Month: July 2023

Earlier today (July 21), The 1975 performed at Good Vibes Festival in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The performance, it turns out, may have gotten the group banned from the city.

During the set, Matty Healy addressed the audience in regards to Malaysia’s stance on LGBTQ+ rights, saying, “I’m f*cking furious. And that’s not fair on you because you’re not representative of your government. Because you are young people, and I’m sure a lot of you are gay and progressive and cool. So I pulled the show yesterday, I pulled the show yesterday, and we had a conversation, and we said, ‘You know what, we can’t let the kids down because they’re not the government.’ But, I’ve done this before: I’ve gone to a country where it’s f*cking… I don’t know what it f*cking is. Ridiculous. F*cking ridulous… to tell people what they can do with that and that. And if you want to invite me here to do a show, you can f*ck off. I’ll take your money, you can ban me, but I’ve done this before, and it doesn’t feel good, and I’m f*cked off.”

Later during the performance, Healy and bandmate Ross MacDonald shared a good 20-second kiss as the crowd cheered. After that, the set ended prematurely, with Healy explaining before he left the stage, “Alright, we just got banned from Kuala Lumpur, see you later.”

setlist.fm indicates the band only performed seven songs, while an additional nine were on a printed setlist.

Bulleit Frontier Bourbon and Bulleit 95 Rye are two bottles of American whiskey that truly helped herald the modern whiskey boom. Back in 1999, Tom Bulleit created the brand and proceeded to make it an international hit by 2000. Today, Bulleit is ubiquitous. It’s in every liquor store, bar, restaurant, and Costco. It’s a truly international brand. It’s also a very versatile whiskey shingle with several expressions that go well beyond the initial Frontier Bourbon and 95 Rye in quality and craft.

That’s why it’s time for a full-line ranking by me, your friendly neighborhood whiskey critic.

Let’s get a little footing before we dive in. A big part of Bulleit’s overnight success was focusing the marketing on the fact that the bourbon is a high-rye whiskey (28% rye in the mash bill/recipe) and the rye as high-rye whiskey (at 95% Indiana rye — the eponymous “95” in the name). This prompted many a PR team to say that Bulleit had a “spicier” and thereby deeper profile than your average whiskey. 23 years later, Bulleit’s marketing is so ingrained that most people now automatically think “rye=spicy.” It doesn’t always mean that* but here we all are.

Still… none of that takes away from the fact that this brand, now owned by global spirits behemoth Diageo, is a cornerstone of the 21st-century whiskey movement.

Today, Bulleit whiskey is being brewed, distilled, and aged in Kentucky at a state-of-the-art sustainable facility. There are still a lot of sourced barrels in the mix though, since the distilling started in earnest in 2017 — only six years ago. As of 2023, we’re still dealing with whiskeys made from some of the best barrels of Kentucky whiskey from huge (unnamed) distilleries blended with a scant few Bulleit-made barrels that are ready and that sweet and much-beloved 95% MGP Indiana rye.

And that’s what I’m ranking below — the full line of 2023’s Bulleit whiskey expressions.

* Rye whiskey was marketed as “spicy” for much of the aughts and teens. Today, that definition is finally losing its stranglehold on the style. While rye grains (a wheat varietal) can impart mild spicy notes like nutmeg, it’s not necessarily a “spicy” grain any more than wheat or barley. In fact, what rye does impart is nutty, very herbal (dill, caraway, mint, sage), and earthy malted grain (think rye bread) flavors with mild creamy tropical fruitiness.

The spiciness in all whiskey is mostly derived from yeast strains and wood aging. That’s why whiskeys with exactly zero rye grain in the mash bill/recipe can be spice bombs, and always have been. Why did this happen? Long story short, it was an easy way for PR and marketing departments to shorthand why rye whiskey was special or different from bourbon in an era when consumer knowledge was at an all-time low.

Basically, it all came from a marketing meeting in moment that must have felt both revelatory and nonsensical. Much like “It’s toasted!”

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• The 100 Best Bourbons That *Aren’t* From Kentucky, Ranked
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6. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This whiskey embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The hot juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling. As far as we know, this is still mostly sourced juice but will likely start including Bulleit’s own whiskey in the next year or two.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic Kentucky bourbon with clear dark cherry tobacco, apple cider doughnuts, plenty of cinnamon, eggnog creaminess, and a little rye grassiness (think dry sweetgrass).

Palate: The spice on the palate is squarely in the cinnamon category with creamy vanilla, more warm fruity tobacco, and a hint of orchard bark lurking in the background.

Finish: The end is warm but fades pretty quickly, leaving you with soft oak, dark spice, brown sugar, and a whisper of sweet and creamy grits.

Bottom Line:

This is a solid standard bourbon. I’d use it for mixing highballs, taking shots (if you keep it in the freezer), or mixing a basic cocktail like a punch, smash, julep, or sour. This is a good table bourbon.

5. Bulleit 95 Rye Frontier Whiskey Straight American Rye Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

Bulleit’s rye has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley from MGP of Indiana. The rye is aged for four to seven years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This nose opens up with a mix of resinous cedar, sharp rye grassiness, creamy vanilla eggnog, and a hint of fresh mint that’s just kissed with fresh and dank pipe tobacco.

Palate: The taste delivers on those notes while folding in hints of dark chocolate, savory fruits (think melon or overripe banana), and a crumbly buttermilk biscuit with a hint of maple syrup, salted butter, and sage.

Finish: The end is pretty short and thin but circles back around to that cedar and maple syrup with a tobacco edge and a touch of winter spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice rye but very pedestrian in 2023. I’d lean toward using this for citrus-forward cocktails and maybe shots more than anything else. I’d also use this for baking and cooking. There are some nice notes here that’d play well with doughnut icing, cake batter, or pancake mixes.

4. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 60.1%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This is Bulleit letting that high-rye bourbon whiskey shine at full force. The bourbon is small-batched from hand-selected barrels and bottled at the new Bulleit distillery in Kentucky with old sourced barrels that they’ve been stewarding for years now.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet woody cedar notes pop next to oily vanilla on the nose with a rush of black peppercorns, dried red chili pepper, and a hint of dark caramel just kissed with salt.

Palate: The taste delivers ripe peaches next to more peppery spice and a hint of Christmas spice barks and burnt orange with the vanilla taking a backseat and the oak really stepping in with hints of dill and mint (both dried).

Finish: The end leans into the spice barks and burnt orange with a touch more of that creamy vanilla that mellows into a nutmeg-heavy eggnog lusciousness.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice pour of whiskey. I like this over a few rocks or mixed into a nice whiskey-forward cocktail.

3. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Blender’s Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $67

The Whiskey:

This limited expression was crafted by Bulleit’s master blenders. The release is a series that celebrates the women who make Bulleit bourbon. The whiskey is a hand-selected blend of three out of the 10 bourbons (hint, hint) Bulleit sources. The bourbons were aged six to eight years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is brimming with salted peanut shells, old braids of cedar bark and sweetgrass, oily vanilla pods, and moist sticky toffee pudding with plenty of wintry spices and dark dried fruits.

Palate: Those dried fruits are soaked in rum on the palate as Black Forest cake drives the taste toward buttery salted toffee before black pepper and dried ancho chili leads to old tobacco rolled with cedar, smudging sage, and a whisper of old barrel oak with a musty edge.

Finish: The end has a great balance of creamy eggnog and choco-cherry cake next to brick rickhouses, old tobacco humidors, and singed marshmallow smushed between mincemeat pies.

Bottom Line:

This is another really good pour of whiskey. I would save this for more of a fall/winter pour with all of that rum, cake, and winter spice. Then I would mix this into a wintry old fashioned or Manhattan.

2. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 52%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

These releases are the picks that you’ll find at your favorite whiskey bars, restaurants with a great whiskey list, and liquor stores. That means that the profile will vary slightly depending on who’s doing the picking. That aside, this is still Bulleit Bourbon but in single-barrel form. That means you’re getting the best barrel experience.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark spiced cherry leans into pecan waffles covered in salted butter and rich maple syrup with a hint of marzipan cut with orange liqueur and dipped in salted dark chocolate on the nose.

Palate: That rich and sweet dessert vibe drives the palate toward chewy pipe tobacco laced with apple cider, mulled wine, and brandy-soaked figs next to more marzipan and chocolate.

Finish: The end leans into the barkier aspects of the spices as braids of dry tobacco, cedar bark, and smudging sage are countered by a soft vanilla cream over stewed peaches, berries, and cherries with a buttery crumble.

Bottom Line:

This tends to be a pretty delicious whiskey that really shines as a holiday sipper. Pour one into a big glass after a big holiday meal and let the rest of the evening melt away.

1. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.6%

Average Price: $39

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 essential “Bulleit” flavors that make this brand so damn accessible (and beloved) in the first place.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with buttery and spicy stewed apples, cedar kindling, holiday cakes full of nuts and dried fruit, and a hint of savory herbs that feel like they were roasted with sweet potatoes, marshmallows, and funky country ham.

Palate: The palate leans into a creamy vanilla cake with a hint of toffee rolled in roasted almond before veering into sourdough bread crust territory with a counterpoint of apple-cider-soaked winter spice barks, dried orange rinds, and cedar bark that’s been dotted with dried rose oils.

Finish: The dried orange mingles with salted dark chocolate, dried cranberry, and brandy-stewed cherry on the finish as the spice barks intensify toward old oak cellars, fall leaves, and smoldering apple and cherry wood next to a lush sense of eggnog, s’mores, and sticky toffee pudding.

Bottom Line:

This is the most accessible and overall enjoyable Bulleit pour. It’s so easygoing while offering a truly deep profile that feels nostalgic and comforting. It’s really solid as a neat sipper. It works over a big rock. It also makes a killer Manhattan, Sazerac, or old fashioned, especially during the holiday season. This is a winner and a great price point too.

You can’t lose grabbing this one.

With the release of his new single, “KPop,” Travis Scott fans’ anticipation for the rapper’s upcoming album, Utopia, has just ballooned. Although the musician’s previously announced concert at Egypt’s Great Pyramids of Giza in Eygpt seems to be in trouble, that isn’t the only way to see Scott’s high-energy stage show. So when will Travis Scott go on a stadium tour run for the album Utopia?

According to an Easter egg in the “KPop” music video, you won’t have to wait much longer. The visual — filmed at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, France — revealed signage suggesting that Scott was in the midst of rehearsals for the Utopia Stadium Tour. No date appears on the banners plastered around the venue. Still, these graphics were strategically placed for a reason, it would seem, just as with the mystery billboards that appeared around different cities, suggesting that July 21 would mark a huge date for Scott.

That wasn’t the only Easter egg hidden within the video for the track. Shortly after the 30-second mark, the entertainer strikes a pose while the motorcyclist performs a daring stunt. While most would draw their attention to the cyclist, Scott’s wardrobe that you should be taking notes on. On his feet is a pair of “Cut The Check” sneakers, his latest footwear collaboration with the Jordan brand.

Although Scott hasn’t confirmed when his album, tour, or sneaker will be released, fans speculate that his headlining set at Rolling Loud Miami 2023 tomorrow (June 22) will reveal more details.

Earlier this month, a new creature joined orcas in protecting the oceans from pesky humans. That creature? A rogue sea otter with an adorable habit for stealing surfboards right out from underneath people. The otter has been spotted off the coast of California, and apparently, she’s not easy to capture.

Since making her viral debut, marine experts from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Monterey Bay Aquarium have been doing their damndest to catch “Otter 841.” While her antics are so hysterical that she’s already built up a dedicated fanbase, Otter 841 reportedly poses a public safety risk due to her “highly unusual” and “aggressive behavior.”

That said, good luck catching her. Via New York Post:

The team of experts have been trying to use Otter 481’s love of surfboards against her. A swimmer has been towing a baited surfboard in their attempts to capture her. The otter has hopped on the board multiple times in the past few days, but as soon as a wildlife official tries to get near her, she dives off, Woodward told the Associated Press.

“They can’t throw a net over her in the water. They can’t tranquilize her because of fear of her drowning. So they really need to get hands on her,” he said.

Despite the warnings from marine experts, fans continue to flock to the Santa Cruz beach hoping for a chance to spot Otter 841.

“Just leave ‘em alone,” a local resident said about the capture efforts. “Just let ’em have fun. Hasn’t bitten anybody. Roughs up the board. It’s like a dog with a chew, you know?”

(Via New York Post)

Donald Trump woke up in a helpful mood on Friday morning, which saw the former president lay out a plan for Fox News to recover from an alleged dip in ratings. Citing a Breitbart report that claimed Fox has suffered a 58% drop in ratings, Trump proposed that the network stop focusing on Ron DeSantis and turn its attention back to, you guessed it, Donald Trump.

“Fox is down 58%, at least, all because they don’t treat ‘TRUMP’ and ‘MAGA’ well,” the former president raged on Truth Social in a two-part post. “They are focused on someone who can’t win, Ron DeSanctimonious, who will never be able to bring it home.”

From there, Trump’s rant alternated between complaining that DeSantis owes him and blasting Fox News for turning its back on the MAGA world even though Trump is still a constant presence on the network:

The only reason DeSanctus won in Florida is because I Endorsed him, and Campaigned for him—He would have lost by 40 points. The sadder part is, he TOTALLY forgot! He also forgot he wanted to close down Social Security, Ethanol, and obliterate Medicare… Fox is gone, just like in 2016, and the only way they come back is if they go “ALL TRUMP ALL THE TIME.” Our people have had it!

“We want and deserve support like the Radical Left Democrat Fascists get from so many sources, including the Fake News Media and Law Enforcement,” Trump wrote in conclusion. “Bring back Fox, before it’s too late!”

(Via Donald Trump on Truth Social)

Earlier this year, Tinashe appeared on the deluxe edition of Shygirl’s Nymph on the track “Heaven.” She was also brought out during Kaytranada’s Coachella set, along with Anderson .Paak, HER, and more.

She’s kicking off her next era with this her new single “Talk To Me Nice.” Her forthcoming project is reportedly called BB/ANG3L, following 2021’s 333. It’s a sultry song, with lyrics narrating temptation: “You got options, I got options / Want you, but don’t need you / Tease you, but I please you,” she sings.

In our 2020 interview with Tinashe, she discussed her persistence when it comes to making art. “It’s interesting because I’ve never really looked at my career as an option or thought I would ever possibly, potentially do anything else,” she said. “So even in the lowest of low, I’ve been discouraged, but I’ve never been hopeless. I’ve always just used that down period as some type of motivation to create better music and create better art and be a better creative. I really thrive sometimes when my back is against the wall. I feel like I step up to the plate in adversity. I would say a lot of times the lows have been good things and motivation for me to keep moving forward and I just wouldn’t ever stop anyways. It’s all part of the journey.”

Listen to “Talk To Me Nice” above.

Chris Stapleton’s intoxicating vocals may be as smooth as Tennesee whiskey, but some things are just too bitter to swallow. The country music star doesn’t much care for the title “woke,” instead opting for truth-teller. In his new single, “White Horse,” the entertainer does just that.

On the record, produced by Stapleton, Dave Cobb, and his wife Morgane Stapleton (also a recording artist), Chris gets honest with himself and his imaginary partner about what he is and isn’t capable of when it comes to love. While it is easy to romanticize a future with the burly guitarist, he wants to set the record start as he sings, “If you want a cowboy on a white horse / Ridin’ off into the sunset / If that’s the kinda love you wanna wait for / Hold on tight, girl, I ain’t there yet.”

As much as it pains him to admit, Stapleton knows it’s best for all parties involved to remove their rose-colored glasses to lay out their potential future together realistically. “White Horse” is the first taste of Chris Stapleton’s upcoming album, Higher, which is due out this fall.

Listen to the song above and find the Higher cover art and tracklist below.

1. “What Am I Gonna Do”
2. “South Dakota”
3. “Trust”
4. “It Takes A Woman”
5. “The Fire”
6. “Think I’m In Love With You”
7. “Loving You On My Mind”
8. “White Horse”
9. “Higher”
10. “The Bottom”
11. “The Day I Die”
12. “Crosswind”
13. “Weight Of Your World”
14. “Mountains Of My Mind”

Higher is out 11/10 via Sound Records/Mercury Nashville. Find more information here.

Since Jason Aldean’s “Try That In A Small Town” song and video became a matter of concern a few days ago, a lot of people have weighed in. Jason Isbell raised an interesting point, though, about who actually wrote the song.

On July 19, Isbell tweeted, “Dare Aldean to write his next single himself. That’s what we try in my small town.” He later added in subsequent tweets, “Ok here ya go @Jason_Aldean I’m challenging you to write a song yourself. All alone. If you’re a recording artist, make some art. I want to hear it,” and, “Seriously how do you defend the content of a song you weren’t even in the room for? You just got it from your producer. If you’d been there when it was written, you’d be listed as a writer. We all know how this works.”

Indeed, it does not appear that Aldean had a hand in writing “Try That In A Small Town”: listed as writers of the song in the Spotify credits are Kelley Lovelace, Kurt Allison, Neil Thrasher, and Tully Kennedy, none of whom are Jason Aldean.

Aldean recently said of the song’s meaning, “Try That In A Small Town, for me, refers to the feeling of a community that I had growing up, where we took care of our neighbors, regardless of differences of background or belief. Because they were our neighbors, and that was above any differences. My political views have never been something I’ve hidden from, and I know that a lot of us in this Country don’t agree on how we get back to a sense of normalcy where we go at least a day without a headline that keeps us up at night. But the desire for it to- that’s what this song is about.”

South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone poured at least $40 million into revamping Casa Bonita in Lakewood, Colorado. They did so with loving attention to detail, and during the project’s extensive renovations, the new owners made headlines for the special perks that they gave to existing employees. That included continuing to keep those workers on the payroll and asking them to volunteer some of that time to places like Habitat for Humanity. Employees were also treated to bilingual language classes, which is rad.

However, a bit of a controversy has been brewing, and that has to do with the restaurant’s soft-opening rollout. Their revamped “eatertainment” venue is currently only open for select dates and by invitation only. That coincides with a new policy to eliminate tipping for servers and bartenders while paying all workers at least $30 per hour. This meant to level the playing field between front-and-back-of-house staffers and also provide a more predictable income for workers, so they aren’t reliant upon “tipping culture” to know whether they can pay bills and the like.

When this policy came to light, Axios reported that a few workers weren’t thrilled, and now, the Denver Post reveals that around 50 workers are asking management to reverse the no-tipping policy and be more upfront about hours that the joint will be open. The workers further argue that they cannot pursue health benefits with the current scheduling plan. The Denver Post reveals details on an letter from staffers:

The employee letter is asking the owners to revert to [the pay structure that] was originally promised by ownership when they were hired months ago, and to clarify hours of operation, since there is no “clear pathway” to being open seven days a week, they said. They are also asking for access to health benefits; for transparency and two-way communication with ownership.

The group sounds generally frustrated with the limited business involved with the slow rollout:

“There was a promise of lucrative business which would bring an incredible opportunity monetarily,” said employee Gayle Durr in the statement. “We have yet to see any of this lucrative business – despite people nationwide waiting patiently to finally see the inside of this Colorado landmark. We want to see Casa Bonita thrive, and if ownership/management cannot bring that about, then we will.”

The people want their sopapillas, too, but man, this was a huge undertaking by Parker and Stone, so perhaps a slow rollout is for the best in an overall sense. They want to get this right, but the process has apparently turned out to be a bit more controversial for workers than planned. Hopefully, business hours will fully open up soon, and the cliff diving can commence for real.

(Via Denver Post)

The hype for the Barbie movie has had everyone on the edge of their seats for months, and it’s finally out today, along with the soundtrack. A bunch of long-awaited songs are available to listen to now, like Lizzo’s “Pink,” Sam Smith’s “Man I Am,” and Brandi Carlile’s Indigo Girls cover.

Carlile took on the 1989 hit “Closer To Fine” with her wife Catherine. It was first previewed in the main trailer for the movie, the country-pop anthem blasting while Barbie drives from her world to the real world. She sings along enthusiastically at the wheel.

In 2021, Carlile penned a piece for Rolling Stone about her admiration of Indigo Girls. “The Indigo Girls were so deeply influential in my life — not just musically, but also as an activist and as an out queer person. The representation and the visibility that they managed to scrape together at that time, despite all odds and all the obstacles against them, were really important for me in my life. I needed them,” she wrote.

She continued, “We’re very close with each other — we have a family relationship now. They know all about my origins as a little baby lesbian who was obsessed with the Indigo Girls. Those women are so different, and they’re so spectacular, but they have this unspoken agreement that their souls have made to cast their lots together. But to maintain their [own selves] is something that everyone in a band could learn from, and everyone in general could learn from. How do you truly connect to another person on a soul level, but maintain yourself?”

Listen to the “Closer To Fine” cover above.