Earlier this month, Billie Eilish excited her Osheaga audience when she invited Armani White on stage for a performance of his TikTok viral hit aptly called “Billie Eilish.” It was an inevitable pairing, as is this new one that took place at her surprise show in London on Tuesday, August 29.
The gig at the small venue called Electric Ballroom was announced last minute. Eilish made the intimate experience even better by bringing out the rising indie group Boygenius, comprised of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. The four performed a stunning rendition of “When The Party’s Over.”
Boygenius have just joined Billie Eilish onstage to sing When The Party’s Over in London! pic.twitter.com/V3qVZdfPpk
Bridgers actually shared a cover of the song last year. She also joined Eilish on stage in December at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, where they gave an emotive performance of “Motion Sickness” together.
In 2020, Bridgers called Eilish her “dream collaborator.” “You just can tell that definitely a giant record label is helping it, but she’s the boss,” she said. “I think it probably wasn’t easy along the way to just be like, ‘F*ck you. This is my idea.’ And it’s so cool that she got proven right. I like that she just did what she wanted and tell that it really, really paid off.”
It’s been a month since Elon Musk whimsically changed Twitter’s name to X. A lot of weird chaos and confusion has ensued, adding to the weird chaos and confusion that’s ensued since the Tesla/Space X guy took over late last year. Musk seems intent on everyone calling the 17-year-old service by its new name, but clearly not everyone is happy with the rebranding, including some of Musk’s favorite people: nerds.
Elon Musk getting booed at VALORANT Champs and the crowd starts chanting “bring back Twitter” lmao pic.twitter.com/lDoWse78YV
On Saturday, Musk attended the popular competitive video game Valorant in Los Angeles. At one point he was briefly shown on the Jumbotron, prompting a sudden, violent round of boos.
“Where is that from? That can’t be from in here, surely,” said one announcer during the broadcast.
It then became clear what prompted the conjoined animosity: People stared chanting “Bring back Twitter!”
The moment later went viral on the social media service now owned by Musk. Musk himself laughed off getting booed, calling his critics “unhinged leftists.”
Musk should be used to getting publicly booed by people at events he likes. Late last year, not long after forking over a fortune to buy Twitter (around the same time he surrendered the throne of richest person on the planet), the same thing happened when he took the stage at a Dave Chappelle show. And of course, he’s regularly mocked on the service he owns.
High Noon has stormed our hearts and wallets and become one of the most ubiquitous RTD (Ready To Drink)/hard seltzers on the market. The refreshing canned highball is in every bar and on every liquor store shelf. Its boom has gotten so big that of the top 10 best-selling RTDs on Drizly.com right now, seven are High Noon products. High Noon has been the top-selling RTD with that retailer for three years running now and is showing no signs of stopping.
And while summer is certainly the big time of year for RTDs like High Noon, seasonality isn’t as important as it used to be. Still, summer is officially coming to an end this coming Labor Day weekend. That means that there are going to be a lot of High Noon cans floating around in coolers lakeside, poolside, beachside, and grill side this coming weekend. There’s never been a better time to rank every single flavor from the brand so that you know which one to pull out of that icy cooler water.
That makes our lineup today the following cans of High Noon:
High Noon Vodka & Soda Pear
High Noon Vodka & Soda Cranberry
High Noon Vodka & Soda Lemon
High Noon Tequila Seltzer Strawberry
High Noon Vodka & Soda Kiwi
High Noon Vodka & Soda Guava
High Noon Vodka & Soda Passionfruit
High Noon Tequila Seltzer Lime
High Noon Vodka & Soda Mango
High Noon Vodka & Soda Peach
High Noon Vodka & Soda Lime
High Noon Tequila Seltzer Grapefruit
High Noon Vodka & Soda Pineapple
High Noon Vodka & Soda Watermelon
High Noon Vodka & Soda Grapefruit
High Noon Tequila Seltzer Passionfruit
High Noon Vodka & Soda Black Cherry
My wife was kind enough to shuffle and pour these for me to judge. I then tasted these blind. The rub here is a lot more than what simply tastes good. I actually judge RTDs and hard seltzers at international spirits competitions. You’d be shocked at how many times the flavors are off in these (think cucumber instead of watermelon or raw squash instead of pumpkin spice). So what I’m looking for here is pure flavor and balance of the profile. Can I immediately identify the flavor? Is that flavor fresh, fake-feeling, overly sweet? Does the finish land the flavor profile as well as the nose? Is it more than just a sugar bomb? What if any nuance is actually there? Yes, you can get this nitty-gritty about RTDs and hard seltzers if you want to.
Moreover, deep-diving these canned highballs aside, this is about finding the best overall flavor that truly delivers what’s promised on the can with a real fruit feel to it. And if I can pinpoint that flavor note without knowing what’s on the can, all the better.
So after I blindly tasted all 17 pours, I ranked these based on a metric of what has the most balance and what delivers the best/most real/freshest fruit flavor overall. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months
Part 1 — The Blind Tasting of High Noon Hard Seltzer
Zach Johnston
Taste 1
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tart perry (pear cider) with a hint of pear peels dominate the nose with a hint of minerality.
Palate: The palate feels like the flesh of a sour pear mixed with slices of ripe sweet pear to the point where you almost feel the sandy flesh of a real pear on the tongue.
Finish: The end is all about that fresh and sweet pear that then tips back toward the sour pear with a hint of woodiness at the very end.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very clearly “pear” and a very fresh real pear at that. This is really distinct and delivers nuanced and real-feeling flavor notes.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red berries with a sweet edge dominate the nose.
Palate: Those berries turn slightly tart on the palate with no real distinction.
Finish: The finish peters out with a hint of that red berry sweetness lingering.
Initial Thoughts:
This was very “insert red berry name here.” It could be anything and therefore tastes of nothing (besides generic red berries).
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fake lemon tea opens on the nose.
Palate: A very light lemon fizzy water barely makes an appearance on the palate.
Finish: A touch of sweet lemon peaks in on the finish but is dominated by mineral water.
Initial Thoughts:
This is barely anything more than fizzy water that a lemon casts a shadow over.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Strawberry bubble gum overpowers the nose.
Palate: The strawberry bubble gum builds on the palate with a sweet candied vibe.
Finish: The finish then takes on a fresh and very real strawberry feel with an almost meaty vibe that’s a hint grassy.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a wild ride. It actually delivers a real fresh strawberry note by the end that’s refreshingly balanced. The opening/nose is very sweet though.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Kiwi leather and skins draw you in on the nose.
Palate: There’s a hint of floral dogwood on the palate that leads back to the fresh kiwi
Finish: The end has that savory note that leans woody floral and back into the skin of a kiwi.
Initial Thoughts:
This is weird and I respect it. It’s clearly “kiwi” with an extra layer, which works.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is supercharged guava from top to bottom.
Palate: The guava is sweet overall but eventually a hint of tartness sneaks in.
Finish: The guava really amps up through the finish with an almost fleshy vibe.
Initial Thoughts:
This is incredibly clear. It’s Guava amped up to 11.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Musty tropical fruit husks drive the nose toward minerally fizzy water.
Palate: That “tropical fruit” hints at passionfruit on the palate.
Finish: Ultimately, this ends up pretty light and watery on the end.
Initial Thoughts:
The passionfruit just doesn’t come through all that much.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of roasted agave and fresh lime draw you in on the nose.
Palate: The lime stays fresh on the palate as fleeting notes of white pepper and agave flutter throughout the taste.
Finish: The end has a Ranch Water vibe that gets a little watery.
Initial Thoughts:
This is good but kind of falters on the watery finish.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a fresh and juicy mango bomb on the nose.
Palate: More fresh mango flesh and skins appear on the palate with a light mango-driven sweetness and a hint of meaty stringy fruitiness.
Finish: The end holds onto the fresh mango without getting too sweet or watery.
Initial Thoughts:
This is an A+ pour. The mango is so fresh and real-tasting while offering a nicely balanced overall sip.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh peach iced tea dominates the nose with fresh fruit and dark tea sweetness.
Palate: Fresh and ripe peaches drive the palate with a touch of skins and pits next to the real peachy sweetness.
Finish: The is nice and peachy and just the right balance of sweet and minerally.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another clear and concise pour. It’s very nicely peach-forward without resorting to fake flavors or too much sweetness.
Taste 11
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of citrus but mostly just fizzy water on the nose.
Palate: Again, there’s maybe something vaguely citrus at play on the palate.
Finish: The end is just fizzy water.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty weak. I’m guessing it’s “lime” but it’s so indistinct that that’s being very generous.
Taste 12
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a touch of grapefruit but it’s very in the background and I had to really look for it.
Palate: Very light grapefruit notes emerge on the palate.
Finish: The end is like a fizzy water that’s had a grapefruit peel dropped in it.
Initial Thoughts:
This was clearly “grapefruit” but only just. It almost felt afraid to be bold.
Taste 13
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh pineapple flesh and earthy skins pop on the nose.
Palate: There’s more fresh pineapple flesh with a very real vibe that’s damn near earthy it’s so real.
Finish: There’s this fleeting hint of coconut on the finish that helps this one really pop.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very good and, dare I say, dynamic.
Taste 14
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is all about the watermelon bubblegum on the nose with a massive sweetness.
Palate: That bubblegum dominates the palate as well.
Finish: The end is pure, sweet, and sticky watermelon candy/gum.
Initial Thoughts:
This is so sickly sweet and gummy. Yes, it’s candied watermelon but… that’s about it.
Taste 15
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of roasted agave cut with fresh grapefruit oils on the nose.
Palate: The palate takes on a Paloma-Lite vibe with plenty of tequila and grapefruit without the overly saccharine vibe of a grapefruit soda.
Finish: The end holds onto that Paloma-Lite feel with a nice balance of agave spice and grapefruit freshness.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty nice. Admittedly, it just made me crave a real Paloma, but the flavor notes were on point.
Taste 16
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a musty sense of passionfruit on the nose.
Palate: That passionfruit does come through on the palate with a lot of mineral water.
Finish: The end is more fizzy water than passionfruit, which is there but only just.
Initial Thoughts:
Passionfruit is tricky. It’s a lot as a flavor note. Still, this was pretty thin.
Taste 17
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is super-duper clearly black cherry on the nose with a hint of vanilla.
Palate: That black cherry drives the palate with this almost creamy sense of vanilla almond cookies adding a new dimension.
Finish: That almond/vanilla/cherry vibe drives the end to a sweet but balanced finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another winner. It’s clearly cherry while offering a little something extra.
Part 2 — The Ranking of the High Noon Hard Selzters
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is lime.
Bottom Line:
This tasted of fizzy water and that’s about it. There was maybe a hint of citrus but it wasn’t succinctly “lime” or anything for that matter. This feels like a hard pass unless you’re looking for a “plain” High Noon.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is watermelon.
Bottom Line:
Look, watermelon flavor in RTDs can go two ways. Either it’s very much a bubblegum/candy watermelon or it’s a fresh watermelon taste. The former is very … juvenile. The latter can easily go sideways and produce an overripe cucumber or even fresh pumpkin vibe (both cousins of the fruit) which is not ideal. I don’t knock High Noon for choosing the candied watermelon vibe as it’s consistent. It’s just so sweet that it may as well be candy seltzer.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is cranberry.
Bottom Line:
This was just too indistinct. It was “berry” not “cranberry.” Cranberry is a super specific flavor and this just missed the mark to the point that it felt afraid of going all in on cranberry’s earthy tartness.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is lemon.
Bottom Line:
This went from fake lemon tea to very light lemon seltzer water. It wasn’t bland but it was edging toward that very quickly. That said, if you are looking for the mildest of options of High Noon, this is it.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is passionfruit.
Bottom Line:
This was okay but pretty weak on the passionfruit flavor. There wasn’t a whole lot there but it was at least distinct.
12. High Noon Tequila Seltzer Passionfruit — Taste 16
This side-quest seltzer from High Noon is all about that tequila base. There’s not a lot known about the tequila other than it’s mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and seltzer water. In this case, that flavor note is passionfruit.
Bottom Line:
This was simply more dynamic thanks to the addition of agave flavor notes. The passionfruit was still pretty backpedaled but nice enough.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is grapefruit.
Bottom Line:
This is very much in the “fine” section of the panel. The grapefruit was there but only just. Overall, this was a nice middle-of-the-road pour with a touch of grapefruit.
This side-quest seltzer from High Noon is all about that tequila base. There’s not a lot known about the tequila other than it’s mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and seltzer water. In this case, that flavor note is lime.
Bottom Line:
This had a legitimately nice balance of agave and lime. It was like pre-made Ranch Water but kind of just petered out at the end, which is fine since Ranch Water is a very weak/watery drink already.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is kiwi.
Bottom Line:
This is the funkiest of all the High Noons. There’s a floral nature that works (barely) but might be off-putting for some.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is guava.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the very distinctly flavored High Noons. This is very guava from top to bottom but that’s about it — it’s not dynamic. If you’re into that fruit, you’ll dig this.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is strawberry.
Bottom Line:
This started off very low on the list for delving into strawberry candy with a lot of sweetness. But it completely redeemed itself on the finish with that real earthy meaty strawberry vibe.
6. High Noon Tequila Seltzer Grapefruit — Taste 12
This side-quest seltzer from High Noon is all about that tequila base. There’s not a lot known about the tequila other than it’s mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and seltzer water. In this case, that flavor note is grapefruit.
Bottom Line:
This was pretty good and balanced. It basically just made me want a real paloma. That said, if you’re avoiding the high sugar of that highball, this is a really good filler that delivers those notes.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is peach.
Bottom Line:
This was very clearly peach and real peach at that. Overall, it was sweet peach because peaches are sweet but that black iced tea vibe helped this go a little deeper than just sweet peaches.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is pineapple.
Bottom Line:
This had real dynamics to it with earthy pineapple peels, real-feeling pineapple flesh, and a whisper of coconut. This one is super fresh.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is mango.
Bottom Line:
This was so clearly real mango that it was almost baffling. It also gave you a sense of all parts of the mango while delivering a sweetness that made sense to the fresh fruit. This is another winner.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is black cherry.
Bottom Line:
This was probably the most interesting and tasty of the pours. That vanilla/almond cookie essence really worked with the black-as-night cherry. The only reason that it’s not number one is that it went in a direction that seems unnecessary to black cherry. That’s me really nitpicking though. This is legitimately tasty.
High Noon’s Vodka & Soda drinks are made with corn vodka that’s been distilled five times to really smooth the edges out. That vodka is then mixed with “real juice,” “natural flavors,” and sparkling water. In this case, that juice/flavor is pear.
Bottom Line:
This is the most deeply structured and clearly hewn of all the pours. The pear was tart and fresh while offering every part of the fruit from the tree to the flesh to the pit. There was a damn near perfect balance of sour and sweet with the fizzy water that worked better than any other pour.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the High Noon Hard Seltzer
Zach Johnston
There were five pours that truly stood out on this blind tasting: Peach, Mango, Pineapple, Black Cherry, and Pear. Each one hit it out of the park with succinct and real fruit flavor notes plus that little bit something extra.
And look, I get it, if you don’t like a certain fruit flavor, it doesn’t matter how balanced a High Noon is. If you don’t like, say, kiwi or peach, then the Kiwi or Peach High Noon is really not going to be for you. That said, some of these are really better than others. I’d straight up skip the bottom seven altogether.
If you’re looking for a true balance of flavors and a clear sense of real fruit, the Pear High Noon is unmatched. So is the Black Cherry, really. They’re both the cans you want to be reaching for as summer slowly fades into fall.
Donald Trump may be the frontrunner for the GOP presidential ticket in 2024, but that doesn’t mean he’s a lock. One poll suggests his allure may be slightly slipping. Elsewhere, some conservative scholars have argued his run isn’t even legal. A section of the Constitution, they say, prohibits someone who’s done what Trump has from running again. No state has yet to block Trump, but one state is considering it — and it ain’t Democrats who are leading the charge.
As per Politico, some Republicans in New Hampshire have floated the idea of nixing Trump from the ballot in their state. They cite Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which disqualifies anyone who’s “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” against the U.S. “or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” Scholars argue that fits a former president who ginned up a crowd to overturn the 2020 election to a T.
Though the state’s attorney general hasn’t made a decision one way or the other yet on what could simply a long shot, the office is “carefully reviewing the legal issues involved.”
Other New Hampshire Republicans have pushed back at the idea. Chris Ager, chair of the state Republican Party, said the idea doesn’t have “any legs whatsoever.”
The idea that Trump could be removed from the New Hampshire ballot had already been picked up by MAGA bedhead pundit Charlie Kirk, causing Secretary of State David Scanlan’s office to be bombarded with angry phonecalls. Both Scanlan and Attorney General John Formella then released a statement calling claims that either had taken a position on the issue “misinformation.”
If you’ve ever taught a classroom full of children, you know that getting them to settle down and pay attention all at the same time is a bit like trying to herd cats. (Seriously, teachers should make six figures. Every single one of them.)
Believe it or not, shouting, “OK, everyone! Time to settle down and get started!” is generally an ineffective way to get kids to settle down and get started. Threatening punishment sometimes works, but that’s not very conducive to a healthy learning environment. So teachers often come up with creative ways to grab everyone’s attention. There’s the ever-popular clap-a-rhythm method, which works well for the youngest kiddos. There’s the ear-piercing two-finger whistle for teachers who are talented enough to pull it off. There’s the bell or the bullhorn, both of which are as annoying to the teacher as they are to the students.
And then there’s the unique call-and-response, which one teacher shared on TikTok to the delight of millions.
The video from the account @primrosetheband, which has been viewed over 7 million times, begins with a music teacher facing the class in front of a whiteboard. We can hear the hustle and bustle of the kids in the background when suddenly, the teacher yells out “Hear ye! Hear ye!” and the kids immediately respond, “All hail the king!”
Cute, but it gets better.
The teacher has several call-and-response attention grabbers that are song lyrics, and not necessarily ones we’d expect kids to know. Either this teacher has taught them to the kids directly, or these kids have quite the rock music repertoire under their young belts.
Watch the teacher yell out, “Flip on the tele!” and see the kids respond, “Wrestle with Jimmy!”—a lyric from Weezer’s 1994 song, “Say It Ain’t So.”
Gotta find creative ways to get them to listen! #teacher #musicschool #teacher #primrose
He also had them do AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”
People in the comments were tickled at hearing the kids respond, as well as hearing the teacher’s “Thank you!” every single time.
“THE WEEZER ONE 🙏🙏🙏 I NEED YOU TO BE MU TEACHER ACTUALLY,” wrote 𖤐 little sunshine 𖤐.
“I spit out my water when they said ‘wrestle with Jimmy,'” shared Stoning
“One year at camp mine was ‘y’all gone make me lose my mind!’ And they’d respond ‘up in here, up in here,'” shared Sam.
“Why can’t we continue this in college,” inquired CatTastrophe27. “I swear my lower division classes need this.”
Seriously, learning is a lot more enjoyable when everyone’s paying attention, and getting everyone’s attention is a lot more with a creative call-and-response than with yelling and threats. Give teachers like this all the kudos and all the money. They definitely deserve it.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has literally been trying to impeach Joe Biden since his first day in office. However, her fellow Republicans have yet to find compelling evidence to warrant pulling the trigger, and not without lack of trying. Congressional inquiries into Hunter Biden’s business dealings have not produced a smoking gun or any evidence that GOP members promised, which you’d think would slow down Greene’s zeal for impeachment. Not so much.
While appearing on Real America’s Voice, Greene railed against her own party for not impeaching Biden just to see what might happen. Via Raw Story:
“I can’t comprehend that we need any more evidence,” Greene gasped. “An impeachment inquiry is just asking the question, we’re just asking members of Congress, do you think we should inquire about impeachment? It’s not saying, do you want to impeach? It’s that, should we just ask the question?”
“And at this point right now, I’m like, what the hell is wrong with Republicans that we can’t just, hey guys, maybe ask the question,” she complained.
Still hopping mad that the GOP isn’t risking an impeachment vote that could easily blow up in their face, Greene continued to insult her own party by way of her Georgia constituents. Or at least the ones who aren’t constantly flipping her off.
“I’ve been at home hanging out with all of the great, wonderful, normal people that actually have a brain and have common sense and are asking me every day, ‘Marjorie, when is Congress going to move on with this impeachment inquiry?’” Greene said. “And I can’t comprehend [why] we haven’t done it yet.”
When Chris Christie entered the 2024 presidential race, he made it clear that he had one main goal: to take out his old pal Donald Trump. The former New Jersey governor has hammered at the former president early and often. The taunts might have even been why Trump skipped the GOP debate last week (where Christie laid into Vivek Ramaswamy instead). And it may be why Trump is all but begging Christie to drop out of the race entirely.
On Tuesday Christie appeared on Fox News, where host John Roberts asked him if he thought Judge Tanya Chutkan had scheduled his Jan. 6 trial right before March Madness to intentionally “interfere with the primary process.” Christie knew how to spin that one into a Trump attack.
Chris Christie: “What interferes with the primary process is Donald Trump’s conduct and his insistence on continuing to run for president of the United States despite the fact that he’s been indicted…what it’s going to do is put the Republican Party in an awful position.” pic.twitter.com/0iqCDUWVEW
— Republican Accountability (@AccountableGOP) August 29, 2023
“What interferes with the primary process is Donald Trump’s conduct and his insistence on continuing to run for president of the United States despite the fact he’s been indicted in four different jurisdictions and he’s out on bail in four different jurisdictions in this country,” Christie replied. “Whether you believe the charges are just or not, they are here.”
Trump didn’t like that one one bit, as he made clear on Truth Social:
Sloppy Chris Christie, who was rated the Worst Governor in the History of New Jersey, had the lowest approval rating, 8%, had 11 straight downgrades of New Jersey Bonds, a record, was thrown out of New Hampshire after his last debate, and endlessly suffered from the horrible and never ending Bridgegate scandal, SHOULD DROP OUT OF THE RACE. HE IS GOING NOWHERE AND IS VERY BAD FOR THE REPUBLICAN PARTY!
In a separate post, Trump also bragged about his polls, though he didn’t mention the one where his support dropped over the last 10 days.
Trump has another new reason to dislike Christie: He became the first GOP candidate to use Trump’s mugshot in one of his ads, and not in a supportive way.
Watch the first attack ad in American history featuring a former president’s mug shot.
“Tired of the drama, the distractions, the lies? It’s time for conservatives to win again.”
A new ad from “Tell It Like It Is,” a super PAC supporting Chris Christie for president. pic.twitter.com/e82QyxEVxl
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) August 29, 2023
The Avengers of late-night comedy have finally banded together to save America’s most underappreciated humans: talk show staff. Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Seth Meyers, and Jimmy Fallon and his new beard have announced that they are releasing a special Spotify podcast titled Strike Force Five, which will begin rolling out this week. Proceeds from the podcast will go straight to the staff from each of their respective late-night shows who have been out of work since May due to the WGA strike.
Each episode of the podcast will have one host leading the talk (which is expected to be about the strike and beyond) with the four others participating in the conversations. It sure will be interesting to see Jimmy Fallon let other people talk for once! There are currently 12 planned episodes, but let’s see how long this strike goes on for. We might have to listen to all five of these men talk over each other for the next year.
The podcast was a collective idea from the quintet, who had been hosting weekly Zoom calls since the strike began in the Spring. Now that they have run out of things to talk about, they must have decided to share their collective consciousness with the world. The podcast will be sponsored by Ryan Reynolds’ Mint Mobile, so expect some Deadpool jokes in there somewhere.
The first episode of Strike Force Five drops on Wednesday, August 30th.
Did Chick-fil-A’s new Honey Pimento Chicken Sandwich just reignite the fast food chicken sandwich wars? Yes… and no. Yes because the new sandwich is delicious, elevated, and complex, it’s a call to every other fast food brand that makes a great chicken sandwich to step up their game, yes, even Popeyes. No, because I think people are, excuse the pun, chickens, who are going to take one look at that pimento cheese and be horrified.
For Southerners, where Chick-fil-A is hands down the dominant brand in the fast food landscape, pimento cheese will be a welcome and sensible addition to the menu, but elsewhere? I’m not so sure. This is purely anecdotal but everyone I know here in Los Angeles has brimmed with curiosity when I’ve informed them that Chick-fil-A has a new chicken sandwich, only to immediately shut down when I show them a picture of what it looks like.
One friend just said, “I don’t like it.” When I asked them if they’ve ever had pimento cheese, they said “No, and I don’t want to if it looks like that.” So I’m just not sure that this chicken sandwich will catch on everywhere like Chick-fil-A hopes. Hopefully, I’m wrong, but… I’m not sure I am. Either way, I’m here to convince you to give this new sandwich a chance, because I really do think it’s what has been missing from Chick-fil-A’s menu and might even win over some of the people who dismiss Chick-fil-A’s chicken sandwich as bland and overhyped.
Why The Honey Pimento Chicken Sandwich Is A Big Deal
I don’t think this sandwich is a big deal just because it has some pimento cheese spread on it, but because this is the first new Chick-fil-A sandwich since the chain started selling a Spicy Chicken Sandwich.
Chick-fil-A operates on a “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” fast food model. It rarely updates its menu with new food and when it does the brand often goes for safe tweaks that will go unnoticed by most people, like a new milkshake flavor, a new iced tea, or a spicy version of a previously non-spicy item, like the breakfast chicken biscuit. This sandwich is something different.
Chick-fil-A gets a lot of criticism for being a relatively dry sandwich, the standard build features just a chicken filet and some pickles, and the deluxe build adds cheese, tomato, and lettuce, but still, the chicken is completely sauce and spread-free.
The brand’s strength is that its chicken is juicy, but it doesn’t matter how juicy and well prepared a chicken breast is, people have been conditioned to think that chicken sandwiches need some sort of sauce or spread to bring it all together, and while it may not be your personal preference, I wouldn’t say those people are wrong.
The Honey Pimento Chicken Sandwich answers that criticism thanks to the combination of pimento cheese (a spread made from cheddar cheese, pimento peppers, and mayo) and adds honey. No matter how successful this sandwich is, I don’t think it’ll join the menu permanently as pimentos are a late summer early fall seasonal pepper, but if this sandwich does end up selling a lot it gives the green light for Chick-fil-A to try more interesting sandwich builds, and as fans of good fast food we want to live in that world.
Alright enough talk, let’s get into what makes this sandwich good.
Honey Pimento Chicken Sandwich
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes & Thoughts
Each bite is a journey for your taste buds. The sandwich begins savory, the salty pickle-brined chicken dominates the flavor before you’re hit with a heavily vegetal jalapeño flavor and some mild heat, followed by a sharp tang, and finishing with some floral sweetness. Everything is very well balanced and complimentary and each ingredient keeps the other in check so the sandwich is never too sweet, tangy, or spicy.
Even if you have a low spice tolerance, the pickled jalapeños are incredibly mild, adding more vegetal peppery notes than anything resembling heat. The full build consists the original Chick-fil-A chicken breast filet, a thick serving of pimento cheese, a few pickled jalapeños and honey spread on the bun.
We sampled the regular stock build of this sandwich, but it’s also available with both the spicy filet and the grilled filet. In hindsight, I wish I would’ve ordered the spicy version as I think the pimento cheese and honey are a natural pair for some cayenne-heavy spice, but I decided on ordering the sandwich the way Chick-fil-A has been advertising it.
But hitting the spicy filet instead is definitely something to consider if you like real heat.
The Bottom Line:
Chick-fil-A’s first major menu shakeup is a success. This sandwich remedies a lot of common complaints about the sandwich (that it’s too dry) while elevating what makes Chick-fil-A’s sandwich great. It features a medley of flavors that combine savory, tangy, sweet, and mildly spicy sensations that are a pleasure to experience.
Barrel-strength bourbon is for the bold-hearted. These bourbons are full of big flavors, big textures, and really big ABVs. Those ABVs (or very high proof) can be a lot to get a handle on and easily burn the palate of a newbie. That makes just grabbing a barrel-strength bourbon a bit of a crapshoot. You might grab a perfectly balanced barrel-strength bourbon with nuance and beauty — or you might grab a bottle that’ll taste like literal burning and nothing else. No one wants the latter.
To help you avoid those firey barrel-strength bourbon whiskeys that leave your palate exhausted after one sip, I’m conducting another bourbon blind tasting. This time, I’ve grabbed 10 brand-new bourbons that are all bottled at barrel strength. That means that the whiskey went into the bottle at the exact same proof/ABV that it came out of the barrel with zero proofing with additional water.
Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tokaji Barrels
After the blind tasting, I’m ranking these barrel-strength bourbons. But since I’m dealing with something a little more nuanced with this panel, I’m going to rank these based on a few key factors:
One, these whiskeys have to be balanced. That means that the ABV/proof warmth needs to balance with the rest of the flavor profile and not blow it out.
Two, there needs to be real depth here. It can’t just be a heat bomb or a cherry bomb or a wood bomb. There needs to be a good and deep flavor profile.
Lastly, it has to feel good. You don’t want a whiskey that leaves you physically buzzing with burning heat for five minutes after you’ve tasted the goddamn thing. A nice gentle buzzing or numbing that lasts as long as the taste and finish is fine. Still burning minutes later is not.
Sounds good? Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Part 1 — The Barrel-Strength Bourbon Blind Tasting
Zach Johnston
Taste 1
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice sense of chili pepper warmth on the nose with a hint of macadamia cookie nuttiness, honey Graham Crackers, light summer florals, and a whisper of darkly stewed apple.
Palate: Cinnamon-infused pear brandy sparks on the palate with a sense of clover honey, walnut loaf, and this thin line of smoked applewood with a good sense of barrel warmth.
Finish: The honey and walnut drive the finish toward a soft warmth that leaves the gentlest of numbness on the senses.
Initial Thoughts:
Yeah, this is nice. It’s not a “wow” whiskey but it’s a perfectly good sipper.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a strong nose full of slowly smoked brisket smoke, plum jam spiked with clove and allspice, rum raisin, and a deep dark fruit leather accented by chili tobacco.
Palate: Dark sugar cookies and more of that dark fruit leather drive the taste toward wet black tea cut with dried ancho chilis, soft chewing tobacco, and dark figs dipped in even darker chocolate with buzzing warmth underneath it all.
Finish: That black fig and chocolate sharpen on the finish as the tobacco gets warm and chili-focused next to a light cedar and hickory that’s just starting to smolder.
Initial Thoughts:
This has a good balance and depth. It got a little hot at the end but not overly so.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a classic bourbon nose full of maple syrup over fresh pancakes with Nutella, vanilla sheet cake, and Cherry Coke all mingling together nicely.
Palate: The palate sharpens with hot cinnamon and clove-heavy Dr. Pepper (still cut with cherry) while cashews and dark chocolate nut clusters lead the taste toward hot cinnamon tobacco.
Finish: Sharp mint and cherry compote with plenty of hot cinnamon and clove drive the finish toward chili pepper-laced tobacco on a hot finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very nice and classic all around. The end is a little hot though.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a strong nose full of burnt orange that turns into candied orange rinds before sweet and buttery toffee leads to soft whisper of sweet grits and old boot leather.
Palate: That dark and candied orange drives the palate toward cinnamon apple cider, burnt marshmallow, and salted dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a hint of vanilla syrup and almond.
Finish: The end takes on a soft salinity (still barely tied to the chocolate) and goes deep on the old oak before fading out pretty quickly.
Initial Thoughts:
This starts out amazingly strong but sort of dies out at the end.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is rich on the nose with deep senses of dark chocolate brownies just kissed with stewed black cherry and old vanilla pods before a soft sense of red chili tobacco and wet brown sugar tobacco lead to a whisper of smoldering fall leaves.
Palate: That dark chocolate and chili-laced tobacco drives the taste toward a Christmas cake brimming with candied cherry, orange rind, rum raisin, clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and creamy vanilla icing with a dash of salt, marzipan, and brandy-soaked apple and pear orchards.
Finish: The rich and boozy holiday cake fades on the finish as deep earthiness — think firewood bark and smudging sage — drives the end toward a big Kentucky hug of warmth that’s just right.
Initial Thoughts:
This is fantastic whiskey. It’s balanced, nuanced, and deeply warming without burning your senses. This is the one to beat.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lovely cinnamon cakes with a hint of milky malted chocolate shake cut with cherry, vanilla, and clove mingle on the nose next to salted caramel and maybe some smudging sage.
Palate: The sweetness of the nose carries over on the palate with a sense of cherry pie and cinnamon-laced mulled wine over cinnamon butter toast and chili-laced hot chocolate with mini marshmallows.
Finish: That cherry and chocolate dominate the end as the warmth sneaks in very slowly and leaves you with a soft numbness that’s accented with cinnamon holiday cakes and brandy-soaked cherry.
Initial Thoughts:
This is also really freaking good. It’s a tad sweet but does ultimately balance out.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
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.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another winner. If I had to nitpick though (And that’s what I’m here to do), this felt a little thin when it comes to ABVs. This was certainly a low-ABV barrel-strength bourbon.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old fruit leather and plum jam drive the nose toward zucchini bread, orange oils, and Sioux City Sasparilla with a hint of old dark chocolate bars stacked with cedar bark, dry pipe tobacco, and rum raisin.
Palate: Orange-infused hot chocolate with a touch of dried red chili mingles with anise and port on the palate as eggnog and buttercream smooth everything out toward pine-driven earthiness.
Finish: Hazelnut ice cream and Almond Joys arrive on the finish with a sense of rainwater, old rye bread crusts, and soft winter spice barks with a hint of Cherry Coke before the heat arrives.
Initial Thoughts:
This gets really hot at the end. Is it out of balance? No. But it needs a rock.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a brandy-soaked holiday cake with a deep layer of rich vanilla, candied orange, candied cherry, stewed pear, and deeply sharp winter spices.
Palate: The taste is winter nut bread forward and spiced with real clove, allspice, and nutmeg next to apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, eggnog creaminess, and floral honey.
Finish: The end really amps up those spices with a very barky vibe as the orange turns to marmalade and just keeps going and going until the heat overtakes everything and then crashes down, leaving your tongue buzzing.
Initial Thoughts:
This is just really good. It does get pretty hot on the finish, but a rock will solve that issue easily.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a deep sense of burnt orange, smudging sage, old boot leather, and creamy spiced eggnog with dark vanilla, brandy-soaked pear, and moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate and drizzles of buttery toffee.
Palate: Stewed pears and cherries drive the taste toward warming winter spices layered into fruit and nut cakes with a mulled wine vibrance next to chili-chocolate tobacco and cedar bark braided and just smoldering.
Finish: The end leans into the sharp winter spices that are stewed into the apple, pear, and cherry with a deep nuttiness and dark caramel vibe that’s just kissed with pear-infused Crème brûlée served with boozy eggnog with just the right kick.
Initial Thoughts:
This is excellent and provides a fantastic balance of, well, everything.
Part 2 — The Barrel-Strength Bourbon Ranking
Zach Johnston
10. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged Cask Strength Bourbon Topflight Series by ReserveBar — Taste 4
This single-barrel version of Jeffersons’ Ocean Voyage 27 is a bit of a unicorn. The classic Indiana bourbon sailed around the world as a finishing process for the whiskey. Once back in Kentucky, barrel 33 was chosen for this bottling and bottled at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This was good overall. It wasn’t overly warm and had a nice balance of classic bourbon with a hint of graininess. This will work great in a cocktail.
9. Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey Topflight Series by ReserveBar — Taste 3
This single barrel from Nashville Barrel Company is a six-year-old MGP bourbon with a classic 75/21/4 (corn/rye/barley) mash bill. The barrel was pulled in late May 2023 and the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is good classic bourbon. No notes.
8. Doc Swinson’s Hand Selected Exploratory Cask “Garryana” Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Garryana Oak Casks — Taste 2
This Washington bottler used two MGP whiskeys for this release (both high rye bourbons). The five-year-old barrels were batched and then re-barreled in a Garryana oak cask (Oregon white oak) for an additional 2.5 months of finishing before bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is also a very good bourbon. It felt like a solid cocktail base that also works on the rocks.
7. Blackened X Rabbit Hole A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Distilled in Tennessee & Kentucky Finished in Calvados Casks Cask Strength — Taste 1
This brand-new collaboration between Metallica’s Blackened and Rabbit Hole is masterful whiskey. The blend is a 13-year-old Tennessee high-rye bourbon batched with Rabbit Hole Heigold High-Rye Double Malt Bourbon (with malted rye and malted barley). Once batched, the whiskey was re-barreled into Calvados casks (an apple brandy) for a final rest before 100% as-is bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is just tasty. The ABVs/heat were barely there which is why it’s a tad lower today. But that’s not a knock. This is good stuff.
This brand-new blend of bourbons from Barrell Craft Spirits is a masterclass in blending. The mix starts off with six, seven, and eight-year-old Indiana bourbons and then adds in seven and 13-year-old Tennessee whiskeys alongside an eight-year-old Kentucky bourbon. That blend is then bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is another really good whiskey. It gets a little hot at the end, sure. Pour this over a rock or two and you’ll be set.
The second 2023 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.
Bottom Line:
This a great bourbon that gets very warm by the end. You’ll definitely want to pour this over a big ol’ ice cube to calm it down. Once you do that, you’ll be set.
This new Founder’s Collection release from Rabbit Hole is a doozy. The whiskey in the bottle is made from wheated bourbon, 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.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the well-balanced pours. This is nice, classic, and deep. The heat is on point. This didn’t wow but it kind of didn’t need to. It’s just good.
The last Larceny Barrel Proof of 2023 is a batch of six to eight-year-old wheated bourbons from Heaven Hill in Kentucky. The barrels were batched and bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is excellent overall. It did lean a little sweet throughout, but I think the heat balanced that out nicely by the end. I really want to try this in an old fashioned or Manhattan.
Stagg is Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill no. 1 (a low-rye mash) turned all the way up to MAX volume. The whiskey spends about a decade resting in the old Buffalo Trace warehouses before it’s batched and bottled (in this case in Spring 2023) 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is exactly what you should be looking for in a perfectly balanced hot bourbon. It has some heat, sure, but it also has an incredibly deep bourbon profile that never gets muted by that heat. It’s also very Buffalo Trace with all of that earthiness, which is a great extra layer of depth. You can’t go wrong with this one, especially if you’re looking for real Kentucky heat that’s balanced.
1. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tokaji Barrels — Taste 10
This new bourbon from Indiana’s Starlight Distillery is a blend of their four-grain and high-rye bourbons — both farm-to-glass and distilled on pot stills. Once batched, that whiskey goes into a Hungarian Tokaji Essencia barrel (a sweet white wine) for another seven months of rest before bottling one barrel at a time.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfectly balanced whiskey with a deep and unique flavor profile that goes well beyond the usual. It also balances the heat with the flavor exceptionally well. Everything is clear and concise while offering surprises and comfort in equal measure. Try it neat and then go on your own whiskey journey from there.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Barrel-Strength Bourbons
Zach Johnston
Stagg and Starlight are the true winners. Both of those whiskeys are everything you want in a barrel-strength bourbon — nuance, depth, and just the right layer of heat.
That said, there wasn’t a bad whiskey on the panel today. Some were very light, which doesn’t exactly meet the parameters of a big and bold barrel-strength bomb bourbon. But that doesn’t mean they were bad or faulty. Just lighter.
Overall, it’s the top two that you want to chase down. They’re fantastic bourbons.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
