Month: May 2023

With so much huge-name branded bourbon on the shelf — think Jack Daniel’s, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and so on — it’s easy for the local crafty stuff to kind of get lost in the shuffle. But don’t sleep on small producers, local craft bourbon whiskey has exploded over the past decade and there’s a ton of great stuff out there. There’s also a ton of absolute trash, naturally. So let’s help you avoid that by vetting some of it on your behalf.

Below, I’m going to taste test eight modern classic craft bourbons. They all have tons of awards and tend to break through the static of an over-saturated bourbon market. For this exercise, I’ve focused on a batch of slightly wider known craft bourbons. And there’s something for everyone — barrel strength, bottled in bond, special finishes, and high-rye pours are all in the mix. Plus, some of these you can actually get outside of their home regions (some are even nationwide), which means that you might be able to try these bourbons wherever you are.

More importantly, I kept this to small-time craft producers. That means that there is no sourced juice at all. A lot of craft producers will source Kentucky, Indiana, or Tennessee whiskeys to cut with their own juice until their original stuff is old enough to sell. We can talk about them on a different day. This is all whiskey that’s actually made, grain to glass, by a small to mid-sized distillery. Whether or not that producer/distiller has a big contract with a huge distributor/international spirits corporation is not a consideration at all.

Every single one of these bourbons is made by a small team of very passionate people in a distillery that sometimes could fit in your backyard. Period. That makes our lineup today the following craft bourbons:

• Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Washington)
• Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Nevada)
• Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Indiana)
• Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Vintage Series Fall 2018 (Tennessee)
• Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 (California)
• 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Aspen Stave Finished (Colorado)
• Jeptha Creed Rye Bourbon Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Kentucky)
• Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend (Colorado)

When it comes to ranking these bourbon pours after the blind tasting, I’m going solely on taste. Luckily, these were all really tasty bourbons (in one way or another), so ranking them was a delight. Okay, let’s jump in and find you a great craft bourbon to add to your bar cart!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys From Kentucky, Ranked
• 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

Part 1 — The Craft Bourbon Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Mocha and leather mix on the nose with fresh-cut green grass and piping hot cornbread dripping with butter and caramel sauce with a deep chili spice attached to orchard fruits.

Palate: The palate starts off with a nice and subtle barrel char leading toward Almond Roca toffees, cherry-chili tobacco, and velvety vanilla cream with a sense of red spices with just the right amount of sharpness.

Finish: The finish leans into a stewed apple with a hint of clove and sassafras that, in turn, leads to almond tobacco and plenty of cedar wrapped in old leather.

Initial Thoughts:

This is f*cking delicious whiskey.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fruity cherry gummies mingle with raw sourdough bread dough, vanilla beans, dry grass, and burnt brown sugars on the nose.

Palate: The taste has a corn chip/husk vibe that leads to tart cranberry, more of that vanilla, and cinnamon-spiced oatmeal raisin cookies wrapped in old pipe tobacco leaves.

Finish: This all coalesces on the finish with the spice, oats, tart red fruit, and vanilla playing second fiddle to the dry firewood and slightly spiced tobacco end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is also tasty AF. It’s classic and touches on a twinge of crafty local grain vibes (with the oatmeal cookie vibe). I like this a lot. Not quite as much as the last pour, but extremely close.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with dark stewed cherries and spiced prune compote next to cinnamon waffles with a hint of maple syrup and dark chocolate chips.

Palate: The palate is pure silk with notes of Cherry Coke next to clove-studded oranges dipped in dark chocolate with a flake of salt with whispers of apple fritters, eggnog spices, and singed cherry bark with maybe a hint of apple wood in the background.

Finish: The end has a subtle warmth thanks to wintry mulled wine spices that lead to fresh pipe tobacco kissed with dates and chocolate and packed into an old cedar box for safekeeping.

Initial Thoughts:

This is just excellent. It’s pure classic bourbon with a deep profile that just keeps giving.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cinnamon, butter brown sugar, walnut, and raisins meld on the nose with some vanilla to create a moist oatmeal cookie next to buckwheat pancakes griddled in brown butter and topped with apple butter, and maybe some apricot jam with a dash of nutmeg, dark chocolate shavings, and creamy vanilla whipped cream.

Palate: The palate leans into cherry hand pies and vanilla wafers with a counter of dried wild sage, orchard tree bark, and meaty dates.

Finish: The end has a sharp turn into dried red chili pepper cut with pipe tobacco, dark chocolate bars, cedar bark, burnt orange, and lime leaves with this whisper of cinnamon cookies at the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a “wow” pour of whiskey.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cherry pie with plenty of winter spice leads off on the nose with buttery brown sugar, tart red berries, and walnut shells.

Palate: The palate opens with burnt orange, salted caramel, and more of those tart berries swimming in rich vanilla cream before a hint of spicy warmth arrives.

Finish: The end leans into brown sugar and winter spice-laced butter with walnut tobacco leaves wrapped in vanilla husks and cedar bark.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a very solid and classically hewn bourbon. I like it a lot but it’s more “classic” than “wow,” if that makes sense.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a whole fruit basket of fruitiness with stone fruit really shining through — think apricots and peaches — next to old tart apples, cinnamon sticks, toffees dusted with crushed almonds, and a murmur of chamomile tea.

Palate: The palate has a dry crafty graininess that’s akin to oatmeal cookie dough wrapped in corn husks with a hint of nuttiness, brown sugar, cinnamon, and something slightly floral but woody.

Finish: The end brings the apricot back as a spicy jam with a little vanilla creaminess and tannic florals.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a fruit bomb on the nose that gives way to a dry grain crafty body. It’s deep and interesting with an enticing profile.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this is both soft and bold with sharp winter spices next to an orange cream pie with singed meringue and a hint of sour berries (cranberry maybe?) that’s all accented by a big dry sweetgrass note.

Palate: The palate then veers into dry lemongrass and ginger with drier green reeds next to a light touch of salted caramel drizzled over lemon pudding.

Finish: The ginger and woody vanilla lead back into the dry grass as the sour berries attach to a soft and chewy tobacco leaf.

Initial Thoughts:

This was a very dry craft whiskey. It balances that dryness with a nice deep classic bourbon vibe. It’s not too shabby by the end.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is sweet on the nose with apple orchards, corn mush, vanilla cake, and honeyed biscuits.

Palate: The palate builds on the sweet nose with dark winter spices, soft oak, and a nice balance of vanilla and caramel.

Finish: The end is short and sweet but sticks with you with a classic orchard fruit/vanilla/caramel vibe.

Initial Thoughts:

This is classic bourbon but the thinnest pour on the list by far. It’s totally fine but didn’t really stand up to some of the crazy pours on this list.

Part 2 — The Craft Bourbon Ranking

8. Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend — Taste 8

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $41

The Whiskey:

Colorado’s mountain-high Breckenridge has had some incredible releases. This whiskey is a blend of three-year-old Colorado bourbons made up in the Rocky Mountains and proofed with water from the glaciers.

Bottom Line:

This is perfectly good bourbon. It’s on the thinner side (thanks to those lower ABVs), so I’d focus on grabbing this in a cocktail the next time I’m in Denver.

7. Jeptha Creed Rye Bourbon Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 7

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $47

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from indie-darling Jeptha Creed is all about local corn. The mash is built with 75% Bloody Butcher Corn next to 20% malted rye and a mere 5% malted barley. That distillate spends a few years chilling in new oak before it’s batched, cut to proof, and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is an interesting bourbon that bridges the drier grain crafty vibes with stone-cold classic Kentucky bourbon vibes. It’s a good balance but doesn’t feel like it commits fully to either feel. Still, this is worth checking out if you’re distillery hoping in Kentucky this summer.

6. 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Aspen Stave Finished — Taste 6

ABV: 57.8%

Average Price: $109

The Whiskey:

This Colorado whiskey is made from a mix of local corn, malted wheat, malted rye, and beech-smoked malted barley. As per 291’s classic aging methods, the whiskey is aged for about two years with aspen wood staves in the barrel to accelerate the aging process. Finally, this is batched and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the really good stuff. This has great depth. The only reason it’s lower in the ranking is that it is so fruit-forward that it starts to border on “one note” a tad. Still, if you’re looking for a fruity bourbon with a classic aura, this is a great option.

5. Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

The latest batch of Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast is a four-grain bourbon. The California whiskey was made with 69% corn, 22% rye, 5% malted barley, and a mere 4% wheat. After five years of maturation, 26 barrels were picked for this batch. Those barrels were vatted and the whiskey was just kissed with pure water from a local Russian River Valley aquifer.

Bottom Line:

I probably would have guessed that this was a Kentucky bourbon. It feels so classically that with a deep profile that just keeps delivering flavor notes. This is California only for the most part, but 100% worth seeing out if you’re hitting Sonoma, Napa, or anywhere in NoCal this summer. Take a case home if you can.

4. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

Frey Ranch is all about the farm behind the whiskey. In this case, that’s a 165+-year-old farm in the Sierra Nevada basin near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. The grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling all happen on-site at Frey Ranch.

Bottom Line:

This is just really freaking good whiskey. It’s also just the baseline of the wonderful stuff coming out of Frey Ranch right now, so this is technically their cocktail bourbon. That aside, this is a must-stop if you’re in the Lake Tahoe area. Get some!

3. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

This new release from Huber Farm’s Starlight Distillery (the distillery to know if you’re in the know) is made from their high-corn mash with a sweet mash method (each batch is fresh) in their old copper pot still. The whiskey is barreled in Canton barrels and left to age on the farm for four years before it’s batched (only 20 barrels) and proofed down to 100 proof for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This small family-run distillery about 20 minutes north of Louisville is doing amazing work. This bottle is the perfect gateway into the wider world of Starlight and an absolute banger whiskey. You’re going to need to take a detour the next time you’re hitting the KY Bourbon Trail. Trust me, that extra 20-minute drive is worth it for whiskey this good.

2. Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 58.54%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This craft darling from Washington state is all about local ingredients. The mash is rendered from locally grown corn, rye, and barley. The spirit is distilled in Western Washington and then shipped to Eastern Washington to age for at least five years. That whiskey is then batched and bottled as-is with no fussing or cutting.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey is an absolute banger. The profile just keeps going and going, revealing more and more classic bourbon notes. It’s just delicious. You can also now get this outside of Washington. So click that link above and get some. You will not be disappointed.

1. Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Vintage Series Fall 2018 — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $53

The Whisky:

The latest seasonal drop from Tennessee’s Chattanooga Whiskey is another great. The whiskey is a blend of four of their mash bills. 30% comes from mash bill SB091, which is a mix of yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. Another 30% comes from mash bill B002, which has yellow corn, hardwood smoked malted barley (smoked with beech, mesquite, apple, or cherry), caramel malted barley, caramel malted, and honey malted barley. The next 20% is mash bill B005, which is yellow corn, malted wheat, oak smoked malted wheat, and caramel malted wheat. And the last 20% is from mash bill R18098, which is yellow corn, pale malted barley, naked malted oats, double roasted caramel malted barley, peated malted barley, cherrywood smoked malted barley, chocolate malt, and de-husked chocolate malt.

Bottom Line:

While I loved a lot of whiskey on this list, this one truly stood above the rest. It just goes so deep and in so many amazingly tasty directions while still feeling classic, nostalgic, and somehow comforting. It’s an amazing balance. While you don’t have to go to Tennessee to buy this one (just click that price link), it’s worth dipping into the distillery to meet the awesome team making this fantastic whiskey.

Make sure to take as many home as they let you buy.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Craft Bourbons

What a great panel of whiskeys. Truly, there wasn’t a bad pour in the whole bunch.

I’d focus on the top four or five if I was looking for something great to add to my shelf. In the end, though, I’d focus on those top two for a real “wow” pour of whiskey. They’re very different (and from different ends of the country) but they both deliver such a quality sipping experience that you will not be disappointed.

With so much huge-name branded bourbon on the shelf — think Jack Daniel’s, Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and so on — it’s easy for the local crafty stuff to kind of get lost in the shuffle. But don’t sleep on small producers, local craft bourbon whiskey has exploded over the past decade and there’s a ton of great stuff out there. There’s also a ton of absolute trash, naturally. So let’s help you avoid that by vetting some of it on your behalf.

Below, I’m going to taste test eight modern classic craft bourbons. They all have tons of awards and tend to break through the static of an over-saturated bourbon market. For this exercise, I’ve focused on a batch of slightly wider known craft bourbons. And there’s something for everyone — barrel strength, bottled in bond, special finishes, and high-rye pours are all in the mix. Plus, some of these you can actually get outside of their home regions (some are even nationwide), which means that you might be able to try these bourbons wherever you are.

More importantly, I kept this to small-time craft producers. That means that there is no sourced juice at all. A lot of craft producers will source Kentucky, Indiana, or Tennessee whiskeys to cut with their own juice until their original stuff is old enough to sell. We can talk about them on a different day. This is all whiskey that’s actually made, grain to glass, by a small to mid-sized distillery. Whether or not that producer/distiller has a big contract with a huge distributor/international spirits corporation is not a consideration at all.

Every single one of these bourbons is made by a small team of very passionate people in a distillery that sometimes could fit in your backyard. Period. That makes our lineup today the following craft bourbons:

• Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Washington)
• Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Nevada)
• Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Indiana)
• Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Vintage Series Fall 2018 (Tennessee)
• Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 (California)
• 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Aspen Stave Finished (Colorado)
• Jeptha Creed Rye Bourbon Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Kentucky)
• Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend (Colorado)

When it comes to ranking these bourbon pours after the blind tasting, I’m going solely on taste. Luckily, these were all really tasty bourbons (in one way or another), so ranking them was a delight. Okay, let’s jump in and find you a great craft bourbon to add to your bar cart!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys From Kentucky, Ranked
• 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

Part 1 — The Craft Bourbon Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Mocha and leather mix on the nose with fresh-cut green grass and piping hot cornbread dripping with butter and caramel sauce with a deep chili spice attached to orchard fruits.

Palate: The palate starts off with a nice and subtle barrel char leading toward Almond Roca toffees, cherry-chili tobacco, and velvety vanilla cream with a sense of red spices with just the right amount of sharpness.

Finish: The finish leans into a stewed apple with a hint of clove and sassafras that, in turn, leads to almond tobacco and plenty of cedar wrapped in old leather.

Initial Thoughts:

This is f*cking delicious whiskey.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fruity cherry gummies mingle with raw sourdough bread dough, vanilla beans, dry grass, and burnt brown sugars on the nose.

Palate: The taste has a corn chip/husk vibe that leads to tart cranberry, more of that vanilla, and cinnamon-spiced oatmeal raisin cookies wrapped in old pipe tobacco leaves.

Finish: This all coalesces on the finish with the spice, oats, tart red fruit, and vanilla playing second fiddle to the dry firewood and slightly spiced tobacco end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is also tasty AF. It’s classic and touches on a twinge of crafty local grain vibes (with the oatmeal cookie vibe). I like this a lot. Not quite as much as the last pour, but extremely close.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with dark stewed cherries and spiced prune compote next to cinnamon waffles with a hint of maple syrup and dark chocolate chips.

Palate: The palate is pure silk with notes of Cherry Coke next to clove-studded oranges dipped in dark chocolate with a flake of salt with whispers of apple fritters, eggnog spices, and singed cherry bark with maybe a hint of apple wood in the background.

Finish: The end has a subtle warmth thanks to wintry mulled wine spices that lead to fresh pipe tobacco kissed with dates and chocolate and packed into an old cedar box for safekeeping.

Initial Thoughts:

This is just excellent. It’s pure classic bourbon with a deep profile that just keeps giving.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cinnamon, butter brown sugar, walnut, and raisins meld on the nose with some vanilla to create a moist oatmeal cookie next to buckwheat pancakes griddled in brown butter and topped with apple butter, and maybe some apricot jam with a dash of nutmeg, dark chocolate shavings, and creamy vanilla whipped cream.

Palate: The palate leans into cherry hand pies and vanilla wafers with a counter of dried wild sage, orchard tree bark, and meaty dates.

Finish: The end has a sharp turn into dried red chili pepper cut with pipe tobacco, dark chocolate bars, cedar bark, burnt orange, and lime leaves with this whisper of cinnamon cookies at the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a “wow” pour of whiskey.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cherry pie with plenty of winter spice leads off on the nose with buttery brown sugar, tart red berries, and walnut shells.

Palate: The palate opens with burnt orange, salted caramel, and more of those tart berries swimming in rich vanilla cream before a hint of spicy warmth arrives.

Finish: The end leans into brown sugar and winter spice-laced butter with walnut tobacco leaves wrapped in vanilla husks and cedar bark.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a very solid and classically hewn bourbon. I like it a lot but it’s more “classic” than “wow,” if that makes sense.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a whole fruit basket of fruitiness with stone fruit really shining through — think apricots and peaches — next to old tart apples, cinnamon sticks, toffees dusted with crushed almonds, and a murmur of chamomile tea.

Palate: The palate has a dry crafty graininess that’s akin to oatmeal cookie dough wrapped in corn husks with a hint of nuttiness, brown sugar, cinnamon, and something slightly floral but woody.

Finish: The end brings the apricot back as a spicy jam with a little vanilla creaminess and tannic florals.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a fruit bomb on the nose that gives way to a dry grain crafty body. It’s deep and interesting with an enticing profile.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this is both soft and bold with sharp winter spices next to an orange cream pie with singed meringue and a hint of sour berries (cranberry maybe?) that’s all accented by a big dry sweetgrass note.

Palate: The palate then veers into dry lemongrass and ginger with drier green reeds next to a light touch of salted caramel drizzled over lemon pudding.

Finish: The ginger and woody vanilla lead back into the dry grass as the sour berries attach to a soft and chewy tobacco leaf.

Initial Thoughts:

This was a very dry craft whiskey. It balances that dryness with a nice deep classic bourbon vibe. It’s not too shabby by the end.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is sweet on the nose with apple orchards, corn mush, vanilla cake, and honeyed biscuits.

Palate: The palate builds on the sweet nose with dark winter spices, soft oak, and a nice balance of vanilla and caramel.

Finish: The end is short and sweet but sticks with you with a classic orchard fruit/vanilla/caramel vibe.

Initial Thoughts:

This is classic bourbon but the thinnest pour on the list by far. It’s totally fine but didn’t really stand up to some of the crazy pours on this list.

Part 2 — The Craft Bourbon Ranking

8. Breckenridge Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend — Taste 8

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $41

The Whiskey:

Colorado’s mountain-high Breckenridge has had some incredible releases. This whiskey is a blend of three-year-old Colorado bourbons made up in the Rocky Mountains and proofed with water from the glaciers.

Bottom Line:

This is perfectly good bourbon. It’s on the thinner side (thanks to those lower ABVs), so I’d focus on grabbing this in a cocktail the next time I’m in Denver.

7. Jeptha Creed Rye Bourbon Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 7

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $47

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from indie-darling Jeptha Creed is all about local corn. The mash is built with 75% Bloody Butcher Corn next to 20% malted rye and a mere 5% malted barley. That distillate spends a few years chilling in new oak before it’s batched, cut to proof, and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is an interesting bourbon that bridges the drier grain crafty vibes with stone-cold classic Kentucky bourbon vibes. It’s a good balance but doesn’t feel like it commits fully to either feel. Still, this is worth checking out if you’re distillery hoping in Kentucky this summer.

6. 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey Aspen Stave Finished — Taste 6

ABV: 57.8%

Average Price: $109

The Whiskey:

This Colorado whiskey is made from a mix of local corn, malted wheat, malted rye, and beech-smoked malted barley. As per 291’s classic aging methods, the whiskey is aged for about two years with aspen wood staves in the barrel to accelerate the aging process. Finally, this is batched and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the really good stuff. This has great depth. The only reason it’s lower in the ranking is that it is so fruit-forward that it starts to border on “one note” a tad. Still, if you’re looking for a fruity bourbon with a classic aura, this is a great option.

5. Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

The latest batch of Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast is a four-grain bourbon. The California whiskey was made with 69% corn, 22% rye, 5% malted barley, and a mere 4% wheat. After five years of maturation, 26 barrels were picked for this batch. Those barrels were vatted and the whiskey was just kissed with pure water from a local Russian River Valley aquifer.

Bottom Line:

I probably would have guessed that this was a Kentucky bourbon. It feels so classically that with a deep profile that just keeps delivering flavor notes. This is California only for the most part, but 100% worth seeing out if you’re hitting Sonoma, Napa, or anywhere in NoCal this summer. Take a case home if you can.

4. Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

Frey Ranch is all about the farm behind the whiskey. In this case, that’s a 165+-year-old farm in the Sierra Nevada basin near Lake Tahoe in Nevada. The grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling all happen on-site at Frey Ranch.

Bottom Line:

This is just really freaking good whiskey. It’s also just the baseline of the wonderful stuff coming out of Frey Ranch right now, so this is technically their cocktail bourbon. That aside, this is a must-stop if you’re in the Lake Tahoe area. Get some!

3. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

This new release from Huber Farm’s Starlight Distillery (the distillery to know if you’re in the know) is made from their high-corn mash with a sweet mash method (each batch is fresh) in their old copper pot still. The whiskey is barreled in Canton barrels and left to age on the farm for four years before it’s batched (only 20 barrels) and proofed down to 100 proof for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This small family-run distillery about 20 minutes north of Louisville is doing amazing work. This bottle is the perfect gateway into the wider world of Starlight and an absolute banger whiskey. You’re going to need to take a detour the next time you’re hitting the KY Bourbon Trail. Trust me, that extra 20-minute drive is worth it for whiskey this good.

2. Woodinville Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 58.54%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This craft darling from Washington state is all about local ingredients. The mash is rendered from locally grown corn, rye, and barley. The spirit is distilled in Western Washington and then shipped to Eastern Washington to age for at least five years. That whiskey is then batched and bottled as-is with no fussing or cutting.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey is an absolute banger. The profile just keeps going and going, revealing more and more classic bourbon notes. It’s just delicious. You can also now get this outside of Washington. So click that link above and get some. You will not be disappointed.

1. Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Vintage Series Fall 2018 — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $53

The Whisky:

The latest seasonal drop from Tennessee’s Chattanooga Whiskey is another great. The whiskey is a blend of four of their mash bills. 30% comes from mash bill SB091, which is a mix of yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. Another 30% comes from mash bill B002, which has yellow corn, hardwood smoked malted barley (smoked with beech, mesquite, apple, or cherry), caramel malted barley, caramel malted, and honey malted barley. The next 20% is mash bill B005, which is yellow corn, malted wheat, oak smoked malted wheat, and caramel malted wheat. And the last 20% is from mash bill R18098, which is yellow corn, pale malted barley, naked malted oats, double roasted caramel malted barley, peated malted barley, cherrywood smoked malted barley, chocolate malt, and de-husked chocolate malt.

Bottom Line:

While I loved a lot of whiskey on this list, this one truly stood above the rest. It just goes so deep and in so many amazingly tasty directions while still feeling classic, nostalgic, and somehow comforting. It’s an amazing balance. While you don’t have to go to Tennessee to buy this one (just click that price link), it’s worth dipping into the distillery to meet the awesome team making this fantastic whiskey.

Make sure to take as many home as they let you buy.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Craft Bourbons

What a great panel of whiskeys. Truly, there wasn’t a bad pour in the whole bunch.

I’d focus on the top four or five if I was looking for something great to add to my shelf. In the end, though, I’d focus on those top two for a real “wow” pour of whiskey. They’re very different (and from different ends of the country) but they both deliver such a quality sipping experience that you will not be disappointed.

Ari Lennox developed a cult-like following for her soulful songs and her addictive Instagram Live streams. Some of her sessions made it onto her album, while others have landed her in hot water, including comments she made about media moguls Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. So the “Waste My Time” singer took to Twitter to issue a second apology to the women.

“I sincerely apologize to Oprah and Gayle. Y’all legends didn’t deserve that wretched ignorant live,” wrote the musician.

In her original livestream, Lennox was angry at King for her line of questioning during an interview with basketball player Lisa Leslie about the legacy of her late friend and fellow professional athlete Kobe Bryant.

“F*ck Gayle and f*ck Oprah,” the singer yelled. “Y’all are some self-hating pieces of sh*t f*ck asses. If I’ve never seen a c*on more f*cking c*onier than goddamn Kale and Okra. I’m over y’all.”

Before her apology, Lennox revealed the reason she stepped back from holding livestreams, saying, “I can be a b*tch sometimes. Just putting it out there. Not always proud of those moments, but sometimes I am.”

Reflecting on her decision to stop livestreaming, the entertainer confessed,” I have been naive, a sheep, a people pleaser battling traumas and codependency. I was one mindlessly and unintentionally spreading false information in order to impress people. My lives were a playground on top of a fiery hell. I was simply unaware of the damage I was causing. So while some of those lives represent a sweet, free, and even seemingly happier or more confident girl, I was lost and insecure. No self-awareness and so unhappy. Addicted to entertaining others so I didn’t have to face my own reality.”

Closing the thread, Lennox wrote, “So, in conclusion, that’s why there are no more IG lives from me, and prayerfully won’t be. They’re too addicting (for me), and I just don’t enjoy tap dancing at the expense of my mental health.”

Ari Lennox developed a cult-like following for her soulful songs and her addictive Instagram Live streams. Some of her sessions made it onto her album, while others have landed her in hot water, including comments she made about media moguls Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King. So the “Waste My Time” singer took to Twitter to issue a second apology to the women.

“I sincerely apologize to Oprah and Gayle. Y’all legends didn’t deserve that wretched ignorant live,” wrote the musician.

In her original livestream, Lennox was angry at King for her line of questioning during an interview with basketball player Lisa Leslie about the legacy of her late friend and fellow professional athlete Kobe Bryant.

“F*ck Gayle and f*ck Oprah,” the singer yelled. “Y’all are some self-hating pieces of sh*t f*ck asses. If I’ve never seen a c*on more f*cking c*onier than goddamn Kale and Okra. I’m over y’all.”

Before her apology, Lennox revealed the reason she stepped back from holding livestreams, saying, “I can be a b*tch sometimes. Just putting it out there. Not always proud of those moments, but sometimes I am.”

Reflecting on her decision to stop livestreaming, the entertainer confessed,” I have been naive, a sheep, a people pleaser battling traumas and codependency. I was one mindlessly and unintentionally spreading false information in order to impress people. My lives were a playground on top of a fiery hell. I was simply unaware of the damage I was causing. So while some of those lives represent a sweet, free, and even seemingly happier or more confident girl, I was lost and insecure. No self-awareness and so unhappy. Addicted to entertaining others so I didn’t have to face my own reality.”

Closing the thread, Lennox wrote, “So, in conclusion, that’s why there are no more IG lives from me, and prayerfully won’t be. They’re too addicting (for me), and I just don’t enjoy tap dancing at the expense of my mental health.”

Donald Trump‘s alleged attempt to conceal classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida just went from bad to worse thanks to a bombshell revelation this week. According to a new report, the special counsel investigation has evidence that Trump aides allegedly moved documents the day before a Department of Justice subpoena was served at Mar-a-Lago.

As for how investigators obtained that evidence: A maintenance worker told them.

The unnamed Mar-a-Lago employee reportedly tipped off federal prosecutors that he observed Trump’s White House valet, Walt Nauta, moving boxes and even offered to help. At the time, the worker “had no idea what was inside the boxes,” but he later informed investigators about what he saw.

Via The New York Times:

The worker’s account is potentially significant to prosecutors as they piece together details of how Mr. Trump handled sensitive documents he took with him from the White House upon leaving office and whether he obstructed efforts by the Justice Department and the National Archives to retrieve them.

Mr. Trump was found to have been keeping some of the documents in the storage room where Mr. Nauta and the maintenance worker were moving boxes on the day before the Justice Department’s top counterintelligence official, Jay Bratt, traveled to Mar-a-Lago last June to seek the return of any government materials being held by the former president.

The Washington Post was the first to report on the special counsel learning about the movement of the boxes, but this new detail sheds light on just how thoroughly prosecutors are investigating the matter. While commenting on the recent flurry of activity, Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough noted that there’s no way Trump doesn’t understand that he’s in “serious trouble.”

“This is not going to end well for him or people that are close to him,” Scarborough said.

(Via The New York Times)

The NBA Finals are around the corner, but A Boogie With Da Hoodie has already cast his ballot for this year’s breakout player. On the remix for his song “MVP,” the rapper runs a lyrical drill using the name of the league’s biggest stars.

The track produced by GoodJobLarry, MD$, and Ruuben originally featured G-Eazy. However, this go around, the Bronx native drafts Puerto Rican recording artist Myke Towers to trade off bars.

Boogie sets the play as he raps on the first verse, “Bright lights like we at the Garden / On P, don’t get me startеd / Whole team walk in, we thе party / If I can’t make the play, I’ma lob it / If you jump, that’s right on your head / Had to put ’em to sleep, go to bed / I’m a star, dropped fifty and left / From the logo like I’m Steph.”

Towers doesn’t drop the ball when it is his turn, spitting, “I’m ballin’ young like Tatum / So many trophies, I gotta make room / Playoff mode, you gotta stay tuned / I’m a head coach when I make moves / I’m The Joker like Jokić / Easy money like KD / Big brands gotta pay me.”

Listen to the track above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Succession and Barry aren’t the only award-winning TV shows ending this weekend. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel series finale debuted on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, and fans of Family Guy may have wondered if the episode includes a nod to a classic scene from the animated series. Your suspicion is correct, the one person who watches both Mrs. Maisel and Family Guy; it was confirmed by none other than Alex Borstein, who stars on both shows.

“Dan Palladino and I wrote together on Family Guy. He was my boss there. It was very reminiscent in my head to ‘Mom, mommy, mom, mom, mama, mom, Lois, mommy,’ which we were all there for in the room when that came up,” she told Entertainment Weekly. “That’s kind of what I had in my head, trying to be equally as grating and annoying.”

Here’s the scene being referenced from Family Guy:

I haven’t checked the comments on that video, but I’m guessing 85 percent of them are moms saying, “omg this is so me and my kid haha.” The other 15 percent is people saying how much better Family Guy used to be (in that sense, they really did rip off The Simpsons). Borstein continued:

“That was a really fun thing to shoot, but it was a lot. We were also able to play with it in ADR when we do the additional dialogue in a booth. I was able to change them up or add more. I think she had me add more. That was annoying for the whole crew. I think they were pretty sick of hearing “Mike, Mike, Mike” by the end of that.”

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel finale is streaming now.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

I drove through Iowa and Nebraska last week, and guess what? Everything they told me about “the flyover states” was a lie. I didn’t see a single stalk of corn, but I did see a ski lift. Before that mindf*ck, I passed through several gorgeous National Parks and nothing gave me worse FOMO than driving through the Rockies. As we chugged along the I-70, weaving alongside the Colorado River, the seemingly-endless peaks, still coated in bright snow, looked absolutely enticing.

All I wanted was to do hop out of the car for a little two-hour detour; strap in, sip a craft lager, and bomb down those slopes in a T-shirt. But two hours for $250? That would be idiotic. Which goes a long way toward explaining why all the cool Colorado kids have an Epic Pass.

Right now, The Epic Pass, which grants unlimited, season-long access to premium mountain resorts like Vail, Whistler Blackcomb, Park City, Breckenridge, and more, is available at a huge discount until Memorial Day, May 29th. For the cost of essentially four days of riding one mountain, you could explore over 40 resorts (including international spots in Austria, Switzerland, and Australia) all season long. Not only that, this package includes half-off deals for friends, the ability to pay the pass off monthly with zero interest, and loads of other perks like lodging deals, free gondola rides, summer golf discounts, and more.

For lovers of fresh snow powder and the outdoors, this is the Golden Ticket in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

Basically, you’re buying the freedom and flexibility to go ski or board whenever the heck you want, and when you buy in bulk, that’s when you save big. With this deal, it’s possible to slash a $ 250-a-day price to just a few bucks (if you make the absolute most of it). Kids get the pass for half the price, and if you’re a veteran, they’re gonna hook you up with a pass for just over $100.

To think, I could have paid in May of last year, had my all-you-can ski fix in the winter, and then five months later hop out of the car for a quick impromptu spring session. But as they say, hindsight’s 20-20.

Make sure to check out all the pass options here. If you’re on the fence about pulling the trigger, I’d advise against that: Hesitating leads to wiping out. How do I know? Here’s a clip of me to illustrate that phenomenon:

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A post shared by John Elbert (@hy_dro_flask)

Look, like many, I have utterly loathed Disney’s live-action remakes. In my opinion, they have either been a lazy, frame-by-frame rehashing of what we already know (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Lion King”) or the original essence is lost in trying to be cutting edge or topical (“Mulan”). Either way, audiences young and old are robbed of that special feeling promised by the Disney brand. Instead, we’re left wondering if we’ll ever have that feeling again.

This is, sadly, exactly what I expected for Disney’s live-action remake of 1989’s “The Little Mermaid.” To be more specific, I expected to get a wondrous performance by Halle Bailey as Ariel, which would ultimately be drowned out by mediocre storytelling.

And honestly, why shouldn’t I? Even before the movie premiered, there have been some questionable choices, such as changes to the song lyrics (not inherently bad, IMO, but would lead me to wonder if the songs themselves were dulled in some way), and having the animal characters like Sebastion and Flounder look like they belong in National Geographic…which I guess is still technically Disney nowadays but just ain’t right, ya know?

Headlines that have rolled in since the premiere, cleverly calling the film a “shallow,” “not bad…but not good,” and “poor unfortunate remake” certainly didn’t lessen my skepticism. All that to say, I went in thinking I’d come out completely unchanged, unmoved and unimpressed.

Boy, was I pleasantly surprised.

(Avast! Mild spoilers ahead, though I was purposely cryptic throughout.)

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First off—the design is gorgeous. The mermaid kingdom is colorful and mesmerizing. The land kingdom is given a really cool Caribbean, Barbados-y flavor that adds a whole new dimension. The beginning scene on the ship brilliantly captures the mysterious beauty and dangerous majesty of the sea that once filled the hearts of sailors and brought us mermaid lore in the first place. 10/10. No notes.

Next, the musical numbers were on point. The classics hit in all the right places but were given a light, fresh touch by the incomparable Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also added in a fun new rap song called “Scuttlebutt,” which as you can imagine, incorporates Miranda’s next-level wordsmith skills.

Also, the supporting characters definitely held their own, not least of which being Melissa McCarthy’s portrayal of the sassy, brassy, kinda scary sea witch Ursula.

via GIPHY

I know that I am probably the only one on the planet who wasn’t entirely excited when it was announced that McCarthy would be playing the role. (She’s talented and lovely, don’t get me wrong…I just don’t normally resonate with her usual shtick.) But, as the kids say, McCarthy ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS. The way she honored Ursula’s vocal mannerisms alone had me sold. And that belt at the end of “Poor Unfortunate Souls”…fuggedaboutit.

We even got a much more fleshed out Eric, who sings his own song of yearning from the “Little Mermaid” Broadway show. In the movie, we see that Eric and Ariel really are two kindred spirits with a ton of innocent, heartfelt chemistry. The moment in the “Kiss The Girl” boat scene where Eric learns Ariel’s name using the stars in the sky is romantic and sweet in all the right ways.

via GIPHY

And yes, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Sebastian and Flounder designs actually make sense. Looking back, if they had made them closer to the cartoony style we’re familiar with, it would have felt very wonky and out of place. There, I said it.

I haven’t mentioned much about Ariel herself, because what is there to say really other than Bailey is phenomenal. She brings the necessary purity and dreaminess, but adds her own sense of courage and determination. This Ariel steers her own course…quite literally.

via GIPHY

Overall, I think there are plenty of treasures untold to be gleaned from this delightfully creative retelling. It’s a movie that, despite the alluring siren song of criticism, can infuse a healing dose of magic into kids’ hearts—and even the heart of our own inner child, if we let it.

Sydney Sweeney‘s latest project is a pretty big departure from her former roles as the dramatic Cassie in Euphoria and the whiny teenage Olivia in The White Lotus. The Emmy-nominated actress stars in Reality as Reality Winner, a real-life veteran who was interrogated after leaking classified information about Russian interference in the 2016 election. She was later sentenced to five years in prison.

Reality takes place over several hours when Winner was confronted and interrogated by government officials. Here’s everything we know about the drama.

Cast

The movie stars Sweeney alongside Marchant Davis and Josh Hamilton, who play FBI agents tasked with interrogating the veteran.

Plot

The story is inspired by real-life veteran Reality Winner (yes, that’s really her name) who leaked a report about Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. According to the official plot synopsis:

On June 3, 2017, 25-year-old Reality Winner returns from running errands to find two FBI agents at her home in Augusta, Georgia. An Air Force veteran and yoga instructor, Winner spends the next two hours being questioned about her work as an intelligence contractor – specifically, whether she leaked a classified document about Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.

With all dialogue taken from the FBI transcript Reality tells the tense, mesmerizing story of what transpired inside Winner’s home that afternoon. As she navigates the federal agents’ questions, Winner is revealed to be a fairly typical 20-something: She treasures her pets, loves to travel, teaches CrossFit, shares selfies on social media.

Release Date

After debuting at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival in February, Reality will hit HBO on May 29th and will be available to stream on MAX, HBO’s new streaming service.

Trailer

Here is the official trailer for Reality.