Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi might have a lot in common in the eyes of the general music listener, which is probably why the two have been continuing a semi-comedic feud.
The latest escalation found Capaldi guiding his crowd at Radio One’s Big Weekend to chant, “F*ck you, Ed.”
“Ed is not here today… yeah, f*ck him,” Capaldi told the audience.
In the days since, Sheeran eventually found out about the not-so-gentle dedication and offered a response. “I thought we were friends, Lewis. I thought we were friends you f,” Sheeran said in an Instagram video before it bleeps out his “f*cking c***.”
— Ed Sheeran News (Fanpage) (@EdSheeran_EU) May 31, 2023
The bit started last year after Capaldi purchased a house on Ed’s suggestion that wound up smelling like cigarettes. Sheeran jokingly offered to buy it back off of him.
“Let’s put it this way: if this album doesn’t go well, I’ve got a real issue on my hands,” Capaldi replied, according to NME. “I saw Ed… saying he was gonna buy it off me, right. I’ve been chasing that man on email — nothing. I haven’t seen him since. Ed has still burdened my life to an incredible degree.”
All jokes aside, the two have collaborated on past music. Here’s hoping Sheeran can go back to being someone Capaldi loved soon.
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Ed Sheeran and Lewis Capaldi might have a lot in common in the eyes of the general music listener, which is probably why the two have been continuing a semi-comedic feud.
The latest escalation found Capaldi guiding his crowd at Radio One’s Big Weekend to chant, “F*ck you, Ed.”
“Ed is not here today… yeah, f*ck him,” Capaldi told the audience.
In the days since, Sheeran eventually found out about the not-so-gentle dedication and offered a response. “I thought we were friends, Lewis. I thought we were friends you f,” Sheeran said in an Instagram video before it bleeps out his “f*cking c***.”
— Ed Sheeran News (Fanpage) (@EdSheeran_EU) May 31, 2023
The bit started last year after Capaldi purchased a house on Ed’s suggestion that wound up smelling like cigarettes. Sheeran jokingly offered to buy it back off of him.
“Let’s put it this way: if this album doesn’t go well, I’ve got a real issue on my hands,” Capaldi replied, according to NME. “I saw Ed… saying he was gonna buy it off me, right. I’ve been chasing that man on email — nothing. I haven’t seen him since. Ed has still burdened my life to an incredible degree.”
All jokes aside, the two have collaborated on past music. Here’s hoping Sheeran can go back to being someone Capaldi loved soon.
Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Bill Hader and Ali Wong were in two of 2023’s best television shows so far (Barry for him, Beef for her), and, oh yeah, they’re one of the best celebrity couples around. In an interview with Variety, Wong discussed the sudden interest in her personal life and how she deals with her new level of fame.
“It’s so weird. I can’t even explain it. I have never, ever been snapped by paparazzi until this year,” Wong said. “I was talking to someone recently and they said, ‘I think it’s so alarming when it happens because you feel like you’ve been caught when really, you’re not doing anything wrong.’ It was someone giving me, in hindsight, advice about their former relationship with a famous person.” The comedian and Tuca and Bertie star said her friend “had spent so much energy hiding, and that defined the whole relationship. That’s still staying with me, and it’s quite an adjustment.”
It’s an even bigger adjustment for her mom:
“The other thing is my mom reads People magazine; she’s been a longtime subscriber, and she does the crossword puzzle. I haven’t even discussed it with her, but that must be so surreal for her. I’m trying to get used to it.”
Hopefully Wong’s mother skipped the People article, “Rachel Bilson Reveals the One (X-Rated) Thing She Misses Most About Ex Bill Hader.” (It’s his “big d*ck.”)
Bill Hader and Ali Wong were in two of 2023’s best television shows so far (Barry for him, Beef for her), and, oh yeah, they’re one of the best celebrity couples around. In an interview with Variety, Wong discussed the sudden interest in her personal life and how she deals with her new level of fame.
“It’s so weird. I can’t even explain it. I have never, ever been snapped by paparazzi until this year,” Wong said. “I was talking to someone recently and they said, ‘I think it’s so alarming when it happens because you feel like you’ve been caught when really, you’re not doing anything wrong.’ It was someone giving me, in hindsight, advice about their former relationship with a famous person.” The comedian and Tuca and Bertie star said her friend “had spent so much energy hiding, and that defined the whole relationship. That’s still staying with me, and it’s quite an adjustment.”
It’s an even bigger adjustment for her mom:
“The other thing is my mom reads People magazine; she’s been a longtime subscriber, and she does the crossword puzzle. I haven’t even discussed it with her, but that must be so surreal for her. I’m trying to get used to it.”
Hopefully Wong’s mother skipped the People article, “Rachel Bilson Reveals the One (X-Rated) Thing She Misses Most About Ex Bill Hader.” (It’s his “big d*ck.”)
Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert has been raging for weeks on subjects related to the debt ceiling, and she’s been ranting for days about the deal waged by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden. Granted, she’s also been preoccupied lately with the “unbecoming” congressional hoodie of John Fetterman and taking continued swipes at Bud Light, but one would imagine that showing up for the House vote on the debt ceiling deal, known as the Fiscal Reponsibility Act of 2023 or H.R. 3746, would be a top priority.
Not so much, apparently. Boebert has been mightily tweeting against the deal and vowing, “You can count me as a NO on this deal.”
Our base didn’t volunteer, door knock and fight so hard to get us the majority for this kind of compromise deal with Joe Biden.
Our voters deserve better than this. We work for them.
You can count me as a NO on this deal. We can do better.
And yet, she didn’t make it on time for the Wednesday evening vote, during which the House passed the bill (which awaits further action by the Senate). As noted by Axios Capitol Hill reporter Juliegrace Brufke, “Rep. Lauren Boebert narrowly missed the vote, running up the steps right as they gaveled.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert narrowly missed the vote, running up the steps right as they gaveled.
What happened? Boebert hasn’t delivered a formal statement on her tardiness, nor has she tweeted about the subject. Actually, she hasn’t tweeted at all since this happened. (This must have taken the root out of her toot.) However, in an array of tweets this week, Boebert urged her fellow Republicans to vote against the bill, calling it “classic Washington DC swamp garbage” while adding, “No sensible conservative can vote for this.”
To be fair on that second quote up there, sure, Boebert kept her word on not voting for the bill. Yet she didn’t vote against it either, which is super awkward. So with that said, Twitter user Damon Mast presented, “A play in three (short) acts starring Lauren Boebert.”
Rootin’ tootin’ Lauren Boebert has been raging for weeks on subjects related to the debt ceiling, and she’s been ranting for days about the deal waged by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden. Granted, she’s also been preoccupied lately with the “unbecoming” congressional hoodie of John Fetterman and taking continued swipes at Bud Light, but one would imagine that showing up for the House vote on the debt ceiling deal, known as the Fiscal Reponsibility Act of 2023 or H.R. 3746, would be a top priority.
Not so much, apparently. Boebert has been mightily tweeting against the deal and vowing, “You can count me as a NO on this deal.”
Our base didn’t volunteer, door knock and fight so hard to get us the majority for this kind of compromise deal with Joe Biden.
Our voters deserve better than this. We work for them.
You can count me as a NO on this deal. We can do better.
And yet, she didn’t make it on time for the Wednesday evening vote, during which the House passed the bill (which awaits further action by the Senate). As noted by Axios Capitol Hill reporter Juliegrace Brufke, “Rep. Lauren Boebert narrowly missed the vote, running up the steps right as they gaveled.”
Rep. Lauren Boebert narrowly missed the vote, running up the steps right as they gaveled.
What happened? Boebert hasn’t delivered a formal statement on her tardiness, nor has she tweeted about the subject. Actually, she hasn’t tweeted at all since this happened. (This must have taken the root out of her toot.) However, in an array of tweets this week, Boebert urged her fellow Republicans to vote against the bill, calling it “classic Washington DC swamp garbage” while adding, “No sensible conservative can vote for this.”
To be fair on that second quote up there, sure, Boebert kept her word on not voting for the bill. Yet she didn’t vote against it either, which is super awkward. So with that said, Twitter user Damon Mast presented, “A play in three (short) acts starring Lauren Boebert.”
In 2023, you have a lot of options for drive-thru coffee spots, from Starbucks to Dunkin’ to Coffee Bean, to Dutch Bros. And while we’re of the mind that the best coffee is going to come from a small local coffee shop that is willing to get nerdy about both its beans and brewing process, it’s hard to beat the price and convenience of the big chains. Among these behemoths, nobody is faster or cheaper than McDonald’s. There is a whole crowd of people who ride hard for McDonald’s McCafe line of coffee drinks and the brand is always looking for ways to expand that menu — which brings us to the Chicago chain’s latest newest product, the new Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew coffee.
Available for a limited time at just 600 company-owned and franchise restaurants in Southern California, the Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew join a menu that includes roast coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, and flavored iced coffee drinks like caramel, hazelnut, and French vanilla. Since cold drinks are by far the most popular coffee chain menu options, a successful cold brew would push McDonald’s even more into direct competition with places like Starbucks (which has a jaw-dropping 23 different iced coffee drinks, we ranked ’em all) and Dunkin,’ two brands that are arguably the kings of fast food cold brew.
So how do these McD’s entries stack up? We found out by tracking down the new drinks and tasting them. I have intimate knowledge of both Starbucks and Dunkin’s iced coffee menus, so I’ll be comparing the new McDonald’s drinks to their proper counterparts on the ‘Bucks and DD menus. Let’s sip!
McDonald’s Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew Coffee
Dane Rivera
Price: $3.19/$3.59
Tasting Notes:
Decent cold brew can land anywhere between being supremely mellow, fruity, a bit chocolatey, nutty, and full of roasted character. It’s much sweeter than typical brewed coffee and way less bitter, this sounds great but can sometimes come across as tasting sour to some people. Unfortunately, McDonald’s Cold Brew has none of these qualities. The plain black cold brew is mellow to the point of almost tasting watery. It has no bitter bite to it, which is nice, but at times made me feel like I wasn’t really drinking coffee.
I’m getting hints of roasted coffee notes, but I’m really straining to taste them, the mouthfeel is soft but nothing jumps out on my palate as particularly enjoyable.
Dane Rivera
Luckily, the Marbled Cold Brew comes across a lot better. Now, granted, it’s pumped full of some sort of sweet creamy vanilla-esque syrup with ribbons of even more cream to give it its marbled color (which is only really present before you mix the drink together), but the soft and mellow flavor keeps this drinking sweet leaning but without the bitter aftertaste that overstays its welcome found in McDonald’s typical iced coffee. Because of that, I think this is a much better experience than what the iced coffee offers, it focuses on sweetness and keeps things mellow and dialed in on the creamy notes.
How Does It Compare to Starbucks?
Dane Rivera
Starbucks has a few drinks that compare, let’s first talk about the Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew. Starbucks’ Cold Brew is awful, it’s bitter, sour, and highly acidic. I don’t like it, and I think McDonald’s weak-tasting Cold Brew is much better. Starbucks’ Nitro cold brew on the other hand, has McDonald’s beat. The Nitro Cold Brew is smooth and has a bitter character similar to good dark chocolate with a hint of dark cherry fruitiness. It’s so much more complex than McDonald’s Cold Brew.
When it comes to the Marbled Cold Brew and Starbucks’ equivalent drinks, it’s not even close. At Starbucks, you can get Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew and Vanilla Sweet Cream, both of which are way more complex than McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew and offer flavors that take your tastebuds on a journey. Comparing them feels cruel, but if you want that added complexity you’ll have to pay nearly double the price of what McDonald’s is selling, and the McDonald’s drive-thru moves much faster than Starbucks — so its a bit of a time differential as well.
How Does It Compare To Dunkin’?
Dunkin
Dunkin’ secretly has some of the best cold brew coffee in the fast food coffee universe. It’s nutty, with notes of dark chocolate, a smooth character, and a slightly sweet aftertaste. I think it’s vastly superior to both McDonald’s and Dunkin’. Dunkin’, unfortunately, doesn’t have a sweetened variety (on the permanent menu at least) that directly competes with what McDonald’s or Starbucks offers.
You can sweeten your Cold Brew with cream and sugar, which will get you in the ballpark of McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew, but the Marbled does sweetness better, Dunkin’s falls flat and ends up muddying a great product.
The Bottom Line:
If sweet cold brew coffee is your thing, McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew is definitely worth the pickup and puts up a good fight against both Starbucks and Dunkin’. Starbucks wins on complexity, but McDonald’s gets points for price and convenience.
In 2023, you have a lot of options for drive-thru coffee spots, from Starbucks to Dunkin’ to Coffee Bean, to Dutch Bros. And while we’re of the mind that the best coffee is going to come from a small local coffee shop that is willing to get nerdy about both its beans and brewing process, it’s hard to beat the price and convenience of the big chains. Among these behemoths, nobody is faster or cheaper than McDonald’s. There is a whole crowd of people who ride hard for McDonald’s McCafe line of coffee drinks and the brand is always looking for ways to expand that menu — which brings us to the Chicago chain’s latest newest product, the new Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew coffee.
Available for a limited time at just 600 company-owned and franchise restaurants in Southern California, the Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew join a menu that includes roast coffee, hot chocolate, hot tea, and flavored iced coffee drinks like caramel, hazelnut, and French vanilla. Since cold drinks are by far the most popular coffee chain menu options, a successful cold brew would push McDonald’s even more into direct competition with places like Starbucks (which has a jaw-dropping 23 different iced coffee drinks, we ranked ’em all) and Dunkin,’ two brands that are arguably the kings of fast food cold brew.
So how do these McD’s entries stack up? We found out by tracking down the new drinks and tasting them. I have intimate knowledge of both Starbucks and Dunkin’s iced coffee menus, so I’ll be comparing the new McDonald’s drinks to their proper counterparts on the ‘Bucks and DD menus. Let’s sip!
McDonald’s Cold Brew and Marbled Cold Brew Coffee
Dane Rivera
Price: $3.19/$3.59
Tasting Notes:
Decent cold brew can land anywhere between being supremely mellow, fruity, a bit chocolatey, nutty, and full of roasted character. It’s much sweeter than typical brewed coffee and way less bitter, this sounds great but can sometimes come across as tasting sour to some people. Unfortunately, McDonald’s Cold Brew has none of these qualities. The plain black cold brew is mellow to the point of almost tasting watery. It has no bitter bite to it, which is nice, but at times made me feel like I wasn’t really drinking coffee.
I’m getting hints of roasted coffee notes, but I’m really straining to taste them, the mouthfeel is soft but nothing jumps out on my palate as particularly enjoyable.
Dane Rivera
Luckily, the Marbled Cold Brew comes across a lot better. Now, granted, it’s pumped full of some sort of sweet creamy vanilla-esque syrup with ribbons of even more cream to give it its marbled color (which is only really present before you mix the drink together), but the soft and mellow flavor keeps this drinking sweet leaning but without the bitter aftertaste that overstays its welcome found in McDonald’s typical iced coffee. Because of that, I think this is a much better experience than what the iced coffee offers, it focuses on sweetness and keeps things mellow and dialed in on the creamy notes.
How Does It Compare to Starbucks?
Dane Rivera
Starbucks has a few drinks that compare, let’s first talk about the Cold Brew and Nitro Cold Brew. Starbucks’ Cold Brew is awful, it’s bitter, sour, and highly acidic. I don’t like it, and I think McDonald’s weak-tasting Cold Brew is much better. Starbucks’ Nitro cold brew on the other hand, has McDonald’s beat. The Nitro Cold Brew is smooth and has a bitter character similar to good dark chocolate with a hint of dark cherry fruitiness. It’s so much more complex than McDonald’s Cold Brew.
When it comes to the Marbled Cold Brew and Starbucks’ equivalent drinks, it’s not even close. At Starbucks, you can get Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew and Vanilla Sweet Cream, both of which are way more complex than McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew and offer flavors that take your tastebuds on a journey. Comparing them feels cruel, but if you want that added complexity you’ll have to pay nearly double the price of what McDonald’s is selling, and the McDonald’s drive-thru moves much faster than Starbucks — so its a bit of a time differential as well.
How Does It Compare To Dunkin’?
Dunkin
Dunkin’ secretly has some of the best cold brew coffee in the fast food coffee universe. It’s nutty, with notes of dark chocolate, a smooth character, and a slightly sweet aftertaste. I think it’s vastly superior to both McDonald’s and Dunkin’. Dunkin’, unfortunately, doesn’t have a sweetened variety (on the permanent menu at least) that directly competes with what McDonald’s or Starbucks offers.
You can sweeten your Cold Brew with cream and sugar, which will get you in the ballpark of McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew, but the Marbled does sweetness better, Dunkin’s falls flat and ends up muddying a great product.
The Bottom Line:
If sweet cold brew coffee is your thing, McDonald’s Marbled Cold Brew is definitely worth the pickup and puts up a good fight against both Starbucks and Dunkin’. Starbucks wins on complexity, but McDonald’s gets points for price and convenience.
Spending money on good Scotch whisky isn’t that hard. There’s more than enough of it on the shelf. Still, when spending big money on any whiskey, you kind of want to know what you’re spending all that hard-earned cash on. Sometimes just seeing “cask strength” or “20 Years Old” on a label isn’t enough information. Plus, you don’t want to bring home a bottle that you don’t love. Otherwise, you could be spending all that cash on something that’s just going to collect dust on a shelf.
To help you avoid that, I’m going to blindly taste eight big-time top-shelf Scotch whiskies that cost a pretty penny. I raided my liquor shelves and ended up with eight killer bottles of Scotch whisky that all hit high marks (awards, critical darlings, big sellers, etc.) and also cost a mint — hell, some of these cost a small fortune.
That makes our lineup today the following top-shelf Scotch whiskies:
Bowmore Masters’ Selection Aston Martin Aged 22 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The GlenDronach Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength Batch no. 12
Linkwood Single Malt Scotch Whisky 31-Year-Old Lady Macduff Thanes Series Macbeth Act One
Glenfiddich Grand Yozakura Aged 29 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46 Years Old
The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged for 20 Years
The Glenlivet 21 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Sample Room Collection
After I taste-tested these whiskies blindly, I ranked them according to their taste. And, ho boy, was that a difficult task. All of these whiskies were f*cking fantastic. Two pours did stand out, but the other six were all basically equals that I had to go back over two or three times and split some serious hairs to actually rank. Who knew super expensive Scotch whisky was so damn good? Right?!?!
I kid, I kid. Still, read through those tasting notes and find one that speaks to you. Then hit that price link to see if you can find a bottle in your neck of the woods. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
Nose: Gently smoked cherries and smoked orange come through on the nose with a mild sense of smudging sage ash next to bourbon vanilla and apple fritters with a soft powdered sugar glaze.
Palate: That sweetness presents on the palate with a smoke chocolate powder vibe next to spiced malts, singed vanilla husks, and more of those smoked cherries but this time they have a twinge of tartness with a pinch of salt.
Finish: The finish combines the tart yet salty smoked cherries with the dark chocolate next to a deep sense of oak and spicy malts.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a nice peaty with a subtle Islay edge. The smokiness is more earthy and plays second fiddle to the boldly spiced malts, dark fruits, and caramelized sweetness. It’s a great balance of flavor notes is what I’m getting at.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Scoops of decadent dark chocolate powder draw you in with a hint of espresso cream, burnt orange, and marzipan with a moist sticky toffee pudding vibe next to a faint whisper of dried rose.
Palate: The palate is lush with a roasted and rich espresso bean vibe with salted dark chocolate, chinotto orange, and more rich and moist marzipan with a dash of ginger candy dipped in clove and allspice tea.
Finish: There’s a rich vanilla underbelly that smooths everything out on the end with a sense of rum raisin and faint bourbon cherry tobacco layered with soft cedar and mocha lattes.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty damn good whisky. The choco-coffee bitterness does peak pretty high by the mid-palate, taking away from the creaminess of the mouthfeel a bit. But that’s just the high ABVs poking you in the ribs. This feels like it’d turn into rich chocolate malted pudding cream at Christmas dinner with a little water or ice.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a beautiful sense of ripe apricot (fresh from vine clarity) with creamy lemon curd, fresh spearmint, lavender lemonade, soft saddle soap, buttery brioche, and … I swear … freshly washed sheets hanging out on a line on a sunny day.
Palate: Fresh pears and sweet apples counter the apricot on the palate as buttery scones just touched with rose water smeared with vanilla brandy butter with a light toward of floral honey and very dry champagne.
Finish: The pear layers into the champagne while the floral honey creates a luxurious mouthfeel next to soft moments of winter spice barks, marmalade, apricot leather, and creamy salted buttercream just kissed with vanilla and summer flowers.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a delicious whisky with an amazing mouthfeel. It’s like this creamy, silky, succulent pour that just keeps getting softer and softer with insanely deep flavor notes. So good.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is immediately amazing with deep notes of caramelized orange and grapefruit peels rolled in roasted almonds, allspice, and salt with a hint of confectioner’s sugar leading to this toffee maltiness and dark leathery fruitiness just kissed with creamy vanilla/chocolate before a hint of dried savory herbs sneaks in with a touch of old oak.
Palate: That ultra creamy vanilla and toffee lean into that soft oakiness and caramelized maltiness with a hint of green apple tartness and old wicker baskets full of tree barks next to date tobacco and salted caramel chocolate ganache.
Finish: That tobacco takes on a sticky toffee pudding and mincemeat pie vibe as the creaminess just keeps getting creamier on the long spice malt finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is next level on all counts. It’s wildly delicious.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is almost … fresh on the nose with a sense of tart and woody black currants, fresh plum, mango juice, and red grapes that then veers into the abyss with a sense of old boot leather, maple wood dipped in varnish, and waxy sense of ambergris (I swear) — think boot cream, fresh tobacco, and sandalwood with a hint of salt.
Palate: The taste takes the fruit and tosses it into a fruit salad that’s cut with seawater and nori that’s then countered by menthol tobacco and sharp citrus oils with a whisper of cherry-flavored cream soda.
Finish: A twinge of grapefruit oil drives the finish toward this fleeting sense of cellar dirt, more ambergris, and mint chocolate chip ice cream that’s laced with pipe tobacco and black currants.
Initial Thoughts:
Again, this is amazingly delicious. I just shook my head when I smelled and sipped this one. It’s so … everything you want it to be. You truly felt the … I want to say … wealth while drinking it. I guess true “richness” maybe? I don’t know how else to explain it.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is openly complex from the first inhalation with a matrix of sticky toffee pudding spices — cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg — next to dried red berries with a slight earthiness, a touch of salted toffee candies, and a whisper of vanilla wafers.
Palate: The palate opens with a chocolate maltiness next to a bowl of fresh and tropical fruits — pineapple, tart apples, sweet pears, plums, bruised bananas — with a mild nuttiness, sharp orange zest, and subtle winter spices.
Finish: There’s a light mustiness on the back end that leads to soft and moist pipe tobacco with a thin layer of orchard fruits and stewed figs.
Initial Thoughts:
This is right up there with the last two pours. It’s so delicate yet runs powerfully deep. It’s a tad less rich than the last two, but that’s me splitting some microscopic hairs.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly baked apple pie with cinnamon bark and nutmeg lead to black raisins, fatty walnuts, grilled pineapple, and sea-salt-infused dark cacao sauce with a hint of vanilla and pear on the nose.
Palate: The palate leans into the lard pie crust under that apple pie with a hint of powdered sugar icing next to mint chocolate chip, old vanilla pods, and banana’s foster with a smidge of clove and allspice thrown in.
Finish: There’s a light sense of caramel malts on the end that leads to a walnut cake full of raisins and cinnamon with a buttery vibe next to a savory note that’s part green herbs and part extra virgin olive oil.
Initial Thoughts:
This is delicious but didn’t hit as hard as the last three pours. It’s still damn near perfect though. Oh, and it’s delicious.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leather and winter spices lead the way on the nose with a hint of saffron-stewed pears, ripe peaches, and lush eggnog next to boiled beans with a bay leaf.
Palate: The palate leans into the peaches and pears but puts them in a pie with plenty of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg next to apricot jam and rum-raisin.
Finish: The mid-palate hits a pine resin note before descending toward brandied cherries and dark chocolate with fresh ginger sharpens and a dash of cinnamon candy.
Initial Thoughts:
It’s great. I’m not sure what else I can say. Okay, maybe it was a little on the thin side thanks to some low ABVs, but it was still really tasty. So who cares what the ABVs are?
Part 2 — The Top Shelf Scotch Whisky Ranking
Zach Johnston
8. Bowmore Masters’ Selection Aston Martin Aged 22 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 1
This is the next step in the much-lauded high-end Aston Martin series from Bowmore. The whisky is batched from special barrels of Bowmore’s famed barely-peated whisky into a final product that’s refined and just kissed with that iconic Islay spring water.
Bottom Line:
This being 8th was almost me throwing a dart at a name to place here. This is really good whisky. The only reason I could justify it being here is that the peatiness kind of distracted from the overall profile beneath. Though as I write it, even that’s a stretch.
My dramatics aside, this is a wonderfully tasty whisky with beautifully subtle peat that marries to the soft malts damn near perfectly. And hey, if you’re into cool classic cars, this is a must-have. So there’s that.
7. The GlenDronach Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength Batch no. 12 — Taste 2
This brand-new batch from Dr. Rachel Barrie at The GlenDronach is all about long aging. The whisky is left to mellow in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, Spain. The age statement is on the bottle, but the blends tend to lean over a decade. The final mix is then bottled at cask strength to really highlight that Spanish oak.
Bottom Line:
The only reason this is this low is that it was a little sharp/bitter/warm on the palate. I could have used a single cube of ice or a drop or two of water. After that, it probably would have skyrocketed to the top of the list. But alas, I was tasting this neat without any of that so here we are.
6. The Glenlivet 21 Years of Age Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Sample Room Collection — Taste 8
This redesigned The Glenlivet is still a classic whisky. The hot juice is aged in a triple combination of first-fill Oloroso sherry, Troncais oak Cognac casks, and vintage Colheita Port casks. After 21 long years (at least), the barrels are vatted and proofed down before bottling.
Bottom Line:
The hair I split on this one was the low ABV. That made this less powerful a sip but it was still 100% a satisfying one. It didn’t need a rock or water. It was a very well-rounded sip. And look, most times you don’t want that big ABV punch. So this is going to satisfy a lot of easy-going whisky drinkers out there.
5. Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged for 20 Years — Taste 7
Dufftown’s Mortlach is one of those distilleries that may just make you fall in love with scotch. The mash is distilled 2.81 times, according to Mortlach’s unique distilling methods. That juice is then loaded in sherry casks and left to do its thing for 20 long years. The results are vatted, brought down to proof with that soft Speyside water, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
Inside the vacuum of my home, this is a perfect whisky. I still believe that. Today, it didn’t pop quite as much as other pours on this panel. That hasn’t changed my mind at all. This is a perfect Dufftown malt.
4. Linkwood Single Malt Scotch Whisky 31-Year-Old Lady Macduff Thanes Series Macbeth Act One — Taste 3
This whisky is from a super whisky nerd distillery, Linkwood. If you know, you know. The whisky in the bottle was chosen by Elixir for its Macbeth lineup this year. The whisky is hewn from four ex-bourbon barrels that held the malt for at least 31 years (it’s a small miracle that any survived). Those barrels were vatted and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This was kind of crazy. It is an amazing pour of whisky. It also kind of came out of nowhere. I had no idea what it was but I wanted more immediately. But since my palate is quite attuned to it yet, I feel like I missed some deeper components that I need to revisit down the road.
Basically, I’m saying that this is the sort of whisky you need to spend a few sessions with to fully get into. So it’s a little lower ranked on this panel.
3. The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 6
This Highland whisky is a no-age-statement version of The Dalmore. The whisky is made from Golden barley that grows on the island in rich and very coastal soils. The ground malted barley is mixed with pure water from the Cromarty Firth nearby during the mashing process. After a couple of times through pot stills, the hot whisky is loaded into ex-bourbon casks, 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry butts, and former Cabernet Sauvignon from the Saint-Estèphe appellation of Bordeaux. After 10 to 15 years, those barrels are vatted, the whiskey is proofed, and it’s bottled.
Bottom Line:
Delicious. Buy a case.
2. Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 46 Years Old — Taste 5
Glenglassaugh is a reborn distillery in Scotland — having operated from the 1800s to the 1980s before getting mothballed for over two decades before its resurgence in 2008. This is important to know that the whiskey in this bottle was made in 1975 during the last years of the distillery’s 20th-century heyday. Living legend Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie found this barrel (a bourbon cask) in the stocks, and by some sort of whisky miracle, there was juice in the barrel. That whisky was bottled as-is at barrel strength and sent exclusively to the U.S.
Bottom Line:
This was almost laughably great. Like, how dare they make a whisky this good? It is one of the best examples of unpeated depth and perfection I think I’ve ever encountered. But it did stay in the “classic” lane, which endears me to it all the more thinking back now.
1. Glenfiddich Grand Yozakura Aged 29 Years Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 4
This brand-new limited edition from Glenfiddich is their first foray into Japanese barrel finishing. After 29 years (!) in American oak and re-fill oak, the whisky is vatted and refilled into an ex-Awamori cask — which is an Okinawan rice spirit of sorts — for another nine months of mellowing. Those barrels were then batched and bottled with a hint of proofing water.
Bottom Line:
This was otherworldly good. It was classic at first then veered off into new territory while still feeling comforting and nostalgic. It’s just an amazing pour of whisky.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Top Shelf Scotch Whisky
Zach Johnston
So, the top five are the core bangers of this panel. I’d argue that you can get any of them and you’ll be in for an amazing treat.
And look, I get it. Of the top three, two of the bottles are amazingly rare and amazingly expensive. So I’d say, grab The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve. It’s a phenomenal pour of whisky and you should be able to actually find it pretty easily. The same goes for the Mortlach 20. You will not be disappointed for a single moment with either of those whiskies even though they weren’t ranked “first” on this list.
Botany Bay/El Dorado/The Real McCoy/Don Q/istock/Uproxx
If you’re a whiskey drinker and you don’t also enjoy a glass of long-aged, nuanced rum every now and then (and vice versa), what are you waiting for? Obviously, the two spirits are quite different. Whiskey is made by mashing, fermenting, distilling, and aging (unless you’re making moonshine) a grain like corn (for bourbon) or barley (for single malt Scotch whisky). Rum is made from sugarcane juice or molasses that is fermented, distilled, and then aged (if you’re making dark rum).
While their overall flavors are different because of the main ingredients, the maturation process imparts some of the same notes. We’re talking about vanilla, caramel, dried fruits, oak, and other “dark liquor” profiles. It only makes sense that if you like to sit back and enjoy a nice glass of bourbon, rye, Canadian whisky, or single malt Scotch you’d at least be open to trying an aged dark rum.
The key is finding the rum that bridges the gap best between the two spirits. To find them, we went to the folks who bide their time behind the bar for help. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us the best rums for whiskey drinkers — keep scrolling to see what they had to say.
My favorite rum made for the whiskey drinker’s palate would have to be some of the Hamilton Rum selections made by legendary rum master, Ed Hamilton, of the Demerara Distillery in Guyana. Hamilton 86 is a great start. The additive-free, unfiltered, pot-stilled rums are extremely well-balanced. There’s no punch in the face with sugar or synthetic spices.
Tasting Notes:
Aged and blended in American Oak, you’ll find many of whiskey’s beloved flavors. There are hints of vanilla, caramel, coffee, and some fruit notes. Available at reasonable prices, these are not to be missed rums. Some of Hamilton Rum’s high-proof versions are a particularly great substitute for whiskey in an old fashioned.
Don Q Gran Reserva Añejo XO
Don Q
Max Messier, award-winning bartender and founder of Cocktail & Sons in New Orleans
Don Q Gran Reserva Añejo XO is a masterpiece of aged rums that are blended in the solera method, similar to new American whiskey blends and cask finishes. Highly recommended in an old fashioned or negroni variations.
Tasting Notes:
The sweet stone fruit on the mid-palate is complimented by a dry finish coupled with baking spices and a supple kiss similar to rich hot honey.
Don Pancho 18
Don Pancho
Tom Muscolino, director of beverage innovation at Landmark Hospitality in Plainfield, New Jersey
Don Pancho 18 Year Panamanian Rum. Made by the former master distiller of Havana Club, it is incredibly smooth and complex, with just a touch of sweetness.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of dried fruit, allspice, vanilla, charred oak, cinnamon, and a touch of leather. All appeal to whiskey fans.
The Real McCoy 12 Year
The Real McCoy
Alex Barbatsis, head bartender at The Whistler in Chicago
I have a tough time swapping out one spirit for the other as I use them in completely different ways in various cocktails. That being said, the Real McCoy Real McCoy 12 Year Aged is one rum that I’ve used in a variety of traditionally stirred whiskey-based cocktails.
Tasting Notes:
Its earthiness, sweetness, and oak lend itself well to a delicious Manhattan. It’s also great neat or on the rocks.
Rhum JM VO is a rhum agricole from Martinique that uses fresh pressed sugar cane juice in a copper pot still to make for a bright, round, and grassy flavor profile. Try it in your next old fashioned for a toe dip into the tropics.
Tasting Notes:
The VO is aged for three years in New American Oak, so you get a lot of caramel char notes when sipping.
Real McCoy Single Blended 5 Year is a great rum for whiskey drinkers. Especially bourbon fans. It is a blend of column and pot still rum aged for five years in oak ex-bourbon barrels.
Tasting Notes:
It presents with notes of oak, caramel, vanilla, and warm spices. Is reminiscent of American whiskey, bourbon specifically.
Bambu XO Rum. This complex, flavorful rum is great for whiskey drinkers. It’s matured in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in oak sherry casks. This sipping rum is a great change up from your usual bourbon or single malt whisky.
Tasting Notes:
The rum has an aged spice note that works well neat. There’s a ton of toffee, vanilla, toasted vanilla beans, orange peels, and oaky wood.
El Dorado 15 Year
El Dorado
Bijan Ghiai, beverage manager at Urban Hill in Salt Lake City Utah
El Dorado 15-year Rum. I think around the price point of $50-60, it is a good entry point to Rum. Especially for whiskey drinkers. The long maturation adds a ton of flavors whiskey drinkers enjoy.
Tasting Notes:
It has vanilla and baking spices characteristics to it. Rum can have a lot of similarities to whiskey with its long drawn-out finish, a punch of up-front flavor, with a wonderful complex background.
Botany Bay Rum
Botany Bay
Joseph DeBlasio, senior food and beverage operations manager at The Ritz-Carlton in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Because Botany Bay Rum has a long Caribbean history and is a combination of old French and English flavor styles that pair well in traditional Caribbean beverages. It’s also a great choice for whiskey drinkers looking for a change of pace.
Tasting Notes:
Since it’s distilled from fresh sugar cane juice as opposed to molasses, it creates a smoky flavor that attracts whiskey drinkers.
Ron Zacapa 23
Ron Zacapa
Jessie Dolores, manager of coffee and cocktails at Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York City
Ron Zacapa 23 is my favorite aged rum that has a whiskey-like flavor. Aged in American oak, it’s easy to combine Peychaud, orange, and Angostura bitters and it makes a delicious rum old fashioned.
Tasting Notes:
The vanilla aftertaste goes well with the brown sugar simple syrup that we make in-house and the dark flavors add a nice complexity for a Hemingway daiquiri. It’s also great sipped neat or on the rocks.
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