Month: June 2023

The American single malt whiskey category is the most exciting style of whiskey right now. There’s so much fun innovation and newness to the whole category that there’s something for every type of whiskey drinker out there. Still, this is a very small category compared to bourbon or rye or even Scotch whisky. Meaning that finding a good bottle takes a little research and effort — which is where I come in!

I’m conducting a double-blind taste test of American single malt whiskeys below. My wife was kind enough to set this one up for me by randomly grabbing American single malt whiskeys off my shelf. She seemingly grabbed the bottles at the front since most of her picks are pretty new bottles with a couple of modern classics thrown in.

Here’s the lineup for today:

• Colkegan Unsmoked American Single Malt Whiskey
• Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey Double Oak Series Sherry Cask
• Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky
• Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey
• Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey
• Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey
• Lost Lantern Single Distillery Series Gentle Giant Balcones Distilling Texas Single Malt
• Hinterhaus Distilling American Single Malt Whiskey Discovery

Since this was double-blind, I simply ranked each pour by how tasty it was. It’s that easy so let’s dive right in!

• Single Malt Whiskeys From Around The World, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best New Whiskeys To Chase Down This April
• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• Uproxx’s Best Whiskey Of 2022
• The 25 Best American Single Malt Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked

Part 1 — The American Single Malt Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with velvety fruit (think apples, grapes, peaches) next to a hint of spicy woody warmth cut with brown sugar and cinnamon butter with a hint of nuttiness.

Palate: That nuttiness gets creamy on the palate as cinnamon toast and leathery dried apricots lead to a try nutshell and spice bark vibe with a hint of vanilla wafer.

Finish: The finish is lush and dry with a toffee and butterscotch creaminess cut with plenty of dry winter spice and orchard barks.

Initial Thoughts:

This was really nice overall. It tasted like a classic malt whiskey.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Caramel jumps out on the nose with a touch of salt and burnt toffee next to soft brown sugar, old leather, and prunes with a whisper of spiced tobacco.

Palate: The palate is very plummy with plenty of buttery brown sugar and cinnamon clumps (like fancy restaurant butter balls) next to a hint of almond and rum-raisin.

Finish: The end leans toward the almond shells with a touch of vanilla tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark.

Initial Thoughts:

Wow. This is super luscious with great depth. I like this one a lot.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a good dose of pecan waffles, maple, and sharp sarsaparilla on the nose with a deep earthiness that’s part grain silo and part high desert scrub brush.

Palate: The palate is creamy and hits on some serious warmth as pear candy mixes with fresh ginger and a pile of pecan shells next to a hint of floral Earl Grey and more of that high desert dry florae vibe.

Finish: The finish leans into the dryness of nutshells and black tea while hinting at the maple and sarsaparilla from the nose.

Initial Thoughts:

This is dry and wildly different. I’m guessing this is something from Texas in that case. And it’s pretty good but very different.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Marmalade and dried apricot on toast with plenty of butter is the dominant note on the nose with a hint of winter spice.

Palate: Butterscotch and Cinnamon Toast Crunch drive the palate toward stewed apple with a nice hint of dry spice that leans toward red chili pepper.

Finish: The leathery apricot kicks back in with that sharp chili pepper spice before softer notes of vanilla oil and cinnamon sugar syrup soften the landing.

Initial Thoughts:

This is fine. It’s a little thin and sweet at the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a toasted caramel maltiness that’s super grainy with salted toffee syrup and a nice dollop of butter with a hint of chocolate-covered caramels in the background.

Palate: The palate is light with a Kentucky winter spice bark vibe next to a bowl of Cream of Wheat with a hint of honey and nasturtium as a counterbalance.

Finish: The end really leans into the Kentucky wood spice with a hint of pear orchards and soft chewing tobacco just kissed with chili pepper spice.

Initial Thoughts:

This felt completely different too. It’s extremely grain-forward on the nose almost to the point of anchovy umami. It’s wildly different.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a fruit candy vibe that’s part Apple Jolly Rancher and part orange wedge with a note of winter spice.

Palate: Caramelized malts and vanilla pods drive the soft palate toward a hint of smudging sage and old oak staves.

Finish: The end circles back around to the orchard fruit candy sweetness with a dash of cinnamon and vanilla over caramel maltiness.

Initial Thoughts:

This is perfectly fine.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with Granny Smith apple skins over winter spice barks dipped in floral honey and dried next to orange wheels and Graham Crackers.

Palate: The orchard-iness drives the palate with a sense of soft salted toffee cut with vanilla oils and dipped in dark chocolate orange sauce and wrapped in damp black tea leaves.

Finish: Orchard woods and soft malts round out the finish with a hint of honeyed toffee and spiced apple fritter.

Initial Thoughts:

This is delicious.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft caramelized malts lead on the nose with layers of rich toffee, sharp winter spices, fresh mint, and berry cobbler.

Palate: The toffee gets a little salt on the palate as rich vanilla and pear pudding move the taste back toward sharp winter spice that is so cinnamon-heavy that it starts to feel like Red Hots.

Finish: That sharp yet sweet hot cinnamon is countered by vanilla malt and salted caramel over apple pie filling cut with cranberry.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty good overall. I don’t know what it is but it’s a nice malt whisky experience.

Part 2 — The American Single Malt Ranking

8. Clermont Steep American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 5

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This new release from James B. Beam in Clermont, Kentucky is Jim Beam’s foray into the world of American single malt whiskey. The juice was crafted from 100% American malted barley and fermented with Beam’s proprietary yeast strain. That whiskey was left for five years to mellow in toasted barrels that were barely charred. The final product was batched and proofed down before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was so grain-forward that I think a little bit of the nuance gets lost. There’s a lot going on that works, don’t get me wrong, I’m just not 100% that it’s all there yet.

7. Stranahan’s Blue Peak Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

This Colorado malt whiskey is made with Stranahan’s classic double distilling high up in the Rockies. The whiskey is aged in new American oak for four years before being solera batched — that means the whiskey goes into a vat that is never emptied.

Bottom Line:

This was fine but the thinnest single malt sip today. It feels like it’d be fine in highballs or citrus-heavy cocktails.

6. Brother Justus American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This Minnesota whiskey is a grain-to-glass bottle. The mash is made with malted barley grown and malted in Minnesota. That mash is then pot distilled and rested in oak for a year before batching and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This has some nice nuance but simply needs a year or two more to really start to pop. It’d be fine for highballs.

5. Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky — Taste 3

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $78

The Whisky:

This whisky is made with a lot of care. The juice is 100% malted barley imported from Scotland, specifically Scottish Golden Promise Malted Barley. The spirit then ages in a combination of barrels ranging from new and used American, French, and Hungarian oak. After a few years under the hot Waco sun, the barrels are vatted and bottled with no fussing besides a touch of local water.

Bottom Line:

This is wildly bolder and earthier than any other pour. That said, I really have to be in the right mood to reach for this one. Still, this rocks over some ice where it opens up toward creamy butter goodness with a nutty edge and leaves some of the danker earthiness behind.

4. Colkegan Unsmoked American Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This high desert whiskey is usually a bold peated malt. This version is the unpeated expression that was made as an experiment over four years ago. The unpeated whiskey was left in the back corner of a warehouse in new American oak and used bourbon barrels. Once those barrels hit the right mark, they were vatted and bottled with a hint of proofing water.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty nice overall. It’s probably the most middle-of-the-road pour. I mean that in a good way. You know what you’re getting with this pour of whiskey — a good standard American single malt whiskey.

3. Hinterhaus Distilling American Single Malt Whiskey Discovery — Taste 8

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $67

The Whiskey:

This Sierra Nevada, California, distillery is all about local. They use local mountain water to ferment their local malt. The blend in this expression is 69% from a first fill ex-American single malt barrel and 31% from a heavy toast and medium char new American oak barrel. Both were aged at least 18 months before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was really nice. It’s classic American single malt whiskey and feels like it through and through. I can see sipping or mixing this pretty easily.

2. Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey Double Oak Series Sherry Cask — Taste 2

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This Baltimore whiskey is made with 100% malted barley — Premium 2 Row Malt and Deep Roast Malt — before going into new American oak for exactly “3.6 years” (their metric). Once those barrels hit that sweet spot, they’re vatted and then re-barreled into ex-Olorosso sherry casks for a final ten-month rest.

Bottom Line:

This is lush and delicious. It didn’t quite have the same depth as the next entry but it’s very, very good whiskey. Drink it however you like to enjoy your whiskey.

1. Lost Lantern Single Distillery Series Gentle Giant Balcones Distilling Texas Single Malt — Taste 7

ABV: 57.6%

Average Price: $99

The Whisky:

This rare blend from Balcones via Lost Lantern is a batch of five-and-a-half super rare casks. The batch is made from single malts aged in a four-year-old double cask apple brandy cask, a three-year-old large European cask that dried outside for three years, another one of those casks but just a little older, a four-year-old ex-bourbon cask, and a half-full European oak cask that was exactly three years and 56 days old when it was dumped. All of that whisky was vatted and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is excellent American single malt whiskey. It’s so nuanced and deep while still feeling welcoming. Overall, this is a great sipper to have around.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the American Single Malt Whiskey

I’d argue the top four entries are all worth checking out — or at least that’s where I’d focus my energy on this list. The top two are standouts, but all four of those bottles are worthy.

That all said, Gentle Giant and Old Line are both excellent and the real winners of this double-blind tasting. They’re deep, nuanced, and very easygoing sips of whiskey. They deliver in every way.

Doja Cat is back. Her new single, “Attention,” is out, and she just announced The Scarlet Tour. The musician is still rocking the short hair look, which first came about when she shaved her head in August of 2022.

On an Instagram Live debuting the haircut that month, she explained, “I don’t like having hair. I’ve never liked having hair. I cannot tell you one time, since the beginning of my life, that I’ve ever been like, ‘This is cool.’ I just do not like to have hair.”

She added, “I just can’t believe that it took me this long to be like, ‘Shave your f*cking head.’ Because first of all, I don’t wear my hair out. You guys have seen me wear my natural hair out… I had like two eras. I had like two eras where my hair would be out. I would straighten it. There was a moment where it was natural and then I don’t even wear it natural ’cause I don’t feel like it, and then… it’s just a f*ckin’ nightmare, dude. I’m over it. I’m gonna… I’m really liking this. What is the use of having hair if you’re not gonna f*ckin’ wear it out? I don’t even sport it.”

Ron DeSantis likes to cosplay as a tough guy. That’s why he’s spent the last year and change going after the biggest employer in his state because they don’t hate LGBTQIA+ people. He hasn’t done the same to the presidential rival who keeps dragging him (but won’t use the funniest mean/dumb nickname). In fact, DeSantis is such a man that he’ll even dodge a question posed by a teenager.

As per Mediaite, DeSantis was campaigning in New Hampshire — where he’s already enraging some voters — where he fielded a question from a young man concerned about what Donald Trump did on Jan. 6 (and before). “Do you believe that Trump violated the peaceful transfer of power – a key principle of American democracy that we must uphold?” the kid asked.

DeSantis tried to stall responding, asking the young man where he goes to high school. Once he learned he’s actually from Vermont, the Florida governor finally got to around to his brave non-response.

“So, here’s what I know. If this election is about Biden’s failures and our vision for the future, we are going to win. If it’s about are re-litigating things that happen two, three years ago, we’re gonna lose,” DeSantis said about that time the guy who calls him dumb names tried to overturn democracy.

He then did shifted the response to himself. “I can tell you this. I can point you to Tallahassee, Florida on, I believe, January 5, 2023,” he continued. “We had a transition of power from my first administration to my second ’cause I won reelection in a historic fashion. And at the end of the day, you know, we need to win and we need to get this done.”

In other words, DeSantis is humblebragging about his own peaceful transition of power: when he won re-election and didn’t to transfer power.

Finally, he got to Trump’s antics on Jan. 6, 2021. “So, I wasn’t anywhere near Washington that day. I have nothing to do with what happened that day,” he said. “Obviously, I didn’t enjoy seeing, you know, what happened. But we gotta go forward on this stuff. We cannot be looking backwards and be mired in the past.”

Strong, inspiring stuff from the guy who likes to bully students.

(Via Mediaite)

Since inking a five-year, $180 million contract four summers ago, Tobias Harris has been under constant scrutiny among Philadelphia 76ers fans. He’s a good and impactful player, but draws the ire of folks for yearly playoff struggles, aversion to catch-and-shoot threes, and a lucrative contract that rivals All-Stars as someone yet to make an All-Star game through four seasons of this deal.

That final point is by no means his fault. Philadelphia offered him a gigantic deal and he accepted it, as anyone likely would. But it is nonetheless a factor in the criticism surrounding his game and persistent calls for the Sixers front office to part ways with him, in addition to his wonky offensive fit alongside the likes of Joel Embiid and James Harden. Harris spoke with a slew of media members at a Fanatics camp for underserved Philadelphia area kids on Tuesday and addressed how some Sixers supporters feel about him.

“Casual Sixers fans, they’ll trade me for a Crumbl Cookie,” Harris said. “But at the end of the day, they have to realize that you’re not getting a 6’9 forward back who can damn near shoot 40 percent from 3, guard the other team’s best player, shoot, post up, drive and play 70-plus games a year.”

Harris also had a bit of a back-and-forth on Twitter about the vessel through which Crumbl Cookies are delivered to people.

I am not here to offer judgment on Harris’ comments, though I will say Crumbl Cookies are really, really freaking good. My sweet tooth perked up after reading his quote, so thank you for that, Tobias. It’s time for me to go find some cookies.

Ah, the vanilla shake! The foundation upon which all other milkshakes are built. Long synonymous with words like “basic,” “plain,” and “boring,” we think vanilla gets a bit too much flack.

If you line up all the common shake flavors together — chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and hell, let’s throw Oreo in there — sure, vanilla cosmetically looks like the absence of flavor. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Vanilla is delicious. It’s delicate, floral, sweet, and creamy. If that doesn’t sound good to you, I don’t know what to tell you aside from informing you that your tastebuds might be broken.

Okay, fine — we’ll admit that it’s not as exciting as the other milkshake flavors. But on a hot day, while temperatures are scorching, nothing is more refreshing than a cold vanilla shake.

So who makes the best vanilla shake in fast food? It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves since we last blind taste tested chocolate shakes. And today, we’re ready to answer it!

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• We Blind Taste Tested Fast Food Chicken Nuggets — And The Crown Goes To…
• We Blind Tested Fast Food Chocolate Milkshakes — Here’s The Undisputed Champ

Methodology

As we found out in our last blind milkshake taste test, blind tasting shakes is a huge challenge — especially as the weather gets warmer. I needed to be able to scoop up five milkshakes in a relatively short amount of time (meaning the fast food restaurants chosen needed to be in close proximity) and make sure none of them melted. The good news is that’s doable with the help of a small cooler and the same route I sketched out for our chocolate milkshake blind taste test.

The idea was to pick up vanilla milkshakes from Chick-fil-A, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Five Guys, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack, five fast food restaurants that all make fantastic milkshakes. And then as I pulled up to the Dave’s Hot Chicken drive-thru I heard the seven worst words you can ever hear from a drive-thru speaker “I’m sorry, our milkshake machine is broken.” Because I was working on a time crunch with perishable products, there was no time to improvise, so instead of a five-milkshake taste test as we did in our chocolate taste test, we’re going with just the four. Considering Dave’s didn’t even make the top three last time around, it doesn’t seem like that much of a loss (with that said, my editor tried it and called me twice to call it the best vanilla shake in all of fast food so… we might eventually have to run this back.)

Once the fourth milkshake was acquired, I hit a nearby parking lot, put on a blindfold, and had my girlfriend pass me milkshakes at random. I tasted each, recorded a few voice notes on my phone, and then ranked them. All photos were taken after the initial tasting, so if they look a little brutal.. well, that’s what SoCal weather will do to a milkshake.

Part 1: The Milkshake Tasting

Taste 1:

“Holy shit!” Those are actually the words that came out of my mouth when I first sipped this. There is a rich luxuriousness here that I don’t think you’d normally associate with a vanilla milkshake. It’s deep and complex, starting with an initial creamy sweetness that slowly morphs into fragrant and floral territory that is an absolute treat for the taste buds.

After that floral sensation, the shake finishes with a bold-rich aftertaste that sits on the tongue in a pleasant way and begs for another sip. I won’t lie, when I tasted this thing I followed it up with two large brain-freeze-inducing sips. I didn’t want to move on from this one. If you’re wondering what’s up with those rainbow sprinkles, I learned later that Shake Shack was doing rainbow sprinkles for Pride Month.

They had no influence on the flavor whatsoever.

Taste 2:

This is undeniably Chick-fil-A. Ice Dream — which is what Chick-fil-A calls its vanilla soft serve ice cream, the base for this milkshake — has a distinct flavor that is easy to pick out. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it gives this milkshake a lot of character.

The flavor here is creamy and delicate, with a strange lingering aftertaste that I don’t really enjoy. It’s worth enduring that aftertaste for the base flavor though.

Taste 3:

Objectively bad. This milkshake tastes like straight-up frozen milk. It almost has a stomach-churning quality to it. Not a fan.

Taste 4:

Another vanilla milkshake that manages to come across as deep and rich. There is something worth savoring here, it’s incredibly enjoyable to let the milkshake sit and melt on the tongue. It’s creamy, easily the thickest of the four milkshakes, but lacks the complexity of Taste 1.

Part 2: The Milkshake Ranking

4. In-N-Out — Vanilla Milkshake (Taste 3)

I was shocked In-N-Out came in dead last for me. I love In-N-Out’s chocolate and strawberry shake, I’ve definitely ordered the three-flavor Neapolitan, and on certain days I even order the Root Beer float, which is made with this very flavor of milkshake. But it was hands down the least delicious of the four.

If anything, “least delicious” is being generous. I did not like this milkshake, not even a little bit.

The Bottom Line:

Vanilla has a bad reputation as a milkshake flavor because of milkshakes like this. Unimaginative, flat in flavor and character, and just too milky to be good.

Find your nearest In-N-Out here.

3. Chick-fil-A — Vanilla Milkshake (Taste 2)

Chick-fil-A has texture down. This milkshake is perfect in that regard, it’s thick and luxurious, but airy enough to be easy to drink through a straw. But Chick-fil-A’s vanilla is just too plain. Not only is it the brand’s weakest flavor (in a world where you can get a chocolate peach milkshake, why would you order this?), but in comparison to the other vanilla milkshakes out there, it just tastes too neutral.

Its biggest issue is it tastes like a base to be built upon, rather than a standalone flavor.

The Bottom Line:

It’s fine. Good, not great. The texture is on point but the flavor leaves a lot to be desired.

Find your nearest Chick-fil-A here.

2. Five Guys — Vanilla Milkshake (Taste 4)

Here is the thing about Five Guys’ vanilla milkshake. It’s delicious, creamy, rich, flavorful, the kind of milkshake you want to let melt in your mouth and bathe your palate. Having said that — I think you shouldn’t order it. Look, the thing with Five Guys is, it’s a customizable menu, that includes the milkshake.

You can order a chocolate milkshake, with bananas, strawberries, Oreo cookies, and peanut butter in it! Hell go crazy and add bacon into the mix too! And after all that, it’ll cost the exact same price as this vanilla milkshake.

That begs the question, why would you ever order vanilla here? While this is delicious, it wasn’t the best we tasted today, and as good as it is, even ranking it second somehow feels wrong.

The Bottom Line:

I think vanilla is a perfectly valid milkshake flavor, just not at Five Guys. Go crazy, add whatever you want into that milkshake. If you insist on having plain vanilla, it’ll taste good, but you’ll be spending over $6 for it, and it won’t feel worth it.

Find your nearest Five Guys here.

1. Shake Shack — Malted Vanilla Milkshake (Taste 1)

Malted wins again! In terms of consistency, Shake Shack loses to both Chick-fil-A and Five Guys — I wouldn’t describe this milkshake as thick — but the flavor is unbeatable. Being able to order this thing malted makes it taste so much deeper and richer than the competition.

Imagine the best representation of vanilla you’ve ever tasted, and then elevate that and you’ll have the Shake Shack Malted Vanilla Milkshake. This was a clear winner for me it wasn’t even close, and you know what? I think it’s well deserved.

Shake Shack is the only fast food restaurant that we tasted from that actually has “shake” in the name, and with the way this thing tastes, it feels justified that the brand would choose to elevate its milkshakes above even the unbeatable burgers. It’s not called “Burger Shack,” after all!

The Bottom Line:

It’s malted, the only way milkshakes ever should be. There is a depth of character here that makes the case for why vanilla is a staple flavor in the first place. For those who think vanilla is boring, drink a malted vanilla shake from Shake Shack and see if you still feel the same way after gulping the thing down!

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

Is there a “smoothest” bourbon? Is that a thing? These are murky waters to tread, in part because people like spirits that taste good, and “smoothness” helps the good parts of an aged spirit shine a little brighter. But smoothness as an adjective for bourbon is often unclear. A thin bourbon with a super low proof would certainly go down easily, but is that smooth?

To help parse some of this, I’m blind tasting 10 “smooth” bourbons to see which is the smoothest in the land. Before I dive in, let’s erect some guardrails. “Smooth” means “free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough” in the ol’ dictionary. There are a lot of synonyms for “smooth” as well: Creamy, fluid, gentle, glossy, polished, silky, sleek, and velvety pop out in the ol’ thesaurus. So do flat, mild, and soft. Because of that latter bit, people often scoff away at “smooth” as a whiskey descriptor because they think it means thin or mild or without any depth. That’s not what we’re seeking today.

Instead, I’m using “smooth” as something that’s A) “not rough,” B) “creamy, silky, velvety, and sleek,” and C) does have depth … that you can access because of A and B. Real smoothness is balanced, you know, like the definition “free from … unevenness.”

For this blind taste test, I grabbed bottles that I would recommend if someone asked me for a “smooth bourbon.” I did keep it pretty narrow though. I’m not putting in any ringers. This is straight bourbon from Kentucky that’s all well-aged, not overly proofed, none of them are wheated, and there is no special barrel finishing. Here’s the lineup:

• Woodford Reserve Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old
• Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Henry Mckenna 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years
• Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old
• Bulleit Bourbon 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 Years Old
• E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond
• Kirkland Signature Single Barrel By Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

My wife was kind enough to shuffle and pour these whiskeys for me. Then I blindly tasted away and started ranking — with an eye on overall “smoothness” with real depth alongside deliciousness being the goal. Sound good? Let’s dive in!

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Part 1 — The “Smooth” Bourbon Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a welcoming aroma of marzipan, blackberry, toffee, and fresh honey next to a real sense of pitchy, dry firewood.

Palate: The taste drills down on those notes as the sweet marzipan becomes more choco-hazelnut, the berries become increasingly dried and apple-y, the toffee becomes almost burnt, and the wood softens to a cedar bark.

Finish: A rich spicy and chewy tobacco arrives late as the vanilla gets super creamy and the fruit and honey combine on the slow fade.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very smooth whiskey. It’s also really tasty. This is a contender!

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is just a straight-up classic with depth on the nose leading to rich vanilla, salted caramel, sour cherry, wintry spices, and a touch of old oak.

Palate: The palate opens with orange-oil-infused marzipan covered in dark chocolate next to bolder holiday spices, moist spiced cake, and a very distant whisper of barrel smoke.

Finish: The end has a mix of orange, vanilla, chocolate, and sharp spice leading to an old leather pouch full of sticky maple syrup tobacco.

Initial Thoughts:

That sharp spice and leather on the end add a little roughness. It’s not bad by any stretch. It’s just not as creamy as the last pour.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a really nice nose full of woody cherry and salted caramel with a tart apple edge and a soft leatheriness.

Palate: The palate feels and tastes “classic” with notes of wintry spices (eggnog especially) with a lush creaminess supported by soft vanilla, a hint of orange zest, and plenty of spicy cherry tobacco.

Finish: The end is supple with a hint of tart apple tobacco with a light caramel candy finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a tad woody with a hard candy vibe. I don’t really consider “hard candy” a “smooth” descriptor.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens slightly tannic with rich orange zest and vanilla cream next to woody winter spice, fresh mint, and wet cedar with a hint of gingerbread and burnt cherry.

Palate: The palate hits on soft vanilla white cake with a salted caramel drizzle and burnt orange zest vibe next to apple/pear tobacco leaves dipped in toffee and almond.

Finish: The end has a sour cherry sensation that leads to wintery woody spices, cedar bark, and old cellar beams with a lush vanilla pod and cherry stem finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This was woody and earthy, which didn’t scream “smooth” to me at all. It was tasty and funky though, which I dig.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Old leather boots, orange pudding, oily sage, old oak staves, and rich buttery toffee pop on the nose with a sense of mulled wine spices and soft plum pudding.

Palate: Marzipan covered in dark chocolate opens the palate as floral honey and ripe cherry lead to a winter cake vibe full of raisins, dark spices, and toffee sauce.

Finish: The end has a balance of all things winter treats as the marzipan returns and the winter spice amp up alongside a hint of spicy cherry tobacco and old cedar.

Initial Thoughts:

This is smooth AF. The moist marzipan, creamy toffee, and winter puddings create a very velvety experience. It’s also pretty goddamn tasty.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.

Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.

Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet toasted marshmallow on the very end.

Initial Thoughts:

This was insanely deep and delicious but I’d call it more sharp than smooth.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lot going on with butter and spicy stewed apples, kindling, Christmas cakes full of nuts and dried fruit, and a hint of savory herbs all pinging through your nose.

Palate: The palate brings about soft vanilla with plenty of butter toffee, sourdough crust, more winter spice, cedar bark, and a hint of dried roses.

Finish: The finish is short and hits on the barkier aspects of the woody spice and vanilla with a hint of sharp orange zest and old oak.

Initial Thoughts:

This is on the thinner side by the end and is more woody than smooth.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with clear notes of dark rum-soaked cherry, bitter yet creamy dark chocolate, winter spices, a twinge of a sourdough sugar doughnut, and a hint of menthol.

Palate: The palate leans into a red berry crumble — brown sugar, butter, and spice — with a hint of dried chili flake, salted caramels covered in dark chocolate, and a spicy/sweet note that leads toward a wet cattail stem and soft brandied cherries dipped in silky dark chocolate sauce.

Finish: The very end holds onto that sweetness and layers in a final note of pecan shells and maple candy.

Initial Thoughts:

This is beautifully deep, darkly fruity, and spicy while offering a truly silky sipping experience. This is some smooth whiskey.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried dark fruits and a hint of vanilla wafers mingle with fig fruit leather, a touch of orchard wood, and a deep caramel on the nose.

Palate: The palate holds onto those notes while layering in dark berry tobacco with sharp winter spices, new leather, and a singed cotton candy next to a cedar box filled with that tobacco.

Finish: The finish lingers on your senses for a while and leaves the spice behind for that dark, almost savory fruit note with an echo of blackberry Hostess pies next to soft leather pouches that have held chewy tobacco for decades and a final hint of old porch wicker in the middle of summer.

Initial Thoughts:

This has the most depth by far and is insanely velvety. It’s luscious, engaging, and darkly enticing.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a deep nose with salted caramel cut with dried red chili flakes, Mounds bar, sour mulled wine full of star anise, clove, and allspice, and creamy malted vanilla ice cream cut with candies cherry and tobacco crumbles.

Palate: The palate lets those cherries sour toward cranberry as a woody sense of huckleberry arrives with brown sugar and butter next to dark chocolate-covered espresso beans dusted with cinnamon and orange zest.

Finish: The end arrives with burnt orange, marzipan, and woody clove edge as fir firewood bark with a twinge of black soil in it arrives next to cherry-apple tobacco with a buttery and rummy feel.

Initial Thoughts:

There’s a lot going on and it all makes sense. It’s smooth on the nose and finish but a little sharp on the mid palate with all that woody spice.

Part 2 — The “Smooth” Bourbon Ranking

10. Bulleit Bourbon 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 7

ABV: 45.6%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This is classic (sourced) Bulleit Bourbon that’s aged up to 10 years before it’s blended and bottled. The barrels are hand-selected to really amplify those classic “Bulleit” flavors that make this brand so damn accessible (and beloved) in the first place.

Bottom Line:

This was more thin than smooth by the end. It was perfectly tasty but I wouldn’t call it smooth.

9. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell go barrel hunting in their Wild Turkey rickhouses to find this expression. The whiskey is a marrying of bourbons Jimmy and Eddie Russell handpicked with a minimum age of 10 years old. They then cut it down to a very accessible 90-proof for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This had a touch of roughness around the finish — largely tied to woody sharp spice. The rest of the profile is dialed though and very enjoyable.

8. Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 43.3%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The whiskey is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 86, and bottled as is.

Bottom Line:

This was a twinge soft and thin on the end but really that’s me reaching to rank these. Still, I’m not sure I’d recommend this as a “smooth” bourbon. It’s a really good and inexpensive single barrel though.

7. Henry Mckenna 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This classic offering from Heaven Hill is actually getting easier to find again (after years of being nearly impossible to find thanks to hype). The juice utilizes a touch of rye in the mash bill and is then aged for 10 long years in a bonded rickhouse. The best barrels are chosen by hand and the whiskey is bottled with just a touch of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.

Bottom Line:

This was really good and had a smoothness to it. Ultimately, it wasn’t as lush as the next few pours. There was a great favor profile though.

6. Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old — Taste 6

ABV: 47.2%

Average Price: $185

The Whiskey:

The whiskey barrels sourced for these single-barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the whiskey goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.

Bottom Line:

This was so bold compared to all the other pours. I’d call this sharp way before I’d call it smooth. It’s delicious and sharp.

5. Kirkland Signature Single Barrel By Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 60%

Average Price: $32 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This Costco release is sourced from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery down in Bardstown, Kentucky. The bottle’s whiskey is likely the same distillate/barrels as 1792 Full Proof. However, this is proofed down a tiny bit below that at 120 proof instead of 125 proof, adding some nuance to this release.

Bottom Line:

This was getting into the very smooth pours that delivered real depth. This went down very easily, especially for a relatively high-proof bourbon (which I didn’t know when I tasted and ranked these). Still, this went down really easily and delivered a good and deep flavor profile.

4. Woodford Reserve Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This expression takes standard Woodford Bourbon and gives it a finishing touch. The bourbon is blended and moved into new barrels that have been double-toasted but only lightly charred. The juice spends a final nine months resting in those barrels before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was maybe the smoothest overall but didn’t have the same depth as the next three. So, if you’re looking for a super easy-going slow-sipper, this is the play.

3. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 Years Old — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This is the classic Beam whiskey. The juice is left alone in the Beam warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky, for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and mingled to create this aged expression with a drop or two of that soft Kentucky limestone water.

Bottom Line:

Here we go. This is smooth AF and very deep. It’s a warmer pour though, so I’d be reticent to not mention that this is smooth with a little punchiness.

2. Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Buy Here: $51

The Whiskey:

This might be one of the most beloved (and still accessible) bottles from Buffalo Trace. This whiskey is made from their very low rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured for at least 10 years in various parts of the warehouse. The final mix comes down to barrels that hit just the right notes to make them “Eagle Rare.” Finally, this one is proofed down to a fairly low 90 proof.

Bottom Line:

This is pure silk. The only reason it’s not first is that it is pure silk but didn’t quite have as much depth as the next pour.

1. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $172

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is aged in the famed Warehouse C at Buffalo Trace from their Mash Bill No. 1. In this case, single barrels are picked for their perfect Taylor flavor profile and bottled one at a time with a slight touch of water to bring them down to bottled-in-bond proof.

Bottom Line:

This is the one. This is smooth as silk while offering an intensely deep flavor profile that just keeps layering beautifully rendered flavors over beautiful flavors. This is a great pour.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the “Smooth” Bourbons

E.H. Taylor Single Barrel basically ran away with this one. It’s just so smooth while being truly deep and interesting. It runs deep and really feels supple on the senses.

And look, the top six really are all winners and smooth in one way or another. So if you’re looking for a “smooth” and delicious bourbon, grab any of the top five. They all deliver.

Not everyone has supportive parents in their lives and it can be really difficult when you’re having a moment where you need parental encouragement. It doesn’t seem to matter how old you are, hearing an encouraging word from a parental figure is always comforting. A man on TikTok understands that need and made a special video for women who may need to hear some dad advice.

Old Foul Dude is the name of the TikTok page and while he does let one F-bomb drop, the message he released into the universe is just beautiful. He starts the video looking into the camera, which makes it feel like FaceTime as he continues talking.

“Hey baby girl, I know you’re having a rough time. I know you’re tired, I know you want to cry. You want to give in, you want to give up, but that ain’t you,” the man says.

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He goes on to tell whoever needed to hear the message, “I’m proud of the woman you are. I’m proud of the mother you are. I’m proud of the warrior you are and how you stand up and fight for your family every day.”

it may seem strange to some to think words from a stranger could do so much but everyone deserves to feel loved, even if it’s from a dad on the internet. We don’t get to pick our families or how much time we have on this earth with our parents so hearing a parent tell you they’re proud of you can help some fill a void.

“You have no idea how much I needed to hear this today. I’m so overwhelmed with life currently and my daddy is in heaven,” one woman wrote.

“Thank you, I needed this too. I miss my daddy so much,” another person said.

“Wow. Sir if you could understand how I needed that today. Thank you for stepping up and being a dad on TikTok you have no idea who alls life you’re touching. Thank you,” someone commented.

“When I tell you I’m in tears… My dad is very emotionally disconnected & I never heard any of this…,” a woman wrote.

It’s obvious that this message was needed by many and hopefully it continues to reach the people that need to hear it most. You can listen to his message below.

@oldfouldude

A blast from last year! #dadsoftiktok #oldfoulwisdom #OFD #daddydaugthertiktoks #daddaughter #dadlove #OFDlove #bouncertales #jailers #bikers#viking #norse #bouncer #dadlove #daddydaughter #loveyou #detentionofficers #dadsproudofyou

A “silent” epidemic is happening in American families that is seldom discussed, the sudden rise in estrangement between adult children and their parents. In 1997, research on family dynamics found that 7% of adult children had severed connections with their mothers, and 27% had done so with their fathers.

Fast forward to 2020, and Karl Pillemar, a sociologist, found that a quarter of Americans are estranged from at least one of their parents or child.

Steven Mintz, the author of “Huck’s Raft: A History of American Childhood,” told The Atlantic that it’s all part of the change in family dynamics that’s happened over the past 50 years.

“Families in the past fought over tangible resources—land, inheritances, family property. They still do, but all this is aggravated and intensified by a mindset that does seem to be distinctive to our time. Our conflicts are often psychological rather than material—and therefore even harder to resolve,” Mintz says.

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It’s also part of a greater trend for people to eliminate or censure those they deem oppressive or toxic.

TikTokker Chassity Marchal (@Chatswithchass) recently went viral on TikTok for a video explaining why it’s not okay to judge adult children who have cut ties with their parents. She makes the vital point that people who have no problem supporting those who leave an abusive spouse will still judge those who do the same to toxic parents.

@chatswithchass

Just because someone is “family” doesnt mean they can treat someone anyways they want. #chatswithchass

“Stop telling people who have no contact with their parents that they need to either make things right, they need to talk to their parents,” Marchal says, citing a recent online interaction where she was chastised for not talking to her mom. The critic noted that cutting her off is wrong because she’s “not guaranteed tomorrow.”

“I just know that if it was my husband that was saying or doing the things that my mom has done, that y’all would not be telling me that I need to stay with him and talk to him and make it work,” Marchal continued. “So why is it different when it comes to parents?”

She added that it wasn’t an “easy decision” to cut off her mom and that she’s still not “happy” about it. “I don’t want to be doing this, but I’m also putting myself first and doing what I feel is best.”

Response to her post was overwhelmingly positive. A commenter named Cat summed up the reactions perfectly: “I’m so sick of hearing this! Just bc someone gave birth to you—doesn’t mean they need to talk to them!”

@chatswithchass

Replying to @Ken Lambert892 #chatswithchass

In a follow-up video, Marchal addressed a commenter who said, “You can never replace a mom or dad.” To which she responded, “When someone hurts you over and over and does not care that they’re doing those things to you, you have to walk away.”

It’s a sad fact of life that more adult children and their parents are becoming estranged. But it appears to be a symptom of a culture where people care more about creating healthy boundaries than spending emotional energy on those they deem toxic.

Sometimes life plays out just like a sitcom.

This is certainly the case for a California resident named Michael who goes byu/lazybear90 on Reddit. On May 26, Michael detailed an epic donation-to-charity fail to the r/TIFU subreddit, and it’s almost too far-fetched to believe, and definitely too funny not to share.

So the story goes: Michael had just moved into a new three-unit apartment building in San Francisco with his wife. Their neighbor, nicknamed “Joe” for the story, was a 70-something year old retired veteran and devout Hindu priest.

Wanting to support his new neighbor, Michael generously agreed to donate $150 to a community in Bangladesh through GoFundMe.

What a nice gesture. Except for one not-so-tiny issue. Michael donated $15,000 instead.

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“I get a text on my phone warning me of an unusually large transaction on my credit card. I’m confused and swipe to open the text message. It says I have made a payment of $15,041 to GoFundMe. Immediately I’m sweating. How could I have donated FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS?” he wrote on Reddit.

After retracing his steps, Michael realized he typed part of his credit card number into the donation box by mistake. “Just like that 150 became 15041. Yikes.”

Michael immediately contacted GoFundMe ,who assured him that there’s “no need to worry” since can process a refund in 3-7 business days.

Problem solved, right? Wrong.

Michale continued: “then I ask the agent if the charity will be able to see the donation on the GoFundMe page until it is refunded. ‘What do you mean?’ the agent asks me. ‘What do YOU mean what do I mean?’ was my response. ‘Will they be able to see the $15,041 donation?!’” The answer, woefully, was yes.

Michael planned on telling Joe what had happened the next morning, hopefully before too much info had spread. But it was already too late by then. He awoke to 40+ Facebook notifications, and was sent many messages by one name in particular with a Hindu name.

One of those messages revealed that the man was indeed from Bangladesh, and was surrounded by “dozens of impoverished and hungry people holding bags of food” who not only applauded Michael but thanked him BY NAME for the generous donation. Oy vey.

“At this point, I’ve leapt out of my bed and I’m pacing. Part of me wants to scream, part of me wants to crack up laughing. I start swiping through the man’s messages, and it is picture after picture after picture of poor Bangladeshis thanking me for my kind donation. Literally hundreds of photos of frail, elderly, disabled, and malnourished individuals holding signs with my name. Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Michael.” Good grief, will the hits never stop coming?

Luckily, this is where the story really turns around.

After getting his refund, Michael ended up donating $1500 rather than $150 after seeing how the community responded, and was told that it would still go “very far for urgent food relief.” Then, folks who had seen Michael’s story on Reddit began donating to the same GoFundMe page.

THEN, the story was read out loud on the super popular Youtube channel Smosh Pit as part of its series “Reading Reddit Stories,” and things really took off. So many “heard about this on Smosh” donations began rolling that the fundraiser now has over $120,000.

In a follow up post, Michael thanked the Reddit community for turning his snafu into a bona fide miracle. Apparently the charity was running on fumes and looking to cancel some of its programs before sudden windfall. In his view, he not only helped a great cause, he got a funny story out of it. A total win-win in the end.

If you’d like to donate to the Bangladeshi community from this story, you can find the GoFundMe here. Just be sure to double check your donation amount!

There’s no better way to kick off summer than with an epic party — complete with live music, good vibes, and a cold drink in hand. As seen in the video above, Smirnoff did just that at Webster Hall in New York City to celebrate the debut of Smirnoff ICE’s fresh new look and the start of The Smirnoff ICE Relaunch Tour. Taking over one of NYC’s most iconic music venues, the event featured highly anticipated performances by hip-hop legends and new artists alike, to bring together modern flavors and classic tastes.

The Smirnoff Ice Relaunch Tour kick-off party didn’t stop at the fire music acts, either. Guests were also treated to a trip down memory lane with their favorite drinks, throwback experiences, Smirnoff swag, and endless fun. From the giant Smirnoff-infused ice sculpture to the spray-painted Y2K-inspired hats and arcade games, the modern yet nostalgic activations proved that “true classics never fade, they only get better.” This unforgettable celebration was just the beginning, though.

Smirnoff Ice has already made waves with events in New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles, but you can still catch the tour in Charlotte, Indianapolis, Lake of the Ozarks, and Atlanta. The tour showcases the brand’s “same sip, new swag” flavor alongside performances from some of music’s most coveted “OG” and emerging artists.

Get your tickets here.