-is at the strength it came out of the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark cherry and butterscotch candies pop on the nose next to sour red wine mixed with mulled wine spices — lots of cinnamon, clove, and star anise — next to tart apple skins, apple bark, and a hint of singed marshmallow between lightly burnt Graham Crackers.
Palate: The palate leans into spices in a subtle way with a nutmeg/eggnog vibe next to rich vanilla ice cream and smoked cherries with a minor note of fresh pipe tobacco and singed cedar bark.
Finish: The end adds some dried red chili and sharp cinnamon to the tobacco with a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper and a supple sense of a fresh fruit bowl with a lot of red berries.
Why I’d Buy It:
Michter’s is always a good place to start. The quality of the product is so high that you will not be disappointed if you have to crack open a bottle. While you can get this at MSRP if you’re at the distillery in Louisville on the right day, you kind of have to get lucky to get it.
Otherwise, this is so good as a Manhattan base or bold sipper that spending $200 to have it around is worth it.
19. New Riff 100% Malted Rye Bottled In Bond Aged 6 Years
This whiskey from New Riff is a whiskey lover’s dream pour. The mash is made from 100% malted rye (most rye that is used for whiskey is unmalted). That means more sugars are available in the grain as it goes through germination and then heating to stop that process, which helps create a lot of sugars. Anyway, the juice then rests for six years in new oak before the barrels are blended, proofed down, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of figs and dates on the nose that leads to a spiced Christmas cake covered in powdered sugar frosting with plenty of candied citruses, dried dark fruits, and roasted nuts next to vanilla pudding and dried pear skins.
Palate: The taste has a hint of orange saltwater taffy on the front that leads to a mix of clove, allspice, and sassafras as dark fruit leather and white peppercorns pop.
Finish: The end is lush and mellow with a hint of that pepper next to dark dried fruit layered into a tobacco leaf alongside cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and dark orange oils.
Why I’d Buy It:
If you’re in Northern Kentucky (or Cincinnati) and go to the distillery on the right day/week, you’ll be able to get this at MSRP. For the rest of the people in America, you’re going to have to pay a little extra. The main reason for that is that this is… drumroll... it’s great-tasting whiskey.
Sure, it’s one the rare side but it really just pops as a unique and delicious sipper.
This limited-edition release celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, which started back in 1992 during the darkest days of bourbon. The juice is Beam’s standard mash bill that’s distilled at a slightly different temperature and treated with a little more care during aging by placing barrels in very specific locations throughout their vast warehouses. After 18 long years, the best of the best barrels are small batched, and just proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark molasses and pecan clusters with salted dark chocolate lead to brown butter, old figs, and salted caramel with a woody sense of cherry and apple bark next to cinnamon-laced cedar sticks with burnt orange.
Palate: The palate is full of lush vanilla notes next to singed cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, star anise, salted black licorice, and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a hint of dried red chili spice turning up the heat on the mid-palate.
Finish: The end has a floral honey sweetness that balances everything toward orange blossoms and bruised peaches, cherry tobacco, and clove tobacco.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is the best Knob Creek there is. If you take Booker’s releases out of the Beam Suntory equation, it might be the best Jim Beam product right now. Add in that it is one of the tastier bourbons of 2022, and you have a winning combination.
This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak which was air-dried for three years before charring and filling. The Kentucky bourbon was then bottled in an extremely small batch that only yielded 2005 bottles this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet mashed grains — thinks a bowl of Cream of Wheat — mix with sticky toffee pudding, old leather, old cellar beams, and sweet cinnamon with a hint of burnt orange and dark chocolate next to eggnog with a flake of salt.
Palate: The palate is super creamy with a crème brûlée feel that leads to soft winter spices, dry cedar, and orange chocolates with a hint of marzipan in the background.
Finish: The end has a creamed honey vibe next to figs and prunes with fresh chewing tobacco and salted dark chocolate.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is one of the “secret Michter’s” — but folks are catching on and this is getting harder and harder to find at MSRP. Still, this is one of the whiskeys that truly lives up to the deliciousness factor with a unique profile.
Protip: Michter’s has a wider distribution in the EU. You can find this at MSRP in places like Germany and Czechia (where I buy my bottles) and then bring them back in your checked luggage while adhering to all import laws on spirits.
This whiskey from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery of note (they own both Buffalo Trace and Barton’s 1792 distilleries) is a bit of a hidden gem. As with all Sazerac products, there’s a lot of secrecy around what the actual mash bill is, aging times, and so forth. It is likely a high-rye mash that’s aged over five years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted caramel and apple pies lead the nose with a nice dose of nuttiness, winter spices, and eggnog creaminess with a butter vanilla underbelly.
Palate: Bruised peaches with clove and nutmeg drive the palate toward woody orchard barks, rich toffee, and a sense of vanilla cake with cardamom icing.
Finish: The end is softly full of woody cedar bark, cream soda, and apple-cinnamon tobacco.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is the easiest win on the list. 1792 Single Barrel is delicious whiskey at a good price. But if you’re not in Kentucky at a liquor store at the right time, you’re not getting this at MSRP. This is so tasty that I wouldn’t really care about paying twice that amount for it to have a bottle on the bar. It’s a single-barrel expression of really good whiskey — that’s always worth a little extra consideration.
This Buffalo Trace whiskey rests in the warehouse for 12 long years, in the same barrels and warehouses as Pappy van Winkle whiskeys. The difference between this and Pappy 12 — good ol’ “Lot B” — is pretty simple actually. If the barrel doesn’t hit the exact flavor profile needed for a Pappy, it’s sent to the blending house to become a Weller (as long as it hits Weller’s flavor profile, of course). So yes, this could have been a Pappy 12 had the flavor profile been slightly different in the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose hits softly with bruised peaches and old pears next to fresh wool sweaters, vanilla pancake batter, and moist marzipan next to orange oils, worn-out wicker deck furniture, and old Buffalo Trace leather with a faint hint of dried roses.
Palate: The palate kicks around cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks with spiced cranberry sauce over buttermilk biscuits and gingerbread.
Finish: The end leans into the sharp brown spices with a mild sense of vanilla cake with apple cider and cinnamon frosting, a touch of burnt orange, and more of that moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate.
Why I’d Buy It:
All the Pappy comparisons aside, this is really good whiskey at a lower proof (making it more drinkable for most people). It’s also one of those bottles that you break out for celebrations, so paying extra doesn’t feel that out of the ordinary. Finally, it makes a really good gift bottle since “Weller” has excellent name recognition.
The latest Booker’s is a nod to “Kentucky Tea” which isn’t tea at all. It’s when you add a little whiskey to a glass of water and then that looks like tea. The juice in this case is a blend of bourbon barrels from seven locations across six different warehouses. The final product was bottled without any fussing at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of sour cherry and vanilla cookies on the nose with a supporting cast of dark tobacco packed into old cedar boxes with a rough and worn leatheriness tying everything together.
Palate: The palate opens with a vanilla white cake frosted with cherry and chocolate — a bit like a Black Forest cake — that leads to orange oils, clove, and old pine boards with a touch of sap.
Finish: The end has a fruitiness that leans towards a spicy star fruit with a fresh vibe next to light pear tobacco with a pine humidor edge.
Why I’d Buy It:
Booker’s is always worth picking up. The aftermarket value doesn’t go insanely high (maybe an extra $100 per bottle — $200 or $300 for the really good ones). Plus, you’re always going to find something unique and delicious depending on which release you come across.
Distilled back in the spring of 2010, this whiskey was made with a mix of Kentucky corn and wheat, and barley from North Dakota with that Kentucky limestone water. The distillate was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stored in warehouses C, K, and N on floors 2, 3, and 4 for 12 long years. During that time, 64% of the whiskey was lost to hungry angels. Those barrels were then batched and this whiskey was bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is surprisingly sweet with a big slice of coconut cream pie (with a lard crust) next to your grandma’s butterscotch candies straight from an old leather handbag that’s held menthol cigarettes for decades and maybe some old Mon Cheri bonbons.
Palate: The palate opens with a lush eggnog full of nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla that leads to a white pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to old leather tobacco pouches with a hot cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate with light cedar woodiness.
Finish: The end layers that white cake into the tobacco while packing it all into an old leather handbag with whispers of mint chocolate chip, Halloween-sized Mounds bars, and old lawn furniture that’s been left out too many seasons.
Why I’d Buy It:
The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles are the mountaintop for a lot of whiskey drinkers out there. If you buy just one at a premium, I’d argue make the Weller. It’s consistently great year after year.
Eddie Russell made this whiskey to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The juice is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.
Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.
Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.
Why I’d Buy It:
This whiskey blew up in 2021 when it first hit shelves. When it was released in 2022, it was even more beloved. Why? It tastes amazing. It’s worth tracking these down just to try how great Wild Turkey can be.
This is the same whiskey as Master’s Keep 17-Year. In this case, after vatting of a minimum of 17-year-old barrels, the whiskey was only proofed down to 50% or 100-proof for bottling as per bottled in bond laws. The resulting whiskey is then bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a bold nose of spicy Christmas cakes spiked with orange oils, candied cherries, and dried apples next to vanilla pods and worn saddle leather that leads to this subtle hint of fresh cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese frosting cut with lemon and vanilla.
Palate: The palate is the epitome of smoothness with a subtle warmth derived from woody winter spices — star anise, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon — that then branches toward this whisper of burnt sugars and fats from an old brisket smoker with a hint of salted red taffy and singed marshmallow next to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seeds.
Finish: The end has a sweet cinnamon candy flourish before smoldering wild sage and old boots arrive with a dark chocolate espresso cherry tobacco layers into an old cedar box with a hint of black dirt lurking in the distant background.
Why I’d Buy It:
Again, Wild Turkey can be amazing. This bottle proves it. The whiskey is so good in this bottle that it feels like the MSRP should be closer to $499 (unlike some bottles that have that MSRP and don’t live up to it).
Cowboy Bourbon is Garrison Brother’s signature bottle of whiskey. This year’s release was made from 118 hand-selected 25-gallon barrels, aged between eight and nine years. Master Distiller Donnis Todd went through all of their small-format barrels over the course of the year to find a dozen or so that he thought met the high standards of Cowboy Bourbon without filtering or cutting with water. That makes this a very as-is representation of what makes Garrison Bros. special.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rush of sharp cinnamon bark wrapped up with old saddle leather, freshly fried apple fritters, walnuts, old cedar bark braids twisted up with dried wild sage, and a hint of dried yellow mustard flowers with an underlying sense of maple syrup over pecan waffles.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a hint of allspice and ginger next to apple pie filling with walnuts, brandy-soaked raisins, and plenty of brown sugar next, next to spiced Christmas cake dipped in dark chocolate sauce.
Finish: The end takes its time and meanders through salted caramel, stewed plums with star anise and sharp cinnamon, a hint of vanilla Dr. Pepper, and a mild sense of chocolate-cinnamon-spiced chewing tobacco buzziness with a warming Texas hug that’s part Hot Tamales and part chili-spiced green tea.
Why I’d Buy It:
I’d fly to Texas and stand in line to buy this whiskey on its drop day. But that’d cost far more than just paying a premium for it on the aftermarket. Again, the unique and crafty Texas juice in this whiskey is worth the price of entry. It’s phenomenal and so unique.
This whiskey dropped at the very end of December 2021. The whiskey in the barrel is rye whiskey that spent 13 years chilling in the cool Cascade Hollow warehouses in Tennessee. The barrels were then hand-selected by Cascade Hollow’s general manager and distiller Nicole Austin for their perfection. They were then proofed down only just to 100 proof and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is incredibly fresh with bursts of green apples, freshly cut sweet grass, citrus oils, roses, and fresh cinnamon sticks.
Palate: The palate leans into the green apple with a tart edge as the spices kick up a wintry vibe before a savory note arrives with a hint of dill, anise, and maybe some rosemary. On the mid-palate, the citrus comes back with a bright orange and grapefruit touch that turns into wet black peppercorns, white moss, and an echo of dried green tea leaves.
Finish: The finish lets that green tea vibe settles into the earthiness and savory herbs as the sip slowly fades out, leaving you with a whisper of dried wicker deck furniture.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is a rarity that lives up to the hype. This whisky is just delicious and really feels like something special.
This year’s Parker’s Heritage starts off with Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. From there, it’s all about where and how that whiskey aged. The lion’s share, 67% of the blend, comes from a 13-year-old double-barreled bourbon from the 5th-7th floors of Rickhouse Q. 33% of the blend comes from a 15-year-old bourbon that was aged on the 2nd and 5th floors of Rickhouse II. Those barrels were batched and then bottled 100% as-is without any filtering or proofing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted toffee rolled in almonds and dark chocolate is packed into an old oak stave chocolate box and wrapped with old leather and caramel tobacco with a fleeting sense of dried ancho chilis and sour cherry juice next to singed hickory.
Palate: The palate has a deep woody winter spiciness — cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries — next to sweet oak and dry sweetgrass with a mild sense of cherry cream soda and salted black licorice over woody tobacco.
Finish: The end leans towards sweet and salted dark chocolate with a rummy plum pudding full of dark spice and dried fruits with a fleeting sense of that dried chili on the very back end with some very old oak and leather.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is where collectability starts to sneak in. I get these to have open and share with my hardcore whiskey crew because it tastes wonderful. But I know a lot of people who squirrel these away in vaults too.
This rare release from Rabbit Hole is a five-grain bourbon that’s made with some unique grains. The standouts are chocolate malted wheat from Germany (4%) and chocolate malted barley (3%) from the U.K. combined with 70% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted rye. That juice rests in Kentucky until it’s just right for batching and bottling completely as-is in only 1,365 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is brimming with dark chocolate cut with hazelnut, chili pepper, and orange with a molasses sweetness over cinnamon toast with a hint of sharp spearmint and maple.
Palate: The palate has a sense of that hazelnut tied to cinnamon bark and black cherry tobacco with a sense of firewood bark resting in rich black dirt next to dry dark chocolate just flaked with salt.
Finish: The end has a sense of old boot leather and cedar chocolate boxes just emptied and refilled with spiced cherry tobacco and eggnog-infused espresso beans.
Why I’d Buy It:
If you can get this as MSRP, get two — one to save and one to drink. Honestly, that’s true of every bottle on this list. Still, this is the best Rabbit Hole has to offer in my opinion. It’s that good.
6. Michter’s Single Barrel 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
This year’s only Michter’s 10-Year release is an instant classic. The whiskey is made from a corn-rich rye whiskey mash bill with a good dose of barley in there. The absolute best barrels are chosen — with some up to 15 years old — for this release. Then each of those barrels is individually bottled as-is with a hint of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and lush toffee combine with soft marzipan on the nose as a dash of freshly cracked black pepper lead to cinnamon-laced apple cider and cherry-soaked cedar bark.
Palate: The palate is part Red Hot and part zesty orange marmalade with creamy vanilla pudding, sweet and spicy dried chili peppers with a hint of smoke and woodiness, and this fleeting whisper of celery salt.
Finish: The end dries out the almond with a vanilla cream tobacco, soft and sweet cedar, and dark chocolate orange vibe all balanced to damn near perfection.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is delicious rye. It makes the best Manhattan. And it’s worth paying that little extra to actually have.
This whiskey is a blend of Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky bourbons. Each barrel in that blend is a minimum of 16 years old. The barrels were specifically chosen for their cherry, nutty, high-proof, and chocolate profiles. Half of those barrels were then finished in new American oak for a final touch of maturation before vatting and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of wet oak staves (think rained on barrels) next to freshly pressed sugar cane juice, damp, almost still unharvested cherry tobacco leaves, the seeds from a vanilla pod, rainwater, stringy cedar bark, and fresh apricot next to Bing cherry.
Palate: Dark cherry leads to candied ginger on the opening of the taste as orange marmalade mingles with toasted sourdough, sticky yet subtle fir resin, and creamy key lime pie filling with just a hint of the butter in the crust of that pie. The mid-palate leans into the sugar in that pie filling as the cherry kicks back in with a sliver of tartness next to overripe peaches, dried hibiscus, mild anise, allspice berries, sassafras, and dried cacao nibs.
Finish: The finish gently steps through a field full of orange blossoms as that cacao dries out more, leaving you with dried choco-cherry tobacco that’s been inside a cedar box wrapped in decades-old leather.
Why I’d Buy It:
This whiskey is worth that $499 MSRP and a bit more. It’s so rare and delicious that you can’t help but fall in love with it.
4. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Years Old 2022 Release
This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line starts in earnest. The whiskey in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs.
Palate: The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup.
Finish: The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.
Why I’d Buy It:
This was the best Pappy released last year. So if you’re looking for a great Pappy to drink and share with friends and family, this is the one to buy right now.
3. Michter’s Single Barrel 10 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The juice in this bottle is a little under wraps. Michter’s is currently distilling and aging its own whiskey, but this is still sourced. The actual barrels sourced for these single barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the juice goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.
Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.
Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet singed marshmallow on the very end.
Why I’d Buy It:
This didn’t come out last year, making it a rarer find. Still, this is great bourbon with a classic depth and vibe. It’s a little more expensive now that a vintage year was skipped but it’s still worth the price of entry to taste truly great bourbon.
2. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond Fall 2022 Edition Aged 19 Years
The latest decanter release from Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond series was made back in September 2003. Those barrels rested on three floors of rickhouse F and one floor of rickhouse X on the main Heaven Hill campus until October of 2023. They were then batched and proofed down to 100-proof for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a classic bourbon nose with deep leather, oily vanilla pods, dark chocolate-covered cherries dusted with salt and nutmeg, and a mild sense of really fancy Almond Joy with this faintest whisper of singed marshmallow and smoldering apple wood.
Palate: The palate leans into woody spices with black licorice and spearmint candy blending into mint chocolate chip ice cream and root beer spiked with cherry syrup topped with creamy vanilla and dusted with cinnamon, clove, and dark cacao powder.
Finish: The end has a long and supple sense of those woody spices before delivering into soft Black Forest cake with a brandied cherry vibe and a hint of star anise-infused apple-berry cider.
Why I’d Buy It:
This is another one that a lot of people hide away in safes and cellars. That’s a shame since this is one of the best bourbons you’ll taste.
1. The Last Drop Signature Blend No. 28 A Blend Of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys
This blend is from Buffalo Trace’s Master Blender Drew Mayville, who’s been at the distillery since 2004. Mayville created this blend by sampling bourbons and ryes from the rarest and sometimes oldest barrels of whiskey in Buffalo Trace’s vast and numerous warehouses. While the exact details of the final blend are unknown, we do that the whiskeys in this blend are some of the rarest that the distillery had on its ricks. And since it is a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey, this is technically a “blended straight whiskey.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose then starts to deepen into sticky toffee pudding, old dried-up figs, black-tea-soaked dates, burnt orange, cinnamon sticks, dried ancho chilis, firewood pitch, and a creamy underbelly of vanilla and toffee.
Palate: The palate warms with an ABV buzz that leads to soft vanilla cream with tart but dark berries floating next to orange zest and salted caramel. There’s a sense of old boot leather and Kiwi boot cream next to waxy cacao nibs, cherry cream soda, pecan and dark chocolate clusters, pistachios, and roasted root veg — think caramelized parsnips and carrots next to a Yorkshire pudding.
Finish: The end becomes a luxuriously soft and creamy sip of stewed black cherries with anise and clove next to holly bushes and fir needles with a little bunch of spices — cinnamon sticks, star anise, dried rose, a stick of pine, dried orange peel — tied with an old waxy piece of twine.
Why I’d Buy It:
This truly is a bottle that mostly goes into vaults. Previous releases are already selling for well over $10,000. That aside, this is one of the best whiskeys I’ve ever tasted. If you’re not at all into investing in whiskey, then get a bottle and slowly enjoy this masterpiece.
In a new post on his Instagram Story, Drake says he’s going to “use 2023 to tell my truths.” While that could almost certainly set fans rubbing their mitts for life lessons and financial advice that can launch them to the Toronto titan’s tax bracket, as it turns out, his observations may end up being a bit more mundane.
In the same post, he reveals one of those truths — which involves public restrooms. “I have seen more staff and private bathrooms than anybody ever,” he quasi-brags. “Whenever you are waiting in line to use the bathroom just know there’s an amazing clean private room that they refuse to show you.”
Instagram
That… actually seems like pretty sound advice, actually. Why poop with the plebs when you could be using your bathroom breaks to really relax in comfort and privacy? This has been a running gag on a number of sitcoms, including Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Seinfeld, and Abbott Elementary, so maybe Drake’s onto something.
Drake right before he posted: “I’ve seen more staff and private bathrooms than anybody ever” pic.twitter.com/W0iUUw0v5W
Drake, who is riding the high from his and 21 Savage’s surprise joint album Her Loss, certainly knows a thing or two about treating yo’self — and embracing the sillier side of life. He was recently seen sporting some pieces from his hero Pharrell’s old jewelry collection and ahead of the new year proved he didn’t mind the “sassy Drake” memes that spawned from his Her Loss ad-libs.
As Donald Trump‘s stature in the Republican Party remains in question even after he seemingly played a part in Kevin McCarthy becoming Speaker of the House (after 15 embarrassing rounds of voting), the former president is reportedly still fixated on becoming the 2024 nominee for president. However, that requires holding off a potential challenge from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. While DeSantis hasn’t officially announced he’s running yet, and may wait until 2028, Trump’s team is reportedly prepared to fight dirty.
“This is where…Trump kicks him in the nuts,” a source close to the former president told Rolling Stone. As for what said nut-kicking entails, Trump’s team is reportedly working on several plans of attacks to sideline DeSantis. Trump himself has reportedly taken part in those discussions and has recently taken to constantly asking advisors, “What do we have on [Ron]?”
In a surprisingly canny move, one of those attacks is going after DeSantis for his stance on Social Security:
“In a Republican primary, only Donald Trump could effectively go after Ron DeSantis for wanting to cut Social Security,”a Republican close to the 2024 Trump campaign tells Rolling Stone. “Trump has a track record of saying the right things on this issue both when it comes to a general election and also Republican voters in a primary. DeSantis’ record in the House [on this topic] is very much of the Paul Ryan, privatize Social Security platform, which is just not where our voters are now.”
Trump will also attempt to paint DeSantis as the “establishment” candidate, which is an interesting approach given Republican politicians are often chastised for not making public proclamations to the former president. Despite the lack of a “Red Wave” during the midterm elections, the Republican Party is still chock full of MAGA. It doesn’t get more establishment than that.
In the age of the internet, most people have run into their fair share of internet trolls. You know, the people that just look for a reason to say something mean for no real reason at all. It’s also pretty safe to assume that celebrities see more trolls looking to hurt their feelings than the average person.
Recently, Christina Applegate had a run-in with a commenter who decided the actress needed to know she didn’t care for her face. The comment was left under an article about Applegate attending her first red carpet event since she announced her diagnosis of MS in August 2021. The “Dead to Me” actress attended the Critics Choice Awards with her daughter, Sadie Grace LeNoble, 11, and the duo rocked all black.
Applegate admitted to being nervous about the event in a tweet, but somehow I don’t think someone being upset about what her face looked like was at the top of her concerns. The unidentified person wrote the rude remark to which Applegate decided to respond to via private message to tell the person their comment “wasn’t nice.” The exchange was unfortunate to say the least.
The vocal critic replied to Applegate’s direct message by saying, “MS didn’t make you look that way a plastic surgeon did,” before going on to call the actress a scammer. To be fair, it’s not often a celebrity sends a non-celebrity a private message, so the scammer comment might be able to be overlooked. But the follow-up message from the person just confirmed they were likely looking to hurt feelings, as it simply read, “A bad plastic surgeon at that.”
u201cSooooo I made the unfortunate decision to look at some comments on an article from people mag about me and my kids at the CCA.Of course I told her that it wasnu2019t nice. This was her reply.What is wrong with people. By the way, I laughed.u201d
— christina applegate (@christina applegate) 1673975331
The internet was having none of those shenanigans from the unidentified commenter and immediately came to the actress’s defense.
“Some people are ugly on the inside. That’s not you. It’s never been you. And they are just jealous you’re beautiful inside and out,” one commenter wrote.
Another said, “You are beautiful. Period. So many people suck these days and strangely I’m always so shocked by it. You are beautiful and no matter what anyone says you are a bad ass and beautiful. Keep laughing!”
While Applegate said she laughed at the messages from the troll, it’s clear from the comment section that people want to make sure that the actress knows they have her back. “People who are actual loving human beings who care for one another wish you all the happiness and bliss away from these types of people. Continue to live YOUR best life, and especially with your kids,” another person wrote.
u201cJust a fun fact, the suit my kid is wearing was Scott Weilandu2019s suit from one of his solo album covers. Scott gave my husband, Martyn, that suit long ago in the glorious 90u2019s Also we were quite a pair last night. She fractured her ankle this week, hence the boot, and meu2026MSu201d
— christina applegate (@christina applegate) 1673932719
One person told the actress, “You are beloved. An icon. Your career is enviable. I thought, and so did my boyfriend, that you looked beautiful. It’s beyond sad what people choose to think or post these days. Reading comments is always a ‘brace yourself’ kind of choice. Stay strong!”
Surely the troll is feeling a bit sheepish after discovering that she was indeed messaging the real Christina Applegate and hopefully it serves as a lesson to be kind in the future.
There are a million reasons to love the film “Everything Everywhere, All At Once.” It has comedy, drama, sci-fi and kung fu rolled into one compelling story. It literally has all the things.
However, Stephanie Hsu’s iconic performance as the fabulously nihilistic Jobu Tupaki has got to be at the top of the list.
Jobu Tupaki has all the inherent makings of a fan favorite—amazing outfits, attitude at a level 5,000, and some insanely cool fight moves. But while she is the antagonist, Jobu in many ways serves as the heart of the story, making it a challenging role to pull off.
Well, Hsu knew exactly how to do it. And her audition tape proves it.
Occasionally, movies or television shows with large fan bases—”Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” and “Game of Thrones,” for example—will release audition tapes, giving viewers a chance to see characters brought to life for the very first time. After all, it’s always cool to see the very first glimpses of something that will later become a cultural phenomenon.
Deadline released Hsu’s audition for “Everything Everywhere, All At Once” in Dec 2022, which has been viewed over a million times.
In it we see Hsu do Jobu’s signature hand gestures, deliver an existential monologue and even perform an improvised song about the infamous everything bagel—which was so good it ended up being part of the movie.
Long story short—she nailed it.
Watch:
Chalk it up to her raw talent, extensive theatre background, or maybe a stroke of divine inspiration, but Hsu’s performance was so special that the Daniels, who directed the movie, ended up rewriting the character.
Fans were equally mesmerized by her tape, who gave the most heartfelt praise in the YouTube comments:
-“No wonder she got the part. She’s captivating, relatable, intimidating, and authentic all in one. Most actors don’t have this much rawness in auditions. Her acting here is incredible enough to go straight in front of a big-screen audience”
-“I love that she’s not hung up on the ‘perfect performance’ and allows herself to be carried away by the energy of the moment at times. What a powerful performer.”
-“She came beyond memorized. She came FOCUSED.She came with a goal. She came with a fully realized character and was STILL able to be flexible enough to take direction mid sentence. Truly, a master at work.”
-“Everything Everywhere, All At Once” is A24’s biggest hit to date, not only making a breakout star of Hsu, but forging new career milestones for Michelle Yeoh, who took home a Golden Globe for “Best Actress,” and Ke Huy Quan, who won a golden Globe for “Best Supporting Actor.”
It goes to show that when it comes to telling a great story, all you need is a few simple ingredients—authenticity and courage. Well done Stephanie. May you talent be revered in all the universes.
Chet Hanks is preparing to launch his own podcast. His first guest will be his dad, Tom Hanks (obviously), which seems timely on the heels of the Nepo Babies discussion. I hope they broach that subject, but for the moment, Chet discussed that upcoming episode (they “told some stories about me being a dipsh*t when I was younger”) and much more on a new installment of the Tiny Meat Gang podcast.
Hosts Cody Ko and Noel Miller did dive into followup on a 2022 interview that Chet did on Showtime’s Ziwe, in which the former Desus and Mero writer point-blank asked Chet (who has dropped racial slurs in the past and been accused of cultural appropriation) if he wished to “apologize to any marginalized communities.” It was an uncomfortable segment, in which Chet responded, “Nah… “I don’t feel like I’ve truly done anything offensive, so I don’t.”
Chet reflected upon this interview by describing how he and Ziwe attended Northwestern University at the same time, and he had nothing but praise: “Holy sh*t, she’s on billboards and sh*t, she’s got her own show — last time I saw her I was drunk at sh*t at my fraternity — I was probably playing flip cup… all of a sudden she’s got her face on billboards — that’s tight… shoutout to Ziwe.” He also stressed, “[T]hat’s a character she’s playing, the super-sensitive, politically correct person — it’s like satire.”
That part of the discussion happens after the 19:00 mark in the below podcast episode. In addition, Chet offers himself up for a remake of The Bodyguard, and he wants to play the Kevin Costner role opposite Rihanna. You can listen to that portion after the 39:00 mark, and Chet is airing some big dreams: “Tyler Perry, hit me up, dude.”
(SPOILERS for this week’s BMF episode will be found below.)
The second episode of BMF season two spent a lot of time with the Flenory family. We watched Charles and Terry butt heads as they look to expand the Flenory car-ride service. We also saw Meech and Terry go at it (quite literally) and their differences are stronger than ever. Additionally, Terry and Meech are looking to expand their respective businesses into new territories. However, things prove to be a bit difficult due to the fact that they are no longer solely in control of the decisions that are made.
The aforementioned events in the second episode of BMF season two, titled “Family Business,” are soundtracked by songs that help to accentuate the emotions behind each scene. You can find a list of them belong as well as details about the scenes that they are heard in.
The following records were provided thanks to the Starz Public Relations team.
Crown – “Guns & Butter Cash Rules”
This record plays at the 01:37 mark as Terry is getting ready for a day of picking up customers for the car-ride service. He gets reprimanded by Charles who disapproves of his outfit and chain
Bud – “Denero”
We hear this song at the 04:10 mark as Meech and K-9 are eating ice cream at the latter’s ice cream shop. A drive-by shooting occurs with Meech and K-9 being the targets. The duo chases after the suspect, but they fail to catch him until the end of the episode.
50 Cent — “Wish Me Luck” Feat. Charlie Wilson
This is the theme song of BMF. It plays at the 04:47 mark in “Family Dinner.” While 50 Cent and Charlie Wilson’s voices are only heard on it, the song also features Snoop Dogg and Moneybagg Yo.
Dre x Phylis – “My Only Love”
“My Only Love” plays in the background as Lucille is cleaning up around the house at the 6:20 mark. She discovers an x-rated magazine in Charles’ guitar case which frustrates her, but she tries to hide her reaction as Charles comes in the
Fredro – “Afterlife Inst”
This plays at the 16:45 mark as Meech’s younger cousin James introduces him to his drug connect, Terrell, in Cleveland. Meech offers to sell some of K-9’s drug supply to the Cleveland connect in order to establish a new base in the city to further his expansion efforts.
Etcetera & Fran – “Is That Mic On”
At the 21:07 mark, Etcetera and Fran’s “Is That Mic On?” plays as Meech and James launch their drug operation from the videotape store James works at. Anyone who wants to buy drugs from the store must ask for the deluxe editions of Ghostbusters, something we see a couple of people do during this scene.
Kool & The Gang – “Celebration”
When Meech and James return home, their family is singing and dancing to Kool and the Gang’s “Celebration” at the 22:10 mark. Lucille sees Meech and James walk into the room and she’s quite suspicious of them, but she doesn’t ask any questions.
Steph – “12th Street”
At the 23:26 mark, this song plays faintly in the background as B-Mickie is on the phone with Meech to discuss a drop-off of drugs to Cleveland. Their convo is interrupted when Detective Bryant storms into B-Mickie’s basement to ask for information regarding Meech.
Sanderson – “Slum”
We hear this record at the 27:26 mark as Terry rushes to make a phone call to Meech to alert him about checkpoints that could interfere with a drug supply delivery. Meech, who is waiting for B-Mickie to call for an update on the supply of drugs he’s supposed to be bringing, hangs up on Terry out of fear that he’s blocking B-Mickie’s potential call.
Parliament Funkadelic – “Flashlight”
Seeing that B-Mickie’s call is not coming, Terry decides to deliver the product to Meech for him. At the 28:15 mark, he walks into BMF’s record store home base to see Dink and Sockie dancing to Parliament Funkadelic’s “Flashlight.”
Ms. Toi & Mike City – “Fresh AF”
At the 35:20 mark in the episode, Meech meets with James’ drug connect Terrell to show him the batch of cocaine that he’s been speaking so highly of. After the connect tries it, he gives it his approval but screws Meech over by going back on the deal they already agreed to.
Arnie & Dre Truth – “Here They Come”
“Here They Come” plays at the 39:15 mark as Meech seeks revenge against Terrell for stealing his cocaine supply. Meech aids Terrell’s mother with groceries to get into their home where he threatens Terrell with a gun and asks for the cocaine back.
King – “James For Prez”
We hear this song at the 40:40 mark when Detective Bryant, Detective Jin, and a SWAT team breaks into BMF’s stash house in hopes of finding and arresting Meech. To Bryant’s dismay, they’re only able to arrest two BMF members as Meech is nowhere to be found in the house.
O. Nwaneri – “As The Story Goes”
“As The Story Goes” plays at the 41:47 mark as Meech reconnects with K-9 to give him the money he made from the first supply of drugs he gave him. It’s also here that K-9 shows Meech that he was able to find and kill the person who shot at them at the ice cream shop.
CSB – “Who Did That”
As we approach the end of the episode, “Who Did That” plays at the 45:27 mark when B-Mickie appears at the record store home base to apologize for going missing and failing to deliver the drugs to Cleveland. Meech also clarifies the chain of command at this moment.
Don Caban – “Bodies”
This record plays to end the episode. It begins when Terry drops Nicole off at the theater for Meech, who confronts terry about involving himself in BMF business despite being out of the game. This leads to them throwing punches and cursing each other out before Terry storms out of the theater.
New episodes of ‘BMF’ are available on the STARZ app on Fridays at 12:00 am EST and on the STARZ TV channel at 8:00 pm EST.
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(@RobMarkman) 
