Torrey Craig had a career-year for the Phoenix Suns last season, averaging 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 45.6/39.5/71.1 shooting splits in 79 games played, including 60 starts. Craig’s emergence as a knockdown shooter in the regular season was particularly noteworthy, as he always carried a reputation as a strong defender but a shaky shooter.
He continued his strong shooting year in the postseason, knocking down 44 percent of his threes as teams often opted to dare anyone other than Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to beat them, with him the recipient of some open looks. As such, coming into this offseason it was expected that the Suns, with few options to upgrade their roster with outside additions, would push strongly to re-sign Craig in free agency given their thin roster coming into the start of the league year.
However, Phoenix moved quickly in other directions, making seven signings in the first few days of free agency, many of which came on the wing at the position Craig had filled for the Suns last year. As such, Craig had to go in search of a new team and ended up landing with the Chicago Bulls.
Free agent F Torrey Craig has agreed on a two-year contract with the Chicago Bulls, sources tell ESPN. Deal includes a player option. Craig averaged 7.4 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24 minutes for Suns last season.
The Bulls have now added Craig and Jevon Carter at two points of need, bolstering their point guard and wing depth with a pair of players coming off of career-best shooting seasons. For a team that needs floor-spacing, taking a swing on those two, who also carry solid defensive reputations, makes sense, but they’ll be hoping to avoid regression from either or both from beyond the arc.
“Thanks for the knowledge and advice big bro.. [prayer hands emoji],” Lil Tjay captioned his Instagram carousel. “For those who don’t know while I was getting my mind right and healing this time last year I had a couple days to sit down w P and talk/vent about life nd everything you know wassup! But yea without you I would’ve never dug this deep and I appreciate u. Wanna thank u deeply @pharrell #222 July 14”
The “#222” and “July 14” at the caption’s end shouldn’t be overlooked, as it seems that Lil Tjay is slyly confirming the release date for his next album, 222. He also teased the project in other posts, including one promising and 222 has been made available to pre-order or pre-save here.
As noted by HipHopDX and preserved by 2cool2blog, Lil Tjay had posted a since-deleted screenshot showing a text exchange between him and Jadakiss, in which Jadakiss appears to have sent Lil Tjay a verse.
Prepare for what might be to come with 222 by watching Lil Tjay’s “June 22nd” video below.
It might seem a little odd that a movie about Barbie is rated PG-13. It’s based on dolls for little kids. But it is rated PG-13 and, based on the trailers, it looks like it will touch on some heady, existential ideas. Anticipation for it is so strong that Mattel, Barbie and Ken’s parent company, is going all-in on movies. That means we’re about to get a dark and thoughtful movie about, of all Mattel properties, Barney the purple dinosaur.
As per The New Yorker (in a bit teased out by Deadline), the long-in-the-works Barney movie, which has touted Daniel Kaluuya as both star and producer since at least 2019, is not going to be just for kids — or maybe for kids at all. According to exec Kevin McKeon, it will be “surrealistic.”
“We’re leaning into the millennial angst of the property rather than fine-tuning this for kids,” McKeon said. “It’s really a play for adults. Not that it’s R-rated, but it’ll focus on some of the trials and tribulations of being thirtysomething, growing up with Barney — just the level of disenchantment within the generation.”
McKeon describes the movie — again, about Barney the dinosaur who, on the ‘90s PBS series Barney & Friends, would teach kids about spelling and whatnot — as an “A24-type” film, referring to the ever-popular risk-taking indie studio/distributor. He added, “It would be so daring of us, and really underscore that we’re here to make art.”
Not that Barney will be exclusively for 30-something adults facing early mid-life crises. Mattel is also at work giving the character his own animated series. But if you watched Barney as a kid and you grew up to be a bit on the Debbie Downer side, Mattel’s got a movie for you.
It used to be that things slowed down between spring and fall releases. That pretty much feels like a relic of the past these days, as the new whiskey releases are still hitting hard and fast. To that end, I’m listing 25 brand-new whiskey releases that you should 100% try right now, as those dog days of summer get hotter and hotter.
The 25 whiskeys listed below cover a wide range of price points and regional styles. There’s a rhythm and reason that runs through them all in that they’re all damn tasty (in their own way). Read my tasting notes and find the whiskey(s) that spark your interest. Then hit those price links to see if you can get a bottle in your neck of the wood. Let’s dive in!
Check Out The Best New Whiskeys Of The Last Six Months:
This new tasting kit is something that people have been clamoring for for quite a while. Four Roses is known for its 10 distinct bourbon recipes. Until now, you could only really taste each individual recipe via random single barrel releases at the distillery gift shop or via barrel picks at retailers, bars, and restaurants. Now, you can try all 10 recipes (explained in detail here) in one sitting.
This is an awesome new drop from Four Roses. I’ve seen lines miles long for single barrel releases of specific recipes, so this makes a lot of sense for all of us who don’t want to ever stand in those lines. Moreover, this tasting kit gives you a chance to see just how much yeast changes a bourbon’s flavor profile — spoiler alert, it’s drastic.
This new summer-ready release from WhistlePig is a blend of wheat and rye whiskeys. Once batched, that whiskey is finished in a toasted solera barrel (a barrel that is never fully emptied). Finally, the whiskey is batched, proofed, and bottled all under a 100% solar-powered farm and distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Maple syrup over vanilla-forward pancakes with a hint of butter leads to a dash of cinnamon and orange with a twinge of nuttiness.
Palate: There’s a dry grassiness with woody cinnamon on the palate next to more of that sweet maple, a touch of citrus, and smudging sage.
Finish: There’s a thick blackberry jam on the finish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream underneath alongside very faint hints of brown spice and brown sugar.
Bottom Line:
This is a decent whiskey that really feels like Sunday morning breakfast pancakes piled high. There’s a lightness to the palate that kind of feels summery but ultimately circles back to that pancake breakie. It sticks with you too. I got a little of this on my hands when I poured it and they smelled like freshly made maple bars for a while afterward. So if you’re into that whole maple/pancake/doughnut vibe, this is the whiskey for you.
Old Scout Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey Topflight Series by ReserveBar
This barrel prick from ReserveBar is from a six-year-old barrel stored out in West Virginia. The whiskey in that barrel was made in Indiana from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barely. The barrel was sent out to West Virginia to age in the misty Appalachian hills before it was bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted caramel candies and dried apricot dominate the nose with a sense of old boot leather, sweet popcorn, and a hint of candied orange wedges.
Palate: The palate veers dramatically from the sweet candy toward dried lavender over spiced nut cakes with a hint of dried sage lurking next to old cedar cigar humidors.
Finish: That sage, cedar, and tobacco drive the finish toward a touch of mincemeat pie, old figs, and more leathery dried apricot.
Bottom Line:
This is funky and delicious. It’s a great single barrel at a great price. Get it while you can.
The new Flagship release from Pinhook is made from a three-year-old set of barrels from Castle & Key. The bourbon is a contract-distilled mash of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley aged in the old Old Taylor warehouses. Those barrels were then batched and bottled at a lower cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Grandma’s butterscotch candies and leathery apricot drive the nose toward almost warm s’mores with gooey marshmallows, milk chocolate, and a fresh Graham Cracker.
Palate: There’s a sense of fancy dark chocolate peanut butter cups on the taste that leads to espresso beans, Red Hots, and a nice lush crème brûlée.
Finish: The vanilla cream keeps the finish soft as light winter spice, a hint of oak, and more chocolate and espresso round out the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is just a nice pour of bourbon. It’s fresh and leans into childhood chocolate and candy nostalgia very nicely.
Clonakilty Irish Whiskey Single Batch Double Oak Finish “The Gentle Cut”
This is an Irish whiskey blend — that’s a mix of pot still (made with malted and unmalted barley) and grain whiskeys. The barrels were left to age right next to the ocean in Southern Ireland for years. Once blended, the whiskey was then re-filled into a new oak cask and put back in those seaside warehouses for another maturation run. Once just right, the barrels were vatted and bottled as-is without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like a walk through an apple orchard in full bloom with pear, peach, and apple leading to fresh sweetgrass, old saddle leather, and a sense of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg baked into an apple crumble.
Palate: There’s a nice zesty spice to the palate with fresh ginger layered into the pear and apple with a hint of hazelnut adding a creamy edge before white pepper and more fresh sweetgrass arrive with this hint of salinity.
Finish: That sweetgrass gets a little dry on the finish with pear and apple skins, orchard wood, and winter spice leading to a salted honey end.
Bottom Line:
This is a soft and very summery pour of whiskey. It’s light and almost airy, like a seaside breeze in a fruit orchard. Doesn’t that sound nice?
Starward Ginger Beer Cask #7 Single Malt Australian Whisky
This whiskey takes Starward’s signature and award-winning single malt and ages it in ginger beer casks. Starward makes ginger beer in-house and ages that in old whisky barrels. Those barrels, in turn, become whisky-finishing vessels for a 12-month final maturation before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It should come as no surprise that sharp ginger pops on the nose which leads to dark orange oils layered into salted dark chocolate with a hint of chili spice and raisin.
Palate: Candied ginger and grilled pineapple lead to fresh vanilla pods before a dark fig and date vibe takes over with more wintery spices.
Finish: Those dark fruits and spices peak on the finish as the candied ginger makes a return with a sharp pepperiness and a touch of dry sweetgrass.
Bottom Line:
This is a great spicy whisky that will work wonders in a fruity cocktail that needs a spicy foundation.
Milam & Greene Very Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 1.2
This whiskey is from Master Blender Heather Greene who picked 75 barrels for the blend. The blend is a mix of contract-distilled Kentucky whiskey with Tennessee whiskey rounding out the mix. The batched barrels were vatted in a 1,000-gallon tank before being re-barrelled into French oak for a final rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is light but runs deep with walnuts, vanilla flowers, soft custard cut with nutmeg and clove, and a light sense of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Palate: The palate is like walking through a fruit orchard in full bloom with a hint of wet black tea next to buttermilk biscuits dripping with butter and honey.
Finish: The finish gets slightly dry with a sense of dry and barky winter spices, dried red berries, and apple chips next to a light sense of brandy-soaked oak staves.
Bottom Line:
This is a great candidate for light summer sipping. This feels built for that thanks to the orchard fruits and floral vibes.
This limited-edition whiskey from Wyoming Whiskey is a continuation of that brand’s work with Yellowstone Forever (the official nonprofit partner of Yellowstone National Park). The whiskey in the bottles is Wyoming Whiskey’s classic wheated bourbon (68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley — all local and non-GMO) that’s cut down with local limestone water from the warm spring-rich area (the water they use is actually from an aquifer that hasn’t seen light in 6,000 years, which is admittedly cool).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich salted caramel is accented by brioche with a sense of marmalade and salted butter on the nose.
Palate: That orange goes full creamsicle on the palate with rich and buttery vanilla next to mild notes of winter spice, candied orange peels, and red candied almonds.
Finish: The orange creamsicle really drives the finish as the almond turns into light marzipan with a dash of pear brandy and wild sagebrush rounding the end out.
Bottom Line:
This is another lighter summer sipper. It’d also use this for citrus-forward whiskey cocktails that scream “refreshing summer sipper!”
This new whiskey from Heaven Hill’s Artisanal Distiller Jodie Filiatreau and Evan Williams is all about that wheat. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two “artisanal” bourbons made at the Evan Williams Experience in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The first mash is a 74% corn, 16% wheat, and 10% malted barley recipe while the rest is a 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley mash. Those whiskeys are blended and bottled as-is otherwise at nearly cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This bursts forth on the nose with a deep salted caramel sweetness next to rich and oily vanilla, bright yet almost tart cherry, and a sense of dried figs and dates with a hint of orchard woods.
Palate: The palate leans into the caramel with a touch of coffee cake loaded with raisins, walnuts, and raw sugar with plenty of winter spices and a load of buttery goodness.
Finish: The nuttiness veers into marzipan on the finish as those spices take on a grassiness (hello, wheat) with a nice layer of Cherry Coke on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This new batch from Square 6 is dialed and tasty. It leans toward craftiness (on purpose) to provide a unique POV on the usual Heaven Hill fare. That said, this is deep and fun and makes for a great cocktail base or summer sipper over some rocks.
Still Austin Bottled In Bond Red Corn Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This brand-new whiskey — the first is a series of four new releases — from Austin’s Still Austin is about special corn. In this case, Jimmy Red corn thrown in the mash. That makes the recipe 36% Jimmy Red corn, 34% white corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich, wet, and earthy masa drives the nose toward dark fruit leather, old spice bottles, and soft floral honey just touched with vanilla.
Palate: Freshly cut oranges are dipped in maple syrup on the palate with a sense of soft vanilla custard, pumpkin pecan pie, and plenty of winter spice that amps up toward black peppercorns.
Finish: That black pepper makes for a spiced finish as the pecan pie, orange, and custard all slowly fade away with a fleeting hint of an earthy cornfield after the rain.
Bottom Line:
This is a great pour. I really dig pairing this with tacos and bbq as it just hits right in that mode. A good low-and-slow carnitas braised with a ton of orange, spices, and just a hint of earthy sweetness is a good place to start.
Maker’s Mark Bill’s Recipe French Oaked No. 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky Cask Strength
This version of Maker’s 46 is all about shining a light on the brilliance of their stave program. The wheated bourbon is a small batch (made in a 1,000-gallon vatting tank) that’s re-barreled into used Maker’s Mark barrels that are fitted with heavily seared French oak staves. That whisky rests for another few months before bottling 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of old rickhouses and mincemeat pies with a hint of plum jam over buttermilk biscuits just kissed with clove and nutmeg.
Palate: Those biscuits turn into Christmas spice cakes with plenty of nuts and dried fruits with a candied orange hint next to caramel sauce and vanilla cake.
Finish: The end is lush at first with a nice earthiness that plays into rum raisin and brandy-soaked holiday cakes before fading abruptly.
Bottom Line:
This new Maker’s release is just delicious. I dig it in an old fashioned or Manhattan. It also works really well as a slow sipper over some rocks too.
Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Single Barrel Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Rum Barrels
This whiskey starts with Starlight’s high-corn Indiana straight bourbon. Select barrels are chosen and batched after four-and-a-half years before being re-barreled into rum casks. Then, single barrels of rum-cask bourbon are chosen for single-barrel bottling of cask-strength bourbon. In this case, that meant only 114 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mincemeat pies and dark molasses drive the nose toward cacao nibs, old cinnamon sticks, and powdery white pepper with a bold vanilla base and plenty of sweet warmth.
Palate: Salted caramel dipped in dark chocolate and cut with fresh maple syrup drives the palate toward dry chewing tobacco, toffee rolled in almonds, and old oak staves with plenty of vanilla left in them.
Finish: That wood gets very spicy on the finish as soft maple syrup and pecan counter the end with soft dry chocolate tobacco just kissed with dry red chili.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of rum-finished bourbon and how tasty it can be. This also makes a mean cocktail. Think of a bourbon-laced Tiki cocktail and you’ll be all set.
This barrel pick from ReserveBar is a masterpiece bourbon. The whiskey in the bottle is a nine-year-old barrel made with Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill (78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley). The barrel rested in Heaven Hill’s famed warehouse KK for all nine of those years before it was bottled for this special release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich cherries soaked in maple syrup mingle with a light sense of cedar cigar humidors, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, and cloves buried in orange peels with a hint of marzipan lurking in the background.
Palate: That cinnamon and clove blend with eggnog and nutmeg as the palate leans into mincemeat pie, vanilla cake, and a hint of toasted marshmallow dipped in dark chocolate.
Finish: The end gets a little dry as white pepper and old boot leather mingle with rich maple syrup over blueberry pancakes with a light sense of vanilla sugar cookies.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best Elijah Craig expressions I’ve tried in a while — no disrespect to the Barrel Proof releases. This is everything you want from an iconic Kentucky bourbon. Buy it now before it sells out.
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Private Select Single Barrel
This craft distillery out in Washington is starting to create a big footprint nationwide. This release is a single barrel pick of five-year-old local grain-to-glass Washington bourbon. The barrel spent exactly five years and four months aging in Central Washington during deeply cold winters and very hot high-desert summers, accelerating the aging process significantly. It was then barreled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A dark and almost dried cherry greet you on the nose with a sense of toasted Graham Crackers, maple syrup, and huckleberry pie next o hints of spiced winter cakes and salty dark chocolate.
Palate: Those spicy winter cakes follow on the palate as salted caramel and vanilla cake lead back to a lush cherry ice cream with a hint of dark chocolate and almond.
Finish: That dark chocolate gets creamy and sweet on the finish with a hint of floral honey and nasturtium spice next to a mild sense of old yet sweet oak.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent example of the beautiful whiskey made at Woodinville. As a single barrel pick, it shines bright. As a whiskey, it’s 100% worth adding to your bar cart as a stellar example of non-Kentucky bourbon.
The second batch of Booker’s has arrived. This batch is named after the relationship between Booker Noe (who helped define Beam in the 20th century) and his mentor, Carl Beam, back in the 1950s. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of a lot of barrels from prime spots in several warehouses across the Beam campus. The end blend ended up being 7+-year-old bourbon that’s bottled completely as-is without proofing or filtering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is nutty in the way that a rich and brandy-soaked holiday cake is with a deep layer of rich vanilla, candied orange, candied cherry, stewed pear, and deeply sharp winter spices.
Palate: The taste is very soft by way of a winter nut bread that’s spiced with real clove, allspice, and nutmeg next to apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, eggnog creaminess, and a bright rush of wild sage and maybe a hint of bouquet garni dipped in floral honey.
Finish: The end really amps up those spices with a very barky vibe as the orange turns to marmalade and the nuts turn to marzipan and pecan waffles with a sense of creamed vanilla honey dashed with sweet cedar kindling wrapped with leathery tobacco leaves that have just been singed.
Bottom Line:
The next batch of Booker’s has arrived! It’s great. Get it. And then drink however you like to drink your whiskey.
This brand-new Batch Proof release from Woodford Reserve is all about the process. The blending process of amazing cask strength barrels is front and center thanks to the whiskey going into the bottle untouched by water, leaving it “batch proof.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Deep marzipan and dark cherry pop on the nose with a sense of zucchini bread full of winter spice, brown butter, and walnuts next to bright orange zest and a dash of black peppercorns tied to old oak and light boot leather.
Palate: Those winter spices really amp up on the palate with a sense of clove, cardamom, and nutmeg next to old vanilla pods, dried glove leather, and a hint of dank pine resin tied to a hint of cherry bark.
Finish: That woodiness and dankness drive the finish toward a layer of spice nut cake swimming in buttercream with a nice dose of smudging sage and cedar bark leading to old tobacco pouches.
Bottom Line:
This is Woodford Reserve dialed up as high as it can go. It’s delicious. I like this with a single large rock as a slow sipper. It gets so creamy and luscious in the glass.
Augusta Distillery Buckner’s Aged 13 Years Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This is a very niche brand out in rural Kentucky that’s sourcing old barrels. The whiskey in the bottle is a Kentucky straight bourbon that rested for 13 years before it was bottled completely as-is both unfiltered and at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of old barrel houses full of sweet and spice bourbon next to a gentle moment of creamy vanilla honey with old corn husks stuffed in the honey which is poured over spiced winter nut breads with a hint of butteriness and earthy nutshells.
Palate: The clove, allspice, and anise of the nut bread amp up the buttery palate with a sense of Earl Grey tea leaves, salted caramel, and mocha-heavy espresso beans next to a light marzipan moistness and hints of burnt orange next to old dry black cherry bark.
Finish: The end lingers for a while as the marzipan and orchard barks fade toward sharp eggnog spices and soft creaminess before the vanilla creamed honey slathers old oak staves with a good dose of earthy fall vibes kind of like a forest floor on a frosty day.
Bottom Line:
This was just named the best bourbon on the planet by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Buy it while you still can.
Tomatin Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 36 Years Old
This is 100% malted barley malt whisky that spends a lot of time in the warehouse. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of a minimum of 36-year-old barrels — both ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Those barrels are vatted and allowed to rest before the whisky went in the bottle with a touch of water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a deep sense of apple and cherry trees in full bloom on the nose with a hint of mango skins, white peaches, and mulled wine spices that leads toward dark plum jam over buttery scones with a hint of brandy butter lurking in the background.
Palate: The palate is immediately lush and silken with a sense of pear pudding and mincemeat pies next to fire-roasted almonds, dried apples, and raw honeycomb with a light lavender vibe.
Finish: The spices rear their head on the finish with a mild eggnog and spiced Christmas nutcake feel that leads to figs and prunes with a hint of pear pie and soft vanilla rounding out the end.
Bottom Line:
This was just named the best overall whiskey in the whole goddamn world. It is absolutely delicious.
Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat Recipe Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
We finally have a brand-new Weller release from Buffalo Trace (at an incredible cost). The whiskey in the bottle is an experimental wheated bourbon made from Emmer wheat (an ancient Egyptian strain). That whiskey is then left alone to mature for 12 years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose feels like a slice of emmer wheat sourdough bread covered in seeds that you get in a very good bakery somewhere like Germany (I honestly cannot think of a U.S. analog for it) next to Nutella, fresh orange zest, and salted caramel with a hint of marzipan.
Palate: Bright orchard fruits pop on the palate as fresh honeycombs (with a hint of earthiness) vibe with more marzipan, deep sourdough bread notes, and a good bit of old oak in old rickhouses just kissed with falling leaves and soft rain.
Finish: That Buffalo Trace leatheriness comes through on the finish with more of that oak and warehouse vibe next to orchard bark, dark winter spice, and creamy honey kissed with rum raisin.
Bottom Line:
This new Weller is interesting in that it’s an experimental version of the iconic wheated bourbon. I dig it overall, but it honestly takes a couple of experiences with the bourbon to find all the depth present in the pour. My advice is to try this one at your local whiskey bar and go from there.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #10 A Blend Of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
This brand-new Discovery Series edition from Bardstown Bourbon Company is a masterful blend. The whiskey is a mix of three Kentucky bourbon, one Georgia bourbon, and one Tennessee whiskey all with rye and wheated bourbon mash bills. The barrels were six to 13 years old when batched and bottled as-is without filtering or proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramelized pecan pie slathered in maple syrup runs deep with Black Forest Cake and soft winter spice next to a hint of old boot leather and cedar humidors with a touch of hazelnut with a deep earthiness.
Palate: That hazelnut turns into Nutella on the luxurious palate as buttercream and vanilla cake mingle with woody spices and a hint of candied cherry and orange peels.
Finish: The end is pure silk with a sense of those dry winter spice countered by soft nutty creamed vanilla custard and a light note of wild smudging sage.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that deserves your time. There’s an earthiness to this at first that then fades into creamy Nutella if you give it 10 minutes to bloom in the glass. It’s kind of like a delicious magic trick.
Hardin’s Creek ‘Clermont’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This brand-new release from Jim Beam explored the effects of maturation at individual Beam campuses. In this case, the whiskey is a 17-year-old bourbon that spent its life resting at the Clermont, Kentucky Beam campus. The barrels were batched and barely proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark caramel and old vanilla pods lead on the nose with a fleeting sense of cherry syrup cut with clove and anise before a soft oakiness takes over.
Palate: The oak takes on a dark and almost smoky vibe as cinnamon sticks and clove buds lead to old saddle leather and damp pipe tobacco with a hint of cherry apple lurking beneath it all.
Finish: Singed marshmallow and old firewood bark lingers with some sense of vanilla cream and old dried cherries rolled in tobacco and cedar bark and dipped in dark chocolate with hints of salt.
Bottom Line:
This new Jim Beam release is a high water mark of blending for the team. This is a very good Jim Beam product and worth checking out to see the insane heights their whiskey achieves with long-form aging.
This new Founder’s Collection release from Rabbit Hole is a doozy. The whiskey in the bottle is made from wheated bourbon that was aged in well-charred Pedro Ximenez sherry casks from Spain’s renowned Casknolia Cooperage. Just 15 barrels were selected for this tiny small batch offering and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Thick vanilla custard and walnut cake drive the nose toward musty sherry oak still in the cellar next to dark raw sugar syrup over a spiced fruit cake.
Palate: The dark winter spices from the nut cakes drive the palate toward large stretches of cinnamon bark, old oak staves, and dark cherry with a hint of Meyer lemon and tart currants.
Finish: Mulled wine and salted toffee round out the finish with a return to the walnut cake and plenty of sherry-soaked old oak.
Bottom Line:
This is a lush and silky pour that really highlights the depth of the dark fruit involved. I do think I’ll save this more for the holiday season, but it’s available now … so act quickly.
The annual Fèis Ìle release from Islay’s Bunnahabhain is here! The whisky is an unpeated single malt that was aged exclusively in rare Canasta sherry casks. Those casks were vatted and bottled as-is for this annual release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old-school creamy sherry comes through on the nose with caramel-soaked pears and peach next to roasted almond, plenty of cinnamon stick, and a hint of mushroomy earthiness.
Palate: Those caramelized pears lead to stewed figs and orange-laced dark chocolate on the palate as vanilla cream and maple syrup add some serious sweetness and lusciousness.
Finish: The end is sweet with a sense of maple syrup, candied orange, sweet apple candy, and vanilla buttercream with a light touch of winter spice and roasted chestnut.
Bottom Line:
This is a wonderful pour of whisky. It’s soft and sweet and supple. It also has a hint of bourbon in there that makes it a great bridge for anyone looking to dip into Scotch single malts.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series Foursquare Blend of Straight Whiskies Finished in Foursquare Rum Barrels
This is a much-sought-after blend from Kentucky darling Bardstown Bourbon Company. The blend in this case is a mix of seven-year-old Indiana straight rye with a mash bill of 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barley blended with a 17-year-old Tennessee straight bourbon with a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley. Once those barrels are batched, the whiskey is re-barreled in Foursquare rum barrels for an additional 23-month rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Woody banana and rich marzipan pop on the nose with a deep and sharp clove, anise, and cinnamon vibe next to peanut butter clusters dusted with toasted coconut, burnt orange zest, and sea salt with this whisper of rum-soaked raisins and old oak in the background.
Palate: The rye funkiness drives the rummy oak tannins towards a soft sticky toffee pudding with rich toffee, mild vanilla oils, and a sense of spiced mincemeat pie.
Finish: The finish is lush and silken with a sense of fresh and warm vanilla pods over warm grog with a handful of dark and woody winter spices countered by luxurious and buttery salted caramel with a fleeting hint of smoldering marshmallow.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best pours of the year.
The Singleton of Glen Ord Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 40 Years
This new release from The Singleton of Glen Ord is a well-aged masterpiece. The malt spent 12 years aging in old bourbon casks before being re-barreled into fresh used oak for another 37 years. Finally, those barrels were vatted and that whisky was re-filled into a mix of rum casks which were ex-solera rum casks of Zacapa XO Rum and Zacapa Royal Rum. Finally, the whisky was vatted and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft orchard fruit — plums, pears, quince — mingle on the nose with a light sense of roasting sage, thyme, and rosemary — all fresh and oily — before a mild note of old cellar oak and dried prosciutto skins arrive.
Palate: The taste leans into the orchard fruit before curing everything with salt, creating a tart yet salted plum/apricot/pear vibe that leads to soft yet dry cacao with a hint of spice barks.
Finish: Those spice barks get sharp and peppery on the finish as the chocolate mellows toward salted figs, plums, and pears that have just been kissed with cherry smoke.
Bottom Line:
Divine. This is just f*cking divine. Is it worth $1,200? I think for how unique and delicious this is, yes.
For reasons unknown, some concertgoers have recently decided to pelt their favorite artists with objects during performances. It’s a feral, troubling trend, and Adele addressed it in a way that only she could.
“Have you noticed how people are, like, forgetting f*cking show etiquette at the moment [and] just throwing sh*t on stage? Have you seen that? I f*cking dare you,” Adele said during her Weekends With Adeleresidency in Las Vegas, touting a T-shirt cannon (as captured by Mike Snedegar and ciculated by fan accounts).
Adele urged the cheering crowd to “stop throwing things,” but her sentence was interrupted by a fit of laughter at the “total reverse” irony of her launching a T-shirt at them. “These people have lost it! Can you imagine?” she added.
Adele talking about people throwing stuff at artists during recent concerts. “ have you noticed how people are like forgetting fucking show etiquette at the moment throwing shit on stage ? … these people have lost it ” (@/mikesnedegar on IG ) pic.twitter.com/MUO730zNbt
Bebe Rexha suffered a facial injury while on stage in New York City on June 18 after Nicolas Malvagna thought “it would be funny” to hit her with a phone. He was subsequently charged with two counts of third-degree assault, one count of second-degree harassment, one count of second-degree aggravated harassment, and one count of third-degree attempted assault. (as reported by Rolling Stone).
The Minnesota Timberwolves spent Friday mostly making additions on the margins, re-signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker and adding Shake Milton and Troy Brown Jr. — having already re-signed Naz Reid prior to free agency.
The biggest move of the new season came when the 2020 NBA Draft class became extension eligible at midnight ET, meaning it was time for Anthony Edwards to get paid. The former No. 1 overall pick has lived up to the billing, becoming an All-Star in Minnesota, averaging 24.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists on 45.9/36.9/75.6 shooting splits a year ago in his third season with the Timberwolves, setting career-bests for scoring output and efficiency. As such, he was rewarded as the calendar turned to July with a 5-year, $207 million extension that could become a $260 million extension if he makes an All-NBA team this coming season.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has agreed on a five-year designated rookie maximum deal that could be worth $260 million, his agents Bill Duffy and Joe Branch of WME tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/d0UTdqFgD9
Edwards has improved each season since entering the league, becoming a full-fledged star this past year. Along with strong production he’s been quite durable, playing in at least 72 games every season (79 last year) since arriving in the league, which is a huge help for a Minnesota team that needs that kind of nightly presence in the lineup. The Timberwolves may have some difficult roster decisions to make in the coming years, particularly as they try to figure out if Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert can indeed coexist in the frontcourt with both on max deals, but Edwards’ future is not among the questions, as he is a certified centerpiece player for Minnesota.
If you’re a fan of fresh, summery highballs, you’re probably a big fan of the classic gin and tonic. This simple, refreshing cocktail consists of — you guessed it — tonic water and gin. Sure, some bartenders add extra ingredients to this gin-centric drink, but those are the only ingredients you need to guarantee a crisp, refreshing highball you’ll want to drink from now until the first leaves fall in the autumn (and beyond).
But as great as this simple drink is, there are about a million takes on the classic duo — mostly thanks to endless garnishing variations. Among these, our favorite might be the much-beloved “Spanish gin & tonic.” Popularized in Spain, this version of the gin and tonic consists of extra ingredients designed to crank up the flavors to 11. It’s so popular there that there are bars centered specifically around this iconic drink.
This version begins with the traditional gin and tonic and then adds herbs, botanicals, seeds, fruits, and sometimes even bitters depending on the recipe. It’s then served in a massive balloon glass (instead of a highball or rocks glass). Common ingredients you’ll find include citrus wheels, rosemary (and just about any other herb you can think of), juniper berries, rose petals… it’s really only limited by your imagination. Because really, we’re just talking about “a g & t with lots of flourishes!”
“The key to a great Spanish G+T is pairing the botanicals of your gin to your garnish selections, as well as paying heed to your tonic water of choice,” says Brandon Ristaino, co-founder and beverage director at Good Lion Hospitality in Santa Barbara, California. “While there are countless pairings one could cite, any gin that shows a pronounced set of botanicals — and exhibits elements of ‘terroir’ — makes for an amazing Spanish gin and tonic.”
Below, you’ll find bartender-approved gin picks for which gins to pour in your next Spanish gin & tonic.
Fords Gin
Fords Gin
Keith McCarthy, general manager at Jones Hollywood in Los Angeles
Fords Gin is my pick. The botanicals in the product really lend themselves to great cocktails. It’s versatile enough to have fun with the rest of the ingredients. For a Spanish gin and tonic, I start with Fords, a quality tonic, and always a grapefruit peel. After that, we like to play around with whatever is fresh. Sometimes a bit of cucumber or blackberry. I always like to finish off my Spanish gin & tonic with a few “Angel Tears”, a saline solution with Dirty Sue Premium Olive Juice, and spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Juniper, lavender, and spices make this a great base for a Spanish Gin tonic. It’s spicy, and flavorful, and pairs well with floral flavors.
Condesa Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom Gin
Condesa
Wesley Rinco, beverage director at La Barca in New York City
I would say Condesa Prickly Pear & Orange Blossom Gin crafted in Mexico City because it’s a classic London dry with a new world touch, not very juniper-forward, and its wide array of complex flavors and floral notes always complements a clean classic tonic water. It’s a great option for those looking to add a unique twist to their Spanish gin tonic.
Tasting Notes:
It has a unique flavor profile that includes the sweet and floral notes of orange blossom and the fruity and slightly tart taste of prickly pear and a pop of raspberry. These flavors make it a great choice for a Spanish gin tonic because they complement the fresh garnishes typically used in this cocktail. The sweetness of the orange blossom and prickly pear also helps to balance the bitterness of the tonic water, creating a well-rounded and refreshing drink.
Nordes Gin
Nordes Gin
Shiva Thapa, head bartender at Miller & Lux in San Francisco
Bright and with sweet floral aromas, I prefer Nordes Gin for Spanish Gin Tonics. Rich with botanicals, I always use Fever Tree tonic water. Together, they are a refreshing and flavorful match.
Tasting Notes:
Made in Galicia, Spain, this perfumed gin offers hints of peach, rose, rainbow sherbet, and raspberry.
Nolet’s Dry Gin
Nolet’s
Joel Karaway, senior mixologist at The Ritz-Carlton in Sarasota, Florida
Nolet’s Dry Gin is a great choice for a Spanish gin tonic as it is a dry gin that works with a lot of different flavors, including citrus. The ingredients include wheat spirit, botanicals (including juniper), rose, peach, and raspberry.
Tasting Notes:
The taste is very floral and fruity, pairing well with the herby citrus and berry flavor of the Spanish gin tonic cocktail.
Gin Mare is a captivating and vibrant aroma. The carefully selected botanicals used in its production create a nose that is both herbaceous and floral, making it a perfect choice for gin enthusiasts seeking a sensory experience. When crafting a gin tonic with Gin Mare, you can unlock its full potential by complementing its unique flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
The initial taste reveals a delightful hint of sweetness accompanied by the prominent flavors of juniper and citrus. The finish is long and lingering, leaving behind a gentle warmth that invites you to savor it.
Tanqueray London Dry Gin is a great choice. A classic good London dry gin is my go-to for a Spanish gin-tonic. From citrus to herbs like rosemary, and botanicals like juniper berries. It’s the dealer’s choice per Spanish tradition but the more garnishes, the better.
Tasting Notes:
It has good floral aromas and compliments a variety of garnishes very well. Citrus peels, spices, and juniper, this classic gin is a perfect base for a Spanish gin tonic.
Xoriguer Mahón Gin
Xoriguer Mahón Gin
Christian Taibi, bartender at Mahina & Sun’s in Honolulu, Hawaii
An interesting culture, Spain’s interpretation of gin is redefining how this spirit should be expressed throughout cocktails. Mahón is an incredible spirit incorporating aged juniper berries (up to two years) as well as local grapes otherwise used for Spain’s incredible wines. Something as simple as a classic martini will bring enlightenment to the pallet.
Tasting Notes:
The more floral expression speaks for itself as a lighter yet more botanical base for said classic. It’s floral, juniper-heavy, and very complex.
The keys to a good Spanish gin and tonic lie in its core components — the gin and the tonic. Emphasis on the “and” because we don’t want to overlook the tonic, a common habit. With a tonic that’s properly effervescent, sweet, bitter, and chilled, in a glass that keeps in the bubbles while allowing the nose to open while you sip, the gin becomes a partner to the tonic. When I think of Spanish flavors I think bright and citrusy. For a gin, what comes to mind is Nikka Coffey Gin. Funny that I’m recommending a Japanese spirit here, but it embodies those two flavor notes well.
Tasting Notes:
Still with a floral note of juniper is that of lemon, yuzu, and orange. Combined with a good straightforward tonic, chilled, in its proper vessel, with whichever accouterments catch your fancy, we should have a great Spanish gin tonic.
Barr Hill Gin
Barr Hill
Jill Caron, bar principle at The Salty Pig in Boston
Coming from New England, I think the best gin for a Spanish gin and tonic would be Barr Hill Gin coming out of Vermont. This gin isn’t made with a ton of botanicals but has enough punch to go alongside the extra juniper berry garnish.
Tasting Notes:
This gin is distilled with hand-crushed organic juniper and then finished with raw honey coming from that region of Vermont. So, you still get the depth of the botanicals and then the smoothness of the honey. Which makes for a very drinkable gin.
Sipsmith London Dry Gin is my go-to for a Spanish gin and tonic. If you prefer more of a fruit-forward tipple, Sipsmith’s Strawberry Smash, made with Wimbledon strawberries and English mint, is a good alternative for an exceptionally refreshing Spanish Gin Tonic.
Tasting Notes:
The heavy citrus notes of lemon and orange peel are balanced by the traditional herbs of coriander, juniper, and orris root, making it a great base for this flavorful cocktail.
I enjoy Botanist Islay Dry Gin from Scotland. It has a nice salinity that pairs well with tonic, and it plays nice with other citrusy flavors that you can add to your glass. It also works great with rosemary as an herbaceous gin and tonic.
Tasting Notes:
This floral, citrus-filled, piney, juniper-forward, botanical heavy gin is a great base for a fresh, summery Spanish gin and tonic.
Brooklyn Gin
Brooklyn Gin
Jared Bailey, bar manager at Soho Cigar Bar in New York City
I will always prefer a dry gin for my classic gin cocktails and the characteristics of Brooklyn Gin easily complement the herbs and flavors that are introduced in a Spanish gin and tonic. The light and crisp Brooklyn Gin pairs well with the introduction of the lemon and the thyme.
Tasting Notes:
This is a great base for a flavorful, aromatic Spanish gin tonic with its notes of orange peels, juniper berries, lavender, and other complementary spices.
St. George Terroir
St. George
Bijan Ghiai, beverage manager at Urban Hill in Salt Lake City
St. George Terroir Gin is a fantastic gin for a Spanish gin and tonic. This complex gin is infused with herbs and botanicals like black peppercorn, juniper berries, bergamot peel, dill seed, Sevilla orange peel, and countless more.
Tasting Notes:
It has all the herbaceousness, strong upfront sage and rosemary, and savory elements that make it stand out for such a simplistic cocktail. You can build upon that with your dehydrated herbs, juniper berries, pink peppercorns, it all plays off really well with that Gin.
The best gin for a Spanish gin and tonic is definitely the new Bombay Sapphire Premiere Cru. I like to pair it with London Essence Pomelo & Pink Pepper tonic water, star anise, and a fresh slice of orange and lemon. The perfect combination to enjoy during summer.
Tasting Notes:
Made with Murcian lemons, mandarins, and sweet navel oranges. It’s even more incredible given that it’s a sustainable gin.
Harrison Ford may be on the verge of turning 81, but he’s not slowing down. In fact he hates the very idea of retiring. He recently made his Marvel debut. He’s playing the president — again — in Captain America: Brave New World, the first movie to feature Anthony Mackie in the titular role. Mackie was understandably on edge working with one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but Ford knew how to chill everyone out.
“The first day was so intimidating,” Mackie told Inverse, in a bit caught by IndieWire. “I was so f*cking nervous I couldn’t remember my lines. He’s Harrison fucking Ford. There is this aura about him.”
Luckily Mackie was soon put at ease. “But he dispels that really quickly because he’s such a cool guy. He’s everything a movie star should be. He would say, ‘Let’s shoot this piece of sh*t.’ And everybody was like, ‘Yeah, let’s shoot this sh*t.’”
Ford takes over the role of Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross from the late William Hurt, who passed away last year. Hurt played the role starting in 2008’s The Incredible Hulk and up through Black Widow. Ross used to be a general before graduating to secretary of state.
The actor can now be seen in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, which isn’t doing so hot at the box office. That’s too bad because it’s pretty delightful.
The first weekend of free agency is in the books and has seen more than 60 players sign new deals. A lot of those have been players re-signing, as to this point there have been only a few big money deals handed out to players changing teams — and most of those have been by one team, the Houston Rockets. That said, there have been some teams and players that had a better weekend than others.
With a lot of teams having to make additions on the margins, either with minimum deals or using exceptions, teams are fighting over the same group of players and some have done better than others at filling out their rosters with depth and talent. Here, we’ll look at the winners and losers of the first weekend of free agency.
There are some teams that have simply done what they had to in re-signing their guys — the Bucks, Mavs, Kings, and Warriors stand out — but haven’t been able to upgrade around them. And then you have the rebuilding teams that have been patient, not wanting to rush their process — the Magic, Pistons, Thunder, Spurs, and Jazz all fit this category — using cap space to take on contracts from other teams and add assets. Those all exist somewhere in between these lists.
The criteria for teams is fairly simple: How well have you executed your plan? Every team has been trying to address some need, and some have done better than others. From a player perspective it’s more about value: Have you been able to extract a little extra money or an extra year or two on a deal than most expected?
WINNERS
Everyone the Rockets signed or tried to sign
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After the Pistons and Kings used their cap space via extensions and trades, there weren’t a lot of teams out there with money to spend once free agency opened. That makes life hard on players and agents to drum up enough of a bidding war to get their guys paid, but anyone who was able to garner legitimate interest from the Rockets managed to do just that and likely walked away with one of the best contracts of the summer.
Fred VanVleet was able to pit the Raptors and Rockets against each other to get 3/130 from Houston. Dillon Brooks got a 4/80 from the Rockets, without many other suitors above the mid-level. Jock Landale got his QO pulled by Phoenix and came out a big winner, nabbing 4/32 after Houston struck out on Brook Lopez. Lopez got 2/48 from Milwaukee, as the Bucks had to give him a big annual salary to avoid him bolting. Kyrie Irving nabbed a 3/126 from the Mavs, partially on the off-chance Houston missed out on VanVleet and would need to find someone to spend all that money on. Jeff Green even got a $6 million deal just to be an adult in Houston, cashing in on a title run to vault out of the veteran minimum range.
Kyle Kuzma
As Friday night approached, it seemed like Kyle Kuzma could end up getting squeezed a bit in the market. Houston’s focus was on VanVleet, Brooks, and Lopez, with Kuzma seemingly a secondary (or tertiary) potential target for them. Sacramento, a team long connected to interest in Kuzma, had used up most of its space by re-signing Harrison Barnes (who plays the same position as Kuzma). Indiana was, likewise, focused elsewhere on Bruce Brown, and there was a real chance for Kuzma to find himself without a lot of leverage to maximize his value in negotiations. However, he quickly picked up a 4-year, $102 million deal to return to the Wizards, landing the long-term deal he wanted, while giving the Wizards a secondary scorer alongside Jordan Poole who, depending on how long the rebuild drags on, could be a useful trade chip in coming years.
Phoenix Suns
There weren’t any massive signings by the Suns, but they’ve done the best on the veteran minimum market of just about anyone. There are a lot of teams trying to work on the margins, and Phoenix has won out on a number of battles for top veterans. What separates the Suns from, say, the Warriors, is that there are no defined roles in Phoenix right now beyond their star quartet, which means lots of minutes are available in the rotation — regular season and postseason — for guys to potentially make themselves some money in the future. Phoenix was able to get some shooting in the form of Yuta Watanabe, Damion Lee, and Eric Gordon, bring back a defensive presence in Josh Okogie, add solid backup bigs in Drew Eubanks and Chimezie Metu, and even got a younger wing in Keita Bates-Diop who brings some upside to a roster seriously lacking in it.
Cleveland Cavaliers
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After their first round loss to the Knicks in five games, the Cavaliers clearly got the message that they needed to upgrade their wing rotation. Cleveland hit the market to be a spender on the wing, re-signing Caris LeVert and adding Georges Niang and Max Strus (via a sign-and-trade that sent Lamar Stevens and Cedi Osman to San Antonio) to reshape their wing rotation with an eye on adding veterans who can be trusted in a playoff setting. They still need better play from their frontcourt, which got smoked on the glass by New York, and my guess is they give Jarrett Allen one more year to see if he can deliver on the playoff stage before looking into changes there. Otherwise, they’ve answered their biggest question coming off of last year. That’s important for an up-and-coming team, and we saw last year Denver have a similar offseason bolstering their rotation around their core four with some veteran upgrades for the playoff rotation. The difference, of course, is that the Cavs don’t have Nikola Jokic so I’m not sure they’re suddenly title contenders, but I do think they gave themselves a chance to be more of a threat in the East playoffs — again, pending some internal strides taken by their stars.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers had a very solid start to free agency. They were able to bring in some needed guard help in the form of Gabe Vincent, and retained Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell at a reasonable prices. They took a flier on Jaxson Hayes to be a young, backup big who can eat some minutes at center, and then solidified their wing rotation by bringing back Rui Hachimura and adding Taurean Prince with the bi-annual exception. They succeeded in their quest to have more continuity coming into this season, but didn’t have to overpay to do so and also added three potential rotation contributors from the outside, at least one of whom should be part of the playoff rotation.
Indiana Pacers
There’s some sticker shock with the Tyrese Haliburton extension, but he’s an All-Star who just averaged 20/10 in a season on tremendous shooting efficiency. That results in a max extension just about every time, and the Pacers absolutely believe he’s a core guy. They also bolstered their roster with things they needed around him. Bruce Brown was someone just about every team was pursuing, and while they definitely had to pay big for him (although that second year is a team option), that’s the price of getting a role player to leave a contender and join a team hoping simply to be in the Play-In hunt next year. Adding Obi Toppin for a couple second round picks was also a nice use of cap space, bringing in a bouncy forward who has gotten continuously better in his career and will join a team that looks to get out and run and should fit his skillset nicely. This isn’t a team that’s suddenly a contender but they used their cap space well to add a defensive-minded veteran they desperately need, locked up a key piece long-term, and took a swing on a young player that fits their profile.
Jerami Grant
Grant might want to send Damian Lillard a gift basket for holding off on his trade request until the team had reached an agreement with Grant on a 5-year, $160 million deal. Once again, in a market where very few teams had the cap space to threaten to poach a guy like Grant, landing a deal for that long and that much money is rather incredible. Grant was terrific last year and he’ll fit in Portland with or without Lillard, but I’m not sure anyone was anticipating the fifth year on his deal — or why Portland felt they had to give that to him.
LOSERS
Philadelphia 76ers
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So far the Sixers have signed Patrick Beverley and had James Harden pick up his player option and request a trade. Georges Niang and Shake Milton have signed elsewhere in free agency and they can’t really look to add many more veterans until they know what they will be getting back for Harden. While they might get a decent return for him, it’s going to be nearly impossible for them to completely replace his production in a trade given his value won’t be particularly high on an expiring when most everyone assumes he wants to be in Los Angeles. We know Daryl Morey is willing to get uncomfortable with a trade request and let it linger, but with a new coach, you’d like to have the team set going into camp.
Portland Trail Blazers
Well, it finally happened. Damian Lillard issued his trade request on Saturday after the Blazers had already handed a 5/160 to Jerami Grant, but had not found any other additions to upgrade the roster. They now must do what they have undoubtedly been preparing to do for much of this summer, which is trade their franchise cornerstone. The reason they’re in the Losers category isn’t simply that they have to trade Lillard, as long-term that might be for the best. It’s that, as of now, there’s not a clear suitor who can give them value back for him — and just gave Grant a contract that’s going to be hard to move for positive assets in return.
The Miami Heat’s offer is well below what Dame should be going for, both in current players and future assets. The Nets can throw picks at Portland, which helps, but if Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson aren’t in the mix it still won’t feel like an ideal return. Portland should (and by all accounts will) let this drag on a bit to see what other teams
might make offers, because Lillard has so many years left on his deal that even teams who aren’t on his preferred list should be willing to make a solid offer. Still, it’s extremely rare for a team to get back even close to positive value in a star trade request, and the Blazers now have to figure out how to reset the roster.
Restricted Free Agents not named Cam Johnson
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The RFA market is cooked, plain and simple. Cam Johnson got a 4/108, in part because the Nets decided to play nice when they could’ve very easily squeezed him once Detroit traded for Joe Harris and used up their cap space. That was nice to see, but as has been the case for a few years now, there just aren’t strong offer sheets to be had for most RFAs. Austin Reaves couldn’t find anyone to throw him an offer sheet, meaning the Lakers got to bring him in on a 4/54 (the max they could offer him), which is incredible value for the guy who is their third-best player. Herbert Jones got the same deal after New Orleans declined his team option to pay him sooner, which was both nice by them and also probably got him signed to what will look like a significant value contract by the back half of it. Coby White got 3/33 from the Bulls, which might’ve been the best non-Cam Johnson RFA deal a player signed, but certainly not an overpay by any stretch for a solidly efficient shooter.
Then you have the guys still waiting on deals. Grant Williams, a helpful rotation player on a contender, is still sitting there without an offer sheet even though Boston is far from a lock to match after the Porzingis trade. Matisse Thybulle is in purgatory waiting for the Blazers to figure out what they’re doing. PJ Washington and Paul Reed have seen a thin big man market mostly dry up, and Ayo Dosunmu has seemingly been unable to find a market either. The new CBA was supposed to help RFAs get better deals, as an offer sheet now only ties up cap space for one day rather than up to three since teams have less time to make their decision on matching. However, that hasn’t yielded any offer sheets thus far and with how quickly cap space dries up with unrestricted free agents, RFAs still are getting squeezed by the market by the time the moratorium period comes to an official end.
Houston Rockets
The Rockets had a clear plan coming into this summer and came very close to executing on it. They signed Fred VanVleet to a massive deal (but one with a third-year team option that makes it much more palatable) to bring some point of attack defense and a steady-handed veteran to run their offense. They signed Dillon Brooks to a descending 4/80 contract (via sign-and-trade) to bring much-needed wing defense. The problem was, the entire plan hinged on also landing Brook Lopez, which they failed to do as he returned to Milwaukee on a 2/48, spurning whatever it was Houston was offering. That left them to sign Jock Landale, a solid center but not the defensive anchor they needed to make this summer’s roster overhaul complete.
There are rumblings Houston isn’t happy with Lopez because they thought they had a deal done, which is why they made some of the trades they did to clear room, only to learn he was returning to the Bucks. However, in the NBA until you have the deal done, it’s never done, and the Rockets can’t be agreeing to those trades before having that agreement finalized with Lopez. The Brooks contract, in particular, is a lot of money for a guy it’s hard to imagine had much more than a full mid-level available to him. He will bring a defensive presence and edge they absolutely need, but as the second-highest paid player on the roster, will probably think he should be more involved offensively than is ideal for his skillset. Without Lopez patrolling the back line, they still don’t have the rim protection they need, which will limit how effective their new perimeter defensive duo can be. All told, the Rockets find themselves in the Losers column because they had bad process (trading TyTy Washington, Usman Garuba, and KJ Martin to clear room for a guy that didn’t come) and tied up a bit more long-term money than they wanted with Brooks. The team is undoubtedly better than they were, but the ceiling feels like the Play-In, and even that’s not a guarantee without considerable steps forward from their young guys.
Denver Nuggets
The defending champs won’t let a rough opening weekend of free agency dampen their spirits totally, but it wasn’t great seeing a key contributor in Bruce Brown leave to join the Pacers. Brown absolutely had to take the money, as 2/45 is too good to pass up and could see him get another crack at a big deal down the line. Denver was unlikely to retain him, but so long as the offers were the full mid-level, they had a chance at getting him to stay on a 1-year contract with the promise of long-term money in 2024. Unfortunately, Indiana came with an offer too good to pass up, and the Nuggets have had to circle around to Plan B.
Plan B was giving Reggie Jackson just over $10 million for two years to be the backup point guard, which is more than I think most anticipated for a guy who wasn’t in the playoff rotation. They also signed Justin Holiday, who is the Jeff Green replacement in the rotation as a solid veteran wing who can give them 15-20 a night come playoff time. That’s all fine, but they just don’t have a clear path to replacing Brown. My assumption is they’ll bump Christian Braun up to the Bruce Brown role, with Holiday taking Green’s place in the rotation and one of the young guys (Peyton Watson, in all likelihood) being moved into Braun’s minutes from last year.
Again, this wasn’t a disaster or something totally unforeseen — they’re still among the title favorites — but it still stings and leaves the champs with some things to figure out for next year, particularly come playoff time.
On July 8, Billboardreleased its latest albums chart, and One Thing At A Time notched its 15th nonconsecutive week at No. 1 as Wallen nears Adele’s record-most 24 total No. 1 weeks on the Billboard 200 with 21 from 2011-12. As it stands, Wallen’s One Thing At A Time already has the most No. 1 weeks by any album since the aforementioned run from Adele, as per the publication. Tthe only interruption was Swift’s Midnights on the June 10 and June 17 charts.
“Although incarceration isn’t the same as death, the album’s compilation of old verses and guest appearances makes it feel almost cobbled together the way some notable posthumous releases have been and raises the question of how much of this was what Thug actually wanted versus how much of it was just feasible over the past few months,” Williams wrote.
He added, “As it stands, the project is a testament to the value of sequencing and an emblem of what the music world might lose if Young Thug loses his case.”
As for Thug’s No. 2 debut, Billboard explained why he shouldn’t feel bad about it, noting that Wallen’s One Thing At A Time “has blocked” 10 prior albums from sniffing the No. 1 spot and forced a No. 2 debut, including Ed Sheeran’s – (Subtract), Niall Horan’s The Show, Jimin’s Face, and Agust D’s D-Day. If it stays at No. 2 or below, Business Is Business will become the 11th album on that list.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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#222 July 14”
(@liltjay) 
(@adelesgolden) 
Adele 
