Frank Watkinson, 69, of Huntingdon, England, just outside of Cambridge, is an excellent example of the magic that can happen when people have the time to explore their gifts. After retiring, he followed his passion for music and has developed a loyal following on YouTube.
In the 12 years since he joined the platform, he’s gained nearly 500,000 subscribers and 21 million views. He calls himself the “Virtual Grandad” and loves to play sad songs because he believes they have the power to make people happy.
“I just love emotional, sad songs. And in a way, they cheer people up,” he told Flood. “If you’re really feeling down and you put a sad song on, it doesn’t cheer you up, but it makes you feel better. I suppose you get the feeling, ‘Well, at least I’m not the only one. Someone’s feeling it worse than me.’”
Earlier this month, he posted an acoustic cover of “On Melancholy Hill” by virtual band Gorillaz, which was written and performed by the group’s creative force Damon Albarn. The original version features wonky, spacey keyboards and programmed drums. But after Watkinson slows it down and plays it acoustically, it sounds like it was a folk song all along.
Watkinson’s unique take on the song comes from his belief that if you’re not going to do something different with a cover, why do it at all? “I’ve always said that if I want to listen to ‘Hotel California’ by The Eagles and there’s a group covering it that sounds identical, then—even if they are good and they’ve got it right—I might as well just put The Eagles on,” he said.
Never underestimate the power of the internet…or a daughter’s love.
Just ask Lloyd Devereux Richards, who’s now a bestselling author thanks to his daughter Marguerite Richards’ TikTok going viral. Previously, he didn’t even know what TikTok was.
Lloyd began writing his serial killer thriller “Stone Maidens” back in 1998, based on real crimes that happened during his college years in the mid-70s. He would spend a little over a decade writing the book in the few precious hours he could carve out between his law career and being a dad to three children.
The book was finally published in 2012 after years of rejections from literary agents and editors. Unfortunately, this milestone was not met with many sales.
After seeing all her father’s hard work not pay off, Marguerite didn’t want his story to end on such an anticlimactic note.
“It was such a great book, and I knew how important it was to him,” she told The Washington Post. “He never was like, ‘Ah, nobody cares.’ He just always stayed positive. I thought maybe it’s just because nobody knows about the book.”
So Marguerite made a TikTok account dedicated to promoting his book. The first video showed footage of Lloyd at his desk, unaware that he’s being filmed. In the clip, Marguerite wrote how her dad dedicated so much time to writing it even though “being a dad came first,” and how much she’d “love for him to get some sales.”
The Post reported that the video reached a million views overnight. Even better, ”Stone Maidens” had suddenly become one of the top-selling books in its category on Amazon. As of now, hard copies are sold out.
Marguerite posted a follow-up video showing Lloyd finding out the good news, and it’s 100% heartwarming. Tears instantly stream down his face. He is left speechless over the wave of praise.
“I’m ready for a nap!” he quips while throwing on his glasses. An app he had no idea existed completely changed his life in the span of 24 hours. Life is extraordinary in that way.
Subsequent videos show the pair celebrating the unexpected win, which has left Lloyd feeling “overwhelmed” and “blessed.”
Truly, even with all its inherent flaws, the internet can be an amazing tool for connection. As one person commented, “The world has so many hidden gems. Social media allows us to find them.”
One person noted how TikTok specifically could be a really positive platform, writing that “moments like this are why I stay on the app. The love and generosity from people is astounding. There is definitely more good than evil.”
As for Lloyd’s ever-growing fanbase—he’s been working on a sequel for the past four-and-a-half years. Stay tuned. Something tells me publishing won’t be nearly as difficult this time around.
And for those who might be finding themselves up against a similar challenge with their own creative endeavors, Lloyd does have a tip. Unsurprisingly, it has to do with resilience.
“Write, rewrite and write it again. And never give up.”
People who don’t have dyslexia may find it challenging to understand what it’s like when those who have it look at a page of text. A common misconception is that people with dyslexia read things backward. But in reality, they see words that can appear inverted, cut in half, backward, mixed up, chaotic, or moving across the page.
A video by Dyslexia Improvements gives a great visualization of how words appear to someone with dyslexia. Concentrating on words that are moving all over the page and going three-dimensional has to be incredibly difficult.
“It just doesn’t stay still. It just sorta pulls away from the page a bit,” the narrator says. “It makes it a bit tiring to read. A bit tricky.”
The video also points out that not all people with dyslexia see the same thing. For some, the text appears to shatter across the page, like a broken glass pane. For others, words may disappear or swell and shake on the page.
The major takeaway for people who don’t have dyslexia is that it’s a very frustrating disorder to have in a world where we depend on the written word. This video is a great way to show people why it’s so important that people with dyslexia get the help they need.
“What an eye-opener! Very well presented. Every teacher and parent should view this! Thank you for sharing,” Deborah Palmer wrote in the comments.
Millions of people across the U.S. freaked out in unison during Super Bowl LVII when a commercial for streaming service Tubi duped everyone into thinking somebody was fiddling with the TV remote. The first few seconds of the ad made it appear as if game coverage was resuming, then suddenly, a smart TV home screen appeared with a cursor clicking on different things, ultimately landing on Tubi.
The brilliant ad clearly got people’s attention, as people flooded social media with stories of how everyone in their household asked who was sitting on the remote and disrupting the game. For most people, it was a hilarious prank that ended in shared laughter. But for some, it didn’t turn out to be funny at all.
In a now-deleted post shared on Reddit, an unnamed 23-year-old woman described how her 25-year-old boyfriend reacted to the commercial when he thought she was messing with the TV. It’s a story filled with domestic violence red flags, and people are sharing it as an example of what abusive relationships can look like in their early stages.
“My boyfriend thought I was the one changing the channel and began screaming at me violently, calling me things that I don’t even want to write down,” the woman shared. “Even as I told him it was a commercial he ignored me and kept blowing up at me and punched a hole in our living room wall.”
“He eventually realized what actually happened and awkwardly apologized but I was so disgusted over his reaction to a 15 second commercial,” she continued. “I feel like if you can’t keep your anger in check and get that violent over something so small I don’t want to be around for it. We’d been together for over a year, living together for the past 2 months and I’ve known him to get angry at things sometimes but this really took me off guard and I can’t forget how unsafe I felt around him during this.”
She shared that she left the next morning with some of her things and is staying at her parents’ house. “I left him a note telling him how I felt and that I didn’t think we were going to work out long term,” she wrote. “He’s been messaging and calling me repeatedly. My parents told me that I’m overreacting since he had a bit to drink and the Super Bowl gets everyone riled up but I don’t feel I am. I don’t think it’s normal to be that angry.”
People in the comments let the woman know that her instincts are spot on. It’s not normal to get that angry, especially over a football game.
“Jfc, that ad is not even 10 seconds long. It only took him that much to insult you and punch a wall, ultimately destroying your mutual trust? Yikes, that’s scary. You deserve much better than that, mad respect for standing your own ground,” wrote Reddit user itsOkami.
“’When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.’ – Maya Angelou. Believe him, he’s got an impressive collection of red flags,” wrote Marlievey.
This astute comment from ohsheetitscici received more than 7,000 upvotes:
“Definitely not an overreaction at all! My partner and I watched the same commercial, and we thought one of us was sitting on the remote. When we finally realized it was a commercial, we laughed at how dumb we were and moved on.
“The fact that something that small triggered that intense of a reaction out of your (hopefully) ex is a red flag the size of f**king Texas. You did the right thing, and you are right to protect yourself if you feel unsafe. This is coming from someone who was in an abusive relationship before I met my husband. Trust and believe when I say, the abuse didn’t happen overnight. He, in a f**ked up way, did you a favor flipping out like that. Cause you just got a preview of what was to come later down the line.”
“This is absolutely not overreacting. He was the one to overreact. Even if it hadn’t been a commercial he’d still not have any valid reason for becoming so angry and ruining a wall. And if he’s capable of destroying property over such a small thing as a commercial break, he is not safe to be around. Next time something he found inconvenient happens, it could’ve been you he’d hit.
“And your parents’ comment about his actions being justified because he had a little to drink is disgusting to me. Alcohol should never be used to justify violence in any shape or form.”
Others chimed in about how disturbing her parents’ reaction was.
“Like ‘Hey, Mom? He punched a hole in the drywall. He went from 0 to hole-in-the-wall in less than 15 seconds. Over something he thought I was doing. He wasn’t responding to the commercial, he was responding to me. I don’t care how many drinks he had; if it’s possible for him to become that enraged over thinking I was changing the channel during a commercial break then imagine if there’s ever a legitimate reason for him to be angry.'” – -janelleybeans-
“You ARE NOT overreacting! Your parents are UNDER REACTING! I don’t care how ‘exciting’ a GAME is, nor how much alcohol was consumed. That doesn’t excuse bad behavior. This would be a definite ‘dealbreaker’ for me.” – Pyewacket62
Hopefully, this woman’s story and the comments from people pointing out red flags will not only help her see that her instincts are right, but perhaps help others to recognize patterns of abusive behavior. As many people pointed out, domestic violence doesn’t usually escalate to extremes immediately, and there are signs and signals that indicate abusive dynamics in a relationship that everyone should be aware of.
Good for this woman for recognizing that screaming and punching a hole in the wall over a Super Bowl ad is one of them.
If you are in or think you might be in an abusive relationship, get help from the National Domestic Violence Hotline by visiting hotline.org, or calling 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), or texting “START” to 88788.
Kevin Durant‘s introductory press conference as a member of the Phoenix Suns took place on Thursday. In a bit of a unique twist compared to other introductory pressers we’ve seen, season ticket holders got the chance to be a part of the festivities, as they were allowed to sit in the stands at the Footprint Center and welcome KD to the desert.
But still, there was business to be done for the reporters in attendance. This included ESPN’s Nick Friedell, who got the mic and wanted to have Durant sum up his tenure with the Brooklyn Nets.
The problem is that Suns fans didn’t seem especially happy with the Nets getting brought up, which led to some pretty loud boos ringing out from throughout the stadium.
Suns fans booed a reporter for asking Kevin Durant about his time in Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/Xv4yWg4pwm
It’s important to mention that Friedell found this extremely funny, while Durant held the mic and laughed for a second while he was waiting for the fans to stop expressing their discontent.
“It was a lot of ups and downs,” Durant said when he finally got the chance to respond, “but I loved the grind. And everybody in Brooklyn loved the grind, too. So I built a family over there. They’re always gonna be a part of my journey.”
Thanks largely to the #MeToo movement, conversations about bodily autonomy and consent have become a regular part of our social discourse. We teach little ones about the concept of consent in kid-friendly terms. We make sure everyone understands that only an enthusiastic yes means yes for sex. We talk about how consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Sometimes these conversations involve grappling with the nuances of individual situations, which is why actor Penn Badgley’s request to stop doing sex scenes in his TV series “You” has created a wave of debates about the nature of acting, consent for sexual activity and how sex is portrayed in television and film in general.
For a little background, Badgley plays the handsome, obsessive serial killer Joe Goldberg in the series “You,” which just entered its fourth season. In real life, Badgley is known for telling fans to stop falling in love with the creepy character, and for thoughtfully using the show’s premise to talk about violence against women and gender equality. Now he’s making headlines for a story he shared on his podcast about asking to cut sex scenes from the new season.
“I asked Sera Gamble, creator of the show, ‘can I just do no more intimacy scenes?’” Badgley told his “Podcrushed” co-hosts, Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. He shared that one of his hesitations with taking the “You” role in the first place was his not wanting to always be cast as a romantic lead, considering everything that entails. (Badgley came to fame playing a lead romantic role on “Gossip Girl,” and while Joe Goldberg isn’t exactly a typical romantic lead, his character’s modus operandi is charming women into relationships, which in the first three seasons involved a good deal of sex.)
“Fidelity in every relationship, and especially my marriage, is important to me,” Badgley said, “And yeah, it just got to a point where I’m like, ‘I don’t want to do that.'” But, he added, “Do I have a career if I don’t? I mean, think about every male lead you’ve loved. Are they kissing someone? Are they doing a lot more than that?”
Badgley told Variety that his wife, Domino Kirke-Badgley, actually encouraged him to take the role of Joe. “And I wasn’t going to listen to anyone more than her,” he said. He also elaborated a bit on his discomfort with filming sex scenes, “having done quite a fair amount of them.”
“It’s not a place where I’ve blurred lines,” he said. “There’s almost nothing I could say with more consecration. That aspect of Hollywood has always been very disturbing to me—and that aspect of the job, that mercurial boundary—has always been something that I actually don’t want to play with at all.”
He shared that his preference would be no sex scenes at all: “It’s important to me in my real life to not have them.”
People were quick to share their thoughts on Badgley’s feelings about intimate scenes, from positive (Good for him for setting his own boundaries!) to negative (It’s called acting—it’s got nothing to do with marital fidelity!) The story also got people talking about the nature of filming sex scenes, the differences between sex and violence being simulated or shown, how much is too much and whether such scenes are even necessary or desirable.
But lost in all of those debates was what really matters most—how “You” show creator and producer Sera Gamble responded to his request.
As Badgley explained on his podcast, Gamble’s reaction to his wanting to nix sex scenes was immediately positive and supportive.
“I said to Sera, ‘my desire would be zero. To go from 100 to zero.'” Badgley shared. “But I signed this contract. I signed up for this show, I know what I did. You know, you can’t take this aspect out of the DNA of the concept [of the show], so ‘how much less can you make it?’ was my question to them.”
“And she didn’t even bat an eye. She was really glad that I was that honest. She was sort of, I want to say, like, almost empowered. She had a really positive response. She appreciated my directness and she appreciated that I was also being reasonable and practical. And they came back with a phenomenal reduction.”
Badgley’s feelings about filming sex scenes really shouldn’t be up for debate—it’s his body, his comfort level, his choice. And if someone decides that simulating sex at work isn’t something they are comfortable with, they should be able to say so, no matter what their personal reasons are for it. The real story here is how an actor felt safe enough to approach his employer and voice his discomfort over filming sex scenes, and how she listened and immediately responded with respect and accommodation. That’s exactly what should happen, but all too often has not.
Rather than devolving into hot takes on sex and sex scenes in general, which everyone has different feelings about, let’s take this positive exchange between employee and employer for the consent-era example that it is and celebrate it.
By now you’ve no doubt seen at least a handful of viral videos of Tesla cars equipped with the company’s Full Self-Driving Capability (FSD) acting absolutely nuts on the road. Whether that’s people falling asleep at the wheel, stopping abruptly in traffic and causing an accident, driving the wrong way down a parking lot, or straight up killing people, it’s becoming increasingly clear that full self-driving cars are not our reality… yet. To his credit, Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself knows this, despite using terms like “Autopilot,” “Enhanced Autopilot,” and “Full Self-Driving Capability” the Tesla website states “Autopilot, Enhanced Autopilot, and Full Self-Driving Capability are intended for use with a fully attentive driver, who has their hands on the wheel and is prepared to take over at any moment… the currently enabled features do not make the vehicle autonomous.”
Which is all to say, “yeah, of course these cars can drive themselves, just don’t expect them to drive themselves.” Cool. The Autopilot feature comes standard with every Tesla with the Advanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Capability programs serving as more expensive add-ons. Unfortunately, the latter program, which is currently known as FSD Beta, has been hit with an official recall by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall is calling for 362,758 vehicles equipped with FSD BETA to be updated with an over-the-air software update to address issues that can cause the vehicles to “act unsafe around intersections, such such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution.”
The NHTSA also notes that the system may “respond insufficiently to changes in posted speed limits or not adequately account for the driver’s adjustment of the vehicle’s speed to exceed posted speed limits.” Luckily for Tesla owners, this can all be fixed with a software update which will be completely free of charge.
The affected vehicles include the Tesla Model 3 (2017-2023), Tesla Model S (2016-2023), Tesla Model X (2016-2023), and the Tesla Model Y (2020-2023). Owner notification letters are set to be mailed out by April 15, 2023.
There is some debate on whether this massive headache for Tesla owners should be referred to as a recall. Elon Musk doesn’t seem to think so. In a Twitter exchange with Sam Korus, who we’d like to note is the director of Research Autonomous Technology & Robotics, Korus wrote that there should be new terminology to differentiate between recalls and software updates”
Seems like there should be terminology introduced to differentiate between recalls and software updates.
Because you know, one requires something to be recalled and the other doesn’t.
The NHTSA defines a recall as when “a vehicle, equipment, car seat, or tire creates an unreasonable safety risk or fails to meet minimum safety standards.” So we’d say that fits the bill. Still, maybe “recall” isn’t the perfect term for something that can be fixed via a software update, but neither is “Full Self-Driving Capability” for a car that can’t drive itself fully, so…
The important thing is getting these cars updated ASAP! According to NPR, news of the recall resulted in a 2% drop in Tesla shares which is nothing compared to the 71% the stock has rallied in a year to date. Bottom line: This will hardly result in a considerable revenue loss for Tesla shareholders and will cost Tesla owners nothing.
Imagine your 12-year-old son is helping take part in his school’s Valentine’s Day fundraiser. You’d probably be proud and encouraged at the way he’s getting involved and doing something good, right?
Now imagine, as part of that effort, he decided to email the CEO of Costco, one of the most beloved big box retailers in the world. Well, that’s cute, right? But what if he told you the CEO not only wrote back but went out of his way to donate exactly what your son asked for?
It may sound too good to be true, but that’s exactly what happened when Grant Cerwin sent an email to Costco CEO Craig Jelinek. The sixth grader emailed Jelinek asking if he would donate one of Costco’s famous 93-inch teddy bears to his middle school’s fundraiser in Los Angeles:
“Hi Mr. Jelinek,
My name is Grant Cerwin and I am 12 years old. I go to [removed] Middle School and am the 6th grade class rep. We want to raffle one of your giant bears as a Valentine’s Day fundraiser for our school. We are part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Is there any chance Costco might donate one? My dad has a truck and we could come get it at the store. I would make sure everyone knew you gave it to us in our school newsletter, on social media and with a big sign by the bear. I know it is a long shot but I thought it couldn’t hurt to ask. We are also seeing how we might get enough money to buy one. Thanks for considering. Your friend, Grant.”
Well, it turns out the long shot was perfectly timed.
Jelinek not only saw the email but jumped into action, asking his colleague “Can we find him a teddy?” Then his lieutenant emailed their colleagues to quickly find a bear for Cerwin’s school, writing: “Do whatever it takes to find a Big Bear and set up pick up for Lesley. Keep me posted.”
Grant then received the following message from Costco:
“Good morning Grant. I am the Toy Supervisor at our Costco’s LA Regional office. I have good news, Costco will be donating a 93” Plush Bear to your school to use in your Valentine’s Day fundraiser! We could have it delivered to the school directly so your parents don’t have to worry about transporting it.”
With time to spare, the Big Bear was delivered to Grant and his school was able to include it in their fundraiser. And while moments like this don’t happen every day, they are a great reminder that even the biggest companies are run by real people and those people often have big hearts. Big, as in 93” plush bear big.
“It speaks volumes about the leadership at Costco that Grant got the response he did,” Grant’s mother Lesley Cerwin told Upworthy. “He is a boundlessly optimistic child and as a parent you worry the world will chip away at that positivity. I’m grateful that the team at Costco reaffirmed my son’s belief that the world is full of good people.”
“I couldn’t believe that they responded so fast and that so many people helped,” Grant told Upworthy. “They didn’t want anything, just to help our school.”
Something as seemingly simple as a donated teddy bear might not sound like much, but it’s examples like this that show the power of bridge-building between companies and communities.
An act of kindness in itself can go a long way. And when that is coupled with the impact it had not only on Grant and his mom, but on Grant’s classmates, you can start to see a real impact that all started with a single email.
“My teachers and friends at school are excited,” Grant said. “We all can’t believe how big it is. It takes a bunch of us to move it around. Our ASB class is working on a thank you card.”
Plus, let’s be honest, a personal touch from someone as high-profile as Craig Jelinek and his team isn’t a bad way to build customer loyalty either. As Lesley told us, “I’ve always liked Costco. Will I be even happier to shop there now? You bet. It is a great store and now I am acutely aware that it is run by amazing people.”
Single barrel bourbon is (more often than not) the good stuff from your favorite brand. It’s the expression that’s a little more refined, a little deeper, and a little more “extra” — it usually costs a few bucks extra, too. There’s also a ton of it from all the major brands on the shelves these days. And with 2023 releases heating up, it feels like a good time for a single barrel bourbon blind taste test from some of the biggest names in American whiskey.
When it comes to defining what makes a single barrel expression, it’s pretty straightforward. A single barrel of whiskey is selected for its exacting flavor profile either at cask strength, but usually proofed down, and bottled from that single barrel. Look at it this way, a single barrel expression is a unique flavor profile that suits that brand in the same way that their “small batch” or “bottled in bond” will have their own nuanced flavor profiles. But ideally, you’ll still be able to *feel* the distillery in those sips.
For this blind tasting, I’m going “double-blind” to keep an air of surprise and intrigue. I asked my wife to grab single barrel bourbons off the shelf and pour them for me. I didn’t really give her any parameters other than to keep it to the big brands/distillers and skip any barrel picks. That’s easily done, as my shelves are organized by parent companies — Beam-Suntory, Brown-Forman, Sazerac, Campari, Heaven Hill, and so forth.
But since I didn’t know these labels going in, you’ll have to scroll down to see what made it in too. I can tell you that there wasn’t really much to complain about in this group. There were some stunners but they all had their charms. That made ranking these whiskeys pretty easy. And no, the most expensive bottles didn’t win.
in fact… it was kind of the opposite. Ready to dive in? Let’s taste and rank some single barrel bourbon!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
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.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a classic pour and clearly a Beam product with all that vanilla and cherry. Also, this is good stuff.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is all about the cherry pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream next to a slight apple-tobacco vibe with a clear multi-vitamin chalkiness.
Palate: Red berries lead toward a cherry-choco soda pop, more vanilla cream, and a light touch of bourbon-soaked oakiness on the taste.
Finish: That woodiness leans into a musty corner of a cellar as a spicy cherry tobacco finish leaves you with a dry, almost chalky, yet sweet mouthfeel.
Initial Thoughts:
This is clearly a Dickel product but old enough to have some serious depth. Still, this really stands out next to the sweet and lush Kentucky product above.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sourdough rye crusts and star anise with a fleeting hint of caraway counter cellar funk and cherry/vanilla tobacco on the nose.
Palate: The palate lets that vanilla get super lush with a sense of cinnamon bark and allspice berries next to hints of dill and fennel.
Finish: The end has an eggnog softness with a bit of Red Hot and chili-laced tobacco.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a funky and herbal pour that really stands out again. That said, the rye-heavy herbs and funk lead me to think that this has to be a Baker’s Single Barrel — an expression that I can’t decide if I love or not.
It’s like… it wants to be a rye but isn’t quite there.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You’re met with creamy depths of vanilla next to pound cake, spicy tobacco, sweet oak, and a clear hit of orange oil.
Palate: That vanilla really amps up as hints of rose water-forward marzipan lead towards cedar, more vanilla, and a dash of Christmas spices.
Finish: On the finish, a really deep dark chocolate smoothness arrives with a more nutty almond that’s reminiscent of an Almond Joy straight from a special candy shop.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a nice, standard Kentucky bourbon. It’s a little dry but well-rounded overall.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is bold on the nose with plenty of lush vanilla next to salted caramel, a touch of barrel char, brandy-soaked cherries, and a hint of dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a little date/prune action.
Palate: The palate pops with dark chocolate Almond Joys next to cherry root beer and old oak with a hint of potting soil that leads to a big ABV warmth with sharp peppery spice.
Finish: The end softens toward a mocha espresso with a dash of nutmeg next to dry cedar and cherry tobacco wrapped around a box of Red Hots.
Initial Thoughts:
This was like pour 1 but with far more ABVs. It’s Beam, high-proof, and pretty tasty.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is as bold as it is classic with a spice matrix brimming with cinnamon, clove, star anise, cardamom, and nutmeg next to dry cedar kindling, black-tea-soaked dates, rum-raisin, and tart dried cranberry tobacco.
Palate: The vanilla creates a lush underbelly as old boot leather mingles with marzipan, orange blossoms, and creamy dark chocolate flaked with salt.
Finish: The end is softly warm with a sense of that marzipan covered in lightly spiced dark chocolate next to old tobacco braided with old wicker and dry cedar bark.
Initial Thoughts:
This is it right here. This goes deep and is delicious. Also, that clear and concise spice alongside dark fruity sweetness is very Wild Turkey.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens very tannic-y (and old) with a mix of pitchy firewood, old honey barrels, dried cranberry, nutmeg, old vanilla husks, cornmeal pancake batter, and a hint of chili-laced tobacco.
Palate: The taste is bold with a fire-hot spice mix of cinnamon and dried anchos that’s eventually tempered by lush vanilla and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of sweet cherry and old wicker rounding things out.
Finish: The end is woody and full of potting soil with a hint of old chewing tobacco next to orchard wood.
Initial Thoughts:
Holy shit, the ABVs blow this one out in the middle. I had to take a 5-minute break to reset my palate after this pour. It really leaned into the burning level of high-proof heat and not the pleasant buzzing that you really want.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
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.
Initial Thoughts:
This is really nice, lush, and delicious whiskey. It’s subtle yet very clearly well-built from nose to finish.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens slightly tannic with rich orange zest and vanilla cream next to woody winter spice, fresh mint, and wet cedar with a hint of gingerbread and burnt cherry.
Palate: The palate hits on soft vanilla white cake with a salted caramel drizzle and burnt orange zest vibe next to apple/pear tobacco leaves dipped in toffee and almond.
Finish: The end has a sour cherry sensation that leads to wintery woody spices, cedar bark, and old cellar beams with a lush vanilla pod and cherry stem finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This was solid. It was a little thin in that it was just classic bourbon. I wanted a little something more.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
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.
Initial Thoughts:
This was thin in a different sense. You felt the price point (low). That said, it delivered a fully-rounded profile once you got past the muted nature of everything.
Taste 11
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Woody maple syrup and cinnamon sticks lead to a hint of pear candy, rich vanilla, and a leathery dark fruit with this faint whisper of floral herbs on the nose.
Palate: The palate lets the pear shine as the spices lean into woody barks and tart berries next to leathery dates and plums with a butteriness tying everything together.
Finish: A spicy tobacco chewiness leads the mid-palate toward a soft fruitiness and a hint of plum pudding at the end with a slight nuttiness and green herbal vibe.
Initial Thoughts:
This is fresh and fun whiskey — likely Four Roses. The herbal vibe works perfectly with the classic orchard fruit, nuttiness, and darker sweet notes.
Taste 12
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel apples from the county fair, rich vanilla pods, old leather, soft oak, and spice mingle on the nose.
Palate: The palate really delivers on that nose while layering honey tobacco, eggnog spices, rich vanilla creaminess, and a hint of cherry bark.
Finish: The end is sweet and smooth with a nice mix of dry sweetgrass bundled with cherry tobacco dipped in eggnog.
Initial Thoughts:
This was good stuff but hit that “classic” vibe and ended there. There’s nothing wrong with that but it wasn’t “extra” by any measure.
Part 2: The Ranking
Zach Johnston
12. Brown-Forman’s King Of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Aged 15 Years — Taste 7
This year’s King of Kentucky is a 15-year-old bourbon made from a mash of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The spirit — made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in West Louisville (Shively) — went into the barrel on December 18, 2009, at 125% entry-proof. After 15 long years, only about 35% of the whiskey was left in the barrel. 43 single barrels were then chosen for this release and individually bottled as-is, yielding about 3,500 bottles of King of Kentucky.
Bottom Line:
This was just too hot. The proof completely blew out the palate, which is a shame since there’s a lot going on here once you get past that heat.
11. George Dickel Tennessee Whisky Singel Barrel Aged At Least 15 Years — Taste 2
This is a very old whiskey for a great price. The whiskey is from single barrels, aged 15 years or more, and the proof varies accordingly (sometimes it’s cut with water, too). The whiskey showcases Dickel’s vast warehouses and the gems they have hidden deep in those ricks.
Bottom Line:
This was fine. The Tennessee-ness of it really stood out. Even though it was well-rounded, it still felt more like a cocktail base than a sipper, which is wild for a 15-year-old product (single barrel or not).
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.
Bottom Line:
This was the thinnest pour on the panel today. It felt like it cost $20 but had a nice demeanor. That said, this is a mixer and decidedly not a sipper. In fact, I think the Small Batch Benchmark might have a little more going for it.
9. Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel 7 Years Minimum — Taste 3
Baker’s is pulled from single barrels in specific warehouses and ricks across the Beam facility in Clermont, Kentucky. The bourbon is always at least seven years old. In this case, it was aged eight years and one month before bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This felt like a rye-heavy bourbon that didn’t quite choose a side. I like it but I really need to be in the mood.
8. Henry McKenna Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottle-In-Bond Aged 10 Years — Taste 9
This very affordable offering from Heaven Hill is hard to beat at its price. The juice utilizes a touch of rye in the mash bill and is then aged for ten long years in a bonded rickhouse. The best barrels are chosen by hand and the whiskey is bottled with just a touch of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.
Bottom Line:
This was fine, classic, and all that jazz. I know this tastes great in a cocktail, so use it for that.
Jimmy and Eddie Russell — Wild Turkey’s Master Distillers — hand-select these barrels from their vast warehouses for just the right bourbon flavor. The bourbon is bottled with a touch of water added.
Bottom Line:
This was better than fine. Still, it was a tad dry and feels like it’s better suited for Manhattans than neat sipping.
6. Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Vintage — Taste 12
This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The juice is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 43 proof, and bottled as is.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is better than fine. It’s good. It’s just not “wow” good. I would sip this over ice though.
5. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years — Taste 5
This is Beam’s Knob Creek turned up to 11. The juice is from single barrels of nine-year-old Knob Creek that hit their flavor notes at barrel strength one barrel at a time. The whiskey is bottled 100% as-is from those single barrels.
Bottom Line:
This is good stuff. The proof wasn’t overpowering. It buzzed, not burned (cough, cough, King of Kentucky cough, cough). Then there was that lush Beam spicy cherry vanilla vibe underneath. It’s nice but needs a big ice cube.
4. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1
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.
Bottom Line:
This was just good. It was clearly built whiskey with clear notes that went deep. It was also one of the easiest sipping whiskeys on the panel. You can easily sip this neat, on the rocks, or in your favorite cocktail.
3. Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old — Taste 8
The whiskey 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 whiskey 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.
Bottom Line:
This was just a good, classic, and deep whiskey that takes you on a journey. There’s always something new to find in this sip and that makes it very enticing. It’s great neat, kills on the rocks, and makes a mean cocktail. Those are all wins.
2. Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 11
Four Rose’s standard single barrel expression is an interesting one. This is their “number one” recipe, meaning it’s the high-rye mash bill that’s fermented with a yeast that highlights “delicate fruit.” The juice is then bottled at 100 proof, meaning you’re getting a good sense of that single barrel in every bottle.
Bottom Line:
This was probably the most fun pour on the panel. It was unique but made total sense from nose to finish. It offered something extra and felt fresh without sacrificing taste. I wanted to play around with this one in cocktails and keep tasting it neat all at the same time.
Bourbon legend Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his Wild Turkey warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location.
Bottom Line:
This had everything. It was unique, classic, and went deeper than everything else on the list today. It was just delicious bourbon that felt like something you wanted to spend the rest of your life sipping.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Okay, brass tacks, I’d say the top five were all great pours of bourbon. Gun to my head, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit is the one bottle you should run out and buy right now. It’s everything you could possibly want in a great bourbon whiskey.
I’d happily drink any of these whiskeys, except maybe the King of Kentucky — that one is… a lot. But all whiskey isn’t created equal and those top five pours were just too much more to really compare with the rest. Go and find them, enjoy them, and then buy some more. Who knows? One of them might end up being your forever bourbon.
Thanks to a crushing defeat in court that saw Infowars host Alex Jones get slapped with over a billion dollars in damages for spreading malicious lies about the Sandy Hook shootings, the conspiracy monger has filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to stave off financial ruin. Like all things Jones, this maneuver has already resulted in curious details about his personal life being revealed.
According to The Washington Post (via The Daily Beast), Jones is reportedly “holding firearms for certain January 6th participants,” and nobody seems to know what the heck he’s doing with them, or worse, where they even are.
Jones participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally that immediately preceded the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The filing does not state how Jones obtained these firearms, why he is holding them, or where they are currently located, according to the Post.
Considering the January 6 attack is still being investigated and rioters are still facing trial, Jones disclosing that he’s holding onto their firearms is probably the last thing that whole group needs right now. Despite narratives to the contrary, it has been increasingly suggested that some members of the MAGA crowd were either armed or had access to firearms during the Capitol assault. Not only would possession of those firearms have been illegal, but it would up the severity of the January 6 to an armed insurrection. And, now, Jones is revealing that he actually has some of the participants’ guns? That’s probably not going to go away easily.
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