Month: March 2024

Is anyone in hip-hop having as much fun as That Mexican OT in 2024? His new mixtape, Texas Technician, just dropped and, while it highlights a darker sound than Lonestar Luchador, it gave the budding star the chance to feature Texas legends like Paul Wall, Slim Thug, and Z-Ro, among others.

Intact is the AR-15 flow that OT has made his own with a signature roll of certain words and syllables, paired with precise bars and surprising punchlines. As ever, there’s no shortage of humor in OT’s rhymes. But there is also a side of “man on a mission” energy. And OT carries that into the studio where homemade sausage egg biscuit sandwiches are the only fuel necessary to get in a focused mindstate.

We caught up with OT as his wave is just starting to compound. He called out his loyalties on the road to Pizza Hut and hibachi, shared the magic of a sugar-coated grilled cheese, and cursed us out a few times for making him crave just about every type of food we spoke on. We also got an OT tour of all the signature Texas food spots and highlights in Bay City and Matagorda Bay — from local BBQ baked potatoes to what to order at the Chinese buffet to the best Tex Mex joint, the local version of Chuck E Cheese.

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So my first question for you is what is on your rider? What food and snacks?

Core water — Core water and some fruit. A big ass platter of fruit.

So just fruit and water?

Yeah.

So on a regular day, are you more into savory or sweet snacks? What’s your style?

I like eating food food. I don’t think I’m really into snacks no more. The most snackish I get is probably a peanut butter and jelly with some milk.

So you’re eating meals. You’re not eating in between the meals, right?

Yeah, nah. I’ve been wanting big boy plates lately.

When you’re in the studio are you eating at all or you’re just going… just drinking and smoking, no food?

Nah, I like… Whenever I go to the studio before I go to the studio… I work during the day. So I wake up, I’ll eat a sausage, egg, and cheese and start some biscuits, down that with some water. And then I just go to the studio.

I don’t smoke or drink in the studio. I don’t drink liquor at all. I don’t drink beer at all either. I just be smoking.

Whenever I smoke in the studio, I smoke after I’m done. Once everything’s done and I’m done recording, all (my engineer) got to do is is mix and master, that’s when I start smoking.

Okay, that sausage, egg, and cheese is what gives you, kind of, what you need to get right in the studio?

Yeah. Yep. Yeah. That’s it.

And then do you have a particular spot that’s your go-to for the sausage, egg, and cheese? Or is it just whatever’s around?

Nah, my lady getting them homemade, you know what I’m saying? I be getting them done like that.

Oh, so you got it at the crib?

Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

And then when you’re on the road, you’re touring and all that kind of stuff, when you get to the hotel, you might check in, are you eating something out of the snacks or the mini bar or are you leaving that stuff alone and just going right to dinner or lunch or whatever?

I like to go out. But DRODi be getting that hibachi — so we be eating hibachi a lot. But I like ordering pizza. I be ordering the cheese pizza and wings all the time. That’s probably what we be… OD on.

Do you have a go-to, or it depends what town you’re in?

Nah, I just order… I got Pizza Hut. I order from Pizza Hut everywhere I go.

So you’re a pan pizza guy or what’s your go-to at Pizza Hut?

Nah, I like it thick. I like the cheese, eating that stuffed bread, and all that. Or just pan. Both.

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And what’s the hibachi joint that you like? Is there anything specific?

Nah, wherever we can find hibachi.

What’s your order at the hibachi?

I get the kobe with the chicken and some rice.

So since you’ve been touring and moving around the country, have you found that you like anywhere’s food particularly or is it just whatever? You know, you get your pizza and your hibachi, you’re good?

Yeah, pretty much the pizza, hibachi, and I’m good — but I eat good when I’m in Texas. Everything tastes good in Texas.

You’re from Bay City, right?

Yeah, Bay City, Texas.

What’s your favorite place to eat at home?

A&A’s Barbecue.

Okay. And then you ever eat at the Grand Buffet?

China Chef’s it, man.

Do you have a particular thing you like to eat there?

I used to get the… I would go to the…. because the China Buffet, they had a… what you call it? Fuck. Oh, it was a buffet, you know what I’m saying? So you just go and get whatever. But that’s what it is, a buffet.

Yeah. I just didn’t know if there’s anything you’d like to have on your plate when you go somewhere like that, you know?

That sweet and sour chicken, that sweet and sour sauce, some dumplings. Definitely got to do the orange chicken. That orange chicken come with slices of oranges in it too, so it taste fire.

So when you’re taking that, are you going out to Matagorda Bay with a to-go box? Or if you’re going down to the bay, what are you eating?

Man, I’m going to A&A’s.

And if I’m going down there, what do I have to order?

You got to order the brisket, extra-loaded baked potato.

What comes on the extra loaded baked potato?

Fucking chives, sour cream, cheese, brisket, barbecue sauce, butter. And that shit just fire.

Yeah, that sounds like that’ll get you through the day.

Some people, they be bitches, they don’t want to eat the fucking skin. I’m an animal. I mean, shit.

No, the skin has the most nutrients in it.

It’s just a little dirt. That’s all it is. God made us out of dirt. Shit.

So I’ve seen you on some other shows where you go hard on the Texas tacos over the California tacos, but I didn’t really see anybody ask you why. What’s so special about Texas tacos that make them so good?

It’s just the way we season it, bro. We just season it better, you know what I’m saying? And you know what? It’s not even necessarily better, I guess it’s just maybe just where I grew up. It’s just all I know, maybe.

Right. But what’s the seasoning, what’s the special sauce in Texas?

Oh man, I don’t know. Every chef got their own way, but it’s that southern twang to it, it’s that Tex-Mex taste.

And so I saw you Tex-Mex. That’s really one of your go-tos. So if I’m down in Texas trying to get some Tex-Mex, where should I be going and what should I be getting?

What’s a good one to go to? Probably any La Casona. La Casona would be good Tex-Mex.

La Casona.

Yeah.

Is that in Bay City?

Yeah, there’s one in Bay City for sure.

They got the best chimis?

Yeah, the fried chimichangas? Yes, definitely.

And I saw also you like the deep-fried fajitas. That’s what they have there as well?

Deep-fried fajita? No, that’s a deep-fried burrito.

That’s what the chimichanga is.

No, but I saw in an interview you said your top three dishes are the deep-fried fajitas, the chimichangas, and the atole.

Oh yeah, the atole, the deep-fried… Yeah, you talking about… They’re grilled. I don’t know if they’re deep-fried. Are they deep-fried when they come? Nah, they grilled when they come out that plate and they sizzling that you can hear that motherfucker.

That’s the same place, La Casona?

Yeah, you can get all that there.

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Okay. So atole, if somebody wants to get that, same spot or they got to get that homemade?

Yeah, I don’t know. My grandma used to make me that.

What do you like about that and the tres leche? You said that was your favorite.

Tres leches is good. I just like the tres leche because it’s milky. It just falls apart, tastes good, the strawberries and pineapple with it too.

Ooh.

And then the fucking atole is good because it’s like oatmeal almost, but a Mexican oatmeal. It’s got white rice, milk, cinnamon, a little bit of sugar, butter and just roll it all together.

And how would you describe the sopapillas to somebody who never had it or doesn’t know what that is? Because I know that’s something special.

It’s like a sweet nacho almost.

So it’s like a funnel cake almost?

A little bit different. It looks like a hot pocket kind of, but a sweet hot pocket.

@simplymamacooks sopapillas #simplymamacooks #homecook #recipes #sopapillas #honey ♬ original sound – Simply Mamá Cooks

So something that they have up near me, they got tres leche, but they have… you can get a strawberry tres leche, you can get a chocolate tres leche. You ever seen different flavors like that?

Hell no. I’ve only seen the regular tres leche and it’s got… we put strawberries and pineapple on top of it. Man, I want tres leches right now.

You said you don’t really eat snacks, so you’re not into that candy or cookies or chips or any of that stuff?

Man, you know what? I’m lying bro. I am into it. I’m definitely going with the double-stuffed Oreos and I’m soaking those motherfuckers in milk.

Okay. See, I was going to ask you-

Man, I want some now. Powdered donuts too. I love powdered donuts.

See in 2024, people do a lot of weird stuff with snacks. Somebody I talk to eats Doritos and Oreos together. I talked to —

That’s wicked.

What’d you say?

I said, no, that’s wicked.

And somebody else I talked to —

Doritos… Are you shitting me? [talks to other person is his car]. That sounds good to you? You’re fucking weird.

Somebody else I talked to likes to eat Kool-Aid-flavored pickles. So I’m curious, is there anything kind of weird that you like that other people might find gross or you’re not into anything that weird?

I had a homegirl, she made me a grilled cheese one time and she put sugar on it. But that sounds good, right? But you got to grill the sugar up. She would grill the sandwich and make it, and then when she was done with it, just throw some sugar on them.

It was good?

Hell yeah.

@lacykjoy #southern #sugargrilledcheese #foryou ♬ ARSENAL (I SMELL BITCH) (feat. Denzel Curry) – Mike Dimes

Is there anything that people eat these days that you’re, like, “Why do people eat that? That sounds nasty.”

I ain’t going to lie, food is food. Oh, spiders. I’ve seen people be eating spiders with just like vinegar and salt. I’m like, “Yeah.” I’m like… Bro… Yes, they’ll cook them. But those are other countries, not over here.

What culture is that? It just sounds like something local.

I don’t know. I wouldn’t even want to lie, but I’ve seen it.

I heard you love potatoes. Who has the best waffle french fries? I saw somewhere that you love waffle french fries.

Waffle Bus.

The Waffle Bus?

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Man, now we going to have to go eat, this motherfucker talking too much, bro.

Yo, literally everybody that I talk to says that. And I have two more questions though. If you could own-

You got me hungry, though. You talking about all this food. That shit sound good. I’m next to Waffle Bus right now too. Shit.

If you could be like, a brand ambassador or a spokesman for any food or snack brand, they were going to pay you a bag or whatever, who would you want it to be if it was up to you?

It would definitely be Waffle Bus.

Waffle Bus?

Yes.

And then if you were to also own your own franchise of something that exists already, what would you pick if you could invest or operate something?

My fault. What’d you say?

If you could have your own franchise, like your own Pizza Hut or your own Waffle Bus or whatever the case may be, what would you pick to have as… You know how Rick Ross has Wing Stop, stuff like that? What would you pick for yourself?

Mr. Gatti’s.

Mr. Gatti’s?

Yeah.

Can you tell us a little bit about what that is?

It’s like a Chuck E. Cheese, but better. We had it in Bay City.

So it’s like they have food, but they also have games and ski ball and all that?

Oh, yeah. No shit, man, I remember we had bumper cars, we had all of it. We had this thing where it had lights all around the circle and the light was like a jump rope and you had to jump over the light. And then if you can’t jump over it, you were out – a bunch of crazy shit, a bunch of cool shit. You would get a ticket out of your coins and you would, you know what I’m saying, take them over there.

And food-wise, they had pizza and stuff like Chuck E. Cheese?

Man, they had fucking everything. They had banana pudding, chocolate pudding, they had jello. It was like a big buffet, everything, you know what I’m saying, spaghetti. It was almost like a Golden Corral, but it was known for the pizza.

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Anything you want to share with us about stuff that you have coming up?

Yeah, no, it’s good, baby. Shit, I appreciate all the love and support. I thank you for your time. Blessings to you. I’m excited to see you again.

Likewise, man. I appreciate you. Enjoy your energy and your music. So thank you for taking the time and keep doing what you’re doing, man. You’re killing it

For sure. It’s love, baby. Thank you, man.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris are mere months away, and while American basketball fans won’t be focusing much thought on the Paris Games until we get through March Madness, the NBA playoffs, and the start of the WNBA season, sooner than later we will be locked in on another quest for gold from the American men and women.

While we won’t know the official Olympic rosters for some time, we can now start thinking about the opponents for USA Basketball’s men’s and women’s teams, as FIBA held its group draw for the Olympics on Tuesday.

The American men will get quite the test for group supremacy from fourth-ranked Serbia, who finished as runners-up at the World Cup last year without Nikola Jokic, who figures to play in the Olympics. The rest of the group will be (No. 33 in the world) South Sudan and (No. 16) Puerto Rico.

On the women’s side, they will face Japan, Belgium, and Germany in the group stage, with Belgium coming off of a EuroBasket title last year and ranked 6th in the world, while Japan is ranked 9th and Germany is 19th.

As is always the case, USA Basketball will be the favorites for double gold, but they’ll face stiff competition and on the men’s side have something to prove off of another disappointing World Cup performance.

Late last month in Glasgow, child fans of Roald Dahl — and their paying parents — were treated to something called Willy’s Chocolate Experience. They did not have a good time. Instead of an immersive dive into a world thrice turned into popular movies, they got a spartan warehouse, miserable-looking performers, and barely any candy. Who would foist this upon kids? His name is Billy Coull, and he’d like very much if everyone knows he didn’t mean to upset (or at least amuse) everyone.

Per E! News, Coull — director of House of Illuminati, the scary name of the organization behind the event — opened up about the aftermath during a Channel 5 special called Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain. He explained the pratfalls that led to a cartoonishly underwhelming to-do. For one thing, he admitted he booked too large a venue. For another, some projection equipment he ordered never showed up. As for charges that actors were reading from AI scripts, Coull claimed he only used the technology to check spelling and continuity.

Looking back on a fiasco whose notoriety went viral, Coull can’t help being a little dramatic.

“My life is ruined,” Coull said. “I have lost my friends. I’ve lost the love of my life. I was made out to be the face of all evil. And genuinely, that’s really not the case.”

As the event went sideways, Coull admits he let the “worst versions” of himself loose. At one point he even snapped at parents as they demanded refunds. (The cost of admission was a whopping £35 a ticket, or about $44.) Still, though he said its failure left him “gutted,” he still believed at the time that they “could push on” and make it work. They couldn’t, and the “Experience,” intended to run for three days, was shuttered mere hours after it began.

Still, Coull maintains that his intentions were pure, saying, “The last thing I wanted to see was children to be upset.”

But upset they were, which has in turn upset Coull. “I was sick to the pit of my tummy,” he said. “I was hoping for an event that would be joyful, happy. I wanted people to experience happiness.”

Perhaps they will, sort of. The disaster, which has already led to social media merriment, is already being turned into both a horror movie and a comic musical.

You can watch more information on the documentary about the Experience below:

(Via E! News)

Nine years ago, Louisville, Kentucky rapper-singer Bryson Tiller exploded into mainstream popularity thanks to his viral 2015 single “Don’t.” The first single from his debut studio album Trapsoul, “Don’t” — which interpolated Mariah Carey’s 2005 hit “Shake It Off” — peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Tiller’s first top-20 hit and making him an “overnight” star. The track earned Tiller comparisons to Drake, the biggest name in hip-hop at the time, and rumors swirled online for some time that the Toronto native and Tiller had a collaboration in the works — perhaps even a remix of “Don’t.”

However, such a remix never actually surfaced, and as Tiller prepares to rollout the release of his self-titled fourth studio album, he revealed why it didn’t happen to Complex‘s Jordan Rose.

“[Drake] wanted to remix it,” Tiller explained. “The guy who produced the song [Chicago producer Epikh Pro], he was selling beats on SoundClick. That was where I got the beat from. I got the beat from him, and he never wanted to get on the phone to talk to me, which was weird. The song had like 100,000 plays, and I was like, ‘Yo, let’s get on the phone. Let’s work on more music.’ And he was like, ‘Yo, somebody from Young Money’s camp reached out to me. They said they like the beat for ‘Don’t’ a lot. I was wondering if you could sell it back to me? Because this could be big for me, bro. What if somebody like Drake or somebody wanted to get on it?’”

“He didn’t even know that Drake was already on my line,” he continued. “So I was like, ‘Yo, bro just call me.’ And after I told him that, he just spazzed on me. He was like, ‘Nah, I ain’t doing this, man.’ He just blocked his own blessings. It’s crazy.”

The two rappers eventually did collaborate on “Outta Time” from Tiller’s third studio album, Anniversary, which culminated five years of effort to release a song together.

If you have watched any movie in the last 10-15 years, you have probably seen David Dastmalchian’s face many times. The actor has been a sidekick in just about every box office hit, including Dune, Oppenheimer, The Suicide Squad, The Dark Knight, and Ant-Man. And now he finally gets to lead his own horror movie in Late Night With The Devil. His face has just the right amount of daunting energy to pull this off. He must have studied at the Patrick Wilson school of horror expressions.

Late Night With The Devil premiered at SXSW last year and was quickly picked up by Shudder. The film follows the host of a fictional variety show Night Owls with Jack Delroy, and his special live taping on Halloween night 1977. Delroy brings out a psychologist and a young woman who may or may not be possessed by the devil. It’s got everything! Bold ’70s outfits, that warm and fizzy vintage film vibe, and a dash of satanic panic. Even Stephen King was impressed. Here is the official synopsis:

October 31, 1977. Johnny Carson rival Jack Delroy hosts a syndicated late night talk show ‘Night Owls’ that has long been a trusted companion to insomniacs around the country. A year after the tragic death of Jack’s wife, ratings have plummeted. Desperate to turn his fortunes around, Jack plans a Halloween special like no other, unaware that he is about to unleash evil into the living rooms of America.

The movie will be released in theaters on Friday, March 22nd, and luckily you won’t have to wait too long to welcome the devil into your humble abode! Late Night With The Devil will be streaming exclusively on Shudder on April 19th. Check out the trailer below:

The best bourbons between $125 and $150 must taste great. Honestly, what are we even talking about if the flavor of these bourbons isn’t exemplary? Story, recipe, vibe — all of that falls away when talking about spending this much on bourbon. It has to be freaking good, above all things.

That said, let’s be honest, not all bourbon is created equal, even at this price point. There are going to be whiskeys that don’t shine quite as brightly as others.

Below, I’m going to help you sift through the bullshit and name 10 bourbon that are actually worth their hefty price tags. The key is that these bourbons offer something special in the bottle (and in your glass). They also all have that “x-factor” that makes them stand out.

Naturally, I did rank these bourbons. Some of them just hit more deeply than others — something extra extra that’s almost indescribable but you feel it when you taste it. Sound enticing? Let’s dive in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2023, Ranked
• The 100 Best Kentucky Bourbons, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Tasting Bourbons Under $50, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The Best Bourbons Under $100 For Thanksgiving Dinner, Ranked

10. Murray Hill Club Bourbon Whiskey A Blend

ABV: 51.5%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This is a masterfully sourced whiskey. The blend is a mix of 18 and 11-year-old bourbon with a nine-year-old light whiskey (a high-proof whiskey aged in lightly toasted uncharred barrels). That whiskey is then just touched with water before bottling without any fuss.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a rich sense of buttery toffee on the nose with plenty of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice next to a hint of savory fig and some vanilla cream.

Palate: The palate merges the spices into a lush eggnog vibe as hints of old cedar planks mix with a black peppercorn sharpness.

Finish: The end mixes the spices into a buttery cookie with hints of singed cinnamon bark, old pine, and soft vanilla tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

This is the most succinct whiskey on the list. Overall, this delivers beautiful flavor notes that go beyond “classic” and hit that depth of greatness. There’s also a deep nostalgic winter vibe going on that hits well year-round, especially in a Manhattan or old fashioned.

9. Blood Oath Pact No. 9 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Casks

ABV: 49.3%

Average Price: $139

The Whiskey:

This is a classic and very high-end blend of bourbons from Lux Row. The whiskey is made with one 16-year-old bourbon barrel married to two 12-year-old barrels. That batched whiskey was then blended with three seven-year-old bourbons finished in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks, all sourced from the Sherry Triangle region in Southwest Spain. Once batched, the whiskey is bottled as-is with no proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose runs deep with a sense of red fruit leather, dark yet sharp woody spice barks, salted toffee rolled in toasted almond, and a fleeting whisper of dark chocolate sauce cut with salt, lavender, and red chili.

Palate: The palate opens with juicy pears and grilled peaches next to stewed plums and leathery prunes over rum raisin dipped in that dark and spicy chocolate with a hint of creamy cherry butteriness.

Finish: The woody chili spice and creamy dark fruit kick up on the end with a sense of sticky toffee pudding tobacco, old cedar humidors, and a bushel of dried vanilla pods layered with smudging sage.

Bottom Line:

This is a whiskey that goes well beyond the ordinary and hits notes that surprise and wow — that floral note up top is gorgeous. The rest of the palate delivers a sense of deep quintessential Kentucky bourbon with a dark fruitiness, sharp spiciness, and sweet sense of luxury.

8. Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2024 Batch Proof

ABV: 60.6%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

The 2024 Woodford Reserve Barrel Proof just dropped. The whiskey was made by batching just over 100 Woodford barrels from various dates of production, warehouses, and floors to create a barrel-proof masterpiece.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a pecan waffle vibe with tons of real vanilla bean, soft cinnamon brown butter, and maple syrup cut with clove next to a creamy sense of eggnog spices and richness that’s cut with an acidic tropical fruit note (in a good way).

Palate: The tropical fruit note narrows to caramelized pineapple on the palate with a touch of huckleberry jam and strawberries dipped in dark salted chocolate next to toasted oakiness and soft honeyed tobacco.

Finish: Those strawberries drive the finish toward more fresh oakiness with caramelized sugars and carbon mingling with fresh honeycomb, wild berry tobacco, and more lush eggnog spiciness.

Bottom Line:

This is a bit of a wild card. It starts off as a stone-cold classic and then veers into tropical fruits and soft acidity in all the right ways. The layers of honey are reminiscent of a bold Scottish malt (thanks to those pot stills at Woodford’s distillery) while the berries and oak add beautiful depth to every moment of this slow sipper.

7. Kentucky Senator Bourbon Release #4: John Sherman Cooper Very Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 8 Years Old

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $134

The Whiskey:

That latest edition of Kentucky Senator honors one of Kentucky’s biggest names in the Senate in the 20th century. Senator Cooper was a dear friend of JFK and served as everything from a judge to foreign ambassador. The whiskey in the bottle is a Bardstown bourbon made with 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. That hot juice was aged for eight years before six barrels were chosen for this small batch. Once batched, the whiskey was just touched with water before bottling, yielding only 1,000 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft spiced stewed cherry cut with orange oils and covered in salted caramel and vanilla crumble mingles with soft oak on the nose with this fleeting sense of Cherry Dr. Pepper and cedar kindling.

Palate: Walnut bread with a whisper of orange and banana drives the palate toward dried cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate and piled high on a pecan waffle with salted caramel drizzle and whipped buttercream before a hint of white pepper sneaks in.

Finish: Orange-cinnamon syrup drives the finish toward leathery tobacco rolled with cedar bark and smudging sage on the slow and warm finish.

Bottom Line:

This has a lovely balance of oakiness and spice with classic dark citrus notes and dark cherry that screams, “Put me in an old fashioned right now!” That said, this is perfectly suited to a big rock as a sipper too. Dealer’s choice!

6. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength Barrel No. 0015

ABV: 60.9%

Average Price: $139

The Whiskey:

The latest single-barrel release from Frank August is from a small collection of only 15 barrels. One barrel was chosen for bottling and then bottled 100% as-is to highlight the beauty of the whiskey in that barrel. That means this whiskey ended up being 6.1 years old.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich winter spices draw you in on the nose as deep and sweet oak staves lead to red fruit leather, dark chocolate-dipped cherries, and a layer of vanilla sheet cake.

Palate: Cinnamon cake and peppery citrus drive the palate toward salted caramel over that vanilla sheet cake before more of those chocolate cherries arrive to tie everything into a rich and moist Black Forest cake spiked with allspice and clove.

Finish: The end circles around the chocolate cherry cake as the spices mount on the finish with a warming sense of cinnamon sharpness and red chili heat that’s just tempered by oak wrapped in cherry tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is just really good quintessential Kentucky bourbon. If you’re looking for a heightened and deep experience of something you know and love, this is the pour.

5. Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Port Cask 2024 Limited Edition

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

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.

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 tiny 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.

Bottom Line:

This is the most “acquired taste” whiskey on the list. I adore this stuff. It’s bold and funky while delivering deep nostalgic notes that take me to my grandmother’s kitchen while she baked holiday treats. It’s like a time machine that still somehow feels fresh and new. My advice is to pour this over a single big ice cube and take it slowly — it’ll reward you over and over again.

4. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Limited Edition 2023 Release

ABV: 57.85%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

Maker’s Mark is a solid wheated bourbon. That means that when they do something special for a limited edition, it’s often excellent. In this case, Maker’s released a new batch of 11 and 12-year-old wheated bourbon barrels in this cask strength expression. Long story short, this is well-aged Maker’s turned all the way up.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark cedar and old leathery dates and apricots come through on the nose with a sense of crème brûlée (especially the burnt sugar topping), dark berry fruit leather, and a smoldering sense of old oak staves roasting some cinnamon bark and cloves.

Palate: The vanilla takes on a burnt bean pod vibe as long notes of winter spice barks lead back to dark berry crumbles and cobblers with a sharp warmth tied to smoldering oak staves, pipe tobacco, and smudging sage.

Finish: The end gets super creamy thanks to the vanilla buttercream and eggnog spices as the dark berry fruit leather offers a counterpoint before the old cedar kindling and sage take back over.

Bottom Line:

This release came out of nowhere last year and upped the ante on Maker’s Mark. This is elite whiskey that tastes special. It’s so creamy and lush with a beautifully soft herbal nature of delicate woods and spices. This is a great slow sipper that also makes a killer Manhattan.

3. Blackwood Toasted Bourbon Batch #3

ABV: 59.3%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

This new brand has a Kentucky Derby history that runs deep. Guinness McFadden (co-founder of the brand) is the co-owner of 2019 Kentucky Derby winner Country House and built this whiskey around his stables in eastern Kentucky. The whiskey in the bottle is Bardstown-area bourbon with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. After a good spell of resting, the whiskey is re-barrelled in a freshly toasted oak barrel for a final maturation before bottling as-is straight from the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a deep sense of fresh vanilla pods and rich salted caramel with a sense of old wicker lawn furniture on a sunny day, soft pipe tobacco kissed with cherry, and a light sense of mincemeat pies and toffee dipped in dark chocolate.

Palate: Pecan and maple drive the taste towards a rush of Kentucky hug warmth, dry cedar, and old glove leather with a hint of dried mint and maybe some chocolate-covered espresso beans cut with vanilla and clove.

Finish: The spices take on a woodiness and blend with dry cedar bark, old vanilla pods, and chewy pipe tobacco with a dash of salted caramel butteriness and pecan waffle comfort.

Bottom Line:

This is an essential Kentucky bourbon, especially as Derby season approaches. The subtly of the whiskey is amplified by a deep sense of beautifully nuanced and balanced Kentucky bourbon notes that are accented by subtle fresh wood sugars and vibes. Pour this neat and take your time with it, then add water, and enjoy the ride this one will take you on.

2. Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Series #11

ABV: 59.05%

Average Price: $139

The Whiskey:

The latest release from Bardstown Bourbon Company is a full-on Kentucky bourbon blend. The whiskey is made with 73% 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon, 21% 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon, and 6% of Bardstown’s own six-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey mellows before bottling 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Tart cherries and rich toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped in salted dark chocolate drive the nose toward cinnamon spice cakes with a hint of dried cranberry, plummy sauce, and rich tobacco.

Palate: The taste leans into caramel-covered peanuts with a hint of red fruit leather, old spice barks, and a whisper of orange rinds next to a touch of Cherry Coke, old leather tobacco pouches, and the old beams from a whiskey barrel house.

Finish: The end leans into a lush vanilla buttercream with notes of old back porch wicker, almost sweet cedar kindling, smudging sage, and cinnamon bark soaked in cherry brandy with a touch of chili-cut dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is the best Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series release to date. It’s a perfect bourbon (not “damn near perfect”, actually “perfect”). Sip this one slowly with some great food, friends, and plenty of time to enjoy it all. You’ll be rewarded with a gorgeous pour of the truly good stuff.

1. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 13 Years

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was made by Eddie Russell to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The juice is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.

Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar leads toward vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.

Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey gets better and better every year. The latest batch is astoundingly delightful. Sip this one slowly for the full brunt of the flavor profile and then play with it in your favorite whiskey-forward cocktails — it’ll shine there too.

There aren’t enough spicy cheeseburgers out there in the fast food universe. We’ve got spicy chicken sandwiches, Nashville-style hot chicken, hot wings, spicy tenders and nuggets… Food brands sure do love making chicken spicy, so where’s the beef?

Last year we named Shake Shack’s Spicy Burgermeister cheeseburger the best burger of the year. It featured meat patties dusted in a hot pepper blend, fried onions, cheese, and cherry peppers. It was drool-inducing and left the palate burning with a nice burst of heat. Sadly, it was only on the menu for a limited time and since it left, I’ve been searching for a spicy burger replacement.

To fulfill this quest, I put the spicy burgers from Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., and Five Guys to a blind taste test. Check my results below!

• We Blind Tested Bacon Double Cheeseburgers In Search Of The Most Decadent & Delicious
• We Blind Taste Tested Our Favorite Chicken Tenders And Crowned A New Champ
• We Blind Tested Fast Food French Fries — Here’s The Stone Cold Champ
• We Blind Taste Tested Fast Food Chicken Nuggets — And The Crown Goes To…
• We Blind Tested Fish Sandwiches From Popeyes, Wendy’s, And Carl’s Jr — Here’s The Undisputed Champion

Methodology

For this blind taste test, I knew I was likely going to be dealing with radically different burger builds — which might make them easy to pick out from one another. To go in as blind as possible, I tasked my girlfriend with doing all the research for this article, including building her own spicy burger at Five Guys since that restaurant has a completely customizable menu.

I had her collect all three burgers and bring them back home, then I proceeded to take quick pictures of all three, had her shuffle them up, and bit into all three under the cover of a blindfold.

Here is our tasting class today:

• Carl’s Jr.’s Spicy Bacon Western Cheeseburger
• Five Guys Custom Build (Jalapeno peppers, bacon, mayo, cheese, grilled onions)
• Wendy’s Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger

Although the burger builds were all pretty different, all three provided the heat I was looking for — a success right off the top! Here are the results:

Part I — The Spicy Burger Blind Taste Test:

Taste 1:

A real crispy bite with this one. Beefy, savory, and smokey, with a nice vegetal heat. The spice started to build on the backend, and after a few bites the heat really started to hit me. I took a few sips of lemon water after this one to cleanse the palate, as the heat was sticking around.

Taste 2:

This thing is a mess. It’s pungent and cheesy with a crunchy bite. I’m getting some heat, but mostly a smokey and tangy flavor with a whole lot of salt. The spicy element tastes buried in this burger. It’s there, but it’s an afterthought.

Cheesiness is the real star of this burger.

Taste 3:

This one is very interesting. There is a deep smokey, sweet, and savory quality here with a great crunch. I’m tasting barbecue sauce, fried onions, and jalapenos but they’re pickled, which makes them a lot milder. The heat is most prominent on the aftertaste, slowly building with each bite.

Part II — The Spicy Burger Ranking:

3. Wendy’s — Loaded Nacho Cheeseburger (Taste 2)

This burger was… interesting. The build included two beef patties, two slices of American cheese, tortilla strips, spicy chipotle sauce, poblano queso, lettuce, and tomato on a jalapeño cheddar bun. As a spicy burger, it sort of fails.

There is a very mild sense of heat, but as I said in the tasting section, the real star here is cheese — it goes heavy on the cheesiness in an almost off-putting way.

The Bottom Line:

It’s good for a bite or two but this burger has a pungent and salty quality that I found pretty off-putting overall. The heat is also an afterthought, so if you’re looking for spice, look elsewhere.

2. Carl’s Jr — Spicy Bacon Western Cheeseburger (Taste 3)

A new spin on a classic, the Spicy Bacon Western Cheeseburger takes Carl’s Bacon Western Cheeseburger build (beef, fried onion rings, barbecue sauce) and adds pickled jalapeños and pepper jack cheese to the mix. I think it’s a huge improvement over the original, but I wouldn’t call this a spicy burger.

This burger is beefy, smokey, and sweet with a very mild and slightly tangy heat. It’s a great burger, but not exactly what I’m looking for.

The Bottom Line:

It’s not the spiciest burger out there but it’s a nice spin on a Carl’s Jr. classic.

1. Five Guys Custom Build (Taste 1)

The build here included beef, bacon, cheese, jalapeños, grilled onions, lettuce and mayo. All love to my girlfriend but I would’ve built this one a little bit differently. I would’ve swapped out the lettuce for tomato, opted for grilled onions over non-grilled, and replaced the mayo with Frank’s Red Hot.

Build aside, this was still easily the hottest burger in the line-up and that’s due to the fresh jalapeños. Jalapeños can vary wildly in heat, and this batch was ripping hot in exactly the way I was looking for.

The Bottom Line:

You’ll need to tweak the burgers to your taste, but if you’re looking for the hottest-yet-tastiest fast food burger right now, Five Guys is the answer.

After you’re gone, people will probably forget the exact things you said to them while you were alive, but they’ll never forget how you made them feel.

Unfortunately, when people write obituaries that sum up a person’s life they’re often just a chronological list of factual details of their lives such as where they lived, where they worked, and how many children they had.

While those facts are important, they don’t really explain the type of person the deceased was or how they made people feel. An obituary for fireman William Ziegler of New Orleans, Louisiana has attracted a lot of attention for how it hilariously summed up the life of a man who was a real raconteur.

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Zeigler’s daughter, Sharah Currier, said that he used to read funny obituaries to his children, so they decided to write one that would make him laugh. “He would have loved this,” she told the Times-Picayune. “He probably would have forwarded this obituary to us.”

Zeigler began his career as a volunteer in the U.S. Navy.

William volunteered for service in the United States Navy at the ripe old age of 17 and immediately realized he didn’t much enjoy being bossed around. He only stuck it out for one war. Before his discharge, however, the government exchanged numerous ribbons and medals for various honorable acts. Upon his return to the City of New Orleans in 1971, thinking it best to keep an eye on him, government officials hired William as a fireman.

He then continued his life of service by joining the fire department.

After twenty-five years, he suddenly realized that running away from burning buildings made more sense than running toward them. He promptly retired. Looking back, William stated that there was no better group of morons and mental patients than those he had the privilege of serving with (except Bob, he never liked you, Bob).

Ziegler’s children believe that he’s in heaven with his alcoholic dog.

Following his wishes, there will not be a service, but well-wishers are encouraged to write a note of farewell on a Schaefer Light beer can and drink it in his honor. He was never one for sentiment or religiosity, but he wanted you to know that if he owes you a beer, and if you can find him in Heaven, he will gladly allow you to buy him another. He can likely be found forwarding tasteless internet jokes (check your spam folder, but don’t open these at work). Expect to find an alcoholic dog named Judge passed out at his feet.

His children end the obituary stressing the fact that he’s actually dead.

Unlike previous times, this is not a ploy to avoid creditors or old girlfriends. He assures us that he is gone. He will be greatly missed.

You can read the whole obituary at the Times-Picayune.

This article originally appeared on 8.16.16

The early 1900s were a time of great social upheaval in our country. During the years leading up to the Ludlow Massacre, miners all around the country looking to make a better life for themselves and their families set up picket lines, organized massive parades and rallies, and even took up arms. Some died.

It’s always worth considering why history like this was never taught in school before. Could it be that the powers that be would rather keep this kind of thing under wraps?

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Here is Woody Guthrie’s tribute to the good people who fought in the battles of Ludlow to help make a better tomorrow for everyone — you can just start the video and then start reading, if you wish:

Coal Country, Colorado

100 years ago, the Rocky Mountains were the source of a vast supply of coal. At its peak, it employed 16,000 people and accounted for 10% of all employed workers in the state of Colorado. It was dangerous work; in just 1913 alone, the mines claimed the lives of over 100 people. There were laws in place that were supposed to protect workers, but largely, management ignored those, which led to Colorado having double the on-the-job fatality rate of any other mining state.

It was a time of company towns, when all real estate, housing, doctors, and grocery stores were owned by the coal companies themselves, which led to the suppression of dissent as well as overinflated prices and an extreme dependence on the coal companies for everything that made life livable. In some of these, workers couldn’t even leave town, and armed guards made sure they didn’t. Also, if any miner or his family began to air grievances, they might find themselves evicted and run out of town.

The Union

The United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) had been organizing for many years in the area, and this particular company, Colorado Fuel and Iron, was one of the biggest in the West — and was owned by the Rockefeller family, notoriously anti-union.

Put all this together, and it was a powder keg.

Strike!

When a strike was called in 1913, the coal company evicted all the miners from their company homes, and they moved to tent villages on leased land set up by the UMWA. Company-hired guards (aka “goons”) and members of the Colorado National Guard would drive by the tent villages and randomly shoot into the tents, leading the strikers to dig holes under their tents and the wooden beams that supported them.

Why did the union call for a strike? The workers wanted:

1. (equivalent to a 10% wage increase),
2. Enforcement of the eight-hour work day,
3. Payment for “dead work” that usually wasn’t compensated, such as laying coal car tracks,
4. The job known as “Weight-checkmen” to be elected by workers. This was to keep company weightmen honest so the workers got paid for their true work,
5. The right to use any store rather than just the company store, and choose their own houses and doctors,
6. Strict enforcement of Colorado’s laws, especially mine safety laws.

The Powder Keg Explodes

The attacks from the goons continued, as did the battles between scabs (strikebreakers) and the miners. It culminated in an attack on April 20, 1914, by company goons and Colorado National Guard soldiers who kidnapped and later killed the main camp leader and some of his fellow miners, and then set the tents in the main camp ablaze with kerosene. As they were engulfed, people inside the tents tried to flee the inferno; many were shot down as they tried to escape. Some also died in the dugouts below the burning tents. In the first photograph below, two women and 11 children died in the fire directly above them. A day that started off with Orthodox Easter celebrations for the families became known as the Ludlow Massacre.

The 10-Day War

The miners, fresh off the murders of their friends and family members, tried to get President Woodrow Wilson to put a stop to the madness, but he deferred to the governor, who was pretty much in the pocket of the mine companies.

So the miners and those at other tent colonies quickly armed themselves, knowing that many other confrontations were coming. And they went to the mines that were being operated by scabs and forced many of them to close, sometimes setting fire to the buildings. After 10 days of pitched battle and at least 50 dead, the president finally sent in the National Guard, which promptly disarmed both sides.

Union Victory

While close to 200 people died over the course of about 18 months before and after the battles at Ludlow and the union ultimately lost the election, the Ludlow Massacre brought a congressional investigation that led to the beginnings of child-labor laws and an eight-hour workday, among other things.

But it also brought national attention to the plight of these miners and their families, and it showed the resilience and strength that union people could display when they remained united, even in the face of extreme corporate and government violence. Historian Howard Zinn called it “the culminating act of perhaps the most violent struggle between corporate power and laboring men in American history.” And the primary mine owner, John D. Rockefeller Jr., received a lot of negative attention and blame for what happened here.

This article was written by Brandon Weber and originally appeared on 08.14.14

As late director Christopher Moltisanti once said, “People are seeing huge profits with these digital horror movies,” and now that prophecy is perhaps coming to life with a new horror movie from the team behind The Sopranos.

The Sopranos creator David Chase is reuniting with EP Terence Winter for the first time since the iconic series ended in 2007. The duo will work together on a new horror film for Warner Bros under Chase’s ongoing deal with Warner Bros. Chase is set to direct, while Winter will write the movie, which does not currently have a synopsis.

This will be the first time the two have worked together on a feature-length film, not including Cleaver, the fictional horror classic dubbed Saw meets The Godfather. It will be hard to see them top that concept, which follows a young man who was killed, ripped apart, and then put back together and goes on a killing spree. It’s one of the best fake films that stars a Baldwin brother (second only to Kidnapped by Danger: The Avery Jessup Story).

Winter wrote and produced five seasons of The Sopranos before venturing into movies and snagging an Academy Award nomination penning the script to The Wolf of Wall Street in 2013. More recently, he worked as a showrunner on Taylor Sheridan’s Tulsa King. Chase, of course, had a small stint on BoJack Horseman and wrote the Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark, but we don’t really talk about that!

(Via Deadline)