Scotch whisky is the biggest style of whiskey in the world. It’s not even close. That means that there’s a lot of it on shelves (even in the U.S. where it’s solely an import). When there’s an overabundance of anything, finding the best is a crapshoot without some guidance. Scotch is no different and, trust me, there’s a lot of shitty Scotch whisky on shelves right next to killer bottles (and plenty of mids).
I was a head judge at this year’s competition, so let me give a little foundational information before we dive in. The whiskeys I’m listing below are all the Scotch whiskies that made it to the finals or “Sweeps” round and then won the best of their category. To achieve that, each pour had to go through a lot of double-blind tastings. First, the pour had to be awarded gold medals from every judge on the panel both unanimously and anonymously. Once the “double gold” was confirmed, those judges had to decide whether or not to send the pour to “Sweeps” (the finals). Then those award-winning pours were double-blind-tasted again by all of the judges to decide which was the best in their category.
Then they were double-blind tasted again against all the whiskeys for the best overall whiskey of the year. It’s a lot.
Spoiler alert, a Scotch whisky did not win the best whiskey of 2023 in New York (we’ll be announcing that whiskey here next week). But a handful of great Scotch whiskies did make it to the finals and those are the ones I’m breaking down below with my own tasting notes while calling out the best of each category. Let’s get into it!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This new blended Scotch whisky is an American-driven expression. The brand was created by retired US Marine Major Eric Dominijanni who fell in love with scotch while stationed abroad. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of Highland and Speyside Scotch whiskies (malted barley and grain whiskies) that are vatted, proofed, and bottled to highlight bold flavors for an American audience.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of rich and almost creamy maple syrup on the nose with hints of seared vanilla pods, old cinnamon bark, and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a thin whisp of campfires smoldering on a cold fall day.
Palate: The taste opens with that dark chocolate layered with cinnamon malt cakes, salted candied almonds, rum raisin, and old oak staves with another whisper of those soft campfires in the distance.
Finish: The cinnamon goes deeper toward clove and allspice on the finish as the chocolate and vanilla create a creamy finish with plenty of soft maltiness and cold smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is a subtle and balanced malt with just enough smoke to be clear and present but never overwhelming. This works really well over some ice or in a cocktail.
Best Blended Scotch — The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky
Yes, Scotch whisky has celebrity white-labeled brands too. This one comes from Outlander star Sam Heughan. The whisky’s recipe/build is under wraps so there’s not much more to say besides that Sam Heughan is not simply slapping his name on a bottle. He’s fully involved in the process as a deeply caring whisky fan who wants to put something special on the shelf.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lemon drops and Almond Joys drive the nose with a hint of floral honey, bourbon vanilla, and dried apricot next to deep maltiness and a hint of oak.
Palate: That apricot gets leathery on the palate as the malts arrive with plenty of honey and cinnamon-forward spice next to a hint of eggnog nutmeg.
Finish: The finish is concise with a little cinnamon, honey, and almond rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
This is a concise and well-rounded whisky. The vibe is very slow sipping (especially over a rock) but this whisky also makes a killer cocktail.
Double Gold Medal Distiller’s Single Malt Scotch — Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Cadboll Estate Aged 15 Years Batch #3
The new batch of Glenmorangie’s beloved Carboll Estate is here. This year’s edition is made with two barley harvests from Glenmorangie’s own estate-grown barley (on the Carboll Estate). Once distilled on Glenmo’s iconic copper pot stills, the whiskey is aged in American oak (ex-bourbon casks) primarily. The final batch is vatted with a few barrels of Amontillado sherry casks as well.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Beautiful notes of hazelnut bathed in floral honey drive the nose toward stewed peaches over buckwheat pancakes, soft jasmine, and a hint of cold slate slick with rainwater.
Palate: The floral honey opens the palate toward fresh gingerbread, Nutella, and clove-laced orange layered into toffee dropped in roasted almond with this fleeting sense of summer herb gardens and bright yellow nasturtiums.
Finish: A touch of toasted coconut adheres to the gingerbread and toffee on the finish with a dash of bourbon vanilla, creamy mocha latte, and old oak stave.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious malt. It’s balanced sweet malt with real depth. Overall, sip it slowly and then use it in your favorite whiskey cocktails.
Double Gold Medal Distiller’s Single Malt Scotch — Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years
Glenmorangie has a wide range of whiskies to choose from. The whisky in this bottle is aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks. Then a portion of those casks is re-barreled into sherry casks for three years. That whisky is then batched back with the rest of the bourbon barrels to create this release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honey dominates the nose with mixed nuts and dried fruits, kind of like a homemade trail mix without the M&Ms.
Palate: The taste holds onto those rich honey notes and adds in a late-fall sense of wet, falling leaves with a soft nuttiness and almost savory fruitiness (not quite a squash but not as sweet as a fig either).
Finish: A very, very small whisper of cherry or applewood smoke arrives to usher in a slow finish of salted caramel, more of that bespoke trail mix, and a final note of sherried malt.
Bottom Line:
This is a great after-dinner sipper. Add a little water or a single rock to really let it bloom in the glass and then take your time with it.
Best Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch & Best Scotch of 2023 — Ardbeg 25 Years Old Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This expression from Ardbeg is also their oldest expression (as of their current lineup). The whisky is the epitome of peat on Islay. What makes this expression so special and extremely rare is that it was distilled and casked when Ardbeg was on its knees as a company, in the early 1990s. They simply weren’t making that much whisky back then and there’s hardly any of it left. That makes this a one-and-gone whisky with only 278 bottles, 90 of which were sent to the U.S.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Heavy cream, smoked toffee, lemon pith, and ashes from last night’s campfire open this one up on the nose before veering toward soft sea-filled air, a touch of muddy bog, and old shovel handles from a well-worked farm.
Palate: On the palate, there’s this deep sense of potting soil that’s still in the plastic from the garden shop next to uncooked smoked bacon rashers with plenty of black pepper and a slightly sour edge leading back to that heavy cream and smoked toffee by the mid-palate.
Finish: Finally, hefty/spicy packed tobacco chewiness brings about a full-on head buzz — it’s a wild sensation.
Bottom Line:
This is an iconic whisky. It’s f*cking delicious and one of my all-time favorite Islay pours. Again, take your time with it and it will reward you with a deep flavor profile that constantly surprises your palate.
Nope, it’s because people are “nasty,” according to the former president.
During a preview of his interview on Meet the Press this weekend, Trump was asked by moderator Kristen Welker about whether we’ll see Melania campaigning with him soon. “Yes. Soon? Yeah, pretty soon. When it’s appropriate, but pretty soon. She’s a private person, a great person, a very confident person and she loves our country very much,” he explained. “And honestly, I like to keep her away from it. It’s so nasty and so mean.”
Donald said that for now, Melania remains focused on their 17-year-old son, Barron, and life as a mom in Palm Beach, Florida. “She’s right now with Barron at school,” said Donald. “She loves that boy.”
Trump, who always sounds like Hank Hill when he’s talking about Barron, recently called out Ron DeSantis for allegedly sharing “Have You Seen This Woman” flyers with Melania’s photo on it. If you’re getting roasted by Ron, something has gone wrong.
For now, people have doubts about Trump’s explanation.
I wonder how big a bite out of campaign funds it’ll take. Better pony up, grannies. https://t.co/8HuXq1mLmq
We’re already halfway through Bourbon Heritage Month. That means it’s high time to do a massive blind taste test of some new bourbons. There’s just so much out there, friends. And there’s really no better way to filter through the static than taking away labels and preconceptions to find the gems in a blind taste test.
For this blind tasting, I grabbed 20 new releases from this year, month, and even week. That means that some of these are just hitting shelves right now while other bottles are 2023 batches of standard releases from around the country. Our lineup today features the following 20 new bourbons:
Legent Yamazaki Cask Finish Blend
Old Elk Straight Bourbon Whiskey Four Grain
Backbone Bourbon The Forge Blended Bourbon Whiskey
Blue Run Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Trifecta Blend
Milan & Greene UNABRIDGED A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies
Wheel Horse Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch
Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey Highest Rye Aged 6 Years
New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon Kentucky Straight Whiskey Topflight Series by ReserveBar
Barrell Bourbon Cash Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands
Eight Settlers Devil’s Gate Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch
Shortbarrel Single Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Rabbit Hole Limited Edition Artist Series Single Barrel Heigold Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Remus Repeal Reserve VII Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Thirteenth Colony Distilleries Southern Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch
My wife was kind enough to shuffle, pour, and catalog these for me for the blind tasting. After that, I ranked each pour based on quality, profile depth, and balance. There is a lot going on with these very diverse bourbons — so let’s dive right in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Nose: The nose opens with a leathery sense of old dried chilis that have just been kissed with heat before a sense of dried cranberry and rich malted chocolate take the nose toward soft plummy cakes full of soft powdered spices.
Palate: A hint of maltiness comes through early on the palate with a fleeting sense of smoked red berries before deep vanilla buttercream creates a luscious foundation for rich pipe tobacco, cranberry sauce cut with anise, clove, and nutmeg, sticky toffee pudding, and mulled wine cut with toffee and dry reeds.
Finish: The spices warm on the finish before descending toward soft nutcakes and winter-spiced doughnuts with a light sense of stewed plum and pear over old saddle leather and rickhouse dank.
Initial Thoughts:
This hits the trifecta of brilliance — it’s so deep and rewarding, it’s perfectly balanced, and it tastes truly special.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a clear sweet porridge craftiness before dark fruit and almonds mingle with sweet apple wedges and vanilla sheet cake with a hint of leather, creamy oats, and toffee.
Palate: The taste is all about the creamy and nutmeg-heavy eggnog with an oaty vibe next to a nice counterpoint of sweetgrass and vanilla pipe tobacco.
Finish: The mid-palate has a sweet winter spice vibe that leads to a raw and sweet carrot and apple cores next to a hint of new wicker.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty good all around. It’s very crafty but balanced with classic bourbon notes.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is very light and you have to dig for moments of brown sugar, mild oak, and maybe some brown spice.
Palate: The palate has moments of classic bourbon vanilla, caramel, cherry, and winter spice.
Finish: The end gets creamy with a honeyed vibe next to salted caramel and eggnog with a hint of tobacco.
Initial Thoughts:
This starts off really weak and then builds over the palate to a truly solid finish. Still, that’s not balance — which is a shame.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla-dosed milky lattes with a touch of cinnamon stick drive the nose toward a hit of dried chili, old clove, and brown butter with a light sense of apple cider and figs.
Palate: The apple and cinnamon take on a mulled cider vibe on the palate with macadamia nut cookies, sourdough bread crusts, and soft caramel candies cut with mint syrup.
Finish: The soft and espresso-laden vanilla returns on the finish with a creaminess that helps the finish stay silky as a whisper of smoldering orchard barks and winter spice barks sneak in with a nice warmth.
Initial Thoughts:
This is balanced, deep, and very tasty. It didn’t jump out at me but it got the job done.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Light notes of cherry cola, fig pudding, and marzipan lead to a sense of old boot leather and mint tobacco with a whisper of toffee
Palate: There’s a hint of earthiness on the palate that supports more dark Cherry Dr. Pepper, dry black tea leaves, moist marzipan just kissed with pear brandy, and a sweet oakiness tied to fresh pipe tobacco.
Finish: There’s a moment of absinthe on the finish that leads to dark orange oils and maybe some lemon pepper tobacco with a touch of cedar.
Initial Thoughts:
This is complex yet very light. It’s interesting and I want to go back to it. I feel like there’s a lot more to unravel in this pour.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright berries and light honey-laced grits drive the nose toward soft caramel cut with orange and chocolate with a touch of cedar.
Palate: Soft vanilla and more caramel create a lush palate with hints of winter spice and maybe some dried red chili next to wet brown sugar and rum raisin with a dash of old leather tobacco pouches.
Finish: A hint of earthiness attaches to the grits as layers of spice — anise, clove, dried chili, nutmeg — build toward a leathery tobacco finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a very solid classic bourbon. Nothing more, nothing less.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Maple syrup over vanilla-heavy pancakes pop on the nose with a sense of peach pie and mint tobacco over cinnamon bark, barrel must, and old boot leather.
Palate: That peach pie takes on a canned peach vibe on the palate with vanilla sheet cake drizzled with caramel and buttercream icing before rum raisin and leathery figs arrive with a dose of menthol tobacco packed into an old cedar box.
Finish: Bold warmth from the woody spices is countered by vanilla buttercream and eggnog on the finish with deep boot leather, old cedar humidors, and still-smoldering sage with a light sense of barrel house floors.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another really nice classic bourbon. It’s balanced and tasty though maybe a touch warm on the very end.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rush of brandy-soaked dark fruits — dates, figs, prunes — next to old oak staves with a touch of fall leaves and apricot jam that leads to — I swear — rubber fishing lures.
Palate: Those dark fruits dominate the palate with added winter spices that lean allspice heavy alongside plenty of oakiness with this fleeting sense of blackberry bramble, thorns and all.
Finish: The spice and berries really amp up at the finish with a sense of fresh cranberry sauce and pecan chocolate clusters.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a confounding pour of whiskey. It ends wonderfully but that rubbery note on the nose just throws the whole thing off.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of patchouli and green tea powder with a deep sense of cinnamon bark, allspice berries, and whole nutmeg next to walnut-heavy zucchini bread, apple bear claws, and a whisper of almond milk.
Palate: The palate is straight-up masala chai with a deep sense of luscious salted butter next to pumpkin pie topped with candied pecans before veering into roasting herbs and root beer floats.
Finish: The end pulls it all back toward lemon pudding and spiced apple cider with a note of rum raisin and brandy-soaked peaches next to hints of old cedar and smudging sage.
Initial Thoughts:
Amburnara! That cask finish is drastic and this sip is bafflingly complex. I need way more time to figure it out than a blind taste test. That said, this pour makes me want to spend that time figuring it out. It’s just fascinating.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bursts with raspberry, blackberry, redcurrant, and blueberry all stewed with plenty of holiday spices and folded into a cobbler topped with dense buttery buttermilk biscuits.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a very small whisper of anise as the berry turns more towards a fresh strawberry with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans chiming in on the mid-palate.
Finish: That chocolate-bitter vibe drives towards a finish full of cinnamon-spiked dark chocolate tobacco leaves, stewed plums, and a dollop of floral honey.
Initial Thoughts:
This is craft whiskey done right. It’s grain-forward but so well-balanced.
Taste 11
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Hefty notes of dry (almost burnt) grains dominate the nose supported by a light sense of vanilla extract and some burnt caramel too with a ton of ethanol.
Palate: There’s a sense of classic bourbon notes — cherry, spice, oak, caramel — and that’s about it.
Finish: There isn’t a whole lot to the finish besides an echo of oak and spice with some vanilla and fruit.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty flawed sadly.
Taste 12
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red apple skins and cinnamon sticks drive the nose toward salted butter creamed with brown sugar and allspice with a mild note of sweet and toasted oak that almost has a singed marshmallow vibe.
Palate: Chicory coffee grounds and black cherry ice cream pop on the palate as salted caramel, rich vanilla cake, and soft winter spice balance everything out.
Finish: That winter spice goes woody on the end with a dry vibe before soft vanilla creaminess smoothes everything out.
Initial Thoughts:
Hey, this is pretty good — but standard — stuff.
Taste 13
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of stewed apples lead to apple cider spiked with dried red chili, allspice, and anise on the nose before dark chocolate oranges and salted caramels give way to old oak staves with a hint of vanilla-mint tobacco.
Palate: That vanilla creates a silky palate with tons of butterscotch and caramel popcorn with a good flake of salt as cinnamon and chili-heavy cider leads to Christmas nut breads and old leather tobacco pouches with a hint of dark cherry.
Finish: The end amps up the ABVs dramatically as chili, black pepper, and anise drive the end toward an almost cool mint tobacco vibe with a vanilla buttercream underbelly.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a big and powerful Kentucky bourbon. I think it needs a rock to calm that end down a bit, but that’s a nitpick.
Taste 14
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is soft, kind of like freshly baked rye bread, with notes of eggnog spices, slick vanilla flan, thin caramel sauce, and hints of spicy orange zest.
Palate: The palate amps everything up as the orange peel becomes candied and attaches to a moist holiday cake, dried cranberry and cherry, more dark spice, a touch of nuttiness, and plenty of that vanilla.
Finish: The end takes its time as the whole thing comes together like a rich and boozy fruit cake as little notes of leather and tobacco spice keep things interesting on the slow fade.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another whiskey that just freaking good.
Taste 15
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with big notes of bananas foster, peach cobbler, and blackberry crumble next to roasting herbs, smoldering smudging sage, old cedar kindling, and rich vanilla-chocolate malted tobacco with a dash of Cherry Coke and Almond Joy.
Palate: Lushness dominates the palate with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, candied orange peels, candied almonds, black cherry soda, cream soda, plum pudding, and mincemeat pies dusted with powdered sugar before dark and lightly smoked oak arrives.
Finish: That smoky oak leads to pepper brisket fat and salted butter cut with cedar tobacco before veering toward blackberry pie and red currants swimming in dark chocolate with a faint whisper of fresh vanilla pods.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a wild bourbon that’s also freaking delicious. It all somehow works with a perfect balance.
Taste 16
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A lot of red berries and vanilla dominate the nose with hints of oak and maybe some woody spice.
Palate: Vanilla pods and sweet buttermilk biscuits drive the palate toward masa and woody spice.
Finish: The end has moments of brown spice and old vanilla with maybe a touch of fruit.
Initial Thoughts:
This is fine.
Taste 17
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of fresh orange zest and dark cherry on the nose with a hint of winter spice, old dried prunes, and a hint of black tea.
Palate: The winter spice leads to creamy vanilla and eggnog on the taste as a peach cobbler with fresh vanilla whipped cream leads to warming tobacco spices and hints of old oak.
Finish: Marmalade and leathery dried apricot counter the vanilla creaminess with a light sense of winter spice barks rolled up with soft pipe tobacco leaves and dipped in black cherry soda.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very deep and balanced with a great texture. This is the good stuff.
Taste 18
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of dried dark berries that leads to malted chocolate and vanilla over candied orange and cherry that’s helped with buttermilk biscuits dripping with salted butter and honey before sharp red pepper spice cuts in with rich tobacco.
Palate: Toffee rolled in roasted almond and kissed with dark orange drive the palate toward dried red chili pepper, old winter spice barks, and creamy vanilla buttercream with a sense of chocolate-laced tobacco packed into an old pipe.
Finish: That chili pepper spice attaches to the chocolate tobacco on the finish and creates a luscious finish full of vanilla butteriness, dark berry competes, and marmalade next to light nuances of an old oak stave and smudging sage with a whisper of fatty roasting herbs.
Initial Thoughts:
This is goddamn delicious.
Taste 19
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pecan waffles covered in salted butter and fresh maple syrup pop on the nose next to candied cherry, rum raisin, and cinnamon-heavy apple cider with a kick of fresh pipe tobacco and silky vanilla cream.
Palate: That silkiness creates a lush palate full of more rum raisin, brandy-soaked cherries, old cinnamon sticks soaked in mulled wine, walnut-laden Christmas cakes, and soft oakiness with a sweet tobacco edge.
Finish: The cinnamon amps up on the warm finish with more of that creamy vanilla veering toward eggnog with a dusting of nutmeg and drizzled with salted caramel before a whisper of peppermint candy cane arrives with an underlying sense of old oak cellars.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another winner. It’s balanced, deep, and delectable.
Taste 20
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of corn husks and cherry candy with a touch of cinnamon.
Palate: The palate hits classic notes of cherry, caramel, and oak with a hint of spice.
Finish: The finish leans into the spice with a good cherry body supported by rich vanilla.
This new whiskey from Birmingham, Alabama, is made from a base of 60% corn, 30% wheat, and 10% malted barley. That whiskey ages for a few years before it’s batched and re-barreled into rum casks for a final rest.
Bottom Line:
Those burnt notes on the nose are flaws in the distillate, unfortunately. And the body of the bourbon is so light that the aging isn’t that dialed either. Sadly, this just isn’t there yet and a hard pass.
This whiskey is a throwback to a different era (sort of). The whiskey is made according to a handwritten letter from E.H. Taylor to McBrayer back in the late 1800s. The mash used is 88.4% Bloody Butcher corn, 5.8% heritage rye, and 5.8% malted barley. The whiskey then aged for at least four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
That rubbery note on the nose (almost a magic marker when I went back to it) is a flaw in the base spirit — something went wrong. That’s too bad as the aging of this works well and the whiskey actually finished well. Again, this just needs more time to dial in. Until then, hard pass.
This Utah whiskey is named after the famed “Devil’s Gate” outside of Salt Lake City. The three-year-old whiskey in the bottles was distilled in Indiana and sent out to Utah where it was batched, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This is fine. I don’t really see the point in tracking it down unless you’re looking for a mixing bourbon and you’re in Utah. But even then, there are $30 bourbons that blow this out of the water.
This new release batch from Backbone is a blend with a 51% straight bourbon base. The batch is made up of five to seven-year-old bourbon, eight-year-old rye, and a 14-year-old light whiskey (aged in an uncharred barrel).
Bottom Line:
This had such a light nose that it threw the balance off. That’s a shame because the finish is pretty solid. Still, I’d skip this one.
Thirteenth Colony is another Georgia distillery making waves right now. The Georgia-made whiskey starts off with a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. The barrels are four to six years old before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is a “fine” bourbon (there’s nothing wrong with it at least). If you’re in Georgia, maybe try a bar pour or a cocktail made with it.
15. Old Elk Straight Bourbon Whiskey Four Grain — Taste 2
This whiskey from out in Colorado combines two whiskeys from Indiana (MGP) with Colorado’s Rocky Mountain vibe. The whiskeys are a corn/rye/barley mash bill combined with a corn/wheat/barley mash to create a four-grain experience from blending instead of scratch. That whiskey then spends six to seven years aging in the Rocky Mountain state before it’s bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is a very solid crafty bourbon (those grains are there but they’re balanced well). I’d recommend giving this a shot if you’re looking for something unique and bespoke, especially if you’re looking for a grain-forward whiskey done right.
14. Watershed Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 4 Years Bottled In Bond — Taste 12
This whiskey is from a very local craft distiller in Ohio. The bourbon in the bottle is the distillery’s bespoke bourbon that’s been left alone for over four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is good standard bourbon. I’d use it for basic cocktails and highballs if I was in Ohio and could get it locally.
This big new whiskey from Barrell Craft Spirits swings for the fences. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of Indiana bourbon (five, six, seven, to 10 years old) and five-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey was then filled into a Brazilian Amburana cask for a final rest. Those barrels were then bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
Wow, this is a wild one. It’s truly deep and fascinating. But… it’s so far away from anything you’d expect from a bourbon that it’s hard to know where to put it. I like it, but I taste thousands of whiskey a year and crave uniqueness. If you’re a passive bourbon drinker, this will be baffling (and maybe not in a good way). You’ve been warned.
It’s still a really well-made whiskey regardless.
12. Milan & Greene UNABRIDGED Volume 2 A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies — Taste 5
Unabridged Volume 2 just hit shelves. This edition utilizes both copper pot still bourbon made in Texas and classic column still bourbon made in Kentucky (both from Milam & Greene’s own recipes). Tennessee whiskey (two to 16 years old) was added to the final batch to add extra depth before bottling 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is good bourbon. It’s complex yet light enough to be 100% approachable. I’d like to see how this adds to great whiskey-forward cocktails. I can see it really shining.
This new edition of Remus from MGP of Indiana’s flagship distiller — Ross & Squibb — is all about rye grains. The bourbon is made with a mash of 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye (no barley here, folks). That whiskey was left to age for six years before batching and bottling.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is really nice bourbon. There are no bells or whistles, but it doesn’t need it. If you’re looking for an easy everyday pour, this is a good choice. It’ll also make a mean cocktail.
This bourbon is made with a classic sour mash of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley in copper pot stills. The whiskey is then left for two to four years before small batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is another good classic bourbon. I’d use it for cocktails.
9. Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Casks — Taste 10
This Texas whiskey is hewn from 90 30-gallon barrels of four-year-old bourbon that were transferred into 26 59-gallon Tawny Port casks for a final maturation of over one year. That whiskey is then bottled as-is after a touch of water is added.
Bottom Line:
This is the best crafty whiskey on the panel. The grain-forward notes are wonderfully balanced with a deep and dark bourbon profile. If you’re looking for a truly well-made crafty with a bold grain-forward nature, this is it.
The last drop from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof of 2023 is a big one. The whiskey in the bottle is a 13-year and 7-month-old bourbon that was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is bold and beautiful bourbon. It hits quintessential Kentucky bourbon notes with serious heat on the finish. That heat is the only reason this is a little lower in the ranking today. This needs a rock to calm it down. That said, if you’re looking for a proof bomb with real depth, this is the bottle for you.
7. New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon Kentucky Straight Whiskey Topflight Series by ReserveBar — Taste 14
The juice in the bottle is New Riff’s standard bourbon mash of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. The spirit is aged for at least four years before they’re bottled individually without cutting or filtration.
Bottom Line:
This is balanced and deep with a lovely mouthfeel. Overall, you can’t go wrong with this on your shelf for neat pours, on the rocks sipping, and mixing into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktails.
6. Blue Run Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Trifecta Blend — Taste 4
The latest release from craft bottler Blue Run is a blend of three ages of barrels that all lean into “wood heat”. In this case, the 189 barrels were six-, eight-, and nine-year-old barrels of wood-forward bourbon that were batched and bottled as-is at barrel strength.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that has a great balance with the wood and the overall classic bourbon profile. I can see sipping this neat or on the rocks and not being mad about it for a single second.
5. Shortbarrel Single Barrel Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon — Taste 17
These Shortbarrel Single Barrel releases are all over four years old and sourced either from Green River Distilling in Kentucky or MGP in Indiana. In this case, the whiskey was made in Kentucky and bottled in Georgia.
Bottom Line:
This is just really good bourbon, folks. Drink it however you like to drink your whiskey.
4. Barrell Bourbon Cash Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands — Taste 15
This new release from Barrell Craft Spirits is a unique one. The whiskey in the bottle is batched from Indiana bourbon (five, six, and nine-year-old barrels) with Maryland bourbon (five and six-year-old barrels). Once batched, the whiskey is re-barreled into rum casks and Islay whisky casks. Then those barrels are batched and the whiskey is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is as delicious as it is fascinating. It’s also just really good from top to bottom with a brilliant balance and deeply satisfying vibe. You will need to take your time with this one though. Add water, let it air, and then return to it again and again to find the real depth. You will be rewarded for your patience.
3. Rabbit Hole Limited Edition Artist Series Single Barrel Heigold Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 18
This single barrel of Rabbit Hole is from their “Heigold” malted line. The almost five-year-old barrel was made with a mash bill of 70% corn, 25% malted rye, and 5% malted barley. It was bottled as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This hits high marks for being deep and delicious while still staying approachable. It’s just really good slow-sipping whiskey that rewards you with deeper and silkier notes on each return.
2023’s Remus Repeal Reserve is here! The Seventh edition is made from a lot of Indiana bourbons from Ross & Squibb — 6% is a 2007 21% rye bourbon, 26% is a 2013 21% rye bourbon, another 26% is a 2013 36% rye bourbon, 21% is a 2014 21% rye bourbon, and the final 21% is a 2014 36% rye bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey was just kissed with water before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This has everything you can want in a quintessential bourbon whiskey. It’s deeply layered, adds more and more on each nose and sip, and is ultimately just really f*cking good. Enjoy it slow and you won’t be disappointed for a single second.
This new version of Legent leans into the marriage of Kentucky and Japan in the bottle. The whiskey is a straight bourbon from Beam that spent eight years mellowing in Kentucky. That whiskey was then sent to the Yamazaki Distillery outside of Kyoto, Japan where blending legend Shinji Fukuyo transferred the whiskey into French and Spanish oak casks for another rest before batching again and re-filling the whiskey into the incredible Yamazaki Spanish Oak whisky casks for a final rest before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This went beyond “quintessential” and delivered a truly transcendent bourbon experience. There was simply more here than with any other bourbon on the list. It was deep, sure, but more importantly, it was unique while making total sense. This is delicious whiskey that’s a dream to sip.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the New Bourbon for Bourbon Heritage Month
Zach Johnston
Well, we made it. Overall, the top eight or nine whiskeys on this list are the ones that you want to focus on. You can ignore the bottom five altogether.
Brasstacks, that Legent Yamazaki is the winner by a country mile. Get it, savor it, and then get more.
If fried chicken has taken over fast food, the spicy chicken sandwich is the reason. A perfect spicy chicken sandwich is crunchy, packed full of flavor, and drool-inducingly spicy. Not only is it alluring visually, but that winning combination of flavors and textures pulls you in, bite after bite. It’s a feast for the senses! And even though Popeyes was crowned king long ago, it seems like the food brands are still in an active race to make the tastiest chicken sandwich in all of fast food.
Who are we to stop them from trying?
This week, I declared Shake Shack’s new Hot Chicken sandwich as “the best spicy chicken sandwich of 2023.” This got me thinking — “Am I just being wooed by the latest hot (pun intended!) new thing?” If I put this spicy-come-lately up against the best of the best, would it hold up?
Honestly, I wasn’t sure. I try so much fast food on a regular basis for work that I haven’t actually tasted a spicy chicken sandwich from our old favorites in recent memory. So in order to definitively name the best spicy chicken sandwich in fast food, we put four of our current favorites to the blind taste test.
The results actually managed to surprise me. Which was fun. And tasty. Let’s talk methodology.
Methodology:
As with all the other fast food blind taste tests we’ve done this year, time is the biggest enemy of flavor. That’s why I had to limit this taste test to just four spicy chicken sandwiches from fast food restaurants that were in relative proximity to one another (and where I live).
Luckily, I think a chicken sandwich holds up a bit better than something like a cheeseburger, which really goes south past the 20-minute mark.
Altogether, it took me 35 minutes to collect all four chicken sandwiches and make it back home. Normally that’s longer than I’d like, but each sandwich was delicious and while all would’ve been better hot, I don’t think it had a major effect on my decision.
Once home, I photographed all four sandwiches and then gave the bag to my girlfriend who shuffled each sandwich and gave me one at a time at random to taste test while I rocked a blindfold.
Here is our tasting class:
Chick-fil-A — Spicy Deluxe
Dave’s Hot Chicken — Chicken Slider (Hot)
Popeyes — Spicy Chicken Sandwich
Shake Shack — Hot Chicken Sandwich
For each sandwich, I took into consideration the flavor and spice level (which I scored 1-5), and while I think a spicy chicken sandwich being, you know, spicy, is essential, the flavor takes precedence over heat.
Part 1: The Spicy Chicken Taste Test
Taste 1:
Ashley Garcia
More of a mix between gentle smokey paprika and black pepper than anything “spicy,” though I do taste a hint of cayenne pepper in there. This chicken is moist and topped well, I’m getting tang from pickles a hint of creamy cheesiness, and some juicy tomatoes, but there is some greasy lettuce in here as well which sogs up the experience a bit.
The chicken itself is very dense and thick, but tender. Overall this is good, but I feel like the chicken could be improved.
Taste 2:
Ashley Garcia
The spice is a little more pronounced here, I can really taste the cayenne but it seems to me like it’s coming entirely from the sauce and not the chicken itself. The chicken is the real star here though — it’s tender, juicy, crunchy, and has a hint of sweetness to it that pairs really nicely with the spicy sauce.
Pickles help balance out the sandwich with some brine-y tang, overall I think this one is simple but really well put together. With just a few ingredients it checks all the boxes: spicy, flavorful, with an earthy counterbalance that keeps the spice in check. Food doesn’t have to be a dare to be delicious, and this is one of the most approachable spicy chicken sandwiches I’ve ever had.
Taste 3:
Ashley Garcia
What jumps out immediately with this sandwich is the amazing mouthfeel. It’s highly textured and the chicken is incredibly crispy, with an airy cornstarch (or panko) like breading paired with some crisp toppings, on a super soft small unobtrusive bun.
The chicken is tender and juicy and the heat is pronounced, building in intensity the more you bite into it. It’s delicious but slightly flat compared to the last tasting.
Taste 4:
Ashley Garcia
My first bite was bread. My second bite was bread. Finally, I got some chicken on the third bite and was immediately attacked by intense levels of heat. I already know which sandwich this is, it’s Dave’s — it has that unmistakable Nashville hot chicken seasoning.
The slaw in this sandwich is great, a mix of cabbage and kale, and the sauce adds a mixture of tang and sweetness, but once you have the chicken it’s all you can taste. It completely overtakes the sandwich.
Part 2: The Spicy Chicken Ranking
4. Chick-fil-a — Spicy Deluxe
Dane Rivera
Spice Level: 3
Chick-fil-A was once the gold standard of fast food chicken sandwiches, but we live in a world where you can now find a great chicken sandwich at so many different restaurants that now. In 2023, this sandwich just comes across as a bit boring.
It’s delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it feels a bit too clean. Too manicured. The lettuce is a terrible addition, it gets soggy and ruins the sandwich, and most of the heat comes from the pepper jack cheese, not the chicken itself.
In terms of how Chick-fil-A could improve this sandwich — I’m not sure it can or needs to. The best thing to do is pick your favorite Chick-fil-A sauce (maybe buffalo) and start dipping your sandwich in it, or just add bacon!
The Bottom Line:
A great sandwich, but a bit tame and boring compared to the competition.
Part of me thought Dave’s might take the top spot. It is without a doubt the spiciest chicken sandwich in this lineup, and if you’re so inclined, you could order it up to two heat levels above hot (Extra Hot and Reaper). But where this sandwich fails is the build.
Putting a chicken tender between two pieces of bread and calling it a sandwich is a stupid move — look at the cross-section cut, most of the meat in this sandwich is in one tiny little spot. So why have the bread in the first place? All it does is make the heat a bit more bearable, it doesn’t really add anything to the experience of eating this chicken tender.
The Bottom Line:
A great flavor, and the spiciest sandwich we tried today, hands down. But the build holds it back. It’s better as a tender than a sandwich.
I still stand by what I wrote in my full review of this sandwich — it’s the best spicy chicken sandwich to drop… in 2023. The Hot Chicken sandwich is easily Shake Shack’s best chicken sandwich on the menu but when compared side by side to our number one choice, it just didn’t offer an as enjoyable eating experience.
It’s spicier than our number one choice, so if you hold heat above flavor, this will be your best choice. But our number one had a better flavor and more tender chicken, and in my book, you can’t beat that.
The Bottom Line:
I was rooting for this one but the king is king for a reason.
It feels entirely predictable to say Popeyes has the best chicken sandwich in all of fast food but… it is. It’s not the spiciest sandwich you’ll eat, hell, it’s definitely not the most attractive, it looks less appetizing than all of the other sandwiches, but Popeyes really did knock it out of the park with this sandwich. It’s perfect, from the flavor of the chicken to the simple build (meat, pickles, sauce).
The chicken here is tender and melts in your mouth but what really sets it over the edge for me is that tinge of sweetness. It’s not too sweet like honey chicken, but that hint of butter and sweetness that this sandwich is working with is the perfect counter to the spiciness. Together, the flavors combine to make something greater than the sum of its parts.
It took actually having this sandwich once again to help me realize how delicious it truly is. If you don’t remember how good Popeyes chicken sandwich is, do yourself a favor and order it for your next lunch break.
The Bottom Line:
Popeyes retains the crown. The heat is accessible and inviting but present enough that it doesn’t disappoint, and the chicken, from flavor to texture, is perfect. Popeyes spicy chicken sandwich isn’t overrated — it’s properly recognized as fast food’s best chicken sandwich.
Roman Reigns defeated Cody Rhodes on the second night of WrestleMania 39. It meant that the Tribal Chief’s reign atop WWE as the Undisputed WWE Universal Champion would continue on for quite some time, and as of now, he’s been able to say he’s the top dog in the company for more than 1,000 days.
While Rhodes was able to earn a main event spot by winning the Royal Rumble, there were rumors for some time that he wouldn’t be the one who took on Reigns at SoFi Stadium. Instead, that would have gone to The Rock, who is Reigns’ cousin. This obviously did not come to fruition, but during a cameo on The Pat McAfee Show on Friday afternoon, Dwayne Johnson revealed that there was an agreement in place to make it happen.
“The Rock headlining WrestleMania with Roman Reigns at SoFi Stadium was locked in..
“The Rock headlining WrestleMania with Roman Reigns, SoFi Stadium, that was locked,” Johnson said. “We were doing it. No, we were doing it. But lemme just tell ya, so, in the beginning of 2022, Nick Khan … he was very instrumental in bringing Vince and I together. We all flew to L.A., we met, we sat.”
Johnson went on to say that, after an hour, the conversation turned to potentially putting him into a match against his cousin.
“We shook hands and we hugged, right there, all three of us at the table and said, ‘Let’s do this,’” Johnson continued. “So, then we had a year to really think about this, so the North Star thought was, ok, let’s not do something good, let’s do something great, let’s do something unprecedented.”
As he explained, the hope was to turn a WrestleMania match into “the beginning of something bigger,” which ended up being their downfall.
“We got really, really close, but we couldn’t actually nail what that thing was,” he said. “So we decided to put our pencils down, and then we agreed, hey, listen, there is a merger coming up, eventually that will happen, there’s WrestleMania in Philadelphia … but again, let’s figure out what that is, because the fans deserve something just incredible, unprecedented, and not only that, but also wanna deliver to the locker room and the boys and the girls back there, working their asses off. What can we do to put them in a position where they’re part of something that is a new change, an era, in this world of pro wrestling.”
Last year, The Fugees’ highly-awaited 25th-anniversary tour to celebrate the release of their album, The Score, was canceled, leaving fans around the world upset. To make it up to their longtime supporters, the group managed to pull off a surprise performance at the 2023 Roots Picnic.
Now, the group’s Ms. Lauryn Hill is on the road celebrating the same milestone for her Grammy Award-winning debut album, The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill. The anniversary tour kicked off on September 8 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. If you plan on attending, here is the show’s full setlist from September 8, according to setlist.fm, which should indicated how future shows will go.
You can also find the remaining tour dates can be found underneath the setlist. Find more information here.
1. “Everything Is Everything”
2. “When It Hurts So Bad”
3. “Final Hour”
4. “Lost Ones”
5. “Ex-Factor”
6. “To Zion”
7. “Nothing Even Matters”
8. “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” (Frankie Valli cover)
9. “I Used to Love Him”
10. “Forgive Them Father”
11. “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”
12. “Doo Wop (That Thing)”
13. “Killing Me Softly With His Song” (Lori Lieberman cover)
14. “Ready or Not” (Fugees song)
15. “Fu-Gee-La” (Fugees song)
16. “Turn Your Lights Down Low” (Bob Marley & The Wailers cover)
09/23 — New York, NY @ Global Citizen Festival
10/01 — Gold Coast, AUS @ Promiseland Festival
10/03 — Melbourne, AUS @ Rod Laver Arena *
10/05 — Sydney, AUS @ Kudos Banks Arena *
10/07 — Auckland, NZ @ Eden Festival
10/17 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center #
10/19 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays #
10/21 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena #
10/23 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Arena #
10/26 — Toronto, ON – Scotia #
10/28 — Chicago, IL @ United Center #
10/30 — Fort Worth, TX @ Dickies Arena #
11/02 — Denver, CO – Ball Arena #
11/05 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum #
11/07 — Oakland, CA @ Oakland Arena #
11/09 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena #
Drew Barrymore found herself the center of controversy this week when it was revealed that her talk show would resume filming episodes so it could return for its new season on Monday September 18. The move is seen as a violation of the ongoing writers strike, prompting WGA East to picket outside CBS Studios in New York where The Drew Barrymore Show is taped.
The situation worsened when it was revealed that audience members with WGA pins were forced to leave the studio and there were reports that bags were being searched. All in all it was not a great look for Barrymore who had been sitting on a seemingly endless supply of goodwill, particularly after her decision to drop out as host of the MTV Movie & TV Awards when the strike first started.
In response to the backlash, Barrymore posted an emotional apology video on Instagram where she attempted to defuse the situation.
Drew Barrymore apologizes for bringing back her talk show during the writers’ strike and explains why she is doing it:
“We aren’t gonna break rules and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this because, as I said, this is bigger than me and there are other people’s jobs on… pic.twitter.com/Mqb4chyKzp
“I know there is just nothing I can do that will make this OK to those that it is not OK with. I fully accept that. I fully understand that. There are so many reasons why this is so complex, and I just want everyone to know my intentions have never been in a place to upset or hurt anymore. It’s not who I am. I’ve been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them,” she said through tears.
“I deeply apologize to writers. I deeply apologize to unions,” Barrymore said.
“There’s a huge question of the why — why am I doing this?” she continued. “Well, I certainly couldn’t have expected this kind of attention, and we aren’t going to break rules and we will be in compliance. I wanted to do this, because as I said, this is bigger than me and there are other people’s jobs on the line.”
Commenters on Instagram were quick to note that Barrymore is still continuing with her show, and the apology is already not going over well.
“Still moving forward while your own writers are outside picketing? disappointed. apologies don’t mean anything without action,” one user wrote.
“Doubling down on something you’re apologizing for seems counterproductive,” another user commented. “See the mistake, listen to the people supporting Unions, stop your show & join them.”
“I was so hopeful that this was a video of you announcing that you were stepping away from your show and joining your writers on the picket line,” wrote Ever Carridine. “I am such a fan of yours, as an artist and as a human, but I will never understand your choice to cross a picket line.”
The Eagles have long since been cemented in rock music. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, the group has rightfully earned a blissful retirement. However, their disbanding following the tragic death of Glenn Frey was the true end of the music innovators. To give themselves a proper send-off, The Eagles have embarked on their The Long Goodbye Final Tour. So, who is the opening act for the tour?
Well, it’s none other than Steely Dan. The pairing is a subtle nod to the groups’ rumored rivalry dating back to 1976 when Donald Fagen name-dropped the band on their song “Everything You Did.”
“I never knew you / You were a roller skater / You gonna show me later / Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening,” sang Fagen.
The Eagles’ Glenn Frey later explained his theory on the line in the compilation The Very Best of the Eagles‘ liner notes. “Apparently, [Steely Dan member] Walter Becker’s girlfriend loved the Eagles, and she played them all the time. I think it drove him nuts. So, the story goes that they were having a fight one day, and that was the genesis of the line,” jokingly wrote Frey.
View the remaining tour dates below. Find more information here.
09/16 — Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
09/20 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena
10/05 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena
10/09 — Indianapolis, IN @ Gainbridge Fieldhouse
10/13 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena
10/17 — Cleveland, OH @ Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
11/02 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena
11/07 — Charlotte, NC @ Spectrum Arena
11/09 — Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena
11/14 — Lexington, KY @ Rupp Arena
11/17 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Last year, we celebrated ten years of Becky G. The 26-year-old “La Nena” singer is a staple of Latin music and she recently announced her third studio album Esquinas arriving later this month. The single “Querido Abuelo” is out now.
“Querido Abuelo” is a song for her late grandfather that turns to gratitude instead of grief, honoring the role he played in her life before he passed.
About Esquinas, she wrote a heartfelt post on social media. Read the statement, translated by Instagram:
“I could not be more excited to share the cover for my new album ‘ESQUINAS’ and announce that it will officially be yours on 9/28.
This album is inspired by my roots and the music I’ve been listening to since I was a kid, but it also has a touch of my flow (as always!). This project means a lot to me, it’s been a way to review memories so I can show them a little more about who I am. My wish is to help you remember that it’s never too late to learn more from your roots and that yes we can be from here AND there!
I hope you guys love him as much as I do.”
Watch the video for “Querido Abuelo” above.
Esquinas is out 9/28 via RCA. Find more information here.
It’s a question Jennifer Lawrence shouts in exasperation after frantically searching a college house party for boning teenagers in 2023’s R-rated sex romp, No Hard Feelings – but she might as well have been taking stock of comedy’s recent dry spell on the big screen.
We used to be a society, one that collectively laughed whenever a flaccid penis flopped around on 35mm or naked body parts flailed with abandoned in a packed cineplex. Movies once bravely mined humor from carnal rites of passage – backseat blowjobs gone wrong, prom virginity pacts, the nauseating ingenuity that happens when a horny teenager meets a hot pie – forcing us to cringe in embarrassment, then cackle at our own prudishness.
Raunchy comedies weren’t always perfect – in fact, plenty of them feel misogynistic, reductive, crass, and exploitative upon rewatch – but they were vital to how we view sex and nudity, consent, and relationships on screen. They mocked our own insecurities, but somehow, made it easier to accept them too. They crafted ludicrous storylines that reminded us of our own beginner mishaps and fumbling embarrassments. They were dumb teenaged quests for climax drenched in ill-gotten warm beer a la Superbad, absinthe-fueled Eurotrips, a 40-Year-Old Virgin’s chest-waxing montage, frat bacchanalias, and regretful one-night-stands – but they mattered.
Somewhere along the way, – likely sandwiched between the birth of streaming and the sterilization of cinema via superhero-neutered franchises – studios lost their appetite for filth and foul-mouthed fun, and audiences began to question the need for debauchery of all kinds in moviemaking. Well, no more. We may have evolved past the formulaic bawdiness of American Pie franchises but there’s still a place for R-rated exploits on screen, and a way for comedy to use them to surprise, entertain, and maybe even liberate modern audiences from the sexless cinema we’ve been resigned to.
These are our picks for the 15 best raunchy comedies to come in the past 15 years.
sony
No Hard Feelings (2023)
Naturally, Lawrence’s comedic piece-de-resistance tops our list of recent(ish) raunchy comedies worth watching. Everything about her performance as Maddie – a crass, selfish millennial struggling to weather the gentrification of her seaside paradise and seeking financial assistance from two wealthy overbearing parents trying to pimp their purity-saddled teenage son – is brave. From her failed attempts at seduction to some brilliant roller-blading bits and that skinny-dipping smackdown – Lawrence lets it all hang out in this sex comedy that has a surprisingly sentimental climax.
orion
Bottoms (2023)
Two unapologetically horny teens start a lesbian fight club to hook up with the hottest girls in school. Emma Seligman’s modern comedic masterpiece has done what David Fincher never could – make punching people both a feminist commentary on inequality and a form of foreplay. Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri have sizzling chemistry, playing off each other’s improvised banter with ease while also making us root for their lusty, lewd Queer outcasts to finally get some. It’s a refreshing gender reversal that uses old tropes to set up new jokes and introduces us to our new favorite sleazy sapphic antiheroes.
WB
The Hangover (2009)
Todd Phillips’ Vegas-set fever dream sits atop the pantheon of bro comedies for a number of reasons. It’s relatable: Who amongst us hasn’t been so hungover they forgot the exploits of the night before? It’s also completely absurd: Who amongst us has actually gotten so drunk we lost our best friend and had to scour a city’s criminal underbelly to find him? It’s well-cast, sporting some gutsy, gut-busting performances from Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, and Bradley Cooper. And it’s got a great bit involving Mike Tyson and a tiger that ends with a truly catch jingle. What more could you ask for?
Universal
Blockers (2018)
Blockers works as both a coming-of-age and mid-life crisis comedy, a butt-funneled blend of laugh-out-loud physicality and surprisingly progressive messaging that goes down smoothly despite the initial discomfort of its premise. It succeeds thanks to its cast — John Cena is fearless when it comes to selling a joke and he’s propped up by dependably funny performances from Leslie Bibb and Ike Barinholtz. While the adults of the film fumble their way through parenting their teenage daughters, chasing them down in mini-vans and attempting to interpret their eggplant emoji usage, the girls take a refreshing, hormone-driven approach to sex, delighting in innuendos and hatching hilarious plans to get laid that don’t quite go off with the kind of bang they were hoping for.
Universal
Girl’s Trip (2017)
The defining characteristic of great raunchy comedy is its ability to transform a seemingly innocuous food into a sex toy. That’s what this female-led romp starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Tiffany Haddish, and Regina Hall does – desecrating the sanctity of citrus fruits for laughs as its stars f*ck, fight, and raise hell around New Orleans. Vacations are comedy breeding grounds but rarely do women get to behave so badly on them while also reaffirming the power of female friendship. (And good luck keeping your jaw closed any time Haddish drops an improvised one-liner.)
Universal
Bridesmaids (2011)
Not too long ago, Hollywood questioned whether women could be both crass and funny, so Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey shit themselves — in bathroom sinks and bridal suites and busy streets — to silence those doubts. Paul Feig’s female-fronted comedy never lets up on the gas, launching with a laughably cringe sex montage before plugging as many crude punchlines and smutty setups as possible to tell the story of Annie (Wiig), a failed bakery owner competing for the title of “Maid of Honor” in her best friend’s upcoming nuptials. She’s pitted against as deftly funny Rose Byrne but her biggest adversary is herself, which is why everything goes to shit (literally) when she hallucinates on airplanes and melts down near chocolate fountains in preparation for her bestie’s big day.
Universal Pictures
Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
Coital supercuts, Dracula musicals, Paul Rudd playing a surf instructor filled with existential advice about lemons and shark attacks … this Judd Apatow-produced comedy really does have it all. Jason Segel does some of his best comedic work playing a composer trying to heal from a breakup with his actor ex while on vacation only to run into her and her new rockstar boyfriend at the same resort. His attempts to both avoid and confront the reasons they separated are hindered and helped by a slew of funny co-stars like Rudd, Mila Kunis, Bill Hader, Jonah Hill, and Jack McBrayer while Kristen Bell and Russell Brand cluelessly bang their way around the island and add to his misery.
TWC
Bachelorette (2012)
Bridesmaids may have delighted in the chaos of wedding planning but this underrated comedy starring Kirsten Dunst, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, and Lizzy Caplan gives us the coke-fueled, stripper-stuffed, sex-crazed bachelorette party that film never got to. The premise follows Dunst, Wilson, and Caplan — three friends from high school reuniting for the wedding of their less popular fourth wheel (Wilson). The girls are mean, rude, horny jealous hangers-on who spend the night before the wedding hooking up with male bridal party members, nearly overdosing, and desperately trying to repair the wedding dress they destroyed in a moment of cruelty. They are entirely unlikeable and yet, easy as hell to laugh at.
Universal
Neighbors (2014)
Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne fend off the fraternity from hell in this debauched comedy littered with used condoms, airbag pranks, and dildo fights. The two play a couple of reformed partiers parenting their newborn when Zach Efron, Dave Franco, and their brotherhood move in next door. What begins amicably devolves into a war of one-ups for the block as the college kids punish the couple for calling the cops on their parties, making it harder to sell their once-beloved home.
COLUMBIA
Step Brothers (2008)
Adam McKay’s joke-per-minute coming-of-middle-age tale isn’t technically that risque, but there are enough crude innuendos and shirtless Will Ferrell gags to warrant its spot on this list. Most of the dirtiest comedy bits come from the enemies-to-brothers storyline that sees Ferrell and John C. Reilly playing two grown men still living at home when their parents marry and blend their unconventional families. Catalina wine mixers, sleepwalking hijinks, teabagging drum sets — it’s all here, as is a deliciously funny subplot involving Reilly and Kathryn Hahn as a wildly horny housewife desperate for some action.
Focus Features
For a Good Time Call (2012)
A truly underrated gem about two frenemies who start a phone sex business, this R-rated binge is a surprising comfort watch. Uptight Lauren (Lauren Miller Rogen) is forced to room with her college enemy Katie (a terrific Ari Graynor) who runs a phone sex line to pay for her Grammercy pad. When the two join forces in the name of making rent, they end up bonding over the strangest things — first-time threesome dial-ins, phone anal, adjectives that pair well with genitalia. What starts as a ridiculous, raunchy romp turns into a surprisingly sentimental ode to female friendship — albeit one you wouldn’t want to watch with your parents.
WARNER BROS.
Magic Mike XXL (2015)
Steven Soderbergh’s first strip club outing was all moody lighting and dramatic redemption stories which … fine. But the sequel to Channing Tatum’s real-life inspired come-up is wilder, racier, and funnier, focused more on the absurdity of the main character’s profession and committed to squeezing its premise of every titillating drop. The boys reunite (sans shirts, obviously) for a convention in Myrtle Beach, surviving the usual road trip gaffes while crafting a routine filled with enough thrusts, gyrations, and body rolls to leave you laughing (likely uncomfortably).
Universal
Good Boys (2019)
A movie so vulgar, its own underaged cast probably can’t watch it, this coming-of-age comedy starring Jacob Tremblay, Brady Noon, and Keith L. Williams as three sixth graders on a quest for popularity is filled with cringe-humor. Most of the film sees the trio in tense negotiations with Molly Gordon over a bag of ecstasy and a high-tech drone as they battle frat bros, cross busy interstates, and wield dildos against police officers. The boys are foul-mouthed but naive and that dichotomy is what sets up most of the funniest jokes.
annapurna
Booksmart (2019)
Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut sees Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever play two straight-A students determined to indulge in one night of depravity before they ship off to college. The movie delights in toying with stereotypes — the popular kids the duo is determined to party with are also Ivy League bound — and doesn’t shy away from the messy Queer hookups and toxic teacher friendships and drug-fueled mistakes that have come to define modern coming-of-age stories. It’s a bit more tame than most on this list, but it’s just as funny.
RLJE Films
Plus One (2019)
Another under-the-radar rom-com worth a watch is this R-rated indie starring Jack Quaid and Maya Erskine as two best friends who brave a busy wedding season as each other’s plus ones. As Alice and Ben, Erskine and Quaid have terrific chemistry, getting blackout drunk on dance floors, boinking in graveyards, and perfecting the art of being each other’s wingmen. Erskine borrows the same comedic sensibilities that made her PEN15 show so funny, crassly kidding about everything from accidental boners to unkempt bushes while Quaid plays the embarrassed straight man type just trying to get laid.
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