Category: News

On Friday, July 29, Wiz Khalifa was celebrating the release of his sixth album, Multiverse, at a show at the Poppy Nightclub in Los Angeles. It was doing well until he went on a ruthless rant about the DJs who were spinning music at the event that night, DJ Mike Danger and MC Tron.

“I came here tonight to promote for y’all and have a good ass time and have a great time, but you know what I’m not gonna do? I’m not gonna sit here and let these hoe ass n****s act like this sh*t is acceptable,” he said.

The rapper has been under fire for this outburst, but today radio host Bootleg Kev has taken to Twitter to defend him. “Let’s clear up this Wiz sh*t,” he wrote. “I was there with him, & the dj & host TERRIBLE. After f*cking up his performance (4-5x) he finally snapped. I’m not condoning him slapping the hat off or none of that, and I know he regrets that. But so much led up to that point.”

He added: “Context is IMPORTANT. After they abruptly cut the first record off & had some weird echo effect sh*t going on he stopped and was NICE. In this video he’s saying ‘let’s get on the same page, y’all got too many cooks in the kitchen.’” In the thread, he provided videos for evidence. Check it out below.

Better Call Saul is almost at an end, with only two more episodes left to air. But something big has already happened: The prequel show, which explores the epic origins of Bob Odenkirk’s Jimmy McGill, aka Saul Goodman (and maybe more aliases besides), has already finally looped back up with Breaking Bad, some 13 years after he first appeared on the show that started it all. (And no, they’re not de-aging actors.) It’s long been known that Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul reprise their roles as meth gods Walter White and Jesse Pinkman, but if you think they just show up for a token appearance, think again.

Odenkirk went on The View Tuesday, where he was inevitably asked about reuniting with the two stars, who made their Better Call Saul debuts on Tuesday’s episode, called, of course, “Breaking Bad” (and not to be confused with the Breaking Bad episode called “Better Call Saul”). But if you enjoyed that, there’s more where that cam efrom.

“The truth is, it was just the start,” Odenkirk said. “There’s more of them. The scenes that come up are powerful.”

Odenkirk also noted some false assumptions, saying, “I love that everybody thinks they’re gonna show up. Then they see them, they go, ‘Great. We did it — we saw them again!’ I’m like, ‘You never know what’s gonna come next on our show.’ So don’t be sure you’ve seen the last — I’m telling you, you haven’t.”

Indeed, at least according to the IMDb (not always a reliable spot, so take this with a quarry of salt), Cranston is listed as part of the cast in the next two episodes, while Paul is only on there for the penultimate one.

Odenkirk also took some time to reflect on the end of an era. “I think when I watch the final episode is when it’ll really hit me,” he told the crowd. “I think I’ll start crying, and I’ll call everybody, ‘We’re done!’”

You can watch Odenkirk’s appearance on The View above. The Cranston/Paul talk starts around the 2:30 mark. Better Call Saul episodes air on Monday, and it all ends on Aug. 15.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

On Tuesday, something rare happened in the defamation trial against conspiracy theorist Alex Jones: Alex Jones actually showed up. The InfoWars host has only been present in court for some of the trial, concerning debunked claims he’s made about the Sandy Hook school shooting in 2012, and he didn’t even show up the entire day. He skipped the morning session because he had other pressing matters: He had to record an episode of InfoWars, in which he made some predictably bizarre claims about the people suing him for defamation. (He also doesn’t appear to be done spreading Sandy Hook nonsense.) But he did show up for the afternoon portion, and he made a perfect spectacle of himself.

He began by not only showing up late, but used the time to rail against the judge.

During the trial, he put some mystery item in his mouth.

The judge, who’s clearly already had it up to here with Jones, told him to spit out what she assumed as gum. Jones said it wasn’t gum, claiming that he recently had a tooth pulled and was massaging the inside of his mouth with his tongue. When he offered to show her, she replied, “I don’t want to see the inside of your mouth.”

Speaking of, when he finally took the stand, he used his rare court appearance to brag about the efficacy of the vitamins he hawks.

He also talked about some of his biggest influences, including non-conspiracy theorist Larry King.

Jones also complained about his sore larynx, mere hours after recording an InfoWars special rather than attend the trial.

But you know who the real victim is here? Jones, because he says now he’s afraid to spread reckless conspiracy theories about other mass shootings, such as the one in Uvalde.

It was a big deal to have Jones on the stand. “I never intentionally tried to hurt you,” Jones told the parents from the stand. “I never even said your name until this case came to court. I didn’t know who you were until this came up.”

Also testifying that day were some of the parents of the victims, whom Jones has claimed were actors in a false flag operation. Scarlett Lewis, mother of slain 6-year-old Jesse Lewis, did not seem to buy his mea culpa, especially since he was making tall claims on InfoWars just that very morning.

“I think you know that Sandy Hook is real and that it happened,” Lewis told Jones. “But I don’t think you understand — at all — the repercussions of going on air with a huge audience and lying and calling this a hoax. … You don’t understand that.

“It seems so incredible to me that we have to do this,” she added. “That we have to implore you — not just implore you, punish you — to get you to stop lying. … It is surreal what is going on in here.”

The families of the Sandy Hook victims are asking for $150 million in damages, which could leave Jones with less than nothing. He’s already been losing money over the trial.

On Saturday, November 5th, the third annual Dia De Los Deftones Festival is coming back to San Diego and the Deftones have a history of booking talent for their music festival that’s on the way, way up. The diverse bash brings together heavy rock, hip-hop, and more to the Gallagher Square at Petco Park venue. This year’s lineup is no joke, with Freddie Gibbs, Turnstile, and Phantogram joining Deftones at the top of the bill for 2022.

For context, previous editions of the festival have included performances from an emerging Doja Cat in 2018 and Megan Thee Stallion in 2019, so it’s a good bet that somebody from this year’s lineup is headed for the top. Joining the headliners for the all-ages affair are rapper Audrey Nuna, punk band Destroy Boys, post-punks Provoker, and hardcore band ColdGawd.

“We’re hyped to be bringing back Dia de Los Deftones this year,” Moreno said in a statement. “We take a ton of pride in curating it; it’s a chance for us to put forth and showcase some artists that we love and respect, and put on an amazing day of music and culture for our fans. We’re excited to see everyone again out at Petco in November.”

Tickets go on sale on 08/05 at 10 am PST here with a pre-sale on 08/03 at the same time/link.

The sports world is still mourning the loss of the great Bill Russell. NBA players both past and present have paid their respects to the Celtics legend whose career stands singular even among the NBA’s greatest players. Russell’s winning legacy has already been memorialized through the NBA Finals MVP trophy, and until recently, Russell would appear at the Finals each season to present the trophy to its recipient. It was always a special moment because of the immense respect every player had not only for Russell’s legacy of winning, but also his contributions to the civil rights movement in a time where he faced intense racism.

In the aftermath of his passing, NBA legend Magic Johnson expressed his belief that the league should find another way to honor Russell. Johnson tweeted out his belief that NBA commissioner Adam Silver should retire Russell’s number 6 jersey league-wide.

The NBA does not currently have a number that is retired across the league. The closest parallel would be Jackie Robinson’s number 42, which is retired for all teams in Major League Baseball. The gesture would be fitting to commemorate a career that covered the horizon of the NBA world and went far beyond the court. Russell is as instrumental to the success of the NBA as any other person, it would only be fair that his number hang in the rafters forever.

While it’s common to have superhero movies that are bad, it’s not common for them to be so bad that they don’t even release them (except for that one time). But, as movies are readily available for viewers to stream and even pirate, studios have to pick and chose which movies actually go out into the world, and which ones are shelved for fear of turning into a meme or failed online campaign. The latest movie to get axed is the upcoming Batgirl movie, which will no longer be upcoming.

According to The New York Post, DC’s Batgirl starring Leslie Grace, J.K. Simmons, Michael Keaton, and Brendan Fraser (!!) was initially slated for an HBO Max release later this year, with an option for a theatrical run. But all of that came off the table, reportedly, once test audiences saw the movie. One source said the film was “irredeemable,” which caused HBO to cancel any plans to release it. Specifically, according to The Post, the screenings were “so poorly received by moviegoers that the studio decided to cut its losses and run, for the sake of the brand’s future.” Which sounds bad.

This might turn out to be one of the more expensive movie disasters in history, as the budget was estimated to be close to $100 million due to a wide range of COVID production delays. Filming took place from last November to March of this year, though it seems like it will now live in superhero limbo forever, along with Superman Lives and whatever on Earth is happening to that upcoming Flash film.

(Via The Wrap)

This Friday, Eminem’s highly-anticipated second edition of the Curtain Call greatest hits series will be out. The first Curtain Call album came out in 2005 and featured modern day rap standards in “My Name Is,” “Lose Yourself,” and “The Real Slim Shady.” Now that Em has shared the tracklist for Curtain Call 2, we see that it’s a lot heavier on tracks with guest features, but is ultimately just as bombastic as a whole.

The opening track to Curtain Call 2 is his 2020 collaboration hit with Juice WRLD, “Godzilla.” The tracklist also features prominent collabs like “Walk On Water” with Beyonce, “From The D 2 The LBC” with Snoop Dogg, the Ed Sheeran-featured “River,” “The Monster” with Rihanna, and even a couple cuts from his Bad Meets Evil side project with his Detroit compatriot Royce Da 5’9.” All in all, there are 34 tracks across two discs, including the never before heard “Is This Love (‘09)” featuring 50 Cent.

Check out the complete tracklist for Eminem’s Curtain Call 2 below.

Disc 1

1. “Godzilla” feat. Juice WRLD
2. “Lucky You” feat. Joyner Lucas
3. “Lighters” (Bad Meets Evil feat. Bruno Mars)
4. “Gnat”
5. “Cinderella Man”
6. “Walk On Water” feat. Beyonce
7. “Rap God”
8. “Love The Way You Lie” feat. Rihanna
9. “Won’t Back Down” feat. P!nk
10. “Higher”
11. “Berzerk”
12. “Not Afraid”
13. “From The D 2 The LBC” feat. Snoop Dogg
14. “Nowhere Fast” feat. Kehlani
15. “Fall”
16. “Phenomenal”
17. “Fast Lane” (by Bad Meets Evil)
18. “You’re Never Over”

Disc 2

1. “3 A.M.”
2. “Space Bound”
3. “Beautiful”
4. “The Monster” feat. Rihanna
5. “Venom”
6. “Crack A Bottle” feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
7. “Is This Love (‘09)” feat. 50 Cent
8. “River” feat. Ed Sheeran
9. “Survival”
10. “Best Friend” (Yelawolf feat. Eminem)
11. “Darkness”
12. “Kings Never Die” feat. Gwen Stefani
13. “No Love” feat. Lil Wayne
14. “Headlights”
15. “The King And I” feat. CeeLo Green
16. “Farewell”

Curtain Call 2 is out on 08/05 via Shady Records/Aftermath/Interscope. Pre-order it here.

Barrel proof bourbon whiskey tends to be big and bold. But with that said, “barrel proof” or “cask strength” isn’t a single designation like “bottled in bond” (which has to be 100 proof 50 percent ABV), it can be anything from 40 percent ABV — alcohol by volume — to well over 70 percent ABV (that’s 80 proof to 140 proof and above). It’s simply the proof that the whiskey came out of the barrel (assuming it was then bottled without any cutting with water to lower that proof).

So while “barrel proof” may elicit thoughts of ABV heat bombs that burn out your palate, that’s really not what this style of whiskey is at all. It’s far more nuanced and diverse.

To dive deeper into the variation at play with barrel proof bourbon whiskeys, I’m lining up a dozen new bottles and blind tasting them. I chose bottles that hit in the middle of the barrel proof range — spanning from 52 to 62 percent ABV. For my money, that’s the prime spot as it eliminates the lower-proof selections and the hazmat (70+ percent ABV) bombs from the mix. The bottles below are also generally easy-to-find with a few rare ones thrown in for good measure.

Our lineup today is:

• Kentucky Peerless Double Oak
• Rabbit Hole Nevallier
• William Larue Weller
• Woodford Reserve Batch Proof
• Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon 15-Year
• Larceny Barrel Proof B522
• Stellum Bourbon Equinox Blend #1
• Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey Uncut
• Broken Barrel Cask Strength
• Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength Four Grain
• Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof
• Booker’s 2022-02 “The Lumberyard Batch”

As you read the tasting notes, you’ll see that I’m looking for a balance between that barrel strength and a truly nuanced flavor profile. Spoiler alert, it turned out to be a hard task as a lot of these bourbons were stellar — so let’s jump right in.

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 opens with a creamy buttery nature with vanilla, nuts, and a hint of popcorn leading to a twinge of woody chili pepper. The taste is classic with spicy berry compote next to cherry tobacco with a good dose of winter spice, salted caramel sauce, and maybe a whisper of smoked plum. The end touches on woody spices and creamed honey as a hint of cellar floor dirt and menthol tobacco round things out.

What a great place to start. This is delicious.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

There’s a tannic oak note on the nose with a touch of powdery white pepper countered by burnt orange and salty vanilla cream. The palate is bold but not hot as tart dark berries mix with vanilla tobacco leaves, savory fruit, and woody winter spices. The end sweetens with more vanilla as sour cherry and sweet nutmeg blends with soft suede and chewy tobacco.

We’re starting off strong. This is another excellent dram.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is great with deep creamy vanilla next to salted caramel, lush eggnog, and fresh sourdough doughnuts dusted with burnt sugars. The palate leans into a buttery cream-filled doughnut vibe with plenty of dusty cinnamon, chewy cherry tobacco, and smoked apricot jam with a hint of clove and cardamon. The end takes its time as that salted caramel returns with a hint of chili-spiced dark chocolate, old cedar bark — though minty tobacco lingers the longest.

These first three pours have been stellar. I don’t even know how anything will beat them from here on out. We’ll see…

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

A whisper of old grains and chocolate powder mingle on the nose with creamy vanilla ice cream cut with winter spices (especially allspice and cola berries) as a touch of dry orchard fruit sneaks in late. The palate marries the dried fruit with the spices as an apple tobacco vibe arrives and counters a very creamy vanilla feel with a dash more of those chocolate malts. The end leans into the chocolate malts as sour spiced red wine with a sweet edge leads to soft and worn leather.

This was slightly grainy but in a nice way, thanks to that chocolate feel. It’s definitely not top tier like the last few pours but very good.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This feels like a Tennessee whiskey immediately with a grainy nose leading to a cherry multivitamin that eventually gives way to pear, toffee, and some salted pasta water(?). The palate leans into the cherry while layering in tart red berries, more chalky vitamins, dark winter spices, and wet brown sugar with a hint of Earl Grey tea lurking in the background. The end has a hint of bitterness thanks to that tea that leads to soft cedar and dry cherry tobacco.

This was nice but felt a little out of place with that huge Tennessee note on the nose and palate.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in a mix of tart berries and savory melon next to classic bourbon notes — think rich caramel, leather, vanilla, and some pancake batter. The taste has a hint of that high proof with soft buzzing on the senses that gives way to a moist Christmas cake full of dark spices, candied fruits and citrus, and nuts with a good dose of oily vanilla. The end is lush but warm with a mix of old wicker porch furniture and cherry tobacco with a good level of spice to it.

This was a pretty easy drinker with a spicy/hot end. Overall, good but I don’t think it’s quite as top-tier as the first few.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Fresh chili peppers greet you with a sense of soft malted grains, old leather gloves, dried braids for sweetgrass, and a flourish of creamy toffee underneath it all. The palate leans into leathery stone fruit with fresh and floral honey, sharp woody cinnamon, burnt orange rinds, and bright clove berries. The end created an orange creamed pudding with a hint of green tea, black dirt, chocolate-covered espresso beans, and old oak staves from a cellar.

We’re right back in the great territory with this pour. This is going to rank high.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose is pretty rote with caramel leading to vanilla, a hint of oak, and some maple syrup over pancakes. The taste leans into winter spices with an eggnog vibe while vanilla tobacco leaves hint at cedar. The end is spicy and warm with a Red Hot vibe and a hint of old wicker.

This was fine but kind of one-note in that it was “bourbon” but didn’t really take me anywhere.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

A light sense of old firewood leads to dark chocolate, vanilla pods, white sugar, and a hint of orange rind. The palate layers in dried red berries with a grainy oatmeal cookie feel with plenty of cinnamon, walnuts, and raisins. The cookie vibe lingers through the end as an eggnog creaminess leads back to the dark chocolate.

This was fine overall. Again, it didn’t jump out at me but was perfectly okay.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is easy with a balance of mulled wine spices and sourness next to wet cornmeal, brown sugar, and a twinge of cedar. The palate is rich with brandy-soaked sour cherries touched by salt with buttery chocolate sauce, stewed plums, and plenty of winter spice. The end leans into rich toffee with hints of dry wicker next to sour cherry tobacco and chili-infused chocolate bars.

This is another really nice whiskey that didn’t quite blow up on this panel. It’s really good and nuanced but didn’t “wow!” me.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is steely and savory to the point of almost hitting cucumber in the melon category with a whisper of dark chocolate and maybe some leather sneaking in. The palate was super grainy with a wet feel to it as soggy apple pie mingles with cinnamon and nutmeg and more of that steeliness. The end is largely the same with hints of mint, tobacco, and leather overpowered by wet grains and savory melon.

I wrote “Nope.” in my notes. I think you know where this one land in that case.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a rush of dry nutshells next to old cellar beams, soft old boot leather, salted caramel sauce, sweet black cherries, and dry tobacco leaves and cedar bark braided together. The palate has a creamy and lush vanilla underbelly that supports a hint of chocolate chip cookie next to fresh broom bristles, caramel apple from the state fair, and a whisper of freshly cracked black peppercorn with a dash of dried ancho underneath it all. The end is all about salted peanuts covered in dark yet creamy chocolate with beautiful lush vanilla tobacco chewiness wrapped in that old leather and cedar.

Well, that’s an ending! This was spectacular!

Part 2: The Ranking

12. Samuel Maverick Barrel Proof — Taste 11

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This Texas craft whiskey is made from 72 percent Texas-grown corn, 18 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. That spirit ages for two short years before it’s bottled at barrel proof without any fussing.

Bottom Line:

Well, that makes sense, this being two years old and still very steely and grainy. There was potential here but it needs a few years to find it. For now, this is a hard pass.

11. Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey Uncut — Taste 8

ABV: 60.75%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

This sourced whiskey comes from Kentucky. The juice is a blend of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and nine percent malted barley whiskey that’s aged for up to four years before bottling as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is fine. It faltered on this panel since it was standard and not mind-blowing. I can see using this for cocktails going forward.

10. Broken Barrel Cask Strength — Taste 9

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $43

The Whiskey:

This whiskey, from Owensboro Distilling Co., is all about the finish. The whiskey is finished in casks with staves from ex-bourbon, sherry, and French oak barrels. Once that whiskey hits the right point, it’s vatted and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

I kind of liked the woodiness on this since it was more sweet than tannic or overly dry. Still, this felt like something you build a cocktail on more than anything else.

9. Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon 15-Year — Taste 5

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $270

The Whiskey:

Barrell Craft Spirits is another craft blendery that’s sourcing some of the best barrels in the game and expertly marrying those barrels. This expression blends 15-year-old bourbon from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennesse into a final product that reaches new heights for blended bourbon.

Bottom Line:

Okay, we’re at ninth place and we’re already into the really good stuff. Seriously, this is where this ranking got hard until the top three or four. This whole section is stellar whiskey with nuance but I couldn’t have a five-way tie either so these are ranked by splitting hairs.

8. Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength Four Grain — Taste 10

ABV: 57%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Penelope really helps solidify the brand as a powerhouse in blending. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbon mash bills (one is 21 percent rye, another 90 percent corn, and a 45 percent wheated bourbon — all from MGP), which create a four-grain (corn, wheat, rye, and barley) bourbon. All of this is to say that this is a masterful blend of four to five-year-old barrels into something bigger than the individual parts.

Bottom Line:

This is a really solid sip that’s killer in a cocktail (try it in your next Manhattan).

7. Larceny Barrel Proof B522 — Taste 6

ABV: 61.9%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

The second batch of Larceny Barrel Proof of 2022 is batched from barrels of Heaven Hill’s iconic wheated bourbon (68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley). Those barrels are chosen for their specific flavor profile and blended as-is and bottled at barrel proof.

Bottom Line:

This has the perfect mix of fresh, funky, and classic. It’s also really easy to drink for a barrel proof on the higher end. Still, you might want to pour it over a rock if you’re not used to the big ABVs.

6. Woodford Reserve Batch Proof — Taste 4

ABV: 59.2%

Average Price: $299

The Whiskey:

This year’s new Batch Proof from Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection leans into high ABVs straight from the barrel. The whiskey is hewn from a few barrels that worked wonders at their barrel proof. Those barrels were batched and then bottled at the ABVs they evened out to meet.

Bottom Line:

This is just nice all around. In this test, that places it in the middle.

5. Rabbit Hole Nevallier — Taste 2

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $895

The Whiskey:

The latest Founder’s Collection from Rabbit Hole is a pricey masterpiece. The juice in the bottle is made from a few hand-selected barrels of 15-year-old bourbon that was then finished in new French oak before bottling as-is in only 1,155 bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is interesting in that it’s tannic but not overly so. It’s also super subtle with it comes to ABVs. There are no rough edges and it goes down very easily.

4. Stellum Bourbon Equinox Blend #1 — Taste 7

ABV: 58.63%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This expression is made from instant-classic Stellum Bourbon barrels. The ripple here is that the blend of this bourbon was created from specific rare barrels used for Stelllum that were blended until the exact moment of the vernal equinox. That whiskey was then bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

I really like this whiskey. This is a big contender for the best of 2022 already, and where this list hits the big time with amazing whiskeys.

3. Kentucky Peerless Double Oak — Taste 1

ABV: 53.55%

Average Price: $134

The Whiskey:

The whiskey is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another barrel that lets the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as is.

Bottom Line:

I never get tired of this pour. It’s fresh yet classic with a real depth that’s never too hot. This is the epitome of balance in the glass.

2. William Larue Weller — Taste 3

ABV: 62.65%

Average Price: $2,692

The Whiskey:

Distilled back in the fall of 2009, this barrel-strength bourbon skips the Minnesota rye and instead uses North Dakota wheat with that NoDak barley and Kentucky corn. The juice spent 12-and-a-half years mellowing in warehouses C, D, K, L, and Q on floors one through three. While maturing, 64 percent of the whiskey was lost to the angels before it was small-batched and bottled as is.

Bottom Line:

Damn! I would have bet real money on me picking this as my number one. I love this pour. Yet while this is delicious from top to bottom it didn’t excite me quite like the next pour.

1. Booker’s 2022-02 “The Lumberyard Batch” — Taste 12

ABV: 62.4%

Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

The second Booker’s release of 2022 is a masterful blend of barrels from seven locations around Jim Beam’s rickhouses. Those barrels are mostly from the seventh floor of those rickhouses, with one coming from the ninth floor. All of them averaged out to this whiskey being seven years, one month, and seven days old before it was batched and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This truly wowed me today. Was that because it was the last dram after a few mediocre pours? Possibly. But I went back and this still stood out. It’s complex, delicious, fresh, and nostalgic all in one sip.

Incidentally, both this and the Weller above have the same $90-odd MSRP. So there’s a bit of traction to them being so closely ranked in this blind.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

This was a great panel. The dregs were all fine (for the most part) and the majority of the pours were very solid. Overall, the top four whiskeys on this ranking are worth tracking down — even if just as a sipper at your local whiskey bar. I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a bottle either if you can find them at MSRP though. Definitely grab the latest Booker’s — it’s a damn fine pour of bourbon whiskey.

As training camps begin around the NFL, the 2022 season starts to shift into focus. In the NFC South, there is a runaway favorite to win the division in the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers, but every team is dealing with some serious turnover.

The Bucs and Saints have new head coaches, with Todd Bowles and Dennis Allen each being promoted internally after Bruce Arians and Sean Payton stepped down. The Falcons and Panthers don’t have new head coaches (at least not yet), but both have quarterback questions and, just generally, face uncertainty in the immediate as they try to figure out the long-term direction of their franchises. Here, we’re going to take a look at the biggest question facing each team in the NFC South and how that will determine how successful each team is this season — with the understanding that they aren’t all chasing the same goals.

Atlanta Falcons: Is Desmond Ridder “the guy”?

The Falcons are going to start the season with Marcus Mariota under center after trading Matt Ryan to the Colts, but for a team that won’t be favored in more than one or two games this season, Atlanta’s firmly in the “planning for the future” category of NFL teams. As such, at some point they are going to put third-round draft pick Desmond Ridder out there to figure out if he’s even a possible future starter, or if their focus next offseason is going to be on bringing in someone else to be the franchise QB. The Falcons have plenty of things to figure out with their roster going forward and this season will be more about evaluation than anything else, but it’s hard to go anywhere in the league if you don’t have the QB situation figured out, and when you take one in the third round you have at least a lingering hope he might develop into “the guy.” Atlanta will want to see if that’s the case at some point this year.

Carolina Panthers: Do they finally have a QB to build around?

The Panthers have been in the wilderness for a few years with their quarterback situation. Last year they traded three picks (a sixth rounder, second rounder, and fourth rounder) for Sam Darnold, which didn’t pan out as they hoped, and so this offseason they shipped a fifth rounder to Cleveland for another former first round pick, Baker Mayfield. As mentioned above, you don’t go very far as a franchise without a franchise QB, and they’ve now invested four draft picks in two reclamation projects, hoping one of them will work out. They have, by far, the most interesting quarterback battle and one would anticipate based on how the two have played when healthy in their careers that Mayfield is the favorite to win the job. Still, he’s trying to prove himself as a guy you want running your team, with some incredible highs but painful lows throughout his career as a starter. If he can find that consistent level, maybe Carolina got a steal (after an overpay on Darnold), but if he doesn’t pan out they’ll have to go back to the drawing board on a lot of things — with Matt Rhule entering this season on the hot seat as well.

New Orleans Saints: What does the offense look like without Sean Payton calling plays?

The Saints are the team I can see the widest variance of potential outcomes this season. They have a truly elite defense returning (which is why Dennis Allen got promoted from DC to head coach), but have plenty of questions on offense. Jameis Winston is back under center and looked pretty good last year before his season-ending injury. Michael Thomas is also set to be back, alongside a star rookie receiver in Chris Olave out of Ohio State to give Jameis some real weapons on the outside. Alvin Kamara is facing battery charges in Las Vegas and it’s unclear if he’ll miss any time stemming from that, but if he’s available, you can see the potential in New Orleans. However, Sean Payton was always in control of his offense and although longtime OC Pete Carmichael is staying around to provide some continuity, he’s never been the one calling the plays. There’s a chance this offense could be good if the line holds up and Winston returns to the form he showed early last year, but there’s a lot of moving parts and uncertainty about how exactly all of it will look. If anyone’s going to threaten the Bucs’ superiority in the division, it’ll require a leap forward from this offense to help out what was a top-5 defense last year in the NFL.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: How does the OL hold up without Ryan Jensen?

The Bucs are the heavy favorites in the division for good reason now that Tom Brady is back, and even with Bruce Arians leaving, you have to believe that Todd Bowles and Byron Leftwich (and Brady) will keep things humming along. However, while I have fewer concerns about the Bucs offense transitioning away from an influential head coach than the Saints, the training camp injury to center Ryan Jensen is a real worry. Jensen was beloved by Brady and Tampa is now having to almost completely rework the interior of its offensive line from last year (as last year’s starting guards Ali Marpet and Alex Cappa are both gone). They still have a stud at left tackle in Tristan Wirfs, but Brady isn’t the most fleet of foot anymore and likes to stride forward in the pocket, meaning any uncertainty from guard to guard provides some reason to be uneasy. It might not be catastrophic in the regular season, as Brady’s as good as there is at getting rid of the ball quickly and matriculating the ball down the field on short passes, but in the postseason the best defenses will sit on that and dare the Bucs to push the ball down the field, which is harder to do if you can’t protect as well up the middle.

When you work with Kanye West, you have to take the bad with the good. Sure, the mercurial producer’s co-sign brings with it a legion of loyal (perhaps even lemming-like) fans who would spend a week’s lunch money on one of the man’s toenail clippings, but those guaranteed profits come with the probability that, at some point, you’re going to get on his bad side and wind up on the receiving end of one of his occasional reactionary rants.

Adidas has learned as much the hard way after Kanye accused the company of ripping off his Yeezy slide design for the Adilette 22 slides on Instagram (the post in question has since been deleted). Now, Adidas has apparently incurred his wrath yet again with its Yeezy Day promotion which is celebrated annually on August 2. This time, though, Kanye directed his comments to the Complex Instagram profile‘s DMs, accusing the company of greenlighting the unofficial holiday without his approval, in addition to bypassing him on colorways, employee hires, and re-issuing older Yeezy styles. He also accused Adidas of sabotaging his partnerships with Gap and Balenciaga. You can see his full statement below.

It should be noted that Kanye had similar complaints about Nike, and has an established history of … well, not reading his contracts thoroughly to know what rights and controls he actually has. He’s also been known to change his mind at the drop of a hat and he’s got a lot of plates spinning, so any company working with him probably isn’t exactly waiting on tenterhooks for his every dictate with deadlines to hit — something he’s also kind of notoriously bad at keeping up with.