Whether you find yourself firmly on the side of Team Green or Team Black, there’s no denying that House of the Dragon’s second season has turned one of the show’s would-be villains into a surprisingly tragic figure worth sympathizing with.
The young British actor behind Aegon the Usurper feels so sorry for his character, his pity is practically contagious. After taking the reigns of Aegon late in season one, Glynn-Carney has transformed the stunted man-child from a laughable idiot with a mean streak to something more. His Aegon is still terrible, incompetent, too rash to ever lead well, but as the cracks in his very short reign begin to show in season two, a different side of the spoiled royal begins to emerge. Driven by grief, a strong desire to be loved, and a sense of betrayal by those closest to him, Aegon behaves more like a trapped animal than a man sitting upon the Iron Throne this time around. For Carney, that raw edge and unpredictability is what both excited and terrified him coming into season two. The question of what Aegon might do next is one even he can’t answer, a thrilling prospect for a star still finding his footing in his career and pushing his limits on screen.
We spoke with Glynn-Carney about Aegon’s rise to power in season two, the toll filming for over a year took on him, and finally riding a dragon.
Aegon is equal parts dangerous and pathetic this season. Which trait did you lean into more?
I really wanted to find every color possible to his palette. I wanted to make him as intricate and as complex as he deserves, I think. And yeah, we see lots of different flavors. We see a vulnerability to him this time. We see desperation. I think people can call him a villain as much as they want. I think he thinks he’s a tragedy — just a desperately sad story in a physical form.
There are so many Aemond apologists, but who’s repping for Aegon?
This has been the story his entire life. He’s seen as weak, he’s seen as pathetic. Just someone give him a hug for crying out loud!
Aegon certainly has a bigger role to play this season which requires more from you than in season one. Were there any scenes/moments you were unsure about translating from the script to the screen?
Every scene I did, I didn’t know how it was going to pan out, and that’s kind of the way I like to go about playing Aegon. There’s no part of me that wants to have a preconceived idea of how the scene’s going to play. It lends itself to the way he is personality wise. He’s very impulsive. He doesn’t think things through very much, and I always like to catch myself off guard and surprise myself in those scenes. For me, that’s how I find authenticity in a moment. And that just means it’s different every time, and they can just choose which one they like. I don’t deal with the cut.
There’s a transfer of power between Aegon and Otto in episode two. How important was that confrontation in terms of the rest of the season?
Massive. We start to see ’em pull back the reins. We start to see ’em take a bit of control and use his authority and put people in their place when they need to be put in their place. He finds it stimulating.
You finally get to ride a dragon this season. Did you get any tips from your castmates who’ve done it already?
It was actually, surprisingly straightforward. If you’re doing a full day up there, then yeah, you’re going to be tired. We had a lot of sort of strengthening and conditioning work that we’d keep doing, just so we had a pretty healthy baseline in terms of our physical strength and capabilities.
If you could play Aegon’s therapist for a day, what advice would you give him?
Be patient with himself. Stop comparing. Stop being jealous. Give yourself a break and go on holiday.
So much happened off screen between seasons one and two. It took years to film. There were strikes. How did that affect the cast and the vibes on set.
Yeah, you’ve got tunnel vision while you’re making this show and that’s how we like it. I think you sort of buckle down and stay in the zone and stay focused. Try and get as much sleep as you can. It takes its toll, but we all welcome that with open arms. It’s one of those kinds of once in a lifetime opportunities to be a part of a show like this and to play characters like these. We’re all very aware of that, and we’re all very grateful to be in the position we’re in, getting to bring these characters to life and share this fucking cool story with so many lovely fans.
Is there a lesson you’re learned from filming this season that you’ll take with you into the next phase of your career?
That’s a good question. I’m kind of still working that out. I’ve only been doing this [acting] for, well, eight years, really, so I’ve not had a great deal of experience. I feel like the responsibility to play a pivotal part in a project like this takes its toll, stamina wise, and you just need to make sure that you can keep up with the rhythm of everything. But I think taking your breaks where you can get them, surrounding yourself with people you love and trust as you’re doing it, you can be quite delicate in the process. And yeah, stay away from social media.
Tommy The Clown, a Los Angeles icon, was previously at Lamar’s The Pop Out concert (as were a number of other folks mentioned below). Here, he kicks off the video by asking Lamar for a password and hitting play on the song.
Whitney Alford and children
This one is perhaps the video’s most notable guest: Alford is Lamar’s fiancée and their two children also appear, with the four of them dancing to the song. These cameos are presumably a clap-back at Drake: On “Family Matters,” he alleged that Dave Free is actually the father of one of Alford and Lamar’s kids. Speaking of Free…
Dave Free
…he’s in the video, too. He co-directed it, actually, indicating that there is no bad blood between him and Kendrick.
DeMar DeRozan
This is a natural cameo, since the NBA star, who started his career in Drake’s hometown of Toronto before stints in San Antonio and Chicago, is mentioned in the song’s lyrics: “I’m glad DeRoz’ came home, y’all didn’t deserve him neither.”
Mustard
Another logical inclusion: Mustard produced “Not Like Us,” and he drives home the Drake diss here by rocking a Toronto Blue Jays hat in the video.
YG
YG found himself involved in the Drake beef: Drake gave YG a positive shout-out on “Family Matters,” and while some thought YG later dissed Drake on his song “Weird,” YG denied it.
Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith
After launching his career with Top Dawg Entertainment, Lamar has moved onto a new label arrangement. It appears to be all love between him and his former boss, though, as Top Dawg pops up in the new video.
Universal Pictures is hard at work trying to find the next great universe….again. We’ve has enough of those superheroes and little yellow dudes, now is the time to bring back the best genre for a full revamp: horror.
Saw co-writer Leigh Whannell is set to direct Wolf Man, a new movie based on the classic Universal flick from 1941. The studio is seemingly looking to reboot all of those monsters that gave you nightmares as a kid, and eventually you can even visit those worlds in real life.
Wolf Man is currently in production with modern horror icon Jason Blum on board, so you can ensure there will be a few genuine scares. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming movie.
Plot
Producer Ken Kao confirmed to Screen Rant that the movie could tie in with Universal’s plans for more monster movies, but each story has to be told individually before that happens. The studio does not want a redo of 2017’s The Mummy. “I would say that the Mummy’s Dark Universe, in my humble opinion, felt like it was reactive to what was going on with all the superhero stuff — the MCU and DC universe,” he explained of the Tom Cruise action flick which bombed at the box office. “And we know there’s been a lot of talk about what happened with all that [in] the last year or so. I guess you could call it maybe more like the Joker approach. In my opinion, especially if you’re going to do it for contained pieces, like Blumhouse is really good at doing, [it] makes a lot more sense to me. So that’s a good playbook.”
Not much is known about the story, but we can assume the general plot based on the original film. The original Wolf Man follows a man who is attacked and bitten by a mysterious wolf in an attempt to rescue a woman, but then he started turning into a wolf himself when the full moon is out. It’s your classic wolf man story that paved the way for Twilight: New Moon.
As for the remake, it seems like they will modernize the story a bit, and perhaps offer a little bit more violence. It’s 2024! Everything is gore now. According to the logline: “A man must protect himself and his family when they are being stalked, terrorized, and haunted by a deadly werewolf at night during a full moon.”
Cast
At one point, Ryan Gosling was on board to play the Wolf Man, but he stepped down and was replaced by Poor Things actor Christopher Abbott in December 2023. Abbott will portray the Wolf Man/ Larry Talbot, a man who gets infected and turns into the beast. Julia Garner, Sam Jaeger, and Matilda Firth also star.
Release Date
The movie was previously slated for a Halloween 2024 release, but was recently pushed to a January 17, 2025 release date.
Trailer
There is no footage from the movie yet, though filming took place in March in New Zealand, so a trailer will likely debut later this year.
John Stamos would like three tickets to Challengers please. Earlier this week, the Full House actor shared a photo with his former Scream Queens co-star Glen Powell where they’re both holding tennis rackets. “Where’s @zendaya when we need her?” Stamos wrote, a reference to her career-best performance in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, one of the best movies of 2024 so far. The film’s official Instagram account replied with the eyes emoji.
Why did Stamos share the photo, which appears to have been taken a few years ago? Because Glen Powell’s charm is irresistible, although the part-time Beach Boy has been a fan since before the Top Gun: Maverick / Anyone But You / Twister / Hit Man days. Back in 2016, they even shared a naked shower scene together on Scream Queens, which aired for two seasons on Fox.
“It was pretty awkward, but Glen is so damn funny,” Stamos said. “I at least wore a G-string or something, but he wore a very tiny… a medium-sized sock. We laughed a whole lot.”
You’re welcome to find that scene for yourself. Meanwhile, here’s the Zendaya joke:
Those were the words Carmelo Hayes — the top draft pick for Smackdown and a former NXT Champion — shared with WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul Levesque, as he made his way to the back of the Allstate Arena fresh off of beating Randy Orton for the biggest win of his career.
“And they were like, ‘You act like you’re leaving. You’re one of the guys now. You’re here now, of course we’re going to put you in these positions,’” Hayes tells Uproxx Sports.
As much as his time in NXT had prepared him, there are still moments that catch the budding star off guard. Hayes’ arrival in the most recent slew of top stars to the main roster comes under a microscope. Every win, loss, misstep, or success is examined and spit out in the instant reaction environment that wrestling fandom has fallen under. It’s up to Hayes to take every opportunity to show his massive potential.
That win over Orton provided a stepping stone for what could be the first of many heavyweight title shots, qualifying him for Saturday’s Money in the Bank ladder match in Toronto, with the winner earning a guaranteed title shot of their choosing.
“Focus,” Hayes says of his mentality heading into Saturday. “I feel like this is a good opportunity for me to really prove myself. In the Money in the Bank, I’m making myself the focal point. I’ve been in ladder matches before, I’ve been in these type of situations before, and I know exactly what type of game plan I’m coming into this match with. I feel like I’m just as prepared, if not more prepared, than everybody.”
The pressure that comes with this spotlight isn’t anything new. Each time WWE has put him in a position to sink or swim, Hayes has not just survived, he’s thrived.
“You’ve got to kind of throw me out there and just see what happens,” Hayes says.
His first two matches for the brand were an NXT Cruiserweight title match followed by a showdown with the brand’s biggest star, Adam Cole. After claiming the NXT North American crown (twice) and an 182-day run as NXT Champion, Hayes got his feet wet on the main roster by splitting time, jumping between the main roster and NXT.
Hayes admits he’d gotten “comfortable” in NXT, and in order to step out of that comfort zone, he had to test himself on Raw, Smackdown, and Main Event in front of the larger television audiences. “I think that was probably the best thing for me at that time,” Hayes says.
The move to the main roster as a first-round pick just two months ago came with enormous weight. That weight has only continued to stack on his shoulders in the hours, days, and weeks that have passed since he made his move to Smackdown.
His first night on the blue brand came with a matchup against the face of the company, Cody Rhodes, who he’d spent time with a year earlier by helping him get ring-ready in his return from a torn pectoral muscle.
“In the moment, I wasn’t thinking about pressure, I was just thinking this is cool. Cody is so cool, he didn’t make me feel like I was out of my element or out of my league,” Hayes says. “It was one of those things where I knew I was ready and I knew I was capable. The pressure didn’t feel as much because it was kind of like everybody around me knew that I was built for that main event scene, regardless of NXT, Raw, SmackDown, Cody Rhodes, whoever.”
Hayes hasn’t been afforded an opportunity to drop back into the background and gradually climb the ranks as another member of the Smackdown roster. He’s dealt with the ebbs and flows that come with earning your spot, including only one win in his first five matches as a full-time member of the main roster.
“(WWE has) been giving me so many good opportunities, I’ve just had to make the most of it — even in defeat. I have to shine and I have to prove that I am everything that I say I am, and over time, I think just with equity and things like that, people will kind of accept me,” Hayes says.
Statement wins like his over Orton will go a long way in building that equity.
“Pinning Randy Orton and moving forward to get into Money in the Bank, it helped my stock a lot. Believe it or not, people do track wins and losses. And they do matter after a while,” Hayes says. “I think there was a lot of pressure on me to succeed right off the bat. So, pinning Randy was just something that, for my career, I think maybe people look at me a little different. You know, it was definitely something that boosted my stock.”
As he’s mixed it up with veterans like Rhodes, LA Knight, and Orton, Hayes has learned on the job. The expectations and what it takes to get to the next level aren’t something he’s glazed over. The bar is set astronomically high to make it to the upper echelons of WWE, which he admits are a “different level.”
“Working with these guys, it’s learning that it takes years — I talked to Randy about that,” Hayes reveals. “Like, it took him 20 plus years to, he said, just now they started singing this song. So you just got to ride the wave and see where it takes you.”
Hayes is still incredibly early into what his WWE tenure will be. Failing to capture the briefcase won’t have a significant longterm impact. Pulling the briefcase down, however, could make or break his career, and on Saturday, the next step in his career will come into clearer focus.
Bong Joon Ho’s Snowpiercer is a deeply dark parable and a gritty-yet-breathtaking film that manages greatness despite a notoriously WTF line of dialogue that will forever have Chris Evans’ fans chuckling despite the morbid subject matter. The 2020-launched series kept the movie’s themes and setup (based upon Jacques Lob and Jean-Marc Rochette’s graphic novels) but added a procedural bent to make it almost relentlessly unlike the movie, although the TV show did work. Actually, TNT saw fit to keep the show going for three seasons before filming a fourth installment, which was resigned to sitting on the shelf forever as part of WBD’s wave of project shelvings.
Well, AMC stepped up, and that fourth season will soon see the light of day to end the story. Let’s talk about what to expect from the final season of this mesmerizing yet nightmarish series.
Plot
The first three seasons of Snowpiercer are now streamable on AMC+ after the AMC rescue mission. Those set up the story that began around seven years after the post-apocalyptic wasteland environment began, and humanity’s only known survivors live on a 1001-car train on a never-ending trip around Earth. The train’s various cars reflect the social strata with class warfare abounding and dirty politics among leadership. The third season ended with Jennifer Connelly’s Melanie Cavill remaining onboard Snowpiercer with those survivors who chose to cling to perceived survival within Wilford Industries’ lauded creation.
Whereas the Big Alice occupants, led by Daveed Diggs’ Andre Layton, headed out into the cold where they will explore New Eden. Deadline has reported the description of the season premiere, aptly called “Snakes in the Garden”:
Nine months after Snowpiercer and Big Alice parted ways, Till and Ben encounter unforeseen enemies when Melanie sends them off the train on a reconnaissance mission. Meanwhile, the residents of New Eden face uncertain times and unknown adversaries, compelling them to further confront the complexities of their new reality.
The season trailer promises “a new beginning” and “a second chance” for humanity to inhabit the planet. AMC hasn’t revealed how far that story shall go, but this certainly moves past the film’s ending.
Cast
Jennifer Connelly and Daveed Diggs will bring the train(s) home after taking the entire journey. Sean Bean has been onboard nearly as long, and other co-stars include Rowan Blanchard, Mickey Sumner, Alison Wright, Iddo Goldberg, Katie McGuinness, Lena Hall, Sam Otto, Chelsea Harris, and Mike O’Malley. The final season adds Clark Gregg and Michael Aronov to the ensemble.
Release Date
The season premiere will arrive Sunday, July 21 on AMC and AMC+.
Kendrick Lamar decided to make the 4th Of July, typically a slow news day in the music world, all his by dropping his new “Not Like Us” video. One of the most noteworthy things about the new visual is that it actually starts by teasing a new song.
The first 20 seconds of the video are devoted to the teaser. The lyrics for the new snippet are as follows: “I am… reincarnated, I was stargazing / Life goes on, honey all my babies / Woke up, lookin’ for the broccoli / Hot key, keep a horn on me, that Kamasi / IP ownership the blueprint is by me / Mister get off, I get off at my feet.”
“Kamasi” is a nod to Kamasi Washington, the saxophonist and longtime Lamar collaborator.
It is not currently clear what the song the snippet is from is called (or if there even is a full song), or if/when it will be released.
Elsewhere, the video say Lamar going absolutely in on Drake (understandable given that this is a Drake diss track). He smashes an owl piñata and offers the disclaimer, “DISCLAIMER: NO OVH*ES WERE HARMED DURING THE MAKING OF THIS VIDEO.” The video also ends with Lamar walking away from a caged owl in a dark room, which really can’t be interpreted as anything other than a shot at Drake.
Zach LaVine is very much available right now. The problem is, the former All-Star guard isn’t apparently on anyone’s wishlist at the moment.
The Chicago Bulls have been aggressively shopping LaVine, but as of this moment, they’ve failed to find anyone who’s even been willing to engage on serious trade talks. There have been reports the Bulls are needing to attach picks to LaVine to move him, and the Golden State Warriors reportedly turned down the chance to flip Andrew Wiggins and Chris Paul for him, preferring instead to simply waive Paul’s non-guaranteed deal and slide under the first apron.
As a result, we are in a place where LaVine is still in Chicago and very well might start the season there. The Bulls made it clear their goal this summer was to trade him, but if their choices are salary dumps or letting him start the year, prove he’s healthy, and build some value back, they might choose the latter. However, things can change quickly and once the dust settles on some other moves around the league, I think some team will end up feeling left out of the summer’s game of musical chairs and might suddenly find a bit more of a desire to bring in LaVine that might swing a bit more leverage back the way of the Bulls. Once his (likely soon-to-be former) teammate DeMar DeRozan finds his next home, and we find out the futures of Brandon Ingram and Lauri Markkanen, we still could have a couple teams that feel the need to be a contender but missed out on a big summer deal. Alternatively, a team in a rebuild (but past the tanking stage) may decide they’ll buy low on LaVine, and hope he can help them take a leap into playoff contention.
Los Angeles Lakers
With LeBron James taking his max (or at least, very close to it) deal in free agency, the Lakers options for upgrading the roster are…minimal. They will probably take a look at a DeRozan sign-and-trade first, as that should be an easier contract to match, but if the Lakers miss there, they could find themselves fairly desperate to add a big name. Enter LaVine.
Making the money work is the biggest issue here, as the Lakers would have to cobble together a collection of contracts to match LaVine’s $43 million. D’Angelo Russell would almost certainly be involved, but there are two different pairs that work financially: Rui Hachimura and Jalen Hood-Schifino, or Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt. While I know the Lakers value Hachimura, I’d think they’d rather send out two rotation players than three in this deal. If the goal is to add some more scoring punch and make a splash to keep their two lead stars happy, this is certainly an avenue for them to do that.
The other L.A. team also could be in a similar position, as they’ve had to pivot their summer plans after Paul George’s departure for Philadelphia. They’ve signed Derrick Jones Jr., Nic Batum, Kris Dunn, and Mo Bamba to fill out their roster, but none of those players will replace the scoring punch lost with George leaving. They could, like the Lakers, explore a DeRozan deal, but LaVine is, to me, the better basketball fit — just a more costly financial one.
Steve Ballmer has never been afraid of making a bold move, and with a new building opening up this fall, I’m not sure the Clippers will want to go into this upcoming season without some buzz. You can certainly debate whether LaVine makes them an actual contender, but it would create at least a little excitement and anticipation, and it’s not hard to figure out the financial part of the equation.
The Trade Clippers get: Zach LaVine Bulls get: Norman Powell, Terance Mann, PJ Tucker
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are always lurking when it comes to stars on the trade market and we know they’ve been willing to chase a big-money guard. The question is whether that is still the case after how last season went and with Jimmy Butler’s future with the franchise beyond next season being uncertain. In this scenario, the ask will be much less than last time they went star-hunting and came up short on Damian Lillard. Instead, it’s a matter of whether they view LaVine as enough of an upgrade over Tyler Herro to be willing to swap the two (plus Duncan Robinson to make the money work).
We know from his exit interview that Pat Riley isn’t exactly thrilled with Herro’s availability issues, but then again, acquiring LaVine isn’t going to take away injury concerns at the two-guard spot. Still, the highs from LaVine in his career are higher than Herro’s to this point, and perhaps they want to take one more real swing with the Butler-Bam Adebayo pairing. Also, if the Bulls were to part with a pick in a LaVine trade, this would probably be the one they’d feel best about doing so in, as Herro presents the best replacement for LaVine they could hope to get for $14 million less. They’d probably try to get away with Portland’s 2025 pick that’s lotto protected (and thus, likely to turn into future seconds instead).
The Trade Heat get: Zach LaVine, Jevon Carter, 2025 Blazers first (lottery protected) Bulls get: Tyler Herro, Duncan Robinson
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets aren’t a good team, but with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller, I don’t think they plan on being one of the NBA’s worst either (if they can stay healthy). If you were to slot Zach LaVine in between those two, you could create an extremely potent offense. Defense might be an adventure with a Ball-LaVine backcourt, but you could at least steer into the skid by having a group that wants to push the pace and add another high-level scorer and shooter.
Charlotte also can afford to take on LaVine’s salary without it being completely crippling to their future flexibility, as he’d come off the books the year a Miller extension would kick in. At worst, they could hope to rehab LaVine’s value around the league and flip him for actual assets when he’s closer to being an expiring (and when the cap spikes and that contract isn’t taking up quite as much space). If the Bulls are in fact desperate to move off of LaVine this summer, and none of the above teams feel moved to get in the mix without taking back a draft asset Chicago doesn’t want to part with, the Hornets might be the kind of team that would have the desire to land such a player without demanding a pick in return. The Bulls wouldn’t likely get much back, but they could get some serious cap relief for the future with a Grant Williams and Davis Bertans return package.
The Trade Hornets get: Zach LaVine Bulls get: Grant Williams, Davis Bertans
Steven and Ian are true patriots, and they pay tribute to the ol’ U.S. of A at the start of this week’s episode by picking some of their favorite patio music albums of 2024 so far, as well as their picks for the greatest patio album of all time. This is the music you’ll want to rock at your July 4th weekend gathering. From there, they do a quick TVcast about the controversial third season of The Bear, which Steven defends and Ian mostly dismisses. Then they get into their latest Fantasy Albums Draft, which draws on upcoming releases from July to September. Can Steven finally win one of these, or will Ian take his fourth consecutive title?
In the mailbag, they address a listener question about Hate To Love, a new Netflix documentary about Nickelback, and they also give their yay-or-nay verdicts on the polarizing post-grunge band.
In Recommendation Corner, Ian goes for the singer-songwriter project Growing Stone while Steven stumps for the Minneapolis rock band Ahem.
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 196 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
Heaven Hill is one of the most popular alcohol brands in America, and for a good reason: they make some excellent whiskey. Not only are they known for some high-quality everyday options, but they’ve also been releasing some awesome limited expressions that regularly dot the top of annual “Best Of” lists. Despite the reputation they’re developing for their superlative allocated offerings, Heaven Hill shines best as a champion of affordable, high-quality bourbon.
As such, you’ll find nearly as many extraordinary options in the $20-$40 price range as you will in the $100+ range, making them an ideal distillery for newcomers looking to get into bourbon but also grizzled vets with hundreds of bottles stockpiled who are looking for a readily available way to scratch their well-made-bourbon itch.
Today, Heaven Hill is America’s largest private, family-owned distillery. It was founded in 1935 in Bardstown, Kentucky, just two years after the end of Prohibition, by several investors, including one Ed Shapira. Ed, and eventually his four brothers, would soon buy out the rest of the brand’s initial investors, including Joseph L. Beam, who was also on board as Heaven Hill’s first Master Distiller. Ever since its inception, a member of the Shapira family has been at the helm of Heaven Hill, which is today guided by its third-generation Shapira family leadership. Max L. Shapira is the brand’s Executive Chairman, and his daughter, Kate Shapira Latts, and her husband, Allan Latts, were elevated to the role of Co-Presidents in September 2022.
On the eve of Heaven Hill’s 90th year continuously producing premier spirits, now is as good a time as any to take stock of all the exciting bourbons coming out of their Louisville location, the Bernheim Distillery, as we await the completion of their Bardstown-based Heaven Hill Springs Distillery, which is an homage to the brand’s original moniker: Old Heaven Hill Springs.
As for one last programming note, this list doesn’t include several distillery exclusives, some of which have scant availability even on-site. These include Five Brothers, Elijah Craig Barrel Select, Elijah Craig Beer Barrel Finish, and William Heavenhill.
Hopefully, that brief history lesson made you thirsty because it’s time to start drinking. Here are the best 28 bourbons from Heaven Hill’s ongoing release lineup, tasted and ranked!
You wouldn’t know it due to its limited distribution footprint, bottom shelf pricing, and bland packaging, but Cabin Still Bourbon has one of the richest backstories in the entire Heaven Hill portfolio. Initially created in the 1890s by W.L. Weller & Sons, the brand was on shelves throughout Prohibition and would go on to be sold by the Stitzel-Weller Distillery when they first opened in 1935. In 1993, after a tumultuous few decades, Heaven Hill acquired the brand and has produced it ever since.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Corn-forward with gentle accents of youthful oak, apricots, and dilute honey.
Palate: The grain notes lead on the palate with corn and the faint indication of rye spice washing away under some diluted agave syrup sweetness and white peach flavors.
Finish: The finish is rather short, tying a succinct bow on this simple and slightly artificial-tasting bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Cabin Still Bourbon is perfectly forgettable, which is kind of the point as it exists today. As an everyday “background bourbon,” this expression was once marketed as “sportsman’s” whiskey, intended for mindless consumption during hunting or fishing expeditions. Sadly, the contemporary version still neatly fits in that category despite its intriguing tradition as something more captivating.
Henry McKenna is the oft-overlooked lower-ABV offering in the Henry McKenna lineup. Named after the Irish immigrant who was one of the early pioneers of bourbon, many people don’t know that McKenna was instrumental in ratifying the Bottled in Bond Act, which passed 4 years after he died in 1893.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is incredibly light and simple, with only a bit of corn sweetness and faint brown sugar coming from the glass.
Palate: The typical lineup of vanilla, gentle oak, and indistinct caramel comes through on the palate, though the proof washes out much of that flavor and results in a bourbon that seems more reminiscent of tea than whiskey. A touch of toasted almond at midpalate is the most distinct and enjoyable note found here.
Finish: The finish does welcome an uptick in baking spice as a touch of black pepper improves things, but its swift drop-off keeps that excitement in check.
Bottom Line:
Henry McKenna is a simple, straightforward bourbon, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Its light and washed-out flavor profile would certainly sit well in a highball on a hot summer day.
J.T.S. Brown Bourbon is the value version of J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Typically overlooked on the bottom shelf, this expression is bottled at 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Brown butter gives way to a bit of fresh almond and gentle oak tones on the nose of this whiskey. Over time, the almonds become more reminiscent of peanuts.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey comes across as rather lean, with some slight citrus zest and peanut notes coming through before being washed out by youthful oak and a light dusting of black pepper.
Finish: The finish is marked by lemon zest and black pepper and fades almost as quickly as it arrives.
Bottom Line:
For less than a sawbuck, you have to have low expectations, and J.T.S. Brown Bourbon barely ekes across the finish line to meet them. While Heaven Hill is well-regarded for its value brands, this ain’t the one you should set your sights on if your goal is neat sipping.
Old Fitzgerald is a brand with gobs of history, dating back to the late 1800s. After trading hands a number of times the brand was acquired by Heaven Hill in 1993.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins as notably corn-forward, with gentle accents of clover honey and youthful oak propping it all up.
Palate: Again, this bourbon is marked by a lineup of familiar and frustratingly simple notes ranging from caramel and honey to corn and young oak. It’s slightly richer than its predecessors on this list courtesy of a slightly warmer mouthfeel and a slight uptick in viscousness.
Finish: The finish welcomes a touch of citrus and more vanilla before swiftly receding.
Bottom Line:
Old Fitzgerald Prime is probably the best Heaven Hill bourbon under $15, which is solid because the brand has multiple options in that price range. While it won’t impress on its own merits, you’d be hard-pressed to find many bourbons that outperform it at such a modest price point. The shiny label and storied history add to the enjoyability in their own way as well.
Evan Williams is frequently cited as one of the best-selling bourbons in the world year after year, and that’s in large part due to its approachable, prototypical flavor profile and widespread availability. Named after the founder of Kentucky’s first distillery, Evan Williams Bourbon is the flagship brand in the Evan Williams lineup and perhaps the most popular bottle on this list.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stop me if you’ve heard this, but the nose on Evan Williams brings together several familiar and prototypical bourbon aromas. Here, there’s a bit more orange zest, but the notes of vanilla, caramel, and young oak are all present, along with a touch of peanut shell.
Palate: On the palate, all of the aforementioned nosing notes come together with moderate harmony. This is an easy-sipper that crosses the threshold of being “good for the price” as well as “good for the proof.”
Finish: The finish is brief but combines all the tasting notes for a harmonious crescendo.
Bottom Line:
Evan Williams Bourbon delivers an instantly familiar flavor profile that checks every box one expects when drinking bourbon, but it couples that with an approachability that makes it tame enough for novices to enjoy heartily. When you find those two qualities in a whiskey that is as ubiquitous as it is affordable, you’ve got a winning formula.
78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley. At Heaven Hill Distillery, this grain recipe is known as “HH reg,” and it goes into many of their bourbon products, including the Evan Williams lineup. Evan Williams 1783 is so-named to honor the year Evan Williams founded Kentucky’s first distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there’s a honeysuckle note on this whiskey that provides a solid foundation for a faint bit of vanilla and peanut brittle to emerge. The oak is restrained but present, as well.
Palate: With an initial sip, the honeysuckle from the nose quickly gives way to a more prominent flavor of salted peanuts and youthful oak. There isn’t much bolstering those three notes, and the flavor of peanuts outperforms the other two, but it somehow still all comes together to work. The texture is lean but gentle, which also works well here.
Finish: The finish of this whiskey is marked by an uptick in the tannic oak tones and the dialing back of the sweetness as it becomes more cereal-grain forward and quickly drops off.
Bottom Line:
By warding off some of the pitfalls of lower-proof bourbon, namely bland flavor, Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch delivers a sipping experience worth revisiting if you haven’t tried it in a while. Not many 90-proof bourbons deliver this much flavor yet go so overlooked on liquor store shelves, but that’s perfectly fine. Let’s keep it as our little secret.
Heaven Hill’s multiple budget-friendly bottled-in-bond expressions can be challenging to track, so stay close here. T.W. Samuels, named after the most prominent member of the Samuels clan who would go on to found Maker’s Mark, can be considered the most elusive of the bunch as it is currently a Kentucky-exclusive expression. Like Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, J.T.S. Brown, and J.W. Dant, this expression utilizes the “HH reg” mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on T.W. Samuels is mostly muted with some faint caramel and mint sprigs accompanying generic vanilla and oak tones.
Palate: On the palate, you’ll find more of the same: typical bourbon notes like caramel, vanilla, and oak. Though only the vanilla flavor packs a punch, the rest display an impressive harmony that works well. To be critical, the texture is thin, which doesn’t do any favors to the overall simplicity of the whiskey.
Finish: The brief finish features oak more prominently than vanilla, but that subtle flip-flop is its only remarkable quality.
Bottom Line:
T.W. Samuels is enjoyable at the price point and might be worth picking up due to its novelty. Still, if you prefer drinking bourbon to impressing your friends with seldom-seen labels, opt for another of Heaven Hill’s bottled-in-bond offerings.
Named after Joseph Washington Dant, this brand, which dates back to 1934, was acquired by Heaven Hill in 1993 and caused some legal trouble for a competing company in 2023. While that minor legal dispute is now a thing of the past, you would be forgiven for not knowing about it or J.W. Dant bourbon entirely, as its distribution footprint is limited to KY, IL, WI, and IN.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla and cereal grains take charge on the nose before a faint bit of cinnamon bark, white sugar, and peanuts accent the air around the glass.
Palate: On the palate, which is undergirded by a bed of oak, the vanilla and corn-forward sweetness have just enough runway to impress. The texture is unremarkable but holds enough weight to bring in more nuttiness and a touch of caramel corn as well.
Finish: The finish holds a kiss of cinnamon that quickly falls off, leaving black pepper spice and nutmeg.
Bottom Line:
The “HH reg” mash bill can seemingly do no wrong, especially when held to the exacting standards of the Bottled in Bond Act. While it is a bit tamer than some of Heaven Hill’s other Bottled in Bond expressions, J.W. Dant offers variety and helps to exemplify the brand’s focus on delivering high-quality, affordable bourbon at even the lowest price point. This bottle belongs firmly in the top half of the brand’s budget-friendly offerings.
Larceny Bourbon gets its moniker thanks to a legend about a Treasury agent named John E. Fitzgerald, who was reputed to have “used his keys to the warehouses to pilfer bourbon from the finest barrels.” The crime earned him infamy and now acclaim as his name adorns the label of Heaven Hill’s most widely available wheated bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Larceny bourbon is mellow and light with clover honey, some indistinct lemon zest, and vanilla coming across expressively. In the background, there’s a touch of smudging sage and sawdust.
Palate: The flavors in Larceny bourbon are surprisingly well developed, as the gentler notes of vanilla, honey, and citrus really shine, compliments of the liquid’s lean texture and limited complexity. While it echoes the simplicity of earlier bourbons on this list, it also reflects a turning of the corner with regard to flavor development and depth.
Finish: The finish here is curt, as it fades pretty quickly, with honey, cereal grains, and a touch of white pepper providing the closing salvo.
Bottom Line:
Wheated bourbons are commonly regarded as far tamer and mellower than their rye-recipe counterparts, and that reputation is on full display with Larceny. As an easy-sipping and easily found wheated bourbon, Larceny is an ideal entry point into the category.
Fighting Cock Bourbon was formerly a formidable bottom-shelf offering that sported a 6-year age statement and proudly flew under the radar. These days, the expression is produced sans an age statement from a mash bill of 75% corn, 12% rye, and 13% malted barley. Fun fact: it’s said that this bourbon was created as a direct competitor to Wild Turkey 101, thus the fowl name and atypical proof point.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fighting Cock bourbon kicks things off with a bit of baking spice, with nutmeg and black pepper powder hitting the nose at first before some dilute honey and peanut shells come wafting out of the glass.
Palate: Once on the palate, the initial impression of the nosing notes is reversed, with the flavor of peanuts leading the way while some washed-out caramel and vanilla extract follow closely behind before the gentle baking spice notes arrive. The mouthfeel is disappointingly thin, which serves as a disservice to the limited layers of flavor, but the flavors themselves are simple but harmonious.
Finish: The finish closes with black pepper and the addition of nutmeg, along with a sweet honey kiss before it fades away with short-to-medium length.
Bottom Line:
While “kickin’ chicken’s” branding might be all about emulation, the whiskey itself is a simple yet fairly unique bottom-shelf offering. What Fighting Cock lacks in complexity, it makes up for with a crowd-pleasing flavor profile that brings enough heat to make it a standout.
J.T.S. Brown is named after John Thompson Street Brown, who founded the wholesale liquor company that would become Brown-Forman. It is currently offered at 80 and 100 proof, though it also featured an 86-proof version until at least the late 1980s.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey has a flourish of butterscotch and clove that make it stand out from the rest of Heaven Hill’s budget bottled-in-bond offerings. A touch of lemon zest and peanut butter are also evident.
Palate: On the palate, the butterscotch and peanut butter are out in full force, along with some vanilla cream, sweet oak, and white pepper. The flavors are impressively balanced, and despite this whiskey’s restrained mouthfeel, they appear to be well-defined on the palate.
Finish: The medium-length finish again highlights the fusion of peanut butter and vanilla with a gentle white pepper send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s a crowded bunch when it comes to Heaven Hill’s bottom-shelf bottled-in-bond expressions, but J.T.S. Brown reliably outperforms the lot thanks to its well-managed balance and surprisingly stout depth of flavor. Like many of Heaven Hill’s most affordable options, it won’t wow you with its complexity but rather with its steadfast commitment to everyday quality.
Elijah Craig’s (fairly) new bourbon, Toasted Barrel, first hit the market in mid-2020 with a splash despite the difficulty of launching a brand during that time. Since 2020, the line extension has stuck. Heaven Hill takes fully matured Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon for Toasted Barrel and finishes it in 18-month air-dried American oak barrels that are toasted and flash-charred.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The air is flooded with vanilla cream, marshmallow fluff, and orange zest upon first nosing this whiskey. In time, the vanilla tones and toasted oak increase in prominence, which leads to the overwhelming sense that this is a sweet, sugary pour.
Palate: In the mouth, this whiskey lives up to its promise, as it’s a butterscotch and creme brûlée-laden bourbon that’s slick across the tongue. There’s only a touch of black pepper and nutmeg at midpalate to keep those sweeter notes balanced, but balance isn’t the point here. Toasted Barrel is quite forcefully sweet and spry texturally, and that’s the draw here.
Finish: The finish welcomes more peppercorn and a touch of clove, but the toasted oak tones of maple candy, butterscotch, and marshmallows dominate. The finish is a bit brief, but with such a sweet goodbye kiss, you’ll reach for a second sip before you even notice it.
Bottom Line:
With a heavy backbone of gooey marshmallow and toasted oak to bolster Elijah Craig’s hallmark bourbon flavors, Toasted Barrel takes the sweetness and nuance up a notch. While the campfire confectionary notes might not be everyone’s cup of tea, the resulting flavor works as a guilty pleasure fit for easy sipping.
Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon was transitioned into a Kentucky-exclusive offering in 2022. However, in 2024, the brand announced that it would be distributed in other states for the first time in two years due to a surplus. The word isn’t yet out on whether that trend will continue through 2025 and beyond, but it came as welcome news to fans of the Evan Williams lineup’s only single-barrel bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of honey and peanut shell, which soon morphs into gently tannic oak tones and fresh orange rinds. Caramel and graham cracker notes also inform the nosing notes before a few shakes of black pepper curb the overall sweetness.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the honey that leads the way as peanut shells and caramel take a backseat. The texture is surprisingly thin, but the flavors themselves are not without considerable depth, defying their limitations to take root throughout the palate.
Finish: The finish welcomes an uptick in the influence of the oak and black pepper, only alluded to at other points in the flavor journey. While it’s only a short-to-medium finish, that brevity complements the flavor profile, making this an approachable and easy-to-enjoy pour again and again.
Bottom Line:
Despite its relatively low ABV, Evan Williams Single Barrel’s mellow profile delivers some rich flavors that cause it to punch above its weight. While longtime fans of the brand continue to grumble that “it ain’t what it used to be,” remarking on a perceived shift in quality and a substantive uptick in price, truth be told, this is still a rock-solid single-barrel bourbon.
To call Elijah Craig a classic bourbon is to echo what’s been said about it 100 times over. Named after a famed Baptist preacher, Reverend Elijah Craig is credited, by the brand at least, as the “father of bourbon.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: From the first whiff, Elijah Craig is an elevated version of Heaven Hill’s value brands. Most reminiscent of Evan Williams, it takes the typical bourbon aromas and dials them up a notch with vanilla extract crossing over into vanilla cream, brown sugar becoming more distinct, and a robust oak backbone fully forming.
Palate: On the palate is where Elijah Craig offers few surprises again, but it plays the hits with gusto. Brown sugar, vanilla, and caramel feature prominently, but a faint nuttiness and understated, stewed stone fruit notes help to improve the flavor profile further. The texture is unremarkable but, at the same time, substantial enough to allow each of those flavors to unfurl fully.
Finish: For the finish, Elijah Craig closes with an interplay of oak, peanuts, and brown sugar that serves as a medium-length microcosm for the entire experience.
Bottom Line:
Sometimes, all you need is a quotidian, straightforward, easy-sipping whiskey, and this bourbon is as classic as it comes. With a proof point that bridges the bite of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof and the 40% ABV that novices might be more comfortable with, Elijah Craig Small Batch delivers flavor in spades with approachability as its primary calling card.
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is often named as one of if not the best bourbon under $20. Aged for at least four years, per the Bottled in Bond regulations, this 100-proof bourbon is almost as readily found around the country as Evan Williams “black label.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with honey, lemon zest, and a distinct peanut note on this bourbon. From there, the periphery aromas are faint — a touch of brown butter, apricots, and cumin, but otherwise nondescript.
Palate: In the mouth, those initial three notes make the most substantial impression, along with a piquant texture that slightly prickles the tongue and adds a bit of pop to the citrus flavors in the liquid.
Finish: On the finish, you’ll find some black pepper spice and youthful oak that curtail the peanut and lemon zest flavors. The finish is short-to-medium, giving just enough room to make a satisfying impression on the palate before encouraging repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Evan Williams’ Bottled in Bond Expression is a masterclass in delivering a high-quality, no-frills bourbon. At 100-proof, it can stand tall in cocktails, bringing an abundance of flavor to classics like an Old-Fashioned, but it has just enough depth to perform well on its own—making for a delicious, cost-friendly, everyday sipper.
13. Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Bourbon Aged 10 Years
Henry McKenna Single Barrel is one of the few bourbons bearing a 10-year age statement that can be found with relative regularity on liquor store shelves. While it was formerly more affordably priced and easier to find, the market has stabilized, and these bottles are now dotting mom-and-pop stores with increased frequency. Of note is that it is one of the oldest bottled-in-bond bourbons among any brand’s regular releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is full of medicinal cherry, well-aged leather, a touch of nail polish, and a dark, bubbling brown sugar note. It immediately evinces its age courtesy of the leather notes as well as the mature oak that creeps in on the heels of the red berry aroma.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon tumbles over the tongue as a top-heavy liquid, front-loaded with honey, bright cherry sweetness, and vanilla extract before thinning out at midpalate as the influence of leather and mature oak take hold. The transition to midpalate betrays its initially robust texture, and the bright cherry note from the tip of the tongue becomes more medicinal.
Finish: The finish brings cherry and vanilla extract, again, to the fore, but barrel char and some of the nail polish notes from the nose are also present. It’s a bit more balanced on the finish than it is at midpalate, and that’s helped by the fact that it has a medium length that allows it to develop fully.
Bottom Line:
Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon is infamous for being a lot like life or a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get. This particular bottle features many of the flavor notes that I’ve always found common in the expression, but rather than forcefully imposing themselves uniformly across the palate, they exhaust much of their oomph on the front end before washing out on the finish.
Your mileage may vary, as these are typically above-average bourbons, but you should be aware of their inconsistency. Oh, and if you find one of these that suits your palate, be sure to buy backups.
12. Elijah Craig 18-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon
Elijah Craig’s 18-year single-barrel expression is a dinosaur in more ways than one. First, it’s a long-standing hyper-aged bourbon expression in a whiskey world that’s only now reintegrating an influx of similarly aged bourbons. Second, it’s the last surviving member of the Elijah Craig lineup’s hyper-aged expressions, which used to include 20, 21, and 23-year-old offerings.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is rich with dense, well-aged oak and caramel candies at first, but those notes merely open the curtain to reveal layers of plum, dark chocolate, and leather resting below the surface.
Palate: On the palate, Elijah Craig 18 swiftly finds every corner of your taste buds and floods them with vanilla buttercream, leather, and caramel candy flavors. The understated fruit tones from the nosing experience are buried beneath lush waves of caramel and vanilla. Still, they ultimately emerge and take shape at midpalate as bananas and shaved coconuts.
Finish: The finish is curt but marked by the richness of the coconut and caramel flavors, which satisfyingly coat the palate before ceding your taste buds to white pepper and vanilla before undulating gently out of existence.
Bottom Line:
The common criticisms following Elijah Craig 18 come from a two-pronged attack that says it is either under-proofed or overoaked. Both lines of fault-finding miss the mark.
Appreciated on its face, as well as for its rarity, Elijah Craig 18 is a mellow, multifaceted whiskey that plumbs a depth of flavor that can’t be found in more moderately aged expressions. With a price point that typically follows the “$10 per year” rubric and an anecdotally increasing supply, Elijah Craig 18 is beyond reproach for bourbon fans more attuned to the subtleties it has in vast supply.
11. Heaven Hill Straight Bourbon Bottled In Bond 7-Year
Heaven Hill’s flagship bottled-in-bond expression is a rebranded release that was first launched in 2022. Sticking true to their roots, this bourbon is made with their “HH reg” mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year is distinctly earthy and nutty with walnuts and potting soil melding well with brown sugar and oak. All of those enticing notes are undergirded by the warm aroma of vanilla pods.
Palate: Once across the palate, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year leads with brown sugar before the earthier elements of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, oak, and walnuts claim the midpalate. As this pour transitions to the finish, there’s a faint bit of milk chocolate, vanilla cream, and caramel.
Finish: The finish puts a lovely bow on the entire affair as brown sugar and barrel char fuse together with walnut shells and black pepper. Overall, the finish gives the impression that this bourbon is slightly older than 7 years and as it closes with a dash of vanilla extract, it whets the palate, bracing your senses for repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Haters will grumble about the affordability of Heaven Hill’s sunsetted 6-year bottled in bond offering, and while I’m sure we’d all be happy to keep a few extra bucks in our pocket, one has to make a value judgement on what high-quality bourbon is worth to you. For the price point, flavor profile, and ample time spent aging, this is a bottled in bond bourbon that exemplifies the triumph of restraint over the impulse to feature a younger (or higher) age statement.
Aged for 6-8 years, Larceny Barrel Proof is one of Heaven Hill’s premium wheated bourbon expressions. For this year’s second release, the B524 batch, the whiskey clocks in at a robust 125.4 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Walnuts and brown sugar are two immediate standout aromas on the nose of this whiskey, but soon, some sticky toffee and charred red pepper notes also enter the picture with some candied orange and dark chocolate.
Palate: On the palate, there is a fresh wave of sweet orange notes that clear the way for cinnamon bark, a distinct nuttiness, and a heavy punch of alcohol heat.
Finish: The finish is where the heat begins to ratchet up a notch, making for a lengthy climax full of toasted almonds, oak, and nutmeg spice.
Bottom Line:
Larceny Barrel Proof is one of the few Heaven Hill lineups that hasn’t quite found its footing yet, with some expressions handily exceeding “average” and others descending into a disjointed experience that leaves you scratching your head. For this B524 Batch, the brand has one of its most self-assured releases yet. While the heavy dose of ethanol can be a lot to handle, that challenge comes with the reward of some superb citrus notes and a robust texture that punches you in the chest.
Heaven Hill’s standard mash bill is again on display for their most extensively aged regular release, Evan Williams 23. Aged for 23 years and only sporadically made available at the Evan Williams Experience in downtown Louisville, this elusive expression is the crown jewel of the Evan Williams lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of mature oak and joined by a touch of tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, and an undercurrent of savory dates. After a few waves of the hand, allowing the bourbon to swirl in the glass, one also finds polished leather and fried green tomatoes.
Palate: On the palate, this pour begins slightly austere, with the whiskey initially reticent to reveal itself. Chewing the bourbon ends this demur act as dried ginger, well-aged oak tones, and dark chocolate begin to make their presence known. There’s a faint touch of caramel, and the dates from the nose become more grape-like at midpalate as a second wave of the oak influence marks the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish is full of gentle baking spices, led by black pepper, and the oak becomes a bit overbearing as it dries out the back of the palate. It has a medium length that is enjoyable throughout, thanks to the re-emergence of savory dates and gentle leather.
Bottom Line:
While one expects a dark and earthy flavor profile with hyper-aged bourbons, and Evan Williams 23 manages to deliver that, it also comes across as a bit restrained. The proof and lean mouthfeel hold back some of its harsher elements but, sadly, also some of its charm. That said, this is still an impressive bourbon that will reward anyone seeking those prototypical ultra-aged flavor notes.
8. Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series Bourbon 10-Year
This 10-year wheated bourbon, the thirteenth national release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series, was released early in the spring of 2024 to great fanfare. This expression marks the second time Heaven Hill has released a 10-year version of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Milk chocolate and caramel find the nose first, gently encouraging a deeper investigation. On the second pass, subtle hints of lavender candy, clove, and nougat slowly unfurl.
Palate: The supple texture of this whiskey makes the first impression as it gently caresses your palate before buttery pie crust, toasted almonds, and gooey caramel slowly seep in. The overall flavor profile is mellow but well-defined, as each note has space to make a distinct impression before clearing the way for the next.
Finish: The finish falls off a bit quickly, but here that’s a welcome discovery as Old Fitzgerald 10-Year comes across as almost refreshing, something akin to an amuse-bouche. The sweetness is held perfectly in check with a slight expression of orange rind and nutmeg before a sweet oak note strikes the final chord, allowing this whiskey to leave your palate.
Bottom Line:
Not all Old Fitzgeralds are created equally, with the Decanter Series displaying an unevenness that might give one pause before splurging on the spendy bottles. Those concerns can be tossed to the wind concerning the Spring 2024 release, as this 10-year wheated bourbon delivers the mellow sipping experience one expects with a considerable depth of flavor to boot. If decadent, complex whiskeys are your preferred choice, this lighter take might serve as a wake-up call to appreciate the variety bourbon can bring.
7. Evan Williams 12-Year Bourbon
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ABV: Average Price:
The Whiskey:
Evan Williams 12-Year Bourbon is one of the brand’s limited expressions, available only at the downtown Louisville Evan Williams Experience. It isn’t common knowledge but if you want the opportunity to buy this bourbon, sign up for a tasting tour and inquire about its availability at the end.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A dusting of nutmeg and cumin waft over the glass, hiding notes of pie crust and candied peaches at first, though they soon prevail. From there, one can detect a bit of thyme, oak, and crisp red apples.
Palate: The palate finds that the apples from the nose are much more expressive and joined by cinnamon bark, a touch of cumin, and sawdust. As this pour transitions to the midpalate, it picks up steam, with milk chocolate entering the fray along with an elusive touch of black cherry.
Finish: The finish on Evan Williams 12 is where the oak really shines, infusing a bit of dark chocolate to each sip and gently drying out the palate, which serves to amplify the sweet notes rather than detract from them. There’s also a fresh flourish of nutmeg and leather here that work well to remind you that this is well-aged bourbon. Indeed, it tastes a fair bit older than 12 years.
Bottom Line:
It’s a shame that Evan Williams 12-Year isn’t a more widely available release, as it deftly highlights some of the core flavors that make “HH reg” or Heaven Hill’s regular mash bill so excellent. At the same time, it elevates the experience with a remarkable balance of flavor. It even provides some unexpected surprises because it comes across as older than its stated age, which allows that dense oak to force some interesting interactions out of the earthier and sweeter notes. You should be seeking this bourbon out the next time you’re at the Evan Williams Experience in downtown Louisville.
6. Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
For their brand new Grain To Glass series, Heaven Hill sought to highlight the impact of terroir on bourbon — a concept more frequently associated with wine. To do this, they chose a specific corn seed varietal, Beck’s 6158, in partnership with Beck’s Hybrids and Peterson Farms to take drinkers on a journey that would be true to the lineup’s name. Beck’s 6158 high-starch, non-GMO corn marks the beginning of that grain-led exploration, as future Grain To Glass expressions will showcase the flavor impact of different seeds.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: As a surprising expression of lilacs and raspberries rises out of the glass, one is taken aback by how fresh this bourbon smells. Some milk chocolate, caramel, and nougat creep into the aroma notes soon thereafter, but the overarching fruit-forward scents never lose their place, making for an inviting nose.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey maintains its impressive streak with cold-glazed raspberries and caramelized sugar streaking across the tongue, carrying a touch of vanilla extract and gooey caramel in their wake. The texture is substantial without becoming distractingly viscous, as it remains just lively enough to communicate the brightness of the fruit-forward notes and deceptively coats the palate.
Finish: The finish welcomes a fresh infusion of mangoes and apricots, while a few shakes of white pepper, youthful oak, and vanilla cone notes offer a gentle counterbalance. The length of the finish is medium, and it works perfectly with the rest of this refreshingly unique bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Grain to glass is a term being deployed more frequently in American whiskey, but it resonates with this release, showing a level of care for a less cost-efficient corn varietal that is atypical of larger corporations like Heaven Hill. For this inaugural release, a fruit-forward jamboree, the brand succeeds in changing the conversation around grain varietals, exhibiting a refreshing departure from its core flavor profile that isn’t just different for different’s sake. It’s also really damn good.
5. Heaven Hill Select Stock Armagnac Finished Bourbon
This bourbon, like all Select Stock expressions, was released exclusively in Bardstown at the Heaven Hill Visitor Center in the spring of 2024. This 5-barrel blend was made by mingling 7- and 12-year-old bourbons and finishing them in a used Armagnac barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The Armagnac is particularly expressive on the nose as notes of fig, palo santo, and light lavender greet the nostrils. There are also hints of apricot, milk chocolate, and blood orange.
Palate: On the palate, it’s that interplay between tropical fruit and milk chocolate that’s immediately striking, as apricots and even grilled pineapple chunks fuse well with a touch of cacao. On the second sip, more blood orange, oak, and black pepper spices become effusive as they fan out over the palate with a bit of cayenne pepper. The texture is prickly, and this bourbon drinks well above its proof, but that works well here.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and marked by the cayenne pepper introduced at midpalate, along with some chocolate notes that get darker with each sip and a touch of dried cranberry.
Bottom Line:
Armagnac finishes are fairly rare, though not entirely foreign to the bourbon world, but this expression of Heaven Hill Select Stock steers the flavors one might expect from such a second maturation cask and delivers several surprises. The Armagnac itself stands tall in this flavor wheel without becoming the dominant note, allowing for some interesting interactions to arise, making this an eyebrow-raising and exceedingly enjoyable pour.
4. Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass series emphasizes the import of grain varietals in whiskey and the brand’s commitment to family and quality. With this inaugural fleet of releases, they partnered with two family-owned companies and sought the ideal non-GMO corn varietals for bourbon production.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of cinnamon and blackberry jam is so inviting on the nose that it feels almost foolhardy to move beyond them — it smells so immediately enticing. Pushing past that initial rush of aromas, one finds sweet oak, mocha, some slight salinity, and a faint petrichor note, making for an intriguing mix of scents.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon is immediately dense, which pairs well with the jammy flavor profile as the blackberries from the nose morph into sugar-sweetened raspberries, a bit of airy custard, and freshly ground cinnamon. At midpalate is where you’ll find an explosion of oak and black pepper, which give this whiskey the impression of being aged for about 9 years before the flavor of hazelnuts and chocolate truffle dust mark the transition to the finish.
Finish: On the finish, there’s a touch of vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs that pairs well with the persistent raspberry jam notes. It’s medium-to-long in length, and that extended journey helps elevate one’s appreciation of the density of the liquid and the depth of each flavor note.
Bottom Line:
When I first had the pleasure of trying this bourbon alongside Heaven Hill’s bigwigs while being serenaded by a live band in one of the distillery’s Cox’s Creek rickhouses, I was of two minds: one, surely this is excellent bourbon, and two, surely the setting elevated the experience. Now, with an opportunity to revisit the liquid in a sterile environment, I’m positive the former is true, but I have doubts about the latter. Indeed, in any setting, Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass Wheated Bourbon is superlative and will likely find a home on a number of “Best of 2024” lists.
3. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18-Year Bourbon
The Heaven Hill Heritage Collection, now on its third release, was created to highlight some of the brand’s most premium liquid and honor some of their most heralded grain recipes. For this 18-year expression, the brand uses bourbon from their “HH reg” or classic mash bill, the same recipe that goes into fan favorites like Elijah Craig and Evan Williams.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of honey, lavender, and spiced cranberries come tumbling out of the glass on the first pass. With star anise, blackberries, and juicy clementines in tow, this whiskey is immediately surprising in that it smells much lighter than one would expect from 18-year-old bourbon.
Palate: On the first sip, a breathtaking dose of milk chocolate and mocha joins the fruit notes that the nosing experience initially primed the palate for. The flavor of clementines and caramel blend well into a touch of lavender, clover honey, and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is slightly dense, which works well in contrast to the brightness of the overall flavor profile.
Finish: The finish is full of caramelized sugar, a touch of leather, and a slightly floral aspect. With a medium-to-long climax, each sip feels like a fully formed journey — and one worth exploring repeatedly.
Bottom Line:
Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection has thus far staked its reputation on its ability to showcase the brand’s classic bourbon mash bills effectively at an elevated age. This 18-year iteration is no exception. What makes it exceptional, however, is that it defies expectations for hyper-aged bourbon, leaning heavily into a more lively flavor profile that stands out as wholly unique across the landscape of bourbons old enough to vote. Indeed, it’s not just one-of-a-kind; it’s also masterfully made.
Elijah Craig Bourbon doesn’t need any introduction. It’s one of the most recognizable bourbon brands in the country, and this barrel-proof expression kicks things up a notch by bottling the liquid at full strength, undiluted, right out of the barrel. For the B524 Batch this bourbon was aged for 11 years and 2 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is incredible, with hazelnuts, clove, oak, and brown sugar all finding their way out of the glass to greet the senses. The woodsiness provides a lovely backbone for some milk chocolate notes to develop, as this pour screams “bourbon” from start to finish.
Palate: What’s immediately impressive is the density of this liquid and the interplay of caramel, peanuts, and milk chocolate, which one might confuse for a liquified Snickers bar at first. What’s secondarily impressive is that the stout proof on this bourbon doesn’t hit you at all — indeed, it’s almost an approachable pour and one that’s deceptively easy to drink. There are accenting notes of nutmeg, clove, and dense oak to be found as well, and with such a classic bourbon profile, it’s hard not to allow a smile to creep across your face.
Finish: The finish on this bourbon contains more of the same, and that ain’t a bad thing. The brown sugar, caramel, and peanuts persist through the lengthy finish, which gently hugs your chest and leaves a kiss of black pepper in its wake.
Bottom Line:
While the quality ever-so-slightly waxes and wanes with each release, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is widely considered the best value in bourbon for a good reason…it never disappoints. For this B524 batch, Heaven Hill sticks to the hits. This isn’t your favorite band schlepping around the country collecting coin for a final hurrah. Instead, this is an act at the height of its powers on the heels of a genre-defining album playing every single song that reminds you why you became a fan in the first place. No, it isn’t the best Elijah Craig Barrel Proof ever — that’s an exceedingly high bar — but it sits comfortably among the best in recent years, and that’s saying something.
1. Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series VVS 13-Year
Comprised of tanked bourbon from a bygone time, Old Fitzgerald VVS 13-Year was distilled in 1999, not long after the company acquired the Bernheim Distillery. After spending 13 years maturing, this liquid was deemed particularly special and was subsequently tanked and set aside for an occasion befitting its splendor. Now, in 2024, to commemorate 25 years of Heaven Hill owning the Bernheim Distillery, this bourbon is finally ready to see the light of day.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Milk chocolate, bright red cherries, and melted vanilla ice cream all accent the air once this lush bourbon is poured into the glass. Juicy orange notes, sweet oak, and cinnamon bark can also be found after a few glass swirls, and yet the aromas still aren’t done revealing themselves! This is a multilayered and incredibly rich nosing experience to be appreciated at length.
Palate: A kiss of ripe orange, bright red cherries, and vanilla ice cream greet the palate upon the first sip and, riding a wave of silky texture, find every crevice in the mouth to coat. Milk chocolate and well-aged oak settle in on the roof of the mouth, allowing the more expressive notes of honey and red berries to claim the tongue and cling for dear life.
Finish: The finish is medium to long and expressly rich, with the density of the liquid gently relieving itself from your palate while a touch of leather and black pepper adds another level of nuance to this multifaceted sipping experience.
Bottom Line:
Each time I revisit Old Fitzgerald’s VVS 13-Year Expression, I’m reminded of how artfully blended this bourbon is. It truly checks every box, delivering an incredibly rich bouquet of flavors at an approachable proof point. While some of the decadent nuances of this whiskey might be lost on beginners, it’s nigh impossible to mistake this as anything but sublime bourbon, no matter how advanced your palate may be. This is a Heaven Hill bourbon for the ages.
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