We got our first official look at the 2024 USA men’s Olympic basketball team on Wednesday night as they played a showcase game in Las Vegas against a talented Canadian squad. It wasn’t a perfect first outing, as there are clearly some things to clean up — particularly getting Joel Embiid in rhythm and not fouling out in the mid-third quarter — but they flexed their defensive muscles and showed the potential to be a terror in transition.
Earlier in the day, some big news about the Team USA roster got announced when Kawhi Leonard dropped out with some lingering knee issues and Celtics guard Derrick White replacing him. That brought a bit of controversy, as Jaylen Brown very clearly wanted to be a part of the team coming off a Finals MVP campaign but got left off for his teammate. USA Basketball director Grant Hill said the goal was to build the best team and he and the staff felt White fit the needs of this team best, indicating the need for more of a role guy was more important.
While that created a bit of a kerfuffle, it was nothing compared to what happened when the women’s team got announced earlier this summer and WNBA rookie star Caitlin Clark was not on the roster, as that became the lead story on every network (sports and beyond). On Wednesday’s broadcast of the USA-Canada game, Grant Hill joined Gus Johnson and Bill Raftery during the third quarter and Johnson decided to ask Hill about Clark’s omission, which Hill wanted no part of, making it clear he’s only in charge of the men’s team.
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark brought up on the Team USA vs Canada showcase.
Grant doing analyst work as his day job when he’s not working on USA Basketball helped him in this scenario as he had no problem quickly and deftly dodging that question firmly but nicely at the same time — a tough needle to thread. There is no topic in sports that is more of a lightning rod than Clark, and Hill was understandably not interested in touching that at all.
Buffalo Trace is one of the most popular bourbon brands on the planet and their Weller lineup has some of their most sought-after bottles. Weller Millennium now joins the lauded lineup as its new crown jewel and the brand’s most expensive offering ever. With an MSRP of $7,500, Weller Millennium isn’t for your bargain-hunting buddy who stocks up on 1.75ml bottles of Weller Special Reserve like the apocalypse is impending. Indeed, with a price tag like that even the showiest of bourbon snobs — the ones who delight in posting pictures of bottles far more than opening and enjoying them — will probably do a double take on this expression.
That said, the bottle and the packaging look fantastic but if you’re spending used 2013 Cadillac SRX money on a potable beverage, don’t you want to know what it tastes like before buying?
Whether you’re in the market for Weller Millennium (not to be confused with Will Smith’s double-platinum second album) or simply curious about how it differs from the rest of Buffalo Trace’s award-winning wheated bourbon lineup, you’re in luck. We had a chance to try the newest Weller bourbon and we’re going to give it a full review today.
First, what exactly is Weller Millennium? It’s a blend of straight bourbon and wheat whiskeys distilled in 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2006 — which will raise the eyebrows of astute readers. That’s because, for one, this expression doesn’t feature an age statement, despite this indication of provenance, and secondly it’s now the first expression in the Weller lineup that is a blend of straight wheated bourbon as well as wheat whiskey.
Pressed for comment, the brand’s reps have deferred in confirming that the oldest whiskey in this blend is 23-24 years old, though they do take care to describe it as “ultra-aged.” Further, while Buffalo Trace is not releasing the mashbills of the whiskey that comprises this bottling, we are given the percentages of each vintage in the blend. To wit, 3% of the blend comes from the 2000 vintage, 50% from 2003, 40% from 2005, and 7% comes from 2006. Calling this expression “Millennium” is a curious choice that we’ll overlook for now because I’m sure your curiosity is piqued and all that matters is how the whiskey tastes.
The base of this blend is whiskey with an undisclosed mashbill (either wheat whiskey or wheated bourbon) distilled in 2003. Featuring what the brand describes as “ultra-aged” liquid, this blend of whiskeys distilled at the turn of the millennium is housed in an elegant decanter and sold in an equally showy display case that features 99 sunbursts surrounding the bottle — representative of the whiskey’s 99 proof points.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Full of ebullient wheat notes and showing a pleasantly fruit-forward bouquet, this nose immediately reads like a wheated American whiskey. Prominent aromas include the likes of black cherry, apple slices, and honey. There’s also an impressive vanilla undertone, which is accented by graham crackers, celery seed, and leather.
Palate: When sipping this whiskey you’ll taste a strong foundation of honey and graham cracker notes with the flavor of black cherries claiming center stage. Overall, the mouthfeel is incredibly rich and viscous, which is a benefit to the flavor profile, as it allows those sweet, fruit-forward notes to coat your tongue and blossom to their full potential. There’s also caramel and a robust oak presence that undergirds it all, which gives an indication that this whiskey is well-aged while remaining true to wheated bourbon’s core flavor profile despite the undisclosed amount of wheat whiskey in the blend.
Finish: The finish is satisfyingly prolonged, as the viscous mouthfeel leads to a tongue-coating experience that helps extend the length of those well-developed sweet notes. Vanilla ice cream and white pepper join the medley of flavors on the back end, and while the viscousness does taper off, the caramel-drizzled fruit notes remain long after your last sip.
Bottom Line:
If you want to sip whiskey like it’s 1999, that is to say, if you want an ultra-aged expression that delivers a rich vintage profile then you’ve found the Weller for you. The price will likely give you pause, but Weller Millennium offers a more mature take on the prototypical Weller profile by displaying slight tweaks on the periphery which serve to elevate it on the whole. With a deft balance of flavors, an impressively distinct texture, and a deceptively lengthy finish, Weller Millennium is seemingly bottled at the perfect proof. Millennium’s decadence is only rivaled by William Larue in Buffalo Trace’s Weller stable, and it easily outpaces Daniel Weller as a sumptuous sipping experience.
As Buffalo Trace continues to push the boundaries of ultra-aged American whiskey and extend the upper limits of premium-priced American whiskey, Weller Millennium is an expression that fits comfortably into both categories despite being regretfully out of reach for most consumers.
Ranking: 90/100 making it an exceedingly enjoyable, albeit exorbitantly priced, A-minus expression.
Right now additive-free is all the rage in tequila. Honestly, it’s popular with good reason.
Now let’s be clear, additive-free doesn’t always equal good tequila, but when you consider you’re paying for a spirit made from blue weber agave, you probably want that spirit to, you know, taste like agave and not be smoothed out to the point that it lacks character. The best additive-free tequilas are full of bright, nuanced, and agave-forward flavors. They have a quality about them that makes them a true joy to drink and explore.
This got us thinking — how do our favorite affordable bottles of additive-free tequila compare to the high-end top-shelf brands that do have additives?
Not every top-shelf brand is full of additives, but a lot of them are, it’s what helps the liquid to come across as smooth and easy to drink. When a person sips tequila and remarks “Wow, it’s so smooth!” there is a high chance it’s the additives that are causing that experience. The best tequila — in our opinion — has a bit of a burn to it, a sharp kick that hits the tongue and makes it clear that you’re drinking tequila and not something else.
At the end of the day, we want you getting the best bang for your buck, so we put four of our favorite affordable additive-free tequilas — which in this case means bottles between $30 and $50 — against some of the biggest, prices top-shelf brands that do feature additives. Let’s drink.
Methodology
For this blind taste test, we collected eight bottles of affordable bottles of tequila (between $34-$42) that have been certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker and put them against four bottles of expensive ($69-$154) top-shelf tequila that likely have additives. Why do we say likely? Because unlike being additive-free, having additives isn’t exactly good marketing. A brand isn’t going to advertise that it’s using additives, instead they’ll use words like “smooth,” or “easy drinkability.”
So we can’t say 100% that these brands have additives but the fact that they don’t market themselves as “additive-free,” haven’t been certified additive-free by Tequila Matchmaker (a third-party organization, well trusted in tequila drinking circles), or the CRT, is a pretty good indication that the bottles in question have additives.
We took a third step to make sure though, using a very easy home test that anyone can implement. If you pour some tequila into your hands and rub them together and your hands end up dry, it’s additive-free. If you’re left with a sticky residue or an oily feel, what you’re feeling are additives like extra glycerin. The bottles we’re naming as having additives, did not pass this test.
Here is our tasting class:
Arette Reposado — Additive Free
Tapatio Blanco — Additive Free
Tequila Ocho Plata — Additive Free
Mijenta Blanco — Additive Free
Avión Reserva Cristalino — Contains Additives
Cincoro Blanco — Contains Additives
Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Reposado — Contains Additives
Claze Azul Reposado — Contains Additives
Each bottle was poured at random and served to be in an unmarked glass. I took a couple of sips of each and jotted down my first impressions. Here are the results.
PART I — The Additive vs. Additive-Free Tequila Taste Test
Taste 1:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Warm rich waves of roasted agave and caramel waft from the glass.
Palate: Sweet vanilla begins your journey before warming in a rich chocolate taste with cinnamon, vanilla, and juicy pineapple notes.
Finish: The oak lives on the backend, with some toasted agave notes and more of that juicy pineapple fruitiness.
Taste 2:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Heavy on the alcohol here, I’m going to guess this is one of the cheaper bottles. I’m mostly getting nail polish remover and vanilla on the nose. Very chemical.
Palate: Sweet and creamy with a black pepper counterbalance. I’m also tasting a bit of asparagus, but I have to strain for it.
Finish: Warm, oaky, and incredibly smooth with a sizzling burn. Much smoother than its nose would suggest.
Taste 3:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Pepper and agave on the nose, with a hint of funkiness. I don’t love that, but it tastes undeniably natural, which I do love.
Palate: Wow, it’s rich, buttery, and sumptuous. Almost mouthwatering. I’m getting a lot of roasted agave, cracked pepper, and the slightest hint of vanilla.
Finish: Floral and spicy with a hint of citrus.
Taste 4:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Chemical on the nose, I’m getting a sort of nail polish removed tone.
Palate: Mostly vanilla backed by juicy notes of mango, a bit of asparagus, and pepper.
Finish: Strangely minty and smokey. I’m going to guess this is the cristalino because of its heavy vanilla and smoke presence.
Taste 5:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Rich roasted agave notes mingle with wet grass and some citrus zest.
Palate: That citrus dominates the palate as flavors of sweet key lime and grapefruit collide. Under all the fruity notes, I taste a bit of herbaceousness and tobacco.
Finish: A peppery finish that slowly intensifies. It brings you in for another sip.
Taste 6:
Dane Rivera
Nose: There is a noticeable alcohol harshness here, but I’m also getting warm roasted agave and some vanilla bean notes.
Palate: I’m tasting raw agave, vanilla, and a hint of floral honey. There are also some wet grassy notes lurking here.
Finish: Smooth and oak forward, that burn from the nose is completely absent on the finish.
Taste 7:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Zesty and bright with a lot of rich caramelized agave tones.
Palate: Very peppery with some thyme and cilantro notes.
Finish: A cool minty finish with a bit of spice that builds on the tongue between sips.
Taste 8:
Dane Rivera
Nose: Vanilla frosting, honey, and oak. It’s pleasant, but I’m getting very little if any agave, and that’s not a great sign in my book.
Palate: Very sweet, to the point of being unnatural. I’m tasting vanilla, caramel, and straight-up sugar. This is without a doubt, one of the bottles with additives.
Finish: Sweet, smooth, and very pleasant. I’m not getting any agave on the finish, but there is a wonderful mellowness here that is hard to deny.
PART II — The Additive vs. Additive-Free Tequila Ranking
I incorrectly assumed this was the cristalino during the blind portion of this taste test. It’s not and I was shocked to find out it was actually something completely unaged. Still, I could tell the liquid had a lot going on and strayed very far from having any palpable agave influence, which is why its ranking low for me.
The only celebrity brand we included in this blind taste test, Cincoro is a brand collaboration between Michael Jordan, and NBA team owners Jeanie Buss (the controlling owner of the Los Angeles Lakers), Wes Edens (Milwaukee Bucks), and Wyc Grousbeck (Boston Celtics). It’s expensive tequila, designed to be poured in expensive owner’s boxes at big games. The bottle design was even overseen by Mark Smith, the President of Innovation Special Projects at Nike — it even looks like a giant swoosh.
Flavorwise it’s just fine. Not bad, but not impressive either.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1438, Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, where it is one of 205 brands in production. The tequila is cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks before being distilled twice through a stainless pot with a copper coil.
The Bottom Line:
It sure costs a lot, but it’s not worth the price. If you like that smoothed to death flavor, there are other bottles on this list that do it better.
Normally, I wouldn’t even think to include a cristalino in a blind taste test like this, but I wanted an aged tequila that didn’t look like an aged tequila, because then it would’ve been too easy to pick it out during the tasting portion. So a Cristalino will have to do!
Avión Reserva’s premium cristalino has all the hallmarks of a premium bottle, it has a high price tag, an easy-to-drink smoothness, and is sold with an elevated presentation in a gift-worthy box. The agave used here is sourced from the highlands of Jalisco, slow roasted in brick ovens, aged in American oak barrels, and double charcoal filtered for that cristalino shimmer.
Based on the nose alone, I thought this was for sure one of the more affordable bottles. I was wrong, but either way, this one didn’t perform all that well.
The Bottom Line:
For the price, I don’t think it offers an experience that’ll stay with you for very long. It sure looks pretty though.
Additive Free? Yes, ceritified by Tequila Matchmaker.
Arette is the most affordable bottle on this list and look at that, it landed squarely in the middle of this list, that’s an impressive feat! Proof that price isn’t everything when it comes to good tequila.
This tequila is produced at NOM 1109, Tequila Arette de Jalisco, with agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave that is roller mill extracted, fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled.
The Bottom Line:
A nice mix between grassy green flavors, and dessert tones like honey and vanilla.
Clase Azul is routinely touted as one of the most coveted top-shelf tequilas. You see this bottle everywhere, restaurants that have it proudly display it, people go crazy for the design, and for good reason. I won’t bullshit you, this looks as expensive as it is. The bottle is a conversation piece!
But, it’s straight-up overrated. The bottle design is doing a lot of work here, the liquid inside is just fine and I think this blind taste test reflects that.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1595, Casa Tradición, and utilizes agave cooked in stone brick ovens, and roller mill extracted before being aged in American White Oak barrels for eight months.
The Bottom Line:
A very good tequila, but for the price, you could pick up three additive-free brands that taste more like tequila should. If you like your tequila so smooth you can’t tell its tequila, this is the bottle for you.
Additive Free? Yes, certified by Tequila Matchmaker.
The Tequila:
I had a feeling Tapatio — one of our favorite blancos — would rank highly, so I’m glad to see my blind palate confirm my biases. This tequila is produced at NOM 1139, La Alteña, which I’m not sure is capable of making a bad tequila. The agave goes through a meticulous hand harvesting process with the bud of male plants removed. Tapatio claims the bud “adversely affects the flavor of tequila,” and we’re inclined to believe the, as Tapatio tastes particularly great.
The agave is slow-cooked in stone masonry ovens, roller mill extracted, and fermented in open air wood vats for 72 to 96 hours.
Nose: Rich roasted agave notes mingle with wet grass and some citrus zest.
Palate: That citrus dominates the palate as flavors of sweet key lime and grapefruit collide. Under all the fruity notes I taste a bit of herbaceousness and tobacco.
Finish: A peppery finish that slowly intesifies. It brings you in for another sip.
The Bottom Line:
Grassy and herbaceous. One of the finest additive-free tequilas in any price range.
Additive Free? Yes, certified by Tequila Matchmaker.
The Tequila:
Tequila Ocho has appeared on a bunch of our lists this year, so it should probably go without saying, it’s one of our favorite tequila brands right now. Because of that, I was certain this was going to take the top spot, but it looks like my palate went another way.
Ocho is made from agave hand-harvested between 7-10 years, slow cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours, rested for a full day, and roller mill crushed. The liquid is then fermented in wood vats and twice distilled.
The Bottom Line:
An absolute steal at this price point. One of the best tequilas you’ll drink in any price range.
2. Jose Cuervo Reserva De La Familia — Reposado (Taste 1)
If you’ve written off Jose Cuervo as bottom-of-the-barrel stuff, you’re making a mistake. Yes, you’re not going to find Cuervo’s Especial series on any of our best bottle lists, but the brand’s premium Reserva De La Familia line is top-to-bottom great. For this blind taste test, we went with the Reposado.
This tequila is made from the inner portions of hand-harvested agave that is cooked at the La Rojeña distillery for 48 hours. Each bottle is numbered, dated, and wax-sealed by hand. To reach the repo state, the tequila rests in three different oak barrels over two years.
This bottle performed very well in this taste test, it’s one of the more expensive bottles and I can definitely taste some additives here, but not in an overpowering way. If there was ever proof that additives can be done in tequila without totally ruining it, this bottle is it!
The Bottom Line:
For the price, it comes across as luxurious while offering that smoothness and easy drinkability that’ll impress more casual tequila drinkers.
Additive Free? Yes, certified by Tequila Matchmaker.
The Tequila:
No surprise that this one performed well. My tastebuds are geared toward Mijenta, the brand is one of my favorites. The purity is unparalleled when compared to the other bottles in this list. There is a bright, agave-forward, ever-shifting flavor here that makes it a true joy to sip on.
Mijenta is produced at NOM 1412, Destiladora de Los Altos, using agave harvested from the highlands of Jalisco, cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, and roller mill extracted before being fermented in stainless steel tanks and distilled in a stainless steel pot.
The Bottom Line:
Natural, agave forward, and complex. This is additive-free at its best — outkicking its coverage by a country mile.
USA Basketball is wrapping up its pre-Olympic training camp in Las Vegas. Once they’re done there, the team will head to Abu Dhabi and London for a few more exhibitions, and then, it’s off to Paris, where Team USA will try to win a gold medal for the fifth Olympics in a row.
Before they’re done in Vegas, the team has to play an exhibition against Canada, which are one of the teams with the best shot at knocking them off of their perch atop the sport — and it’s coming on what has been a difficult day for the team, as it was announced one member of the roster, Kawhi Leonard, would leave the squad and get replaced by Derrick White. Like many high-profile events in Las Vegas, there are some big names in attendance, which includes former President of the United States Barack Obama, a well-documented basketball fan who was able to get courtside seats for the game.
Obama got a little face-to-face time with the team and its coaching staff before the game, and a video hit the internet of him saying hello to everyone. You almost certainly know what is coming, but the clip led to seemingly everyone on Twitter making the same joke.
It’s been 41 years since McDonald’s first launched the chicken nugget, and here we are in 2024 still obsessed over them. That’s partly because nuggets have come a long way, what was once a mixture of overly processed mystery meats is now — at most fast food chains at least — 100% white meat chicken.
The best chicken nuggets are juicy, tender, and wonderfully dippable. They function not just as a meal (with a side of fries and a drink of course) but also as one of the best side items on any menu.
You can’t say the same about chicken tenders. That’s why zeroing in on the best chicken nuggets in all of fast food is important to us. With fast food prices rising, and more options than ever before, we want to help ensure that you are eating only the best of the best and getting the most bang for your buck. So we’ve rounded up as many nuggets as we could find — 25 — and put them all to a taste test to help shout out the best chicken nuggets of 2024.
Some of these nuggets are new to fast food menus, and some are tried and true classics. Here are the absolute best of the best.
25. Dairy Queen — Rotisserie-Style Chicken Bites
Dairy Queen
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
I usually feel bad about whatever ranks dead last in our food rankings, but I don’t feel bad about this one. These are, objectively, awful. Dry as a bone, seasoned with salt and a bitter onion powder flavor, with a strangely fake rosemary aftertaste.
It’s no surprise that only select DQ’s across the country actually hold these things. They are probably only on the menu to cash in on the keto diet craze from a few years ago.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Country Gravy is the only move that makes sense here.
The Bottom Line:
Order almost anything else from Dairy Queen and you’ll have a better experience. Even if you follow a strict keto diet, eat somewhere else.
I wanted these to be better than they are because the Jack in the Box menu can never get enough sides, but these fall flat for me. The breading is light and crispy, which I love, and its well seasoned with a mix of black pepper and garlic powder, but the chicken itself is absolutely flavorless.
The meat has a strange wet texture, which acts as an even bigger disincentive to eat it than the flavor itself.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Frank’s Red Hot. Dose them as heavily as possible.
The Bottom Line:
Flavorless meat with a weird wet texture. Avoid at all costs.
We’ve already named two nuggets that I would flatly say are bad, but here we are on our second nugget and I’m pleased to say these are pretty good. Turns out the floor for how bad chicken nuggets get isn’t that low!
These nuggets are crispy, a bit moist, and have a nice fragrant black pepper-forward flavor. They are also HUGE. That makes them a problem to dip, as they soak up a lot of sauce, but it’s nothing that asking for extra sauce won’t remedy.
While I like these they are far from the best side order from Sonic. Chili cheese tots, jalapeño poppers, and mozzarella sticks would all rank much higher than these for me personally.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Sonic’s Signature sauce will add a bright and citrusy flavor with a bit of tang, and the slighest hint of sweet smoke.
22. Sonic — Honey BBQ Sauced Jumbo Popcorn Chicken
Sonic
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
Better than the non-sauced version but just barely. If you’re not into sweet flavors, you might find this one a bit off-putting as the BBQ sauce leans heavily on the sugary side. Aside from that sweetness, you have a bit of black pepper, and a slight sense of smokeiness, but the lasting flavor is straight sugar.
Best Dipping Sauce?
They’re already sauced to hell, so no dipping sauce is necessary. But if you must, ranch is an option.
The Bottom Line:
As I said before, Sonic has plenty of better snack options. Get mozzarella sticks!
Somehow Burger King’s chicken nuggets are incredibly dry and yet soft and easy to chew through. The meat comes across as dehydrated. What I do like is the flavor, it’s zesty, salty and peppery. If we could just get some higher quality meat, these could easily be ranked much higher.
Best Dipping Sauce?
BBQ. It’s not only Burger King’s best dipping sauce, but the best BBQ sauce in all of fast food. We stand by that.
The Bottom Line:
If you can get past the weird texture, these are pretty good.
I’m just going to say it — Sonic has too many damn nugget flavors. While I like these nuggets, three subtle variations are two too many! This nugget is tossed in Buffalo sauce which adds a tangy, spicy, and savory quality to the stock nuggets.
Are they entirely necessary? No, but they’re better than the two other versions, so I guess that’s something.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ranch to capture that hot wings experience.
The Bottom Line:
Sonics best chicken nugget flavor, whatever that’s worth.
I like these. The breading is crispy yet strangely dusty with a great pepper and garlic blend. The chicken itself is tender and juicy. My only issue is that Rally’s only sells these as part of a half-pound box with fries. When you have that many nuggets, they quickly overstay their welcome.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce for a spicy kick.
The Bottom Line:
Pretty good but we wish Rally’s would offer a smaller size as it’s easy to get sick of these once you’ve had more than five.
If you can get passed the odd shape, these are good. The breading is seasoned with a nice mix of pepper, onion, and garlic, housing some heavily processed white meat chicken. They aren’t going to win any awards for quality, but I can’t deny the flavor, they’re strangely addicting.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Zesty Zing Sauce. It’s a mustard-based sauce that adds a tangy and sweet flavor into the mix.
The Bottom Line:
Good but disturbing. Whoever told White Castle that ring-shaped chicken was a good idea must’ve been high out of their mind.
I’ll admit it, I’m ranking these way too high. Why am I okay with a star-shaped chicken and not a ring-shaped chicken? I couldn’t tell you, but I love the flavor here. These nuggets are bright, slightly buttery, and incredibly crispy. Yes, the chicken inside is weird and spongey, it’s clearly a meat slurry which is one of the most distasteful combinations of words ever, but for whatever strange reason, I like ‘em!
Are they top ten material? Not a f*cking chance, but they are a guilty pleasure that I make no apology for enjoying.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Buffalo Hot Sauce adds a buttery tang and heat into the mix that makes these nuggets truly addictive.
The Bottom Line:
If your instincts are pushing you away from star-shaped chicken, we feel that. But if you can look past the shape and weird meat texture, these are strangely addictive.
Arby’s nuggets are surprisingly good. I don’t love the breading, its powdery, dry, and only seasoned with black pepper and salt, but the quality of the meat here is significantly better than all the chicken proceeding it in this ranking.
True to its name, the chicken is premium. It tears, tastes, and looks like actual white meat chicken, rather than a low-quality meat slurry.
But just because it’s a step up from the stuff ranked lower, it’s far from being amazing.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Bronco sauce. It adds a fruity apple and cherry note to the mix which might sound strange, but the sweet notes make for a great pairing with the savory flavor of the chicken.
The Bottom Line:
Arby’s best chicken option. That’s not saying that much, but hey, it’s something.
I like Wendy’s nuggets, but we’re back in meat slurry territory here, so if you like whole pieces of a single cut of chicken look elsewhere. These nuggets have a floral and earthy black pepper flavor with a buttery finish. They’re crispy and wonderful to dunk.
A good nugget, but far from great.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ghost pepper ranch brings some much needed heat to these buttery nuggets.
The Bottom Line:
Good, but Wendy’s has several better nugget options.
Introduced to the Burger King menu this year, BK’s Fiery Buffalo Nuggets are a significant step up from the brand’s old sauce-less nuggets. Thanks to a toss of buffalo sauce, these nuggets have a strong and pungent aroma that tastes tangy and peppery.
If you love buffalo sauce, these are a must.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Ranch will add a savory herbal quality to this dish.
Too high for McDonald’s McNuggets? Maybe, but when these things are perfectly cooked, they’re wonderfully addicting.
When fresh, these nuggets are airy and crispy, with a salty flavor that is backed by some white pepper. The crispy exterior stays crispy no matter how much you dip it, which can’t be said for most of the nuggets on this list. But quality control at McDonald’s is rough stuff.
When you get an order of nuggets that isn’t fresh, what you get is stale and flavorless. Because of that, we have to bump these nuggets a few placements back.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Sweet and Sour adds some nice tang to these nuggets.
The Bottom Line:
The nugget that started it all! It’s very good, but not quite great.
This year Wendy’s launched four new sauce-tossed nuggets and they’re all pretty damn good. Our least favorite is the Honey BBQ.
My issue here is since BBQ sauce is already an available dipping sauce, this isn’t bringing much new to the table. You could get this same experience by simply dipping the nuggets in a side of BBQ, so I guess if you’re too lazy to do that, just order these.
The flavor is a well-balanced floral honey sweetness with a smokey aftertaste.
When compared to fried chicken nuggets, grilled nuggets are never going to perform that well, we already know going in that this is an uphill battle. Which is a shame because these are f*cking delicious.
They’re juicy and packed with flavor, I’m tasting black pepper, a hint of lemon, and some lightly charred notes.
They’re designed for people on a keto diet but if you’re just looking to cut calories and carbs and aren’t dogmatic about any diet rules, these are a delicious option and are even better when dipped in sauce.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Polynesian is your best choice. It’ll elevate this delicious nugget with a sweet, tangy, and citrusy top note.
The meat on these nuggets is great. Tender, flavorful, minimally processed, and super meaty, but the breading leaves something to be desired. Instead of a crispy crunch, you get a weird powdery texture that is too heavily seasoned with black pepper.
If The Habit changed how they batter this chicken, it would do a lot to rank higher for us.
Best Dipping Sauce?
BBQ will give you some smoke and tang, which will help distract from the weird powdery texture.
We’d be mad at Wendy’s for having too many subtle variations on nuggets if they weren’t all good, but luckily for all of us, they are!
The Buffalo nuggets give a bright, zesty, and tangy flavor with a buttery savoriness that is easy to fall in love with. Here is the thing though, if you like your buffalo sauce spicy, this doesn’t quite deliver. If you can look past that, there is a lot to love here.
I like these a lot because for a while they were the spiciest nuggets you could order in all of fast food. A single bite will ignite your palate with a strong cayenne pepper kick joined by fragrant black pepper notes. The texture is crispy but like a lot of the lesser nuggets on this ranking, the meat is heavily processed.
Because of that, we have to knock it back a few spots.
Best Dipping Sauce?
As I said with the non-spicy version, you’re going to want to go with Ghost Pepper Ranch here.
The Bottom Line:
For a heavily processed chicken nugget, it’s damn good.
Let’s just be real, all boneless wings are just nuggets, anytime a brand uses the word “wings,” it’s probably to justify charging too much for what you’re getting. Price aside, I really like the chicken here, that shouldn’t come as a, I mean it’s Popeyes we’re talking about.
The breading is wonderful, it’s crispy, light, and crunchy with a blend of garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The chicken inside is the perfect level of juicy, making each one of these nuggets a true joy to eat.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Blackened Ranch for a bit of heat and tang.
The Bottom Line:
It’s not Popeyes’ best chicken offering, but it’s damn good.
If you’re hoping this is the final Wendy’s entry in this ranking, we’ve got bad news for you, it’s not!
On the bright side, these are delicious and you should absolutely order them as soon as you can. I’m tasting a mix of pungent garlic and nutty, tangy, fruity Parmesan flavors with some Italian herbs on the aftertaste. Imagine the sort of breading usually reserved for a mozzarella stick, but with chicken inside instead of cheese.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Marinara would be ideal, but Wendy’s doesn’t have that. So I’m going to say ranch or bleu cheese.
The Bottom Line:
Herbal, zesty, and tangy, one of the best sauced nuggets in the game.
Okay, here it is, the final Wendy’s nugget entry on this list. These nuggets are amazing, especially if you’re a spice lover.
The heat begins smokey before shifting into a bright fruity flavor that combines chive and garlic with a strong cayenne pepper kick. Most of the heat builds between bites, which will draw you in for another taste as you look to relieve the heat on your palate. I absolutely love these.
Best Dipping Sauce?
There is too much flavor going on here, so no sauce required.
The Bottom Line:
One of the most exciting new additions to the Wendy’s menu in some time.
Shake Shack takes what McDonald’s does well — a crispy light cornstarch-based breading, and couples it with tender pieces of whole muscle white meat chicken that is sous-vide cooked. It’s essentially an elevated McNugget.
The chicken is seasoned with a mix of garlic, onion powder, and black pepper and has an incredible melt-in-your-mouth quality. I don’t have any issues or gripes with these nuggets, they’re delicious, but they aren’t my favorite.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Shake Sauce will add some sweetness and tang, while accentuating the savory qualities.
The Bottom Line:
Great, a snobby elevated version of the Chicken McNugget.
3. KFC — Original Recipe Chicken Nuggets
KFC
Tasting Notes & Thoughts:
This is probably the highest KFC will ever rank in one of our fast food rankings, but what can I say, I’m a sucker for KFC’s Original Recipe. I’m tasting a mix of garlic, onion, thyme, and black pepper with a tender and juicy texture.
No complaints here!
Best Dipping Sauce?
Honey BBQ. It adds a sweet counterpoint to the flavor profile which enhances the experience.
The Bottom Line:
A near-perfect nugget. The only thing holding it back is that it’s not quite as good as what we’ve ranked above it.
Last year we named Chick-fil-A’s chicken nuggets the best in fast food. I’m sorry to Chick-fil-A, but it didn’t pan out that way in 2024, but these are still very very good.
The nuggets are meaty, juicy, and tender with breading that combines onion, garlic powder, black pepper, and an earthy floral paprika smokiness. There is a savory tangy to the breading here, and the meat inside is tender and juicy.
The only issue here is that the nuggets lack crunch. They can be a bit too soggy. If crunch isn’t important to you, then these nuggets are some of the very best. But if you want a crispy nugget, look to our top choice.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Like with the grilled nuggets, we’re going to say the best option here is Polynesian.
The Bottom Line:
Far above anything ranked below, but not quite as good as our number one choice.
This has everything that Chick-fil-A’s nuggets have, they’re tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, but the blend of seasonings present in the batter takes things up to another level. We’re tasting a lot of garlic, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and earthy paprika, as well a bigger emphasis on smoked flavors, with a cayenne pepper kick.
Spicy will always trump non-spicy for me, and at Dave’s you have the option of ordering these either “Medium” or “Hot.’ Both options are spicy, but if you really want that mouth-watering heat, you have to go with the hot option.
Dave’s Chicken Bites are the newest nugget on the scene, introduced to menus in 2024, so maybe its the recency bias talking, but right now these are my go-to chicken nuggets.
Best Dipping Sauce?
Eat these with the sauce Dave’s supplies you with. It’s a comeback-style sauce that adds some tang and accentuates the savory flavor of this chicken perfectly.
The Bottom Line:
Our choice for the best chicken nugget in fast food for 2024.
Les Ardentes Festival means business. The festival will employ seven stages to handle all of the star power descending upon Liège, Belgium from Thursday, July 11, to Sunday, July 14. The 2024 lineup features DJ Snake, Gunna, Offset, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Central Cee, Don Toliver, Nicki Minaj, Yeat, and so many more.
Check out the Les Ardentes Festival set times you need to know below, and find the full schedule exclusively on the Les Ardentes Festival app.
Here Are The Les Ardentes Festival Set Times For 2024
Set times are listed in local time and subject to change.
Thursday, July 11
Destroy Lonely is set to perform from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and the same stage (Big Eye) will host Gunna from 7:50 p.m. to 8:50 p.m. and Offset from 10:10 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. DJ Snake will close the night from 11:20 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Friday, July 12
Rosie will jumpstart the day from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Sexyy Red is due to perform from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., followed by 21 Savage from 10:20 p.m. to 11:20 p.m. and Doja Cat from 11:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m.
Saturday, July 13
Ayra Starr will perform from 4:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. to set the tone for Zola (6:40 p.m. to 7:40 p.m.), Don Toliver (9:10 p.m. to 10:20 p.m.), and Central Cee (11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.) on the Phoenix stage.
Sunday, July 14
Yeat is due on Big Eye from 10:15 p.m. to 11:15 p.m., flowing right into Nicki Minaj punctuating the weekend from 11:30 p.m. to 12:45 a.m. on the Phoenix stage.
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. It’s a tough week for sneaker fans. In the sneaker world, holidays are a real toss-up. Sometimes you’ll get special releases of coveted colorway refreshes, or special collaborations (think Christmas and Valentine’s Day), but occasionally, a holiday comes around where brands can’t come up with a good hook to sell shoes. The Fourth of July is one of those holidays.
What are brands to do? Re-drop all the most popular silhouettes in a red, white, and blue colorway? Save for Nike Cortez fans, no one wants that! So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this week is one of the weakest in all of 2024 for dope sneaker drops.
But, it’s the SNX commitment that we cover the best shoes to drop every single week. And we mean every. Single. Week. All 52 in a year. With that said, here are the best sneakers dropping this week and where to buy them.
KITH x New Balance Malibu MS 1300
Kith
Price: $150
This week the streetwear brand KITH opened up a new flagship store in Malibu California and to celebrate the occasion, the brand linked up with New Balance for a special two sneaker collection dubbed simply “Malibu.”
First up is the MS 1300 which features a canvas upper with suede overlays and leather accents in two colorways, and rides atop an ENCAP and ABZORB midsole. Both colorways build off a light beige base and differ with either tan or grey overlays.
The KITH x New Balance Malibu MS 1300 is out now. Pick up a pair at KITH’s Malibu flagship, the KITH app, or your favorite aftermarket site.
Kith
KITH x New Balance Malibu 580
Kith
Price: $150
The Malibu 580 features the same build as the 1300 — canvas, suede, and leather, and is also available in two colorways but rides on an ABZORB and C-Cap midsole. The look of both the 580 and 1300 is inspired by the Malibu flagship store’s design, which is why they utilize the same color palette.
Both sneakers look dope, and it’s interesting that of all the silhouettes New Balance chose the 1300 and 580 for this collaboration. Hopefully, that means we’ll get new colorways of the two silhouettes going forward.
The KITH x New Balance Malibu 580 is out now. Pick up a pair at KITH’s Malibu flagship, the KITH app, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Kith
Adidas D.O.N. Issue 6 Camp
Adidas
Price:$120
If you’re after something loud, brash, and in your face, you’re not going to find another shoe that satisfies that need like the D.O.N. Issue 6 Camp. Donovan Mitchell’s Adidas signature sports a textile upper with a mesh insert, internal bootie construction, Lightstrike cushioning, and an impossible-to-ignore mix of bright pink, red, purple, blue, and neon green colors.
I like to think that when it comes to basketball shoes, people take two routes. The understated but timeless Jordan route, where the shoes look pretty tame, or the LeBron route, where weird colorways and design details combine to make something that draws eyes, for better or worse.
The D.O.N. falls into that former camp. I’m kidding, obviously this is taking from the LeBron go-loud-or-go-home playbook.
The Adidas D.O.N. Issue 6 is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair at Adidas or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Pro skater Tyshawn Jones has one of the best signature skate shoes from Adidas and that’s because Jones looked deep into the Adidas archives to craft his shoe. I’m not the biggest fan of Adidas’ more modern offerings, but the brand has one of the best rosters of silhouettes hiding out in its vaults.
The Tyshawn II combines some of Jones’ favorite Adidas silhouettes for a stylish yet functional skate shoe that features a leather upper, a textile lining, and Lightstrike cushioning. The toe box features dual-layered construction for extra durability, while the sneaker’s multidirectional cupsole tread is designed to provide impact cushioning.
The Tyshawn II is a sneaker designed to take the abuse of street skating while at the same time looking great. It’s both fashionable and functional, making it one of the best modern skate shoes.
The Adidas Tyshawn II is out now for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair at Adidas or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
AdidasAdidas
New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 Quarry Blue (W)/ Heron Blue v4 (M)
Now that New Balance is on the rise and is being worn more and more by the street’s most fashionable dressers, it’s easy to forget that the brand used to be known less for its high-profile collaborations, and more for offering functional running sneakers. The FuelCell Rebel v4 harkens back to the brand’s roots.
The sneaker features FuelCell foam technology, which is designed to help give runners a propulsive jolt while running, with a wide midsole that provides lift, comfort, and impact protection, with a mesh upper for a lightweight feel.
The new drop sports a women’s and men’s exclusive colorway, both in different shades of blue. It would’ve been nice to see a full-size run for both colorways, but at least this will add some colorway diversity, which is a nice feature if you’re part of a group running club.
The New Balance FuelCell Rebel v4 Quarry Blue/ Heron Blue is out now for a retail price of $139.99 Pick up a pair at New Balance.
Jonas explained that he’d worked on a song initially intended for a Jonas Brothers album, but he “was listening to it, and I was like, ‘Damn, I really like this song,’ and starting to feel like I don’t know why, but I want this song for myself — not just the Brothers — and I also feel like it’s not DNCE, which is another band I’m in.”
He continued, “I asked my brothers’ blessings, and I was like, hey, I wanna go work on — I don’t wanna call it solo, but I want to go do something on my own, and I don’t feel like it’s DNCE, and I need to go just express some stuff for myself. And they’re like, ‘Go for it.’ Nick booked a movie. Kevin was going to do another season of Claim To Fame, and so I had a window of time, and I locked myself away.”
Jonas noted that he worked with Alexander 23, Muna’s Josette Maskin (another former Uproxx cover star), Jason Evigan, Tommy English, Paris Carney, and other “great friends of mine.”
The 34-year-old said his upcoming solo album came together in two-to-three weeks, and it will be “the most personal music I’ve ever put out.” Jonas didn’t reveal a specific release date for the album, but he estimated that it will arrive “later this year,” and he plans to “probably release a few more songs before the album comes out.”
It will all begin with “Work It Out,” which was co-written with Blush and Evigan. Jonas played the song’s chorus for the first time with Shane. Jonas sings, in part, “Get up, get up, get up, get up / What are you whining about? / No, nobody’s gonna save you now / No, nobody’s gonna pull you out / Brush your shoulders off.”
Watch the full Therapuss episode above, and check out Jonas’ posts announcing “Work It Out” below.
On Wednesday, July 10, NLE Choppa used the song to soundtrack a TikTok showing him dancing alongside the written message, “I got a crush on Billie Elish [sic].” NLE posted another TikTok in which he’s dancing to “Sl*t Me Out 2” because he’s so “boredddd” before posting one showing him awkwardly attempting to stretch his leg out and flailing like a disappointed child when he lacked any flexibility whatsoever and failed. “If I shoot my shot at Billie and it don’t work out,” the TikTok reads.
NLE Choppa also addressed on commenter asking, “What happened to Sophie Rain?” That TikTok displayed the message “Locked in with Sophie til I rest in peace” while soundtracked by NLE’s “Stickin And Movin.”
In late June, NLE Choppa and influencer Sophie Rain posted two TikToks lip-syncing to “Sl*t Me Out 2,” which have since been viewed a collective 27.2 million times. (This is officially the most 2024 post ever.)
The Copa America final is set. After Argentina punched its ticket on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over Canada, Colombia and Uruguay went head-to-head in Charlotte on Wednesday. It was billed as potential classic and lived up to the hype, as Jefferson Lerma scored a goal in the 39th minute off of a James Rodriguez corner kick to give the Colombians a 1-0 win.
The game itself got tense early on, which is not unusual for high-profile Copa America games. And just before the half, Daniel Muñoz got a red card that meant Colombia had to scratch and claw for the game’s final 45 minutes. Things were chippy throughout, and after the game, some players and staffers got into it on the field.
That had nothing on what happened in the stands. While it’s unclear what sparked things, a collection of Uruguayan players were not happy with Colombian fans. There was some beer thrown, there were players going into the stands themselves, and Liverpool forward Darwin Núñez threw punches.
Uruguay players have entered the stands and a fight has broken out between fans and players pic.twitter.com/XRbte2ibiy
After defeat to Colombia, Uruguayan players entered the stands at Bank of America Stadium and began to throw punches. Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez amongst those at the forefront. pic.twitter.com/VE3unKObSa
Again, it’s unclear what led to things popping off like this, because while emotions ran high during the game, it never exactly seemed like players felt compelled to run into the stands and start fighting opposing fans. We’ll keep you posted if any information comes out about what sparked things.
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