Warning: Spoilers for The Fall of the House of Usher ahead.
Anytime Mike Flanagan calls up his pal Carla Gugino to be in something, you know it’s going to be pretty messed up, which is exactly what happened with his new show, The Fall of the House of Usher.
Flanagan’s latest Netflix show follows the extravagant Usher family and the various family members (and enemies) that revolve in the inner circle. Think Succession with a lot more death and destruction. The story is loosely inspired by the works of Edgar Allen Poe, with modern-day influences splattered throughout. So who is Verna, the mysterious figure who seems to appear just in time for some chaos?
The name “Verna” works as an anagram for raven, a central figure in Poe’s universe, and also a likeness to death itself. Verna is present and lurking throughout all eight episodes before it is revealed in the finale that the two main siblings, Roderick and Madeline Usher, made a deal with her on New Year’s Eve so many years ago that they would have wealth, power, and freedom, but when it was Roderick’s time to go, the rest of his bloodline would succumb with him. Hence, the fall of the house, and all of those outlandish deaths.
Even though Verna was really there, it was the family that made the deal and followed through with their deeds, Verna was just the messenger who made sure that they experienced some karma for starting the controversial pharmaceutical company. Remember when family businesses were just, like, small mom-and-pop candy stores? We should bring those back.
The Fall of the House of Usher is now streaming on Netflix.
As part of an experiment, a man asks for help translating a Facebook message he has received.
There’s a man in Lithuania who speaks only English. The message is in Lithuanian. He can’t read it, so he asks some locals to translate it for him.
As he asks one person after another to translate the message for him, two things become obvious.
1. He’s received a message full of hate speech.
2. Translating it for him is breaking people’s hearts.
It’s nearly more than these people can bear.
There’s a sudden, powerful connection between the translators and the man they’re translating for. They want to protect him, telling him not to bother with the message.
They apologize for the message.
They look like they want to cry.
Words hurt.
Most of us would never think of saying such horrible things. This video shows people realizing in their gut what it must feel like when those words are pointed at them — it’s all right on their faces. And so is their compassion.
The Facebook message is horrible, but their empathy is beautiful. The video’s emotional power is what makes it unique, and so worth watching and passing around.
Here it is.
The video’s in English, subtitled in Lithuanian. Just watch the faces.
…according to the Pennsylvania Ballet, which reported encountering the post on the social media site.
The Pennsylvania Ballet, whose company members regularly wear tutus, had a few choice words for anyone who thinks their light, frequently pink costumes mean they’re not “tough.”
Commence epic reply…
(full text transcribed under the post).
A Facebook user recently commented that the Eagles had “played like they were wearing tutus!!!”
Our response:
“With all due respect to the Eagles, let’s take a minute to look at what our tutu wearing women have done this month:
By tomorrow afternoon, the ballerinas that wear tutus at Pennsylvania Ballet will have performed The Nutcracker 27 times in 21 days. Some of those women have performed the Snow scene and the Waltz of the Flowers without an understudy or second cast. No ‘second string’ to come in and spell them when they needed a break. When they have been sick they have come to the theater, put on make up and costume, smiled and performed. When they have felt an injury in the middle of a show there have been no injury timeouts. They have kept smiling, finished their job, bowed, left the stage, and then dealt with what hurts. Some of these tutu wearers have been tossed into a new position with only a moments notice. That’s like a cornerback being told at halftime that they’re going to play wide receiver for the second half, but they need to make sure that no one can tell they’ve never played wide receiver before. They have done all of this with such artistry and grace that audience after audience has clapped and cheered (no Boo Birds at the Academy) and the Philadelphia Inquirer has said this production looks “better than ever”.
So no, the Eagles have not played like they were wearing tutus. If they had, Chip Kelly would still be a head coach and we’d all be looking forward to the playoffs.”
Happy New Year!
In case it wasn’t obvious, toughness has nothing to do with your gender.
Gendered and homophobic insults in sports have been around basically forever — how many boys are called a “pansy” on the football field or told they “throw like a girl” in Little League?
“They played like they were wearing tutus” is the same deal. It’s shorthand for “You’re kinda ladylike, which means you’re not tough enough.”
Toughness, however, has a funny way of not being pinned to one particular gender. It’s not just ballerinas, either. NFL cheerleaders? They get paid next to nothing to dance in bikini tops and short-shorts in all kinds of weather — and wear only ever-so-slightly heavier outfits when the thermometer drops below freezing. And don’t even get me started on how mind-bogglingly badass the Rockettes are.
Toughness also has nothing to do with what kind of clothes you wear.
As my colleague Parker Molloy astutely points out, the kinds of clothes assigned to people of different genders are, and have always been, basically completely arbitrary. Pink has been both a “boys color” and a “girls color” at different points throughout history. President Franklin D. Roosevelt — longtime survivor of polio, Depression vanquisher, wartime leader, and no one’s idea of a wimp — was photographed in his childhood sporting a long blonde hairstyle and wearing a dress.
Many of us are conditioned to see a frilly pink dance costume and think “delicate,” and to look at a football helmet and pads and think “big and strong.” But scratch the surface a little bit, and you’ll meet tutu-wearing ballerinas who that are among toughest people on the planet and cleat-and-helmet-wearing football players who are … well. The 2015 Eagles.
You just can’t tell from their outerwear.
Ballerinas wear tutus for the same reason football players wear uniforms and pads:
Earlier this month, a viral video posted by creator Monique Santos (@moniquelsantos09) featured a woman refusing to get out of the car when a date took her to The Cheesecake Factory.
As the video started, the gentleman exited the car and went to the passenger side to open the door. “He got me at The Cheesecake Factory y’all. I ain’t getting out of this car,” the woman said in a video that’s received over 8.1 million views. The video brought up a big discussion on social media about where you should take a woman on a first date.
Around the same time, a list of the 28 places women refuse to go on dates started circulating on social media. It’s believed that it was first created on October 15 by a man who goes by John Shaft on Facebook. According to the post, he asked the women in his life to list the places they refused to go on a first date. The list obviously wasn’t scientific but it’s pretty clear that the woman he spoke to have a real problem with going to chain restaurants on dates.
Cheesecake Factory topped the list.
What’s so wrong with having a nice night out with fried macaroni and cheese, a plate of Chicken Romano, signature cocktails, and a big hunk of red velvet cheesecake? According to this list, a whole lot.
Here’s the complete list:
Cheesecake Factory
Applebee’s
Chili’s
Chipotle
Olive Garden
The Movies
Your House
Any Fast Food Chain
Buffalo Wild Wings
Wingstop
Red Lobster
A Buffet
IHOP
Denny’s
The gym
Church
Starbucks
Coffee dates
Ice cream dates
Family functions
Movie night (Netflix, Hulu, and etc.)
Somewhere that requires a long drive
Bowling
Nightclubs
Hookah Bar
A bar for just drinks
Waffle House
Sports events
A big problem with this list is that people who live in rural areas may only have a few chain restaurants and don’t have an extensive selection of places to go for a good time. So, you’ll probably be stuck going to one of the places on the list.
Many men responded to the list on Twitter with a big question: Where in the world is left to go on a date that isn’t on the list?
Some people think that if someone thinks they’re “too good” for The Cheesecake Factory, then maybe they aren’t someone they want to date in the first place. There’s something to be said about avoiding relationships with people who are too picky.
Others thought creating such stringent rules for someone on a date wasn’t realistic. Especially if it’s a first date and you don’t know the person. Many people aren’t able to spend a lot of time and money going out with someone they don’t even know they will like.
“Refuse to go” Lets be real, No woman is refusing to go any of these places. They’re going then complaining about it.
Many men also made a great point: It doesn’t matter where you go but who you’re with. Many love stories started with a walk and an ice cream cone. Many relationships that began at Michelin-rated restaurants didn’t even make it to a second date.
The first date, with my now wife of 11 yrs, consisted of going out for ice cream, going back to my house and then going to East Side Mario’s. This is a list created by girls who just want a free fancy meal, not to get to know a guy.
List is bogus. My wife and I went to @Applebees on our first date back in 1992. Will celebrate 30 years of marriage next year. It’s not where you go, it’s who you’re with…
That’s a lie 😂 first date with my lifelong girlfriend was going to Owens Beach, eating McDonald’s, and laughing at ridiculous looking people roller blading. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that keep us happy and in good spirits. If a woman can’t vibe with that, find a new one.
One of the most classically “Upworthy” stories of the past decade is the story of Jamal Hinton and Wanda Dench. In a twist of fate, Wanda texted her grandson about Thanksgiving plans in 2015, or so she thought. The number she texted belonged to a young man named Jamal, who said she wasn’t his grandma but could he have a plate anyway? It was a joke, but she invited him to join her family’s dinner—and he came.
Jamal and Wanda became fast friends, and they have gotten together for Thanksgiving nearly every year since. They’ve seen a lot of life changes together—Jamal finding love, Wanda losing her husband, a global pandemic. And Jamal is still getting random texts from random numbers on occasion, which is just a reminder of the story that has delighted millions over the past eight years.
Jamal and Wanda made this week’s list along with some other delights, both old and new. May these tidbits of joy lift your spirit and bring a smile—or 10—to your face.
1. Three cheers for the greatest college trick-or-treaters ever
First of all, how is that dog real? Secondly, what on Earth is he going on about? Does he like the bath or hate it? Or maybe he’s just trying to make conversation with the hairdresser like the rest of us.
Hope this roundup brought a few smiles to your face! If you enjoyed this post and want to see more like it in your inbox, subscribe to our free email newsletter, The Upworthiest, here.
Tracy Morgan is the ultimate talk show guest. You never know what he’s going to say or what’s he going to do. He as unpredictable as his infamous airport singing. Such was the case on Thursday night when he visited The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and proceeded to go on a tangent about how he was almost the next Speaker of the House.
“I could’ve been speaker,” Morgan told Fallon. “My game is good. How do you think I got my wife to marry me? Lying.”
While Fallon completely lost it at that last line, Tracy continued to tout his skills as the only man who can bring both parties together.
“I’m telling you, who could get the Democrats and the Republicans together better than old Tray-Bae?”
Fallon supported Morgan’s venture, telling him, “That’s what I’m talking about! We get Tracy Morgan in and they get everyone together!”
Morgan then revealed that he knows the House Speaker gig could’ve been his because he already has a powerful supporter in Congress. A man who thinks that Tracy would’ve been “perfect” for the job: George Santos.
“And I believe him, ’cause he invented breakdancing,” Tracy declared. “I remember, out there, doing the back spins and all that, George Santos!”
“One time [Trump] came over to the house, and he had six boxes, and it said ‘Top Secret’ on there,” Morgan told Fallon. “I said ‘What’s in these boxes?’ He said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’”
But one of the complaints about the tribute was that it was too short and ignored some rather pivotal moments and acts from hip-hop (especially the late-aughts and 2010s). At the time, the Grammys promised that a longer special would be recorded and aired later in the year. Earlier this month, the Grammys announced when the show would take place, and today, we learned more about which artists would be performing at the Grammy Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop.
According to Billboard, the second round of acts added to the lineup includes Arrested Development, Big Daddy Kane, Black Sheep, Cypress Hill, Digable Planets, DJ Quik, E-40, GloRilla, Gunna, Jeezy, Juvenile, Latto, Luniz, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shanté, Spinderella, Three 6 Mafia, Too $hort, T.I., 2 Chainz, Warren G, and YG.
They’ll be added to the existing lineup of Black Thought, Bun B, Common, De La Soul, Jermaine Dupri, J.J. Fad, Lady of Rage, LL Cool J, C Sha-Rock, Monie Love, The Pharcyde, Queen Latifah, Questlove, Rakim, Remy Ma, Uncle Luke and Yo-Yo, many of whom played at the tribute earlier this year.
A Grammy Salute To 50 Years Of Hip-Hop tapes on November 8 at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, CA, and airs on Sunday, December 10 on CBS.
Jim Beam Bourbon is one of the best-selling whiskeys on the planet. The White Label bourbon version of Jim Beam is so ubiquitous that you can find it on bar shelves from Brisbane to Beijing to Barcelona to Boston to Buenos Aires. After a certain Tennessee whiskey, the Kentucky bourbon is America’s signature on the whiskey-drinking world across every continent.
But there isn’t just one Jim Beam bottle. The brand has 16 distinct expressions that all fall under the “Jim Beam” brand/label. Jim Beam comes in flavored whiskey varieties, several unique bourbons, and even a Kentucky straight rye whiskey. This gives the whiskey drinker a lot of options for enjoying a pour of “classic Jim Beam.”
To that end, I’m going to rank every single “Jim Beam” branded bottle (with my professional tasting notes) that is currently on liquor store shelves. As of 2023, that’s 16 different expressions under the Jim Beam brand. The best part of this is two-fold. One, you can find these bottles easily. Two, they’re all extremely affordable — with one exception in the number one slot. Still, we’re talking about 15 out of 16 bottles of whiskey that range from $15 to $20.
Let’s jump in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This bottle is Beam’s own orange liqueur infused with their Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. That is then proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Candied orange and those old-school orange wedges with crystalized sugar candies dominate the nose with a hint of bourbon caramel.
Palate: Super sweet orange candies and orange soda drive the palate with a whisper of cinnamon, caramel, and maybe some vanilla lurking in there somewhere.
Finish: Orange candy sweetness is the only thing you really get on the short and sweet finish.
Bottom Line:
If you want some orange candy whiskey, then go for it. I think if there was more of the vanilla creaminess, you’d get an orange creamsicle vibe that’d work, but it just doesn’t go far enough for that. This just isn’t for me.
Here we have Beam’s peach liqueur infused with their standard Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It’s proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of peach iced tea powder drive the nose toward a little of the syrup from a can of peaches with a touch of cinnamon and oak.
Palate: That peach iced tea really dominates the palate with a whisper of “bourbon” vibes.
Finish: The end is more of that canned peach syrup with a hint of vanilla and “spice”.
Bottom Line:
This is very, very sweet. The peach never feels real or fresh. That said, I can see using this in iced tea to make it boozy and peachy, so… it’s not a complete wash.
This infuses Beam’s vanilla liqueur with their classic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once proofed, the flavored whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is a massive vanilla bomb to the point that it almost smells more like a bottle of vanilla extract than anything else.
Palate: Vanilla, vanilla, vanilla! The palate is just vanilla sweetness on vanilla sweetness with a hint of “bourbon” in there somewhere.
Finish: Vanilla extract, vanilla oil, and maybe some vanilla cake round out the sweet and very short finish.
Bottom Line:
I would 100% use this for baking. That’s it. And … that’s not a bad thing because you do get a slight bourbon vibe that you don’t get from some vanilla extracts otherwise.
Here we go! This is a classic cinnamon liqueur infused with Jim Beam’s classic Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. After proofing, the whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red Hots (or Hot Tamales depending on what part of the country you’re in) pop on the nose with a sweet yet very sharp cinnamon spice countered by a hint of bourbon oak and caramel.
Palate: That Red Hot vibe dominates the palate to the point that it feels like you’re drinking a shot of bourbon with the candied floating in the glass.
Finish: The finish is 100% hot yet sweet cinnamon with a touch of bourbon cherry, oak, and caramel.
Bottom Line:
Hot cinnamon and bourbon isn’t a bad thing. And the fact that bourbon does shine through on the mid-palate and finish helps this one rise above the standards. If you’re looking for an alternative to Fireball, this is a good one.
Here we have Beam’s honey liqueur infused with its Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. It’s then batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Almost fresh honey comes through on the nose with a hint of bourbon baking spices, a whisper of oak, and a little dose of vanilla.
Palate: That vanilla gets creamy on the palate, creating a creamed honey vibe that eventually sweetens towards a honey candy.
Finish: The honey candy mellows on the end as the bourbon spice and caramel combine with the creamed honey for a sweet yet bourbon-y finish.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t bad! It’s sweet but in a honeyed way that has far more depth than the sweet candy vibes of flavored whiskeys below it on this list. I can see making a nice cocktail with this easily.
This is Beam’s cherry liqueur blended with iconic Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once batched, the whiskey is proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark cherry cola with a hint of root beer drives the nose toward a hint of baking spices, caramel, and vanilla with a touch of cherry chewing gum.
Palate: That cherry chewing gum gives way to cherry pie filling with more of that bourbon-y baking spice, a hint of oak, and a touch of buttery pie crust.
Finish: The end combines the spice, stewed cherry, and bourbon oak nicely for a sweet yet spiced finish.
Bottom Line:
This just works. Part of this is that Jim Beam is already very cherry-forward as a bourbon. This simply amps up those notes to MAX volume. All in all, this will make a nice cocktail base if you want to highlight cherry notes.
This bourbon is made with Beam’s classic low-rye mash bill and special yeast that was pulled from the window seal in James B. Beam’s kitchen back in the 1930s. That heritage is the core of every Beam product. This straight bourbon is aged for four years before the barrels are blended/batched and it’s all cut down to 80 proof for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a classic sense of “bourbon” on the nose with notes of mild caramel, buttered popcorn, peanut brittle, vanilla pudding, fountain Cherry Coke, and a dash of apple orchard.
Palate: The palate largely leans into the nose’s vibe with a deep sense of cherry/vanilla pudding next to candy corn and dry straw.
Finish: The end is light and short thanks to that proofing water but does carry notes of cherry tobacco, old tobacco leaves, and a hint of dry oak with a sense of maybe some pecan-chocolate clusters lurking in there somewhere.
Bottom Line:
This is just classic bourbon through and through. Yes, it’s light, but that makes it approachable. This is so easy-going that you can shoot it, mix it, or drink it over rocks and you’ll have a good time either way.
Here we have apple liqueur infused with Jim Beam’s Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Once proofed, the whiskey is bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Apple skins and tart apple cores drive the palate toward a sweet apple cider cut with light winter spices and hints of oak spice.
Palate: That real apple vibe continues on the palate as Apple Jolly Rogers sweetens the taste before bourbon baking spices and vanilla create a mild apple fritter vibe.
Finish: The finish feels more like an apple dessert with a hint of butteriness and plenty of spice than an apple candy.
Bottom Line:
This is … actually nice. There are real apple feels in the mix and the bourbon compliments what’s going on. I can see using this for baking too, but I think you could sip this over rocks on a cool fall day and not be mad about it. I also think this would work well in a fun fall cocktail.
8. Jim Beam Repeal Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This bourbon was released in 2018 to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition. To do so, the team at Beam recreated the first batch of bourbon made by James B. Beam after “our long national nightmare” ended in 1933. The juice is largely the same as the standard Jim Beam White Label with a few tweaks in the distilling, batching, and proofing process. The bourbon was a hit and has become a yearly release from the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bananas Foster with a lot of vanilla, brown sugar, and butter draws you in next to a vanilla malt with a cherry on top and a touch of caramel drizzle.
Palate: The palate adds a sweet grits vibe with honey and cinnamon sugar next to a woody sense of apple and pear.
Finish: The end is full of woody spices over buttery apple pie filling and Cherry Coke with a hint more of that banana, though now it’s more banana bread with nutmeg, cinnamon, and walnuts.
Bottom Line:
This veers away from the classic Beam cherry toward more banana and apple, and it’s a welcome change of pace. Still, this is clearly a cocktail or highball whiskey that works over rocks in a pinch.
7. Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The “angel’s share” is the distillate that evaporates into the air as the spirit ages in the barrel. The “devil’s cut” is what’s left in the barrel at the end. For this expression, that “devil’s cut” is a six-year-old Jim Beam that’s batched and proofed down to a sultry 90-proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A hint of that toasted oak comes through on the nose with a sense of creamed honey and Bing cherry next to apple skins and maybe some spicy apple cider with a mild sense of vanilla pound cake with some poppy seeds.
Palate: The palate is lush like a cream soda spiked with cinnamon-cherry syrup and paired with salted apple chips and dry chewing tobacco with a whisper of old oak.
Finish: The end leans into the woody spice and tobacco with layers of vanilla husk, cornmeal, and cherry pits with a warming finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a step up from standard Beam. The profile simply runs deeper and offers more. Use it for cocktails and on the rocks pours.
This Jim Beam expression is their cream liqueur that’s made with Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and heavy cream.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich creamy notes appear on the nose with hints of winter spice, apple cinnamon rolls, and a whisper of bourbon oak.
Palate: The palate is rich and creamy with a good sense of winter spices, stewed apple, oak, and a shutter of sour cherry.
Finish: Rich and lush vanilla cream drives the finish toward a soft and creamy end that feels like spiced bourbon cream cut with a hint of winter spice cake.
Bottom Line:
Bourbon Cream is a bit of an acquired taste. Let’s just say, if you’re really into eggnog, this will be your jam and this is a good one to start with. If you want to try it, no need to mix — pour this over some ice and you’ll be all set.
5. Jim Beam Double Oak Twice Barreled Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Originally only released on the international market, the expression became so popular that customer demand led to it hitting U.S. shelves a couple of years ago. This is standard Jim Beam that’s aged for around four years that’s then re-barreled into new oak barrels for another shorter rest. Finally, those barrels are batched and proofed for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of dry firewood sitting in black soil on the nose that leads to more classic Beam notes of cherry vanilla cream soda, dry apple, buttery caramel sauce, and a hint of old oak staves.
Palate: There’s a sweet sense of creamed honey on cinnamon toast on the palate that leads to singed marshmallows and spiced-cherry tobacco leaves with a hint of cedar lurking behind it.
Finish: The end has a nice sense of woody vanilla pods and cherry bark next to dark chocolate laced with cinnamon and tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is deep and earthy Jim Beam bourbon that’s still very quaffable. It’s classic through and through with that extra layer of depth that helps it pop on the senses. Pour it over ice for sipping or into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail.
This rye was designed by Master Distiller Fred Noe as a return to the bigger and bolder days of rye before Prohibition defanged a lot of the industry and its recipes. The juice is a throwback recipe to the 1920s version of Beam’s rye, giving the whiskey a fruitier edge in the process. Beyond that, the recipe and details on aging are whispered but not really known.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tart berries and sourdough apple fritters dusted with cinnamon sugar mingle on the nose with a sense of candied cherry and lemon pepper.
Palate: The palate opens with a lush vanilla base next to butter toffee before a hint of rye bread crust leads to a whisper of black pepper and caraway with a twinge or star anise.
Finish: The end pops with sweet floral honey next to salted black licorice and mint chocolate chip with a hint of dry sage and plum pudding.
Bottom Line:
This is a good Kentucky rye with a nice fruity sweetness to it. It’s great in whiskey-forward cocktails or as an on-the-rates sipper. But to be very clear, if you’re looking for a spice-bomb Indiana rye vibe, this is not it.
3. Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This expression replaced the old Jim Beam Black Label 8 Year, which was a huge favorite amongst the old-school Beam heads. The whiskey in this bottle is aged longer than your average four-year-old Beam, but there is no age statement on exactly how long. I’ve heard things, but only rumors. The best way to think of it is that it’s aged for as long as it needs to be before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A clear sense of expensive vanilla beans next to apple cotton candy, honey-buttered cornbread, soft oak staves, and Dr. Brown’s Cherry work through the nose.
Palate: The taste has a hint of sourdough apple-cinnamon old-fashioned doughnuts next to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seed and orange zest, a whisper of clove and anise, and a smidge of pecan pie.
Finish: The end has a dried vanilla tobacco vibe by way of spiced apple cider and old cinnamon sticks next to a hint of raisins and bruised peach skins.
Bottom Line:
This is high-quality sipping Jim Beam, especially over a few rocks. It also works really well as a cocktail base for whiskey-forward cocktails.
2. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than one percent of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with classic notes of vanilla sheet cake, salted caramel, wintry mulled wine spices, and a sense of cherry pie in a lard crust next to a hint of dried corn husk, old broom bristle, and dark chocolate pipe tobacco.
Palate: The palate layers in floral honey and orange zest next to sticky toffee pudding, old leather, and cherry tobacco layered with the dark chocolate with this lingering sense of coconut cream pie lurking somewhere in the background.
Finish: The finish leans into more woody winter spices (especially cinnamon bark and nutmeg) with rich toffee and cherry-chocolate tobacco braided with dry sweetgrass and cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This single-barrel bourbon has no business being this good for under $30 (the price will vary in the $20 range, depending on your state’s taxes). It’s a great sipper neat or on the rocks and makes one hell of a cocktail. If you’re going to get one mainstream Jim Beam bottle, this is the one.
1. Jim Beam Lineage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey A Father And Son Collaboration
This whiskey was released for the struggling travel retail market late last year (as well as being available at the distillery). The whiskey in the bespoke bottle is a 15-year-old classic Jim Beam bourbon that was aged on specific ricks in Warehouse K (the most famed warehouse on the Clermont, Kentucky campus). Father and son Fred and Freddie Noe both selected the barrels to make this blend and released it almost completely as-is with just a drop of that soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic from the jump with a soft caramel candy with vanilla buttercream frosting over spiced choco-cherry cake, a touch of clove-studded burnt orange rind, and soft marzipan with a hint of old oak cellars.
Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of Black Forest cake — stewed cherries, vanilla cream, moist chocolate cake, dry dark chocolate shavings — next to a bunch of woody and barky winter spices with a hint of hazelnut and burnt orange.
Finish: The end leans ever-so-slightly into old cedar bark and rich spiced cherry tobacco layered with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and a hint of sharp mint and maybe some more of that clove.
Bottom Line:
This is fantastic sipping whiskey and one of the best bourbons of the year. It’s a testament to the beautiful work the Noes are doing with Jim Beam in 2023. So if you’re looking for one special bottle of Jim Beam this year, this is the bottle to snag.
On Thursday’s episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, Kimmel played a clip from Lindell’s 24-hour news channel, Lindell TV, proving there is officially too much TV. The MyPillow founder spoke to The Lindell Report host Brannon Howse from his car. “I’m trying to get this lined up. I’m on the road here,” Lindell said while a dog was beside him in the passenger seat. After Howse made a service dog joke, Lindell replied, “I got lots of things going on.” He sure does.
“You think he knows the dog is in the air? The dog is there to help him drive. They take turns,” Kimmel joked. “But as loyal as that dog is, no one is more loyal to Mike Lindell than his sidekick / best bud Brannon.”
The Lindell TV host shared his dubious theory that people are naturally drawn to “strong masculine leaders,” such as Lindell. Kimmel cut in, “Right, they’re attracted to strong masculine leaders with monogrammed pocket squares.” The camera then zoomed in on Howse’s suit accessory with the letter “B” on it. “The ‘b’ stands for badass,” Kimmel joked.
You can watch Kimmel’s monologue above. Or the Lindell clip alone below.
Uproxx’s Josh Kurp ranked “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” at No. 9 among all of Taylor Swift’s 26 vault tracks across her four re-recorded albums. “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” arrived today (October 27) on 1989 (Taylor’s Version), and Swift explained why it wasn’t included on her original 1989 album, which not-so-coincidentally released on October 27, 2014.
She continued, “But we had tons of time to perfect the production this time and figure out what we wanted the song to sound like. […] I think it’s the shortest song I’ve ever had, but I think it packs a punch. I think it really goes in. For the short amount of time we have, I think it makes its point.”
“Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” comes in at two minutes and 31 seconds, which is all the time Swifties needed to attach to it and surmise that Swift is likely referencing her past relationship with Harry Styles.
I CALL MY MOM SHE SAYS TO GET IT OFF MY CHEST! REMIND MYSELF THE WAY YOU FADED TIL I LEFT… I CANNOT BE YOUR FRIEND SO I PAID THE PRICE OF WHAT I LOST. AND WHAT IT COST. NOW THAT WE DONT TALK !!!!!! pic.twitter.com/ZeeF7hbBtw
I DONT HAVE TO PRETEND I LIKE ACID ROCK OR THAT I’D LIKE TO BE ON A MEGA YACHT! WITH IMPORTANT MEN WHO THINK! IMPORTANT THOUGHTS! – Now That We Don’t Talk #1989TaylorsVersionpic.twitter.com/t4C7lIlvE1
As for Swift saying “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” is one of her favorite left-behind tracks, she said something similar when announcing 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
“Surprise!! 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is on its way to you [soon arrow emoji]!” Swift wrote across her social channels on August 9. “The 1989 album changed my life in countless ways, and it fills me with such excitement to announce that my version of it will be out October 27th. To be perfectly honest, this is my most FAVORITE re-record I’ve ever done because the 5 From The Vault tracks are so insane. I can’t believe they were ever left behind. But not for long!”
Listen to “Now That We Don’t Talk (Taylor’s Version) [From The Vault]” above.
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