Category: News

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

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1. The White Lotus (HBO Max)

HBO’s The White Lotus hails from Mike White, the School of Rock screenwriter who also created one of the network’s most brilliantly underrated shows in Enlightened. This limited series, about the staff and guests of a tropical resort starring Jennifer Coolidge, Connie Britton, Alexandra Daddario, Sydney Sweeney, and Steve Zahn has full-on captured the zeitgeist, and with good reason. The season finale airs this weekend, which gives you a few more days to get caught up on all the awkward, awful delights of the whole thing. Watch it on HBO Max.

2. Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)

There are moments in the early stages of season two that feel like they’re doubling down on the show’s signature positivity and niceness, but there’s no such thing as sweetness overload here as the show grows our affection for characters that are clearly taking a step forward in their arcs. Especially Ted, even though it seems like there may be some challenges ahead. Watch it on Apple TV+.

3. What If…? (Disney+)

We’re in the multiverse after Loki‘s season finale. The MCU promises to show us a wealth of scenarios that stand separate from the existing movie lore. Agent Carter will take the serum and become Captain Carter. There’s a Zombie Captain America, and King T’Challa materializes elsewhere as Star Lord. Notably, Chadwick Boseman did voice work here, so you’ll be able to say a proper goodbye to his Black Panther. Let the good times and the tears roll. Watch it on Disney+.

4. Reservation Dogs (Hulu)

Taika Waititi’s FX on Hulu follow-up to What We Do in the Shadows brings us a comedy series that’s co-written by Native American filmmaker Sterlin Harjo. Yes, the lead quartet in this show rocks suits that look strikingly similar to the characters of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, yet they’re four Indigenous teens who want to commit crime and simply can’t pull it off. The show was shot in and near Okmulgee, Oklahoma, and these teens hope to make it all the way to California. The cast and crew come from indigenous communities, from where Harjo and Waititi are aiming their storytelling styles as well. Watch it on Hulu.

5. Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami (Netflix)

If you’re missing Narcos, rest assured that there’s so much blow in this docuseries, which gives the documentary treatment to the excess-filled life of two childhood pals who transformed into billionaire drug kingpins. There’s a tiger and bullfighting and speedboats and money flying everywhere, it’s no wonder why “Los Muchachos” were so darn popular. They were also slippery fellows, due to their world-champ powerboat-racing status. Watch it on Netflix.

6. Heels (Starz)

Friday Night Lights was a great show about football that you didn’t have to like football to love. Starz hopes Heels can be a Friday Night Lights but for wrestling. The drama (from Loki showrunner Michael Waldron) stars Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig as Jack and Ace Spade, two brothers trying to keep their small-town indie wrestling league afloat. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t WOOOOO.

7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC/Hulu)

The long-running NBC/Fox cop series zips into its final season this fall, giving viewers one last go-round with Andy Samberg and Melissa Fumero and Andre Braugher and the rest of the precinct. It will be sad to see them go, but it’s also comforting to know there are seven seasons just sitting there on Hulu if you need them. Really cushions the blow. So maybe dive back through the archives this weekend to get ready for the big goodbye that’s on the way. Watch it on Hulu.

8. Outer Banks (Netflix)

Granted, the stills from this show make it look like your typical (beachy) teen drama, but that’s not the case. This is a mystery-based action thriller with a soapy residue, and although the main characters are, in fact teens, beware: once you start watching this show, you’ll want to set aside some time to finish the two seasons. There’s tons of intrigue and a hurricane and buried treasure, and it’s like National Treasure, if the main character was Young McConaughey-lite with dreams of tasty waves dashed by goons chasing him for [spoiler] reasons. There are Kooks and Pogues and dramatic rivalries, all of it ultimately silly yet far too entertaining.

9. FBoy Island (HBO Max)

HBO Max’s latest reality show takes a question womankind has been asking since the dawn of time and turns it into a dating competition that, if you can believe it, lowers our collective opinion of men to shocking depths. Who’s a nice guy and who’s a f*ck boy? That’s up to the single women bamboozled into participating in this courtship farce to figure out as they frolic about a tropical paradise with me who blow-dry their beards and wear one-strap overalls unironically. This is what the Suffragettes died for, people. Watch it on HBO Max.

10. Gossip Girl (HBO Max)

Few shows have influenced the cultural lexicon of an entire generation the way this soapy teen drama did. The original Gossip Girl was a narrative rollercoaster filled with questionable hookups, designer drugs, and Blair Waldorf headbands. It delighted in its ostentatious antics, reveled in its misbehaving brood of well-bred socialites. It made Chuck Bass, an attempted rapist and sex club owner who might have murdered his father and definitely pimped out his girlfriend for a stake in a hotel, a romantic lead. The original Gossip Girl had balls, gilded storytelling balls. Its successor, this HBO Max contemporary shows shades of that same promise. It’s got a cast that’s both believably diverse and unbelievable gorgeous, tons of pop-cultured-skewed wit, a driving rivalry, and Kristen Bell once again narrating those welcome Upper East Side scandals, but it’s a little too self-aware and overly-earnest to be as enjoyable as its predecessor. Then again, it took the O.G. Gossip Girl a few seasons before it sent one of its own to Jesus Camp and brought characters back from the dead, so this new crew has time. Watch it on HBO Max.

Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.

1. The Suicide Squad (HBO Max)

It is time, once again, for a take on the Suicide Squad, the crew of DC villains who band together to cause chaos and/or save the day. This one is directed by Guardians of the Galaxy mastermind James Gunn and features everyone from Margot Robbie (as Harley Quinn, of course) to Idris Elba and Joel Kinnaman to Sylvester Stallone (as a giant talking CGI shark). It all looks weird and fun and kind of exactly what you need in a summer weekend movie. And then when you’re done you can click over and binge the Harley Quinn animated series on the same streaming service. Big weekend for you. Watch it on HBO Max.

2. Beckett (Netflix)

In Beckett, John David Washington plays the title character, just a guy who is on vacation in Greece with his girlfriend (Alicia Vikander). After an automobile accident, during which Beckett sees someone he’s not supposed to see, he’s thrust into a game of espionage, intrigue, and geopolitical maneuvering that he never asked for. Director Ferdinando Cito Filomarino was heavily influenced by William Friedkin’s movies of the 1970s and he tries to recapture that here in a movie where, like the title character, we don’t really know what’s going on and there’s always a culpable sense of dread. Watch it on Netflix.

3. Jungle Cruise (Disney+)

Though the plot gets a bit convoluted in the second half of the movie, the dazzling, movie star-esque performances here by The Rock, Emily Blunt, and Jesse Plemons make this an entertaining movie well worth watching. Set in 1916, this movie about a race to be the first to get to a tree with magical healing powers has a distinct Indiana Jones/Raiders of the Lost Ark vibe to it. In fact, a couple of the scenes play like homages to those earlier films. And Jesse Plemons appears to be having the time of his life portraying the villain in this film, and who on God’s green Earth doesn’t love Jesse Plemons?! Watch it on Disney+.

4. CODA (Apple TV+)

The story of a young woman who is the only hearing person in her family, living with her deaf parents and deaf brother, became the it movie of this year’s Sundance. It’s fair to wonder if this actually does hurt a film, expectations-wise. But it didn’t hurt last year’s then-record holder Palm Springs. And the producers of CODA surely didn’t care while they count their money. What’s surprising about all of this is CODA isn’t a deeply profound film. It’s just a really funny, feel-good movie about nice people doing nice things. And maybe that’s kind of rare these days. Give it a shot to put you in a good mood. Watch it on Apple TV+.

5. Black Widow (Disney+ Premium)

Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff finally gets a proper send-off in this actioner that aims to go back-to-basics but succeeds more on a personal level. The film fills in plenty of blanks following the events of Captain America: Civil War, but more importantly, we receive butt-kicking ladies in well-choreographed fight scenes and an emotionally resonant story that introduces us to the inner Natasha, as witnessed by Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova. She’s perhaps the only person in the world who’s allowed to tease Natasha, and their dynamic (and the chemistry between Scarlett and Florence) rules. The film also allows David Harbour to perform grunt-filled face work with a wild accent while the ladies swirl around him in hand-to-hand combat. It’s a winner. Watch it on Disney+ Premium.

6. Pig (VOD)

It’s Nicolas Cage hunting down his enemies after the disappearance of his beloved truffle-sniffing pig. And it’s allegedly good. Like, really, honestly good, not Fun/Bad Good. You really can’t ask for much more out of a film. Or anything else, really. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.

7. Zola (VOD)

If you were on Twitter in 2015, you likely remember the first time you heard The Story of Zola. It was the Homer’s Odyssey of stripper trips, distilled into viral thread form, and it captivated an entire generation of drama-obsessed culture vultures. Its film adaptation channels the same chaos that made it so gripping to follow on our timelines, adding a seediness that can make some parts difficult to sit through. But what makes Zola so undeniably enjoyable is its unexpected take on female empowerment led by its two stars, Taylor Paige and Riley Keough who wield stripper heels and cutting shade to translate a pretty stark warning: Be careful who your friends are. Watch it on your VOD outlet of choice.

8. Vivo (Netflix)

What we have here appears to be an extremely cute cartoon musical featuring a loaded cast (Lin-Manuel Miranda, Zoe Saldana, Brian Tyree Henry, Gloria Freakin Estefan) and a sweet premise. Per the studio: “A music-loving kinkajou embarks on the journey of a lifetime to fulfill his destiny and deliver a love song for an old friend.” Round up the kiddos if you need an excuse and see if the happy tears flow. Watch it on Netflix.

9. Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Hulu)

Questlove’s loving documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), includes performances from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mavis Staples, and B.B. King. To quote *another concert* from the 1960s, play it f*cking loud. Watch it on Hulu.

10. Val (Amazon)

The short version goes something like this: Val Kilmer has been pointing a camera at himself for 40 years or so and now all that footage — and more — has been edited and compiled and massaged into an eye-opening documentary that touches on the very nature of fame. Val Kilmer is a fascinating guy. Not everyone can turn four decades of home movies into an interesting watch. Most of us can’t, actually. It’s all pretty impressive. Watch it on Amazon Prime.

The IPA was created in the 1700s because British colonizers wanted to be able to drink pale ales when they arrived in India. To keep them fresh for months at sea, they loaded them with a crazy amount of hops. It worked and over the centuries the beer style hasn’t fallen by the wayside for being too hoppy and bitter. In fact, it might be more popular than ever.

While the current trend is all about IPAs that taste more like a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice than the beer, the old-school bitter, resinous, and floral hop bombs are still available to those who aren’t afraid of big green flavors close to a dank cannabis flower.

To find the best, aggressively hoppy IPAs on the market, we once again turned to the pros. We asked a handful of well-known bartenders to tell us their picks for the best IPAs for drinkers who aren’t turned off by sometimes harsh, vibrantly bitter hop-loaded IPAs. Check them all out below and click on the prices if you want to try them yourself.

Stone Ruination

Jeremy Williams, head mixologist at MDRD atop the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids, Michigan

ABV: 7.7%

Average Price: $14 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Stone ‘Ruination’ is unapologetic hop punishment…in a good way. Its unbelievable hop presence creates a long-lasting resinous finish, making it perfect for bitter IPA fans.

Crafthaus Resinate IPA

Daniel Yang, lead bartender of Electra Cocktail Club at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas

ABV: 6.5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I’m not the bravest of IPA adventurers but I like the Nevada-based Crafthaus Resinate IPA. Toting an IBU of 58, it’s just enough for someone like me, but maybe not someone who rolls in the Triple IPA or Double IPA crowd.

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Hayden Miller, head bartender of Bodega Taqueria y Tequila in Miami

ABV: 9%

Average Price: $12 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA has a heavy push of pine and citrus that rounds out a nice bitter body. It’s well-rounded, floral, and fresh, but it’s definitely not for those who fear bitterness.

Sierra Nevada Dankful IPA

Sebastian Mena, director of food and beverage at Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort in Curaçao

ABV: 7.4%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

Why This Bottle?

Sierra Nevada Dankful IPA is fairly new to the market, but a total bitter hop fan’s dream. The rich, floral, dank IPA Flavors, the caramel malt sweetness, and my favorite part, the grapefruit flavor.

Crooked Stave IPA

Ryan Anderson, complex director of beverage at Ace Hotel in New Orleans

ABV: 6%

Average Price: $11 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

For those who seek bitterness in India Pale Ales, Crooked Stave Brewery in Denver makes delicious and flavorful brews. They really try to balance the bitterness with the malt and do so wonderfully. Specifically, its flagship IPA with its Amarillo, Azacca, Mosaic, and Motueka hops.

Patagonia Kilometer 24.7

Federico Doldi, beverage director of Gansevoort Meatpacking in New York

ABV: 4.5%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I really like the Patagonia Kilometer 24.7. This session IPA with honey and elderberry features an intense hop aroma with high bitterness and a combination of herbal and citrus notes. It’s tough to find in the U.S., but if you can find it, buy it.

The Alchemist Heady Topper

Chandra Richter, chief mixologist at Drinkworks

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $20 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

If you’re not afraid to explore an IPA that is all about the hops, then my pick would be The Alchemist Brewing Heady Topper. It’s a super bitter, intense double-IPA, but I love the grapefruit and tropical flavors that provide a nice balance to the hoppy bitterness. It’s delicious.

Russian River Pliny The Elder

Piero Procida, director of food & beverage at The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills, California

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $8 for a 16-ounce bottle

Why This Beer?

Russian River Valley’s Pliny The Elder Double IPA has citrus blossom, fresh-cut pine, and hops dominating the flavor with a firm and high bitter content that makes this an IPA lover’s dream come true. Winning numerous awards, like the American Homebrewers Association seventh straight title of America’s Best Beer, it is considered one of the world’s most sought-after IPAs. If you can get your hands on it, believe me, it is well worth it.

Parish Ghost in the Machine

Christina Ramirez, mixologist at SoBou in New Orleans

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $14 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Ghost in the Machine by Parish Brewing Company is a double IPA that’s super aromatic with an almost harsh bitterness. It’s floral and piney with notes of citrus and stone fruit on the tongue. And at 8 percent, it’s no joke. It pairs perfectly with a shrimp or crawfish po-boy and a side of Cajun fries.

Good People Snake Handler

Brandon Parnell, general manager and director of beverage for Flora-Bama in Perdido Key, Florida

ABV: 10%

Average Price: $12 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

Good People Snake Handler is a double IPA that packs a punch and delivers at the highest level for every IPA lover. This Alabama-made beer is 10 percent ABV and loaded with hop flavor.

Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet

Jason Hsieh, director of food and beverage at Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, California

ABV: 8%

Average Price: $12 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Sierra Nevada Hop Bullet Double IPA feels like it was made for bitter hop fans. It’s full of intense West Coast hops that play well with citrus and floral flavors, all culminating in a nice, dank bitter finish.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

There are plenty of ways to waste hundreds of dollars of your hard-earned money, but there’s only one way to blow your cash and freak out your friends with a personalized video birthday greeting from one of America’s foremost disgraced politicians: connect with Rudy Giuliani on Cameo! Sarah Silverman was excited to talk about Rudy’s “new gig” on Wednesday night, while guest-hosting Jimmy Kimmel Live!

After reminding the audience how “like six months ago Rudy was the personal lawyer for the leader of the free world,” Silverman shared Rudy’s Cameo promo which, like everything Rudy does, is cringe-inducing. But Silverman had just one question: “Can you really put a price on a future convicted felon accidentally farting on camera for your niece’s quinceañera?” Fortunately, she also had the answer:

“You can. It’s $275. That’s right, for the price of parking at Disneyland, you can get a message from the vampire who held a press conference next to a dildo store. The guy was once America’s mayor. Now he’s paying his bills the same way as High Pitch Erik.”

The saddest part, according to Silverman, is that Giuliani’s Cameo profile—which lists his “job” as Former Mayor of New York City—says he responds to requests within 10 hours. “His own prostate doesn’t respond that fast,” she noted.

If you’re wondering just how many terrifying wake-up calls Rudy would have to film in order to get his head above water, financially speaking, Silverman did the math: “Rudy’s being sued by Dominion for $1.3 billion. So all he has to do is make 3,250,000 Cameos and he’ll be halfway there.”

Giuliani must have been paying attention because in the time since Silverman publicly mocked him for the enjoyment of millions of viewers, he has raised his Cameo price to $375—and you’ll now be waiting up to 17 hours to hear back from him.

You can watch the full segment above.

Ed Sheeran and Eminem have established a working relationship over the past few years, as Sheeran and Eminem have joined forces on songs like “River,” “Those Kinda Nights,” and “Remember The Name,” the latter of which also featured 50 Cent. Sheeran recently looked back on his first time in the studio with Eminem, which didn’t actually yield any music.

During a recent Apple Music interview (as NME notes), Sheeran said:

“[The studio] was in Detroit and I was playing a gig in Detroit. And yeah, I arrived. He’s got loads of games consoles there. He loves games. I actually bought him a Nintendo 64 with [GoldenEye 007] on it as a gift. I just stepped in there. Actually, first time we met, we didn’t make music. I hung out there for about four hours, and we just spoke Marvel and Avengers for about four hours. And then the next time I went back, we made a tune. The first tune we made, I was in Mexico and his producer flew to Mexico, and I did the hook there and stuff.”

Meanwhile, Sheeran recently reminisced about meeting up with 50 Cent at a concert after they had already collaborated, saying, “50 will probably disagree with this: I don’t think 50 had a f*cking clue who I was. I think afterwards he was like, ‘Oh, the ‘Shape Of You’ guy!’”

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Evan Williams remains one of the most popular bourbon brands in America. The Heaven Hill whiskey’s core line is also one of the most affordable bourbon lines on the shelf right now. The most expensive bottle in this blind taste test is $32, and that’s for a single barrel expression. While we’re not talking about budget bottles of whiskey, we’re certainly talking about very affordable and very easy-to-find bourbon.

For this blind taste test, we’re comparing and contrasting five bottles from Evan Williams core line:

• Evan Williams Green Label
• Evan Williams Black Label
• Evan Williams Botted-in-Bond
• Evan Williams Small Batch
• Evan Williams Single Barrel

The Evan Williams 12-year Red Label is still alluding my grasp. But since that’s really only findable in Kentucky, I’m not sweating leaving it off.

Overall, this tasting is simple. I’m tasting these blind and ranking them based on taste alone. I know I have preconceived notions about each one of these bottles — I tend to go on and on about the bottled-in-bond. So tasting them blind is going to throw all that pre-programmed nonsense away and just let my palate lead my decision-making. I’m very curious to see where my beloved bottled-in-bond lands.

Okay! Let’s dive in and rank some Evan Williams!

Part I: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a well-rounded nose of woody caramel apples next to a hint of leather. The taste has a holiday spice edge with a slight orange candy sweetness. The mid-palate leans into the sweetness with more of a honey vibe as vanilla dominates. The end is very mellow with a final note of apple candy very late on the slow fade.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla and leather lead the way with a distinct note of fresh and warm cornbread that’s just touched by an oak note. The palate holds onto that caramel apple flavor profile while the cornbread makes a very buttery and honey-forward return with a light hint of egg nog spices. The end is short-ish and dances through that honey-soaked and buttery cornbread, rich vanilla, caramel apple, and oak towards a final touch of brown spice.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

This is visibly lighter. The nose is a little thin but still carries hints of vanilla and caramel with a touch of … Windex. The light palate lets the vanilla, caramel, and mild orange oil mingle on the tongue. The mid-palate lets the orange turn into orange candies then the finish arrives with a note of cornmeal dryness.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

Roasted sweet corn with butter, vanilla pudding, and salted caramel apples lead the nose. There’s a touch of eggnog spice that accentuates the pear/apple candy vibe on the palate. The mid-palate sweetens towards a butter toffee that then slowly builds towards a finish that grows from a roasted and shelled almond to sweet and soft marzipan by the end with a hint of that pear/apple candy.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

This is very similar to the last taste with plenty of vanilla creaminess next to salted caramel apples, mild eggnog spice, and a touch of pear. The taste is a bit more leathery with apple tobacco mixing with more vanilla leading towards that toffee. This time, the toffee sweetens back towards that caramel while still holding onto that final touch of pear candy.

Part II: The Ranking

5. Evan Williams Green Label — Taste 3

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $19 (1.75-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s signature bourbon mash bill with a touch of rye: 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and ten percent rye. That mash is the same for their much-beloved Elijah Craig and Henry McKenna labels. This juice is aged for four years before it’s proofed all the way down to 40 proof with soft limestone water.

Bottom Line:

This was very obviously the Green Label just based on sight alone. Still, there was nothing extraordinary about this. It was very standard and very easy to drink, which is exactly the point of this expression. But, that Windex note on the nose was hard to get past.

4. Evan Williams Single Barrel — Taste 1

ABV: 43.3%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The juice is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 43 proof, and bottled as is.

Bottom Line:

I did not see this coming. I thought this would sneak into number two or one easily. But today, it just didn’t sing as it used to for me. It wasn’t bland or bad in any way, there were just tastier and seemingly more complex expressions on the playing field for this tasting.

3. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $18

The Whiskey:

The juice is standard Evan Williams that’s barreled in a federally overseen warehouse. Then, after those barrels are blended, the juice is just brought down to 100 proof, allowing a bit more of that Heaven Hill craft to shine in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

I also didn’t see this coming. The end of this is what threw me as it sweetened considerably and sort of blanking every other flavor note out. The Black Label building on that toffee towards almond that turned into a marzipan note was just more of what I was looking for today, I guess.

2. Evan Williams Small Batch — Taste 2

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

So this is a “small batch” in theory. The expression is a marrying of 200 barrels of bourbon from Heaven Hill’s warehouses. That juice is then proofed down to 45 proof and bottled as is.

Bottom Line:

This is probably the least surprising slot on this ranking. I really dig the new look of the Small Batch and the juice inside remains a very solid bourbon (as you can tell from the level of the whiskey in my bottle). This on a few rocks is a delight and this blind taste only solidifies that for me.

1. Evan Williams Black Label — Taste 4

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $15 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This is the entry point for Evan Williams. The juice is a mix of four to seven-year-old barrels of the standard Heaven Hill bourbon. The difference in this bottle is that it’s proofed at a slightly higher 43 proof, giving it a slight edge against the Green Label.

Bottom Line:

I’m shocked. I often talk shit on this expression for being over-hyped, especially in the bartending community. But here it is, my number one pick. That mid-palate to finish really grabbed me and made me go back for more — and that’s pretty much all you can ask for in bourbon at this price point.

This hit really nicely today. There’s nothing left to say besides I should take this bottle more seriously.

Part III: Final Thoughts

Gooddamn, I love being proved wrong by my own palate! I would have put money on the Black and Green Label taking the last slots and lost. I also would have put money on the Single Barrel, Small Batch, and White Label battling it out for three, two, and one on the list. But this was clear cut. I didn’t hesitate for a second when I ranked these.

And that’s why we love doing these blind taste tests. There’s no better way to rank and taste some booze than blind. It takes all those assumptions and that advertising programming and replaces it with what’s in that glass and where your palate is. I guess my palate needs some cheap and easy bourbon right now.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

Most any rookie would love to follow in the footsteps of Zion Williamson and replicate just about anything he’s done on the basketball court, but for Lakers’ rookie Chaundee Brown out of Michigan, he had the rare Zion-esque moment on the court at Summer League no player wants to have happen.

During the Lakers matchup with the Knicks on Thursday night, Brown blew through his shoe — somewhat ironically Zion’s signature sneaker with Jordan — as he planted on defense trying to apply backcourt pressure to Obi Toppin. Maybe most impressive is Brown continued to play despite his foot sticking out of his shoe, ultimately fouling Toppin as he was a bit overzealous before strolling to the bench to get a replacement.

Williamson rather famously had a shoe explode at Duke causing him a minor injury and forcing him to miss his the majority of his first game against UNC, leading to Nike going straight to the manufacturer to try and figure out how to build him a shoe that would work for his power. That it’s Zion’s signature with Jordan that produced the same result for Brown is a fascinating coincidence. Happily, Brown did not suffer any knee tweak or ankle issue with the shoe explosion and was able to keep playing once he got a fresh pair on his feet.

Just seven months after sharing his debut album, Virgo World, Lil Tecca returned with a string of singles, including “Show Me Up,” “Never Left,” “Money On Me,” and his most recent track, “Repeat It” with Gunna. The latter, which is the rappers’ first collaboration, finds them both bragging about the multiple ways they can flex their wealth. Days after the single was released, Tecca debuts an accompanying video for it.

Filled with bright, fluorescent colors, it shows Tecca riding confidently in a luxury vehicle before joining Gunna for a small party, where they’re surrounded by a cast of women.

Tecca’s brand new video arrives after he announced his next project, We Love You Tecca 2, is on the way. A release date for the upcoming full-length effort had not yet been shared, but from the looks of it, fans won’t have to wait too long for Tecca’s next body of work. Gunna, on the other hand, recently joined Polo G for their latest collaboration, “Waves.”

You can watch the video for “Repeat It” above.

We Love You Tecca 2 is out soon via Galatic/Republic. Pre-order it here.

Gunna is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Following months of vague tweets that hinted at new music, The Weeknd has officially kicked off a new era in his career. It’s expected that the singer will share his next body of work within the next few months. In a GQ profile earlier this month, The Weeknd shared what can be expected on the new album. “The music hit the studio like a Mack truck,” he declared. “The new project is packed with party records. Like real-deal, illuminated-white-tiles-on-the-floor party records. Quincy Jones meets Giorgio Moroder meets the best-night-of-your-f*cking-life party records.”

Just a week after the GQ profile dropped, The Weeknd shared additional inspirations for the project through his Apple Music radio show. The most recent episode of Momento Mori, whose description promised he would play “a mix of music that showcases tracks inspiring the new Dawn era,” found him tapping into the catalogs of several artists. This includes Britney Spears, as he played “Everytime” and “Toxic” from her 2003 album In The Zone.

Other tracks that were aired during the episode came from artists that include Nas, Swedish House Mafia, Kid Cudi, Kanye West, and Tyler, the Creator.

Elsewhere in the episode, he shared an update on the state of his next album. “Album is pretty much done,” he said. “Just doing some final tweaks, some mixing notes, additional vocals.”

Despite being viewed as one of the four-best players in the 2021 NBA Draft, Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs found himself on the outside looking in as the Toronto Raptors opted to take Scottie Barnes No. 4 overall. It’s hardly a knock on Barnes — who should thrive in Toronto’s vaunted player development program — but there were some eyebrows raised over the former Gonzaga standout seeing himself take the smallest of falls.

Toronto’s decision made the lives of the Orlando Magic brass all the easier. Despite having a handful of guards on the roster, the team opted to take Suggs with the No. 5 pick on Draft night, giving the team the kind of potential franchise-changing guard they’ve lacked for quite a while. After a strong opener against the Warriors, Suggs followed that up on Wednesday, flashing the skills that make him the kind of prospect Orlando has been seeking for years — even if the Magic were unable to beat Evan Mobley and the Cleveland Cavaliers,

Suggs’ strength and athleticism are high on the list of his defining traits. At 6’4 and 205, Suggs is big for the position, and with his athleticism, he’s able to put this all together on occasion to make the spectacular happen. Take, for instance, this tip slam over Lamar Stevens of the Cavaliers — Suggs comes flying in from behind the three-point line to clean up a miss by Janis Timma and elevated far above Stevens for the slam.

Later he had another dunk, borne out of Suggs’ ability to move around, find space, and exploit it when the opportunity presents itself. Jaylen Hands was put into the awkward situation of trying to play help defense without knowing that Timma freed up an acre of space by cutting to the ball. Suggs slides into that space, got the ball from Cole Anthony, and immediately attacked the rim, throwing down as Trevon Bluiett made a business decision.

Beyond his athleticism, Suggs’ ability to set teammates up made a few cameos as well. A former highly-regarded quarterback prospect, Suggs threw a pair of dimes to fellow rookie Franz Wagner. The latter was simply reacting to a scramble in which Wagner was able to get behind the free throw line with no one anywhere near him, but the former is perhaps more impressive, as Suggs used a Jon Teske screen to get into the paint and made a live dribble pass to Wagner for an easy lay-in.

The swing skill, the one that will determine whether or not he ascends to stardom or (in all likelihood) is a very good player, is going to be his jumper. While his shot is hardly broken — he connected on 76.1 percent of his free throws during his one year at Gonzaga and showed a propensity for being able to hit shots in the midrange — he went an underwhelming 35-for-104 (33.7 percent) from deep. He was not a killer from downtown against the Cavs, going 2-for-6 from deep, but he did hit a pull-up three early on that looked good from the moment it left his hand.

On the day, Suggs went for 16 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a steal in 26 minutes of work. Like most young guards at Summer League, he was hardly perfect — a 6-for-13 from the field with three turnovers — but the flashes of being the exact player that a team like the Magic need were there. His final test before Summer League moves to its next phase will be his toughest, as the team will play Jalen Green, Josh Christopher, and the Houston Rockets on Sunday.