Category: News

“Ozymandias” is not only widely considered to be the best episode of Breaking Bad — it’s in the running for the best episode of any TV show. (I’m partial to the season two episode of Dog with a Blog, “The Mutt and the Mogul,” but you do you.) It’s the only episode with a 10 out of 10 rating on IMDb, although the latest episode of Better Call Saul might deserve a perfect score, too, for two reasons:

1. It parallels “Ozymandias”

2. Kim Wexler looks cool as hell while smoking a cigarette in the rain

These are equally important.

In “Ozymandias,” Walter threatens his family, and when the police are called, he has a moment of self-realization of what a monster he’s become before cowardly fleeing the house. In “Waterworks,” Saul threatens poor Marion, and when the police are called, he also has a moment of self-realization of what a monster he’s become before cowardly fleeing the house. It’s striking when you watch the scenes side by side, as seen below:

“Ozymandias” ends with Walt being picked up by a van that takes him to Best Quality Vacuum, where he gets a new identity and leaves the state. What happens next for Saul? The promo for the series finale (!) has Gene reciting the code to get in touch with Ed (“Hoover Max Extract Pressure Pro model 60”), but Gene is already his new identity — his third identity, actually. Does he have any moves left to play?

One thing’s for sure: Walt taking baby Holly in “Ozymandias” was bad, but Gene nearly clocking the drugged-out cancer patient in the coconut with his dead dog’s ashes is even worse.

(Via Reddit)

It’s been nearly four years since Lil Wayne released Tha Carter V, the most recent installment in his trademark series. After kicking off the series in 2004 with Tha Carter, Wayne reached for GOAT rapper status with That Carter II in 2005 before winning a Grammy with 2008’s Tha Carter III. Three years later we returns with Tha Carter IV which sold nearly a million copies in its first week. A dispute between Wayne and Birdman, who owns Cash Money Records which Wayne was previously signed to, caused Tha Carter V to be delayed until 2018. Hopefully, there are no delay issues when it’s time for Tha Carter VI to arrive.

When Will Lil Wayne Release Tha Carter VI?

There isn’t an official release date for yet, but Lil Wayne previously announced that the project is “coming soon.” He shared this news during his performance at Drake’s OVO Festival earlier this month. As we know with artists, “coming soon” means as early as two weeks to as far as sixth months, sometimes even longer. With that being said, we’ll have to wait a bit longer for some concrete information about Tha Carter VI.

The upcoming album, which would make for the 14th in Wayne’s career and the first since Funeral, is one that he’s been talking about for a couple of years now. Back in 2020, during an interview with Variety, he said, “My favorite Carter album is the next one.” The following year, during an appearance on ESPN, he said, “Carter VI is coming soon, but I got No Ceilings coming first. No Ceilings 3.” The latter project was released at the end of 2020, which cleared the way for Wayne to continue and finish work on Tha Carter IV.

Sheesh, sun seekers, please strap in! Much like your local summer fruits which are no doubt coming into season, this was a ripe two-week stretch of summer vacations and with them, the solemn duty of watching. August can be tricky in the NBA. Some guys are attending or running camps, pick-up runs, and pro-ams, which means the unwarranted (and frankly, unwanted) expectations begin to rear up that athletes should be “getting serious”, even though the regular season is still months away. Thankfully, one of the best indicators of this unsolicited advice not landing is that the vacations keep coming.

So many, in fact, that I am going to advise you to fill up your water bottle or glass to periodically sip throughout this dispatch. Nobody needs to get parched having fun in the vicarious sun.

Steph Curry

Ultimate wife guy, Steph Curry, took the ultimate anniversary vacation to the south of France, and while we congratulate Ayesha and Steph we also thank Ayesha, more directly, because she was responsible for making sure we saw Steph Curry’s reaction to a cake with a giant sparkler jammed in it.

Rating: Reaction about the same to shattering 3-point records night after night, which tracks.

Luka Doncic

Luka is a prime example of the earlier, please focus on your own vacation or lack thereof, behavior. This guy cannot catch a break. He’s puffin’ on a stogie and holding a nice glass of wine, kind of dressed up? Wrong: He’s miles from the gym, and how dare he be wearing a shirt with buttons on. Tickling some ivories in board shorts, while sun streams in through the windows around him? No: He should be pummeling the hardwood in a gym filled with garish, bracing fluorescent light and these shorts aren’t regulation.

Rating: Dudes, relax.

Devin Booker

Not to get anyone too excited but this might be a SVW first. Are Devin Booker and Kendall Jenner, rumored to be in splits-ville, actually spending a fine and very much their own business summer in still-together-burgh? You don’t huck axes in the woods, or declare yourself a ‘trek king’ (TNG or rugged backwoods) with just anybody.

Rating: You may ask, “Does Book, who looks demonstratively chill in everything he does, really need a vacation?” Yes!!

Klay Thompson

NBA champ and beloved sea captain, Klay Thompson, went to the Bahamas and alas, it looks like, did not bring his captain’s hat. He did however bring plenty of literal laid back success when he dug his toes down in the white sands to carve out an emphatic message to the world.

Rating: You may ask, “Much like the saying, ‘If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?’ If someone writes on a beach and doesn’t take a picture, does the message get swallowed up by the sea?” Yes!!

Ben Simmons

I don’t typically like to share a completely out of context, generic, view from a speeding boat with a sizeable lounging area pics as hard evidence that someone is either on, or having, a good vacation, but, after the season Ben Simmons had, I’d share if he was having a longer shower than usual.

Rating: Now the bath information I would keep to myself.

Chris Paul

CP3 was engaging in the time honored tradition of throwing your kids, mid-protest but also laughing, into the pool.

Rating: Do we dock points for tube socks around the pool? In this economy?

Jimmy Butler

Jimmy went on a nice work trip to Bogota, Colombia, to no doubt wish Gustavo Petro well in leading the people in a historic, left-wing switch, but also as a research trip for the thing he loves third best in the world: coffee. Yes, a work trip is getting a pass here, but frankly for a man who wakes up pre-dawn to work out, doing some comparatively relaxing tasks like hauling beans, climbing a mountain, and dunking on kids in a pickup game in Bogota, feels pretty relaxing.

Rating: The first and second things he loves best are his daughter, and Kyle Lowry. Sorry Mark Walhberg, you’re out.

Serge Ibaka

Mr. MaFuzzy Man traveled to Lison, Portugal, for his brother’s wedding, where we also were treated to seeing the origins of Avec Classe in Serge’s dad. Not to take too much away from that experience, but Serge has also been getting into the skincare influencer game, sharing some of the secrets to looking so… like he does.

Rating: I just hope you’ve got some compost lying around.

Rudy Gobert

Rudy can’t stop going on vacation, or looking pensively out at the sea wearing hypercolor swim trunks while golden light showers down on him and his platonic bestie.

Rating: Which is fine, this is literally what we’re here for.

Kevin Love

Kevin Love LOVES a summer vacation, taking as many as three very extensively planned trips a few summers ago that saw him, his new wife Kate Bock, and their dog dropping off a helicopter into Canada’s arctic to romp around as a family on glaciers “for fun”. Love is now on his honeymoon! Sharing soulful snaps of him looking out across the savanna in Tanzania, clutching an extremely pro camera, and captioning honeymoon photos with sweet nothings like, “It’s Kill or Be Killed”.

Rating: Aw!

Jordan Clarkson

It was Jordan Clarkson time to go to the local fair and fill up on smoked turkey legs.

Rating: An exciting new medieval time for Jordan Clarkson to have.

Tyrese Maxey

Maxey was taking a nice summer staycation in his own backyard, never scoffed at or scorned here in these hallowed get-yourself-a-base-tan-that-can-do-both halls, and the only thing that was missing was his dog, who refused to get in the pool with him.

Rating: Maybe he just got his lifeguard certification.

Jusuf Nurkic

Nurk was chilling in Croatia, enjoying an espresso and the view of about half a dozen mega yachts.

Rating: Thinking generous thoughts for the person in the comments who wrote, “Kinda like the Willamette”.

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Bogdan took a great selfie on the back of a boat, and from my years of expertise and field research I can tell you he has not been in the water yet. However, his lack of sunglasses makes me feel as if he is about to.

Rating: Like the Talking Heads wailed on and on about, take me to THIS river, and drop me in THIS water, stat.

Kyle Kuzma

Kuz, who just got back from several vacations as recounted in SVW’s first dispatch, went and took himself on another one. Rather, he took his gf, Winnie Harlow, to Jamaica for her birthday.

Also, if Tyrese Maxey wants some tips about coaxing his stoic dog into the pool, he should take them from Kuzma who gently and encouraging took one of his shepherds, Duke, around the pool.

Rating: I don’t want to alarm anybody but this summer’s SVW MVP race is so far looking like a breakaway sprint???

Justin Holiday

Remember the City Slickers vibe of Kent Bazemore’s, Harrison Barnes’s and Justin Holiday’s trip to Colorado? Well Justin got the frontiersman bug in him, and I’m not talking about something carried by ticks. Justin started practicing archery in his backyard, reimagining a favored and well-worn saying that probably has the archery community absolutely LOVING IT.

Rating: Us too, this rules.

JaVale McGee

Remember what I just said about summer staycations and enjoying the pool you have instead of wishing for the pool you don’t? Well JaVale McGee (and Spencer Dinwiddie and Anthony Roberson) really took that to heart, captured here enjoying sprawling in the shallow end thanks to the stealthy efforts of JaVale’s sister.

Rating: Is Dinwiddie wearing capris?

Mike Conley

Kindest man alive, Mike Conley, took a beautiful vacation with his beautiful family to Cabo, and if you didn’t choke up looking at these photos have I got some news for you!

Rating: The news is you’re a monster.

Josh Richardson

Josh Richardson has some excellent advice for all the summer vacation naysayers and narcs who want strangers they’ve never met to “get to work on their bodies”.

Rating: The scorching burn level of this post is barely mitigated by the giant sun umbrella.

Rui Hachimura

Rui went on a dude’s trip to Mykonos where he enjoyed some beautiful vistas and all the dudes in question chatted beforehand to make sure they each had the right breezy, button-up shirt for “mixed patterns night”.

Rating: They are (unfortunately for us but fortunately for him) carrying that one guy in the back.

Justise Winslow

If you didn’t know this was take your baby to the beach month you’ve got your priorities all wrong.

Rating: Please get a load of this baby, because even Justise sure can’t get enough.

Josh Okogie

SO sorry to Josh Okogie, who went to Europe and had a fantastic and pretty funny (like all the pics you’d take in Europe) time, only for me to miss it in my first recap. Never again, Josh!

Here we can see Josh also stocked up on the currency of summer (water balloons) and took his mom on a sunset beach horseback ride.

Rating: What I said earlier about SVW MVP being all but locked up? Well, I was wrong.

Kelly Oubre Jr.

Kelly went on his honeymoon to Rome, and the Tsunami Papi enjoyed everything from great works of art, to great fountains, to the ancient, footworn tracks on the ancient, cobblestone streets.

Rating: Mama mia that’s amore. Sorry, trying to delete.

Wedding Bells Were Ringing!

What’s this? A mini section? Well, when summer is the only time to really cut loose it’s also the time most NBA athletes get married. These last couple weeks saw no fewer than three nuptials and happy couples joined in holy summer matrimony.

Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris got married to his longtime love, Jasmin Winton, but had to clarify that it was not to his other longtime love, Boban Marjanović. What a rich life, to have so many longtime loves people would mistake you for marrying! Guests included DeAndre Jordan, Georges Niang, and most likely Boban Marjanović. Congratulations!

De’Aaron Fox

Swipa Da Fox had a sick wedding where Jayson Tatum and Bam Adebayo sang and laughed their hearts out, T-Pain performed, and Trae Young lost his mind over T-Pain performing. Congratulations!

Kelly Olynyk

Kelly Olynyk got married in a snapback? Anyway, wouldn’t you love to have Udonis Haslem at your wedding, giving all the other guests intense and heartfelt pep talks about supporting you by having a good time and not clinking their glasses because how gauche is that? Justice Winslow, who you saw as recently showing off his adorable baby on the beach, was also there. Congratulations!

Where In The World Is Metta World Peace?

Friends of this column will be familiar with past iterations of this subsection, including, ‘Paul Pierce’s Place’, but is now being taken over with good reason by Metta World Peace.

Metta was first seen lying down on his belly in a river in Lake Tahoe, enjoying a tall can and some ducks. Then, he went north to enjoy a coffee in the woods of British Columbia, before hopping in an inner-tube and going speeding down a white water river, getting kind of far away for my liking but oh, ok, he was fine, and sat down for a nice sunset dinner later on.

Hot off the release of his latest single, “Dance Now,” rapper JID has announced the release date for his long-anticipated third studio album, The Forever Story. The album marks his first album in four years, following the release of his sophomore album, DiCaprio 2 in 2018.

Set to drop later this month, The Forever Story contains collaborations with Kenny Mason, 21 Savage, and Baby Tate. The Dreamville rapper was also reported to have been working in the studio with Dr. Dre earlier this year.

Last fall, JID collaborated with Imagine Dragons for a song called “Enemy,” from Arcane League Of Legends. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. He spoke with Billboard about the success of the song, and later dived into his upcoming album.

“This next album [The Forever Story] is the best sh*t I’ve ever done in my life,” JID said. “Every step I’ve taken was worth it, and our blocks are building.”

Earlier today, JID revealed the album’s cover art, which was shot by photographer Naskademini. On the cover, JID is seen standing in the middle of a crowd containing people from all walks of life.

Check out the cover art below.

The Forever Story is out 8/26 via Dreamville/Interscope. Pre-save it here.

Cobra Kai‘s fourth season finale revealed how Terry Silver installed himself as the most dastardly karate villain of the franchise. He’d made sure that John Kreese got framed for his own (brutal) misdeeds and put behind bars for the time being. The Season 5 trailer revealed how Terry was making good on his threat to expand the Cobra Kai dojo throughout the Valley and make “no mercy” a standard for like a billion more schools.

New Season 5 stills reveal that plan in action, and front and center, you’ll see Dallas Dupree Young, who’s been promoted from bullied kid to series regular.

And meanwhile, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence must come together for real and try to leave their egos behind, if they can.

To that end, Karate Kid II antagonist Chozen will (again) return to help the Miyagi-Do cause (and tell Silver that he’s “gasoline” to his enemy’s “fire”), and Silver’s probably going to have to deal with a little bit of opposition within his ranks. Ideally, that will come from Tory, who believed that she won the All Valley Tournament fair and square, only to learn that Silver paid off a judge to make a bad call in her fight against Samantha.

There’s no telling whether Tory will simmer in her rage for the entirety of the season, but it’s clear that Silver needs some help to run all of his hydra-head schools. So, he’s enlisted a The Karate Kid III villain, Mike Barnes, with Sean Kanan returning to pick up like so many O.G. cast members have done before. What Barnes will do, there’s no telling, but since he’s doing it at Silver’s behest, you can bet that he’ll be up to no good.

All of the show’s success (and the cross-generational appeal) is a testament to how showrunners Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg have managed to deftly weave in characters from the past at the right moment. Yes, I’d like to see more of Elisabeth Shue’s Ali, but I’ll trust them to make it happen when the time is right. Like maybe she can pop onto the screen and kick Silver in the nads.

Admit it, you wouldn’t be mad if that happened.

Netflix’s Cobra Kai returns on September 9.

The Little League World Series can often produce incredible moments, both in terms of awe-inspiring athletic achievement from the youngsters on the field and awesome sportsmanship on display.

On Tuesday, we saw the latter on display in the first inning of the Southwest Region Final between Texas East and Oklahoma, when the Texas East pitcher, Kaiden Shelton, had a fastball get away from him and hit Oklahoma batter Isaiah Jarvis in the helmet. It was a scary scene, but happily the helmet did its job and Jarvis was alright, able to continue on in the game and take his spot at first base to continue the inning. However, Shelton was very shaken up by what had just happened and was struggling to move on from the moment, so the batter strode to the mound and gave him a hug, consoling him and encouraging him to keep on pitching.

It’s a very cool moment that is pretty unique to an event like the Little League World Series, and kudos to Jarvis for being willing to show that kind of compassion for his opponent who very clearly delivered that high and tight pitch on accident given his reaction. Shelton would still leave the game afterwards, as it was understandably a difficult thing to continue on the mound after having a pitch get away after, but he’ll surely appreciate the show of support from Jarvis and everyone else at the ballpark.

On one fateful day in September 2017, Dennis Graham, best known as Drake’s dad, sat down and had a tattoo artist put Drake’s face right on his bicep. That was nearly five years ago now but the ink is still on Drake’s mind: Yesterday, he dug up a photo of the portrait, shared it on Instagram, and wrote, “@therealdennisg I was just sitting here thinking why you do me like this we family [crying laughing emojis].” Graham responded in the comments, “Hahaha I had 16 people to try and straighten this out,they’re hurting me.”

The good news (for Dennis’ sake) is that he quickly got the tattoo re-done: In February 2018, Inal Bersekov took a crack at covering up the tattoo and the result came out a lot better than the original attempt at it.

Drake and Graham are not the only ones having a laugh at the tattoo in its original form, as Drake re-sharing it brought renewed attention to it and therefore fresh fan reactions.

Plenty of folks chimed in with who they think the ink really looks like, with picks including former NFL star Arian Foster, Handsome Squidward from SpongeBob, and MMA fighter Rampage Jackson.

That’s Arian Foster. 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/74m6JjWfRJ

— Three Dog Knight (@Kid_From_Quincy) August 8, 2022

pic.twitter.com/ap66kODKLv

— ghostface (@scottAYYlers) August 8, 2022

That's @Rampage4real pic.twitter.com/cZFIS25Qo3

— Bud Lee (@StopTheNerfing) August 9, 2022

Meanwhile, others are roasting (or empathizing with) the artist.

your son is drake and you couldn’t afford a quality portrait tattoo artist? https://t.co/LgBJXrsRRx

— amiri poo (@thegentledyke) August 8, 2022

The tattoo artist seeing this negatively blow up: pic.twitter.com/3dkZ68ECa3

— Just A Yankees Fan (@CasaYanks) August 8, 2022

Check out some more reactions below.

How you gonna be DRAKE’s dad and get a tattoo portrait this bad 😂 don’t u got money babe https://t.co/xXhxsRKXvV

— breezy (@cbreezy512) August 8, 2022

Out of all the Drakes, Drake’s dad picked Dominican Drake for his tattoo pic.twitter.com/N5aJyw2pcx

— journalist jawn (@dirtywhiteups) August 8, 2022

https://twitter.com/TheDiorHomie/status/1556650873253535745

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. Beyonce dropped her long-awaited Renaissance album, complete with 16 songs and features from Grace Jones, Tems, and Beam, and followed it up with an EP of “Break My Soul” remixes. The Weeknd recruited Summer Walker for a remix of “Best Friends” while John Legend and Saweetie danced the night away on “All She Wanna Do,” which comes from the latter’s upcoming album Legend. Elsewhere, Kaytranada and Anderson .Paak joined forces for “Twin Flame.”

Here are some more on the new music front that you should check out:

Duckwrth & Syd — “Ce Soir”

Duckwrth has always given listeners room to dance and be their freest and truest selves. That trend continues with “Ce Soir” alongside Syd. The song, whose title translates to “tonight” in French, is a sex-positive track that beams with anticipation of intimacy at nightfall. “Ce Soir” is the first single from Duckwrth’s upcoming EP, Chrome Bull, which arrives on August 26.

Vedo & OG Parker — While You Wait

After setting things up with a pair of singles, “Face Down” and “Come First,” Vedo and OG Parker have unveiled their new project, While You Wait. It’s a quick strike effort with just eight songs to its name, but each is sultry, passionate, and focused on the most intimate aspects of love. While You Wait also features Baby Tate and Dusty Locane.

Black Party — Hummingbird

It’s been three years since we were introduced to an Endless Summer, but Black Party is finally back with a new body of work. Hummingbird arrives with 12 songs, just two more than Endless Summer, and it also presents appearances from Gwen Bunn, Kari Faux, DMP Jere, Zoe Mazah, Saba, Jean Deaux, and Childish Gambino. Altogether, the project is inspired by Black Party’s frequent and unique interactions with a hummingbird who only visited his studio as music played throughout the project’s creative process.

They. — “Lonely” Feat. Bino Rideaux

Dante Jones and Drew Love, better known as They., are closer than ever to releasing their third album. The follow-up to The Amanda Tape has been preceded by enticing singles like “Blü Moon” and “Comfortable” with Fana Hues, and now, they follow those records up with “Lonely” with Bino Rideaux. The track is for the cool-minded folks of the world as it presents a nonchalant and chill approach from the duo that invites a woman of their liking to spend some time with them.

Leon Thomas & Ty Dolla Sign — “Love Jones”

Prior to this year, Leon Thomas helped craft numerous records by the likes of Drake, Ariana Grande, Rick Ross, and many more. In 2022, Leon shifted things back to his own career as he prepares to release his first project since 2018’s Genesis. The journey towards that continues with the sultry and rich “Love Jones” with Ty Dolla Sign. The record is undeniably seductive as the pair displays their admiration for their special someone.

Fireboy DML — Playboy

After releasing his impressive second project Apollo in 2020, Fireboy DML reached new heights in 2021 thanks to his single, “Peru.” The record, which was later remixed by Ed Sheeran, was one of afrobeats’ most played records summer last summer. This year, Fireboy DML returns with his third project thanks to Playboy. Through 14 songs, Fireboy DML’s soft vocals glide over rhythmic production with features from Asake, Euro, Shenseea, Chris Brown, Rema, and Ed Sheeran.

Felivand — Ties

Australian singer Felivand takes her official step into the spotlight with her debut project Ties. Through 12 songs, her soothing vocals arrive as a perfect companion for the project’s lush and breezy production. She gets vulnerable and confessional on the project but doesn’t allow herself to be lost in comfortable through the album’s warm atmosphere.

Jordan Hawkins — “Super Power”

With all the talk about R&B life, or lack thereof, one could go on and on about the genre’s undeniable bright spots. One of those comes with Jordan Hawkins who released his excellent Heart Won’t Stop EP last year, a project spotlighted by the phenomenal “Risky.” Hawkins seems prepared to start his next chapter and it begins with the soaring “Super Power,” a record absolutely worth your time and attention.

Rileyy Lanez — “Blessings”

Following a fairly quiet 2021 year, Bronx singer Rileyy Lanez is back to get things rolling this year. She returns with “Blessings,” which thumping and emotional record that she uses to detail a bad relationship she experienced. Despite doing her best and bringing nothing but “blessings” to the table, Rileyy says she was only put through hell in the relationship, forcin her to cut off contact.

Mr Eazi — “Personal Baby”

Mr Eazi is looking to make another step forward in afrobeats, a genre he contributed heavily to during the genre’s modern-day rise in the mid-2010s. His new single “Personal Baby” reimagines the Banku sound he helped trademark with songs like “Skin Tight” and “Leg Over.” Now, with his currently-untitled debut album on the way, “Personal Baby” offers another thing to anticipate with the upcoming project that is also supported by his other 2022 single, “Legalize.”

Bella Shmurda — “New Born Fella”

After 2021’s High Tension 2.0 with Dangbana Republik, afrobeats singer Bella Shmurda has been hard at work in 2022. With singles like “Many Things” and “Fvck Off” under his belt, Bella adds another record to his 2022 discography with “New Born Fella.” The track is a boastful record that sees Bella crown himself as the “new born fella.” If he continues to put out strong records, that title will become more and more attached to his name.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Earlier this week, Ashton Kutcher appeared on an episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge where he went into detail about a rare but serious disorder that kept him from walking, hearing, and seeing.

Kutcher revealed that two years ago, he had a “weird, super rare form of vasculitis,” which involves the inflammation of the blood vessels. The disorder, he explained to Grylls, “knocked out my vision, and knocked out my hearing, and knocked out all my equilibrium.” He said, “It took me like a year to build it all back up. You don’t really appreciate it till it’s gone, until you go, ‘I don’t know if I’m ever going to see again. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to hear again. I don’t know if I’m ever going to be able to walk again.’”

Obviously, Kutcher was able to learn how to walk and see again, which gave him a new lease on life. He added that he’s “lucky to be alive” after the incident.

The actor, who will soon return to the screen in the That ’70s Show spinoff, took to Twitter to clear up any misconceptions about his disorder: “Before there are a bunch of rumors/ chatter/ whatever out there. Yes, I had a rare vasculitis episode 3yrs ago. (Autoimmune flair up) I had some impairments hear, vision, balance issues right after. I fully recovered. All good. Moving on. See you at the 2022 NY Marathon w/Thorn.”

Even though Kutcher experienced side effects, he has since fully recovered and will even run in the New York Marathon later this year, which is very impressive for anyone, let alone someone who was struggling to walk a few years ago. Good luck to Ashton, both on the marathon and the upcoming That ’90s Show.

Single barrel bourbon whiskey is growing in popularity by leaps and bounds. The style of bourbon is all about the refinement found in a single barrel of whiskey. Finding depth, complexity, and drinkability in a single barrel is kind of a miracle, as the vast majority of whiskey barrels are blended, into various expressions from “small batch” to “barrel proof” to “limited editions.”

The idea that a single barrel of whiskey can hit a perfect flavor profile to be bottled on its own is exceedingly rare, especially when you get into big age statements where a million factors can alter the booze in ways that force it to be blended out. Of course, that makes it even more magical when it happens. All of this is to say, it’s time for a single barrel bourbon blind tasting.

For this tasting, I pulled some brand new single barrel bourbons and put them up against some stone-cold classics. For the most part, I’ve kept this blind tasting in the mid-range of $25 to $75 per bottle. But I couldn’t help myself, so I threw in a ridiculous bottle just to see if it’d really dominate (and to make it more fun for me).

Our lineup today is:

• Evan Williams Single Barrel
• Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel 7 Years Minimum
• Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel
• Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Huber’s Rickhouse Select Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• George Dickel Tennessee Single Barrel Whisky 15 Years
• King of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel
• Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey 5 Years Old
• Jim Beam Single Barrel

Let’s see if that big-hitting King of Kentucky beats out some of these seminal favorites and newbies.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
• We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This has a really nice nose full of woody cherry, salted caramel with a tart apple edge, and a soft leatheriness. The palate feels and tastes “classic” with notes of wintry spices (eggnog especially) with a lush creaminess supported by soft vanilla, a hint of orange zest, and plenty of spicy cherry tobacco. The end is supple with a hint of tart apple tobacco with a light caramel candy finish.

This isn’t crazy good but it’s damn fine.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

A hint of cellar funkiness is countered by a soft leather with dashes of sourdough rye crust, dry cornmeal, and a hint of anise next to a creamy cherry/vanilla base on the nose. The palate leans into the vanilla with a dusting of cinnamon and allspice (maybe some cardamon too) next to creamy eggnog with a thin line of dried dill and fennel. The end leans woody with soft winter spices and an echo of sour candy spiked with chili pepper.

This felt a little like rye masquerading as a bourbon thanks to that herbal not in the middle and that funk on the nose. Otherwise, this is a pretty solid sipper.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with classic vibes from top to bottom thanks to rich vanilla smoothness, wintry spices, a hint of cedar, and a mix of sour cherry and tart apple. The palate stays very classic with old boot leather next to dry cedar bark, a layer of marzipan, and a distant hint of orange blossom with a whisper of honey. The end finishes with a good hint of spiced cherry tobacco and old leather next to mild nuttiness.

This is just f*cking great.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this meanders from sheet cake with vanilla frosting toward chili-laced dark chocolate ice cream to old leather gloves with a hint of potting soil, soft cedar planks, and a twinge of an orange creamsicle. The taste balances a lemon meringue pie with silky cream soda, red peppercorns, and thick toffee sauce with plenty of brown butter. The end has a bit of woody spice next to spiced cherry syrup, a crack of black pepper, and crumb more of that cake from the nose with a counter of those old leather gardening gloves finishing off the taste.

This is a winner right here.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a slice of cherry pie with a vanilla sauce, some apple tobacco, and a good snifter full of Necco Wafer. The palate leans into tart red berries with a Cherry Coke mixed with a Yoo-Hoo vibe next to apple-cider-soaked oak staves with a whisper of smoky old leather tobacco pouches. The chalky wafer comes back at the end with a bit of black licorice countered by sweet/spicy cherry tobacco and a dry firewood finish.

This is a bit all over the place — and definitely a TN whiskey (thanks to that chalkiness). I like it but can’t place it after the last two killer pours.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This opens very tannic-y (and old) with a mix of pitchy firewood, old honey barrels, dried cranberry, nutmeg, old vanilla husks, cornmeal pancake batter, and a hint of chili-laced tobacco. The taste is bold with a hot spice mix of cinnamon and dried anchos that’s tempered by lush vanilla and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of sweet cherry and old wicker rounding things out. The end is woody and full of potting soil with a hint of old chewing tobacco next to orchard wood.

This is very obviously the King of Kentucky as the age is unmistakable here. The thing is, it’s not as easy-going or inviting as some of the other bottles on the list. I’m going to have to think about where to put this.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a mix of cotton candy next to buttered popcorn with plenty of vanilla, cherry pie, caramel, and old leather rounding out the nose. The palate hints at cinnamon sticks and orange oils as creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg lead to Almond Joy and sweetgrass with a toffee underbelly. The end leans into the dark chocolate with a nutty edge while dried tart berries and sweet wood round out the finish.

This is deep and easy to drink. It also feels pretty classic. This is a good one.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a little thin but does come with vanilla, caramel corn balls, and a good dose of spiced cherry pie. The palate largely follows the same path while layering in floral honey, orange zest, and mild cherry tobacco with a leather edge. The end is a little thin but has plenty of wintry spices, caramel, and cherry that lead to a lingering sense of cherry tobacco in an old cedar box.

This was pretty good but the lightest sip of the bunch by a fair bit.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Jim Beam Single Barrel — Taste 8

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than 1% of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty solid whiskey and it’s in last place — there are some killers on this list, folks. I like this as an easy everyday sipper on a rock or two. It’s also a great cocktail base, especially for a simple old fashioned.

7. George Dickel Tennessee Single Barrel Whisky 15 Years — Taste 5

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $69

The Whisky:

The whiskey showcases Dickel’s vast warehouses and the gems they have hidden deep on those ricks. This is a very old whiskey, all things considered. The juice is from single barrels — aged 15 years or more — and the proof varies accordingly (sometimes it’s cut with water, too).

Bottom Line:

This feels like the biggest outlier thanks to that clear Tennessee whiskey vibe. Overall, this is still a solid pour of whiskey at an outrageously affordable price (relative to the cost of double-digit aged single barrels on the market these days).

6. Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel 7 Years Minimum — Taste 2

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

Baker’s is pulled from single barrels in specific warehouses and ricks across the Beam facility in Clermont, Kentucky. The juice is always at least seven years old. In this case, it was aged eight years and one month before bottling as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is another outlier. The taste is a bit all over the place but does work. I tend to use this more for unique cocktails (Sazerac is a good choice).

5. Evan Williams Single Barrel — Taste 1

ABV: 43.3%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The juice is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 86, and bottled as is.

Bottom Line:

This is always a pleasant surprise. It’s also amazingly affordable for a single barrel whiskey. I tend to use this for great cocktails more than anything else though.

4. King of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel (5th Edition) — Taste 6

ABV: 65.3%

Average Price: $249 MSRP ($2,814)

The Whiskey:

This year’s King of Kentucky is a 15-year-old bourbon made from a mash of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The spirit — made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in West Louisville (Shively) — went into the barrel on December 18, 2009, at 125% entry-proof. After 15 long years, only about 35% of the whiskey was left in the barrel. 43 single barrels were then chosen for this release and individually bottled as-is, yielding about 3,500 bottles of King of Kentucky.

Bottom Line:

This was a wood and spice bomb compared to the other whiskeys on this list. I would also argue this is the most “acquired taste” whiskey on this list, hence it ended up right in the middle. Maybe it’s for you. Maybe it’s not. Read the tasting notes again to decide before you pay the big bucks for it (or try it at a high-end whiskey bar).

3. Nashville Barrel Company Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey 5 Years Old — Taste 7

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

Nashville Barrel Co. is doing some of the best work in the bottling game, full stop. They’re sourcing incredible barrels (a lot from MGP) and bottling them as-is without any cutting, filtering, or fussing — they let the whiskey speak for itself and it’s kind of magical. This expression tends to be five to eight-year-old barrels that will vary slightly in the flavor profile while always leaning into bold and distinct flavors.

Bottom Line:

This is the “just delicious” part of the ranking. These top three are all classic yet deep and rewarding sips. This was a little warmer, so it’s third instead of second of first, but that’s splitting the thinnest of hairs.

2. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel — Taste 3

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location.

Bottom Line:

Seriously, the top three are pretty much interchangeable. That said, this was that tiny bit more refined with a tad less heat that the NBC bottle above. Some would call it “smoother” and I would tend to agree.

1. Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Huber’s Rickhouse Select Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $55

The Whisky:

These single barrel releases from Huber Winery’s Starlight Distillery are starting to light up the craft bourbon scene. The Indiana juice is real craft from a family tradition going back to the mid-1800s on the same farm (this isn’t MGP). Depending on the barrel, the mash here is a unique one with 58% corn, 27% rye, and 15% malted barley. That whiskey is aged for at least four years before it’s considered ready for single barrel bottling as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was the best bottle of the day. It has that perfect balance of warmth, lushness, and classic bourbon vibes. It’s super easy to drink while offering a great palate that takes you on a journey. This is a winner.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Well, there you go, the most expensive and elite bottle didn’t win. In fact, it didn’t really come close. The wild thing is, I loved that King of Kentucky pour on its own when I first tasted it. But when perched next to seven other pours, different — read: bigger — flavor profiles get highlighted on the palate. And that’s the big problem with blind taste tests, the subtleties get lost in favor of the big notes that differentiate pour after pour. It is what it is.

Overall, the top three picks on this list are all bottles you should be drinking. They’re stellar whiskeys on their own or in a blind taste test. Still, if you do buy only one bottle, make it that Starlight Bourbon — it’s a truly great bottle of whiskey.