Nearly four years after Regé-Jean Page departed from Bridgerton, he still fields questions on whether Simon “The Duke” Basset could resurface. Of course, Page famously left the smash Netflix series after the first season to pursue a movie career (Dungeons & Dragons, The Gray Man, and Black Bag, currently in theaters), a move that initially left fans outraged, although they were actually just fine with a slightly less sexy second season. All three existing seasons are still sitting in Netflix’s Top 10 Seasons Of All Time list, so clearly, the decision didn’t hurt any involved parties.
As time wore forth, Page’s responses on his departure began by calling the role “a pleasure and a privilege” and moved into reminding people that The Duke was actually “horrific” and “a Regency f*ckboy” before his redemption arc. Still, Page is currently doing press for Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag, so the question has come up.
Will Regé-Jean Page Ever Return To Bridgerton?
Negative. As Page told Entertainment Tonight, “It’s not something I’ve thought about very much.” Still, he is “very happy to support everyone who’s in the show,” and he is “super happy” that “everyone’s finding fantastic success but with the show and personal projects.”
Bridgerton‘s fourth season will likely return in 2026. The show’s new romantic focus will be upon “bohemian” sibling Benedict Bridgerton (Luke Thompson) and his courtship with Sophie Baek (Yerin Ha). The fourth season description includes the following:
Despite his elder and younger brothers both being happily married, Benedict is loath to settle down. That is, until an enthralling woman captures Benedict’s attention at Violet Bridgerton’s (Ruth Gemmell) masquerade ball. While Benedict knows his love interest as only the Lady in Silver, she’s actually Sophie, a resourceful maid with her own secrets and dreams.
The ensemble cast of returning characters includes former focus couples Anthony and Kate (Jonathan Bailey and Simone Ashley) and Colin and Penelope (Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan). As for The Duke and his crusty blankets, those memories will last forever.
Midway through Playboi Carti’s raucous, utterly unhinged headlining set at Rolling Loud California, the music cut out, and a voice boomed, “Everybody, take three steps back!”
It isn’t entirely surprising that a crowd control situation unfolded during the unrestrained set. But it’s kind of telling that the reason for the set stopping — a few fans passed out in the front row — was revealed via a live stream from Kai Cenat, who was onstage with Carti while all this was happening.
This is the era we live in now; we’re livestreaming events from the stage that are being streamed by the festival itself, while practically the entire crowd also streams. We’re in the information overload era, and Playboi Carti is the perfect artist for the moment.
If you felt overstimulated during Carti’s set, which featured flamethrowers periodically going off, strobe lights, smoke machines, lasers, and seemingly as many people on the stage as there were in the crowd, congratulations: You’re old enough to remember a world before we had screens in our pockets, screens on our laps, screens on our desks, and screens on our walls, all going at the same time, and all showing us different things.
But for Carti’s audience, this is all just par for the course; at any given moment, there are about a half dozen global disasters, at least a handful of local ones, and more than one persistent personal problem vying for their attention at the same time, all a notification, a finger swipe, a DM, or an algorithmic update away. All. The. Time.
No wonder they just want to rage.
The reason Carti captures the imagination, the reason he’s the go-to features artist despite the artists who request his presence not even knowing what he’s saying in his verses (if you can call his utterances “verses” in the technical sense), is he knows how to harness all this chaos — and he understands that the only way to speak to it is with disruptive, expressionist performances like this one.
Maybe the only way to cut through all the noise is to be noisier than everything demanding our attention. To overload your senses with stimuli, to the point you have to seek him out in the maelstrom just to have a singular point of focus. It certainly seems to have helped the reception to Carti’s new album Music, which he finally released after months of delays, seemingly on a whim. His Rolling Loud set was its official live debut.
Full disclosure: I caught the set from the comfort of my couch via the official Rolling Loud livestream on TV, with the volume turned down as low as I could get it and still hear. I’m about 75% convinced something in my body would have given out entirely if I’d witnessed all this live, overwhelmed by the lights and music and people on stage (I saw Kai, and Chow Lee, and the rest of Carti’s Opium crew, and Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq, and I think Nettspend, and a dozen others who are all moving around too much to keep track of). The Weeknd even popped out for a bit to sing along(?) to the two artists’ collaboration “Timeless.”
I get it: I’m Batman, these new kids are Bane. I knew a world before the unhinged world of YouTube and SoundCloud and a half-dozen video apps and Find My Phone and daily “look at me” governmental chaos. Carti’s for those who were born into this bedlam. They’ve got the requisite tools — or maybe they lack them — to be able to process all this and find something to relate to within it.
It’s a primal scream for a world in which nothing much we do seems like it’ll make an impact — and honestly, I’m as impressed by Playboi Carti as I am a little scared of him and his followers. He’s hit a specific note, found an aggressive channel that can actually cut through and leave a lasting impression. He makes the music of the moment. It’s Carti’s world. We’re all just residents.
There was a lot riding on ASAP Rocky’s return to Rolling Loud in Inglewood, California on Saturday night. He’s had a rough couple of years. He’s been pushing a new album, Don’t Be Dumb, since late 2022, but has dealt with delay after delay, to the point he recently acknowledged that “people are tired of hearing about updates about the album.”
With expectations so high, it’s fitting that Rocky sought to rise above them all — both figuratively and literally — as he closed the festival where he’s always seemed most at home.
Say what you want about his last album — 2018’s Testing, which was less well-received than he’d have liked — or the seemingly interminable wait for his new one, but Rocky has always delivered when it comes to performances, and Rolling Loud 2025 was no exception.
In addition to performing a handful of new songs (presumably from the upcoming album), Rocky offered the sort of spectacle fans have come to expect from his ambitious sets. From storming stages with an army of crash dummies to bluntly referencing his encounter with the Swedish prison system, Rocky has always used his live show to keep his name buzzing near the upper echelons of rap. That’s despite a much lower pace of new releases than some of his contemporaries, which include Big Sean, Drake, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Wale, among others.
And with his return to Rolling Loud — and the public stage, writ large, after spending so much time avoiding the spotlight and making babies with Rihanna — he had to elevate his game. So, performing the first three songs of his set from a helicopter suspended over the stage makes for a great way of doing just that (and maybe even subtly referencing his partner’s Super Bowl performance, which also saw her defying gravity like a certain green witch of the west).
But there’s no way Rocky would have ever been satisfied with so much distance between him and the crowd. After rappelling down to the stage, he pulled out all the stops, inviting a massive crew of backup dancers to bring the energy — not that he needed the help. It was just the sort of performance that helped boost newcomers like Doechii into the spotlight, and launch peers like Kendrick Lamar into the pop culture stratosphere over the last year.
Such a performance sets the table for Rocky to relaunch his campaign for Don’t Be Dumb. Whether or not anticipation for the album waned as Rocky feared, his headlining set at the premiere hip-hop festival puts him squarely back in the limelight, while the new songs he previewed suggest a return to form on the music side of things, too. Thanks to his Rolling Loud set, the only thing that could stop ASAP Rocky now is ASAP Rocky.
Elsewhere on the first day, performers like Sexyy Red, Peso Pluma, and Larry June gave fans what they wanted, while a redesigned festival ground opened up some interesting possibilities with scheduling. Having the Zig-Zag and D’usse stages side-by-side allowed fans who wanted to take in more underground artists the ability to do so without having to traverse the festival grounds, while swapping the VIP section to the east side of the GoPuff main stage opened the section up with more space and allowed GA fans better views of the stage (getting INTO the VIP was kind of a pain though, thanks to its entrance at the opposite end from the stage).
And speaking of high expectations… Gelo impressed as much as anyone. A late addition to the festival lineup propelled by the viral reception of his unexpectedly good debut single “Tweaker,” Gelo proved he had more where “Tweaker” came from, debuting a new song that prompted an enthused reaction from the crowd with a similar, throwback sound to his breakout hit. The hooper turned rapper really might be the dark horse pick for breakout of the year.
Meanwhile, other, like the food truck lane off to the side of the main avenue and the smokers’ pavilion, provided a comforting continuity with prior editions of the festival. Rolling Loud continues to make effective use of the Hollywood Park venue, and while I would have personally preferred the entrances retain the setup from 2023, these are minor quibbles for a fest that has proven its ability to go above and beyond, delivering a unique festival experience that combines the top names in rap with a glimpse at all of its potential futures.
Kali Uchis fans are thriving. The “Never Be Yours” singer has announced a new studio album, Sincerely, her third in three years following 2023’s Red Moon In Venus and 2024’s Orquídeas.
Uchis hasn’t provided the tracklist or release date for Sincerely yet, but she did share an announcement video on social media that finds her stamping a letter on a candle-night night. She’s initially in her sleep clothes before she effortlessly changes into a stylish dress.
During a recent interview with 10 Magazine, Uchis shared that Sincerely was inspired by a “life-altering event” that she’s not yet ready to publicly disclose. “The album is about the complexities of life and finding ways to find joy in life despite the world,” she said. “Finding ways to appreciate every moment and not take life for granted. Treat every day special. It’s my most existential and honest work. It’s definitely the most beautiful body of work to me, and it’s going to be, for me, the most meaningful and impactful.”
She continued, “Listening back to the album after my life-altering event, I was able to hear so many things in the lyricism that fully encapsulate the way that I feel now. In a strange way, it’s like my soul and spirit were able to predict what was coming next. I’ve been able to heal myself through this album in a lot of ways. But I never knew that I was creating it for that purpose.”
You can watch the Sincerely announcement video here.
Wake up, babe. Dreamville Festival’s 2025 lineup just dropped! Late last year, J. Cole’s manager Ib Hamad announced the upcoming fifth iteration of his venerated hometown festival would be the last, and it looks like the North Carolina native is sending it out with a bang.
On Saturday, April 5, Lil Wayne, Hot Boys, and Big Tymers are headlining a lineup including 21 Savage, PartyNextDoor, Ludacris, Chief Keef, Keyshia Cole, Young Nudy, and Ab-Soul, while on Sunday, April 6, J. Cole leads a performing roster with Erykah Badu, Tems, GloRilla, Coco Jones, Wale, and BigXthaPlug. Naturally, Dreamville artists Ari Lennox, Bas, Cozz, Earthgang, JID, Lute, and Omen are all on the bill, as well.
Ib’s announcement caught fans off-guard, but didn’t come as too much of a surprise. Since the pandemic, live events have… let’s say “become more complicated to maintain.” The boutique festival lane is pretty crowded, artists are stretched thin, and event crews ain’t what they used to be. And while there’s little evidence that Dreamville Festival wasn’t making money, curating a festival of its size can require a lot of time, energy, and expense — things J. Cole’s fans are probably hoping he dedicates more to getting his album, The Fall Off, out the door after teasing it for something like six or seven years.
Here’s what Ib said:
Thank You North Carolina. Thank you to everyone who’s travelled from all over the last 4 years to enjoy our little family reunion. This Festival is something a lot of people have been working very hard to bring you and it’s honestly been a dream come true seeing the impact.
Tickets for the festival were still on sale as recently as Saturday (March 15), so there’s still time to gain access to the show. You can find more information here.
With Rolling Loud updating its California dates from late autumn to early spring a few years ago, the change in weather brought with it a change in the uniform. While Angelenos tend to bundle up anytime the thermometer drops below 60, the March dates allow for more variety, including the sorts of outfits normally reserved for the summer months — this despite a rainy week preceding the festival. Fortunately, the rain broke before the festival, offering sunny skies, if not the toastiest environment. That didn’t stop attendees from putting their best on and showing out.
From patterned suits to a squad of guys cosplaying the “you know I had to do it to ’em” meme (who later played a part in Ian’s set), here are just some of the best-dressed people we saw at Rolling Loud 2025. You can also check out Uproxx’s coverage of the best bites at Rolling Loud 2025 here.
It’s been four years since Justin Bieber‘s last album, Justice. But the “One Less Lonely Girl” singer been active on Instagram Stories lately, including a post on Sunday night (March 16) where he reflected on “drowning” in hate.
“I was always told when I was a kid not to hate. But it made me feel like I wasn’t allowed to have it and so I didn’t tell anyone I’ve had it,” Bieber, who has been public with his health struggles, wrote. “Which made me feel like like I have been drowning feeling unsafe to acknowledge it. I think we can only let hate go by first acknowledging it’s there. How couldn’t we feel hate from all of the hurt we have experienced?”
Bieber previously posted that he feels “unequipped and unqualified most days” and that “nothing is owed to us and we dont owe anyone anything.” According to People, this was a possible reference to “fans’ growing concerns about his health… Justin — who welcomed son, Jack Blues, with wife Hailey Baldwin Bieber, in August — first sparked concerns over his health after fans noticed alleged changes in his physical appearance and behavior in February.”
A representative for Bieber dismissed the rumors of possible drug use as “exhausting and pitiful,” adding that “people are committed to keeping negative, salacious, harmful narratives alive.”
It’s time yet again to celebrate the foremost patron saint of Ireland, which can only mean one thing: it’s Saint Patrick’s Day!
It’s a time of parades and festivals, Irish traditional music, and general celebrations of Irish culture that naturally extend to the enjoyment of Irish whiskey. Just to touch on a brief history lesson, the word “whiskey” that we use today to identify our favorite alcoholic beverage originally came from the Irish Gaelic word uisce beatha, meaning ‘water of life.’ As one of the earliest distilled drinks in Europe, cropping up around the 12th century, the entire global whiskey industry owes much to the pioneering of Irish distillers.
Today, north of 40 distilleries are in operation in Ireland, with global behemoths like Jameson and Tullamore D.E.W. standing out as two of the most familiar. In the spirit of exploration and appreciation for the variety wrought by Irish whiskey producers, we’ve rounded up the absolute best Irish whiskeys at every price point to help you celebrate the country’s culture.
As any good Irishman would tell you, these drinks are to be enjoyed heartily but responsibly, which can be a challenge given how delicious each of them is. No matter, today we’re raising a glass to Saint Patrick’s contributions, and with this list, you can rest assured that you’re doing so in style.
These are the best Irish whiskeys for Saint Patrick’s Day!
Slane Irish Whiskey is a blend that comes from a triple cask process that utilizes virgin oak, seasoned Tennessee whiskey barrels, and Oloroso sherry casks. Once the whiskey is fully matured, the liquid in those three different barrels is blended together to create this expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one opens with some faint butterscotch that’s buoyed by an oily, nutty note, Sherry, dried strawberries, and hay. It’s a pretty light aroma base but one that comes together with good balance.
Palate: The palate is marked by more butterscotch, light Sherry tones, sweet malt, faint black pepper, and a touch of cacao. The mouthfeel is lean but substantial enough for each of those layers of flavor to establish themselves before it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish is where the Sherry casks have their strongest say as the notes of dried strawberries interact with cinnamon and black pepper before things trail off with one last gasp of sweet malt and dilute butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
Slane Irish Whiskey and its employment of multiple cask varieties open it up to a unique world of flavor you don’t get from most whiskeys in this price range. Because of that distinctive, well-executed flavor profile, this is a bottle that you should definitely target at the <$50 price point.
For this release, Powers touts the use of strict, tight cuts during the distillation process. While all whiskey distillation aims to cut the “hearts” out during the distilling process by using tighter cuts (and thus removing more of the “top” and “tail”), Powers then matures its distillate in American oak casks. Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is slightly evocative of apple cider, with dried apricots, cinnamon bark, and white pepper also featured prominently. On the second pass I picked up notes of clove and white flowers as well.
Palate: Once on the palate, those fruit notes of apples and apricots land on the tongue at first, while white pepper, nutmeg, and white flower flavors curtail their sweetness. At midpalate, there’s vanilla pod and youthful oak to go with its thinning texture and some green pepper notes that roil the senses to awaken.
Finish: The finish is surprisingly medium-length with almond extract, sweet malt, faint citrus tones, and toasted oak notes drawing each sip to a close.
Bottom Line:
Powers is a straight-line, classic Irish whiskey. ‘Nuff said. This no-nonsense entry-level expression has been a gateway for many enthusiasts to enter the Irish whiskey world. Whether you’re already enamored with the category or simply curious to learn more, there aren’t many finer jumping-off points for St. Paddy’s Day sipping.
This small batch expression is the flagship from the Teeling brand, which utilizes Flor de Cana rum casks as a finishing vessel. While the whiskey itself has no age statement, the finishing process, we’re told, takes place over six months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla beans, coffee beans, and a lush, malty quality make up the aroma base of this impressive small-batch Irish whiskey from Teeling. In time, those cereal grain notes grow in prominence but they’re reined in by red apples, some faint molasses, and star anise.
Palate: Once this liquid passes your lips, it opens with notes of creme brulee, sweet barley, and a slightly floral aspect, giving it a lightness that draws you in. As you chew the whiskey and explore it further, it reveals some dilute butterscotch, clove, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Overall it has really good balance.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and benefits from its medium-bodied mouthfeel as notes of clove, brown sugar, and sweet barley sync with black pepper and a last bit of white flower before it fades.
Bottom Line:
Teeling is one of the most recognizable names in Irish whiskey, and it owes much of that reputation to the high bar set by its small batch offering. The rum cask finish gives this whiskey a sweet edge that initially intrigues and ultimately satisfies.
The Best Irish Whiskey From $50-$100
3. High n Wicked Singular Limited Release No.4 “Aeneas Coffey” Single Grain Irish Whiskey
Initially released in 2022, this single-grain Irish whiskey is unique because it was finished in ex-Tinta Negra Madeira casks. Also, this whiskey was non-chill filtered to preserve as much flavor as possible in the final product.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is super interesting, with cooked dates and Brazil nuts syncing up with a bit of Worcestershire sauce, Golden Delicious apples, and sweet barley. It’s all well-integrated and fun to sniff out over the course of minutes.
Palate: It has a nice, semi-sticky mouthfeel, though it doesn’t come across as oily or thick. The disparate flavors from the nosing notes are all present on the palate, with the taste of dates, black pepper spice, Golden Delicious apples, and a faint nutmeg note standing out.
Finish: The finish here is moderate but takes a slightly savory turn, which helps you to appreciate the sweeter notes that precede it.
Bottom Line:
The finishing cask imparts a ton of expressive flavors into this whiskey, making it one of the more intriguing Irish whiskey options at this price range. Ultimately, that complexity will keep you returning to the glass — looking to unlock more layers of flavor in each sip.
Bushmills 12, made from 100% Irish malted barley, is part of the well-known brand’s core range. Alongside Jameson and Redbreast, Bushmills is perhaps the most widely known Irish whiskey brand, and that’s due to their 237-year legacy of producing high-quality liquid. For this expression, they marry ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso casks together, then finish them in ex-Marsala casks for 6-9 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with dilute honey and bright apple notes with a lovely infusion of faint nutmeg, pears, and vanilla beans, giving this whiskey a distinctly autumnal vibe from the outset.
Palate: Once the liquid crosses your lips and hits your palate, those lovely aromas from the nose spring to life as full-figured flavors on your tongue. Apple chips dipped in honey come to mind at the tip of the tongue before the graininess of Cheerios curtails the sweetness and allows you to appreciate the creamy texture as it barrels toward the finish.
Finish: The finish is short to medium in length and introduces a bit more baking spice, caramel, and dried apple flavors.
Bottom Line:
Bushmills 12 is a beautiful display of balance when using finishing casks, as each of the barrels selected contributes a little bit of oomph to the overall flavor profile. Caramel and faint coconut from the bourbon casks, rich apple notes from the Oloroso, and a slight nuttiness offer a more full-bodied texture with the Marsala casks, making this one ideal for the St. Paddy’s Day holiday.
This peated single-malt Irish whiskey is triple distilled in Dublin, then matured in Sauternes and first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It’s a fun and funky hodgepodge that is bottled without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with that peated barley before the cereal notes take center stage, bringing black pepper, apple chips, clove, and dried apricots to the party. The smoky influence is immediately noticeable but maintains an airiness that allows you to appreciate all of the other aromas, which is a delight.
Palate: Apple chips, dilute honey, black pepper, and peat smoke hit the palate at first when you endeavor to take a sip of this whiskey. From there, it opens up thanks to a creamy texture and a distinct delineation between each flavor note, allowing you to explore each layer at your leisure.
Finish: The finish on Blackpitts is medium-length and more assertively integrates the peat smoke with cereal grains, apricots, vanilla frosting, and grilled apple cores.
Bottom Line:
The secret sauce that elevates this Blackpitts release is adding a subtle touch of peat smoke to Teeling’s already stellar distillate. If you want a smoky Irish whiskey answer to Islay Scotch, look no further than this excellent offering, which delicately balances those peaty notes with subtle stewed stone fruits.
Knappogue Castle draws its name from a castle originally built in the 15th century in County Clare, but the whiskey they’re sending to market comes from County Cork. With every single one of the brand’s expressions sporting an age statement, they’ve got their aim set on connoisseurs more than casual whiskey fans. This 16-year unseated expression spent 14 years aging in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in an Oloroso Sherry butt.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This one has a lovely, fruit-driven nose that makes me think it’s finished. That’s not a knock, as it works with (what I assume are) the base liquid aromas.
Palate: On the palate, it has some nuttiness and red berry sweetness, which indicates its secondary maturation in sherry casks. While the texture isn’t overly viscous, it maintains a buttery mouthfeel that allows that balance of nuttiness and red berries to develop nicely while faint baking spices and freeze-dried orange peels emerge at the periphery.
Finish: The finish is fairly succinct but marked by faint Sherry notes, black pepper spice, toasted almonds, and dilute butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
Knappogue Castle whiskeys are always a great option for people who are looking to take the next step on their Irish whiskey journey beyond your classic Jameson and Bushmills offerings. For our money, the 16-year is the sweet spot where enthusiasts and newcomers alike will find plenty to enjoy.
For this 16-year-old whiskey, Bushmills ages the base spirit in a combination of Oloroso Sherry and bourbon-seasoned casks before going the extra mile of finishing it for about nine months in port wine pipes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honey and port wine come billowing out of the glass once Bushmills 16 is poured, as the aroma of black cherries, raw almonds, and vanilla pods accent the air. There are also gentle hints of menthol, pine, and tobacco leaf to enrich the experience further.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey lives up to the expectations set by the nosing notes as syrupy black cherry notes meld with almond meat and vanilla extract with a slightly oily texture that quickly coats your tongue with rich flavor. There are also hints of pistachio, dark chocolate chunks, and Manuka honey in the mix to keep things interesting.
Finish: The finish is most prominently marked by black pepper, oak, almonds, and non-descript red berries as it slowly tapers off with a medium-length departure that you’ll want to take your time savoring.
Bottom Line:
While there’s a time and a place for every bottle in Bushmills’ core lineup, I find myself reaching for this 16-year expression more than any of the others. With a subtle blend of Sherry and Port influences adding robust sweetness and a nutty backbone to Bushmills’ classic flavor profile, this is a bottle that you should never hesitate to pour — whether you’re celebrating a patron saint or simply having a regular Monday.
Redbreast 15 sits plop in the middle of the brand’s core range, which showcases Irish whiskey at 12, 15, and 18 years of age. Utilizing first fill and refill casks (ex-bourbon and ex-sherry, to be exact), this 15-year expression is where the whiskey really starts hitting its stride.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried chunks of pineapple, Golden Delicious apples, and blueberries form the fruit-forward base of this whiskey, with drizzles of dilute honey, a hint of cedar, sweet malt tones, and white pepper giving it an almost elegant roundness. This is a delightfully balanced whiskey on the nose.
Palate: The palate is a bit toned down in “oomph” and opts instead for finesse. The dried pineapple notes demure into more of a dried apricot flavor on the palate, while the aroma of Golden Delicious apples is also subdued into more of a stewed green apple note. The flavors of honey, sweet malt, and white pepper remain, and they’re joined by a touch of nougat and a faintly metallic note that streaks up the mid-palate.
Finish: The finish is gentle and lingering. I’d even call it creamy, as it gently sizzles away with sweet malt, white pepper, and candied ginger, closing things out.
Bottom Line:
Redbreast 15, despite being only three years older than Redbreast 12, brings an added layer of depth that its younger sibling intimates but doesn’t quite achieve. For our money, this might be the most well-rounded, unfinished Irish whiskey you can regularly find on the shelf today.
The Best Irish Whiskey Over $200
3. Bushmills 46-Year-Old “Secrets Of The River Bush” Irish Whiskey
This instantly historic expression is now credited as the oldest Irish single malt ever bottled. The Secrets Of The River Bush was aged entirely in two 500-liter oloroso sherry European oak butts from the Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage in Jerez, Spain, which, in addition to its age, accounts for its incredibly dark color. Having entered into that sherry cask in 1978 at 63.4% ABV, the angels had their fair share of this whiskey, limiting it to 300 bottles globally, with only 100 bottles available in the U.S.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stout beer, orange wheels dipped in dark chocolate, and faint honeyed malt tones stand out immediately on the nose of this whiskey, which is expansive and complex. As it settles in the glass, additional notes of figs, espresso, and vanilla custard aromas begin to take shape.
Palate: On the palate, a chalky dark chocolate note leads the way for toasted coconut, mulled wine, nutmeg-dusted hazelnuts, citrus, marzipan, and allspice to follow. On the second sip, nuances like tobacco leaves and black cherries help to expand the flavor profile, along with flecks of fresh black pepper.
Finish: The finish is only medium length, which causes the rich layers of flavor to become quickly unwound as it recedes from the palate. It is an all-too-brief experience that will lead to you drinking this one more rapidly than you might otherwise prefer.
Bottom Line:
Impressive age statement aside, there’s no denying that Bushmills 46 is downright delicious whiskey. You’d be hard-pressed to do any better for a complex, slightly brooding pour than this magnificently matured marvel.
Named after the legendary Master Distiller Barry Crockett, this premium single-pot still Irish whiskey was matured in ex-bourbon barrels. Triple-distilled and crafted from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, when it initially launched in 2011, this expression became only the second product from an Irish distillery that was named after a Master Distiller, following John Jameson’s lead.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Golden raisins, vanilla, and faint citrus undertones set the stage on the nose, which is marked by an impressive depth with each aroma. Toffee, ripe apples, and gingerbread aromas also meld well with a drizzle of honey and cracked black pepper to round things out.
Palate: Once this whiskey crosses your lips, the notes on the palate welcome more of the same. Accents of white pepper, cream soda, and candied ginger propping up the more prominent notes of golden raisins, vanilla ice cream, toffee, and ripe red apples.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and introduces smoked honey and apricots to the palate. It also features a slight uptick in pie crust and clove notes.
Bottom Line:
In short, this remarkable liquid forces you to sit down and savor it but also to lean forward and listen as it reveals all its secrets. Its sweetness is front and center while displaying a restraint that allows baking spices and barrel-driven notes to shine with its sugary side in perfect harmony. This is a near-ideal celebratory pour.
1. Redbreast 27-Year Irish Whiskey
Redbreast
ABV: 54.6% Average Price: $1,150
The Whiskey:
Matured for nearly three decades, this expression from Redbreast is the penultimate release in their premium lineup — bested only by the Dream Cask series. This release features the inclusion of port casks which bolsters the base of liquid matured in ex-bourbon and sherry casks for added complexity and depth.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: With my nose making the initial descent, I’m able to gather a bouquet of red currants, vanilla custard, dark chocolate, and candied ginger. Think of a boozy, spiced holiday cake, and you’re on the right track with the nose on this whiskey.
It’s a lush, richly concentrated bouquet of aromas that all work well with one another.
Palate: On the palate, crème brûlée and more nondescript red berries claim the stage, with citrus accents ranging from fresh oranges to lemon glaze also making an impression. While the sweetness is borderline decadent and indeed inescapable, the depths of flavor in this pour are aided by black pepper, a sort of depleted, mature sweet oak, and coffee beans, which makes this a complete delight.
Finish: The finish is silky and lingering, gently revealing nutmeg, dried oranges, and a touch of Port wine sweetness.
Bottom Line:
While we were tempted to recommend the Dream Cask series, this more readily available alternative displays remarkable richness, balance, and consistency, making Redbreast 27 the top of the flock.
Redbreast 27 is a rich, remarkably well-rounded Irish whiskey that mines a depth of flavor rarely found in expressions from any category. Its combination of patient primary maturation and complementary secondary maturation sends this one into the stratosphere, and there’s no better bottle at your local liquor store to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day than this.
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Playboi Carti finally drop Music and Chappell Roan ride the country wave. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Lizzo nearly went country, too, as an early version of “Still Bad” hung out in a twangy neighborhood. Instead, though, the version of the track that came out last week is ultimately more indebted to funk and disco.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco — “Sunset Blvd”
Months after calling music “a hobby that went out of control,” here Selena Gomez is, prepping a new album alongside fiancé Benny Blanco. The latest from it is last week’s “Sunset Blvd,” a chill and suggestive new single.
Bon Iver — “If Only I Could Wait” Feat. Danielle Haim
Danielle Haim was busy last week: Haim dropped a new track, and she also joined Bon Iver for a new duet, “If Only I Could Wait,” which sees their voices meld on an ethereal instrumental.
Lil Nas X — “Hotbox”
Lil Nas X kept fans fed last week by dropping a new single every single workday. The week wrapped up with “Hotbox,” and on the track, he’s got lovemaking on the brain as he raps, “He keep lookin’ at me, I’ma make that boy a whole eater / I’ma f*ck his friend too, baby, I’m a whole cheater.”
Lucy Dacus — “Talk”
In a post-Boygenius world, Lucy Dacus is back to her solo grind. She has a new album, Forever Is A Feeling, out later this month, and she previewed it last week with the noisy “Talk.”
Le Sserafim — “Hot”
Le Sserafim have been prolific over the past few years, and now they’ve dropped their first project of 2025 with the mini-album Hot. They also shared a video for the title track, a bop that brings some welcomed heat ahead of summer.
Freddie Gibbs — “The Big 2”
Kendrick may not have been throwing shots, but it sure looks like Freddie Gibbs was. Last week, he dropped “The Big 2,” which appears to go after more than two other rappers, as there are apparent jabs at J. Cole, Benny The Butcher, and Jpegmafia.
Peso Pluma — “Rari”
Peso Pluma has played a major role in putting regional Mexican music on the map outside of his native country. His latest single, “Rari,” continues that, as the traditional-sounding song is a contemporary taste of the sounds that fuel Pluma.
People (like Nick Cave and Scarlett Johansson) have their issues with ChatGPT. But, at the very least, when just using the generative AI chatbot for low-stakes entertainment, it can be good, clean fun.
Demi Lovato seems to agree: Over the weekend, she shared a video of herself reacting to ChatGPT’s response after she asked it to roast her.
She had fiancé Jordan Lutes read the output as she faced the camera and reacted, and it went:
“Oh, you mean the artist formerly known as ‘confident,’ but now more like ‘confused’? Demi Lovato has had more re-brands than a failing fast food chain. One minute, they’re punk rock, the next, they’re singing pop ballads, and somewhere in between, they’re beefing with a frozen yogurt shop. Like, babes, just pick a lane, or at least a consistent genre. And let’s not even talk about their song lyrics. What’s wrong with being confident? Nothing, Demi, but what’s wrong with being consistent, because your career path is giving ‘threw darts at a vision board while blindfolded.’ But hey, credit where credit is due: Demi’s voice is undeniable. If only their decision-making skills were as strong as their vocal cords.”
Her response? “So you think I’m a good singer?” Lovato was also smiling or laughing for most of the video, so it was all in good fun, especially since ChatGPT’s roasts weren’t particularly devastating.
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