Category: News

Rochester rapper RXK Nephew brings chaotic energy to a wild performance of his song “C.A.N.D.Y.” for the latest episode of UPROXX Sessions.

A burgeoning underground favorite, Nephew raps with a booming, gripping voice and a crashing, waterfall-esque approach to rhythm. His lines tumble out in a rush, like he can’t wait to get to the next overstuffed bar, packing in as many syllables as he can pronounce and still be legible. He uses much the same approach to his music releases, dropping song after song, tape after tape in what appears to be an effort to become the most prolific rapper not just today, but of all time. His shock raps are reminiscent of ’90s horrorcore, chock-full of off-the-wall references and threats, but fall out of his head in true stream of consciousness form. He’s the perfect rapper for the hyperactive, meme-informed era we live in today.

Watch RXK Nephew’s UPROXX Sessions performance of “C.A.N.D.Y.” above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. It’s another quiet week, a lot of brands and retailers decided to sit this one out — which means Nike has gobbled up almost all the spots on our list. It may not be a good week for fans of sneaker collaborations and special releases, but it’s a great week for Nike heads, as this week brings the festival-friendly Jordan 1 Utility, brand new Dunks, Red October-esque Jordan 9s, and the latest Nike collaboration with Supreme.

As for the other brands, Adidas brought out a new Yeezy but if you’re a classic Adidas fan or ride for New Balances, Reebok, PUMAs, or Fila, there just isn’t a lot out there worthwhile. Here is hoping the tide changes next week. For now, let’s dive in.

Air Jordan 1 Utility

It’s festival season, which means you’re going to need pockets and pouches in unexpected places for… storage. Storage for what you ask? If you don’t know, you don’t know. For those looking for some extra stash pouches, the Air Jordan 1 Utility is here to meet your needs.

Featuring a durable canvas upper with multiple pockets, webbing pulls, and a low-key all-black colorway over a white midsole, the Jordan 1 Utility will have you all geared up while looking fresh.

The Air Jordan 1 Utility is out now for a retail price of $175. It’s unfortunately already sold out at Nike so pick up a pair via your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike Retro GTS Blue and Magma Orange

The Retro GTS is a silhouette that doesn’t get a lot of love in Nike’s roster of amazing silhouettes but this simple skate shoe harkens back to the late ‘90s and is just as stylish as other kicks of that era.

Featuring a Boarder Blue canvas upper over a white midsole with Magma Orange accents, the Retro GTS features an updated insole for enhanced comfort and embroidered logos for a more premium presentation.

The Nike Retro GTS Blue and Magma Orange is out now for a retail price of $65. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Converse x DRKSHDW TurboWPN Clay/Egret

The Weapon is back baby! The court sneaker popularized by Magic Johnson is getting an overhaul this week courtesy of Rick Owens’ DRKSHDW label with the Converse x DRKSHDW TURBOWPN. The sneaker drops in both an Egret and Clay colorway and features an altered and distorted silhouette that pulls the sneaker away from its basketball roots, giving it a sort of punk rock vibe.

It echoes another classic Converse sneaker, the Chuck Taylor, another basketball sneaker that morphed into a punk icon and we suspect Owens was paying homage to that in addition to infusing his own signature aesthetic into the design.

The Converse x DRKSHDW TurboWPN Egret and Clay are out now for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app, Converse, or your favorite aftermarket site.

Nike Dunk Low Fossil Rose

This week Nike is dropping four different Dunks, but we’ve got to give it up for this Fossil Rose take on the silhouette — it stands out as being the best Dunk drop of the week. Featuring nubuck overlays in Nike’s custom Aura and Phantom colors, this Dunk features a simple color block design that looks well balanced across the silhouette.

It’s nothing flashy or particularly special, but it’s another great Dunk colorway from Nike.

The Nike Dunk Low Fossil Rose is set to drop on May 4th for a retail price of $110. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like Flight Club.

Nike Women’s Dunk High White and Pink Prime

I know I just called the Fossil Rose the best Dunk colorway of the week but if you’re not about that low-top design, let us present you with our second-place pick, the Women’s exclusive White and Pink Prime.

Featuring a high-top cut with a padded collar, the White and Pink Prime features a classic Dunk design — bright accents over a white leather base — for those feeling a bit nostalgic for the ‘80s.

The Nike Women’s Dunk High White and Pink Prime is set to drop on May 5th for a retail price of $115. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Nike Air Jordan 9 Chile Red

The Jordan 9 doesn’t have as rabid a fan base as silhouettes like the Jordan I, III, or XI but the Tinker Hatfield-designed sneaker features an interesting design that looks like the perfect transitional piece between the single-digit Jordans and the more luxurious and sleek double digits. This Chile Red rendition of the sneaker is one of the best colorways the design has ever received.

Featuring a quilted stitched upper with a patent leather mudguard and a shiny red midsole, the Chile Red is all flash and flair on one of Air Jordan’s most sleek silhouettes.

Nike Air Jordan 9 Chile Red is set to drop on May 7th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

Nike Air Max 1 Treeline

The Air Max 1 is getting an earthy outdoorsy refresh just in time for your spring hike. Featuring a mixed upper of suede, canvas, and mesh, this Air Max 1 is lightweight and durable with a forest green and brown colorway and Light Bordeaux accents.

The Nike Air Max 1 Treeline is set to drop on May 7th for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Supreme x Nike Zoom Air Flight 95

It’s May and we haven’t gotten very much sneaker output from Supreme, what gives? Supreme heads will be happy to know the slight drought is finally coming to an end this week with the release of the Supreme Nike Zoom Air Flight 95, which is practically dripping with ‘90s nostalgia.

The three sneaker set features an all-over bandana-themed design in light blue, tan, and black, adopting the look of every bandana sold at every gas station in California in the ‘90s. The sneaker features a suede and leather upper with mesh tongues, terry tongue lining, and Supreme branding at the midsole and tongue with a big Swoosh across the toe box.

The Supreme x Nike Zoom Air Flight 95 is set to drop on May 5th for an unannounced price. Pick up a pair exclusively at Supreme.

Adidas Yeezy 450 Sulfur

After a year full of surprises, Yeezy brand has sadly been playing it pretty safe so far in ’22 — dropping a number of re-stocks and unimaginative colorways of the 350 and 700 silhouettes. Those more enamored by Ye’s weirder and more envelope-pushing designs will be happy to know that this week Yeezy Brand is getting weird with a new colorway of the alienesque 450.

Dubbed the Sulfur, this baby barf-colored sneaker features a single-color design across one of the brand’s strangest silhouettes. Yeezy Supply is suggesting you order 1/2 size up from your usual size if you plan on picking up the Sulfur on drop date.

The Adidas Yeezy 450 Sulfur is set to drop on May 7th for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Adidas CONFIRMED app or Yeezy Supply.

Phil Mickelson has had quite the year, starting back in last May when he stunned the golf world by winning the PGA Championship at 50 years old and running to now, when he’s found himself in a pseudo-suspension/self-imposed exile from the PGA Tour over his comments regarding his role in starting the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational series.

Mickelson told Alan Shipnuck of the Fire Pit Collective, who is also writing a biography on Mickelson, that he wanted to disrupt the PGA Tour, calling out the Tour’s greed, with the Saudi golf venture, while also noting how “scary” the people he was getting in bed with were. It was all incredibly Phil, and he’s not been seen at a PGA Tour event since, and his status for defending his PGA title later this month remains in doubt.

While Mickelson attempted to push the idea that he was helping launch the Saudi-backed series to disrupt the PGA Tour and push them to support players more, it was hard to see it as anything more than a cash grab. On Thursday, Shipnuck released another story featuring information excerpted from his book that went into detail on why Mickelson was seemingly in such a hurry to make that grab, noting that the well-known gambler has been piling up losses in the eight-figure a year range.

The massive scale of Mickelson’s gambling losses has never before been made public, but, as noted in the book, during the Billy Walters insider trading investigation, government auditors conducted a forensic examination of Phil’s finances. According to a source with direct access to the documents, Mickelson had gambling losses totaling more than $40 million in the four-year period (2010–14) that was scrutinized. In those prime earning years, his income was estimated to be just north of $40 million a year. That’s an obscene amount of money, but once he paid his taxes (including the California tariffs he publicly railed against), he was left with, what, low-20s? Then he had to cover his plane and mansion(s), plus his agent, caddie, pilots, chef, personal trainer, swing coaches and sundry others. Throw in all the other expenses of a big life—like an actual T. Rex skull for a birthday present—and that leaves, what, $10 million? Per the government audit, that’s roughly how much Mickelson averaged in annual gambling losses. (And we don’t know what we don’t know.) In other words, it’s quite possible he was barely breaking even, or maybe even in the red. And Mickelson’s income dropped considerably during his winless years from 2014 to ’17.

Mickelson’s love of gambling has been well known in golf circles for some time — his practice round cash games are legendary and he thoroughly enjoyed the side-bet element of his involvement in The Match with Tiger Woods. However, it appears Mickelson wasn’t just an extremely rich guy blowing expendable funds, but possibly going into the red with his wagering, and for a golfer no longer raking in cash from tournament winnings (and now facing some lost sponsorships), the guaranteed purse structure of the LIV Golf Invitational series (plus appearance fees) makes sense as to why he’d be jumping at the opportunity and trying to bring people with him.

If the true sign of celebrity is a fancam, then Mattea Roach is an A-lister.

The Jeopardy! champ, who has won a historic 22 games in a row (good for fifth on the all-time list), has seen a “a couple fan cams of my wrist,” she told Vulture. “There’s a lot of queer people specifically who have been fans of the way I move my hands and body. It’s not something I thought about at the time I was taping, but it’s fun to see the support from that community, which I’m a part of.” Here’s the wrist in action:

Roach has proved to be a divisive contestant, which you can see from the top reply to that video: “She is brilliant That said… Never, in all the years I’ve watched jeopardy have I seen someone do this type of commentary. It has me and my wife totally disgusted. Especially the should have parts.” Roach isn’t what many Jeopardy! traditionalists (who probably also complain about the shift in baseball games) are used to, but she’s fine with that. In fact, she’s amused that some people think it’s a deliberate strategy.

“The craziest takes I saw were people speculating if I was doing it to distract the competition. I looked at the other contestants if they got a Daily Double or if they were telling their anecdotes. During the game, I was only looking at the board. Didn’t pay attention to what anyone else was saying other than if someone else responded to a clue incorrectly. The notion of my comments being distracting either to the viewers or the players, I was like, ‘Huh?’ You don’t have time to think about weird mind games. ‘If I say this, will it throw somebody else off?’ I would never want to be deliberately distracting to another player, because it’s so unsportsmanlike. I like to think it didn’t have that impact.”

Roach will attempt to continue her winning streak tonight, May 5.

(Via Vulture)

Amanda Seyfried is on a hot streak thanks to a performance as Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s The Dropout that’s already generated significant buzz for an Emmy win. It’s a role that Seyfried almost turned down, and might have if, as she explained to Variety this week, she didn’t place such a high value on differentiating herself from other stereotypical “blonde roles” she was pushed toward after getting her foot in the door with Mean Girls. So it was nice for Seyfried to hear during a recent interview that she did deliver a performance during the early days of her career that people are still talking about. Namely, Jennifer’s Body.

Seyfried starred in the film alongside Megan Fox, who was riding high from the Transformers films, but the horror-comedy failed to make an impression at the box office. It’s since found a cult following, and Variety writer Caroline Framke told Seyfried that Jennifer’s Body is the film her friends mentioned the most when she said she’d be interviewing the actress:

Oh my God! Honestly, in terms of box office success, we didn’t see that. Whatever. For me, it was always about the experience of making it and being terrified of when it came out, because it felt like it always meant something. It had a cult following, and for good reason. Karyn Kusama is an amazing director. It was a f*cking really badass story about best friends that was hilarious, and dark, and smart. It was unique! Sorry, but I have not ever read another script or seen another movie that feels like “Jennifer’s Body.” It was art. I’m really proud of the job I did, and the fun we had.

It may have taken over a decade for Jennifer’s Body to be fully appreciated, but that doesn’t bother Seyfried at all. “Even if it’s years later, it doesn’t f*cking matter,” she told Variety. “I think it was a great movie, so it feels really good that people are still talking about it. To be a part of anything that’s stayed is cool.”

(Via Variety)

Joy Behar thinks one way to fight the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade reversal is in the bedroom.

The View co-host suggested this week that women across the country should go on a “sex strike” in order to protest a leaked draft opinion that suggests the Supreme Court will overturn the case that protects a woman’s right to choose. As the show’s panel was discussing what the decision might mean for women’s rights and women’s healthcare, Behar gave some historical comparisons for her preferred form of resistance.

“Women in the world have conducted sex strikes in history,” Behar told her co-hosts. “In 2003, a sex strike helped to end Liberia’s brutal civil war, and the woman who started it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2009, Kenyan women enforced a sex ban until police political infighting ceased. Within one week, there was a stable government.”

The audience initially laughed at Behar’s suggestion, but the comedian seemed very serious about removing sex from the equation when it comes to abortion adding, “We have more power than we think we do and some of it could be in the bedroom.” Behar’s fellow co-host Sara Haines supported the move calling it “a perfect weapon and method for the topic we’re talking about.”

The only problem? If women are using sex as currency to negotiate their own bodily autonomy, they’re just reinforcing outdated ideas about women’s subservience and their roles in society. And previously, co-host Whoopi Goldberg warned that men’s bodily autonomy might be on the chopping block next.

“I want us all to have the same rights, the right to decide what is right for yourself,” Goldberg said. “Otherwise, men, this is going to come after you in some weird way too.”

(Via Mediaite)

The world of NFL broadcasting saw a gigantic shake-up over the offseason, as Amazon, ESPN, Fox, and NBC all made huge moves to overhaul their top teams for football games. Perhaps the biggest move came for ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast, which took Joe Buck and Troy Aikman away from Fox and put them on their weekly NFL broadcast.

Getting Buck, in particular, was a gigantic move, as the veteran broadcaster wore a number of hats over the years for Fox beyond the NFL. Reports indicated he’d get the chance to do a handful of other things with ESPN outside of Monday Night Football, and according to Andrew Marchand of the New York Post, Buck’s first full-time appearance on the Worldwide Leader’s airwaves will come during a Manningcast-style program during the PGA Championship.

Buck will lead a “Manningcast” for the PGA Championship later this month, The Post has learned. He will be joined by ESPN golf analyst Michael Collins, who is known as the “ESPN Caddie.”
…

The Buck-cast will be on all four days of the PGA Championship, beginning Thursday, May 19. The first and second round Buck-cast shows will begin on ESPN, while the traditional live golf coverage starts on ESPN+.

Buck has experience calling majors in the past, as he was the lead voice for Fox’s broadcasts when they had television rights for golf. Per Marchand, the expectation is that “A List” guests will join Buck and Collins.

It seems like Taylor Swift is always doing or saying something nice, and based on a story Stephen Colbert recently told, it appears she’s been that way for a long time.

In a web-exclusive video filmed during the taping of last night’s episode of The Late Show, Colbert talks to his bandleader and 2022 Grammys hero Jon Batiste about his experience at the annual Pre-Grammy Gala before offering his own story from years ago. Colbert doesn’t explicitly nail down the timeline but it would seem he’s talking about the 51st Annual Grammy Awards in 2009, given he notes it happened during his first year as a nominee and his first Grammy nod came in 2009 — in Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Story Telling) for I Am America (And So Can You!).

He starts his story by saying, “I’ll love Taylor Swift ’til the day that I die and I would put on armor and follow her into battle.” He notes Swift, at a point in her career when she was “just beginning to be a big deal,” was across the room. His then-14-year-old daughter notices and Colbert saw an in for an introduction, given that Swift has recently sent him a letter with a copy of her then-new album, Speak Now.

So, Colbert and his daughter approached Swift. Colbert continues:

“I just say, ‘Taylor, hi! Stephen Colbert, thanks so much for the album, I really appreciate it. Can I introduce my daughter?’ And Madeline’s wearing this little, you know, sweet, young, teenage, little blue dress, and Taylor of course looks like just… a queen. And she turns around, she goes, ‘Oh! pretty girl,’ and comes and puts her arms around her and goes, ‘Oh my god, oh you look amazing!’ And she just praises my daughter for how she looks [for] 30 seconds. ‘I’m so glad you like the music and let me send you…’ and I would jump off a cliff into a pit of spikes for that woman, for how nice she was to my daughter.”

Watch Colbert tell the story above.

Draymond Green flipped off the fans as he exited the court early in the first quarter of Game 2 between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. After the game, to which Green returned and played 32 minutes, he said his actions were in response to them booing him when he took an elbow to the eye and began bleeding. He also said he expected to be fined and was at peace with his actions.

On Thursday, that fine came in the form of $25,000 “for directing an obscene gesture toward spectator stands,” according to the NBA’s press release.

“You’re gonna boo someone who got elbowed in the eye and face running down blood, you should get flipped off,” Green said. “So, I’ll take the fine. I’ll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip them off.

“I could’ve had a concussion,” Green continued. “If they’re gonna be that nasty, I can be nasty too.”

Memphis ultimately won Game 2 to tie the series at one game each. The Warriors and Grizzlies will kick off Game 3 on Saturday evening. Both sides will be missing key rotation players — Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game for his flagrant 2 foul on Gary Payton II, who suffered an elbow injury and will, at a minimum, miss the rest of this series.

Everyone should have a classic bourbon on their bar cart. When I say “classic,” I mean something that’s recognizable even by novices, that has a history that matters to the modern bourbon industry, and is maybe not widely available anymore. Name recognition is pretty important too, but all of that still takes a backseat to what’s actually in the bottle. The most important factor in any classic bourbon is the taste, and tasting classic bourbons blind seemed like a good way to find the best.

Since this blind taste test is about classic bourbon, there are a few things I’ll be looking for specifically: the kinds of flavors that scream “classic bourbon,” with hopefully a little extra to make it stand out from the pack. There should be big notes of vanilla, oak/wood, sweet caramel, and maybe some fruits (cherry, apple, orange) nuts, and florals too. These are, or should be, the kinds whiskeys that tell you from first nose that you’re in Bourbon Country, USA.

For this blind tasting, I’ll be pouring:

• Woodford Reserve Bourbon
• Weller Special Reserve
• Four Roses Small Batch
• Gentleman Jack
• Booker’s 2015-02 “Dot’s Batch”
• Elijah Craig 12

Let’s get tasting and find a winner!

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

• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla comes through first on the nose with a good dose of caramel, soft oak, dark chocolate oranges, red berry tobacco, and the faintest hint of fresh mint. The palate delivers on those notes while layering in a soft toffee and silkiness with more dark chocolate, orange oils, and a cinnamon-forward tobacco leaf. The finish really holds onto the silken texture as the spice, dark chocolate, and vanilla linger the longest with a nice caramel sweetness.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Leather vanilla and apple florals mingle on the nose with a hint of cherrywood, caramel candy, and winter spice. The taste moves between spicy apple pie filling with walnuts, vanilla pancakes, and a hint of maybe a dried cranberry. The mid-palate sweetens with plenty of toffee from a sticky toffee pudding while cherry syrup, dry wicker and vanilla-laced tobacco round out the finish.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Apple and cherry trees with plenty of fruit open the nose alongside a rush of soft leather, cinnamon and nutmeg, and a hint of dried florals with plenty of caramel sauce. That caramel binds with dark red berries as more leather and dried flowers drive the palate towards vanilla pods. The finish is soft and tips between blackberry jam, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla pudding.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is like candy on the nose with cherry coughdrops, banana cream pie with a lard crust and plenty of soft vanilla whipped cream, white cotton candy, apple Jolly Ranchers, nutmeg and clove, and a hint of cedar. The palate layers that cedar with a spicy cherry tobacco with a good dose of dark chocolate powder next to more vanilla, leather, and apple candy. The finish rolls between the leather and spiced cherry tobacco and the super soft and lush vanilla creaminess.

This was great!

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Pow! You can feel high ABVs on the nose with sharp and hot cinnamon spice, anise, cherry root beer, apple crumble, vanilla cookies, and a salted caramel sauce. The palate largely delivers on all of that with a mouth-coating heat that amps the cinnamon up to Red Hots and the vanilla to a smooth creamy sauce with a hint of pepperiness, cherry cough syrup, and vanilla wafers. The end is long, hot, and full of burnt cedar, cherry tobacco, waxy cacao beans, and creamed vanilla honey.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose is a little washed out compared to the last one but there’s still plenty of caramel candy, vanilla pudding, orange/chocolate, and pine panels. The taste balances nuts, apple fritters, vanilla pods, and a touch of leathery cherry tobacco. The end is a little thin with caramel and vanilla playing nicely with leather and wood with a little winter spice, cherrywood, and dark cacao.

Part 2: The Ranking

6. Elijah Craig 12 — Taste 6

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $300

The Whiskey:

This is the discontinued version of Elijah Craig that became the beloved Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It’s standard Heaven Hill mash of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. The juice then spent at least 12 years in the rickhouse before blending, proofing with that soft Kentucky limestone water, and bottling.

How Classic Is It?

This is basically as classic as you can get given the old-school bottle and age statement. However, it was the thinnest on the nose and palate and felt a little too proofed down.

Blind Notes (From Above):

The nose is a little washed out compared to the last one but there’s still plenty of caramel candy, vanilla pudding, orange/chococlate, and pine panels. The taste balances nuts, apple fritters, vanilla pods, and a touch of leathery cherry tobacco. The end is a little thin with caramel and vanilla playing nicely with leather and wood with a little winter spice, cherrywood, and dark cacao.

Bottom Line:

I wouldn’t turn this away if someone poured it for me, but it doesn’t really excite me.

5. Four Roses Small Batch — Taste 3

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and low ryes with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts. The whiskey is then blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.

How Classic Is It?

Very! Four Roses Small Batch is an early “small batch” bourbon that helped give the designation prestige in the modern era. The bottle feels like it’s from a different era and the whiskey inside feels like it’s Kentucky bourbon defined.

Blind Notes:

Apple and cherry trees with plenty of fruit open the nose alongside a rush of soft leather, cinnamon and nutmeg, and a hint of dried florals with plenty of caramel sauce. That caramel binds with dark red berries as more leather, dried flowers, and leather drive the palate towards vanilla pods. The finish is soft and tips between blackberry jam, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla pudding.

Bottom Line:

This was really nice. The only reason it’s this low is that as I tasted it, it really felt like I was tasting a cocktail bourbon and not a dope sipper. So here we are.

4. Booker’s 2015-02 “Dot’s Batch” — Taste 5

ABV: 63.95%

Average Price: Limited Availability

The Whiskey:

This very limited edition bourbon is a barrel-proof blend of juice that aged for exactly seven years and 18 days. Those whiskeys are the standard Jim Beam mash of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. The key difference with Booker’s is the barrel. This expression comes from barrels that survived the aging process with a gorgeous enough flavor profile for as-is bottling.

How Classic Is It?

This the fifth release of Booker’s in the modern era (1,000 cases were released in 1988 initially). This is old-school bespoke bourbon from a true master, Fred Noe, and something unique to its time.

Blind Notes:

Pow! You can feel high ABVs on the nose with sharp and hot cinnamon spice, anise, cherry root beer, apple crumble, vanilla cookies, and a salted caramel sauce. The palate largely delivers on all of that with a mouth-coating heat that amps the cinnamon up to Red Hots and the vanilla to a smooth creamy sauce with a hint of pepperiness, cherry cough syrup, and vanilla wafers. The end is long, hot, and full of burnt cedar, cherry tobacco, waxy cacao beans, and creamed vanilla honey.

Bottom Line:

This was really nice but those high ABVs really were a lot. This was hot and bold and, honestly, need a rock to cool it down and let it bloom a bit more.

3. Woodford Reserve — Taste 1

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $30

The Whiskey:

This is where everything comes together that makes Woodford unique. The mash bill on this bourbon is mid-range rye heavy with 18% of the grain in the bill for support. The triple distilling in pot stills and blending with column distilled whiskey is utilized. And yes, this bourbon rests for six to seven years — taking time to mature before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.

How Classic Is It?

Woodford was one of the first “new” bourbons to hit the market in the late 1990s when bourbon was damn near dead. Brown-Forman’s belief in a turnaround and the founding of Woodford helped bourbon sort of redefine itself as a high-quality and trendy product well before the current boom began in earnest. That is classic by definition.

Blind Tasting Notes:

Vanilla comes through first on the nose with a good dose of caramel, soft oak, dark chocolate oranges, red berry tobacco, and the faintest hint of fresh mint. The palate delivers on those notes while layering in a soft toffee and silkiness with more dark chocolate, orange oils, and a cinnamon-forward tobacco leaf. The finish really holds onto the silken texture as the spice, dark chocolate, and vanilla linger the longest with a nice caramel sweetness.

Bottom Line:

This was really nice. It’s didn’t quite hit the heights of the next two but really felt like an easy sipper or cocktail mixer with a super inviting texture and flavor profile.

2. Weller Special Reserve — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

Buffalo Trace doesn’t publish any of their mash bills. Educated guesses put the wheat percentage of these mash bills at around 16 to 18%, which is average. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. We do know that they cut down those ABVs with that soft Kentucky limestone water.

How Classic Is It?

Weller has some of the best name recognition in the game. It’s beloved and sought after by whiskey lovers who know good bourbon. It might be the most classic on this list because of that.

Blind Notes:

Leather vanilla and apple florals mingle on the nose with a hint of cherrywood, caramel candy, and winter spice. The taste moves between spicy apple pie filling with walnuts, vanilla pancakes, and a hint of maybe a dried cranberry. The mid-palate sweetens with plenty of toffee from a sticky toffee pudding while cherry syrup, dry wicker and vanilla-laced tobacco round out the finish.

Bottom Line:

This is just delicious. It’s so bourbon-y yet subtle and enticing. There are really no notes and I would have put serious money on me scratching a “1” next to my tasting notes for Weller. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be.

1. Gentleman Jack — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

Gentleman Jack is classic Jack — 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and eight percent rye — that’s twice filtered through sugar maple charcoal filtration. The hot juice then goes into barrels for a long rest before vatting, proofing down with that Lynchburg cave water, and bottling.

How Classic Is It?

This bottle goes back to 1988 when Jack Daniel’s was expanding its core lineup for the first time in a while. It’s one of those whiskeys that was all about creating a modern classic that became one over time.

Blind Notes:

This is like candy on the nose with cherry coughdrops, banana cream pie with a lard crust and plenty of soft vanilla whipped cream, white cotton candy, apple Jolly Ranchers, nutmeg and clove, and a hint of cedar. The palate layers that cedar with a spicy cherry tobacco with a good dose of dark chocolate powder next to more vanilla, leather, and apple candy. The finish rolls between the leather and spiced cherry tobacco and the super soft and lush vanilla creaminess.

This was great!

Bottom Line:

I. Am. Shook. I cannot believe I put this at this number. I would have guessed this in last place, not first.

Still, this was … fun. It was light but refined. There was serious flavor with a bourbon-y vibe (yes, Tennessee whiskey is bourbon). It just hit really well today and, well, won the day.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I still can’t believe Gentleman Jack beat out the competition today. That just goes to show you the power of the blind taste test — you really never know what’s going to rise to the top. I know for a fact had I known what was Weller and what was Jack, I would have picked the Weller 10 out of 10 times, yet here we are.

Overall, I think it’s time to reassess where Gentleman Jack should sit on my shelf.