When it comes down to it, who would really win in a fight? A bunch of dragons or a teenager with an attitude problem and a pet severed hand? The answer might surprise you!
Netflix’s hit teen mystery Wednesday has beaten out the dragon drama, House of the Dragon, as the most-watched premiere from the second half of 2022, according to a new report from Samba TV.
The series, led by Jenna Ortega, also had the most extended “shelf-life” of the most popular shows, meaning that new people were still tuning in after the prime two-week mark. Samba credits this to Gen Z and their ever-impressive TikTok trends that dominate the app, causing new viewers to tune in much after the fact, and then re-watch a million times so that they can get the moves just right. It’s hard work being an internet star, but someone’s gotta do it.
In contrast, House of the Dragon managed to be the top premiere in the first 15 days of its release, but Wednesday managed to blow past that after its 40-day window, with almost twice as many new views per day as Dragon. Wednesday also managed to attract a wider audience than other popular shows from June-December, thanks to its diverse cast that appealed to multiple age groups and demographics. According to the report, Wednesday was more popular among Black and Hispanic households, in addition to more female viewers.
Maybe if HBO can get genius Matt Smith to do a whimsical little dance then they might beat some more records. Just an idea.
WARNING: Spoilers for The Last of Us Episode 5 below.
After some table-setting in Episode 4 that stranded Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) in Kansas City, The Last of Us once again delivered an absolute gut punch of an episode. In “Endure and Survive,” game characters Sam and Henry, played by Keivon Woodard and Lamar Johnson respectively, take center stage as they help Joel and Ellie escape from Kathleen (Melanie Lynskey) and her hunters that have overthrown FEDRA forces. Kathleen is also aggressively hunting for Henry, who caused the death of her brother by ratting him out to FEDRA to get medicine for Sam.
As fans of the game know, Sam and Henry’s tale has a tragically dark ending, and the HBO series did not shy away from those final moments. It was some heavy stuff, but thankfully Woodard and Johnson quickly formed a brotherly bond as soon as they met, which helped with the grueling shoot.
“Day One, the first day that we met, we were in the production offices running around and playing tag. We connect a lot over video games, things like that,” Johnson told IndieWire. “So it really was not hard. He’s such an enthusiastic kid and energetic and just very talented. It was really easy to build that relationship with him.”
That bond helped when it came time to shoot the episode’s bleak ending:
As Henry and Joel have their deep conversations about what families owe to each other and the importance of protecting another person, there’s Sam and Ellie taking their precious chances to goof around and be kids. Woodard and Ramsey were essentially getting to do the same thing.
“We’d be working all day and all night, and I would make jokes and talk with people. I really enjoyed my experience and I think there was a good balance there,” Woodard said.
Despite having his character die off after committing a horrifying act, Johnson has no problem revisiting the episode. He’s extremely proud of the work he and Woodard put in.
“You get everything. You get the emotions, but you also get the action and the character building,” he said.
Rihanna began and ended her set standing on a platform that was suspended high over the field. Her dancers flanked her on similar platforms. And for a certain kind of fan, the whole setup wound up looking vaguely familiar…
That’s right: Rihanna’s a Super Smash Bro. now (give us the DLC, Nintendo!).
For those who don’t know Super Smash Bros. is a Nintendo fighting game that brings together characters from the company’s most popular properties (Super Mario Bros., The Legend Of Zelda, Donkey Kong, and Starfox, to name a few) to beat the hell out of each other on… suspended platforms hovering over a bottomless pit. The goal of the game, unlike many fighting games, is for fighters to throw their opponents off the stage — the last man (or Pokémon or anthropomorphic animal or whatever-the-hell-Kirby-is) standing wins.
So many fans had a ball making the same Nintendo-related jokes and adding graphics from the game, but there’s one, clear winner here:
After ESPN’s Andraya Carter broke word of trade talks, Diamond DeShields appeared imminent for a trade out of Phoenix this weekend. Those talks eventually progressed into a significant four-team deal with abundant ramifications across the board, seeing DeShields head to Dallas, Marina Mabrey head to Chicago, and this year’s most active team, the New York Liberty, get involved.
It’s difficult to not get overwhelmed when contemplating this trade, what it means for each team, and how it may play out on the court. Here, we’ll try to do exactly that and look at how yet another offseason blockbuster shook up a quarter of the league.
Dallas Wings
The Dallas Wings remain an absolute anomaly to me.
I was pretty certain we were unlikely to see Mabrey, a restricted free agent, back in a Wings uniform in 2023 based on some posts from her agency as well as overall trends and verbiage from the organization surrounding the team during pressers.
Snagging DeShields, a former All-Star and extremely talented wing who has grown as a defender over the past year, is intriguing. Adding Chicago’s 5th overall pick in the coming draft, while maintaining the 3rd overall pick they received from Atlanta in the Allisha Gray trade (is your head spinning yet?), and adding another pick from Chicago in their 2024 first is incredible value no matter how you slice it and or feel about the on-court fit of the current roster.
Considering that Mabrey was likely on her way out regardless, getting back a player with similar value makes sense and is a good idea, but the fit is certainly odd. Every move Dallas makes furthers my urge to pack my things, move to Arlington, Texas, and volunteer to rebound just so I can see what’s going to happen at practice. The talent has never been the question during this recent era of the Wings, but how it meshes has been. As I’ve written previously with respect to the acquisition of Natasha Howard in the Jonquel Jones trade, I just need to see it in action.
New head coach Latricia Trammell is well known for her defensive aptitude and mind, and there’s the makings of one of the better defensive units in the league, as they’re long at every position and have a wealth of versatility. Offense is where things get muddled, though, as they have players with a variety of skillsets, but lack a clear table-setter to help organize their action.
Especially with their best playmaker in Mabrey gone, this is a huge vote of confidence in second year player Veronica Burton’s growth. Crystal Dangerfield will need to have an important impact as well, but Trammell has mentioned in media availabilities that she’s already met with Burton multiple times to watch film and pick each other’s brains. It can’t be understated how key she might be to organizing this offense.
From a bigger picture perspective, the Wings have too many draft picks to actually use themselves, meaning they’re likely not done dealing. Dallas has nine combined picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts, including five first rounders, three of which are in the coming draft. The Wings can open up roster spots by waiving some of their current rookie-scale players, but it’s worth noting that they only have two open roster spots after signing Kalani Brown to a training camp contract.
Will Dallas package together draft capital and players they don’t view as part of their future to make a home run swing? Or will they simply kick the can and move some picks this year for future picks? Either way, they can’t bring in as many young players as they have picks to, and more moves have to be on the horizon.
Adding picks in 2024 and the chance to move around in 2025 is huge, as those drafts are ripe with talent and are deeper than the recent few. The new talent infusion coming into and impacting the league is hard not to dream about fondly. Team president Greg Bibb openly stated that this year they’re looking to take another step forward as a competitive playoff team; how those timelines coalesce the next few seasons will be a sneaky important storyline throughout the league.
Dallas made the biggest splash in this trade with respect to value, but how they work to make that value play out on the hardwood is the hardest to figure out.
Chicago Sky
As for the Sky, trading out of this draft doesn’t surprise me when looking at the player added. Mabrey will come in, be an immediate starter, and perhaps in a new setting she pops into even more than what she already has been (a very solid WNBA player).
Kahleah Copper has the helm in Chicago, and James Wade and company are rebuilding on the fly around her to remain competitive. Some may look at this and scoff at trading out of the draft when they could add young talent, but I’d take this differently.
For one, this is a pretty good indicator of how the Sky feel about the depth of this draft. If there isn’t a player they believe they can develop into a star with the 5th pick, or develop into a steady starter during the next few seasons, it makes sense to move. Secondly, this is a significant bet on Chicago’s ability to re-sign Copper prior to 2024 and also to sign another star or multiple.
Punting on the 2024 Draft and opening up the possibility to slide down in 2025 is a large risk, but players like Kahleah Copper don’t just drop onto your roster in the square of their prime. On paper, the value proposition is tough to feel great about, but if the Sky end up retooling better than expected, and Copper ends up re-signing, I get it.
This team is frisky. James Wade is a hell of a coach. They’re not going to be a title contender, but I’d bank on this team making the playoffs and starting an enticing new era.
New York Liberty
This is fairly cut and dry from the Liberty’s perspective as they’re clearing up cap space and a roster spot. Onyenwere struggled to find her footing as a second year player and hopefully will be able to in a new environment, where she’ll surely build fans quickly inside Phoenix’s building.
With Marine Johannes likely coming over late, and Han Xu not yet re-signed (she has a reserved player qualifying offer from the Liberty), I’m very interested to see what happens with Nyara Sabally. Sabally, New York’s 2022 5th overall pick, missed her rookie season after having surgery to fix a previous condition with her knee. However, Liberty brass have repeatedly expressed their excitement for Sabally and drafted her knowing this could be the case.
How they look to round out their contending core will be fascinating to watch.
Phoenix Mercury
It’s hard to know what to take from this last year in Phoenix. It cannot be overstated how difficult Brittney Griner’s wrongful detainment was on the league at large, but specifically for the Mercury. Within that strained environment there appeared to be a lot of things going on behind the scenes that we still don’t have a full understanding of publicly, but it seems likely Diamond DeShields is happy to be in a new situation.
DeShields tweeted this the night the Mercury were ousted by the Aces in the first round of the playoffs.
Hopefully she is now a good place and in good spirits as she heads to a new team, while the Mercury can begin resetting after a tumultuous 2022.
Phoenix has nine players under contract for the coming season after signing Moriah Jefferson, although both Griner and Diana Taurasi have indicated that they will be re-signing. Skylar Diggins-Smith’s return date from her pregnancy is uncertain, but her return to Phoenix at large is as well, as she and Taurasi quite visibly did not mesh last season on-court with some notably heated spats. No one knows what to expect on the court from Griner, and that is all a secondary consideration as it’s just great to have the former All-Star back.
This team was competitive in the Finals in 2021, and Griner was an MVP candidate then. This is a very different team, in a very different situation headed into the year, and it’s difficult to grade this deal in terms of what it does on the court. That said, adding a player who can bring some versatility, but also be an injection of positivity on and off the court, something Onyenwere has been lauded for by New York’s front office and media, is noteworthy as the Mercury look to finally move forward.
However, knowing where to look is key. When searching out quality, value-driven wines, we recommend considering the quality of the fruit first—meaning that seeking out organic, biodynamic, or other responsibly-focused producers is a great place to start. To go a step further, look for the name of the distributor of the wine, which is generally found on the back label. Check out their portfolio and values to see if they align with yours, and if so, carry on.
Sounds like work, I know. But believe it or not, you’ll quickly build up a Rolodex of go-to names that you know and trust.
While we love supporting small retailers, we understand that it’s sometimes easier to grab wine online. We took to Wine.com to find the ten best red wines under the $20 mark. The results are in!
10. CVNE Organic Rioja 2020
Saratoga Wine Exchange
ABV: 14% Region: Rioja, Spain Price: $15.99
The Wine:
For full-bodied reds that won’t break the bank, Rioja is a great place to start. CVNE’s rich history dates back to 1879, when the company (Compañía Vinícola del Norte del España) was founded by two brothers; today, the property is run by the same family. This organic Rioja is crafted from 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, and 10% Graciano. The wine’s aromatic complexity and long-lasting palate promise to please fans of bold reds everywhere—and best of all, you could actually age this wine for a few years, should you care to do so.
Tasting Notes:
On the palate, expect flavors of red fruits, blackberries, and black cherry, with ample undertones of vanilla and sweet spice, thanks to the use of new oak. Fans of luscious, California Cabs, this budget-friendly alternative is a seriously delicious alternative.
Bottom Line:
This budget-friendly, full-bodied red is a perfect alternative for those who tend to reach for California Cabs and other big-boned wines—which often cost a lot more than this affordable Spanish gem. Feel free to lay this one down and age it for a bit, too.
9. Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir 2020
Vivino
ABV: 13.5% Region: Marlborough, New Zealand Price: $17.99
The Wine:
Although New Zealand is better known for their Sauvignon Blanc, we’ve got one solid piece of advice—do not sleep on the country’s savory, earth-driven reds. Villa Maria was founded in 1961 by George Fistonich, who at the time, had just one acre of vines in Auckland. Today, the company produces wines all over the profile spectrum, from easy-drinking entry levels to heavier-hitting single vineyards.
Tasting Notes:
If you love light to medium-bodied expressions of Pinot Noir, we can’t recommend this bottle enough. Flavors of tart cherry, strawberry, clove, cocoa, and hints of earth lead to a refreshing-yet-palate-coating finish. Think of it like Old World style meets New World fruit in the best way possible.
Bottom Line:
Rule of thumb with Pinot Noir: If it’s under $15, we generally recommend steering clear altogether. As much as we love Burgundy, you won’t find it for this price point—and if you do, run for the hills. Look to other cool-climate, off-the-beaten-path regions for great alternatives.
8. Yalumba Y Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Yalumba
ABV: 14.5% Region: South Australia, Australia Price: $15.99
The Wine:
Although Cabernet from California generally gets all of the love, looking to the Land Down Under offers a slew of budget-friendly alternatives. Fruit for Yalumba’s Y Series expression comes from the subregion of Wrattonbully and is fermented with native yeasts prior to being aged with a restrained oak regimen. On the palate, the wine’s got all of the juicy dark fruit flavors and oak undertones that Napa lovers seek, yet offers a unique and refreshing hint of eucalyptus synonymous with Aussie Cabs.
Tasting Notes:
Yalumba’s Y Series Cabernet boasts all of the opulent blackcurrant, plum, raspberry, and tobacco flavors that fans of bold New World reds know and love, though a touch of pepper and hints of eucalyptus—the latter of which is synonymous with wines from South Australia—offer a cooling breath of fresh air on the finish.
Bottom Line:
Although Cabernet Sauvignon gets a reputation for being expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Similar to Pinot Noir, look for off-the-beaten-path regions for budget-friendly (and equally interesting) alternatives beyond Napa to find the diamonds in the rough.
7. Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro 2021
Matthys Wines
ABV: 13% Region: Naoussa, Greece Price: $17.99
The Wine:
Love fresh, easy-drinking reds that are perfect for enjoying with a chill? Look no further than this Thymiopoulos Young Vines Xinomavro. Crafted from organically farmed Xinomavro (zee-no-mahv-ro), this tasty red ages for eight months in concrete, so as to allow the fruit’s character to stay fresh and intact.
Tasting Notes:
If you love Cru Beaujolais or Loire Valley reds, give this one a go. On the palate, notes of cherry, red jolly rancher, leather, and hints of savory herbs lead to a poppy, high-toned finish. Serve this wine with a slight chill to truly allow it to show its best side.
Bottom Line:
Remember the whole off-the-beaten-path thing we already mentioned twice? The proof is in the bottle, here. Wines from lesser-known areas will almost always be less expensive than their more popular counterparts. This year, dive into picks from Greece, Portugal, South Africa, and beyond.
6. Scarpetta Toscana Frico Sangiovese 2020
Passion Vines
ABV: 13% Region: Tuscany, Italy Price: $13.99
The Wine:
Scarpetta is the brainchild of renowned sommelier Bobby Stuckey, whose love for drinking standard Italian table wines—and pairing them with equally delicious food—knows no limits. Inspired by the great wines of Chianti, Scarpetta’s Frico Rosso is made mostly from Sangiovese, rounded out with a handful of indigenous grapes, including Canialolo, Ciliegiolo, and Colorino.
Tasting Notes:
Contrary to the often over-extracted expressions of Chianti that flood the market today, this well-balanced Sangiovese is a breath of fresh air. Sour cherry, cranberry, pomegranate, smoke, and dried herbs (oregano, thyme) lead to a savory finish. For a bottle to bring you back to your study abroad days (or last jaunt throughout Italy), this is the wine for you.
Bottom Line:
While this isn’t technically a Chianti, the wine uses essentially the same grapes, and also comes from the same region. If you can’t get enough of Tuscany’s more popular red, this budget-friendly alternative will do the trick.
5. Domaine de la Pepiere La Pepie Cabernet Franc 2021
Astor Wine & Spirits
ABV: 12% (approx.) Region: Loire Valley, France Price: $19.99
The Wine:
Domaine de la Pépière has been pioneering natural wines since its founding days in 1984. Today, the brand remains at the forefront of the movement, yet their tasty bottles of wine have somehow managed to remain at approachable price points. La Pepie is a varietal Cabernet Franc sourced from the granite-based hills of the village of La Pépière. If you’re looking for a peppery, medium-bodied red to pair with savory meats or roasted veggies, serve this bottle with a chill and thank us later.
Tasting Notes:
La Pepie Cab Franc is everything we look for in Loire Valley reds: it’s medium-bodied, it’s savory, and it’s seriously food friendly. Flavors of raspberry, blackberry, graphite, and the region’s signature green bell pepper undertones promise to pair well with a variety of foods. Seriously, this is bistro wine in one of its finest forms.
Bottom Line:
Somms, retailers, and other wine professionals alike will all agree—when it comes to budget-friendly wines that overdeliver for the price, the Loire Valley is a mecca. Dive in.
4. Caruso & Minini Naturalmente Bio Perricone 2020
Vivino
ABV: 13.5% Region: Sicily, Italy Price: $19.99
The Wine:
You may not have heard of the Perricone grape variety before, but if you love Italian reds, this pick is definitely for you. Juicy, medium-bodied, and most definitely unique, this indigenous Sicilian variety promises a wealth of solid food pairings—think everything from margherita pizza to eggplant parmigiana, ratatouille, and beyond.
Tasting Notes:
Minini’s Perricone brings so much of what we love about Sicilian red wines to the table. Up front, flavors of wild berries, red cherries, and licorice dominate, followed by slight undertones of savory cooking spices. We also recommend serving this wine with a slight chill to truly bring it to life.
Bottom Line:
Similar to off-the-beaten-path regions, lesser-known grape varieties often offer budget-friendly alternatives to their more popular counterparts. If you love the wines of Sicily—think Etna Rosso or Nero d’Avola-based reds—Perricone promises a great time.
3. Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2020
Vivino
ABV: 14.5% Region: California, USA Price: $15.99
The Wine:
Zin tends to get a bad reputation due to the White Zinfandel craze of the late 20th century. However, when vinified into luscious red blends, these savory, medium to full-bodied wines are simply irresistible, especially if BBQ favorites or Thanksgiving Day picks are on the table. Fruit for this meticulously vinified wine comes from vines averaging 50 years in age and is destemmed, lightly crushed, and aged for 12 months in French oak. The resulting wine? Well, we’ll just let you find out for yourself.
Tasting Notes:
Unlike the many overly opulent Zin expressions from California, the Cline family seriously knows what they’re doing. While medium to full-bodied, the wine’s flavors of ripe strawberries, morello cherry, cedar, prune, and sweet spice remain pleasantly balanced. For those with preconceived notions about Zinfandel, this is the bottle that promises to change your mind.
Bottom Line:
When vinified as a red wine—and at the hands of great producers, such as Cline—these juicy, fruit-driven bottles are simply delightful (and come to life when paired with a variety of foods, too).
2. Pratsch Zweigelt (1 Liter) 2020
WirWinzer
ABV: 13% Region: Niederösterreich, Austria Price: $17.99
The Wine:
If light-bodied, high-acid reds are your jam, then this liter-sized bottle of Zweigelt will definitely do the trick. Produced from a long-standing organic estate in Austria, this easy-drinking wine is produced from organically-farmed fruit in the heart of Niederösterreich—and the only thing better than its taste (and price tag) is the size of the bottle. Sign us up!
Tasting Notes:
Think of this wine like Old World Pinot Noir meets Gamay with Austrian swag in the best way possible. Flavors of wild strawberries, hard red candies, moss, and cracked pepper lead to a refreshing, high-acid finish. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, serve this wine chilled to up the refreshment factor.
Bottom Line:
Organic, super easy-drinking red wine for under $20—AND it comes in a liter-sized bottle? Sign us up. (This was a close runner-up for the top spot!)
1. Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais-Villages Le Perreon 2020
The Wine Buyer
ABV: 13% Region: Beaujolais, France Price: $15.99
The Wine:
Beloved by sommeliers, professionals, and wine novices alike, it’s no surprise that a bottle of Beaujolais found itself in our number one spot. Crafted from one of the region’s most renowned estates, fruit for this wine comes from some of the highest-planted vines in the region, cultivated at up to 2,000 feet above sea level. Vines average from 40 to 60 years in age and are rooted in the Beaujolais’ signature granite-based soils. In the cellar, the wine is vinified with native yeasts and aged in temperature-controlled tanks, so as to maintain freshness in the final wine. The result? Zesty, high-acid, and unbelievably easy to drink Gamay.
Tasting Notes:
Domaine de la Madone’s Beaujolais-Villages is everything you expect from entry-level Gamay. Notes of raspberry, stewed cherries, cranberry, red flowers, violets, and hints of forest floor are balanced by ample amounts of zesty acidity and well-integrated tannins. Fair warning, this may be your next go-to “house red.”
Bottom Line:
As cru-designated Beaujolais continues to climb in price, look to regionally-designated bottles, like this one, for delicious deals. Serve this wine chilled and get the party started.
Unless you entered a “darkness retreat” like Aaron Rodgers, you know that Rihanna was the headliner of the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last night, February 12. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, but Rihanna (and everything in her orbit) remain undefeated.
Rihanna had teased to Nate Burleson ahead of the game that she was “thinking about bringing someone” out as a special guest. Nobody expected the special guest would be an unborn child.
A different special guest that became the internet’s darling: American Sign Language (ASL) performer Justina Miles.
I really wish this ASL interpreter got some national airtime during Rihanna’s Halftime performance… SHE IS GETTING HER LIFE, LITERALLY ATE AND LEFT ZERO CRUMBS!!!!! What is her NAME?! #SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/ECzvhHGpWn
Enjoying watching the woman doing the sign language for Rihanna at the #SuperBowl half time show having the time of her life. Her name is Justina Miles pic.twitter.com/pO32nMECFv
Amazing! American Sign Language Interpreter #JustinaMiles was the 1st Black deaf woman to perform at the Super Bowl LVII pre-game and halftime shows! I love to see all of this inclusion and representation. Congratulations, to this #HistoryMaker! pic.twitter.com/FMitTjnsLX
Miles was technically initially introduced during Apple Music’s halftime show presser last Thursday, February 9, where she shared her excitement for signing Sheryl Lee Ralph’s pre-game performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem. She called it “important” to be able to “bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who have never really seen that before.”
Miles separately touched on signing Rihanna’s halftime show to CNBC’s MakeIt: “I value the opportunity to make it possible for all deaf people to enjoy these songs and not have them miss out on the full Super Bowl experience.”
The weekend is over and Valentine’s Day is basically here. That means that you’re probably going to be looking for that perfect gift so that you’re not scrambling on Tuesday during your lunch break. And what better gift is there than a fine bottle of whiskey for your special someone?
None, I say. To that end, I’m going to do some of the heavy lifting for you and name 20 whiskeys that will make a great gift this Valentine’s Day.
Below, I’m calling out bottles across bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey, Scotch, and Japanese whisky categories that flat-out wow (so there’s no need for a ranking here). I’ve broken these whiskeys down by price point between $0 and $100, $100 and $250, and $250 and up to give you a chance to get everything from a casual gift to something truly magnificent for your crush or partner.
That means then that some of these bottles are going to cost a mint and be a little harder to find depending on where you are in the country. My best advice is to read through the tasting notes, find a bottle that speaks to that special person in your life, and then click that price link to see if you can get it wherever you live.
Good luck!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This whiskey — a revival of a centuries-old dead brand — is from the new company founded by Heaven Hill’s Andrew Shapira with partners Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky, based around the Rare Character Whiskey shingle. The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from six barrels of six-year-old whiskey that’s expertly batched and bottled with just a touch of local Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh orange blossom and nasturtiums mingle on the nose with honeycomb next to stewed plums with hints of clove and allspice.
Palate: The palate is luxurious with a sense of salted caramel, cherry Dr. Pepper, and sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spice, dark orange zest, brandy butter, and black-tea-soaked dates.
Finish: The end has a sense of plum pudding with burnt sugars and orange tobacco kissed with star anise and clove, rolled up with wild sage and cedar bark, and wrapped in old leather pouches.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This whiskey is a bourbon lover’s dream. This is the sort of bottle you buy for someone who loves quintessential bourbon but wants the best there is right now.
Lagavulin Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Offerman Charred Oak Cask Aged 11 Years
This brand-new release is the third collaboration between Lagavulin and Nick Offerman. This time around, the team at Lagavulin took 11-year-old malt and finished it in heavily charred casks that used to hold bourbon and red wine. Those barrels were then batched and built around flavor notes that pair perfectly with a steak dinner.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rich peatiness that’s tied to pecan chocolate clusters and dried cranberries with a dusting of sea salt, burnt orange zest, and fine nutmeg.
Palate: The palate dips those red tart berries in dark salted chocolate with cinnamon bark and clove buds next to espresso cream and a whisper of malty vanilla wafers with fresh honey in between.
Finish: The end has this enigmatic mix of smoked toffee, salted black licorice, and brandied cherries wrapped in cinnamon-laced tobacco and folded into an old cedar box.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Thanks to streaming, Parks & Rec lives on in all of our hearts. That combined with the fact that this is an excellent and nuanced whisky that’s built for an American palate makes this is great peated single malt to get for Valentine’s Day.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Toasted Cherry Wood and Oak Barrels
This whiskey — from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s own Origin Series — is their classic 95/5 rye that’s aged for almost five years. Then the whiskey is finished with alternating toasted American oak and toasted cherry wood staves in the barrel. Once the whiskey is just right, it’s batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic with fresh cherry layered with nasturtiums, cinnamon sticks, and soft cedar planks just kissed with clove, nutmeg, and anise before light red peppercorns and brandy-soaked cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate kick in.
Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead with a lush mouthfeel that’s full of spicy stewed fruits and ciders mixing with creamy vanilla and nutty bases over subtle chili pepper spiciness far in the rear of the taste.
Finish: The end pushed the woody spices toward an apple cider/choco-cherry tobacco mix with a cedar box and old leather vibe tying the whole taste together.
Who It’s Perfect For:
If you have a rye whiskey fan in your life, then this is the play. This rye is a unique and delicious bottle that works wonders in food pairings, easy sipping, and mixing into great cocktails.
Glenmorangie The Nectar d’Or Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This dram from Glenmorangie is a much-loved Highland malt. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed number of years. The whisky is then transferred to French Sauternes barrels which held sweet dessert wines where it spends two more years finishing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has that classic “shortbread cut with lemon and vanilla” vibe that makes some single malts so approachable.
Palate: The sip has a buttery toffee nature that’s layered with subtle oak, mild brown spices, and more fruits tied into a creamy pudding body.
Finish: The spice then leans a little towards ginger with that buttery shortbread as it slowly fades out.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is just good unpeated single malt. It’s classic, so easy to drink, and offers a great depth that’s iconic for a reason.
Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Freddie Noe — Beam’s eighth-generation Master Distiller — created this expression by blending classic Basil Hayden with bourbon partially aged in California red wine casks. The resulting batch is then proofed down and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of orange zest on the nose with sour mulled wine spices — star anise, cardamom, cinnamon — next to Cherry Coke and vanilla cake with white frosting.
Palate: The palate is soft yet creamy with a nutty spiced cake vibe next to zucchini bread with a dollop of butter next to tart-dried berries dipped in brandy with a hint of dark cacao in the background.
Finish: The end is pretty short (low-proofed) and finishes with a sense of old oak staves soaked in sour red wine with a dash of burnt orange and dried winter spice rounding things out.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This marries the world of California red wine with Kentucky bourbon. It’s a great match and a good gift for any hardcore red wine lover looking to get into bourbon thanks to a low ABV and easygoing demeanor.
Aberlour A’bunadh Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the whisky in this Speyside bottle represents that idea for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. The whisky then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak.
Palate: The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla.
Finish: The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which lead towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is a great stepping stone from bold bourbon to deep and bold unpeated Scotch malt whisky. It’s big and brash on the palate but also sweet, nutty, and velvety. This is a great one.
Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The juice is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly 10 to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine.
Palate: The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate.
Finish: The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This wins doubly in that there’s some great whiskey in the bottle and the bottle itself works as a stylish decanter. That’s two gifts in one!
Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background.
Palate: The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness.
Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Who It’s Perfect For:
If you’re getting Scotch whisky for someone, there’s almost no doubt that they’ve at least heard of Johnnie Walker. Well, this is the best version that money can buy (until you get into the rare stuff). This is a fun and old whisky that’s also just really tasty.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness.
Palate: The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess.
Finish: The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Maker’s Mark is another brand that most bourbon drinkers will have at least heard of. This version is their apex with a deep flavor profile and accessibility almost unmatched in the bourbon game. Plus, it makes one hell of a Manhattan.
This is the bigger and bolder sibling of Willett’s Rowan’s Creek Bourbon. It’s the same whiskey — a no-age-statement bourbon that’s made from four to 15-year-old barrels — that’s barely proofed down with local Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Maple syrup-covered walnuts greet you with a sense of dark dried cherries and a hint of rose water next to old leather books and holiday spices.
Palate: The taste holds onto those notes while adding in a stewed plum depth with a whisper of caramel apple and orange oils.
Finish: The vanilla and sweet oak kick in late with a rich depth and well-rounded lightness to the sip fade towards lush cherry tobacco, soft leather, and winter spice matrix tied to prunes and dates.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Willett is one of those brands that elicits a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” thanks to a prestigious shine (and exclusivity). This is one of the best Willett bottles that you can actually get. It’s also quintessential Kentucky bourbon and will show that you care about bourbon too.
$100-$250 — The “I Choo-Choo-Choose You” Bottles
Nashville Barrel Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey UPROXX Single Barrel 6 Years Old January 2023 Barrel
The barrel was chosen and bottled at the tail end of 2022 on a visit to Nashville Barrel Company. The whiskey in the bottle is a 6-year-and-two-month-old bourbon from MGP of Indiana. The high rye mash bourbon (75/21/4 corn/rye/malted barley) aged for five years in Indiana before moving to Nashville for an additional 14 months of resting. The bourbon went in the bottle at cask strength straight from the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with toffee, mild leather, orchard barks, blood orange, soft sweet grains, cinnamon sticks, cherry tobacco, plum, and a whisper of old pine accented by a touch of thyme.
Palate: The taste meanders through salted caramel, dates, cinnamon bark, cardamon pods, clove buds, and soft vanilla cake before leaning slowly into a spiced warmth.
Finish: The end arrives with sweet and chewy pipe tobacco, orange bitters, rock candy, and very light yet creamy cacao lushness next to hazelnut Manner Neapolitan Wafers and dry oak.
Who It’s Perfect For:
You cannot go wrong with a barrel pick of single-barrel bourbon as a gift. Nashville Barrel Company is one of the biggest names in that game right now and UPROXX’s first barrel pick is a great place to start that single-barrel journey for any budding bourbon enthusiast.
Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys 13 Years Old
Eddie Russell made this whiskey to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The whiskey is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.
Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.
Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is one of the best bottles Wild Turkey has ever released. Getting this as a V-Day gift means that you took the time to really find something special from the bourbon sphere.
Oban Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years 2022 Special Release
This lightly peated Highland whisky from the tiny Oban Distillery is rendered from refill and new American oak barrels. That whisky is vatted and then refilled into Amontillado-seasoned casks for a final rest before batching and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lithe sense of lemon/lime saltwater taffy and Whether’s candies wrapped in white wax paper with a hint of lime leaves and wild sage next to salted smoked lemons and tangerines with a hint of really good and cloudy extra virgin olive oil speckled with smoked sea salt and freshly cracked red peppercorns.
Palate: The palate is silken and full of layers of smoked grapes, smoked plums, and salted chili pepper candies with a fleeting sense of violet and lavender creaminess tied to a lush vanilla underbelly.
Finish: The end has a mild woody chili pepper spiciness that’s dry and leads to a limber finish with warmth, lightly caramelized malts, and smoked apricot jam with brandy cream.
Who It’s Perfect For:
You can get a regular Oban 14 or Little Bay and be set. But is that really something special to give as a Valentine’s Day gift? Not really. Oban is a special whisky and their Special Releases are stellar. Lean into it.
The Balvenie French Oak Finished in Pineau Casks Aged 16 Years
The whisky here is a masterful blend from whisky legend David Stewart. After around 15 years of aging, the whisky is transferred to Pineau des Charentes casks (a French fortified wine) for a final maturation, which is The Balvenie’s first foray into French oak finishing. The whisky is then bottled with a touch of water but as-is otherwise.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a soft floral note next to fresh honey, green grass, pear skins, cinnamon rolls with vanilla posting, and a hint of orchard woods.
Palate: The palate has a lemon meringue pie aura with subtle hints of honey-soaked gingerbread, shortbread biscuits, rum-raisin, and orange zest with a hint of salted dark chocolate lurking in the background.
Finish: The end has a light mix of ginger candies and cinnamon-laced dark chocolate creaminess with a whisper of apple/pear tobacco.
Who It’s Perfect For:
The Balvenie makes some of the softest and deepest unpeated single malts on the shelf. This new expression is glossy Scotch whisky that will speak to the wine lover in your life.
This is classic Irish single malt that’s triple distilled before a long aging process. The hot juice rests in Spanish Oloroso sherry butts until it’s just right. Those barrels are batched and proofed before bottling otherwise as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Burnt orange and peach skins mingle with a hint of salted dried mango next to red berry tea leaves, plum jam cut with clove, and a mild sense of brandy butter and scones.
Palate: Nutella comes through on the palate with a sense of rum-raisin, old sherry-soaked oak staves, and creamy vanilla cake.
Finish: The end leans into the brandy butter and scones with a sense of sharp orange marmalade and fresh breakfast tea cut with cream and honey.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Irish whiskey has come a long way in recent years and this bottle is a prime example of how deeply nuanced the tipple from the Emerald Isle has become. If you know anyone that loves anything Irish (or is a writer). this is the play.
$250 & Above — The “I Love You 3,000” Bottles
Talisker Forests of the Deep Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 44 Years
This is one of the more unique Taliskers to hit shelves. The 40-plus-year-old whisky is made finished in casks made with staves that were charred with Scottish sea kelp and stave wood shavings. The staves are then used to finish the whiskey before it’s vatted and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of classic fruit orchards with a hint of blossom next to briny smokiness from a distance that slowly fades into toasted seaweed salad tossed with roasted sesame seeds and chili oil with a fleeting sense of mild soy sauce lurking way in the background.
Palate: The taste leans into orange zest and maybe even lime leaves with a twinge of old and sweet oak before a twinge of soft rope dipped in seawater leads to a thin line of a beach campfire surrounds by grey stones and spitting rain.
Finish: A mild note of chili pepper arrives late with a mild waxiness tied to chocolate, plum, and pear with a final flourish of a fruit orchard in full bloom.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is one of the rarest whiskies on the list with just north of 100 bottles even making it to the U.S. That means getting one of these is the ultimate gift for true love.
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 15 Years Old 2022 Release
This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line starts in earnest. The whiskey in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs.
Palate: The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup.
Finish: The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.
Who It’s Perfect For:
Pappy is always a good way to wow a loved one on Valentine’s Day. But not all Pappy is created equal and the 15-Year from last year is one of the tastiest in a while. Getting this bottle shows that you went beyond the hype and actually found the best bottle to share.
Mortlach Midnight Malt Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged for 30 Years
This is 30-year-old Mortlach from a couple of barrels that actually made it that long without drying out or becoming undrinkable — it’s kind of a miracle in that sense. The vatted whisky was finished in a trio of barrels — Bordeaux wine, Calvados, and Guatemalan rum — before bottling completely as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lovely hint of malt dipped in honey with a touch of apple stewed with cinnamon and saffron that leads to roasted pork skin and fat cut with a sense of rosemary and singed sage before a honeyed oaked sweetness arrives again
Palate: The taste is like a creamy, apple-forward, malty lush elixir cut with hints of black pepper, burnt orange, and marzipan that leads to a sense of honey-soaked cinnamon sticks floating in apple cider.
Finish: There’s another rush of that black pepper late that leads to woody apple cores and wintry barks that eventually fade towards a mildly spiced apple-cinnamon tobacco leaf packing into an old cedar box.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is another rarity from a true whisky connoisseur’s distillery. If you get this for the whisky lover in your life, they’ll know you went above and beyond, and I don’t just mean the price tag. I mean that in that this whisky is astoundingly delicious, rare, and greatly desired by in-the-know whisky drinkers.
Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old
Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these (at least) 20-year-old barrels from the Michter’s rickhouses based on… I guess just “pure excellence” would be the right phrase. The bourbon is bottled as-is — no cutting with water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A sense of dark cherry with deep rummy molasses, dried rose petals, old almond shells, and cedar bark mingle with a fresh pipe tobacco leaf just kissed with apple and pear essence with a hint of vanilla oils and old wintry wine spices.
Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness.
Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This was my favorite bourbon of 2022 because, well, it’s delicious. Getting this bottle is getting the best of the best for a bourbon lover.
The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Spanish Oak 2022 Edition “Tsukuriwake” Selection
This Japanese single malt is all about marrying fine Japanese whisky with Spanish oak. The whiskies are aged exclusively in oak from Northern Spain. After the flavor profile hits the exact right depth, the barrels are vatted and proofed with a dash of water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a medley of sultanas, dates, prunes, dried cranberries, and maybe some candied grape before veering toward a big umami note that’s halfway between a sun-dried tomato and a dash of powdered mushroom.
Palate: The palate opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spices, black tea-soaked dates, and almost creamy toffee next to orange oils and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans.
Finish: The end takes on a buttery vibe as creamy dark chocolate attaches to those espresso beans and a final hint of orange sneaks in late.
Who It’s Perfect For:
This is one of the best whiskies out there, full stop. It’s rare, delicious, and has that “wow” factor. Plus, getting a bottle of rare Japanese whisky shows that you’ve gone well beyond the ordinary to find something truly extraordinary.
One that fans couldn’t stop talking about, though, featured Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh dancing to hold music in their living room while sharing Bud Lights. While the premise was simple and cute enough, the part that captivated Super Bowl viewers was the hold music itself. We’ve all heard it at some point; the synthesizer-washed easy listening-style composition is one of the more recognizable and widely-used examples of the genre.
While we can’t really explain that last bit, the song, “Opus 1” by Tim Carleton and Darrick Deel, has already been pretty thoroughly investigated by the internet. The two composers were 16-year-old computer nerds obsessed with Yanni when they made the song on a four-track recorder back in 1989, and given to Cisco Systems when Carleton went to work for the then-startup in the ’90s.
As he designed the company’s phone systems, he offered the song to the design team, and it eventually ended up in the final product, which runs phones for hundreds of companies.
Unfortunately for Carleton, he didn’t copyright the tune or get his former employers to sign a licensing agreement, so he doesn’t get any royalties from it. But then again, neither does the TikTok creator who came up with the familiar concept years ago:
Sigh. I guess this is a useful reminder: If it’s even a little bit cool, the odds are very high a Black person did it first and didn’t get credit for their idea.
In her first in-depth interview since the Batgirl film was jarringly cancelled by the newly-formed Warner Bros. Discovery, Leslie Grace is pushing back on the claim that Batgirl was “not releasable.” It had been widely reported that the studio saw a tax write-off to canning the film as WBD pivoted away from the prior regime’s aggressive spending on HBO Max content. However, when new DC Studios chief James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled their DC Universe plans, Safran said some choice words about the quality of Batgirl.
“I saw the movie, there were a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film. But that film was not releasable,” Safran previously said. “It happens sometimes. That film was not releasable.”
Grace rejects that claim. While talking to Variety, she opened up about how much of Batgirl she was able to watch before WBD pulled the plug on the film, which also featured Michael Keaton reprising his iconic Batman role:
I got to see the film as far as it got to; the film wasn’t complete by the time that it was tested. There were a bunch of scenes that weren’t even in there. They were at the beginning of the editing process, and they were cut off because of everything going on at the company. But the film that I got to see — the scenes that were there — was incredible. There was definitely potential for a good film, in my opinion.
Brendan Fraser, who played the Batman villain Firefly in the film, was also reached for comment to Variety, and once again, he did not hold back his thoughts.
“That was a gut punch. But then we learned that it was in the interest of writing down some debt? That part really stung,” Fraser said before praising Grace’s performance. “What I find most lamentable is that now a whole generation of little girls are going to have to wait longer to see a Batgirl and say, ‘Hey, she looks like me.’ That makes me sad. I know how good she was. And I know what this would mean to so many people.”
As relayed by The Hill, Trump gave his unsolicited opinion on Rihanna’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show last night, February 12.
“EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language.” Trump added, “So much for her ‘Stylist!’”
The latter bit was a reference to his Truth Social post from Thursday, February 9, again noted by The Hill: “Without her ‘Stylist’ she’d be NOTHING. Bad everything, and NO TALENT!”
Rihanna was awesome at the Super Bowl Halftime show. See the video for yourself.
Donald Trump is watching America and progress pass him by. He can’t stop change and lashes out, mostly at minorities. Also, Trump doesn’t know how to dance to Rihanna songs.#mondaythoughtshttps://t.co/G16bwrRhGf
Watch Rihanna’s full Super Bowl LVII halftime performance here.
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