Cats, like adorable, four-legged therapists and nurses, have an uncanny ability to pick up on subtle changes in our emotions and health. Research suggests that their tremendous sense of smell allows them to sense illness in humans, often before we know we’re sick.
The feline olfactory system is 14 times more powerful than a human’s, so cats can detect subtle differences in someone’s scent that may indicate if there is something wrong with their health.
An incredible example of this sense put into action comes from Liverpool, England, where a cat named Willow saved her owner’s life by noticing when she wasn’t well. Amanda Jameson, a 51-year-old diabetic, went to bed one night with dangerously low blood sugar. Somehow, Willow noticed something was wrong with her, so she went to get help.
Willow found her partner, Ray Sherwood, 57, asleep watching television. Willow nibbled on Sherwood’s legs to get his attention to wake him up. “I had fallen asleep in front of the TV and then around 4 am, I was woken by Willow biting at my legs and jumping at me,” Sherwood told The Independent.
“It was very out of character for her and made me get up to see what all the fuss was about,” he continued. “She was running between me and the stairs, looking back at me. I followed her up the stairs and she kept looking back at me to make sure I was coming.”
When he got to the bedroom, he found Jameson slumped over. She was unresponsive, so he called an ambulance. When she arrived at the hospital, doctors said she was close to slipping into a diabetic coma. But thanks to Willow’s bravery, she was saved just before her condition took a turn for the worse.
It’s impossible to know how long someone can last in a diabetic coma, but if untreated, it can eventually lead to brain damage or death. Jameson believes that since her scare, Willow appears to be worried about her health.
u201cWillow the cat who saved diabetic owneru2019s life among finalists in National Cat Awardsnhttps://t.co/wEHsPNO0KZu201d
“Since I came home from the hospital, she has become very protective of me. I’ve noticed how she puts her nose to my mouth a lot. I think she’s checking I’m breathing,” she told The Independent.
Willow’s quick thinking has earned her the honor of being one of the 12 finalists for The National Cat Awards sponsored by Cats Protection, the UK’s biggest cat charity. Willow is nominated in the Moggy Marvels category for those who’ve displayed their “moggy brilliance.”
She’s up against two other cats in her category. Beau, who’s taken care of an owner with blood cancer, and Dali, who went missing for a month and was found marooned on a tiny patch of rocks in the Bradford Beck River.
In the UK, “moggy” refers to a typical domestic house cat that’s often mixed-breed. Similar to how Americans refer to a run-of-the-mill, mixed-breed dog as a mutt.
Whether or not Willow wins the award, she’ll be loved by her owner all the same. “I love her more than anything,” Jameson told CBS News. “I can’t thank her enough, and she is the world to me.”
Sometimes we’re not in the mood to be touched, and the same goes for our pets. While cats are notorious for snubbing humans who dare to touch them without explicit affirmative consent for exactly 3.5 pets, dogs are different. Dogs like to get head scratches, butt pats and for some reason slapped on the ribs somewhat aggressively. I don’t know why dog owners do the last one but I’ve seen it enough to think it’s a thing that dogs enjoy.
The point is dogs generally want you to pet them as often as humanly possible and until it feels like your arms are going to fall off. They try to climb up on your lap because being as close to your cornea as their snouts will allow is comforting to them. But apparently, dogs also get into moods where they don’t want to be touched by their humans.
Weird, right? A chocolate lab on TikTok is simply not in the mood for pets and his reaction to his owner attempting to pet him has commenters in stitches.
The dog, Colby, looks as if he’s trying to relax when you see his mom’s hand reach out to pet him. He doesn’t break eye contact with his human, Morgyn Seigfried, as he gently pushes her hand away with his back foot. She tries several times, and each time Colby has the same response.
“Let’s not make this more embarrassing than it has to be,” one commenter wrote.
“He said pet me…WITH YOUR EYES,” another person said.
While some were imagining what the dog was saying internally, others just found it hilarious, especially because he uses his hind leg to reject the affection.
“Such a boss move to use the back leg and not the front paw,” someone wrote, complete with a crying laughing emoji.
“The fact that he used his rear leg makes the exchange even better,” another commenter said.
Colby is clearly over Seigfried’s need to touch him, as you can see for yourself below:
OVO rapper Smiley continues to show off his immaculate beat selection on his new song “Eternals.” In the video for the new single, the Canadian rapper cruises in an ice cream truck full of twerking women while boasting his Drake co-sign and pushing his laconic flow to its limits. In a press release for the new video, he commented on his upgraded delivery, saying, “It’s that new Smiley, I took a way different approach with this record than I usually do.” While he points out that “most people think I only like the slow flow,” he says the track shows off his “ability to go on upper tempo beats. ”
Smiley’s been a bit of a fixture at UPROXX Studios over the past few months, dropping by to give a performance of his song “Grammy” on UPROXX Sessions and sharing his sneaker investment advice, inspired by the title of his mixtape, Buy Or Bye. While he says “bye” to Nike’s Ben & Jerry SB Dunks, Jordan’s Travis Scott AJ1s get a “buy” as do the Dior AJ1s. But the Air Mags, known for appearing in Back To The Future 2, were a “bye.”
You can watch Smiley’s “Eternals” video above.
Smiley is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
An alleged miscommunication between the greatest footballer to ever live and his current team led to a suspension, a likely end to the two sides’ relationship, and a video posted to social media with an apology. Earlier this week, Paris Saint-Germain handed down a two-week suspension without pay to Lionel Messi after the World Cup winner took an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia that led to him missing training.
Messi posted a clip to his Instagram on Friday addressing the situation, claiming that “I had organised this trip to [Saudi] Arabia that I had previously canceled and I couldn’t [this time around]. I repeat, I apologise for what I did and I’m waiting for what the club decides,” according to ESPN.
“I thought we were going to have a day off after the game as always. I had this trip organized and I couldn’t cancel it. I had already canceled it before…”.
“I apologize to my teammates and I’m waiting for what the club wants to do with me”. pic.twitter.com/GBuarEgwSl
As for how this miscommunication could have possibly happened, ESPN reports that PSG’s manager, Christophe Galtier, told the team that they’d get two days off from training if they beat Lorient, but instead, PSG went on to lose, 3-1. Despite this, Messi, a tourism ambassador for Saudi Arabia, went on a trip that was promoted on social media by the country’s Minister of Tourism, Ahmed Al Khateeb. He returned to Paris on Tuesday.
All of this comes amid a year of rumors for what Messi will do next, with reports in the aftermath of the suspension indicating that the Argentine and the club that he’s called home for the last two seasons will not look to renew his deal when it expires at the end of this season. It’s led to the latest round of questions about where Messi will bring his once-in-a-generation star power next year, as it is believed that a return to Barcelona could be in the cards if the club sorts out its finances. There is also speculation that Messi could come play in the United States, which he has indicated he would like to do in the past, or head to Saudi Arabia on a deal that would reportedly be considerably more lucrative than the one Cristiano Ronaldo signed when he joined the Saudi Pro League earlier this season. Reports indicate that Messi has a contract offer to join the Saudi club Al-Hilal for approximately $400 million a year.
PSG sit atop Ligue 1 this year, but were eliminated by Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 in the Champions League. Beyond Messi’s future with the club being in major doubt, there are questions as to whether Neymar will continue in Paris, as the club’s supporters gathered outside of his home this week to demand he leaves.
Presumably, at some point during the early stages of developing a Formula 1 movie, director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer must have said something along the lines of “We need to get someone in this cockpit.” But maybe the casting director heard “We need to get someone, maybe Brad Pitt,” and they just went with it, because Brad Pitt will indeed be getting a cockpit for the upcoming movie. Maybe Mr. Worldwide Pittbull is on standby.
According to the film’s official logline, Pitt plays “a driver who comes out of retirement to compete alongside a rookie driver against the titans of the sport.” Not only will Pitt be starring in the currently untitled movie, but he will also be “racing” at Silverstone, the track of the British Grand Prix. In what can only be described as taking a page from the Tom Cruise School Of Acting, it seems like Pitt will really have to learn to drive like the pros on a professional track.
What an honour to host the final panel of the day at #F1Accelerate with movie royalty Jerry Bruckheimer and Joseph Kosinski. Their F1 movie sounds incredible. They’re creating an 11th team and filming on track and on event from Silverstone to the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/fPAn2rJVoS
Variety clarified that the actual car Pitt will drive will be a “modified version of a junior F2 or F3 car” and he will be driving in between the official races, so he won’t really be going against the professionals, but it will look like it. That’s what normally happens in movies, anyway. The film, which will be produced by Apple Studios, will also star recent Oscar-nominee Kerry Condon.
If you get car sick, maybe sit this one out, since the movie will allegedly utilize “the smallest moveable 6k camera ever designed to take the viewer into the cockpit,” meaning that we are yet one step closer to a live-action remake of A Bugs Life that everyone has been asking for.
May is another of one those “in-between” months. It feels like we have one foot in spring and one foot in summer. It’s the literal incarnation of walking around wearing a giant rain boot on one foot and a tennis shoe on the other. But while the weather doesn’t quite seem to know what it wants to do, you can rest easy that the beer world is firmly in summer mode.
Say goodbye to darker, maltier beers (if you’re still clinging to them) and make way for hoppier, lighter brews. Summer session beers are waiting in the wings.
May is the gateway to summer and is a month for crisp, refreshing, thirst-quenching beers (as well as memes featuring Justin Timberlake). To prepare for the month ahead, and the ensuing summer months, we figured we’d start May off right by letting you in on our favorite beers to chase down this month. Below, you’ll find New England-style IPAs, sour beers, pale ales, wheat beers, session beers, and even a fruity Kolsch-style brew. Some are brand new, others are familiar favorites that have either just been re-released or simply fit this month’s criterion. All are well-suited for May drinking.
This West Coast IPA is the official collaboration beer of the upcoming 2023 Firestone Walker Invitation Beer Fest. The brewers at Firestone Walker worked with Alvarado Street Brewery in Monterey to create this limited-edition brew featuring Cascade, Mosaic Incognito, Mosaic Cryo hops, and Mosaic T-90 Pellets is fruity and tropical.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is heavy on citrus in the best way possible. There’s a ton of tangerine, lime, and grapefruit. It gives way to floral, dank, piney hops. The palate has a nice sweet malt backbone that works well with the grapefruit, orange peel, lemongrass, tropical fruits, and dank, resinous, lightly bitter pine on the palate.
Bottom Line:
Sometimes West Coast IPAs can be all bitter pine and not much else. This beer manages to have an epic amount of hop aroma and flavor (with great bitterness) while still being fruity and flavorful.
If you’re a fan of New England-style IPAs you’ve probably had Lawson’s Finest Sip of Sunshine at some point. Recently, the popular Vermont-based brewery dropped a new beer called Hazy Rays. This 5.3%, highly crushable hazy IPA is brewed with Citra and Mandarina Bavaria hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is all tangerine, orange peel, and grapefruit. There’s also a light floral, resinous hoppy aroma that draws you in. Drinking it reveals a sublimely sweet, fruity, citrus-filled palate of ripe orange, grapefruit, honeydew melon, and mango. There’s a bit of floral hop flavor at the finish, but almost no bitterness whatsoever.
Bottom Line:
This one is for hazy citrus fans. It’s as close to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in beer form, you’re going to get. But it’s hoppy, complex, and much more than just a sweet, juicy beer.
Who doesn’t enjoy a nice piece of key lime pie on a spring or summer day? Tart, sweet, and delicious. The only thing better is a key lime pie in beer form. The folks at Weldwerks did this by brewing a tart Berliner Weiss-style beer with freshly squeezed key limes, graham crackers, and vanilla beans.
Tasting Notes:
A lot is going on with this beer’s nose. There are notes of graham crackers, ley limes, honeydew melons, lemon zest, sweet wheat, and a bit of funky yeast. The palate continues this trend with hints of vanilla beans, tart key limes, more graham cracker, a dose of lactose, and an acidic, citrus backbone. The finish is lightly bitter and totally tart.
Bottom Line:
For a beer crafted to taste like a key lime pie, there’s so much more to this beer. It’s tart, refreshing, and extremely complex.
Maybe a session beer is more your style when it comes to May imbibing. If so, we suggest AleSmith Session .394. Named for San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn’s ridiculous 1994 batting average, it’s a crushable pale ale brewed with Citra and Mosaic hops.
Tasting Notes:
This crushable, sessionable beer starts with a fairly light nose of orange peels, lime zest, grapefruit, and caramelized pineapple. Drinking it reveals notes of more ripe pineapple, tangerine, melon, peach, lime peel, and floral, lightly bitter, dank hops. It’s all fairly light and very drinkable.
Bottom Line:
This is a great, sessionable pale ale. It’s loaded with all the flavors pale ale fans enjoy, but it’s lower in ABV and doesn’t knock you out with any overpowering flavors.
The “crush” cocktail featuring fresh squeezed orange juice, vodka, and triple sec is a popular summer drink in Delaware. This is why the brewers at Dogfish Head decided to pay homage to this summer staple by brewing Mandarin & Mango Crush, a beer with tart, fruity, citrus flavors and crisp, refreshing finish.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is an explosion of tropical and citrus fruit aromas. Tangerine, lime, lemon, and a ton of mango, guava, and peach give this beer a tremendous beginning. Tasting it brings forth notes of mango, mandarin orange, grapefruit, and floral, lightly piney hops. The finish is tart, crisp, and leaves you craving more.
Bottom Line:
While we often enjoy light, no-frills lagers, sometimes we want something tart, crisp, and fruity. This beer definitely fits that bill.
Tröegs is a brewery well-known for its popular, seasonal, limited releases. One of the best is Tröegs Perpetual Haze. This yearly offering was crafted to taste like a mix of a bitter, piney West Coast IPA and hazy, juicy New England-style IPA. They do this by brewing it with raw wheat, London 2 yeast, and dry-hopping with Citra and Cashmere hops.
Tasting Notes:
A nose of ripe peach, sweet wheat, crisp apples, orange peels, and light floral, dank pine needles greets you before your first sip. The palate is filled with tangerine, pineapple, mango, ripe grapefruit, and more resinous pine. The finish is a mix of fruity, tropical sweetness, and hoppy bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This beer really is the best of both worlds. It has the juicy, hazy tropical fruit presence of a great New England-style IPA and the citrus and pine of a classic West Coast IPA.
May is a great time of year to start enjoying wheat beers. That is if you haven’t already been enjoying them all year long. Breakside recently launched a new wheat beer simply called Breakside White. Brewed with pilsner malt and wheat along with Sterling, Hersbrucker, and Mt. Hood hops, this is sure to become one of your spring staples.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is yeasty and filled with aromas of coriander, orange peel, and lightly spicy, floral, earthy hops. The palate follows suit with ripe tangerine, coriander, candied orange peels, light spices, and herbal, earthy hops. The finish is lightly spicy and dry.
Bottom Line:
This is a complex, flavorful wheat beer that deserves a spot in your spring and summer beer rotation. It’s the kind of beer you’ll want to crack open while you play backyard games on a hot day.
Genesee Tropical Pineapple Kolsch
Genesee
ABV: 4.5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
The Beer:
Genesee’s Ruby Red Kolsch with its bold, bright grapefruit flavor has been such a hit since its first release a few years ago, the brand decided to drop a Tropical Pineapple version. This seasonal beer was inspired by the brewery’s German heritage. It gets a modern twist with the addition of sweet, fruity pineapple.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is loaded with ripe pineapple, lemon zest, orange peel, and light floral hops. The flavor is juicy and sweet with notes of caramel malts, more pineapple, bright citrus, tropical fruits, and lightly bitter hops. It’s sweet, lightly bitter, and highly refreshing on a hot day.
Bottom Line:
Fruit beers can be hit or miss. But this one is subtle enough that it makes for a fruity, crushable beer perfect for an unseasonably warm spring day.
It was kind of a slow week for new hip-hop, with only a handful of artists releasing fresh music including Will.I.Am and Lil Wayne, Russ, and Luh Tyler, although there were a few underground picks were checking out in Jeleel’s Real Raw! and Billy Woods and Kenny Segal’s Maps.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 5, 2023.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Armani White — Road To Casablanco
Armani White
The “Billie Eilish” rapper releases his first major-label EP as a prelude to his major-label debut album. Naturally, it includes his breakout hit, along with the remix featuring Ludacris, a few features from the likes of ASAP Ferg, Denzel Curry, and Fivio Foreign, and an encouraging voicemail from his grandmother, who thinks he looks a little tired lately and doesn’t quite understand his music.
Conway The Machine — Won’t He Do It
Conway The Machine
If you know Conway The Machine, you know what you’re getting with this one. Yes, Benny and Westside Gunn come through for some verses, but so does Fabolous, who is sort of the forebear of their entire style if you think about it. Ransom, Jae Skeese, Goosebytheway, and 7xvethegenius all contribute as well.
Destroy Lonely — If Looks Could Kill
Destroy Lonely
Destroy Lonely almost seems like the antithesis of his pops, 2000s-era sidekick rapper I-20 — although he does fill a similar role in Playboi Carti’s Opium clique. Where I-20 rapped rugged verses over thunderous proto-trap production, Lonely taps into a looser vein of off-kilter rebel music. But where his dad was mainly known for his appearances alongside label chief Ludacris, Lonely seems to be able to stand on his own — his debut project only features one guest star, fellow Opium roster addition Ken Carson.
IDK — F65
IDK
IDK’s long-awaited official follow-up to 2021’s USEE4YOURSELF is super stacked, with 20 tracks flitting from high-speed battle rap to soulfully meandering introspection. There’s even some jazzy social commentary on “Mr. Police,” flashing IDK’s broad-ranging tastes and cheeky sense of humor.
OhGeesy — Geezyworld 2
OhGeesy
The ratchet-rap turn-up artist follows up his 2021 solo debut Geezyworld with another 21 tracks of post-hyphy LA scene rap, helped along by appearances from Bino Rideaux, Kalan.FrFr, Kamaiyah, and one of the pioneers of the subgenre, Tyga.
Singles/Videos
Belly — “Ambiance”
I’ve wondered why things didn’t seem to pan out for Belly. The XO/Roc Nation signee has all the tools you would hope add up to a breakout star: polished flow, incisive songwriting, big-name cosigns, and a golden ear for beats. And yet. Sometimes I think it’s all down to naming his debut album Mumble Rap, overestimating rap fans’ ability to sniff out a satire. Oh well. The man still generates some of the best hip-hop just below the radar, and I’m more than happy to see him keep at it, especially as he continues to produce gems like this one.
Dej Loaf — “100 Million”
Indie Dej Loaf has been something of a revelation, returning to the airy, melodic style that defined her breakout single “Try Me.” Without having to chase trends to please a label’s accountants, she sounds cozier than ever in her own lane, something she stresses here. “I was getting back to me,” she admits of her recent hiatus. “I was trying to find me some peace.” Now that she has, we can’t wait to see the results.
Gucci Mane — “Pissy” Feat. Roddy Ricch & Nardo Wick
It’s been somewhat quiet on the Gucci Mane front lately — and with good reason. The trap godfather has gotten married, had a kid, and struggled to manage a label roster that has been decimated by criminal activity and street violence for the last couple of years. It’s understandable he’d want — or need — to take a break. But he’s back now, and what a way to break the silence, continuing his longstanding tradition of teaming up with young, rising stars and showing them that, like LeBron, he can still keep up.
Hit-Boy — “Just Ask” Feat. Spank Nitti James
Appearing on Hit’s latest project Surf Or Down, this stripped-down track is a running commentary on the two rappers’ respective victories and losses, ultimately coming to the conclusion that they have many more of the former than the latter.
Swizz Beatz — “Say Less” Feat. Lil Durk & A Boogie Wit da Hoodie
Swizz’s contribution to Mass Appeal’s ongoing Hip-Hop 50 project also spawned this standout track, which pairs two of Chicago and New York’s hottest street rappers. While the gothic drill beat seems that it’d suit Durk the most, A Boogie once again surprises with his versatility.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Kentucky Derby is taking place this weekend. The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports is an event that pretty much takes over Louisville, Kentucky for a week. But there’s probably a good chance that you’re not going to be able to make it to Churchill Downs for the big show. What’s far more likely is tuning in on the TV and betting on your phone while you watch the race at a Derby party.
In that case, you’re going to need some bourbon. And we’ve got your back on that front.
Below, I’m calling out 10 iconic bourbons for your Derby party. The throughline? They’re all horse themed. I have to shout out my good friends at the Bourbon Pursuit Podcast for helping me brainstorm this one at Churchill Downs over the Finish Line earlier this week. Yes, we were standing under a painting of Secretariat while doing so. Look folks — horses, bourbon, Kentucky — it’s not rocket science. It’s just good horse-themed drinking during one of the biggest horse racing events in the entire world.
You get it, so let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
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.
The bump with this bottle is that it’s Woodford Reserve’s once-a-year Kentucky Derby release (which takes place in May). The bottle art is highly collectible and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the famed Secretariat win back in 1973. But just to be absolutely clear, this is standard Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a rush of Martinelli’s Sparkling Apple Cider, pear candy, and vanilla cake with a hint of dark chocolate, orange zest, salted 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 and vanilla cookies with a hint of old porch wicker and boot leather.
Bottom Line:
This is the buy for anyone who’s into the Derby. When it comes to the whiskey in the bottle, it’s great standard Kentucky bourbon that works best in mint juleps and old fashioneds. I know it’s cliche at this point, but if you’re buying bourbon for the Derby, this is the obvious choice.
Old Scout is MGP of Indiana’s classic high rye bourbon — 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malt barley — that’s aged for five years. The whiskey is batched in small quantities and proofed down with West Virginia’s Appalachian water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a soft masa vibe with a mix of Tex-Mex spices (think chili powder and a hint of cumin and garlic powder) that’s countered by cedar park and chocolate-laced tobacco leaves (the nose takes me straight back to my favorite childhood Tex-Mex joint).
Palate: The taste veers more towards a classic bourbon with cherry tobacco and bales of damp straw next to a smooth vanilla foundation cinnamon-infused dark chocolate and a touch of dry oak.
Finish: The finish lingers for a bit as vanilla toffees, a smidge of marshmallow, and spicy cherry tobacco round everything out.
Bottom Line:
This is another winner that highlights the superb bourbon barrels coming out of Indiana’s MGP right now. I know, it’s not a Kentucky bourbon. But the spirit of horse-country and Debry is embodied on that label and that’s enough for me.
Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Sour Mash Whiskey
This new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Green River distillery is a wheated classic. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted 6-Row barley. That whiskey then spends four to six years mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This pops on the nose with rich caramel next to soft roasted peach and apricot next to a rush of cinnamon bark and nutmeg with a creamy vibe.
Palate: Toffee drives the palate toward Nutella and honey over buttermilk biscuits with an apple/pear tobacco aura that leads to a soft orange.
Finish: The end is rich and full of stewed fruits — peach, pear, orange, raisins — and a mild sense of oaky spice and a mild graininess.
Bottom Line:
This is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a cocktail base. I’d also argue that this makes a good table whiskey for everyday sipping over a lot of ice too. The lucky horseshoe theme of the glass is just the right mode you need for your betting as the Derby unfolds as well.
Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Small Batch 3-KY
Old Carter is a hidden-away bottler right off Whiskey Row in Louisville. It’s still very insider. Their process is all about finding great barrels of whiskey, blending them, and bottling them for whiskey lovers in the know. In this case, that was a very small batch blend that yielded only 1,116 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A thickness comes through on the nose with creamy vanilla and maple syrup vibe with a buttery underbelly accented by old corn husks, woody cinnamon, allspice, and lush nutmeg with a hint of hazelnut.
Palate: Thick salted caramel sauce vibes with a black-tea-soaked date feel as cinnamon syrup and smoldering orchard wood leads to a big mid-palate Kentucky hug.
Finish: That warmth fades quickly as hints of dried cranberry tobacco and cedar braids filled with wicker and sweetgrass end the sip on a dry note with a touch of floral honey lurking underneath it all.
Bottom Line:
Old Carter’s team just cannot miss. Their sourced barrels are kind of magical and these releases always deliver. This will be harder to find outside of Kentucky, but worth the hunt, especially if you want to have a real in-the-know bourbon on your shelf. Moreover, this is a Louisville bourbon with a horse racing theme. There are few brands more on point for a Derby party.
Calumet Farm Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 14 Years Old
This bourbon is kind of like Kentucky in a bottle — it’s all about Derby horses and the state’s own spirit. The whiskey is sourced from a set of 19 barrels from the center of an unnamed warehouse. Those barrels are small batched after 14 long years of resting and the whiskey is proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This sip draws you in with a silken balance of cherry and vanilla cream that’s shockingly light.
Palate: The taste builds on that foundation by adding soft notes of cedar and cinnamon sticks next to a hint of dark chocolate with a whisper of pancake syrup sweetness.
Finish: The end marries the cherry and vanilla into cherry-bespeckled ice cream with hints of those woody cinnamon sticks and dark chocolate peeking in on the velvet finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic “behind-the-glass” bourbon buy from Kentucky. It’s very bespoke and always delivers. Having this on your bar cart really amps up that whiskey nerd status. When it comes to why drink this on the Derby, I think that’s pretty self explanatory.
Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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 whiskey is then bottled at 100 proof, meaning you’re getting a good sense of that single barrel in every bottle.
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.
Bottom Line:
This is unique but made total sense from nose to finish. It offered something extra and felt fresh without sacrificing taste. Moreover, roses and the Derby just go together — the winning horse is draped in a rose blanket made of 554 fresh red roses.
Pinhook Vertical Series Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 7 Years
This is an instant classic from Kentucky’s Pinhook. The whiskey is hewn from a mash bill of 75% corn, 20.5% rye, and 4.5% malted barley, distilled at MGP of Indiana and aged at Castle & Key (in Kentucky). The whiskey was left alone for seven years before batching and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens. with toasted raisin bread, cinnamon butter, dates, prunes, and figs with a nice layer of leathery dark berries.
Palate: Soft caramel opens the palate before sharp winter spice barks, sticky toffee pudding, and vanilla buttercream lead to fresh gingerbread.
Finish: The end leans into the rich buttercream and woody spices with a soft sense of pipe tobacco and Christmas cakes.
Bottom Line:
This is another great release from a brand that just keeps getting better and better. And look at that label. This is a racing whiskey that also slaps. You can’t beat that for any Derby party, folks.
Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Blanton’s is “The Original Single Barrel” bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. The whiskey in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are excellent as-is, straight from the barrel. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium.
Palate: The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey.
Finish: The end is very long and lingers in your senses, with a hot buzzing that subtly fades through all that sweetness.
Bottom Line:
Standard Blanton’s is a delicious whiskey that is proofed way down (93-proof to be exact). The whiskey simply shines more brightly at cask strength. If you’re even remotely attracted to standard Blanton’s, then it’s time to graduate to this. Plus, the cork has a race horse on it. Need I say more?
This new brand has Kentucky Derby history running deep. Guinness McFadden co-founded the brand with the partners behind Justins’ House Of Bourbon. McFadden also happens to be the co-owner of 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House and built this whiskey around his stables in eastern Kentucky. The juice in the bottle is local bourbon with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. After a good spell of resting, the whiskey is re-barrelled in a fresh toasted oak barrel for a final maturation before bottling as-is straight from the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a deep sense of fresh vanilla pods and rich salted caramel with a sense of old wicker lawn furniture on a sunny day, soft pipe tobacco kissed with cherry, and a light sense of mincemeat pies and toffee dipped in dark chocolate.
Palate: Pecan and maple drive the taste towards a rush of Kentucky hug warmth, dry cedar, and old glove leather with a hint of dried mint and maybe some chocolate-covered espresso beans cut with vanilla and clove.
Finish: The spices take on a woodiness and blend with dry cedar bark, old vanilla pods, and chewy pipe tobacco with a dash of salted caramel butteriness and pecan waffle comfort.
Bottom Line:
This is just good f*cking whiskey. It’s clearly built with bold flavor notes but nothing overshadows or washes out anything else. It’s balanced and shines over a rock as a slow sipper. Moreover, this whiskey is from an actual Derby winner. So there’s that.
Rock Hill Farms Single Barrel Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is Buffalo Trace’s other other single barrel brand (Blanton’s and Elmer T. Lee being the two icons). The whiskey is made from the same mash bill as those two, which is Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill No. 2 (they’re higher rye recipe). Basically, this is a higher ABV version of Blanton’s with a slightly varied flavor profile from that brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright apple and cherry burst on the nose with a sense of almost tart red berries swimming in cream just kissed with vanilla and salted caramel next to a hint of cinnamon bark and allspice.
Palate: The palate is lush and moves from creamy cherry/vanilla toward winter spice barks, burnt orange, marzipan, and maybe even a hint of black licorice.
Finish: The woodiness of those winter spices kick up on the finish before softening into a silken end of vanilla creamy, cherry syrup, and a very faint hint of mint chocolate chip.
Bottom Line:
This is Blanton’s turned-up to eleven. It’s simply more flavorful and runs deeper thanks to less proofing water. Yes, this has fallen victim to the Buffalo Trace aftermarket economy on price (the MSRP is only $60). But, this is so good and so very rare that the price on this one on the secondary makes a lot more sense. And take a look at that label. If that doesn’t make you think of Kentucky and horses, nothing will.
Grinding, the act of doing the same thing over and over again to achieve a desired result, is a common occurrence in video games. It’s now made its way television, too. Shadow and Bone fans are going to great grinding lengths to ensure the fantasy series is picked up for a third season.
Rolling Stone reports that “following the show’s premiere, the most dedicated of the #Grishaverse fans watched it in its entirety, at least five times a week — trying to maintain Shadow and Bone’s spot as the No. 2 series on Netflix.” Fan-run accounts “also encouraged casual viewers to keep episodes on, first as re-watches, and then just muted in the background to increase its views.”
“I’ve not been in any fandoms of ongoing shows before,” a teen Shadow and Bone fan named Holly, who’s seen the show over 60 times, told Rolling Stone. “I’ve always joined things after they finish. But this time, it’s new for me and it’s scary since Netflix in particular is quite keen on canceling things before they really have a chance to shine. But the writers and showrunners and everyone wants this as much as we do. And it makes you feel more connected to the show. Like they’re not giving up on it, we shouldn’t give up on it.”
Joe Pera Talks with You is nice to fall asleep to. Just saying, in case you want to play it every night in the hope it will come back someday.
Even Donald Trump‘s own lawyer is getting tired of the former president’s antics during the E. Jean Carroll trial. During a sidebar on Thursday, Joe Tacopina had to address both the judge and the prosecution’s concerns that Trump wants to testify in the trial after Tacopina had repeatedly said he would not. Unfortunately, Tacopina isn’t being helped by his client who’s saying the exact opposite.
“I have to go back for a woman who made a false accusation about me, and I have a judge who’s extremely hostile,” Trump told reporters in Ireland. “And I’m going to go back and confront this woman. This woman is a disgrace, and it shouldn’t allowed in this country.”
“I know you understand what I am dealing with,” Tacopina told the judge about Trump’s rogue statements in what has to be the understatement of the year.
Tacopina, who also represents the former president in his Manhattan criminal case, repeatedly denied that Trump would testify. The conversation took place outside the earshot of the press and jury, but a courtroom stenographer was still typing away.
Just before Tacopina’s remark, Judge Kaplan made clear that he didn’t believe Tacopina was misleading him over his client’s decision.
“I’m not implying dishonesty on your part,” Kaplan told Tacopina, according to the transcript.
While Kaplan believed that Tacopina had no plans to let Trump testify and wants to rest the case, the judge agreed with the prosecutors that the former president is a wild card and the situation remains fluid.
“Things in life change,” Kaplan said before granting Trump time to change his mind on testifying. “I am absolutely committed in this case, as in every case, to ensure, to the best of my ability, that every party has a full and fair opportunity to pursue or defend against a claim asserted by or against that party.”
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