Category: News

Some much-needed wholesome news: The lovely city of Richmond, Virginia is introducing a new bike lane street sweeper and residents have voted that it be named MF BROOM, after the late rapper MF DOOM who tragically passed in 2020.

In a bracket not unlike that of March Madness, the options consisted of MF BROOM, Kate Brush, Meryl Sweep, Sweep Carolina, Dirt Reynolds, Bike Dyson, LeBroom James, The Bus Duster, The Legion of Broom, Wall-E, The Grim Sweeper, and more creative names. MF BROOM and The Grim Sweeper made it to the final round, and the former won with a 59%-41% vote.

“The people have spoken!” Venture Richmond tweeted in the announcement. “We crowdsourced name ideas, you voted, and the name of the new @DPW_RichmondVAbike lane sweeper is… MF BROOM. Until then, enjoy your clean bike lanes!”

“Just remember all caps when you spell the mans name,” one user replied.

The beloved hip-hop legend is being memorialized in many ways. For instance, it was announced in May of this year that a biography of MF DOOM is in the works. It will be titled The Chronicles Of Doom: Unraveling Rap’s Masked Iconoclast, written by veteran journalist S.H. Fernando Jr. and arriving via Astra House.

For the past couple of weeks there has been little movement on the Kevin Durant trade front, as executives around the league take vacations and most of the trade chatter has died down — with some reports here and there about previous offers for Durant coming out, like the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown package.

However, on Monday we got the closest thing to a substantial report regarding Durant and the Nets as we’ve gotten in some time, as Shams Charania reported the star had met with owner Joe Tsai in London this weekend and laid down an ultimatum. Durant doubled down on his trade request, unless Tsai was willing to completely change his organizational structure by firing head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks. That, naturally, sparked plenty of chatter on Twitter as fans wondered whether the Nets should (or would) choose Durant over their GM — one has to feel that Nash would be gone if this was just about him.

On Monday night, we got our answer in the form of a tweet from Tsai himself that made clear which side he was choosing in this situation.

That leaves no uncertainty about how the Nets are proceeding, but it would sure seem to escalate things between the Nets and Durant to do this publicly. It’s not a surprise Tsai is doing this, as it’d be a pretty terrible look to leak that demand from Durant (which pretty clearly came from the team side as KD has no reason to put that out there) and then give in to it. It’s clear Tsai is trying to draw a line in the sand here and show that the Nets are no longer going to be a team run by star demands, but they’re honestly a bit late with that declaration and now things get sticky.

The price tag on Durant sure doesn’t sound like it’s getting lowered, and to this point no one has really come close to meeting their demands. That’s probably not going to change in the immediate, as there’s no reason for teams to put their best offer out there in mid-August, but as training camp nears, we’ll start to see pressure mount on all sides to get this done and not let it linger into the season.

Ashton Kutcher is on Monday night’s episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge, which presumably features a lot of stomping around Mother Earth. But not that long ago he wouldn’t be have been able to keep up with the adventurer. In a clip from the episode, Kutcher can be heard revealing that he once had a rare disorder that kept him from seeing, hearing, even walking.

In the clip, the soon-to-be-returning That ‘70s Show vet tells Grylls that two yeas back he had a “weird, super rare form of vasculitis,” which involves the flaming of the blood vessels. The disorder, he revealed, “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.’”

But as you can see, Kutcher was able to walk again, and to hear again, and to see again. He added that he’s “lucky to be alive.”

On the plus side, it gave him a newfound look at life. “The minute you start seeing your obstacles as things that are made for you to give you what you need, then life starts to get fun, right?” he said. “You start surfing on top of your problems instead of living underneath them.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, vasculitis “can cause the walls of the blood vessels to thicken, which reduces the width of the passageway through the vessel. If blood flow is restricted, it can result in organ and tissue damage.”

Along with his wife Mila Kunis, Kutcher has made himself helpful, helping raise money in the early days of the pandemic and raising millions for Ukraine, where Kunis was born.

You can watch the clip in the video below:

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

Donald Trump has never had to formally pay for his many alleged crimes, beyond getting booted from his favorite social media service. But that doesn’t mean he never will. He’s got multiple legal headaches on right now, from the investigation into his business by the New York State attorney general’s office to the soon-to-return Jan. 6 hearings. Are the walls finally closing in? Who’s to say? But it’s probably a big deal that on Monday the feds raided the resort he now lives in.

The New York Times reported that the FBI executed a search warrant at Mar-a-Lago, where the former president is known to rant about his many woes to strangers. Sources say the investigation involves the 15 boxes of classified documents Trump brought to Mar-a-Lago last year and only returned under threat of prosecution.

Trump appeared to try and get ahead of the big news, firing off one of his makeshift press releases on rinky dink Twitter clone, which was filled with his usual pity-party ramblings.

“These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home … is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents,” Trump wrote (or “Truthed”). “Nothing like this has happened to a President of the United States before.” He added, “They even broke into my safe! What is the difference between this and Watergate, where operatives broke into the Democrat [sic] National Committee? Here, in reverse, Democrats broke into the home of the 45th President of the United States.”

Trump went on about the continued “political persecution of President Donald J. Trump,” referring to himself in the third person. He whined that Hillary Clinton, who never tried to steal an election or help drive supporters to a failed coup (and was never president, despite repeated efforts), was never treated in such a way. He then brought up her infamous e-mails, claiming she was “allowed to delete and acid wash 33,000 email,” even accusing her of taking “antique furniture” from the White House.

The news seemed to interest Michael Cohen, Trump’s former attorney, who served time for him and delights in hearing about his many woes.

The raid comes the same day as a report that, while president, he not only demanded his military parades snub “wounded” veterans, but also praised “German soldiers” during World War II, aka the Nazis.

(Via NYT)

It’s been 20 years since Tom Waits released the albums Alice and Blood Money. To celebrate, he’s re-issuing them on vinyl on October 7, as well as sharing unreleased live cuts of some of the songs, including “All The World Is Green” and “Fish And Bird” today.

“During the ‘70’s, too many of my songs were drowning in strings,” Waits said about Alice. “I didn’t want to hear another blasted violin. So, we found string players who felt the same way about their instrument, formed an odd, skeletal chamber orchestra and tried to avoid all the old familiar phrases where strings love to play.”

He added about the other LP, “Blood Money is flesh and bone, earthbound. The songs are rooted in reality: jealousy, rage, the human meat wheel…They are more carnal. Kathleen and I are well suited to this material. She is hilarious, blasphemous and ominous. I like a beautiful song that tells you terrible things.”

Waits started re-issuing his catalog in 2018, with his 1973 debut record Closing Time, as well as 1974’s Heart of Saturday Night, 1975’s Nighthawks at the Diner, 1976’s Small Change, 1977’s Foreign Affairs, 1978’s Blue Valentine, and 1980’s Heartattack & Vine.

Listen to Waits’s London performance of “All The World Is Green” above and “Fish And Bird” below.

Welcome back to Style Watch! It’s been a minute since our last Style Watch entry (blame Euphoria ending) but now we’re back in full swing, bringing you bi-weekly updates of the best streetwear to hit the internet. It might still feel like summer, but a lot of your favorite apparel brands have started to unveil their new autumn collections, so if you’re not ready to pick up pull-overs and jackets, or layer-able outerwear now, you’re not going to have a whole lot of options by the time the weather gets cool.

You might as well shop smart by looking ahead, this way when the temperature suddenly drops and you need to pull that jacket out of the closet you’ve got a fresh fit to rock instead of something you forgot had a pizza stain from last winter. Just me? Okay, moving on.

Our top picks this week include the newest collections from skatewear brands like Palace, and the Hundreds, as well as new collections from Nike and Stüssy, Yohji Yamamoto, and more. Let’s dive in!

Palace Autumn 2022 Drop 1

Palace unveiled its new Autumn 2022 collection a couple of weeks back and today marks the first drop of the collection. We have to admit, seeing all the outerwear, thick jackets, and layer-able pieces in this collection has us pretty envious of that comfortable London weather.

This first drop consists mostly of outerwear and features letterman jackets, windbreakers, quarter zips, and hoodies, with a couple of graphic tees and long sleeves to pad out the collection.

The Palace Skateboards Autumn 2022 drop 1 is out now. Visit Palace’s webstore to view and shop the full collection.

The Hundreds Autumn 2022 Delivery 1

The first drop of The Hundreds new fall collection arrives this week. For inspiration for the new collection, the brand looked to their own archives reviving styles from their 2003 launch including baggier fits, loud graphics, and wild vibrant colors. Just imagine Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, if the characters wore streetwear instead of Louis Vuitton.

Some of the graffiti-styled logos come courtesy of LA artist Crash, who The Hundreds recruited to add an extra sense of flair to the collection. Like Palace’s autumn drop, this collection consists mostly of outerwear, so expect to find leopard print coach’s jackets, moody Formosa breakers, and all-over print pullovers that demand attention.

The Hundreds also restricted their denim, widening the legs to fit with today’s trends.

The Hundreds Autumn 2022 Delivery 1 is out now. Visit The Hundred’s webstore to view and shop the full collection.

Stüssy x Nike Air Max 2013 Collection

This week Nike and Stüssy teamed up to give us a three-sneaker Air Max 2013 collection. We covered that release extensively in our weekly sneaker article, but what we didn’t mention was that the collection also comes with an accompanying apparel capsule.

The apparel capsule consists mostly of outerwear (’tis the season even though it’s f*cking hot outside) like windbreakers, pull-overs, crewnecks, and sweatpants, with accessories like bucket hats and socks. The entire collection follows the same off-white, bubble gum pink, and faded black color palette of the accompanying sneaker collection but are minimal enough that they’d go with just about anything. Even Crocs!

The Stüssy x Nike Air Max 2013 Collection is out now. Visit the Stüssy webstore to view and shop the full collection or visit your nearest Stûssy chapter store or Dover Street Market location.

HUMAN MADE Autumn/Winter 2022 Collection

NIGO’s HUMAN MADE just dropped new Adimatic colorways at Adidas last month and now they’ve dropped the perfect apparel collection to match. For the first drop of the collection, HUMAN MADE is keeping things light and summer-friendly with a collection of simple graphic t-shirts and button-downs and small accessories like festival-friendly pouches and belts.

HUMAN MADE’s new Autumn/ Winter 2022 Collection is out now. View and shop the full collection at the HUMAN MADE webstore.

Teddy Fresh July 2022 Collection

It’s been a minute since we last checked in on Teddy Fresh but the brand’s latest July Collection is one of its best yet. The California-based brand is still as playful as ever and is keeping things season-appropriate with a collection of chinos, graphic t-shirts, and other basics. Our favorite detail is the elegant floral embroidery that adorns a few pieces.

Highlights include the pants and flower tee from the premium Hila Klein collection as well as the Seersucker women’s jacket and overalls. Teddy Fresh started focusing more on women’s clothing fairly recently, but the brand has taken to it with ease expanding the overall portfolio without needing to change its general aesthetic in any way.

The Teddy Fresh July 2022 collection is out now. View and shop the full collection at Teddy Fresh.

Yohji Yamamoto x New Era Autumn/ Winter 2022 Collection

Tokyo and Paris-based brand Yohji Yamamoto and the classic Buffalo-based headwear brand New Era have joined forces once again for a small collection of baggy graphic t-shirts and hats. The graphics in this collection feature Yamamoto’s take on mikaeri-bijin artwork, first introduced in an art installation in 2013.

Mikaeri-bijin is a phrase that comes from a famous Japanese ukiyoe woodblock print by Hishikawa Moronobu, and is a term used to describe a beautiful woman looking back over her shoulder. Yamamoto’s interpretation of the phrase doesn’t involve characters looking back (though the photo shoot does, which we appreciate!), but it’s still reminiscent of the artwork of ukiyo-e artists of the Edo period only with a rougher more contemporary edge.

The artwork looks great on this simple collection of basics.

The Yohji Yamamoto x New Era Fall Winter 2022 Collection is set to drop on August 10th. Shop the collection at select New Era stores and Yohji Yamamoto stockists.

Last week, Warner Bros. Discovery made the incredible, unprecedented decision to shelve Batgirl, their DCEU movie starring Leslie Grace. Meanwhile, another movie is still a go, despite the bizarre and troubling antics of its main star. That film is The Flash, which stars Ezra Miller, who has racked up numerous arrests. They might even be a cult leader. And now they can add a burglary charge to their ever-expanding rap sheet.

As per Deadline, Vermont State Police have charged the actor with a felony charge over an incident in early May. Miller is accused of breaking into a home in Stamford and stealing several bottles of alcohol while the residents were not at home. Surveillance footage and statements led to investigators establishing probable cause. Miller was located and issued a citation on Sunday.

Miller sure gets around! Last week it was reported they were in Iceland, where they had allegedly reinvented himself as a cult leader operating out of an Airbnb. There were their multiple antics in Hawaii earlier this year, and then there are accusations of grooming underage individuals, which led to them taking to Instagram to mock the court’s attempts to locate them. They have also been accused of harassing a mother and her 12-year-old in Massachusetts, which allegedly involved inappropriate touching and him brandishing both a bulletproof vest and a gun.

The Flash is scheduled to hit theaters on June 23, 2023.

(Via Deadline)

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Newton-John leaves behind a legacy of artistic hits, the most iconic being her role of Sandy in the 1978 hit film “Grease.” One of the movie’s most famous songs, “Hopelessly Devoted” (sung beautifully by Newton-John and earning her an Academy Award nomination), mirrors the enduring devotion that fans still have for it years later. In January 2016, a live televised remake of the musical was created starring Julianne Hough in the role of Sandra Dee.

John Travolta, Newton-John’s co-star, wrote on social media: “My dearest Olivia, you made all of our lives so much better. Your impact was incredible. I love you so much. We will see you down the road and we will all be together again. Yours from the moment I saw you and forever! Your Danny, your John!”

“Grease” received backlash among viewers after being aired on the BBC in 2021, with some even calling for an all-out ban of the movie. This was primarily in response to a well-known scene where Danny Zuko (Travolta) repeatedly tries to make a move on Sandy, but critics accused the story of being homophobic and sexist.

In a podcast episode of “A Life of Greatness,” the actress called the backlash “kind of silly, because the movie was made in the ’70s about the ’50s. It was a stage play. It’s a musical. It’s fun.

“We need to relax a little bit and just enjoy things for what they are,” she added. “I think it’s just a fun movie that entertains people. That’s all.”

Newton-John was also a sex-positive icon in her own right. Following the success of “Grease,” where her buttoned-up Sandy becomes a sex-liberated teenager, she released the song “Physical,” which was banned for its suggestive lyrics before spending 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100.

She also starred in the fantasy musical “Xanadu,” a hugely popular film in the LGBTQ community. In an interview with LogoTV, she joked that she “gets a kick” out of knowing the movie is being shown in gay bars.

Olivia Newton-John was the epitome of a class-act. Despite her celebrity status, she was open, honest and—above all— compassionate. According to People, her activism included serving as a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, becoming the national spokesperson for the Children’s Health Environmental Coalition and working with the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research.

Through tireless contributions, undeniable talent and an effortlessly approachable personality, she carved a spot into countless hearts and she will not soon be forgotten.

Rudy Giuliani is either a hot mess or really doesn’t want to face the music. Or maybe both! The former New York City mayor-turned-Donald Trump crony (and possible fall guy) has a lot of legal and financial headaches in his life right now, including this: He was scheduled to testify before a grand jury in Georgia on Tuesday, April 9, after having simply stood up prosecutors last month. But when he tried to claim he physically couldn’t make the trip, prosecutors tried to call his bluff.

As per Raw Story, Giuliani claimed that his doctor would not let him board a plane from New York City down to the Peach State, where he’s expected to testify about whether Trump interfered in the state’s election process in 2020. He even provided a note from said doctor. But prosecutors weren’t buying it, at least at first.

“We do not consent to change the date,” wrote Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten in an e-mail to Giuliani’s own attorney. “We expect to see your client before the grand jury on August 9, 2022, here in Atlanta. We will provide alternate transportation including bus or train if your client maintains that he is unable to fly.”

Eventually Giuliani was able to semi-successfully delay the testimony, though that might not have been such a good idea either: A county superior judge will weigh in on his latest avoidance tactic on Tuesday.

But think about it: If you were traveling by bus or train, you could have wound up spending many, many hours sitting next to the guy who gifted the world with the Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle or the infamous wine lady. Or maybe it’s best not to think about it. Life is already tough enough.

In any case, Giuliani’s attempts to ghost a grand jury have already gotten him in trouble, and this may have just added to his already unraveling existence.

(Via Raw Story)

Canadian whisky does not get its due in the modern whiskey world. The juice from up north is often sent down to the U.S. where it’s relabeled under an American brand, which contributes to the style getting ignored in the wider discourse. The fact is, there’s a good chance you’ve been drinking (and loving!) Canadian juice this whole time without knowing it (looking at you, WhistlePig).

Let’s change that today by speaking seriously about some Canadian whisky — because there are some gems coming out of Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and beyond right now.

To that end, I’m conducting a blind taste test, with eight Canadian rye and blended whiskies that are either from a Canadian brand or sourced for an American brand. I’m also throwing some serious contenders in the mix with best-in-show award winners and 20+-year-old expressions next to stuff you can get on any liquor store shelf, even in the U.S.

For the ranking of these, the gist is simple. Taste is paramount. And while expensive whiskies tend to rank higher in blind taste tests, they aren’t the be-all and end-all of any tasting. That’s why I mixed it up for this one, with both high-end and low-end whiskies.

Our lineup today is:

• WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye Aged 6 Years
• Crown Royal Fine De Luxe Blended Canadian Whisky
• Chicken Cock Cotton Club Rye Whiskey Aged 20 Years
• Pendleton Midnight Blended Canadian Whiskey
• Barrell Craft Whiskey Gray Label 24 Years Canadian Whiskey Finished in Sherry and XO Armagnac Casks
• Lock Stock & Barrel 21
• BEARFACE Canadian Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak
• Alberta Premium Canadian Blended Rye Whisky

Let’s dive in and find a great Canadian whisky for your bar cart!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Blind Taste Test Posts Of The Last Six Months

• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• Celebrity-Owned Tequila Brands, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
• We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Green grass and green chili peppers draw you in on the nose — giving you a sense of “American rye” — as soft touches of leather, light tobacco, and maybe some creamy vanilla honey round out the nose. The palate has a stewed fruit vibe with hints of caramel and vanilla sauce leading to a light woody winter spice mix and some woody vanilla. The end leans into light wood and sharp yet sweet Red Hots.

This tastes like a “rye” from 2005 — spice, wood, caramel. That’s not a bad thing, just a little… shrug.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Fruity leather with a dose of vanilla extract mingles with light chili spice and a hint of maple syrup on the nose. The palate is on the light side but carried layers of vanilla cookies, caramel sauce, and fruit candies (apple and pear). The end warms ever so slightly with a winter spice (nutmeg and clove) while the wateriness of the proofing washes the rest of the sip out.

This was pretty good until the finish washed out.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose hits you with a brief note of barnyard funk before shifting toward pine resin, green grass, sour cherry candies, and a twinge of Orange Julius with a dash of cinnamon and clove. The palate carries on toward orange and lemon citrus with a creamy, almost pudding vibe while pear and vanilla candies lead to floral honey spiked with woody Christmas spices and a dusting of white pepper. The end leans into those woody spices with an almost sour apple cider and some wet black potting soil that sweetens toward brown sugar.

This was a funky and fun ride. This is certainly a contender but a little out of left field. We’ll see how it ranks.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Butterscotch dominates the nose until hints of dark fruits and leathery prunes sneak in with a whisper of cinnamon and apple. The palate builds a very mild spice mix toward powdered ginger and some nutmeg with an underlying nuttiness supported by vanilla/caramel smoothness. The end has a faint hint of dry cedar next to mildly spiced tobacco with a walnut vibe that’s a little light and fleeting.

This was nice but didn’t grab my attention as it should have. Everything was a struggle to find in the flavor profile or very lightly rendered.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Dry red leathery fruit slabs mingle with old jars of floral honey, cognac-laced plum jam, sticky pine pitch, and a mix of cardamon, allspice, and nutmeg infused into marzipan and packed into an old cigar humidor. The palate meanders through a green grass lawn, root beer float, and tea shop as pear and apple peels lead to savory melon and a hint more of those mild spices with a woody edge. The end mint and cardamon vibe as a fleeting sense of old peaches and fennel lurks in the background.

This is another wild and funky ride that’s definitely a winner on this panel.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is like silk by way of a spiced holiday cake full of stewed dates, plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, candied cherries and citrus rinds, and a pile of roasted nuts next to a small drizzle of dark molasses syrup. The palate opens with a pine tar vibe that leads to more of those holiday spices with a woody edge, burnt orange peel, vanilla cake with poppy seeds, butter frosting with a hint of butterscotch, and a slight Almond Joy vibe. The end is lush and full of woody spices countered by freshly cut green grass with a leather pouch full of just singed tobacco leaves.

This is a “wow” whiskey. It doesn’t blow away all of the competition today, but a hell of a lot of it.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

This opens a little “oaky” but then leans into rich marzipan with a bright and almost pine-y honey next to soft vanilla and a hint of tart dried fruits. The palate moves towards a savory note with melon and saffron-stewed pears mingling with creamy balsamic vinegar (the thick and sweet kind), apricot jam with cinnamon, and a hint of scone. The end has a bit of spice to it — more nutmeg and cardamon — alongside orange peels, brown sugar syrup, and a light vanilla wafer.

This took me on a journey and was pretty damn good by the end of it.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

This is light. The nose barely reveals faint hints of vanilla, “fruit,” and “spice.” The palate is sweet and vanilla-forward but so vague it’s damn near vodka. There are notes of vanilla and oak with a light sense of cinnamon but it’s under a lot of proofing water. The end is almost blank.

I think we all know where this is going.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Alberta Premium Canadian Blended Rye Whisky — Taste 8

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $22

The Whisky:

Alberta Premium is a classic, entry-level blended Canadian rye made for mixing from bar wells. The juice in the bottle is made from two 100% rye whiskeys with different proofs that then spend four years aging before blending. After combined, that whisky is proofed all the way down to 80 proof for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is clearly a mixing whisky for shots and a beer back and highballs with Coke. Nothing more.

7. Pendleton Midnight Blended Canadian Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $39

The Whisky:

This whisky is part of Hood River, Oregon, and part of Canada’s northern wilderness. The whisky starts off in Canada and ages for six years in American brandy barrels. That juice is then sent to Oregon where it’s blended and cut with glacier runoff from Mount Hood.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty nice, all things considered. I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy it but I wouldn’t turn it away either. In the end, I think this is a suitable cocktail base or highball whisky and little more.

6. Crown Royal Fine De Luxe Blended Canadian Whisky — Taste 2

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

Crown Royal is a Canadian blend that was made specifically for the arrival of the British monarchs back in the 1930s on their first visit to Canada. The blend marries 50 Canadian whiskies of varying grains and aging lengths from the 1-million-barrel Gimli aging facility in Manitoba.

Bottom Line:

For an 80-proof whisky, there was plenty going on here. The end faltered but that’s fine as this is meant to be mixed in a cocktail (old fashioned mostly) or a highball with fizzy water. Treat it as such and you’ll be set.

5. WhistlePig PiggyBack 100% Rye Aged 6 Years — Taste 1

ABV: 48.28%

Average Price: $50

The Whisky:

This is a 100% rye whisky sourced from “undisclosed” Canadian distilleries. Those barrels are sent down to Vermont where they’re specifically blended to create a cocktail whisky.

Bottom Line:

This is meant to be a cocktail whisky, and I think that’s hitting the bull’s eye. Sipping this wasn’t that arresting but I can see this working in a basic whiskey sour or old fashioned.

4. BEARFACE Canadian Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak — Taste 7

ABV: 42.5%

Average Price: $44

The Whisky:

This single-grain whisky from the northern Ontario wilderness is all about the aging process. The juice spends seven years resting in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into both old French oak and toasted Hungarian oak for a final maturation. That whisky is then blended and cut down with natural spring water for bottling.

Bottom Line:

Okay, this is where we get into the good stuff. This was a little mild for my palate but still delivered a solid flavor profile. I can see sipping this on the rocks or in a cocktail easily.

3. Chicken Cock Cotton Club Rye Whiskey Aged 20 Years — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $596

The Whiskey:

The juice in this bottle is made with a 90% rye and 10% malted barley mash bill, which is a standard you see with other big-name Canadian brands (cough, cough, Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye, cough, cough). In this case, that hot juice was left to mellow in ex-bourbon barrels for 20 long years somewhere in Canada (cough, cough, Manitoba, cough, cough). The barrels are then vatted and proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was a funky, fun ride. That said, it was a little funky up top and that might push some folks away. Of the top three, I’d also say this was the lightest both in mouthfeel and look (it’s really pale). Overall, I can see really digging this on the rocks every now and then, but it’s not and everyday sipper by a long shot (which the price point already tells you).

2. Barrell Craft Whiskey Gray Label 24 Years Canadian Whiskey Finished in Sherry and XO Armagnac Casks — Taste 5

ABV: 60.82%

Average Price: $249

The Whisky:

This sourced whisky is pulled from 24-year-old barrels of Canadian whisky. Those barrels were sent down to Louisville, Kentucky, where the team at Barrell painstakingly blended them to create this one-of-a-kind expression that’s bottled completely as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was a little funky too but a lot more accessible on the palate. It was also, well, fun. This was a great whiskey from top to bottom that takes you somewhere new. But it wasn’t quite the next pour.

1. Lock Stock & Barrel 21 — Taste 6

ABV: 55.5%

Average Price: $490

The Whisky:

This rye is made from that magical Canadian 100% rye mash bill. The juice went into the barrel back in May of 1999 and was left alone in the cold north for over two decades before Lock Stock & Barrel blended and bottled this without any fussing.

Bottom Line:

This was magic in a bottle. If you can track this down (and don’t mind shelling out a car payment for it), add this to your collection. This is a stellar sipper that transcends rye and becomes a classic and great whisk(e)y in general.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I really thought the funky whisky was going to win this one until that Lock Stock & Barrel pour hit my lips. It was so obviously the best whisky in this lineup from the jump that it almost felt unfair comparing the other seven drams to it. But there is no “fair” in blind taste tests just like there’s no “crying” in baseball. But I digress.

Overall, this was a pretty illuminating process. Cheaper whiskies ranked pretty high and came in with great flavor profiles worth seeking out. BEARFACE was a big surprise and I’m looking forward to digging into more of their expressions. Still, that Lock Stock & Barrel is where you want to focus your energy if you’re looking for a prestige bottle for the ol’ bar cart.