WARNING: Spoilers for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness below even though everybody pretty much knows about this one. But just in case!
Director Sam Raimi has opened up about how John Krasinski appeared in a cleverly-guarded cameo for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. After years of fan-casting, Krasinski finally made his Marvel debut as Reed Richards, genius patriarch of the classic comic book team, the Fantastic Four. It was a pretty surprising moment considering there’s no shortage of MCU spoilers and leaks online, and Raimi fully credits Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige for pulling the whole thing off.
In Multiverse of Madness‘ official audio commentary, Raimi revealed how exactly Krasinski was cast as the leader of the Fantastic Four. “It’s so funny that [Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige] cast John because the fans had a dream of who the perfect Reed Richards would be.” However, the director added, “And because this is an alternate universe, I think Kevin said, ‘Let’s make that dream come true.’ I’ve always really enjoyed all of his performances.’”
Of course, the big question is whether this means Krasinski will star in the MCU’s version of the Fantastic Four, a film that was initially announced, for Phase 4 but is now missing a director after Jon Watts exited the project.
Raimi’s wording seems to suggest that this version of Richards is merely an “alternate universe” version of the character from Earth-838. Granted, Raimi could have careful instructions from Marvel to keep Krasinski’s casting status ambiguous, but there is a good chance his Doctor Strange cameo is a one and done. The multiverse angle definitely provides more than enough wiggle room to go another direction. (William Jackson Parker. That other direction should be William Jackson Parker. Do it, Marvel.)
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is currently streaming on Disney+.
His latest foray into the world of tacky slogan t-shirts worn by white nationalists cosplaying as American patriots has given us this gem, a seven-minute-long clip of sad dolts who refuse to accept reality when confronted with proof that Trump and his team knew their claims of voter fraud weren’t true. Klepper traveled to a Trump rally in Mississippi where the twice-impeached president was giving a speech to, we don’t know, hear himself talk? Before he could lure people in, Klepper caught them outside where the event was being held, showing them footage of people like former Attorney General Bill Barr and Ivanka Trump who have gone on record, admitting they accepted that Trump lost the 2020 Presidential Election fair and square.
“I told him that the stuff that his people were shoveling out to the public was bullsh*t,” Barr said in the clip Klepper showed to Trump supporters. He followed that up with a video of Ivanka’s testimony in which she admitted, “I respected Attorney General Barr. So I accepted what he was saying.”
Despite physical evidence presented to them in real-time, the people Klepper talked to were able to perform some magnificent feats of “mental gymnastics” in order to ignore the truth about their beloved Big Lie. One Trump supporter claimed Barr had “turned on” Trump and been paid to do it. By who, we’re not sure. Another claimed the video of Ivanka didn’t look like her, suggesting the clip had been doctored.
“It doesn’t even look like her, it might not be her, what do they have now? Clones these days? It might be a clone, yeah,” the man laughingly answered.
Klepper then responded, “That is a hot take, my friend. It is almost like you are confronted with it and your brain just does somersaults to figure out there must be some other reason.”
Still, some had no clue what happened on Jan. 6th. Two young women first believed the date marked the actual day of the presidential election. When Klepper explained it was the day a mob of people attacked the Capitol, they looked painfully confused. And yet, we’re sure everyone interviewed still traveled inside to hear Trump drone on about what a big loser he is.
One of the many upcoming spinoff movies revolving around early 2000’s franchises is the Hunger Games prequel based on the novel by Suzanne Collins, The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes. If you need a refresher, here you go: the Hunger Games series was a post-Harry Potter dystopian YA series that released its final installment in 2015.
The Ballad Of Songbirds And Snakes is the very polarizing prequel that follows the main villain, President Snow, nearly 50 years earlier, as he mentors a young tribute in the games. Older President Snow is portrayed by notorious villain Donald Sutherland.
While filming is underway for the upcoming installment, which is slated for a 2023 release, Jason Schwartzman has just been added to the ever-growing cast, according to The Wrap.
Schwartzman is playing the role of Lucretius “Lucky” Flickerman, the host of the 10th Hunger Games and ancestor to the vibrant Caesar Flickerman, originally played by Stanley Tucci in the Hunger Games films. Lucky is likely a grandfather to Caesar, which will make him similarly quirky and slightly horrifying. A perfect origin story!
Schwartzman will act alongside Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Hunter Schafer, and Josh Andres Rivera. The original series helped launch the career of Jennifer Lawrence, and also starred a slew of iconic actors like Woody Harelson, Lenny Kravtiz, and Elizabeth Banks. Plus, the series brought archery back into the mainstream, so there’s always that.
So it turns out that at the moment, the climate could be doing better. There are some people out there trying to do something about that, including the folks at Climate Control Projects and Brian Eno’s EarthPercent with their latest endeavor: the first-ever The Big Climate Thing festival.
The inaugural event, intended to raise awareness and take action about the climate crisis, is set to go down at New York’s Forest Hills Stadium from July 16 to 18 and the lineup features The Roots, Haim, Khruangbin, The Flaming Lips, Gary Clark Jr., Courtney Barnett, Sheryl Crow, The Weather Station, Sunflower Bean, Bonny Light Horseman, Guster, Pom Pom Squad, and others.
— TheBigClimateThing (@bigclimatething) June 27, 2022
The Weather Station’s Tamara Lindeman told Rolling Stone, “I think music, along with all the cultural industries, have spent way too long sitting back on this issue. I believe music plays a primarily emotional role in people’s lives, and as such I think it has huge potential in pushing us to recognize our tangled emotions around this topic. When I imagine a stadium full of people coming together for a climate event centered on music, what I imagine is an enormous opportunity to feel a solidarity that has been so missing here. I truly hope that an enormous in-person event can have some power to bring people together and create some common experience around climate, and push those in attendance to examine their climate feelings and push through them enough to act.”
Sunflower Bean’s Julia Cumming also notes, “I believe that music is one of the most powerful communication tools we have on this planet, way deeper than just words could ever express. Music has to power to influence people’s decisions by touching their hearts and relating to them on the human condition. We are all facing the same problem: this is all our home and it happens to be on fire. If we can figure out how to properly utilize music in this era of the climate crisis, I know more good could be done.”
Going viral is more Elon Musk’s actual job than running Tesla or SpaceX these days, as the billionaire’s attempt to buy Twitter and troll folks has been more newsworthy than anything those companies he actually owns are actually putting on the market. But one of his actual business decisions has apparently not gone very well.
Earlier in the month, Musk mandated that all employees of Tesla must work from the office, undoing any work from home efforts that were put in place at the start of the still-ongoing coronavirus pandemic. That news sparked outrage from some who have found working from home a flexible solution to the everyday rigors of employment. It’s not for everyone, mind you, but making it for no one felt a bit draconian.
And according to a report in The Information, the mandate was entirely premature considering what it actually meant for employees who have been brought back into the office. As The Verge highlighted, Musk threatened to fire employees who did not primarily come into an office to work. But the Tesla offices have been overrun with people trying to not get fired, to the point where the company has run out of desks for its employees.
Current employees at Tesla told The Information that those who drove to work at the Fremont factory struggled to find a place to park. Some reportedly opted to park their cars at the nearby BART station instead and then get shuttled to work by Tesla.
Inside the office, The Information reports some workers didn’t even have a place to sit. The company reportedly decided to repurpose certain areas of the office during the pandemic and also didn’t account for a larger team. According to The Information, the desk situation was so bad that managers told some employees to work from home anyway. Even if employees could sit down, the Wi-Fi signal was too weak for them to work.
As the story noted, Musk did apparently soften his in-office demands to allow room for “exceptional” employees to stay home. But it seems only the exceptionally early will actually have anywhere to sit at Tesla until they order some more desks and chairs.
Over the past year or so, it’s become something of a trend for artists — especially rappers — to not only use the popular YouTube series A COLOR Show to expand their fanbase with hard-hitting performances but to also debut brand-new singles on the show as well. Previously, rising rappers like Flo Milli, Joey Badass, Guapdad 4000, and D Smoke have all premiered new music on the show, and this week’s guest continues the tradition. This time, it’s Top Dawg Entertainment rapper Reason dropping in to introduce his latest single, “Barely Miss,” going for a fuschia and tan aesthetic as he gets his whole body involved.
“Barely Miss” is the second new single from Reason this month after he teamed up with labelmate Jay Rock to drop the humble “Is What It Is.” Prior to that, Reason hijacked the beat from Jack Harlow’s Drake collaboration “Churchill Downs” for his own “Churchill Downs Freestyle” aimed at letting latecomers know that TDE is in good hands with its current generation of burgeoning rap stars. Reason’s recent activity seems to suggest an impending follow-up to his October 2021 EP No More No Less, which contained features from Adé, Benny the Butcher, Doe Boy, Isaiah Rashad, and Wale.
You can watch Reason’s A COLORS Show performance of “Barely Miss” above.
New York City’s toothiest former-mayor was the victim of an assault. Or more accurately: The Masked Singer contestant Rudy Giuliani was lightly slapped on the back in a Staten Island grocery store by an employee who allegedly called him a “scumbag.”
Giuliani compared the incident, which resulted in the ShopRite worker being arrested and charged with second-degree assault involving a person over age 65 (he’s also been “suspended pending termination”), to “if a boulder hit me. It knocked me forward a step or two. It didn’t knock me down, but it hurt tremendously.” He also said that it felt like a gunshot and that he could have “hit the ground, cracked my skull, and died.”
Giuliani appeared on Monday’s episode of Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, where he fumed about Fox News not covering what happened. (The “fascist” news network reportedly banned him last year.) “One of the only two living ex-mayors in New York, and probably, I’d say the most famous, was assaulted,” he said. “It’s note even on Fox. And, uh, even if I were, even if Putin got assaulted, it would be on Fox.” Good point, Rudy: yes, I think Fox News would cover the president of Russia getting (barely) slapped in public over the guy who got duped by Borat and shaves in public after eating soup.
You can watch the clip below:
Rudy Giuliani is all worked up because Fox News is not covering his “assault” over the weekend:
The world may be on fire but don’t worry, HBO Max has released its streaming lineup for July, and there are plenty of shows and movies that should help you disassociate from reality.
We’re talking about more teen murder mystery with a new Pretty Little Liars series, some cartoon comedy courtesy of Bob’s Burgers, another Issa Rae-helmed show about Black female friendship, and more. For the sake of your mental health, just turn off the news and tune into a streaming service this month … preferably this one.
Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and HBO Max this July.
Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (HBO Max series premiering 7/28)
Based in the same universe as the original series, this new teen murder mystery introduces fans to a different town filled with the same serial-stalking horrors that plagued the OG PLL crew. A group of disparate teens in a small blue-collar town are plagued by another murdering psychopath with a flair for the dramatics and they soon suspect they’re being targeted thanks to the sins committed by their parents two decades earlier. If you missed the wild twists and turns of the Freeform series but want a bit more horror thrown in, this one might be for you.
Bob’s Burgers Movie (movie streaming 7/12)
The Belchers are back and dealing with a whole new catastrophe that threatens their burger business in this feature film. A ruptured water line and an inconvenient sinkhole pop up just as summer begins, forcing the family to get creative in order to keep their customers. Meanwhile, the kids are off on a mystery-solving mission that could determine the fate of the restaurant.
Rap Sh*t (HBO Max series premiering 7/21)
Insecure creator Issa Rae is behind this new comedy series that follows two estranged friends in Miami who try to start their own rap group. As the two women struggle to create their brand, they’ll have to fix their own issues with each other to make their music careers work.
Here’s everything coming to HBO and HBO Max this July:
Avail. 7/1 A Kind of Murder, 2016 (HBO) A Simple Plan, 1998 (HBO) Act of Valor, 2012 (HBO) Angels in the Outfield, 1951 Arbitrage, 2012 (HBO) Backstabbing for Beginners, 2018 (HBO) Baggage Claim, 2013 (HBO) Blanes Esquina Muller (AKA Blanes St and Muller), 2020 (HBO) Bringing Out the Dead, 1999 (HBO) Catch a Fire, 2006 (HBO) Code of Silence, 1985 (HBO) Confidence, 2003 (HBO) David Copperfield, 1935 Doctor Who: Eve of Daleks, Special Frank Miller’s Sin City, 2005 (HBO) (Unrated Version) Godzilla, 1998 Goodbye, Mr. Chips, 1969 Hollow Man, 2000 (HBO) (Director’s Cut) How to Screw It All Up (AKA Cómo mandarlo todo a la mierda), Max Original Season 1 Premiere I Spy, 2002 Indecent Proposal, 1993 (HBO) Julia, 2009 (HBO) La Ciudad De Las Fieras (AKA City of Wild Beasts), 2021 (HBO) Last Night in Soho, 2021 (HBO) Lisztomania, 1975 Lone Survivor, 2013 (HBO) Lord of War, 2005 (HBO) Losing Isaiah, 1995 (HBO) Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter, 1968 Mrs. Winterbourne, 1996 One for the Money, 2012 (HBO) Overboard, 1987 (HBO) Pawn Sacrifice, 2014 (HBO) Postcards From the Edge (1990) Rio 2, 2014 (HBO) Running Scared, 1986 (HBO) Safe, 2012 (HBO) She’s Having a Baby., 1988 (HBO) Sleepers, 1996 (HBO) Sleepless in Seattle, 1993 Snow Day, 2000 (HBO) Spy Kids, 2001 Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, 2002 Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, 2003 Suite Francaise, 2014 (HBO) That Awkward Moment, 2014 (HBO) The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer, 1947 The Con is On, 2018 (HBO) The Counselor, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version) The Great American Pastime, 1956 The Heat, 2013 (HBO) (Extended Version) The Impossible, 2012 (HBO) The Legends of Zorro, 2005 The Other Woman, 2014 (HBO) The Plot Thickens, Season 3 Premiere The Raid 2, 2014 The Satanic Rites of Dracula, 1974 The World’s End, 2013 (HBO) This is Elvis, 1981 Thoroughbreds, 2017 (HBO) Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, 2012 Warrior, 2011 (HBO) What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, 1993 (HBO)
Avail. 7/2 Before Midnight, 2013 Sidewalk Stories, 1989
Avail. 7/7 Miss S, Max Original Season 1 Premiere The Visitors, Max Original Season 1 Premiere
Avail. 7/9 Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015
Avail. 7/10 The Anarchists, Limited Documentary Series Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/11 Tuca & Bertie, Season 3 Premiere
Avail. 7/12 Craig of the Creek, Season 4C Premiere Edge of the Earth, Sports Documentary Series Premiere (HBO) The Bob’s Burgers Movie, 2022 (HBO)
Avail. 7/14 FBoy Island, Max Original Season 2 Premiere Vote for Juan (Vota Juan), Season 1 Vote for Juan (Vamos Juan), Season 2 Vote for Juan (Venga Juan), Max Original Season 3 Premiere
Avail. 7/15 Kung Fu, Season 2 Premiere The Rehearsal, Comedy Series Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/16 Godzilla, 2014 (HBO)
Avail. 7/17 Rat in the Kitchen, Season 1 Premiere
Avail. 7/19 We Baby Bears, Season 1D Premiere
Avail. 7/21 Almost Fly, Max Original Season 1 Premiere Pacto Brutal – O Assassinato de Daniella Perex, Max Original Documentary Series Rap Sh!t, Max Original Season 1 Premiere The Last Movie Stars, Max Original 6-Part Documentary Premiere
Avail. 7/23 Walker, Season 2 Premiere
Avail. 7/26 Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 1A Premiere
Avail. 7/27 We Met in Virtual Reality, Original Documentary Premiere (HBO)
Avail. 7/28 Citizen Ashe, Max Original Premiere Love Monster, Max Original Season 3 Premiere Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, Max Original Season 1 Premiere Wellington Paranormal, Season 4 Premiere
Avail. 7/29 Superman & Lois, Season 2 Premiere The Milestone Generation, 2022
Here’s everything leaving HBO and HBO Max in July:
Leaving 7/9 Horrible Bosses 2, 2014 The New Mutants, 2020 (HBO)
Leaving 7/11 Black Mass, 2015
Leaving 7/13 Blue Exorcist (Subtitled), 2016
Leaving 7/23 Human Capital, 2020 (HBO)
Leaving 7/26 The Accountant, 2016 This Is Life with Lisa Ling, 2014
Leaving 7/31 2:22, 2017 (HBO) 10, 1979 300, 2006 A Bridge Too Far, 1977 (HBO) American Gigolo, 1980 (HBO) Austin Powers in Goldmember, 2002 Baby Boom, 1987 (HBO) Bad Milo!, 2013 (HBO) Bad Words, 2014 (HBO) Bells Are Ringing, 1960 Black Gold, 1947 Blinded by the Light, 2019 Blue Streak, 1999 Boys’ Night Out, 1962 Brewster McCloud, 1970 Bridget Jones’s Baby, 2016 Bridget Jones’s Diary, 2001 Broken English, 2007 (HBO) Camelot, 1967 Captains Courageous, 1937 Carefree, 1938 Casa de mi Padre, 2012 (HBO) Changeling, 2008 (HBO) Children of the Damned, 1964 City of Ghosts, 2013 (HBO) Collateral, 2004 (HBO) Collide, 2017 (HBO) Company Business, 1991 (HBO) Defending Your Life, 1991 (HBO) Dressed to Kill (HBO)(Extended Version) Employee of the Month, 2006 (HBO) Epic, 2013 (HBO) Fled, 1996 (HBO) Friday the 13th, 2009 Girl Crazy, 1943 Grace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami, 2017 Igor, 2008 (HBO) Illusions, 1982 In the Heat of the Night, 1967 (HBO) Inception, 2010 Jason’s Lyrics, 1994 (HBO) Killer Klowns from Outer Space, 1988 (HBO) Lady in White, 1988 (HBO) Lars and the Real Girl, 2007 (HBO) Laws of Attraction, 2004 (HBO) Lethal Weapon, 1987 Lethal Weapon 2, 1989 Lethal Weapon 3, 1992 Lethal Weapon 4, 1998 Little Shop of Horrors, 1986 Logan’s Run, 1976 Lottery Ticket, 2010 (HBO) Magic Mike XXL, 2015 (HBO) Monsters, 2010 (HBO) Morocco, 1930 Murphy’s Law, 1986 (HBO) My Blue Heaven, 1990 (HBO) My Dream is Yours, 1949 No End in Sight, 2007 (HBO) On Moonlight Bay, 1951 Ondine, 2010 (HBO) Presenting Princess Shaw, 2016 (HBO) Private Parts, 1997 (HBO) PT 109, 1963 Queen Christina, 1933 Rob Roy, 1995 (HBO) Romance on the High Seas, 1948 Rush, 1991 (HBO) Rush Hour 3, 2007 Salt, 2010 Santa’s Slay, 2005 (HBO) Seneca, 2019 (HBO) Sense and Sensibility, 1995 Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 1954 Shaft, 1971 Shall We Dance, 1937 She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, 1949 Show Boat, 1936 Sleuth, 2007 (HBO) So This Is Paris, 1926 Special Agent, 1935 Splinter, 2008 (HBO) Stage Fright, 1950 Stepmom, 1998 Summer of ’42, 1971 Supernova, 2000 (HBO) Sweet Bird of Youth, 1962 Take Me Out to the Ball Game, 1949 Tenet, 2020 (HBO) The Accidental Spy, 2001 (HBO) The Asphalt Jungle, 1950 The Barkley of Broadway, 1949 The Big House, 1930 The Birdcage, 1996 (HBO) The Dishwasher, 2019 (HBO) The Exorcism of Emily Rose, 2005 The Great Gatsby, 2013 (HBO) The Green Hornet, 2011 The Haunting, 1963 The Hours, 2002 (HBO) The Hunter, 2012 (HBO) The Letter, 1940 The Life Before Her Eyes, 2008 (HBO) The Omega Man, 1971 The One Below, 2016 (HBO) The Opposite Sex, 1956 The Out-of-Towners, 1999 (HBO) The Personal History of David Copperfield, 2020 (HBO) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, 1948 The Wedding Singer, 1998 The Wings of Eagle, 1957 The Woman, 1939 Uncommon Valor, 1983 (HBO) Unlocked, 2016 (HBO) Victor/Victoria, 1982 What They Had, 2018 (HBO) Wild Wild West, 1999 Winter Meeting, 1948 Without Love, 1945 You’ve Got Mail, 1998 Zathura: A Space Adventure, 2005
With the cat out of the bag that the God of Thunder’s naked butt will not be censored when Thor: Love and Thunder dad rocks into theaters, Chris Hemsworth is opening up about the nude journey he’s been wanting to take since Day One. While attending the Hollywood premiere, the Marvel star says he’s literally been dreaming of giving MCU fans the whole package after going shirtless in 2011’s Thor.
“It was 10 years in the making that scene — kind of a dream of mine,” Hemsworth told Variety. “The first time I played Thor I took my shirt off and I thought, ‘You know what’s gonna sweeten this… a decade from now it’s all gonna come off.’”
Granted, the fourth installment in the Thor series probably doesn’t need any help at the box office, leaning into naked Thor is one way to get mere mortal butts into seats. That’s why director Taika Waititi made it a point to let fans know about “the full Hem’s Worth” while stopping by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert last week. Waititi also played up Hemsworth’s ridiculously jacked physique because, again, how can you lose with this marketing strategy?
“With Chris, he’s worked so hard on that,” Waititi told Colbert after confirming that the censored shot in the trailer wouldn’t be pixelated in the final product. “It’s so many squats! It’d be depriving humanity if I didn’t show that.”
Thor: Love and Thunder will flash those thunder cheeks in theaters on July 8.
We’ve made it to the end of the awards for the famed San Francisco World Spirits Competition, folks. We now know the best of the best Scotch whisky expressions of 2022. Last night, the “best in class” awards were announced in San Francisco at a Gala event (where I was a presenter), and there were actually a few surprises along the way.
For the list of “best in class” Scotch whisky, this is what you need to know. The whiskies below had to be awarded a gold medal from each judge during the first round of double-blind tastings. Then, those judges had to decide whether to send that bottle to “sweeps” where it was double-blind tasted again, and those judges decided whether or not to send it to a “finals” round where it would vie for “best in class” via one last blind tasting.
And here we are. The seven Scotch whiskies below are the ones that actually rose to the top of each of their categories. Moreover, the last entry not only won “best in class” for their category, but it also won “best overall scotch” and “best in show” spirit (or best overall spirit across all categories) — an amazing feat given that over 5,000 expressions were submitted and adjudicated this year.
I’m providing my own tasting notes for most of these (where I can) to give you an idea of whether any of these are worth adding to your own bar cart. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod really hits it out of the park with these blends. This one starts with 32-year-old barrels of both single malt and single grain whiskies. Then all the single malts are blended and re-barreled in an “exhausted” barrel (meaning the barrel has aged its last whisky and would otherwise be repurposed). MacLeod does the same with the grain whiskies. Those grain and malt whiskies are then blended and put into another exhausted barrel for a spell. Finally, those barrels are blended and filled into an ex-Pedro Ximenez sherry barrel for a final maturation.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding full of black-tea-soaked dates, sharp cinnamon, nutmeg, buttery toffee sauce, and vanilla ice cream with hints of orange zest, wicker, and an old leather tobacco pouch. The palate largely delivers on the nose’s profile with meaty dates, figs, and prunes countered by woody spice, dark fruit leather, and a touch of honey barrel staves. The finish is shorter than expected with all that dark and dried fruit leaving you with a sweetened and wintry vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is always a strong contender. It’s one of the most revered blended whiskies in the world and no surprise in a “best in class” category. That said, this is a special bottle that you’re likely only going to break out for big events.
Best of Class Blended Scotch, No Age Statement — Pure Scot Midnight Peat
This is another Scotch whisky that’s blended and bottled for the Australian whisky market. The malt and grain whiskies are blended and then finished in barrels that held spice and peat-forward whiskies. That whisky is then blended, proofed down, and bottled as-is.
“NOSE: Creamy toffee, floral with citrus apples. PALATE: Rich campfire smoke with toffee apples, honey, and custard. FINISH: Medium with spicy, sweet mouthfeel and tingle from the campfire smoke.”
Bottom Line:
This Australian release is an interesting one. I have a bottle on the way and will give my own detailed notes when I review Australian whiskies down the road.
This whisky from the very popular Famous Grouse is a dialed-in expression. The juice in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80 proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background. The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.
Bottom Line:
I like having this one around as a great cocktail base whisky. It also works as a solid on the rock sipper too, especially for the price tag.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, Up to 12 Years — Loch Lomond ‘The Glengarry’ 12
This single malt from the famed Loch Lomond Distillery is all about the aging process. The hot juice is loaded into ex-bourbon, re-fill bourbon, and re-charred oak barrels for 12 long years. Those barrels are then blended and the whisky is proofed down with Highland spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is a mix of white summer flowers and a lot of fruit kind of like a fruit salad out of the can. The palate really amps up the fruitiness with overripe peaches, bruised pears, and plenty of grilled pineapple next to a rummy spiced cocktail vibe with a little bit of vanilla, allspice, and woody cinnamon. The finish keeps it easy with more canned fruit syrup, a hint of sweetgrass, and a bit of malty spice.
Bottom Line:
This one is a little sweet for me, but I get the attraction. Overall, I’d use this for cocktails or highballs.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 13 to 19 Years — Lagavulin 16
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at the famed and beloved Lagavulin Distillery. Finally, the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before being blended and proofed with spring water from a creek just outside the distillery walls.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
Hell yeah, this is a great whisky and a killer peated Islay malt that’s pretty much an icon at this point. Pour this over a rock, sip it neat, or make yourself a Smoky Cokey. No matter what path you choose, you won’t be disappointed!
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, No Age Statement — Glen Scotia Victoriana Cask Strength Single Malt
This Campbelltown whisky is a rarity, like most whiskies from the tiny region. This whisky spends a final 12 months maturing in 30 percent Pedro Ximenez sherry butts and 70 percent heavily charred American oak before bottling truly as-is — no proofing, no filtering, no coloring.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is thick with a lot of savory fruit — figs, summer squash — next to sweet oranges, overripe pineapple, and robust but fresh florals. On the palate, that floral nature takes in a nasturtium vibe with a layer of spice next to a thin line of saltwater taffy wax paper wrappers, rum-soaked cinnamon sticks, and a thin layer of creamy vanilla. The end has a vibe that’s kind of like malt-soaked tropical fruit next to spicy vanilla pudding with a whisper of singed apple bark lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is another classic that’s also going to be a bit hard to find outside of very high-end whisky situations. It’s a quintessential Campbeltown whisky that works wonders neat or on a single rock. It’s approachable, deep, and worth the search to find (especially if you’re into the unique stuff).
Best of Class Independent Merchant Single Malt — GreatDrams Islay Single Cask Single Malt Whisky
This new release from the much-lauded Great Drams — an independent bottler in the UK — is another winner. The Islay whisky in this case was aged in ex-bourbon casks before making its way to the Great Drams blendery where it was bottled as-is.
“Beautifully balanced, classic Islay peated whisky notes as well as lovely soothing vanilla and citrus fruit notes along with cinnamon and warming spice notes too.”
Bottom Line:
Great Drams is always killing it in the bottling space. Their releases are dailed-in and killer barrel picks from across the U.K. that never fails to wow. This is worth tracking down if you’re in the U.K. and bringing home.
Best of Class Distillers’ Single Malt Scotch, 20 Years and Older/Best of Class Overall Scotch/Best in Show Whisk(e)y — Benromach 40
This Speyside distillery is for the whisky nerds out there. This particular release just dropped last summer with only 1,000 total. The whisky in those bottles was produced in 1981 and then spent four decades chilling out in old Oloroso sherry casks before going into the bottle as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This is soft on the nose with flourishes of plum puddings and mince meat pies next to candied ginger, lightly spiced malts, a hint of dark cacao powder, orange zest, and old brown sugar. The palate keeps that subtly as stewed apples with a hint of saffron dance with a dash of grapefruit pith, more orange zest, old maple syrup, and waxy dark cacao nibs freshly picked from a tree. The end has a twinge of tannic old oak stave with dry sweetgrass and cedar bark braids next to a thin line of black-tea-soaked dates and allspice.
Bottom Line:
This is just delicious. I tasted it again only yesterday and it was shockingly soft and lush with a real depth that just keeps on going. There’s always something new to find every time you go back to nose and sip. It’s a hell of a bottle.
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