Sometimes the best new R&B can be hard to find, but there are plenty of great rhythm-and-blues tunes to get into if you have the time to sift through the hundreds of newly released songs every week. So that R&B heads can focus on listening to what they really love in its true form, we’ll be offering a digest of the best new R&B songs that fans of the genre should hear every Friday.
Since the last update of this weekly R&B and afrobeats column, we’ve received plenty of music and news from the genre’s artists. Ari Lennox unveiled the cover art for her long-awaited sophomore album Age/Sex/Location while Bryson Tiller announced the release date for his next single. Chloe took on Adina Howard’s “Freak Like Me” in a new cover while Leon Thomas teamed up with Ty Dolla Sign for a visual to “Love Jones.”
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Ari Lennox — Away Message
Ari Lennox’s long-awaited sophomore album Age/Sex/Location is days away from a release, but before sharing that, the Dreamville artist gave a treat to her fans. She dropped off her Away Message EP which was crafted of five leftover songs set to hold fans over until the album arrived. It’s a mostly solo effort from Ari except for “Queen Space” which features Summer Walker.
Nonso Amadi — “Eye To Eye”
Earlier this year, afrobeats singer Nonso Amadi received well-deserved attention thanks to “Different” with Majid Jordan. Now he’s back to work with his solo effort, “Eye To Eye.” Speaking about the song, Amadi said, “It’s a song about being at odds with your significant other but you both recognize when it’s time to make up.”
Reggie Becton — “Sway”
You can always trust Reggie Becton to check in with a lush and smooth R&B record to fulfill your appetite. He does it again with his latest record, “Sway.” The track is driven by a haunting piano, heavy-hitting drums, and a sensual Reggie who takes center stage in the song. “Sway” is also the newest record to arrive from his upcoming EP, Sad Boy: Vol 1.
Loony — “First Thing Smokin’”
The last time we heard from Loony was last year when she dropped her elegant EP, Soft Thing. She now makes her debut in 2022 with “First Thing Smokin,’” a slow-burning record dedicated to being there for the people in your life. With an ear-grabbing electric guitar leading the way, Loony commits to being there for her friends in their time of need no matter the cost, time, or occasion.
Yuna — Y4
At the beginning of the year, Yuna announced that her fifth album Y5 would arrive in 2022, but first, it would be released in five separate installments. So far, we’ve received Y1, Y2, and Y3. Y4 is a three-track disco-centered EP that focuses on devotion, heartbreak, and rekindling feelings for a past loved one.
Bairi — “Paraiso”
A little over a year after she debuted the lush and enchanting record, Bairi returns with an official video for “Paraiso.” The visual captures her appreciation for video games and fantasy as it follows her through multiple dimensions as she eventually befriends the dark energies within her. “Paraiso” is also the lead single from her upcoming EP, Fire Siren.
Gabrielle B. — Unscripted
After three years, Los Angeles singer Gabrielle B. is back with a new project in the form of her new EP, Unscripted. Through its six songs, Gabrielle dazzles with her captivating vocals and songwriting that evoke the strongest emotions on all spectrums. “I was going through some deep internal transformations in my life, some out of my control,” Gabrielle says about the project. “And Unscripted felt like the perfect way to express some of those feelings
Jamison Ross — Jamo
Following 2018’s All For One, Florida’s Jamison Ross arrives with his new project Jamo. The ten-song project receives contributions from Tarriona “Tank” Ball, Keyboard Harrold, PJ Morton, and Avery Sunshine for a body of work that lives in elements of jazz and the deepest and truest form of soul.
MK xyz — “Baddie”
Last spring, Los Angeles singer MK xyz made her debut with her EP Sweet Spot. Highlighted by records like “One Time” and “Geaux,” the project was a good beginning for MK. A little over a year later, she arrives with her first 2022 release, “Baddie.” MK’s charm, charisma, and confidence are all present as the song flaunts an infectious beat as pleasing as her vocals.
Nesta — Hope It Gets Better
It’s been four years since New York singer Nesta released a project, 2018’s Shook My Dreads. That streak recently came to an end with his latest EP, Hope It Gets Better. Through 11 songs he blends R&B and reggae through both his vocal cadences and the song’s production. Hope It Gets Better also presents features from Michael Brun, Mereba, GuiltyBeatz, and Kyra.
Anjali Taneja — “Between The Notes” Feat. Jordan Hawkins
Indian-American songstress Anjali Taneja returns with “Between The Notes,” her second record of the year. It follows January’s “How It Feels” and it’s also a record that features singer Jordan Hawkins. Together, Taneja and Hawkins blend their silky and soulful vocals for a record that presents two lovers quite literally finding their rhythm in love.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Today marks the second annual Disney+ Day, and while the timing is unfortunate, Disney has announced a handful of new content and release dates.
If you’re thinking “hey, didn’t we just have one of these?” you would be correct. Last year’s announcements took place in November and outlined the planned content schedule for the last 10 months. Today, the streamer announced various updates and changes coming to the site over the next few months. Here is a breakdown of what to expect.
Thor: Love and Thunder debuted on the streamer today with new footage and (allegedly) improved CGI, though it doesn’t seem to be well-received by fans. There is also an additional scene with the Guardians of the Galaxy crew, and a short behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie.
As far as Star Wars content goes, Disney+ also debuted a new look at Andor, the upcoming series starring Diego Luna and Stellan Skarsgard. That series debuts on the streamer on September 21st, and the first look is now exclusively streaming on Disney+.
The rebellion is coming. Celebrate #DisneyPlusDay and stream a never-before-seen special look at #Andor, an Original series from Star Wars.
As for other Star Wars content, there is more Obi-Wan!! Kind of. Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi Returns is a behind-the-scenes documentary about the creation of the series, which debuted in May. There are interviews with the cast and allegedly some more incredible banter between Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christiansen.
For the Pixar fans: Wall-E is getting the Criterion Collection release that nobody asked for, but is still welcome either way! The new edition is a remastered version of the film which will also feature commentary from animators and some high-tech Dolby Atmos audio. So all of those beeps will sound amazing! Wall-E will gets its special release in November.
Perhaps the biggest announcement of all is not related to a superhero or space adventure, but instead features a group of singing boys. BTS: Permission To Dance On Stageis a concert film featuring the world-famous group BTS. The concert took place last year in LA and is streaming now on Disney+.
Finally, if you want to be annoyed, Disney also dropped two new sing-along versions of Frozen and Frozen II for all your karaoke needs!
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
Billy Porter directs a sweet coming-of-age story centered around a trans high school senior named Kelsa who is attempting to navigate… well, all of that. It’s all very sweet and very heartfelt and very Gen Z and it could make for some nice weekend movie if you’re feeling up for a little cry. Who isn’t, sometimes, you know? Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Bob’s Burgers creator Loren Bouchard insisted on The Bob’s Burgers Movie getting a theatrical release instead of being plopped directly on streaming. He was right to do so: The Bob’s Burgers Movie is, like the show itself, an absolute delight with lovely animation, fun fan service, and catchy songs (it’s also Disney’s first hand-drawn 2D animated movie in over a decade). If you didn’t catch it in theaters, however, you can now enjoy “Sunny Side Up Summer” at home. Might I suggest pairing it with an Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Zucchini Burger. Watch it on Hulu.
John Lasseter helped build Pixar into a dominant animation brand and now he’s trying to bring the same magic to Apple with Luck, a movie about an unlucky young girl who goes on a whimsical adventure to try to turn her fortunes around. It’s got the starpower (Simon Pegg, Jane Fonda, Pixar staple John Ratzenberger) and the financial backing from Apple, so the big question remaining is whether it has the same spark as those other films he created a few decades ago. Only one way to find out. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Let’s face it, champions are assholes, conditioning themselves to focus on a singular goal no matter how that pursuit grates on their families, their teammates, and anyone else that occasionally stands in their way. Is there regret at the end of their runs as they stand beside literal monuments to their greatness? Is it worth it? Those questions are why we have highly personal documentaries that are often filled with self-reflection from those athletes and grudging respect from everyone they encountered at the height of their powers. Such is the heart of Showtime’s documentary examining the life and times of notorious tennis hothead John McEnroe, a mouthy superstar with a perfectionist streak and serious problems with authority. Ever-engaging, McEnroe opens up about some of those regrets and many of his triumphs, allowing for a picture of yet another complicated champion that’ll likely cause you to laugh, nod, and wince. Watch it on Showtime.
Day Shift is like a strange foil for a lot of movies lately, in that all the ingredients are in place for a lackluster stinker, but thanks to some surprisingly solid joke writing (in contrast to a lot of “funny” action movie writing today which is merely non-funny things delivered in the rough shape of jokes) and inspired action choreography, it ends up being weirdly watchable. Jamie Foxx plays a San Fernando Valley vampire hunter named Bud Jablonski (Foxx is always getting typecast as a Polish man, isn’t he?) who gets involuntarily partnered with a persnickety union rep (oh yeah, the vampire hunters have a union) played by Dave Franco. This odd couple joins forces for a rush to kill enough vampires to afford Jablonski’s daughter’s school tuition before his ex-wife can move her out of state. Meanwhile there’s a vampire who has invented a new type of sunscreen that could change everything. Admittedly it all sounds pretty stupid, but introducing a supernatural angle ends up being exactly what the action choreographers needed to break their slavish bonds to realism. Turns out, gruesome vampire murder is a lot more entertaining than the usual choppy dance fighting. Watch it on Netflix.
Bless us all because we have Sterling K. Brown and Regina Hall starring in a razor-sharp religious satire as leaders of a megachurch that faces a huge scandal and sends them on the comeback trail. That should be enough to sell you on this one. Well, that and the image above. Look at those two! Yes, this will do just fine. Watch it on Peacock.
Samaritan isn’t necessarily a good movie, but it does benefit from two things: One, Sylvester Stallone seems to be having a nice time and is really going for it and, two, the studio that owns Samaritan didn’t delete the movie from its server and you can actually watch it on Amazon Prime if you so choose to do this. Stallone plays an old salt named Joe who works as a garbage man, but also may or may not be a former superhero vigilante named Samaritan who disappeared years and years ago and is presumed dead. After Joe saves a kid, Sam, from some bullies, Sam is convinced Joe is the long-lost Samaritan. This is a movie with some really mixed messaging about the good and evil in everyone, to the point this movie might not have realized it had a message to begin with. But in the end, Stallone is having a nice time, which makes it, at times, entertaining. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
Disney continues its efforts to remake its iconic back catalog of animated treasures, bringing them to new audiences through live-action, big-budget adaptations. Thus far, the results have been mixed, but also highly profitable, so here we go again with Pinocchio. In their favor, a lead performance from Tom Hanks as Geppetto and the guiding hand of Robert Zemeckis as director and co-writer (with Chris Weitz). Zemeckis is, of course, a trailblazer when it comes to storytelling through a heavily CG-influenced lens, which is required here to bring the tale of a marionette turned real live boy to life. But the challenge is in doing that while maintaining the soul of a fable that is imprinted on so many of us from previous adaptations and, of course, Disney’s 1940-made gem which still looks fantastic despite being more than 80 years old. Basically, the degree of difficulty is high here and audiences are likely to be unforgiving if this impressive creative team either veers too far from the much-beloved classic or feels too much like a carbon copy. Watch it on Disney Plus.
The Predator franchise was desperate for a new vision following the lackluster response to, well, every Predator movie since 1990’s Predator 2. Enter: Prey. The Hulu film follows a Comanche warrior (played by Amber Midthunder) who has to protect her tribe from an alien predator. Prey gets back to what made the original Predator a classic — and thankfully ignores everything that made Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem unwatchable. Watch it on Hulu.
Baz Lurhman’s Elvis biopic is trash. Beautiful, glorious trash. The kind you leave out on your front porch for your neighbors to marvel at in grotesque disbelief. It’s hip-gyrating, finger-thrusting, sweat-pouring theatrics packaged in lush cinematography, contained in a classic underdog story that reaffirms everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll, and then adds some weird personal fodder that makes you question everything you thought you knew about the King of Rock and Roll. Austin Butler is mesmerizing, and so is whatever the hell Tom Hanks is doing in this thing. Enjoy it for what it is – a beautifully-shot fever dream filled with some great tunes. Watch it on HBO Max.
Thor is back once again and he brought some new friends with him. Natalie Portman, to be specific. Which is fun. This follow-up to the also-fun Ragnarok has made the move from theaters to streaming and into your living rooms. That’s another fun thing. It is almost unreasonable how good Chris Hemsworth is in these movies. You should not be allowed to look like that and be that funny. Someone should make a rule about it. Until then… watch it on Disney Plus.
1. Top Gun: Maverick (VOD)
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We feel the need. The need to watch Top Gun: Maverick over and over and over again now that it’s streaming on demand. This sequel has everything a summer blockbuster should – trash staches, Tom Cruise doing his wild little stunts, bar sing-a-longs, Jon Hamm being an absolute twat, fighter jets, aviators, fake tans, and a shirtless beach football scene that will live in meme-famy (meme infamy). The movies are back, baby! Watch it on your VOD outlet of choice.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
The first season of Reservation Dogs was a revelation. Just a group of foul-mouthed Native American teens living on a reservation in Oklahoma and getting into trouble and being little rascals. It was also, sometimes, sweet and, also sometimes, heavy, and sometimes there was a mystical figure who would show up and giggle a lot and kind of just screw with everyone for five minutes. It’s a hard show to describe. But it’s a heck of a ride. Watch it on Hulu.
Aubrey Plaza is in everything these days, and no one is mad at that development. In this animated series (which is so FX that it hurts in a good way), she voices the mom of a teenager who discovers that she’s got demonic powers. Dad happens to be Satan, and not only that, but he’s voiced by Danny DeVito. And you thought your life was surreal, right? Watch it on FX/Hulu.
Popularly and positively referred to as Euphoria and Succession‘s love child, Industry returns for season two, focussing again on the realm of global finance through the lens of the 20-somethings who are consumed by it and the realities of survival and success in a world post panny where satisfaction seems like a hindrance. Watch it on HBO Max.
The good news here is that Harley Quinn is back, finally, after a multi-year break due to, well, everything. The delightfully profane animated series remains one of our finest television programs, between Harley and Ivy being a couple now and chaos descending upon Gotham and this show’s version of Bane continuing to be a hopeless goofball. It really is a blast, a beam of sunshine in a world filled with bleak dramas. You deserve to have fun. Watch it on HBO Max.
Alison Brie didn’t get to portray this “Allison Brie type” role, but hey, we’re getting Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany, who has so much fun relishing this role. She’s smart and silly and she Hulks out like a pro while also being the MCU’s very green attorney for superheroes. Expect a lot of cameos, and Mark Ruffalo is on hand as Bruce Banner. There’s no word on whether we’ll eventually see the Hulk Butt like we received in Thor: Ragnarok. Admit it, that’s on your wishlist, too. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Neil Gaiman’s seminal comic book series finally lands on the small screen (while the successful Audible epic keeps cranking with a different cast). The story picks up with Morpheus (the King of Dreams) angry as hell at those who imprisoned him. Tom Sturridge takes on the lead role and guides us through space and time on a cosmic trip. Let’s hope this show is worth the extensively long wait (the project has the unenviable task of piecing together a tapestry of sometimes free-standing stories), but no matter how it turns out, we’re getting Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer. That ain’t nothing. Watch it on Netflix.
Settle in for the final season of Warrior Jason Momoa In Fur Coats, and whose Warrior Good Looks are wasted in a world where no one can see him. Baba Voss is back for one final round of post-apocalyptic fighting while nature is starting to heal itself, and a new generation begins to see again. This ratchets up the intensity with the existing battle for superiority in the kingdom, and yup, the Masturbating Queen is still around. This show is nuts! Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Welcome to Wrexham is like Ted Lasso, if Ted Lasso was about Deadpool and Mac from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia buying a soccer team. Other than that, it’s identical. The documentary series follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they purchase and help run the Wrexham A.F.C. football club. Welcome to Wrexham looks sweet and sincere, which is a nice change of pace from getting mad at [your favorite sports team here] blowing it AGAIN. Watch it on FX/Hulu.
Steve Carell is back on television once again, this time not so much to make you laugh as to… well, creep you out. He plays a therapist who is held captive by a serial killer who desperately wants help curing his murderous urges. It does not exactly sound like light/fun viewing but it does sound intriguing. And it’s from the creator of The Americans. And he has a pretty righteous beard going on. While we cannot in good faith support kidnapping Steve Carell and holding him hostage in real life, this all could be worth checking out. Watch it on Hulu.
The last time we visited with these warring dojos, evil had somehow triumphed over good. The franchise’s ultimate villain is now presiding over his own Cobra Kai schools, and everyone else is licking their wounds. This means that Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence must learn to get along for real, and Chozen is along for the ride to help the Miyagi Do and Eagle Fang tag-team approach. It sounds like a mess, yes, and it is, but this show’s still got the “Eye of the Tiger.” Once again, this franchise does the thing by appealing to several generations while lighting the soul of the valley on fire. Watch it on Netflix.
2. Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Amazon Prime)
AMAZON
Jeff Bezos is finally getting his version of Game of Thrones, and this even more enormously expensive franchise looks to be worth the price tag to bring J.R.R. Tolkien’s fabled Second Age to the screen. A young Galadriel will be one of the bigger highlights of this series’ exploration of relative peace that’s shattered when evil reemerges. Expect stunning visuals that leap from the Misty Mountains to an island setting to majestic forests. Between this and House of the Dragon, we’re sure getting our fill of epic fantasy shows these days. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
On the surface, a prequel to a cultural phenomenon like Game Of Thrones seems like the easiest greenlight in the world. How could a sister project miss even with the mixed reception to the original’s finale? But House Of The Dragon is the second attempt (with one pilot failing to generate a series order) and it starts with one particular question hanging over its head: was it the world or the characters that inhabited it that made the original so widely adored? We’re about to find out as a new creative team tries to walk a line between old and new, creating fresh stories with a ring of familiarity. On their side: dragons, face-smashing combat, and Matt Smith’s good kinda bad energy. Watch it on HBO Max.
Following the shocking announcement that Warner Bros. Discovery was indefinitely shelving the Batgirl movie for the sole purpose of obtaining a tax write-off, the newly-merged studio found itself plagued with one bad headline after another for nearly the entire month of August. For a while, absolutely nothing looked safe (particularly for the DC Comics brand) as projects were cancelled and blockbusters were delayed.
However, things seem to be steadying. The Batman and Joker sequels are moving along, Harley Quinn was renewed, and the studio appears to be getting its house in order. As for whether WBD is concerned that it tarnished its reputation with Hollywood creatives after shelving Batgirl, not one bit.
During a recent appearance at the Bank of America Media, Communications and Entertainment Conference, WBD Chief Financial Officer Gunnar Wiedenfels gave the following answer when asked about the damaging headlines surrounding Batgirl: “Media likes to talk about media, I guess.”
According to Wiedenfels, WBD has a new team coming in that is fully invested in strengthening the DC Comics brand and leveraging it a better way than just dumping movies on HBO Max. Via Deadline:
“The focus is, on a go-forward basis here, we’re spending more than ever in the history of the two legacy companies on content. We will continue to make significant investments. We’ll make them differently and with a different financial rigor and a different focus on full utilization across all platforms, etc., but this is the lifeblood of the company and we’ll continue to be investing in it.”
In another sign that WBD is committed to giving DC blockbusters wide theatrical releases, the studio has been extremely hesitant to pull the plug on The Flash despite legal troubles surrounding star Ezra Miller. The film has reportedly been doing well with test audiences and could be a major hit that the studio needs to strengthen the DC Comics brand after the one-two punch of Zack Snyder followed by the pandemic. All WBD has to do is not cancel entire movies for the tax write-off. It seems easy enough, and yet, here we are.
For all the handwringing about the interpersonal strife between female rappers, the last few years have actually brought about a second golden era in terms of sisterhood and solidarity for women in hip-hop. There have been more collaborations between female rappers in recent years, as well as a general vibe of goodwill and team spirit — with some notable exceptions.
One of the drivers of this sea change has been Megan Thee Stallion, who has stopped her fans from encouraging beef and made efforts to reach out to her fellow female rapper contemporaries such as Cardi B, Latto, Rico Nasty, and more. Now, she’s reportedly reaching out to a rap legend to bridge the gap between generations as well. Earlier this week, Lil Kim posted a photo of Megan and herself sipping champagne on a plane, suggesting that a collaboration between the two might be in the works.
That suggestion was affirmed by DJ Funkmaster Flex, who reposted the shot on his own Instagram and teased that he would be playing the song exclusively on his show Thursday (today) at 7 pm ET. With Meg and Kim joining forces at the same time as Nicki Minaj and her “Super Freaky Girl” remix collaborators, it’s looking like it’ll be a “ladies’ night” in hip-hop once again.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The New York World Wine & Spirits Competition just dropped their list of “Best in Class” spirits. While we love a good vodka and tequila around these parts, but today we’re going to call out the 14 bourbons that not only won big medals but made it to the finals of the competition.
For context, the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition (NYWSC) is the East Coast division of The Tasting Alliance. That group oversees the famed San Francisco World Spirits Competition, The Tasting Alliance Beer Competition, Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, and the Singapore World Spirits Competition. The medals — bronze, silver, gold, and double gold (and eliminated) — are handed out by panels of judges tasting the pours double-blind. If a pour gets a double gold — that means all the judges unanimously and anonymously gave that pour a gold medal — then those judges decide whether or not that pour is good enough to go to the finals (or sweeps as they call it) for the “Best in Show” round. Those whiskeys that made it to the finals/sweeps are the bourbons I’m listing below.
Before we dive in, I was a head judge at this year’s competition. That means I’ve personally tasted each of these whiskeys (double-blind while judging them). Now that I know which whiskey was which, I can provide my own tasting notes with each of the best-in-class bourbon whiskeys from this year’s competition in New York. It’s also worth noting that these are all winners, there’s not a bad whiskey in the bunch.
Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This is a masterfully sourced whiskey. The juice is a mix of 18 and eleven-year-old bourbon with a nine-year-old light whiskey (a high-proof whiskey aged in lightly toasted, uncharted barrels). That blend is then just touched with water before bottling without any fussing.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rich sense of buttery toffee on the nose with plenty of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice next to a hint of savory fig and some vanilla cream. The palate merges the spices into a lush eggnog vibe as hints of old cedar planks mix with a black peppercorn sharpness. The end mixes the spices into a buttery cookie with hints of singed cinnamon bark, old pine, and soft vanilla tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This was solid all around. It felt like the perfect cool weather drinker thanks to all that wintry spice. That also means this would make a hell of a Manhattan.
The father/son team at 15 STARS is hitting it out of the park with their amazing sourced blends. This new release is a mix of 15, nine, and six-year-old bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. The marriage of whiskeys is just touched with water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one meanders through soft winter spices before hitting a vanilla wafer with a hint of nougat before getting into a woody bramble of orchard trees and firewood bark. The palate leads off with the woody edge before diving into holiday spices with a hint of raisin and date next to creamed vanilla butter and a touch of brown sugar. There’s a hint of apple/cherry pie filling before the woodiness takes over on the backend with a spicy tobacco edge with a hint of sweet cedar.
Bottom Line:
This has a nice complexity that leans woody but not overly so. Overall, this felt like a nice sipper that’d benefit from a few rocks.
Best Special Barrel-Finished Bourbon
Trail’s End 8-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Apple Brandy Barrels
This sourced eight-year-old Kentucky bourbon is sent out to Hood River, Oregon for a little tinkering. The juice is vatted and then re-barreled in Clear Creek apple brandy barrels for a final touch of aging.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rush of falling dead leaves on the nose that leads to an old cafe cherry pie with a hint of lard crust next to RC Cola (kind of flat) and a whisper of dry sweetgrass. The palate has a sense of black tea cut with floral honey and a dash of oats before a hint of cardamon and nutmeg kick in. The end arrives with a woody spiciness and hint of barrel char next to espresso bean bitterness and a light whisper of cherry-infused honey tobacco wrapped around dry cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those local whiskeys (to Oregon mostly) that should get a lot more love. It’s unique yet very deeply nostalgic. It also feels like it’d made a killer Sazerac.
This whiskey is hewn from 90 30-gallon barrels of four-year-old bourbon that were transferred into 26 59-gallon Tawny Port casks for a final maturation of nearly two years. That juice was then bottled as-is after a touch of water was added.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this bursts with raspberry, blackberry, redcurrant, and blueberry all stewed with plenty of holiday spices and folded into a cobbler topped with dense buttery buttermilk biscuits. The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a very small whisper of anise as the berry turns more towards a fresh strawberry with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans chiming in on the mid-palate. That chocolate-bitter vibe drives towards a finish full of cinnamon-spiked dark chocolate tobacco leaves, stewed plums, and a dollop of floral honey.
Bottom Line:
This is one of my favorite pours in general. It’s delicious neat or on a rock or two. It also makes one of the best Manhattans money can buy.
The whisky in the bottle is the same Dickel Tennessee whiskey but pulled from barrels that leaned more into classic bourbon flavor notes instead of Dickel’s iconic Tennessee whisky notes. The barrels are a minimum of eight years old before they’re vatted. The juice is then cut down to a manageable 90-proof and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This nose is classic, with rich vanilla next to dry spicy tobacco leaves next to apple hand pies with sugar icing made with plenty of dark spices and butter. The palate has a bran vibe that hints at a white Necco Wafer with a ripe white peach fresh off the tree with a hint of ginger bite to it. The end circles back around to a vanilla wafer with nutmeg, orange zest, and a twinge of dark chocolate sauce leading to a dry and slightly molded wicker chair sitting in the sun.
Bottom Line:
This, to me, is the best value on the list. This is an accessible bourbon both in price and palate. This really is a hidden gem from Tennessee.
This sourced whiskey (from MGP of Indiana) is all about finding the best barrels and batching them to create something more. The juice in this small batch bourbon is rendered from MGP’s 21 percent and 36 percent rye bourbon mash bills. The barrels are between eight and 15 years old. Once vatted, the whiskey is just touched with water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
A rich buttery note comes through on the nose with a hint of salted corn next to savory figs with a hint of honey and freshly ground nutmeg mixed with some vanilla cream. The palate turns that butteriness into salted caramel with a hint of sticky toffee pudding with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to a thin line of charred oak underneath it all. The end dries out with a sense of old leather wrapped around an old and dry tobacco leaf with a twinge of raisin.
Bottom Line:
This is just a well-made whiskey. It’s easy sipping and, well, that’s it.
The 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 ten 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:
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. 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. 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.
Bottom Line:
Although only available in select (small) markets, this is slowly becoming the must-have bourbon release in the back half of 2022. The awards are coming in for both the juice and the bottle design (you can reuse the bottle as a decanter).
While Uncle Nearest is distilling their own juice these days, this is still the work of Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler with carefully sourced Tennessee whiskey barrels. In this case, Eady Bulter hand-selected the best-of-the-best from their inventory to create the perfect whiskey to exemplify the brand and Tennessee whiskey traditions.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lovely sense of sourdough old-fashioned doughnuts dusted in cinnamon on the nose with a hint of brown sugar, nutmeg, pecan, and cedar/tobacco with a warm edge. The palate layers those pecans into a waffle with plenty of butter and maple syrup next to dried sour cherries with old leather, dried corn cobs, and spiced cherry tobacco next to dry black dirt with a hint of sweetness to it. The end lessens the cherry and leads to peppery tobacco with a warm finish full of dry firewood, more of that woody maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla cream underneath it.
Bottom Line:
I really dig this. I’ve tried it again since the competition and it is great stuff. It also makes me really excited about what’s coming up next in this lineup. All of that said, you might want to pour this one over a single rock to cool it down and let the whiskey bloom a little.
Elmer T. Lee is another hugely popular release that’s very limited (and sought after). Where this differs from the other single barrels on this list is in the mash bill (this is a bit higher rye) and the placing of the barrel in the warehouse. It’s said that the barrels for Elmer T. Lee are stored where the master distiller himself used to store the barrels he kept for his own stash.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is like a decadent breakfast of pancakes smothered in cinnamon butter, dripping with the best maple syrup, and topped with a hand-made scoop of vanilla ice cream. The palate holds onto the vanilla and spice but settles into more of floral honeyed sweetness with touches of cedar, old library book leather, and a hint of tobacco buzz. The end lingers for a while and leaves you with a dry pear tobacco warmth next to a cinnamon heat and maple bar sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is, hands down, one of the most beloved single-barrel whiskeys on the market. If you can find one, buy one. You will not be disappointed.
The whiskey is basically one step away from being a Pappy single barrel. The juice is the same wheated bourbon distillate that’s loaded into the same barrels. The main difference is the flavor profile these single barrels hit because they’re all under eight years old (Pappy is 10 years and older). These barrels are picked for their “Weller” flavor profile and then the juice is cut down very slightly with that famously soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a mix of fresh mint next to ripe red cherries with a vanilla backbone and a shaving of dry wood. The taste holds onto that vanilla while building towards eggnog spiciness with hints of dark chocolate, salted caramel corn balls, espresso bean bitterness, and this small flourish of white pepper. That powdery pepper lingers and warms as the sip slowly fades away, leaving you with those creamy eggnog spices, woody vanilla husks, and a mild tobacco buzz and warmth by way of a pine humidor.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t my favorite Weller (that’s the yearly BTAC release or the 12-year). My opinion aside, this is still world-class bourbon. If you can find this at closer to its MSRP ($60), then you’ll definitely be winning the bourbon hunting game!
These whiskeys for E.H. Taylor, Jr. are aged in the famed Warehouse C at Buffalo Trace from their mash bill no. 1. While the exact parameters of that bill are undisclosed, this is the same recipe as Eagle Rare, Buffalo Trace Bourbon, and Stagg. In this case, the barrels are picked for their Taylor flavor profile and bottled one at a time with a slight touch of water to bring them down to bottled-in-bond proof.
Tasting Notes:
Dried dark fruits and a hint of vanilla wafers mingle with fig fruit leather, a touch of orchard wood, and a deep caramel on the nose. The palate holds onto those notes while layering in dark berry tobacco with sharp winter spices, new leather, and a singed cotton candy next to a cedar box filled with that tobacco. The finish lingers on your senses a while and leaves the spice behind for that dark, almost savory fruit note with an echo of blackberry Hostess pies next to soft leather pouches that have held chewy tobacco for decades and a final hint of old porch wicker in the middle of summer.
Bottom Line:
This is another stone-cold classic bourbon. Luckily, these are a little more findable from the luxe Buffalo Trace lineups. You can also find pours of these in good whiskey bars for a fairly good price still.
Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel Single Barrel Bourbon
Blanton’s is “The Original Single Barrel” bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. The juice in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are perfect as-is, straight from the barrel. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium. The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey. The end is very long and lingers in your senses, with a hot buzzing that subtly fades through all that sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent example of Blanton’s that’s a tad hotter than you might expect. It’s still nuanced and welcoming, you just need a single rock for this one.
Red Line Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon
This whiskey from Red Line is sourced from hand-selected barrels from MGP of Indiana. The team at Red Line picked six-year-old barrels of MGP’s iconic high-rye bourbon mash of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and only four percent malted barley. Those barrels were vatted and then bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lovely sweetness that arrives on the nose with a hint of burnt sugars and brown butter just starting to coalesce into caramel with a flake of salt and a sense of rum-raisin and an echo of charred oak. The palate leans into a light apple compote with a hint of plum and plenty of wintry spices next to vanilla and wicker before the warmth of the ABVs peak on the mid-palate. The end is soft and supple with a sense of spiced prune jam, old porch wicker, and allspice berries.
Bottom Line:
This is just a nice sipping whiskey. It’s easy and deep. You can’t ask for more.
Best Overall Bourbon
Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This North Carolina bourbon is starting to make some serious waves. This very limited batch of single barrel bourbon is made from wheated bourbon mash bill with 70 percent corn, 16 percent wheat, and 14 percent malted barley. The juice was left for around four years before the barrel was hand-pocked and bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a sense of orange blossoms and apple orchard with a hint of pear and plum next to walnut shells, old honey bottles, and rich vanilla sauce with a hint of poppy seed. The palate has a touch of dark chocolate powder sweetness that melds with walnuts and honey to make a cluster before the brown spice kicks in with sharp cinnamon and a touch of root beer. The end leaves the spice and warmth behind for smooth vanilla walnut cake with a hint of apple-honey tobacco wrapped up with old cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This was freakin’ delicious. If you can get your hand on a bottle, buy two.
Recently, Ed Sheeran apparently asked The 1975 to open for him on tour. Matty Healy went ahead and turned down that offer, despite how massive it was financially. Now, he’s explained why.
“It’s difficult to be big and say — genuinely — that I have zero commercial ambition. There’s definitely a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ kind of thing, which is where, listen, we’ve never known what to do and we’ve never tried to do anything. So the second we stop doing that, we’ll probably f*ck up. I tend to say no to stuff for money. I don’t know how you can write this up without it being rude or inappropriate, but I just got offered a four-month tour next year of stadiums with the biggest singer-songwriter in the world that would’ve made me money that I’ve never even seen or heard of in my life.”
The interviewer guessed he was talking about Sheeran and Healy confirmed, continuing, “Yeah. And I got offered to be main support and do whatever I want. Think about the money you think I’m getting offered — it’s not just offered, it’s what he can afford because of what he makes for shows — and then just triple it. It’s insane. The thing that’s stopped me just doing that is because — I don’t care. It’s not worth it. Not because I don’t like Ed Sheeran. I think he’s, in a lot of ways, a genius, and he does what he does better than anybody else. But opening up for somebody and not just being real, that’s the kind of stuff I think about.”
Say what you want about the unnecessary drama that some rap podcasts have a tendency to spark, but every so often, they also give fans fun peeks behind the curtains and even confirm long-held beliefs about their favorite artists and their music. Today, in the latest episode of one such insightful podcast, Paul Pod hosted by longtime Eminem manager Paul Rosenberg, Eminem himself validated a rumor about a planned sequel to his 2009 album Relapse, which spawned the No. 1 single “Crack A Bottle.”
The rumor was fueled by Eminem himself in a 2010 Billboard interview in which he said, “The new tracks started to sound very different than the tracks I originally intended to be on Relapse 2, but I still want the other stuff to be heard.” Unfortunately for the fans holding out hope that the album would eventually see the light of day on some Lost Tapes tip, Em also torpedoed that fantasy.
As he said on the podcast, “There’s probably enough to make another Relapse. There are a lot of songs that did not leak out from Relapse.” He’s referring to a pair of songs that leaked in 2019 and did not paint the pre-sobriety Em in the best light. And although fans urged him to put out that sequel project, he admitted, “They’re terrible songs, and if they didn’t even make the album on Relapse, and I feel how I feel about Relapse, then that should say something. There’s no Relapse 2.” Given he later returned to form with 2010’s Recovery, it’s probably best for all involved that those songs remain in the vault. Check out the podcast episode below.
Tasteless doesn’t even begin to describe a Manassas Virginia Country Club’s attempt at commemorating 9/11 with a special themed Patriot Day Seafood menu that included menu options like the Remeber-tini, Pentagon Pie, and 2977 Chowder. If you’re scratching your head at that last one, 2977 is a reference to the number of people who died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, because that’s how families want their family members to be remembered… as chowder.
Virginia country club thought it was a good idea to have a 9/11 themed menu for this Sunday, September 11. The “2977 Chowder” appears to be a reference to the number of people killed. (Via @ProducerSass) pic.twitter.com/0vXYDWbSD6
The menu, which also included Freedom Flounder and Flight 93 Redirect (Hot Crab Dip with Crostini), belongs to The Clubhouse at Aquia Harbour and almost immediately received backlash from people who were justifiably angry at this poor attempt to commemorate 9/11. The menu has since been removed, and according to ABC News, the country club’s manager George White has posted an apology on Facebook that states:
“I apologize for those I offended with the 9/11 seafood Sunday post… My intention was to bring attention to that horrific day 21 years ago, to honor those who lost so much as well as those who gave everything that day. We will have a new theme tomorrow.”
A simple scan of the Aquia Harbour Facebook page reveals post after post of similarly tacky menus — though nowhere near as offensive — for each day of the week but this one will probably go down as the biggest swing and a miss the clubhouse has ever experienced. While the post is now gone (replaced with a football-themed menu, how American), the original lives on via social media, where people have expressed their disapproval.
Check out some of the baffled responses below.
Holy shit this is classless. Like I get it was 21 years ago but still. https://t.co/HpU8tDZsAZ
So I’m not going to retweet the picture of the menu of the Virginia country club that thought it was a good idea to have a 9/11 themed menu for this Sunday, September 11. Really bad idea.
This will go down as probably the worst reaction to the menu, it’s even more offense than the menu itself.
The words “crispy oven baked” and “first responder” being together on a literal 9/11 memorial food menu has me in a different dimension https://t.co/Ck0uT9eti2
re: that 9/11 themed seafood menu, it’s important to remember that while people are upset about it, they probably would’ve been equally upset if there was no 9/11 theming. they just think it was tacky
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