Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.
Rebecca Ferguson’s Juliette lives to head underground another day with Steve Zahn’s Solo ending this second season with a new family. The Graham Yost series will likewise survive for another two seasons to complete Hugh Howey’s saga, and if you were wondering who the hell those new characters were in this season’s closing moments, you are not alone. Sh*t is about to get strange with warring settings that will be truly bizarre to behold after Yost’s careful worldbuilding. Juliette, though, will remain a constant.
C’mon, Taylor Sheridan. There’s very little doubt that a second season will be announced for Billy Bob Thornton’s weary oil industry deputy who looks to now be an oil titan after the fate of Jon Hamm’s Monty. Also, we should see much more of Demi Moore if this show continues with Jacob Lofland’s Cooper and Michelle Randolph’s Ainsley keeping the younger generation appeal strong, too. Likewise, Lioness and Tulsa King viewer would not be mad if, say, Paramount+ made a mass renewal announcement, but for sure, 1923 will return in February for more Yellowstone Universe ranch-protecting scenes.
Noah Wyle is back in scrubs as an exhausted physician in Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital’s emergency room. This series not only throws out heavy ER vibes but borrows FOX’s 24 gimmick by telling a “real-time” story in which each episode takes place over an hour with the 15-episode season adding up to this crew needing a nap. This series isn’t exactly a primetime soap opera like ER was, but from the looks of this show’s early appeal, audiences will never tire of medical dramas.
These spy BFFs will not drop off the charts, so if you haven’t caught this cozy little six-episode first season yet, the invitation still beckons. Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw are adorable together even when soaked in blood and out for vengeance, and this show probably also proves that there are not enough lady/gay best friend dynamics outside of the “mimosas at brunch” crowd. Hollywood, consider yourself on notice because these Brits are cornering that market while also happening to pull off spy-assassin action scenes and a second season renewal before their debut. Win, win, and win.
Sketchy The White Lotus nephew Leo Woodall stars in this streaming permutation about a postgrad math student who could harness the world’s computers via a complicated prime-number scheme. Naturally, this raises eyebrows from a lady NSA agent, and will they hook up? C’mon, y’all. Ridley Scott produced this series, too, in case you need to be talked into checking out the 79th conspiracy-centered streaming series to land in the past year or so.
A team of creative minds behind Narcos, The Revenant, and Friday Night Lights have come together for this Neo-Western limited series in which Taylor Kitsch and Betty Gilpin go through hell on earth. The year is 1857, and they’re fighting through frigid elements amid the Mountain Meadows Massacre, during which Mormon soldiers killed hundreds of pioneers at the behest of Brigham Young (Kim Coates of Sons Of Anarchy). This clash involves Indigenous nationals also rising up to fight for their own survival within the same contested territory, and this ain’t Yellowstone, baby.
It was virtually guaranteed that Netflix viewers would gobble up Cameron Diaz’s return to movies like candy, and co-star Jamie Foxx only added to the appeal. Likewise Diaz portrays an elite CIA spy who has been retired for 15 years with her spy-husband (Foxx), but somehow, their cover disintegrates, and they’re back in the espionage saddle again. This microwave popcorn flick isn’t cerebral, and it doesn’t want to be, so there.
The return to office is complete, and man, Milchick is pissed off. Last week, one of the core four did not accurately describe their Innie-as-Outie experience, and that doesn’t even begin to cover the eerie vibes flowing when Mark returned to office. Creator Dan Erickson and director Ben Stiller scored a massive hit, and even three years away didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for this corporate culture and work-life balance satire. This season will also run ten episodes, so that adds up to months of weekly updates before the wait will begin for more. As we’ve said on several occasions, Apple TV+ knows how to crush the sci-fi game, and their adventurous embrace of the genre will bring much more superiority in the future.
Peter Sutherland’s Night Action adventures will take him to Istanbul for a third season, but first, he heads from D.C. to Bangkok and back to Manhattan while keeping the Reacher-lite fires burning before the Big Guy returns next month on Amazon. This series tends to complicate its own story as seasons progress, but the emotional resonance of the characters is also on point. Likewise, there is chemistry out the tush for Peter and Rose, who didn’t necessarily need to appear in this season, but the show is better for her involvement. As it turns out, The Night Agent considers the effects of high-stress espionage operations on the human mind. It’s an angle that is seldom explored within stories where the adrenaline flies at any given moment, and you know what, The Night Agent might not be as frivolous as it seems.
1. Twin Peaks – Twin Peaks Productions/Spelling Television series streaming on Paramount+
Following David Lynch’s death at age 78, the binging of his phantasmagorical crime series has gone down hard with people climbing back onboard Agent Cooper’s investigation into who killed Laura Palmer. Likewise, Twin Peaks: The Return is receiving an otherworldly amount of visitors to revisit the scene of the crime 25 years later with the help of the thrillingly dulcet tones of “The Nine Inch Nails.” Sure, Mulholland Drive is trending like wildfire, too, but there’s “nothing like a great cup of coffee” to relive this Great’s past.
According to recent reports, Lily Allen is currently a single woman. Sadly, after five years together the “Smile” singer and David Harbour have supposedly split. However, offers to swoop Allen up off the dating streets have already come flooding in.
During a sit down with Grazia UK‘s Lily Allen claimed that one of her romantic suitors was a fellow musician–rapper Central Cee. As Allen and podcast co-host Miquita Oliver played Who’s Most Likely To, the topic of private message became a point of chatter.
When the ladies spoke about direct messages (DMs) they received on social media, Allen said Central Cee supposedly made a move attempting to look in some sexual healing.
“It happens all the time,” said Allen.
While detailing the exchange, Allen said the brief conversation was void of any romance. Still, Central Cee’s intentions (although subtle) were quite clear. Central Cee alleged asked Allen about her whereabouts, writing: “Where you at?”
At the time, Allen was traveling out of London so a meetup was not possible. “I was like, ‘I’m in the departure lounge at Heathrow [Airport],” she said. “Sorry, next time.”
This prompted Oliver to ask: “What do you think he was looking for?”
Despite the steady increase of physical music purchases (thanks to vinyl’s growing popularity), streaming is here to stay. Several recording artists, songwriters, and producers have aired out their grievances with digital streaming platforms. For Björk, her beef is mainly directed at Spotify.
During an interview with Dagens Nyheter, the “Sorrowful Soil” musician slammed the platform. “Spotify is probably the worst thing that has happened to musicians,” she said.
Björk went on to express her frustration with streaming in general, saying: “The streaming culture has changed an entire society and an entire generation of artists.”
Following Björk’s remarks, users online chimed in with conflicting opinions across X (formerly Twitter).
“There’s a lot of music I would have never come across if it hadn’t been for streaming sites,” argued one user.
Later in the chat, Björk pointed out that the publicly visible metrics on platforms like Spotify have fueled chart obsession. As a result, musicians sacrifice artistic integrity for instant success.
“I agree streaming is kinda ruining music sadly it’s causing artists to make short songs just for fame,” chimed another user.
Others accused of being a hypocrite after she sat down for a conversation with Zane Lowe for Apple Music.
“But she’s doing an interview for a streaming service? ,” penned one user.
Björk has not addressed the backlash regarding her bold statement.
Right now, music biopics are all the rage. Two of the most anticipated projects include features films about the late Michael Jackson and Britney Spears. While, the chronicling of Britney Spears’ life has begun just, yet fans have already begun verbalizing their dream cast.
The insider says Spears is completely onboard with the idea. “Britney adores Natalie Portman and thinks she’s such an incredible actress,” said the source. “She’d love to see her cast and thinks with the right make-up artist she could easily be transformed. The same goes for Selena Gomez.”
Spears supposedly cited Gomez’s early start in the industry as an added selling point. “She’s someone Britney loves as a person and as an artist,” said the insider. “She thinks she’s mighty talented and knows she’d also have her own history as a child star to draw on, which would make things easier.”
This news comes on the heels of Chu telling ET that he would be combing through viral suggestions online that at the time included Sydney Sweeney and Sabrina Carpenter.
Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes its rising talent. Dallas representor BigXthaPlug is undeniably one of state’s hottest commodities. The “Life Of A Boss” rapper dominated 2024 with several notable co-signs and best of lists domination due to his impressive sophomore album, Take Care.
But BigXthaPlug isn’t washing his hand of the acclaimed body of work just yet. Yesterday (January 24), BigXthaPlug treated his fans to Take Care Deluxe ahead of his Coachella 2025 set. On the expansive project, BigXthaPlug adds his beloved track “Life Of A Boss” into the mix. But, that wasn’t the only noteworthy update. On the body of work’s first installment, BigXthaPlug went about the sonic journey along. But this go around, on two of the new releases (“Holy Ground” and “Come And Goes”), he secured interesting collaborations. Jessie Murph is the guest feature on “Holy Ground.” While, Tommy Newport appears on “Comes and Goes.”
Continue below to view the full tracklist of BigXthaPlug’s album Take Care Deluxe and its official artwork.
Tracklist
1. “Take Care”
2. “Lost The Love”
3. “Change Me”
4. “Leave Me Alone”
5. “Therapy Session”
6. “Planting Seeds”
7. “2AM”
8. “Comes & Goes”
9. “Back On My BS”
10. “Law & Order”
11. “Story of X”
12. “The Largest”
13. “Mmhmm”
14. “Rich Off Rap”
15. “They Don’t Know”
16. “Holy Ground” featuring Jessie Murph
17. “Life of a Boss”
18. “Comes and Goes” featuring Tommy Newport
Artwork
United Masters Group
Take Care Deluxe is out now via United Masters Group. Find more information here.
The dawning of Jennie’s new era is officially upon us. Last week, the “Mantra” singer announced her long-awaited debut album, Ruby. In the project’s haunting teaser video, Jennie provide multiple hints about what she has up her sleeve. However, one major items was missing–details about a potential tour to support the body of work.
Yesterday (January 24), Jennie answered that lingering question loud and clear. Over on X (formerly Twitter), Jennie confirmed The Ruby Experience, a limited series of pop-up performances. “Intense and intimate as I like it,” she wrote.
Come March, fans of the Blackpink member have the chance to see Jennie live in a deeply personal show. With just three dates on the calendar, supporters will duke it out to ensure they are in attendance at either the Los Angeles, New York City, or Seoul show. Fans are encouraged to register for the show’s presale to increase their odds of snagging a ticket.
The Weverse registration will run until January 27, at 5 pm KST. Los Angeles and New York City’s Weverse presale will launch on January 29 at 10 am local time. There is a Spotify and Venue Presales for both cities, which is scheduled for January 30 at 10 am local. The following day, January 31 at 10 am local time, the public sale for Los Angeles and New York City will start. At this time, presale on public sale information for the Seoul show has not yet been released. Find more information here. Continue below to view Jennie’s full The Ruby Experience show schedule and poster.
Jennie’s 2025 Tour Dates: The Ruby Experience
03/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Peacock Theater
03/10 – New York City, NY
03/15 – Seoul, KR @ Inspire Arena
Jennie’s The Ruby Experience Poster
ODDATELIER/Columbia Records
Ruby is out on 3/7 via ODDATELIER/Columbia Records. Find more information here.
Pa Salieu is the model artist when it comes to craftmanship and infusing intention and true meaning into their work. The perfect example of this comes on his second project Afrikan Alien. Through 11 tracks, the Gambian-born and UK-bred rapper blends afrobeats, UK rap, and R&B in what amounts to a masterclass in artistry as Salieu reveals the deep vulnerability and elevated emotional intelligence that exists for as both an everyday human and an artist.
“I refuse to be broken down. Prison taught me that bitterness won’t solve anything,” Salieu said in a press release, speaking about a two-and-a-half-year imprisonment that concluded in the fall of 2024. “Acceptance of my situation led to my personal growth. I was gone two years, so what? There’s going to be plenty of bad times in our lives. We just need to stay prepared and know that there’ll be better times ahead.”
The better times are certainly here for Salieu as his Afrikan Alien was met with critical acclaim in the weeks after its release. Following the arrival of Afrikan Alien, Salieu spent time with Uproxx in a truly honest, raw, and vulnerable conversation about himself to share his influences, inspirations, and aspirations. Scroll down to find highlights from Afrikan Alien.
I’m always gonna say my auntie, she’s a folk singer, Auntie Chuche. She goes around telling people about their past — their grandfathers, their great-grandfathers. That’s the meaning of music that I come from, that’s my first interaction with music. Masquerades in Gambia as well. Their drum, the sabar, was my first ear to music — the djembe drum. Masquerades dancing, drummers playing in the street, and kids running away from the masquerades. They’d have two machetes in some performances and chase the kids [with it]. Those were my first interactions with music, just fun, meaning, and dedication.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
I got introduced to the studio by a friend of mine. My cousin that died, RIP his soul, he used to make good music. I got introduced by him, Kardo Packs, [and] a couple of my friends. I fell in love with it, I just fell in love with recording. I used to write notes, I used to think a lot, but not speak. I just used to write on my phone, [and] it relieved my stress. When I first went to the studio, I used to get through these thoughts and turn them into bars naturally. From there, I just loved how I could just… I don’t know, it’s just a different feeling! Me and music, I think it’s love at first sight [and] it gradually developed in God’s timing.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I learned how to play the drum — the sabar, the djembe drum. I learned how to play years ago when I was a child in Gambia. I envision me on stage, 50 drums and me leading the drum between performances with hella African instruments — our own orchestra. Me and the drum, this is my first love.
What was your first job?
Kreamz, it’s a desert place. I only lasted there for seven weeks. I didn’t really understand the discounts for your people. This is my guy, I’ll give him a discount, [then] another discount. It all accumulated and that was bad, [so] I got fired. After that, I worked at Nando’s.
What is your most prized possession?
My mother. The older I get, the more of reality I’m seeing. Parents get older, I know it’s a common feeling. When I got out of jail, two years? A lot changed, even my parents, I can see it. People are growing, my brother had a child. [It was like] I stepped out of a time traveling machine. I’ve realized how precious, how valuable family is. I’ve always felt that, but recently it’s like yo… time is our only enemy. Time is our most valuable possession.
What is your biggest fear?
Losing my mother. Man, she’s such a good woman. I’ll be anywhere and [she’ll say] “don’t forget your prayers, don’t forget your prayers.” When I was in jail, she suffered bro, she suffered. She suffered more than me. I am what I am — my whole mannerisms, everything — is because of her. Foundations [and] charities, I’ve seen her give away everything for us for people and powers. I’m from something very special.
Who is on your music Mt. Rushmore?
Vybz Kartel [and] Youssou N’Dour. I used to listen to Akon mad back in school. I think I was the biggest Soulja Boy fan. I also like Aya Nakamura, I really like Cheb Khaled, an Algerian singer, Cheikh Lô, he’s a Senegalese artist. There’s too many, Burna Boy, Popcaan, Getts, NSG.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I lived that 24 hours for two years. For the last two years, I had anything, it may not have seemed like I had everything. I didn’t have a cooker, but I had a kettle to cook mackerel and curry. I didn’t have a speaker, but I had a radio, I was tapped in. I had a book, that’s unlimited amount of resources. There’s something with books, When I was reading Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk To Freedom, I felt like I heard his own voice. I was in my cell, but I wasn’t dead. I was in books.
What is the best song you’ve made?
“YGF.” I remember that day, man. It was after my trial. It’s one of my favorites, even to perform.
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
I’d like to be a judge on X-Factor. Me? I’ll change the game [laughs].
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
Idris Elba for sure. Kodak Black too. Life’s about being you, it’s about not giving a f*ck. Give a f*ck, but it’s like don’t be too serious with it. Just play with it, just be yourself. If you want to be this, you can be that. Life’s about freedom, I really like that about Kodak. I like anyone like that, to be honest. Life is too serious man, there’s death every day. There’s this and that, bro have fun. Life is your own show on your own stage. There’s freedom in sound and freedom in everything. I know there’s controversy, even with Sexyy Red, but freedom. I’d rather see a person for who they are. Nothing has brought goodness when it comes to concealing who you are.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
On anything itself, how can you change my mind? I’m on my own planet. As long as I can explain my point of view, I could be educated on it, but if I’m talking my sh*t? I’m gonna talk everything, [I’m] stubborn as hell. You just have to be able to me what’s going on, if anything, g-check it, but I’m adamant with what I believe in.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
Michael Jackson’s “Heal The World,” Warren G’s “Regulate,” Boyz II Men’s “A Song For Mama,” and Secka’s “Fiire.”
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
We have to keep Gambia out of the way because I’ve got to be biased. It won’t be fair, we’ll keep that out of the way for a second. I’d say my Glastonbury performance, I really loved it. I won’t forget it, that was 2022 summer. I don’t know, every performance has been my favorite, [but] Glastonbury, that was a nice highlight.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
As a Gambian, I’m gonna make it a very memorable and intentional festival. So, I think it’s gonna have to be in Senegal because Gambia and Senegal was one, and due to colonial greed, Senegambia is now Senegal and Gambia. So because of colonial greed, I’d like to put it in Senegal — everything is symbolism. I’d like to have it near the sea because people are coming from across the pond. The first day of the festival would be a drums festival, the sabar, that’s all you’ll hear until the next day. These are our ancestors speaking, and since everyone listens, the whole ground will be shaking.
Then for the artists, we’ll have to have one from Haiti, [so] Wyclef Jean. I’ll have to have Vybz Kartel. You’re gonna have to have an old-school Brazilian artist [like] João Gilberto. We’d have to get Youssou N’Dour [too]. All these artists, they’re gonna have to bring five performers [from their country]. I want these artists to bring their own performers, who they feel is going to shut [it] down or bring meaningful content to the festival. The festival will last for three days. It’s an experience, it’s bringing people to the planet — my planet.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I’d be a heavyweight champion. I’m not capping [laughs], I loved MMA back in the day. I always wanted to be an architect [too], with the design technology part. I think I would’ve went into that as well.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
Nah [the future]? That’s scary because I’ll witness a loved one that won’t be there and I’ll know they won’t be there. Then, I’ll have to come back to the present and know they won’t be there. So I’ll be upset. Then going to the past, sometimes you want to change things, but what can you do? You better live with it. There’s no business in going back to the past, cause you’ll just open a can of worms. Life’s been easy because I had a good mother, but it’s been hard because life is not easy. Once you conquer things, you don’t go back to war. I’ve conquered sh*t, so I’ll stay. The future, yeah, it’s scary. Don’t want it. I’m not scared of it, I’m ready for it, [but] I don’t want to go there and see things I don’t want to see.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
When mommy said, “Watch out for this guy” or “Don’t chill there” or “After this time, don’t hang around there.” [If I listened], certain sh*t would not have caught up to certain parts of my life. [I’d say] to listen more. I’d tell myself to take it easy, I used to stress myself too much. I used to feel like there was so much on my plate, which there was. I’m a product of an immigrant, that’s a big responsibility. I’m the first generation that could end poverty and certain things, you know. So, there’s a responsibility and pressure [with that].
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Nina Simone, certain things she spoke about on stage, she didn’t have to. It’s showing our sovereignty. I want to be remembered as a product of meaning. There’s a meaning we’re pushing. Everyone’s pushing a future, that’s by force. You’re influencing whether you like it or not, what you can say can dictate, can push someone’s life. It’s a responsibility, you can make any kind of music that you want — hip-hop, drill, everything — but within your music, you have to say certain things for the happiness of all of us. Everyone’s doing their bit [and] I want to be remembered as I’ve done my bit. Music is an outlet and it’s all about how I use it.
Afrikan Alien is out now via Warner Music UK Limited. Find out more information here.
January is a prime time for making big changes in your life, and one of the most common changes with the biggest impact on your day-to-day is making healthier eating decisions. If you don’t have the time or skills to whip up something delicious and nutritious at home, fast food is probably your only option for a quick and convenient meal. And while yes, fast food is generally unhealthy, there are some menu options out there that are healthier, and some of them taste just as good as the fried stuff.
A few weeks back we broke down all the best-tasting salads in fast food, but let’s face it, salads are boring. But you know what isn’t boring? A chicken sandwich. So we’re here to make a case for subbing out that fried sandwich for a grilled one. Many of the grilled chicken sandwiches out there are healthier and, in some cases, just as delicious alternatives to the mighty fried chicken sando. Unfortunately, the grilled chicken sandwich is a dying breed in fast food. Last year we published a list of our 14 favorite, and nearly half of that list has been discontinued, including our number one pick.
So a refresh is in order! To help separate the good from the bad, we rounded up all the fast food grilled chicken sandwiches we could find right now and ranked them from least to most delicious. Let’s eat!
10. Smashburger — Chicken Smashburger
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Remember when I said that our pick last year for the best grilled chicken sandwich isn’t available anymore? You should, I said it just a few sentences ago!
The sandwich in question was Smashburger’s Colorado Grilled Chicken sandwich, which featured a perfectly grilled chicken filet topped with pepper jack cheese and grilled chili peppers. In addition to that, Smashburger also used to have a Truffle Mushroom Chicken Sandwich, which featured a topping of toasted crimini mushrooms — both of those sandwiches were reasons alone to go to Smashburger.
But the brand ditched those two delicious and inventive sandwiches and replaced them with this… thing. It’s got to be one of the most boneheaded moves that any fast food brand has ever done. Smashburger’s Chicken Smashburger is the worst chicken sandwich I’ve ever tasted.
Instead of the thin well-marinated and well-seasoned chicken breast filet that the brand used to have, is this thick patty of ground chicken. And even though this patty is doused in garlic oil, it still doesn’t change the fact that nobody likes ground chicken!
Rounding out the sandwich is fairly standard stuff: mayo, lettuce, and tomato. To add insult to injury, Smashburger gives you the option to add sauteed crimini mushrooms and grilled jalapenos to the sandwich, so they still have all the ingredients on hand to make the far superior sandwiches of the past. All that’s missing is the grilled filet.
We’ve never had a brand that has gone from the top spot all the way to the bottom, so we have to hand it to Smashburger for that at least.
The Bottom Line:
The worst fast food grilled chicken sandwich you’ll ever eat made by a brand that used to make the best one. RIP to that old sandwich.
Ever since Jack in the Box swapped the mayo out of this sandwich for the brand’s Good Good Sauce, it’s been a massive improvement. The Good Good sauce combines sweet and savory flavors with a nice tangy finish, which does a lot to add some life to this previously boring sandwich.
Here si what we love about the sandwich: the sauce (obviously), the airy and chewy sourdough-style bread, the bacon (hard to mess that one up), and… well, that’s it.
No, you aren’t crazy, we didn’t mention the chicken. The filet is fine, it’s a bit dry, but has a decent peppery flavor, it’s just not a highlight. Rounding out the build is some pretty flavorless produce. So how can you elevate this sandwich?
Easy, drench it in Frank’s Red Hot, and instantly some of the blandness will be replaced with a strong hit of heat and a tangy finish.
The Bottom Line:
It’s good, not great. Do yourself a favor and ask for a side of Frank’s Red Hot if you feel this is too lacking in flavor.
If you’re a Chick-fil-A fan than you’re probably wondering why this sandwich is ranked so low. Fair, but spoiler alert: there are other Chick-fil-A sandwiches on this ranking, so we only included this sandwich so we could dissuade people from ordering this simple, but inferior build.
Here is what you get with Chick-fil-A’s stock grilled chicken sando: a grilled filet, tomatoes, lettuce, and a toasting multigrain bun. That’s it.
Don’t get us wrong, the chicken is delicious and offers a nice balance between charred flavors, lemon brightness, and a floral-herbal finish. But it’s dry as a desert. With the lack of ingredients, this one just tastes a bit too empty to rank any higher.
We don’t have anything to complain about with this one. It’s a great grilled chicken sandwich unless for some reason you don’t like BBQ sauce.
If you do, you should know that Carl’s Jr. has some of the best BBQ sauce in all of fast food. It’s smokey, sweet, tangy, and obliterates the dry texture you’re going to get with a charbroiled chicken breast filet.
Outside of the sauce, the filet has a great flavor. It features a heavy mix of salt and black pepper, with a nice charred flavor, but because its charred, it is a bit drier than we’d like it to be. But again, the BBQ sauce fixes that.
To finish the build you’ve got tomato and lettuce. The lettuce is forgettable, but the tomato adds an element of umami to the sandwich and some brightness to counteract the dark smokey flavors.
The Bottom Line:
A chicken sandwich for lovers of smokey, indulgent flavors.
Carl’s Jr and Chick-fil-A are dominating the grilled chicken game. So shout out to those two brands for keeping grilled fans fed.
With the Charbroiled Chicken Club, you’re getting the same chicken filet that’s in the Charbroiled BBQ. So if you skipped that entry, just know the filet is very flavorful with prominent charred elements, but the build offers a bit more here.
You get some smokey notes from the bacon, salty and creamy elements via the Swiss cheese, and a smear of mayo that wraps the flavors together and offers a savory finish.
Call me crazy but, I think this sandwich would taste even better with BBQ instead of mayo. So why am I ranking this one higher? It’s the bacon. It’s less healthy than a pure grilled chicken sandwich, but when it comes to what tastes better, I can’t pretend the bacon doesn’t help.
Panera’s Spicy Fiest Chicken frustrates me because overall, it’s a great-tasting sandwich that combines grilled chicken topped with a creamy mild salsa verde spread, coupled with sharp and dusty white cheddar, sweet red peppers, some roasted corn, and fresh, peppery cilantro on the best tasting bread in all of fast food.
But the chicken itself leaves a lot to be desired. It’s virtually flavorless. Literally every single other ingredient in this sandwich is significantly better than this dry over-cooked, obviously pre-made and reheated chicken. The chicken isn’t so bad that it ruins the sandwich, but when the weakest element of your chicken sandwich is the chicken itself. You’ve got a problem.
How could we ever rank this one higher? Part of me feels like even putting it in the top five is wrong.
The Bottom Line:
A great chicken sandwich build that suffers duo to its subpar chicken.
4. Carl’s Jr — Charbroiled Santa Fe Chicken Sandwich
Carl
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Our pick for Carl’s Jr’s best chicken sandwich is the Charbroiled Santa Fe. What makes this one rise above the other Carl’s Jr sandwiches is the Santa Fe Sauce, a mix of mayo, smoked paprika, earthy curry powder, and a hit of cayenne on the backend that gives the sandwich a spicy lift. Couple that with a giant mild green chili, and you’ve got an absolute flavor bomb of a sandwich.
Let us be clear about something though. Despite the inclusion of a chili, I wouldn’t call this sandwich spicy by any means. Instead its earthy and vegetal with a smokey top note that makes each bite a true pleasure to experience.
The Bottom Line:
A delicious medley of shifting flavors. If you’re looking for big, earthy, vegetal flavors, few sandwiches do it better than this one.
3. Chick-fil-A — Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich With Pepper Jack Cheese
Chick-fil-A
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Atop a tender lemon and herb-marinated chicken breast sits a few stripes of smokey bacon and a layer of spicy yet creamy pepper jack cheese over a bed of juicy tomatoes and slightly bitter yet sweet green leaf lettuce.
Like all Chick-fil-A sandwiches, it’s sauceless, which is fine. But to kick it up a notch we suggest Honey Roasted BBQ, which strengthens the smokey notes of the bacon and pairs wonderfully with the citrus-marinated flavor of the meat. Not feeling BBQ? Go with the Polynesian which adds a touch of sweet and sour.
The Bottom Line:
In the running for the best chicken sandwich in fast food, until the brand introduced our number one pick.
For too long we’ve had to deal with the fact that Chick-fil-A doesn’t make a spicy grilled chicken sandwich, even though they have all the ingredients on site to make it happen. Well, for a limited time only, we have access to the Grilled Spicy Deluxe, so order it while you can!
We thought about giving this sandwich the top spot, but since it’s only available for a limited time, and not quite as meticulously constructed as our top pick, it’ll have to sit here in second place. Still, though, this is essential eating!
The sandwich features a juicy chicken breast filet tossed in a blend of cayenne, smokey paprika, chili powder, and black pepper, topped with a slice of sweet and creamy Colby-Jack cheese, a leaf of green lettuce, juicy tomato slices, and a toasted multigrain bun.
An initial bite will bring in a touch of spice, but the heat doesn’t truly hit until you’re about halfway through the sandwich. But if you’re spice-averse, don’t worry, those juicy tomato slices do a lot to ease the heat and bring in a nice bright burst of umami flavor.
The Bottom Line:
Hands down Chick-fil-A’s best grilled chicken sandwich and one of the best sandwiches on the whole menu.
The Habit’s Grilled Chicken Club is a masterclass on how to make a grilled chicken sandwich that rivals something fried. There is an attention to craft here that most of the chicken sandwiches on this list just don’t provide. The breast is hand-fileted, offering the perfect cut. This is essential in ensuring that the chicken is juicier and more tender than all of the competition.
It’s well-marinated and perfectly seasoned, offering hints of bright lemon and earthy black pepper with each bite. If the idea of a thin piece of chicken sounds less appealing to you than the big filets offered at places like Chick-fil-A and Carl’s Jr, we get that, and Habit anticipated the “thin chicken” letdown and added a layer of crispy bacon to the sandwich. On top of all of that, sits a layer of freshly cut seasoned avocado, adding a creamy butteriness to every bite in both texture and flavor. The sandwich is served on two chewy, perfectly grilled slices of sourdough.
By all metrics, this is a perfect chicken sandwich. If the idea of a bacon chicken sandwich sounds a bit too decadent, feel free to cut some calories by ditching the mayo, the sandwich doesn’t need it.
The Bottom Line:
The best tasting grilled chicken sandwich you can order in 2025.
$100 or less is really the sweet spot for bourbon in 2025.
While bottles in the upper echelon of that price range used to be the exception, nowadays, it’s pretty common for some of the best bourbons in the world to cost you a Benjamin Franklin. With that said, you might have some difficulty sorting through the ocean of options at your avail. Which bourbons in that spendy bracket are most worthy of your hard-earned (100) dollars?
You’re in luck because here at UPROXX, we really lean into finding bottles of bourbon that provide a ton of value at any cost. You never need to break the bank for the best bourbon, and with each of these 50 bottles, you’re getting fantastic bang for your buck. With many of them, you’ll still have change left over to cover the cost of ingredients if you want to mix yourself a top-shelf cocktail.
So, let’s dive right in! These are the 50 best bourbons to buy for less than $100 in 2025.
Old Grand-Dad 114 is frequently cited as one of the best budget bourbons on the market, and for 2024, that still hasn’t changed. The high-rye recipe from Jim Beam also goes into its lower proof versions, Old Grand-Dad standard, and Old Grand-Dad Bonded.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, OGD 114 opens with a bouquet of lemon zest, maple candy, and peanuts. Those notes are propped up by a supporting cast of oak, light honey, and butterscotch.
Palate: Once you take a sip of Old Grand-Dad 114, you’ll immediately pick up on its medium-bodied texture, which is slightly heavy and dense. The flavor of fresh hazelnuts, honey, and caramel comes across first on the tongue before it turns somewhat mellow at midpalate with butterscotch Krimpets, faint tobacco leaf, and a bit of orange pith.
Finish: For its medium-length finish, OGD 114 delivers a bit of vanilla and black pepper to go with more fresh hazelnuts and oak. This is a perfectly satisfying conclusion that ties all of those well-balanced flavors together.
Bottom Line:
Old Grand-Dad 114 is an OG value bourbon, and enthusiasts should be pleased that Jim Beam has taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach over the years. For right around $30, it’s hard to find a more flavorful and well-rounded option.
Keep that extra money in your pocket, or use it to buy another one of the bottles higher up on this list.
49. John Lee Hooker Legacy Spirits Boogie Chillen’ Bourbon “1948”
John Lee Hooker was a legendary bluesman, and to honor his legacy, his very own grandson — Glenn Thomas — created this brand in 2023, giving blues fans everywhere a reason to smile. Bottled at 100 proof and priced right at the same dollar amount, this four-year bourbon is the brand’s flagship offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with notes of caramel apple, vanilla, and oak for a familiar introduction. A slight twist of lemon zest adds some brightness to the overall bouquet.
Palate: On the palate, caramel apple, corn pudding, and allspice are immediate standouts. What surprises, however, is an impressive richness in both texture and flavor profile. Surprisingly viscous for the proof, this whiskey delivers some final flavors of black pepper and rosemary before transitioning to the finish.
Finish: While the finish is fairly succinct, it does a fine job of leaving all of those well-integrated flavors on your palate before dissipating into nothingness. You’ll definitely be inclined to go in for a second sip before long.
Bottom Line:
Perhaps the most surprising bottle on our list, this excellent expression from a relatively unknown upstart brand, knocked our socks off from the first sip. With a distinct richness that left us more impressed each time we returned to the well, John Lee Hooker Bourbon is an outstanding everyday offering that you’d do well to procure before the hype train leaves the station.
48. New England Barrel Co. Barrel Proof Bourbon
New England Barrel Co.
The Whiskey:
New England Barrel Company, the northeast region’s biggest home-grown whiskey brand, was founded by James Saunders in late 2020 and they’ve been on quite the ascent since then. For the brand’s premium cask-strength offering, they bottle it undiluted after at least 3-years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with some peanut shell, sticky toffee, and rich oak notes that soon morph to include dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, and barrel char in their complement.
Palate: As you take your first sip of NebCo’s cask strength bourbon, hazelnut spread, tobacco leaf, and brown sugar, consume the palate in dense layers, indicating that this is truly well-made whiskey. Further notes of nougat, milk chocolate, and black pepper spice round things out as it takes a turn for earthier notes at mid-palate with an almost chalky texture leading the way towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is lingering, and the chalky texture continues with notes of dark chocolate, slight smokiness, and savory dates concluding the sipping experience.
Bottom Line:
New England Barrel Company has been absolutely wowing us with its stellar selection of ryes, but this barrel-proof bourbon stands as proof that they’re incredibly capable switch hitters. This bottle is a home run if not a grand slam.
47. Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon
Old Forester’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon offers the famous distillery’s bourbon as unmodified as possible. While Old Forester’s Whiskey Row Series is always a popular choice for enthusiasts, this single-barrel version is the most sought-after bourbon expression in their regular lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose immediately comes off hot, with an alcohol punch that initially makes it difficult to get at the underlying aromas. Once acclimated to the alcohol burn, a strong banana flambé note fuses with pralines, rich oak, and burnt pie crust. Those fiery notes prepare the palate for a dense, darkly sweet experience in the mouth.
Palate: The intense note of banana flambé finds its way to the palate, and it’s bolstered by dense oak, dark chocolate, and some faint mesquite notes reminiscent of vinegar-based barbecue sauce. The overall flavor profile is brooding, and those flavors are encased in a force field of high-alcohol burn, which admittedly prevents those well-developed layers of flavor from being readily accessible. The mouthfeel is heavy and punctuated by the prickliness of the alcohol burn.
Finish: The finish actually sees some of those flavors escaping their alcohol-heavy enclosure as a bit of dark cherry and juicy orange notes pair up with leather and freshly cracked black pepper throughout the lengthy finish.
Bottom Line:
When Old Forester’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon first hit the market, it was a bit polarizing as the highly anticipated expression dazzled fans of the distillery but came off a bit hot to those unaccustomed to its particular brand of bold flavors. In the intervening years, Old Forester has continued dialing in the flavor profile, establishing this bottle as a robust barrel-proof option to separate itself from its tamer offerings. The hair on your chest will hate to see this one coming, but your palate will welcome it heartily.
Smokeye Hill Bourbon is aged for at least five years in 30 and 53-gallon barrels with a variety of barrel chars before being bottled without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Blue corn, peanut butter, tobacco leaf, and cigar ash make up the initial nosing notes. On the second pass are Rainier cherries and a little white chocolate, delivering the sweetness.
Palate: Tobacco leaf, oak, and almond extract hit the palate at first, while the blue corn and peanut brittle notes splash across the tongue soon after. There’s a touch of fresh almonds and white chocolate before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish has a mellow sizzle that caps things off nicely and concludes with vanilla frosting, shaved almonds, and barrel char.
Bottom Line:
Smokeye Hill’s 93-proof offering is more tightly wound and slightly better than the barrel-proof version that’s been garnering critical acclaim. Due to a harmonious assemblage of flavors and the commendable development of those flavors, it’s safe to say that this brand-new bourbon is a winner.
Rebel’s 10-year single-barrel bourbon is an expression marked by a winding history that saw it go from production at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery as a locally distributed bargain brand to becoming a surprise hit thanks to a Billy Idol song, being sold to current owners Luxco, and reimagined as a premium offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of snickerdoodle cookies, inviting caramel and vanilla tones, and some fudge to round out the sweeter notes. On the earthier side, there’s the scent of clove and turmeric, in addition to the faintest shake of freshly cracked black pepper.
Palate: Once in the mouth, caramel, the burnt citrus flavor of a torched orange wheel, and vanilla introduce the senses to this lush bourbon. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with almonds and white pepper found in spades, though it skews more heavily toward the sweet tones. This lovely, well-balanced whiskey rewards chewing as it unlocks further cinnamon bark and wheat funk notes.
Finish: For its final act, Rebel 10-Year Bourbon features rich oak, honey-roasted peanuts, and vanilla that hangs around with considerable staying power.
Bottom Line:
Rebel 10-Year Bourbon has long been rumored to feature whiskey in the blend that significantly exceeds its age statement and that speculation certainly passes the taste test. The liquid is a lush showcase of how depth can overcome the brevity of flavors to deliver a balanced and highly enjoyable bourbon.
Michter’s was recently voted the World’s Most Admired Whiskey Distillery, and its flagship bourbon is the most readily available example of why. For this expression and the rest of its whiskey lineup, Michter’s uses a proprietary filtration process to optimize the flavor coming from its barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon has a dense aroma bouquet that immediately appears well-refined. Notes like honeysuckle, brown sugar, raisins, and youthful oak fill the air, with each well-developed layer greeting the olfactory senses warmly.
Palate: On the palate, what’s immediately remarkable about this bourbon is the texture, as it gently coats your tongue with moderate warmth, and before you know it, the taste of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts is suddenly everywhere on your tongue. That deceptively viscous texture works well here and is a credit to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and their atypical proof-point.
Finish: The finish here is brief, with brown sugar and cinnamon coexisting harmoniously alongside new oak and clove, making for a gentle send-off after every sip.
Bottom Line:
Michter’s US*1 Bourbon perfectly threads the needle of being delicious and affordable. Free from any harsher elements, your palate will take to this whiskey like a fish in the water as those enchanting mellow notes wash over your tongue and coat your mouth with a remarkable range of flavors that make this one of the smoothest bottles of bourbon that money can buy.
Since its founding in 2014, Redwood Empire has gradually established itself as one of the premier bourbon and rye whiskey brands out of California. Redwood Empire blends whiskey sourced from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, aged between four and 12 years, for the cask-strength version of their flagship Pipe Dream Bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Aromas like toffee, barrel char, and the leather from a baseball glove are immediately evident on the nose. There’s a touch of smokiness hiding in the background as well as some caramel that emerges after a few swirls in the glass.
Palate: On the palate, there’s a lovely green apple note that slowly diffuses over the length of the tongue and joins the flavor of honeyed pecans, aged oak, and nutmeg accents at the midpalate. The texture is full and robust here, and once you become acclimated to the heat, this bourbon is a treat to roll over your tongue and mine for flavor.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey doubles down with more baking spice and oak before relenting as some of the toffee from the nose and a sweet, albeit slightly tart, green apple note closes things out.
Bottom Line:
Redwood Empire’s Pipe Dream Bourbon at full cask strength is as unabashedly bold as any California whiskey on the market, and it showcases the brand’s self-assured blending team at its best. With barrel-proof bourbon, you can’t hide any flaws in the base liquid, making blending it a precarious act that requires as much confidence as prowess. Rest assured, the results here are a total success.
Frey Ranch Distillery, tucked away in the mountains of Nevada, is a relative newcomer to the American whiskey world, but they’ve been farming since 1854. All of that agricultural know-how finds its way into the bottle as they utilize their own sustainably grown grains in each of their products, putting nearly 170 years of experience on full display in their farm-to-glass bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leather and cinnamon bark come roaring out of the glass as the impressive proof in this whiskey makes itself known vis-a-vis its burly aromas. Buttery pastry notes and a sweetness reminiscent of port wine add refinement to the affair, with custard and torched blood orange elevating it as well.
Palate: The interplay of grain – with corn pudding playing the role here – with tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, black tea, and clove is mesmerizing in every sip. Be sure to suck your teeth as an invitation for toasted almonds and overripe dates to join the party.
Finish: The finish showcases a delicate balance – though this whiskey is anything but delicate – where leather, dates, and big black pepper vibes all claim equal ground and cling to the roof of your mouth for dear life.
Bottom Line:
Believe it or not, Frey Ranch Distillery has been around for nearly 20 years, having been founded in 2006. Time has wrought a level of expertise coupled with high-quality grains to produce a robust bourbon loaded with robust flavor notes and a silky mouthfeel that you’ll want to experience repeatedly, making this one of the best bottles of bourbon you can buy for under $100.
Frank August is a newcomer on the American whiskey scene, and they’re daring to ask the question: what is America’s spirit? Yes, bourbon is America’s Native Spirit, but they’re looking to highlight non-traditional stories to get at the heart of what this industry truly represents. For its flagship bourbon expression, sourced from another distillery in Kentucky, Frank August is blending small batches of 10-15 barrels and bottling them at the classic 100-proof mark.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honey with rich cherries and brioche bun aromas fills the air once you pour Frank August’s Small Batch expression into your glass. Give it a few swirls and each of the notes becomes more distinct: Manuka honey and Chelan cherries stand out while the aroma of a graham cracker pie crust and a tad bit of allspice join the party.
Palate: The impressively slick whiskey paints your palate with the distinct flavor of Chelan cherries, and thanks to its viscousness, it’s able to take its time gently massaging honey, oak and allspice into your tongue.
Finish: The succinct finish sees the allspice and oak asserting itself more forcefully while a touch of nougat and candied peanuts finally come out to play.
Bottom Line:
Frank August is a brand with bangers seemingly everywhere in its portfolio. From the surprising Case Study series to its exceptional single barrel offerings, Frank August has dialed in on some high-quality liquid that delivers as advertised. Their Small Batch expression, however, might be the purest example of the brand’s steady hand and clear vision of producing great bourbon free from any frills but packed with plenty of thrills.
40. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series, founded in 2023, began with three initial entrants, but this new 6-year-old High Wheat Bourbon marks the lineup’s first official expansion. By combining a low barrel entry proof with a high percentage of wheat (39%) in the grain recipe, the brand sought to extract the maximum amount of wood sugars.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of this Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon begins with a ton of crème brûlée and strawberries before a touch of oak, wheat funk, and caramel comes through. There are also a few dashes of clove and lemon zest to round things out.
Palate: Once on the palate, the strawberries and custard notes play a major factor as the remarkably creamy texture of the liquid coats your palate and finds every corner of the mouth. Mellow oak tones, vanilla frosting, and flaky pastry flavors also enhance the bourbon.
Finish: The finish here is surprisingly lengthy, with the strawberry note going from ripe berries to the dried variety as a touch of nutmeg creeps in and the gentle oak vibes fuse with honey.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company already has a wheated bourbon in their Origin Series, and it’s a rock-solid option that has its fair share of admirers among those who have tasted the well-received lineup. That said, this High Wheat Bourbon is absolutely stunning, and not only does it one-up its wheated bourbon predecessor, but it also blows the rest of the stellar Origin Series out of the water. For half a hundred, this is a great pick-up.
This Full Proof expression from the 1792 Barton Distillery is the pinnacle of their 1792 lineup, which also includes wheated bourbon, a bottled-in-bond offering, and its entry-level small batch. 1792 employs a unique filtration process for this expression, eschewing the typical chill filtration of its competitors and instead utilizing a plate and frame filter.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Initially, there are some jammy raspberry, dark chocolate, and barrel char notes that come wafting out of the glass, and those are soon joined by a hit of allspice and black pepper. After a few swirls, you’ll also pick up on the caramel and vanilla in this one.
Palate: On the palate, that jammy raspberry note becomes more of a blackberry as it takes a darker tack and delivers on the promise of barrel char, allspice, and black pepper on the nose. There’s a touch of smokiness with each sip as the heavy hit of ethanol singes the edges of your tongue and works its way up the roof of your mouth. This is, for sure, a spicy pour that needs some time in the glass to settle down, but it’s packed with a ton of flavor underneath that alcohol burn.
Finish: The finish is lengthy, courtesy of that heavy dose of ethanol, and as a result, it carries some black cherry through on the back end along with more of that black pepper spice and oaky, barrel char tones.
Bottom Line:
While it does bring a significant amount of heat that can be challenging at first, 1792 Full Proof also comes complete with a ton of full-bodied flavor that rewards chewing and extended sipping. If you aren’t afraid of a bit of heat, you’ll absolutely love this robust, brash bourbon.
38. Ben Holladay Bottled in Bond Soft Red Wheat Bourbon
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright stone fruit, spiced pears, cinnamon bark, clove, and white pepper with a touch of celery root hit the nose at first with a waxy note rising in the background in addition to ginger and slight mint sprig.
Palate: The first sip is remarkably rich. It has honey, cream of wheat, pears, and apricots, but it doesn’t stop there. The flavors of clove and cinnamon also come through in spades. The mouthfeel is impressively creamy, substantially gripping the edges of your tongue.
Finish: That creamy texture aids the lengthy finish full of stone fruits, vanilla custard, black pepper, and dense oak.
Bottom Line:
Holladay Distillery made the bold (and costly) choice to hold all of its core products until they reached six years of age, with this Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond Bourbon being their inaugural expression. The results have been decidedly delicious, and as one of the more under-the-radar options on the shelf, this bottle will blow away whiskey newbies and savvy veterans alike.
McKenzie’s Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon is a bit of an unknown in the wider world of American whiskey, hailing from North New York’s Finger Lake Distillery. Made per all of the Bottled In Bond Act’s legal specifications, this bourbon is distilled and aged entirely on the banks of New York’s Finger Lakes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this bourbon begins with a touch of wheat funk, lavender honey, fresh hazelnuts, and peanut brittle. It’s a smooth, inviting set of aromas that also brings a bit of chocolate truffle dust, clove, and pastry dough into the fold.
Palate: Once on the palate, all of the flavors from the nose are at the tip of your tongue, albeit in a slightly more muddled fashion. There are chunks of toffee to go with a bit of candied ginger, pastry dough, and peanut brittle up front, while a touch of honey, wheat funk, and chocolate truffle dust haunt the periphery of your tongue and the back of your palate. The liquid is medium-bodied but spry, covering and coating your palate quickly, receding almost as quickly, and leaving those mellow sweet notes behind.
Finish: For its short-to-medium finish, McKenzie Wheated Bourbon gives off the flavor of the slightly overcooked bottom of a blondie. There’s a touch of young oak, cloves, and honeyed wheat toast to send you on your way as well.
Bottom Line:
As one of the lesser-known bourbons on this list, let it be clear that’s an issue of limited distribution and marketing far more than flavor. McKenzie’d Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of the best-kept secrets in my home bar, and if you find a bottle and add it to your liquor cabinet, you’ll soon be telling curious houseguests the very same thing.
36. Dark Arts Barely Legal Small Batch Cask Strength Bourbon
Dark Arts Whiskey House, out of Lexington, Kentucky, is putting together some of our favorite blends over the past year. This “Barely Legal” Cask Strength Bourbon is so-named because it features distillate that was created in Indiana from a mash bill of 51% Corn, 39% Rye, and 10% malted rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of raspberries and ripe apples leap out of the glass, and they’re joined by the aroma of cocoa, oak, and rye spice, which makes for a balanced and intriguing nosing experience. The palate instantly becomes sufficiently whetted.
Palate: With the initial sip, this whiskey brings some heavy cocoa and oak tones on top of a wave of Cherry Cola, vanilla extract, and allspice. It will really stop you in your tracks. The proof point is perfectly balanced, allowing those waves of flavor to lay siege to every corner of your mouth without ever becoming too much to handle.
Finish: The lengthy finish is the final act of this magic trick, subsuming your senses in vanilla, black pepper, and cream soda before a kiss of bright red cherry sends you on your merry way.
Bottom Line:
Dark Arts Whiskey House is doing a little of everything, with stellar finished barrels and powerhouse Indiana ryes making up their portfolio, but these straight bourbon whiskeys are the best showcase of “Chief Alchemist” Macaulay Minton’s prowess as Master Blender and Taster.
Henry McKenna is Heaven Hill Distillery’s critically acclaimed 10-year-old single-barrel bourbon. Due to that critical acclaim, this expression has become far less readily available (and more high-priced), but it remains a stellar value in the Heaven Hill portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins with nail polish that soon cedes the way for cherry syrup, leather, rich oak, and honey-roasted almond aromas. It’s unbalanced, but it is still enjoyable.
Palate: On the palate, those first three notes from the nose make a solid initial impression as the nail polish/cherry syrup vibe strikes your palate before turning into more of a leather-inflected cherrywood note. It begins texturally robust but gradually thins out as the liquid unfurls over your palate and finds the edges of your tongue with a last gasp of caramel and faint smokiness before transitioning into the finish.
Finish: The finish is medium-length, but it’s here where the black cherry flavor finally plants its flag and welcomes even more dense oak and barrel char notes on the back end, allowing this bourbon to stick the landing.
Bottom Line:
As you know, dear reader, Henry McKenna Bottled in Bond, as a single-barrel expression, can offer a wide array of different flavors depending on which barrel your bottle is from, and this one falls in the middle of the range. Finding barrels that are this good from a brand notoriously known to be inconsistent is a treat, but the prospect of finding even better ones will keep you on the hunt.
Benchmark Full Proof was first released last year and is now the premier expression in the Benchmark lineup. Always bottled at 125 proof, it is the highest ABV offering from the Benchmark brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of cinnamon Red Hots, peanut shells, caramel, and oak. It’s a pretty straightforward medley of flavors, but despite that knock, they all work well together and come across boldly on the nose.
Palate: On the palate is where the brashness of those flavors really runs wild as it drinks a bit hot and is marred, rather than aided by, the simplicity of its flavor wheel. You get peanuts, cinnamon, caramel, oak, and…nothing else. That said, the flavors are fairly well-developed, and because of their distinctiveness and the clear delineation between each note, they’re easy to appreciate one by one.
Finish: The finish is flush with black pepper, more oak, and charred green pepper skin. It’s medium-lengthed, which is a plus if you appreciate its brashness but a distraction if that boldness is overwhelming.
Bottom Line:
When it was first launched, many Buffalo Trace fans posited Benchmark Full Proof as a sort of “Stagg Jr., Jr.” The hope was that it would present similar flavors in a much easier-to-find and affordably priced expression. How’d that turn out? Well, it would be an oversimplification to call it such, but it contains a few flavor notes that make Stagg so beloved. As long as you temper your expectations and are in the market for a bold, uncomplicated bourbon, there’s plenty here to enjoy.
33. Pinhook 9-Year Vertical Series Cask Strength Bourbon
The fifth entry in Pinhook’s stellar Vertical Series Bourbon, now in its sixth year with a 10-year expression planned for later in 2025, is a triumph. Showcasing a 100-barrel blend of MGP bourbon barrels from a mash bill of 75% corn, 20.5% rye, and 4.5% malted barley, this series is putting a spotlight on the influence of maturation on a designated set of 1,350 total barrels that Pinhook originally released at four-years-old back in 2019.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is defined by seasoned cedar, cardamom, and orange preserves, with dashes of honey, hay, and nutmeg accenting the experience.
Palate: After you’ve given this whiskey a chance to breathe in the glass, it comes to life on the palate with notes of brown sugar and brandied cherries blending well with candied almonds, buttered popcorn, and caramel candy. It has a lean mouthfeel that stands in contrast to its impressively well-developed and harmonic flavor profile.
Finish: The finish is a bit quotidian, but it ends on a satisfying note with moderate length as corn pudding drizzled in honey leaves the final impression.
Bottom Line:
Pinhook’s rock-solid vertical series is slowly (and sadly) creeping toward its last gasp, but the incredibly fun series has proven that it’s still capable of surprises. Now, at nine years old, the juice is as worthy of the squeeze as ever, and that bodes well for the next three years of releases before the party is finally over.
Still Austin is one of the fastest-rising stars in America’s craft bourbon scene, and that’s largely due to the influence of their Master Blender, Nancy Fraley. Fraley, who is also responsible for notable expressions from Wyoming Whiskey, J. Henry & Sons, and Jos. A. Magnus, to name a few, is well known to favor techniques like slow-water-reduction that are more commonly found in the world of Brandy.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A caramel, pie crust, and brown sugar fusion leaps out of the glass to greet the nose at first. A bit of nougat and some oak round things out, giving this bourbon a distinctly candy-bar type of vibe.
Palate: Grilled pineapples, salted caramel sable, overripe bananas, and oak hit the palate at first for a savory-sweet melange that makes you smack your lips. The mouthfeel is fairly impressive as well, with a robustness across the palate that helps send all of those well-developed flavors to the furthest corners of your mouth before the finish unfurls.
Finish: The finish is a tad shorter than you’d hope, given the viscousness of the texture and solid display of flavors, but with a bit of cucumber and oak capping things off in concert with some caramel, it’s an intriguing close out to an otherwise flawless pour.
Bottom Line:
What makes Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon so worthy of your attention, aside from its formidable array of flavors, is that the brand employs those aforementioned Brandy-style techniques to bourbon production in one of the climates most infamous for producing “hot” bourbon. By delivering a lighter take on Texas bourbon and eviscerating the presumption of its supremacy in the process, Still Austin is proving both the viability and the variability of the style.
Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll definitely agree that this is an incredible, smooth bourbon.
For their John J. Bowman single-barrel expression, the brand selects some of the oldest barrels in their inventory, though the age is omitted. Of note: the Fredericksburg, VA distillery was purchased by the Sazerac Company in 2003, which also owns Buffalo Trace.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon opens with Rainier cherries, butterscotch, and one shake of black pepper spice while some barrel char and red raisins gently play their notes in the background.
Palate: John J. Bowman greets the palate with more red raisins and barrel char with the taste of red cherries clinging to the tip of the tongue, allowing some mellow baking spices like nutmeg and cumin to hit the mid-palate before dark chocolate ushers in the finish. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied but it has impressive staying power, remaining consistent from the beginning of the palate to the end.
Finish: The finish is medium-length but underlines the sweeter notes in this bourbon with bright red cherries, a touch of honey, and some sweet oak sticking around the longest.
Bottom Line:
While savvy bourbon enthusiasts have been gravitating towards this release due to the Bowman Distillery’s ties to Buffalo Trace, the truly discerning bourbon fan can just as quickly throw that connection out of the window. This is simply great bourbon. The fact that it comes with high quality in a single-barrel format is all the more enticing for those who enjoy seeking out unique flavors and a surprising sipping experience.
Pursuit United’s Double Oaked Bourbon is the latest line extension from Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil, the guys behind the world’s most popular bourbon podcast, Bourbon Pursuit, and one of the most well-received upstart whiskey brands in the last few years: Pursuit United. The dynamic duo put together this blend and then subjected it to secondary maturation using custom 36-month seasoned French oak medium-toasted staves.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: With an initial whiff of butterscotch and marshmallow notes, this whiskey immediately gives off campfire vibes as the lighter, sweet notes control the overall impression of the nose.
Palate: With one sip, Pursuit’s Double Oaked Bourbon confirms the nose’s suspicions as the campfire vibes continue thanks to honeyed graham cracker, marshmallow, and butterscotch with a touch of grilled peach and youthful oak bringing it all together.
Finish: The finish does bring a bit more stone fruit notes while cinnamon and vanilla custard carry through, giving it moderate length with a lovely sweet and spice balance.
Bottom Line:
Make no mistake: Kenny and Ryan are as committed to their craft as anyone in the industry, and the rising star in their portfolio, this Double Oaked Bourbon, is ready for its close-up. With a cost that comes in well shy of $100, it’s a great option in this price range.
Barrell Bourbon has been hitting home runs with its barrel-proof bourbon series, and with this fresh label redesign gracing its latest release, it’s looking to use that fresh look to usher in an even more impressive new chapter. This cask-strength blend of straight bourbon whiskey features 9-year bourbon from Kentucky, 7.5, 8, and 10-year bourbon from Indiana, plus some 8 and 15-year bourbon from Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red apples, salted caramel, and an intriguing radicchio note come through on the nose. Given some time to rest, this bourbon also develops some juicy plum with a touch of leather and clove. This is remarkably well balanced with the aroma of orange rind coming through as well.
Palate: The juicy orange flavor comes through on the palate along with some chocolate truffle dust and a steely midpalate, reminiscent of touching your tongue on silver glassware. A bit of bright cherry also bursts at midpalate with some sweet doughiness similar to the sweet gooeyness of a kouign-amann pastry.
Finish: The finish is flush with orange citrus notes that come across as sweet without the slight tartness that can, at times, be off-putting. Throughout the lengthy send-off, there’s plenty of caramel with a touch of thyme, and it all comes across as rather defined, rewarding, extended savoring.
Bottom Line:
Barrell’s Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 36 recently placed in the top three of our “best new bourbons to buy this summer” list and after facing off against some of these other heavy hitters it’s easy to see why. This is one of the best batches of barrel-proof bourbon that the brand has ever released. Take advantage of the fact that it’s sitting on shelves at a reasonable price right now.
New Riff, out of Northern Kentucky, is a highly regarded craft distillery that’s increasingly adding age-stated products to their lineup. This new 8-year expression features a mash bill of 65% Corn, 30% Rye, and 5% Malted Barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of apple cider with mint sprigs punctuates the air around this glass and leaves just enough room for well-oiled leather to make an impression, too. It comes across as a lower proof when nosing it blindly, but only because the ethanol presence is light — the flavors it carries are rich.
Palate: Immediately, you’re struck by how well-structured this bourbon is. The mouthfeel is even-keeled, and the flavors in each sip are surprisingly well-behaved. Chocolate-dipped raspberries, notes of flan, and slightly overcooked caramel corn each take their turn to dance across the palate, never disturbing one another.
Finish: The finish is where that caramel corn note and a bit of honeyed oak close the ceremony. The finish is medium in length but high in pleasantness.
Bottom Line:
When New Riff first burst onto the scene with excellent 4-year-old whiskey, the industry rejoiced…and then they seemingly stalled out, with 4-year whiskey becoming their default for a spell. It turns out that they were merely biding their time to release some truly special bourbon with a higher age statement. Now that it’s finally here, we’re happy to sing its praises.
For their flagship 10-Year Bourbon, Widow Jane blends whiskey distillate from three different states in bespoke 5-barrel batches before proofing it down with mineral water from their Rosendale Mines in New York. The barrels from each blend hail from distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Widow Jane has a captivating nose of fresh cherries, orange oil, mature oak, and milk chocolate paired with more unique notes like waxy plums, coconuts, and pears.
Palate: Immediately, you’ll notice that this is a really rich whiskey that punches way above its modest proof point. That exceptional mouthfeel brings a complex web of all the notes above, with the red cherries, chocolate milk, and coconut aspects featuring most prominently across the palate while maple candy and cinnamon creep in more subtly.
Finish: Again defying its modest proof point is the finish, which lingers for quite a while, leaving mature oak and milk chocolate with a touch of plum on the palate, priming you for your next sip.
Bottom Line:
Widow Jane’s flagship expression might be under the radar for certain consumers who turn their noses up at bourbon produced outside of Kentucky. Still, having featured it in our “best non-Kentucky bourbons” round-up, you should know they’re making some excellent stuff. Not only is this bottle undeniably smooth, but it’s also dangerously delicious.
25. Southern Star Paragon Wheated Barrel Proof Bourbon
Southern Distilling Company is helping to put the North Carolina bourbon scene on the map with their fleet of impressive wheated bourbons. Still, none are as remarkable as their Single Barrel Cask Strength offerings. Made with a mash bill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley, this is a whiskey that, despite being produced in limited batches, is making a major impact among bourbon drinkers in the know.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sticky orange marmalade comes wafting out of the glass set against an earthy backbone of nutmeg, robust barrel char, and the floral, musky aroma of jasmine.
Palate: On the palate, one can expect the pleasure to increase tenfold as chocolate truffle dust graces the tongue before walnut meat and sassafras kick things into high gear. Those semi-sweet, earthy notes are then bolstered by a treacle sweetness accented by cardamom and a sprig of mint.
Finish: On the finish, it’s the sweetness that overtakes the robust earthy character of this bourbon with apple skin, clover honey, and vanilla extract to be found along with a touch of white pepper to balance it all out.
Bottom Line:
Boldness with balance is really the right way to describe Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite being new to the stage and facing stiff competition in the wheated bourbon category, this is one expression that proves North Carolina deserves a seat at the table when discussing superlative cask strength bourbon.
Green River has been producing critically acclaimed, affordable bourbons since the brand was revived and started hitting shelves in 2022. For this relatively new extension in their lineup, Green River Full Proof, they opted for a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley before bottling the juice at barrel strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Raisins and allspice jump out of the glass to greet the nose, along with a bit of sherried mushroom and coconut flake. This is such an atypical but alluring mix, and it really entices you to take a first sip.
Palate: Raisins, green grapes, cinnamon bark, and clove emerge on the palate, which is delightfully refined and compressed in the sense that the flavors feel densely packed. It also feels like the layers of flavor are distinct and well-developed, making sitting with it and picking it apart fun, as the medium-bodied bourbon offers just enough viscousness to hold your interest.
Finish: The end of each sip sees the addition of some fig newton and cracked black pepper as it sizzles away, leaving a strong impression on the palate through the delicious, lengthy finish.
Bottom Line:
While the mash bill in Green River Full Proof features some relatively high rye content, its sweetness and approachability win out over its spicier elements. While some bourbons are excellent for their brash, punch-you-in-the-face boldness, Green River Full Proof offers a bit more finesse for a sipping experience that puts panache before pugilism.
For this new, age-stated bottled-in-bond product, PCS Distilling kept things simple. They opted to take some of their best barrels, sourced from Indiana and matured in a bonded warehouse, and blend them together after seven years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Is there a Milky Way in my glass? The aroma of chocolate, caramel, and nougat greets the nose at first, with some accenting notes of brown sugar and robust oak rounding things out.
Palate: Brown sugar and milk chocolate splash across the tip of the tongue for a highly sweet introduction to this bourbon. The milk chocolate persists at midpalate as the rich texture of this bourbon brings touches of mocha, sweet oak, and cherry leather.
Finish: The lengthy finish reiterates all of the aforementioned flavor notes, which continue to blossom, showcasing their impressive richness minutes after your final sip.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon remains consistent from the nose to the palate, delivering a milk chocolate candy bar in a glass. While PCS Distilling has developed a strong reputation for its finished iterations, this by-the-books bottled-in-bond offering shows exactly why they’ve been so successful: they’ve figured out how to select some delicious, high-quality straight whiskey to be the backbone of everything they do.
The Icon Series from 2XO has been chugging along nicely, with four previous limited edition blends garnering high praise. Now, the latest edition is hitting shelves, and it’s called the Sneakerhead Blend to honor Master Blender and brand founder Dixon Dedman’s love of sneaker culture.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This bourbon is immediately evocative of cherry tarts, leather, and milk chocolate on the nose. Sadly, the leather is more of the robust, well-aged Chesterfield kind and less of Jordan XI’s vinyl-like patent leather aroma.
Palate: Once you have an opportunity to sip the Sneakerhead Blend, you’ll note all of the aroma notes surviving on the palate, and they’re joined by a gently pulsing black pepper spice presence that glues all of the well-aged bourbon notes of stewed black cherries, chocolate, and leather, together. The mouthfeel is satisfyingly full-bodied, offering plenty of room for those refined flavors to blossom and sprout.
Finish: On the finish, it’s the notes of leather and cherry that stand out, and those are joined by a touch of tobacco leaf and smoked mint sprigs for an interesting savory and sweet balance that lingers long after each sip.
Bottom Line:
2XO has been releasing some quietly underrated blends for a while now, but it’s no exaggeration to say that the Sneakerhead Blend is the best work they’ve done so far. While the Gem of Kentucky series of single barrels have been bruisers in the wider world of bourbon, at the $100 mark, the Icon Series is delivering killer value with high-quality liquid to boot.
A non-age-stated, wheated bourbon, coming in at cask-strength. Larceny Barrel Proof is a hodgepodge of things that bourbon fans simultaneously grumble and go crazy about. For the brand’s final batch of 2024, they delivered yet another high-octane, highly refined entry into the series.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is resplendent with a melange of black cherries, damp oak, and the aroma of a secadero. Those notes are buoyed by bits of toffee, clove, and white pepper spice.
Palate: In the mouth, this whiskey really blooms. The flavors of black cherries and damp oak run roughshod over the tongue while white pepper, pipe tobacco, white pepper, and surprising bright bits of citrus round things out.
Finish: The finish is every bit as marvelous as the palate on this batch, as it lingers for a nice while before withering away, leaving brown sugar, molasses, and vinegar-based barbecue sauce in its wake.
Bottom Line:
Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon is far too often overlooked because of the established reputation of its sibling in the Heaven Hill portfolio, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. That said, this sibling rivalry isn’t so different than famous examples like the Williams sisters or the Culkin brothers. While ECBP has long enjoyed the spotlight, the formidable younger sibling is quickly gaining ground and at any rate, both are deserving of high praise.
Brand new for 2024 is Penelope’s recently launched Estate Collection, which is currently home to an 11-year-old wheat whiskey, a single barrel series, and this 9-year-old straight bourbon blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This gives me serious Cracker Jack vibes, as the aroma of caramel corn and peanuts joins an intriguing Luden’s cherry cough drop note and a bit of cotton candy for an enticing blend that’s taking me to the ball game. Allspice emerges and the oak becomes more prominent the longer you allow this to sit in the glass.
Palate: The tame nosing notes prove to be the perfect primer for the demure but decadent flavors found on the palate. This is incredibly rich bourbon with Manuka honey, Tahitian vanilla, bits of bright red cherries, and nougat flavors gently detonating at midpalate. The proof is as restrained as the nose suggested, making this one a pleasure to mine for more flavor as it meets you halfway.
Finish: The finish is on the shorter end of being medium-length, but it so gently recedes from your palate that you’ll go searching for more flavors to unlock long after your final sip. What a treat.
Bottom Line:
The keyword when it comes to Penelope’s Private Select Estate Collection Bourbon is finesse. Never is this whiskey heavy-handed or anxious to show how elegant it is, but rather, it slowly unfurls to reveal a depth of incredibly impressive flavor that you’ll want to appreciate at length. Taking your time with each sip of this outstanding whiskey is well worth it, and you’ll surely enjoy how well it performs for less than $100.
19. Ben Holladay Rickhouse Proof Soft Red Wheat Bourbon
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill. For this Rickhouse Proof expression, they’ve chosen to showcase the latter at full octane, without dilution.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoked caramel, dark chocolate, and stewed red apples give this one a really autumnal vibe, with clove and some great barrel char and oak tones tying it all together.
Palate: Smoked caramel makes it to the palate along with a lot of vanilla and nougat, while dark chocolate plays a supporting role from the wings. The dense oak and barrel char notes are really the skeleton that holds this all together, though, and enables the sweeter notes to stand tall with a few shakes of clove thrown in for good measure.
Finish: The finish gives a sweet impression of cooked apples and caramel, which helps to curtail the heat and heighten one’s enjoyment. One other thing that helps is it sticks around for a long time, affording you the opportunity to savor it until the last drop.
Bottom Line:
Ben Holladay’s Bourbon is enjoying a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best young craft distilleries on the market today, and that reputation is well-earned. If you aren’t already adding bottles of Ben Holladay Bourbon to your liquor cabinet, then there’s no better time than now to start exploring one of the best non-Kentucky bourbon brands in all of the land.
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: 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 nine 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. This bottle slaps in any setting, and getting it for $100 flat feels like stealing.
Baker’s brand-new High Rye expression is said to have twice as much rye in its mash bill as its classic cousin, Baker’s Single Barrel Bourbon. Furthermore, what separates it from other high-rye bourbons in the Beam portfolio like Basil Hayden and Old Grand-Dad is the fact that this liquid was distilled to a lower proof, matured in specific warehouses, and features an age statement, unlike the majority of Basil Hayden and Old Grand-Dad expressions.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Baking spice and mint notes rush out of the glass along with caramel and cedar for a sequence of nosing notes that immediately reveal this bourbon’s “high rye” nature. A bit of hazelnut and dilute maple syrup can also be found after a few waves of the hand.
Palate: The palate on Baker’s High Rye Bourbon holds true to the nosing notes, with black pepper and honeyed mint tea leading the charge while pie crust and creme brulee notes follow closely behind, giving this whiskey a significant amount of rye spice that is gently tempered by the more neutral pastry flavor and delightful sweet tones.
Finish: The finish is impressively lengthy, with all of that rye spice goodness coming to the fore over a bed of candied mint leaf and honeyed herbal tea.
Bottom Line:
In what will be remembered as a banner year for Jim Beam, the distillery’s 2024 release of Baker’s High Rye Bourbon stood among the best of a voluminous bunch. Given the ubiquity we’re already seeing with this one on liquor store shelves (YMMV in your local market), this might just be the biggest winner of all their releases from last year due to the fact it’s readily available, affordably priced, and exceedingly full-flavored.
Four Roses Small Batch Select uses six of the brand’s ten recipes (OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF) for a unique blend concocted by Master Distiller Brent Elliott and ages the liquid for six to seven years before batching, lightly proofing, and bottling it all up.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, Four Roses Small Batch Select offers cola nut, bright red cherries, black pepper, nutmeg, and clove with some oak and caramel tones following behind those initial top notes. It’s robust and inviting, with a lovely baking spice presence that displays a ton of balance.
Palate: Four Roses Small Batch Select hits the palate with a full-bodied richness that coats your tongue and sends you mining your taste buds to discover the flavor of jammy cherries, nutmeg, black pepper, and honeyed black tea. The texture would count as its defining quality if it weren’t for the impressive balance of the flavors ever-so-slightly outperforming the viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: The lingering finish is where you’ll find vanilla extract, raspberries, brown sugar, and a light mint note — which reminds you that this is a robust Four Roses bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Four Roses Small Batch Select is such a great option to buy under $100. Because it tends to get overlooked when folks are shopping for bottles under $50 and passed over for pricier bottles when they’re feeling spendier you might not have this one on your radar, but that needs to change today.
Old Weller Antique, or Weller 107 as it’s commonly called, is the second expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. With an estimated age range of about seven years, it shares a grain recipe, warehouse location, and proof point with Old Rip Van Winkle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Old Weller Antique is befitting of its packaging as candied red apples and honey combine with soft pastry notes, a touch of honey, allspice, and butterscotch.
Palate: On the palate, those candied apple notes achieve an impressive depth, almost mimicking the flavor of apple cider as waves of caramel, mellow oak, and milk chocolate come crashing in. The well-balanced whiskey is aided by a viscous mouthfeel underlined by a prickly infusion of ethanol, black pepper, and tart apple cider vinegar.
Finish: For its closing word, Weller Antique offers a fresher note of stone fruit and Rainier cherries, dipped in milk chocolate and closing with vanilla ice cream. The finish is medium-length but substantive, allowing enough space for each flavor note to have its say before tapering away.
Bottom Line:
Good old Weller Antique is highly sought-after for existing under the halo of the Pappy Van Winkle lineup and William Larue Weller wheated bourbon, but the truth of the matter is that this might be the most versatile and underrated whiskey in the Weller portfolio. Be forewarned: this isn’t the easiest bottle on the list to find under $100, but if you can do so, it’s a stellar bottle that won’t disappoint.
For the final batch of 2024, dubbed “Jimmy’s Batch,” Booker’s assembled a mingling of choice barrels to honor a rival/friend/icon of the industry: Jimmy Russell. Beam’s seventh-generation Master Distiller Fred Noe called Jimmy a “living legend” and noted he was one of his late father’s “dearest peers.” High praise from one legend of the industry to another.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Jimmy’s Batch opens in typical (of late) Booker’s fashion with a blend of floral notes from roses to jasmine combined with nutty ones in the form of hazelnut and peanut shell. Accents of brown sugar, oak, black pepper, and vanilla pods further bolster those aromas.
Palate: The taste of brown sugar leads the way, with floral and nutty notes following closely behind as this batch takes the standard Booker’s flavors and adds depth with richness rather than a dizzying range. Simply put, this is Booker’s Bourbon done right.
Finish: The finish grips the tongue long after each sip with a silky smoothness that slips a velvet glove over the typical iron-fisted Booker’s finish.
Bottom Line:
Booker’s Bourbon is a lot of things: the first commercially available barrel-proof bourbon, one of the most beautifully packaged bourbons on the market, and a fine example of how storytelling can elevate a brand. For 2024’s fourth offering, “Jimmy’s Batch,” it’s all of those things, plus exceptional whiskey. While the quality of Booker’s has been inconsistent at best and worrisome at worst for the past few years, by ending 2024 with a bang, the Beam Distilling Co. has given us high hopes for 2025’s offerings.
13. River City Whiskey “Beaver Bridge Barrel” Single Barrel Bourbon
River City Whiskey is the newest brand on this list. This expression, from founders Da’Mon Brown and Ricky Rice, is a natural outgrowth of what began as a barrel pick group that the two started. Now, entering the arena of creating a brand, they’ve brought this inaugural expression “Beaver Bridge Barrel” to market using the single-barrel format they’ve perfected to present a cask-strength bourbon, aged for nine years, and made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes open with bruised pears, apple skin, singed orange peel, vanilla custard, black pepper, sage, and barrel char. The aromas are impressively well-developed and delicate but distinct, leading to extended appreciation before you venture in for the first sip.
Palate: The lighter, sweet notes come through on the palate, with peach rings, dried apricot, and scraped vanilla pod seizing your attention at first. The whiskey then turns a bit floral at midpalate before ceding ground to the flavors of restrained oak and honeyed black tea as it fans out over the tongue and begins transitioning to the finish.
Finish: The finish is robust but brief, expanding rapidly with full flavors before gently concluding with vanilla wafers, orange blossom, and white pepper lingering at the end of the party.
Bottom Line:
This is simply great whiskey that shines on the front end with distinct, well-developed flavors that blend together harmoniously before blossoming at mid-palate and succinctly shedding its petals on the finish. The price of admission is perfect.
As this bourbon flows with far more peaks than valleys from beginning to end, it shows that River City Whiskey is ready to open the floodgates of their hand-selected high-quality single-barrel bourbons with this inaugural release.
Knob Creek 12-Year Bourbon is the more mature version of the widely available Knob Creek 9-Year Small Batch. Bottled at the same proof from the same stock of barrels, the 12-year version offers a well-age alternative to an absolute bourbon classic.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, you get some of the signature hazelnut qualities that Jim Beam is famously known for, but with more oak, brown sugar, and honeyed black tea, this expression cranks up the intensity as well as the refinement.
Palate: Once on the palate, this bourbon delivers on the promise of the nose by offering classic Jim Beam bourbon notes with a depth of richness that the 9-year small batch only scratches the surface of. There’s a touch of lemon zest atop the prototypical caramel, hazelnut, and rich oak notes, plus a surprisingly robust texture that grips the edges of the palate while gently coating the middle of it.
Finish: The finish is medium to long with more hazelnut notes joined by black pepper and brown sugar, with nutmeg and clove following shortly thereafter. It closes with some vanilla wafer sweetness before gently receding and welcoming a second sip.
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel bourbon is fairly unique in the Buffalo Trace lineup because it is an ongoing single barrel, bottled in bond expression. While it’s more coveted by consumers than its small-batch counterpart, it should be noted that they’re both bottled in bond expressions and thus bottled at the same 50% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel and oak each appear on the nose of E.H Taylor Single Barrel, with the caramel coming across as gooey and freshly made and the oak indicating maturity. From there, further aromas of honeyed toast, toasted almonds, and a faint black cherry note can be found hanging in the air.
Palate: On the palate, the faint black cherry note from the nose presents itself with more gusto, and it’s joined by welcome guardrails of oak and fresh hazelnuts. After a few waves of the hand and a second sip, it becomes easier to detect accenting flavors like raisins, walnuts, rye spice, and toffee.
Finish: The finish has some mature oak notes and black pepper to go with even more toffee and candied walnuts. It’s not impressively long, but it lasts enough time to savor the evolution of each of those flavors.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon is chimeric as all single barrel bourbons are, but the vast majority of them are very, very good. This bourbon has become more elusive even than Blanton’s, making it one of the harder-to-find single-barrel bourbons in Buffalo Trace’s portfolio, but that’s not merely a coincidence. People keep buying them up because they tend to be worth every penny.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed was initially introduced as Wild Turkey’s (really Jimmy Russell’s) response to the launch of Jim Beam’s Booker’s. Launched at a time when high-proof bourbon was less en vogue, it reflects Jimmy’s prescience in predicting the market’s future.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honeysuckle, bright red cherries, and cinnamon rolls delight the senses once Rare Breed tumbles into your glass. Given some time to sit, you’ll find well-aged oak, clove, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and toasted almonds all elevate the aroma profile of this bourbon.
Palate: The flavors in this bourbon are rich and well-developed, with each of the nosing notes coming through on the palate. Those flavors are bolstered by a bit of cooked apple and pie shell for a robust yet clearly defined cavalcade of notes with a spry texture that deceptively coats your palate after several sips.
Finish: Lengthy and lingering, the finish on Rare Breed is balanced and delicious as it deftly combines sweetness and spice — leaving you wondering which one will last the longest. The answer is typically the spice.
Bottom Line:
Rare Breed is frequently cited as a limited edition whiskey hiding in plain sight, and that reputation is well earned. With a flavor profile that brings an abundance of red berries, vanilla, and baking spice, Wild Turkey Rare Breed has an enchanting combination of mature flavor, delicate balance, and stern force that makes it a world beater.
Stagg Bourbon (formerly known as Stagg Jr.) has seen dozens of iterations at this point, some of them spectacular and others simply misguided. For the fourth and final batch of 2024, the Buffalo Trace Distillery seems to have righted the ship on this cask-strength offspring of the vaunted George T. Stagg Bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is warm and inviting with caramel, graham cracker pie crust, and brown sugar blossoming to reveal milk chocolate chunks, freshly cracked black pepper, gooey caramel, leather, and red licorice.
Palate: The first sip of Stagg Bourbon batch 24D delivers each of the nosing notes in a tidy format, allowing you to taste the distinctions between every layer of flavor. The red licorice morphs into more of a black cherry note, while the caramel, too, goes darker, trading in a light sugariness for more of a singed sweetness akin to toffee or the caramelized sugar atop creme brulee.
Finish: The finish pulls at your palate long after each sip, with oak and leather coming to the fore while a bit of hazelnut and red berry compote, topped with white pepper, leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
Stagg Bourbon waxes and wanes more than some of the other barrel-proof bourbons on this list, and that inconsistent batch quality is certainly a knock against it. However, when it achieves harmony in expressions like the 24D (and the 24B) batch, it’s as formidable as they come. Don’t miss out on one of the brand’s better batches if you happen to see it on liquor store shelves near you.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is the fully amplified, small-batch version of one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world. Released in small batches, with their identifying codes found on the front label, this expression showcases Maker’s Mark in its purest form.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this whiskey begins with plenty of honeysuckle and toffee before the sweeter notes break rank and allow oak, red berries (think bright cherries and ripe raspberries), and a combination of oak and leather to rise out of the glass.
Palate: The first sip of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is a revelation, resplendent with more pronounced red berry and caramel flavors than the nose at first indicated. Those flavors are far-reaching, with a refinement that rewards chewing the whiskey and allowing the viscous liquid to seep deep and then deeper still into your palate.
Finish: For the lengthy finish, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength offers a fresh cavalcade of accenting notes, ranging from vanilla and mellow oak to clove, orange blossom, and truffle honey. It’s a complex and captivating way to close this robust, elegant bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is easily one of the best bourbons at any price point; frankly, not enough people know it. While standard Maker’s Mark enjoys ubiquity at bars and liquor stores, this slightly harder-to-find offering tends to fly under the radar despite its incredible quality. Let that be the case no more.
Kings County is New York City’s oldest distillery and all that experience is brought to full bear with their Barrel Strength Bourbon. For their premier undiluted offering, the brand uses some of their oldest barrels which are aged between 4 and 7 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Green grape skin and brown sugar are striking at first, but wait…there’s more. Enter the custard with lemon zest, black pepper, nutmeg, Brazil nuts, and honey to add to the depth.
Palate: The flavor of corn pudding, honey, and golden raisins splash across the palate, adding surprising levity to the dense and dark liquid in the glass. It coats your palate at once and beckons the back of your tastebuds to explore more as each sip slowly dissipates.
Finish: The finish is incredibly long-lasting, and it’s there that you’ll find more baking spices and barrel char to corral those sweeter top notes.
Bottom Line:
It’s well-known by now that Kings County produces bourbon that can punch above its weight on the national scene. If more people were to try the best of their bourbon — and these barrel-strength releases are definitely among the best of their bourbon — next to some of Kentucky’s heavyweights, it would be more well-known that Kings County can hold its own.
6. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Tennessee Whiskey
Some bourbon lovers might be surprised to see Jack Daniel’s on this list, but it’s time to let you in on two open secrets in the enthusiast community. One: Jack Daniel’s meets all the requirements to be called a bourbon. Sorry, not sorry. Even their Master Distiller says so himself. Two: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof is one of the best values in the bourbon world, capable of going toe-to-toe with classics like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof in blind tastings.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one blasts you with overripe bananas, orange zest, maple candy, and rich oak for a delightful medley that feels dessert-like with a boozy punch.
Palate: On the palate, the flavor of banana bread mingles with caramelized orange wheels and maple candy for a melange that you can’t help but roll over your tongue and chew. The caramel and vanilla rise to the top when you hold it on your palate, as does a touch of barrel char and a faintly smoky note that eludes detection when you focus your senses on it but tickles the periphery when you let it be.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and reintroduces the vanilla pod, oak, and cooked orange notes as it fades off of your tongue with one final flourish of black pepper spice.
Bottom Line:
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Whiskey is yet another bottle with “limited edition” quality sitting right under folks’ noses. Part of the reason for that is Jack Daniel’s ubiquity, which makes people think this bottle is like the rest of the JD range, and part of it is inexperience as they chase flashy new expressions from distilleries with a fraction of the know-how. If this bottle isn’t one you regularly seek out, change that today.
Nashville Barrel Co. has been cleaning up at awards and winning accolades for a few years now, yet they still manage to fly under the radar of most everyday consumers. If it’s a brand you haven’t explored yet, drop everything and start today. This bottle from the brand’s Nashtucky lineup (the result of Kentucky-born distillate that was aged and bottled in Nashville) is the standout expression you should start with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this whiskey opens with a faint French Toast slathered in maple syrup aroma, which quickly gives way to a pronounced nuttiness combined with caramel chews, circus peanuts, and baked apple notes.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the baked apple notes from the nose that lead the way. With that curtain lifted, the show begins in earnest with notes of caramel, dense oak, dark chocolate, red pepper flakes, and raw almonds hitting the palate. The liquid is viscous enough to easily traverse your tongue before gripping its edges to display its impressive staying power.
Finish: The finish, as alluded to above, is nice and lengthy, with a touch of mocha joining the smokey nuttiness and hints of barrel char before brown sugar washes away all of those earthy tones and gives you a sugary send-off.
Bottom Line:
This is incredibly impressive stuff that once again goes to show how formidable Nashville Barrel Co. is in the modern bourbon landscape. If you want proof that it isn’t the size of the dog in the fight, but rather the size of the fight in the dog, take a bite out of NBCo’s prodigous small batch and single barrel bourbons.
We’ll certainly be barking about it all year long.
Elijah Craig is well known for putting out three different batches of this exceptional barrel-proof bourbon each year, and the A125 batch marks the first of 2025’s offerings. Aged for 10 years and seven months and clocking in at 118.2 proof, this one is as classic as it gets.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey opens with some of that signature Elijah Craig nuttiness, which is soon subsumed by candied walnuts, brown sugar, and gooey caramel tones. A hint of earthiness in the form of oak and tobacco is there to back all those confectionary notes up with some substance.
Palate: Once on the palate, Elijah Craig’s A125 batch warms your tongue with its silky texture and distinct, well-defined layers of flavor. All of those sweet tones from the nose are fully formed on the palate without muddling together or tasting watered down. This is an absolute achievement of a bourbon.
Finish: The lengthy finish continues the silky smooth vibes as it gently pulsates on your tongue before rolling to the back of the palate and gently receding with some hazelnut and black pepper left in its wake.
Bottom Line:
Elijah Craig’s A125 batch of its Barrel Proof Bourbon is par for the course with this expression, which is to say it’s almost ordinary in its excellence. It’s only upon further review and close inspection that you realize this isn’t just average whiskey, but rather, excellent whiskey is the Elijah Craig lineup’s baseline. While it doesn’t pack any surprises, in the case of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A125, familiarity breeds contentedness rather than contempt.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the quintessential bourbons on the market today. The brand was first launched in 2013 on the heels of Wild Turkey’s success with Russell’s Reserve Small Batch. Non-chill filtered and always proofed to 55% ABV, this release features both a general release and private barrel selections.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey opens with a rich interplay of thick cherry syrup and vanilla ice cream with honey, white pepper, clove, and oak aromas, and it noses as one of the best damn desserts Lawrenceburg, KY, can offer.
Palate: Cola nut, Luxardo cherries, and French vanilla hit the palate first before this rich bourbon invites white pepper and some faint barrel char notes to join them. As the liquid travels to the back of your palate, it begins bringing peanut brittle, black pepper, oak, and a faint green apple flavor to the fore.
Finish: The medium-length finish has cooked red apple and cinnamon, with restrained barrel char having the final say.
Bottom Line:
What happens when you bottle up some of Wild Turkey’s hand-selected barrels, proof them to 110 without chill filtration, and pour it in a glass? Absolute magic. You can visit your local liquor store and inquire about the standard version of this offering, or you can go the extra mile and seek out single-barrel selections from folks whose palate you trust. Either way, you’re sure to hit on a winner.
Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon is the pinnacle of the revived Fortuna brand from Rare Character. Always aged for at least seven years, the bourbon is sourced from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky and blended in three-to-five barrel lots.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with boozy cocktail cherries, cinnamon bark, rich oak tones, and even a hint of mocha. After a wave of the hand, as the liquid tumbles around your glass, aerating it will reveal further aromas of butterscotch, black pepper, cacao nibs, and strawberry jam.
Palate: The nosing notes offer a solid roadmap for what follows on the palate as blackberry jam replaces the strawberries found on the nose while cinnamon, almond extract, dense oak, and sticky toffee run rampant on the tongue. The texture is robust and offers a fullness that allows each flavor to present itself distinctly, revealing its impressive richness.
Finish: The finish is long-lasting and introduces clove, freshly grated ginger, and black pepper for one final baking spice sizzle before the syrupy black cherry notes leave a sweet final impression.
Bottom Line:
Fortuna Barrel Proof entered the market with a splash, immediately challenging the supremacy of several cask-strength stalwarts on this list. Now, less than two years after its introduction to the market, it’s become clear that it isn’t just beginner’s luck that warrants its place in the conversation. Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon is easily one of our most highly recommended bottles to buy for under $100 in 2025.
Four Roses Single Barrel, offered at Barrel Proof, is one of the single-barrel bourbon world’s best offerings. Not only does Four Roses make all ten of its recipes available in the single-barrel program, but by offering them at an undiluted strength, it showcases their distillate in its purest form every time. This particular single barrel is a nine-year and five-month version from the OESO recipe.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Juicy orange rinds, bright red cherries, and sweet brown sugar aromas come flying out of the glass with this delicious bourbon freshly poured. There’s also a touch of sage, vanilla frosting, and tobacco leaf to be found.
Palate: Brown sugar and red currants are the most immediately available flavors to download once you take a first sip of this single-barrel bourbon. The dense oak introduces some clove and mellow black pepper baking spice notes, as well as grips the palate and pushes towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is mellow and lingering, with figs and cherries fusing with juicy orange notes and barrel char before pulsing off of your palate.
Bottom Line:
No matter the recipe, Four Roses Single Barrel Barrel Proof Bourbon is an exemplar of the single-barrel format, though we do have our favorites. As one of the most historic brands in all of bourbon, it’s simply a must that you try Four Roses Bourbon as undisturbed as possible at full cask strength.
Well, the industry has finally woken from its winter torpor, leading to a packed week of releases in hip-hop. Joey Badass led the charge with “Sorry Not Sorry,” with which he seems to want to continue the pugnacious vibe of the past year.
However, Chance The Rapper had other ideas, seeking to address the political turmoil in the US today with “Quiet Storm.”
Larry June tried to keep things classy with “Bad Choices” featuring 2 Chainz and The Alchemist.
Sexyy Red and Bruno Mars delivered their strip-club anthem, “Fat, Juicy & Wet” to both rave reviews and hand-wringing from rap’s parents.
And Travis Scott got back on his boastful BS with “4X4.”
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending January 24, 2025.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
BigXthaPlug — Take Care (Deluxe)
BigXthaPlug
Beefing up the original tracklist of his October release, the Texas rapper reissues his latest with three new songs. If you didn’t get a chance to check it out and see what the hype is about the first time around, now’s your opportunity to catch up.
Boldy James — Permanent Ink
Boldy James
I felt a twinge of disbelief earlier this month when I stumbled upon some discourse deriding Boldy’s consistency and rapid release pace. If you’ve got a product that works, and customers who want it, it simply makes no sense to hold it back (coughcoughNikecoughcough).
Central Cee — Can’t Rush Greatness
Central Cee
You can’t rush greatness, but it’s about time Cee capitalized on all the buzz he’s built up both at home and overseas. He’s managed to bridge the gap between UK rap and US audiences with a slightly more accessible approach than some of his countrymen, but a staunch loyalty to his own yard. The results speak for themselves.
Hunxho — For Us
Hunxho
The Atlanta trapper is building a solid body of work on the periphery of fan favorites like Future and Lil Baby. His reluctance to wholeheartedly embrace that circle is probably the only thing holding him back, but don’t let his lack of co-signs hold you back from enjoying his heartfelt tunes.
Singles/Videos
Chow Lee — “Kinda Up Off Talent!”
While Chow’s partner-in-rhyme Cash Cobain might have all the motion, Chow’s drive isn’t to be ignored. Following up his late 2024 offering Sex Drive, Chow continues to prove that he’s capable of bridging the gap between New York City’s contemporary sound and its longstanding commitment to lyrical excellence.
Hurricane Wisdom — “Demand”
Who’d have thought the Florida upstart was such a romantic? “Demand” isn’t at all what you might have expected from someone best known for grimy recollections of Havana street life, but the flash of versatility is just the sort of thing that alerts me to an impending breakout.
Kenny Muney — “Do What You Wanna Do When You Got Racks”
A funky Memphis trap cut from the PRE young gun, “Do What You Wanna Do When You Got Racks” comes with a video finding the Southerner vacationing in Finland. Despite being way out of his element, he seems right at home, flashing the sort of poise that helped put his mentor Dolph at the top of the city’s rap radar.
Reason — “Not What You Think” Feat. Bas
Reason’s first single since parting ways with TDE is a soulful affair supported by Dreamville rapper Bas. He sounds unfazed by the transition to indie status, keeping his earnest, intellectual approach to lyrics-forward rap. Yes, he addresses the worst of it, but he’s clearly refreshed by his newfound freedom and it doesn’t sound like there are any hard feelings — or at least, none he wants to offload in his first song.
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