Month: March 2023

The biggest bourbon brands are easy to find. But that doesn’t mean they’re all good or worth your time (or money). Just because something is on every shelf around the country doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best. It just means it’s ubiquitous. Still, basic, entry-level, and big-name bourbon is popular for a reason. Most of it is pretty okay, some of it is bad, and a few select bottles are actually kinda great. That’s where a blind tasting comes in as a lifesaver when figuring out which of the standard big-name bourbon bottles are actually good to buy and drink.

To help you make the best decision when you’re at the liquor store and staring down the aisle of seemingly endless bourbons, I’m going to blindly taste and rank 10 standard bottles from the biggest and best-selling bourbon brands. There’s nothing fancy in this lineup. This is down-and-dirty cheap big bourbon with recognizable names that you can 100% find.

Our lineup today features the following bottles of bourbon:

• Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years
• Bulleit Bourbon
• Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

When it comes to ranking these bottles, I’m going off of taste alone. I’m here to find you the best bottle your money can buy from the small batch, standard, and findable bourbon whiskeys on the market. Let’s dive in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked
• Our Head Drinks Critic Reveals The Expensive Bourbons He *Won’t* Pay Above Retail For
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $50-$60, Ranked
• Every Single Buffalo Trace Whiskey & Spirits Brand, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $20-$30, Ranked

Part 1: The Bourbon Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

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

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

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

Initial Thoughts:

This has a lovely nose, a great body, and a solid finish. I really like this.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose has classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly next to soft cherry, hints of oak, and a touch of apple orchard.

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

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

Initial Thoughts:

This is a nice wheated bourbon with a soft landing. It’s not quite as well-rounded as the last sip but has a nice depth.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark maple syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and a leatheriness that’s just punctuated by dark burnt orange.

Palate: The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon — next to a hint of tart berries, a whisper of dark chocolate, and a dash of sweetly spiced oak.

Finish: The end is long and lush and slowly fades back through the dark citrus and berries with a lively spiced finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is damn good whiskey. It’s as well-built as the first sip and maybe a tad more refined.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a rush of apple cider and vanilla cake with a hint of dark chocolate, orange zest, caramel, and some sour red berries tossed with fresh tobacco and mint.

Palate: The palate opens with some dried apple skins next to cinnamon sticks floating in hot and spicy apple cider, a hint of mint tobacco, and salted orange dark chocolate bars.

Finish: The end has a nougat wafer vibe next to caramel, vanilla cookies, and boot leather.

Initial Thoughts:

This is classic bourbon with a very light touch. All the key elements are there without any rough edges at all.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is very light but does meander through apple candy, dry corn, vanilla, and a touch of caramel.

Palate: The taste stays on a similar path with a hint of brown spice and “oak.”

Finish: The end is short but does touch on more vanilla and oak with a hint of cherry tobacco way in the background before an ethanol note takes over.

Initial Thoughts:

This is basic bourbon with a clear profile and a light end.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and buttery toffee is countered by burnt orange, old oak, and a hint of cumin and red chili pepper flakes.

Palate: The palate leans into soft vanilla pudding cups with a touch of butterscotch swirled in next to orange oils, nougat, and a hint of menthol tobacco.

Finish: The midpalate tobacco warmth gives way to a finish that’s full of woody winter spices and a whisper of Cherry Coke next to orange/clove by way of a dark chocolate bar flaked with salt.

Initial Thoughts:

This has a nice spiciness next to classic Kentucky bourbon cherry notes. It’s well-balanced and warming.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this feels classic with a bold sense of rich vanilla pods, cinnamon sharpness, buttered and salted popcorn, and a good dose of cherry syrup with a hint of cotton candy.

Palate: The palate mixes almond, orange, and vanilla into cinnamon sticky buns with a hint of sour cherry soda that leads to a nice Kentucky hug on the mid-palate.

Finish: That warm hug fades toward black cherry root beer, old leather boots, porch wicker, and a sense of dried cherry/cinnamon tobacco packed into an old pine box.

Initial Thoughts:

This is rich and bold. It’s also quintessential bourbon from top to bottom. But it’s not that much more.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a very classic, spicy bourbon nose with clear hints of vanilla, oak, spice, and wood.

Palate: The spice is squarely in the cinnamon category, with creamy vanilla, warm tobacco, and a hint of orchard fruit lurking in the background.

Finish: The end is warm but not hot. The oak, dark spice, brown sugars, and whisper of corn linger on your senses through the medium finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This has classic bourbon notes and a thinner finish.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of sweet yet slightly bitter tea next to rye crust and winter spice next to a flutter of fresh mint on the nose.

Palate: The palate carries that spice into peppery territory with hints of oak, vanilla, tart apples, and honey alongside light but spicy tobacco lurking in the background.

Finish: The spice gets a little more peppery as a final spritz of orange oils arrives to help the end slowly fade out towards a lush vanilla-honey end.

Initial Thoughts:

This was interesting but so light that it almost disappeared on the palate by the end.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a classic sense of “bourbon” on the nose with notes of mild caramel, buttered popcorn, peanut brittle, vanilla pudding, mild Cherry Coke, and a dash of apple orchard.

Palate: The palate largely leans into the nose’s vibe with a deep sense of cherry/vanilla pudding next to candy corn and dry straw.

Finish: The end is light and short thanks to that proofing water but does carry notes of cherry tobacco, old tobacco leaves, and a hint of dry oak with a sense of maybe some pecan-chocolate clusters lurking in there somewhere.

Initial Thoughts:

This is another classic bourbon-y bourbon that also just kind of disappears by the end.

Part 2: The Bourbon Ranking

10. Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $15

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is made with Beam’s classic low-rye mash bill and special yeast that was pulled from the window seal in James B. Beam’s kitchen back in the 1930s. That heritage is the core of every Beam product. This straight bourbon is aged for four years before the barrels are blended/batched and it’s all cut down to 80 proof.

Bottom Line:

This washed out the most. There was zero wrong with it, it was just really light. That means you should use this for highballs with sugary/spicy sodas and big garnishes.

9. Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 5

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $12

The Whiskey:

This is more of an entry point for Evan Williams. The whiskey is a mix of four to seven-year-old barrels of the standard Heaven Hill bourbon. The difference in this bottle is that it’s proofed at a slightly higher 86 proof, giving it a slight edge against Evan Williams Green Label at 80 proof.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty thin too. It had a tad more depth than the Beam above, but that’s really reaching. Overall, this is a highball whiskey.

8. Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 9

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

Unlike standard Jim Beam, this mash bill leans more heavily into the rye, creating a solid base for two very closely related bourbons — this and Old Grand-Dad. Basil Hayden’s is made from barrels pulled from specific ricks, blended, cut down to 80 proof, and bottled under the watchful eyes of Jim Beam’s master distillers and blenders.

Bottom Line:

This had a nice complexity but was so light on the finish. I wanted it to last longer. I can see enjoying this in a simple cocktail but that’s about it.

7. Bulleit Bourbon — Taste 8

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This whiskey embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty classic spicy bourbon. There are no bells or whistles and it’s not going to wow you. That said, this would work really well as a cocktail base thanks to those bolder spicy notes.

6. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

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

Bottom Line:

This is where things get more complex. This also had a soft landing but it didn’t feel thin. It was complex and stood out. Get this if you’re making cocktails. It’ll shine.

5. Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

A lot of Wild Turkey’s character comes from the hard and deep char they use on their oak barrels. 101 starts with a high-rye mash bill that leans into the wood and aging, having spent six years in the cask. A little of that soft Kentucky limestone water is added to cool it down a bit before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is so classic. It’s that perfect balance of spicy sweet Kentucky bourbon that just delivers. Get this if you’re looking for a great workhorse whiskey for mixing, shooting, or everyday sipping.

4. Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

The mash bill on this bourbon is mid-range rye heavy with 18% of the grain in the bill for support. Triple distilling in pot stills (like Irish whiskey) and blending with column-distilled whiskey is utilized. The bourbon then rests for six to seven years — taking time to mature before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was subtle and nuanced and felt downright essential as a Kentucky bourbon pour. It was still just standard though, making this a great candidate to build good cocktails with.

3. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years — Taste 7

ABV: 50%

Buy Here: $45 (one-liter)

The Whiskey:

This is Jim Beam’s small batch entry point into the wider world of Knob Creek. The juice is the low-rye mash aged for nine years in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses. The right barrels are then mingled and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.

Bottom Line:

This was big and bold and very spicy cherry forward. If you’re looking for something to mix a killer Manhattan or old fashioned with, this is it.

2. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

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

Bottom Line:

This leaned into unique flavor notes that went beyond basic Kentucky bourbon cherry and spice. There were botanicals, herbs, orchard fruits, and florals. It was complex but didn’t lose any of its basic characteristics to be unique. Get this if you’re looking for something a little different on the palate amidst your regular bourbon routine.

1. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history — especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon delivered the best overall experience. It was complex yet approachable. It was classic yet had its own vibe. It just tasted good. I’d keep this on hand for cocktails and on the rocks for daily sipping.

Part 3: Final Thoughts On The Bourbons

It was nice re-tasting some of these standard bourbons. There wasn’t a “bad” bourbon in the bunch. Some were simply more macro and proofed down which made them better for shooting or mixing with ginger ale.

Still, I’d say the top six are all winners. The distance between those six when it comes to quality and depth is paper thin.

And then the top three are all really tied. They do offer completely different profiles though. I’d say, go for the Knob Creek when you want a great bourbon cocktail, grab the Buffalo Trace when you want a classic bourbon sipper on the rocks, and pour a splash of the Four Roses when you want something a little different.

Avert your eyes, Devin Booker. It’s been nearly one month since dating rumors were sparked between Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner. TMZ relayed the recent Grammy winner and Jenner were spotted last month leaving the Beverly Hills restaurant Wally’s separately, but the belief was that they had been there together on “a double date” with Justin and Hailey Bieber.

And then Wednesday, March 8, more tangible evidence spread faster than a Bad Bunny track across the internet: Bunny and Jenner appeared to have been caught mid-kiss in West Hollywood, California.

Per Page Six, Bad Bunny and Jenner had been at dinner with Kylie Jenner and family friend Travis Bennett (aka former Odd Future member Taco).

However, there has been no concrete confirmation from Bad Bunny nor Jenner that they are dating. Both parties’ representation hadn’t responded to the outlet’s request for comment.

Jenner was previously in a long-term relationship with Booker, an All-NBA and All-Star point guard for the Phoenix Suns.

People reported last November that the couple had ended their relationship the month prior. An unnamed source told the publication, “Both have incredibly busy schedules right now with their careers and they’ve decided to make that a priority.”

People added, “An insider also revealed that the decision to end their romantic relationship was mutual and just came down to timing, though Jenner and Booker do plan to stay in touch.”

Also in November, E! News cited an unnamed insider relaying that Jenner was “not really open to dating right now.”

Enter: Bad Bunny?

Jeopardy! fans do not miss a trick, so you better believe they immediately noticed a major error during Wednesday night’s episode. As host Mayim Bialik introduced the contestants at the start of the game, their final scores were visible on the screen before the competition even began. Essentially, the show revealed the winner before anyone even started playing.

Of course, eagle-eyed Jeopardy! fans noticed the flub and a clip of the editing error went viral on Twitter as viewers couldn’t believe what they just saw.

“The score display areas should be blank, but there are numbers there. And those are the final scores! Major editing glitch,” Philip Young tweeted.

“Wow, given that this was taped months or weeks ago, you’d think they’d actually proof-view it first before putting on air,” one user said.

“I thought it was Thursday already and that I missed something when I noticed that,” another fan wrote. “But then I realized I didn’t sleep through the day and it was just an error.”

And things started getting ugly. “An inexcusable production error,” tweeted a disgruntled viewer.

Lilly then offered her own Jeopardy! experience to theorize what might have went wrong:

My guess is that they had to do a pickup on all/part of Mayim’s intro & recorded that at the end of the game but forgot to reset the screens. When I was in the audience for a taping last year, there was a late-game pickup where something like this could have happened. They had put up the [Final Jeopardy] dividers and cleared the contestant names from the screen for them to write their wagers, but then needed Ken to re-do something. So they had to clear the wagers, put the dividers back down, and have the contestants rewrite their names so they would appear correctly on the podiums in the shot. I assume it was just completely overlooked, but it’s also possible someone noticed the mistake but figured it didn’t matter as much since the “final” scores are only the first of a two-day total. Maybe they will address this on the Inside Jeopardy! podcast next week!

Lilly chimed in later with one other piece of info that could also explain the flub.

“They did mention on the podcast that the turnaround on these episodes was TIGHT, usually they tape about 2 months ahead but this tournament taped Jan 29/30/31, just 3 weeks before it started airing,” she wrote. “So the editing process may have been a bit more rushed than usual.”

(Via New York Post)

American single malt whiskey continues to be one of the most interesting spirits categories on earth right now. New brands and new expressions from classic brands are hitting shelves almost constantly these days. The most exciting part is that those new bottles of whiskey are coming with new ideas — things like unique malt mixes, higher proof points, and hyper-local terroir are all adding to the beauty of this whiskey genre.

With so much new stuff hitting shelves, I figured it was high time to pour some drams and blindly taste them to find a few that you should try too. Since it’s spring, I didn’t have to look too far back to find new and exciting American single malt whiskeys to taste. Most of the bottles I blindly tasted were just released in the past weeks (with a few coming in late last year).

Our lineup today features the following bottles of whiskey:

• Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Selection Grand Cru Sauternes Cask
• Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey 108 Proof
• Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt
• Lost Lantern 2023 Single Cask #2 — Westland Distillery American Single Malt Finished in Red Wine Cask 8 Years Old
• Tattersall Interstate Whiskey American Single-Malt Aged 4 Years
• Broken Barrel Luciferous American Singel Malt Whiskey
• Lost Lantern Single Cask #1 — Westland Distillery American Single Malt 7 Years Old
• Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey American Single Malt Cabernet Wine Cask Finished

After I tasted these whiskeys blindly, I ranked them according to how tasty they were. It’s as easy as that, folks. No weight was given to price or availability. Sound intriguing? Let’s jump right in!

• We Blind Tested Fast Food French Fries — Here’s The Stone Cold Champ
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• The 20 Most Popular Hot Sauces In America, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• We Blind Tested Our Favorite Fast Food Double Cheeseburgers & Crowned A New Champ
• The 30 Best Bourbon Whiskeys For Fall, Blind Tasted & Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a deep nose that takes you on a journey through green chili, soft caramel, burnt orange peels, grilled peach, summer flowers, and danish filled with vanilla cream and red fruit compote.

Palate: There’s a sharp cherry soda on the palate with a hint of grapefruit, pineapple, and ripe peach next to bright ginger, soft coconut, and a hint of honeyed malt with a whisper of nuttiness.

Finish: That orange comes back on the finish with a soft fresh floral edge next to light cedar bark braided with chewy fresh tobacco dipped in honey and dusted with citrus zest.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty goddamn delicious. It’s deep yet bright and fun.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A light sense of sweet Cream of Wheat opens the nose with a dollop of honey and peach next to stewed kiwi with nutmeg and a very fleeting sense of walking through a garden shop.

Palate: Spiced malts and stewed pears lead to more honey, dry dates, and a hint of fresh pear with a soft woody vanilla underbelly.

Finish: That woody vanilla drives the smooth finish with a hint of cinnamon bark, nut cake, and some pear cider.

Initial Thoughts:

This was pretty good overall. It didn’t blow me away but it was … nice.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Light chocolate powder malts greet you on the nose with soft leather, a hint of cedar, fresh gingerbread, oatmeal cookie dough, and some sweet ice tea powder.

Palate: The palate opens up with a sense of sour red fruit with a rich vanilla foundation that leads to woody spices and saddle soap with a vanilla white cake sweetness.

Finish: The mid-palate expands toward higher ABV buzziness with a note of almond and coconut and fresh leather on the finish with a fleeting sense of cream soda just kissed with orange-chocolate syrup.

Initial Thoughts:

This is really good whiskey. There’s a lot going on and it all pays off/comes together by the end.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried cherries and sultanas mingle with spiced red wine-soaked oak and a hint of old leatheriness on the nose.

Palate: Dark berries and leather lead to clove and allspice woody spice with a hint of pine dank and vanilla cookies.

Finish: Those woody spices and dark berries drive the finish toward soft vanilla and moist nuttiness with a hint of sweet vermouth.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a really tasty whiskey that really leans into the red wine vibes. It’s almost like a sweet dessert red wine.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Hefty crafty graininess presents on the nose with a sweet porridge vibe cut with honey, dried red fruit, and nuts.

Palate: Dried red chilis give way to dark chocolate-covered espresso beans on the palate with a light sense of dry grain husks and chocolate malts.

Finish: Those chocolate malts drive the finish with a hint of orchard fruit on a thinnish end.

Initial Thoughts:

This wasn’t terrible. But it wasn’t great either. It did have a nice balance between the very young grainy nose and the more mature palate.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of fresh squash with a good dose of winter spices, light caramel, and wet malts rounding things out.

Palate: The taste has a moment more of that fresh squash before hitting a note of harsh chili pepper spiciness that buzzes hard on the palate with a sense of coconut and banana next to woody spice.

Finish: There’s a fair amount of spice at the end but the ABVs push past a pleasant buzz toward a full burn which mutes the lingering fruit, vanilla, and spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This is just a bit too much on the ol’ ABVs and losses the plot a little. There’s good stuff in there, I would need an ice cube to find it though.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a bright sense of dark citrus oils and tropical fruits next to wet brown sugar, subtly spiced malts, and a hint of woody oak spices cut with dark chocolate powder.

Palate: That dark chocolate powder welcomes you on the palate with white pepper, eggnog spices, and dark espresso beans counterpointed with bright tropical citrus and starfruit next to caramel and vanilla buttercream.

Finish: That caramel and buttercream drive the finish toward a hint of sweet oatmeal cookie dough cut with clove and sharp cinnamon and just kissed with nuttiness and chocolate chips.

Initial Thoughts:

This is good whiskey, folks! It’s complex yet welcoming. It’s not overly sweet or dry. It’s just right.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Diacetyl runs heavy on the nose kind of like plunging your nose into an unpopped microwave popcorn bag. It’s fundamentally faulty.

Palate: There is a nice spiced malt under the diacetyl on the palate with a light sense of grape soda and maybe some ginger rock candy.

Finish: The finish is sweet and artificially buttery with a thin end.

Initial Thoughts:

Nope.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey American Single Malt Cabernet Wine Cask Finished — Taste 8

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This Oregon malt is aged next to the ocean before going into Columbia valley Cabernet barrels for a nine-month finish. Those barrels are then batched and proofed with local water before bottling.

Bottom Line:

No amount of aging could hide the fault in this whiskey. Hard pass.

7. Tattersall Interstate Whiskey American Single-Malt Aged 4 Years — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This Minnesota whiskey uses Wisconsin malted barley — one that’s smoked with cherrywood and another that’s dark roasted. The hot juice is filled into new oak barrels for a four-year rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was fine. It had a super grainy/crafty/young nose but actually did balance out by the end. I wouldn’t reach for it ever again though.

6. Broken Barrel Luciferous American Singel Malt Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 61.3%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made from 100% Indiana single malt whiskey. Those barrels are then re-barreled into Amaro and French oak casks for final maturation. The final blend is a mix of 80% Amaro barrels and 20% French oak before and bottling at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

This has a lot going for it. There’s a complex flavor profile in this pour, it’s just hiding behind too many ABVs. You’ll need a rock to really enjoy this. So if you want an overly proofed single malt, I guess give this a try.

5. Yellowstone American Single Malt Whiskey 108 Proof — Taste 2

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Limestone Branch Distillery is a sourced single malt from Indiana. Four-year-old barrels of the malt whiskey was sent down to Kentucky where Stephen Beam masterfully blended and bottled this whiskey.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty good overall. I can see pouring this on a lazy weekday when I don’t want to be challenged. It’s a very easygoing whiskey with a nice overall flavor profile.

4. Lost Lantern 2023 Single Cask #2 Westland Distillery American Single Malt Finished in Red Wine Cask 8 Years Old — Taste 4

ABV: 53.8%

Average Price: $139

The Whiskey:

This year’s Lost Lantern releases are here! Cask #2 is a Washington state single malt made from 70% Great Western “Pure WA” Pale malt, 13% Briess Extra Special malt, 9% GW Munich malt, 4% Thomas Fawcett & Sons Brown malt, and 4% TF&S Pale Chocolate malt. That mix of malts is fermented, distilled, and aged in lightly toasted/heavily charred ISC Cooper’s Select barrel. After five years, the whiskey was re-barreled in a first-fill Washington Cabernet Sauvignon cask for an additional three years of mellowing before bottling 100% as-is in only 185 bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty freaking good whiskey. It does lean really hard into that red wine finish, which is why it’s slightly lower on this ranking. But if you’re looking for a bold red wine finish on a soft and well-made single malt, then this is definitely the bottle for you.

3. Jack Daniel’s Twice Barreled Special Release American Single Malt — Taste 3

ABV: 52.85%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This new whiskey from Jack Daniel’s is made with a 100% malted barley mash bill. Those grains are milled and mashed with Jack’s famed cave spring water. That mash is then fermented with Jack’s own yeast and then distilled. The hot juice is slowly dripped through ten feet of sugar maple charcoal and is then filled into new American white oak barrels for a several-year rest. Finally, those barrels were batched and re-barreled in Olorosso sherry casks for a final maturation before bottling as-is at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

This has a wonderful nuance that beckons you back for more. It does lean more toward a bourbon than a single malt, but that’s not a knock. That’s why this is so enticing. If you’re looking for something completely new from Jack Daniel’s, then this is a must-buy.

2. Lost Lantern Single Cask #1 Westland Distillery American Single Malt 7 Years Old — Taste 7

ABV: 52.8%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is all about Washington state terroir. The mash is a local five-malt recipe that Westland is known for. This whiskey then spent seven years resting in one barrel from ISC Cooper’s Select line before Lost Lantern bottled the whole barrel 100% as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is just good. It’s soft and approachable while delivering a deep flavor profile that hits just right. If you’re looking for a great standard definition of American single malt and how good it is getting, this is it.

1. Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Selection Grand Cru Sauternes Cask — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This is Portland’s classic American single malt taken up a level. After years of resting, a single barrel was re-barreled in a sauternes cask from France’s Grand Cru Classé estate. 14 months later, Westward bottled that whiskey with a kiss of local water.

Bottom Line:

This was far and away the best taste on the panel. This is great American single malt and the bottle you should buy to convert any whiskey drinker into the wonderful world of ASM.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

You can skip the bottom three bottles outright. I’d recommend getting the Lost Lantern bottles the most. You’re never going to see those single-barrel expressions again. This is your only chance to taste those and it’s 100% worth the price of entry.

Beyond Lost Lantern, that Westward Single Barrel is a must-have. It’s a great whiskey from top to bottom with a wonderful flavor profile that takes you on a journey. You cannot beat it as a whiskey, American single malt or not.

Every once in a while a movie so absurd and critically panned comes along and gains traction for some reason, which is exactly what happened with Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 indie film The Room.

The cult classic found popularity in perpetually online teens and overly caffeinated college students at some point in the mid-2000s when it became a bizarrely beloved feature film, and thus cemented itself as one of the best worst movies of all time, and even spawned a James Franco biopic. Knowing that, it seems like the perfect time to reshoot the movie with American treasure Bob Odenkirk, right?

While it may sound like a joke or a side bit in Mr. Show with Bob and David, Odenkirk is actually starring in a DIY remake of the original film as Wiseau’s character Johnny, who is stuck in a love triangle with his best friend and fiance. And Odenkirk is very excited about it.

“This is real. This is true,” Odenkirk tweeted in response to the news that many didn’t believe. “And let me tell you, I tried my best to SELL every line, as honestly as I could…and I had a BLAST.” I do believe him.

The remake (which was mostly shot on greenscreen, making it even campier) is produced by Acting For A Cause and will be available to purchase online in the future, with proceeds going directly to The Foundation for AIDS research. According to Variety, Wiseau and his team were unaware that the film was being made. Had he known, he might have been a distraction.

The remake also stars Bella Heathcote and Brando Crawford. Now… wouldn’t it be great for Odenkirk to get some awards soon?

(Via Variety)

Among streaming services, Netflix has some of the best subtitles and closed captions. The font is pleasing and the text is mostly (but not always) accurate. And now there’s even more customization options for hard-of-hearing and visually-impaired subscribers, as well as everyone who needs to take a screenshot of something Tim Robinson said on I Think You Should Leave.

Netflix is giving subscribers the ability to pick from small, medium, and large sizes for its subtitles and closed captions, as well as “four styles/colors, which include the default white text option, drop shadow (white text with black background), light (black text with white background), and contrast (yellow text with black background),” according to Tech Crunch.

Netflix members were previously only able to access these subtitle and closed caption sizing and style options via the web. So it’s a welcome update for TV users, especially since streaming on large screens like connected TVs, smart TVs and gaming consoles represented 77 percent of globally streamed minutes in the first quarter of 2022.

Netflix provided an example of what the customization looks like:

Wow, it’s like Jenna Ortega is yelling right at you!

Now you have even fewer reasons to not watch with the captions on. You can find out how to your customize your profile here.

(Via Tech Crunch)

17-year-old songwriter GAYLE is having a good journey so far. Since her hit “Abcdefu” catapulted her into fame, she’s received support from Olivia Rodrigo, earned a Grammy nomination, and put out more songs to keep up the momentum. Today, she’s back with another.

“Everybody Hates Me” is a discordant, angsty anthem. It’s unfiltered and all over the place, diaristic in a Myspace-esque way: “Life’s a b*tch and I’m not surprised / If you read my mind you’d probably cry,” she drawls over pop-punk guitars. It doesn’t ask for pity, though: “Life’s a b*tch and she’s cool with me / I’ll let it be,” she concludes.

“There was a point in my life where I felt like I wasn’t getting respected and everything I was doing was being torn apart,” she said about the track. “I honestly felt like everybody hated me. Instead of drowning in it I felt empowered by it because I realized I didn’t have to do anything for anybody else. Because when everyone hates you, you may as well like yourself and do what you want.”

Listen to “Everybody Hates Me” above.

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

Despite our tumultuous history of conflict over our differences, there is far more that unites humanity than divides us. We are wholly unique individuals who share various group identities, but at the end of the day, we are all simply human.

Nothing makes that fact clearer than peeking into the daily lives of people all over the world—seeing how we all connect with our families and friends, how we enjoy the outdoors, how we take care of ourselves and others, how we create our livelihoods and more. But few people are able to travel extensively enough to see those things firsthand.

That’s where the YouTube Original “Life in a Day” comes in.

The original “Life in a Day” video project was crowdsourced from ordinary people around the world who filmed their lives on July 24, 2010. From the 80,000 clips sent in, a filmmaking team under the direction of Kevin Macdonald, Tegan Bukowski, and Loressa Clisby pieced together an award-winning documentary.

Then, when the coronavirus pandemic hit in early 2020, MacDonald decided to revisit the idea to capture the experience we were sharing as a global community. Only this time, more than 300,000 people from 192 countries sent in their day-in-the-life films from July 25, 2020 to contribute to the project.

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The result was not just a time capsule from the early COVID-19 era, but a beautiful representation of how life doesn’t stop even when the world seems to.

The film opens with a woman in labor, and we soon see a bunch of babies being born the world over, all on the same day. We see people from various countries and cultures going through their morning routines, doing their work, caring for their families, making food, playing with pets—average daily life stuff. We see defining features of the time, including confusion over pandemic protocols and racial justice protests from around the world in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. We also see grief, some from the toll of COVID-19 and some from the expected and unexpected passing of loved ones that happens every day.

We see relationships beginning and ending. We see successes and failures. We see people having a blast and people going through hardship. It’s a home movie of humanity that illustrates our diversity, yet also shows how very much alike we are.

Watch here:

It’s entirely possible to watch this film and only focus on how we are different. But what “Life in a Day” really shows is that we have the same basic needs and the same spectrum of emotions. We imagine, express, create and innovate. We form bonds with fellow humans. We appreciate delicious food, the beauty of nature, a well-timed joke. We cry in grief and laugh with joy. We build. We play. We love.

That’s not to say we don’t challenge one another or have difficulties connecting sometimes. That’s as true on the individual level as it is on the collective. But so much of how we experience life with our fellow humans is wrapped up in the perspective we choose. When we focus on otherness, that’s what we’ll see. When we focus on what we have in common, that’s what we’ll see more of. The difference between those two visions can mean war or peace, conflict or cooperation, the progress of the human race or its downfall, so instead of fixing our gaze on what divides us, let’s choose to continually look for what unites us as one people sharing one global home.

Log onto Twitter any given weekend and you’ll find a list of reasons why a certain festival or concert didn’t live up to expectations. Influencers flooded TikTok when they were turned away from a clothing brand’s event at last year’s Coachella, apparently ruining the entire weekend for many. More recently, of course, Rihanna’s Super Bowl halftime show was knocked for not being exciting enough. Post-pandemic festivals seem to have extremely lofty expectations to live up to, and many people think some are falling short. The conversation about live music over the past year-and-a-half has begged the question: Aren’t festivals supposed to be fun?

Enter M3F Fest, the Phoenix, Arizona two-day event nestled in a sunny, sizeable downtown Margaret T. Hance Park over the weekend of March 3, 2023. Surrounded by palm trees and cacti, the three-stage festival held its nineteenth iteration March 3rd and 4th with two goals in mind. The first, was to raise money for charity. The second? Bring good vibes. And they managed to deliver on both promises.

M3F Fest — short for McDowell Mountain Music Festival — sets itself apart from other music festivals. Not only does it take place in March, trading scorching summer temperatures in favor of temperate light jacket weather, but M3F Fest prides itself on having a good cause. M3F is a non-profit festival, meaning 100 percent of proceeds from the weekend are donated to charity. To date, organizers have been able to raise a whopping $4.4 million to benefit charities that operate in the arts, community, education, and environmental sectors. These charities operate both locally within Phoenix: donations from M3F Fest were used to purchase laptops and technology for underserved communities through the organization Elevate Phoenix, while funds from M3F Fest also supported national organizations like Backline, a charity that connects music industry professionals and their families with mental health and wellness resources.

Since its inception, M3F Fest has always been focused on doing the right thing. When asked about his reason helping to start the festival alongside M3F founder John Largay, Ron Colone described a certain feeling that live music lovers will know all too well. Nearly 20 years ago, he and Largay were walking back from a California music festival and riding the high of the collective joy and connection they had just experienced. They asked themselves: “How do we capture this feeling and help bring it to the masses?” So, M3F was born and their mission to spread good vibes and benefit their community was put into motion.

Now, M3F is a mostly electronic-focused festival that also brought in several indie pop staples. Toro Y Moi dug up a set consisting mostly of their older hits from albums like 2019’s Outer Peace and 2013’s Anything In Return to appease the dance music fans in the crowd. Peach Pit created perfect upbeat melodies to serenade the crowd into the sunset. Del Water Gap wow’d the early afternoon crowd by bringing headliner and previous bandmate Maggie Rogers to the stage — who he opened for on a recent tour run — to perform a new song together. Rogers herself was a highlight of the weekend. Though her music is on the softer side compared to acts like Polo & Pan or Jamie xx, she put on such a spectacular performance that even the bass heads were captivated by her.

Speaking of Jamie xx, the UK musician closed out the festival by giving the crowd a full-body experience with his bass-heavy music. An expert at live mixing, Jamie xx seamlessly transitioned from one song to the next, keeping the energy high as a proper send-off for an all-around great weekend. Other honorable mentions in the DJ realm were Purple Disco Machine, who made the crowd collectively lose their minds with dance-ready remixes. The Jungle Giants got the crowd moving by leaning into disco-inspired beats while duo Neil Frances launched into all their hits.

Music aside, M3F had a lot to offer in terms of on-site amenities, though the art installations were few and far between. Two separate food courts were serving up inspired eats, outshining (still very delicious) basics like pizza and burgers with stands serving shaved ice, adorable animal-shaped bao buns, Indonesian barbeque, and Nutella waffles with NSFW-shaped candy. Local vendors flocked to the festival grounds to sell their wares, some of which included (very on-brand) hemp hats, jewelry, stickers printed with every anime character imaginable. There was even an animal rescue tent that brought a very special guest: an adorable pit bull begging for pets and attention by eagerly obliging festival attendees. It’s difficult to find ways the festival could have improved without getting too removed from its essence, though little things like interactive art and lifestyle activities could have gone far in fostering a greater sense of community among festival goers.

Throughout the weekend, it was clear that everyone from friendly festival workers to excited attendees showed up with a chilled mindset. During the day, laid-back festival goers basked in the Southwest sun and spotted the grass with colorful picnic blankets and inflatable couches. Friendly strangers respectfully danced with each other during groovy DJ sets. Even during the most packed and popular sets people in the crowd made sure to be considerate of everyone else’s personal space. Overall, organizers achieved their goal of creating an environment for music fans to let loose and have a good time, all while giving back to their community.

Find more information about M3F Fest here.

Uproxx was hosted for this story by M3F Fest. They did not review or approve this story. You can learn more about the Uproxx Press Trip policy here.

Paul Mescal’s paternal instincts extended beyond the confines of his role in Aftersun. Mescal is nominated for Best Actor at the 2023 Oscars this Sunday, March 12. But he probably already won the distinction of Best Co-Star Ever in the eyes of Frankie Corio, his on-screen Aftersun daughter, with Olivia Rodrigo’s help.

Leona Corio, Frankie’s mother, tweeted a video today, March 9, showing Mescal surprising Frankie with a video from Rodrigo while they were filming Aftersun in Turkey. (Aftersun was released last fall.)

In the 58-second clip, Mescal tells Frankie he has “a surprise” for her and pulls out his phone. We can’t see his phone screen at first, but Frankie’s face says it all. She immediately starts beaming with her mouth agape in disbelief.

“Hey, Frankie, it’s Olivia,” Rodrigo can be heard saying from Mescal’s phone. “I heard it was your birthday.” It’s a little muffled before we more clearly hear Rodrigo again and can see the video on Mescal’s phone. “I hope you have the best day ever,” she continued. “I hope you eat lots of cake and open lots of presents, and I hope I get to meet you real soon.”

Afterward, Frankie is left literally speechless, and Mescal needlessly apologizes to her that the video arrived after her birthday.

Watch the heartwarming moment below.