Category: News

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While we’re more likely to sip a bourbon neat, we understand that the flavors work perfectly in an old fashioned, Manhattan, old pal, or boulevardier. But you probably don’t want to mix those up with too expensive a bottle of bourbon. It’s excessive.

On the flip side, you wouldn’t enjoy the flavors of a drink whose base is bottom shelf swill. The key is to find the middle ground — a whiskey that’s good enough to sip, but not so pricey that you’ll regret tempering the flavors with bitters, simple syrup, herbs, juices, and other ingredients.

To highlight those mid-range bourbons — sippable and perfect for mixed drinks — I cracked open my whiskey journal and picked eight beloved bottles. Check my picks below and add any I’ve missed to the comments!

Buffalo Trace

ABV: 45%

Price: $23.99

The Story:

Buffalo Trace’s flagship bourbon is 90 proof and, although it carries no age statement, it’s assumed to be between 8-10 years old. That’s a pretty long time maturing for a whiskey that can be purchased for under $40. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better priced, high-quality bottle to mix with.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find notes of sweet vanilla, subtle herbs, and a whole lot of brown sugar. The sip is filled with sweet cinnamon, charred oak, dried cherries, and licorice. The finish is long, warming-yet-mellow, and ends with a nice kick of caramel sweetness.

Bottom Line:

This is like the Swiss Army Knife of bourbons. Mix it into any whiskey-based cocktail and you’ll be more than happy with your decision.

Evan Williams Single Barrel

ABV: 43.3%

Price: $27.99

The Story:

Sure, you can’t go wrong with Evan Williams Black Label. But for only a few more dollars, you can get one of the best and most reasonably priced mixing (and sipping) bourbons on the market. This single barrel whiskey is aged at Heaven Hill for 7-8 years. The result is a complex, smooth bourbon — two qualities that make it ideal for mixing.

Tasting Notes:

You’ll find toasted marshmallows, creamy vanilla, and just a hint of spice on the nose. The sit delivers caramelized sugar, toasted wood, sweet vanilla, and spicy cinnamon. The finish is medium, full of warmth, and ends in a nice kick of cracked black pepper.

Bottom Line:

While it’s well-rounded enough to sip on its own, it shines in drinks like the old fashioned or sidecar, and it makes a very distinct whiskey sour.

Jim Beam Bonded

ABV: 50%

Price: $26.99

The Story:

This bonded, 100-proof whiskey is like the bolder, spicier cousin of Jim Beam White Label. While that expression is also great for mixing. If you’re looking for your cocktails to remain high in alcohol content and flavor even, after adding a few ingredients, this is the whiskey for you.

Tasting Notes:

The nose features nuanced aromas of charred oak, molasses, and toasted vanilla beans. Cinnamon, nutmeg, sweet almonds, dried fruits, and brown sugar all show up on the palate. The finish is long, full of heat, and ends in a nice final flourish of cinnamon spice.

Bottom Line:

The best aspect of this whiskey, besides its complex flavor, is its high proof. It stands out well in cocktails with multiple ingredients like a mint julep or a whiskey cobbler.

Old Forester 100

ABV: 50%

Price: $33.99

The Story:

Old Forester 100 is a real bargain for the value. Made in the prohibition-style, this 100-proof whiskey is made from barrels hand-selected by the master distiller. It’s bold, rich, subtly spicy, and perfect for mixing into your favorite cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

Enjoy the aromas of caramel corn, sweet chocolate, and toasted oak before welcoming the flavors of spicy cinnamon, cocoa powder, dried mint, and candied orange peels. The finish is long, warm, and ends with hints of butterscotch and vanilla.

Bottom Line:

Even with the high proof, this whiskey is surprisingly smooth. It works well in classic drinks like the old pal or the brown derby.

Rebel Yell

ABV: 40%

Price: $16.99

The Story:

Is there a better value than Rebel Yell? With its corn and high-wheat mash bill, it’s sweet, warming, soft, and full of classic bourbon flavors like caramel, vanilla, and charred oak. It can be sipped neat, but it shines when used as the base for your favorite cocktails.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find floral hints mixed with clover honey, brown butter, and dried fruits. The first sip is filled with candied orange peel, caramelized sugar, sweet vanilla, and subtle spice. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a final kick of sweet butterscotch.

Bottom Line:

This bourbon is bargain barrel cheap. Don’t be afraid to experiment with this whiskey. Mix it into a nice, holiday punch and have yourself a merry little socially distant Christmas.

1792 Small Batch

ABV: 46.8%

Price: $34.99

The Story:

If you didn’t know it already, 1792 was the year Kentucky officially became a state. This small-batch whiskey is made with the brand’s high-rye recipe. The result is a sublimely balanced bourbon with a great mix of sweet and peppery spice.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is surprisingly complex, featuring aromas of cracked back pepper, buttery caramel, and sweet vanilla. The palate is filled with caramelized sugar, sweet corn, nutty sweetness, and just a dash of cinnamon. The finish is medium, full of warmth, and ends with a final flourish of spice.

Bottom Line:

1792 Small Batch is so good you might not even want to mix with it, and that’s okay. If you do, mix it into a simple drink in which it can shine, like an old fashioned or a Manhattan.

Larceny

ABV: 46%

Price: $24.99

The Story:

Like Pappy and other big names in the bourbon world, This small-batch bourbon uses a mash bill that’s heavy on wheat instead of rye. Specifically, Larceny is made with winter wheat. The result is a softer, more well-rounded, and slightly sweeter whiskey, well suited for mixing into your favorite mixed drinks.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with hints of walnuts, caramel, and brown sugar. The palate carries those aromas into flavors of spicy cinnamon, charred oak, buttery vanilla, and just a hint of peppery spice. The finish is medium, warm, and ends with a nice final bit of sweet heat.

Bottom Line:

If you’ve never tried Larceny, now’s the time. Add this bottle (and the barrel proof version) to your liquor cabinet to mix into all of your favorite holiday drinks. Spike some hot cider with it, you’ll be pretty delighted that you did!

Old Grand-Dad Bonded

ABV: 50%

Price: $20

The Story:

Old Grand-Dad is one of the most underrated whiskeys on the market. It’s bold, complex, and perfect for mixing. It’s one of Jim Beam’s series “The Olds,” along with Old Overholt, and is filled with sweet corn, buttery vanilla, and toasted oak flavors.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find hints of dried orange peel, caramel corn, charred oak, and sweet vanilla. The palate skews toward subtle black pepper, spicy cinnamon, brown sugar, and molasses. The finish is long, full of pleasing heat, and ends in a nice kick of pepper.

Bottom Line:

Instead of Scotch, use Old Grand-Dad Bonded as the base for your seasonal hot toddy. The high proof and subtle spices work perfectly with hot water, honey, and lemon.

Jhene Aiko and Nas both put out albums this year, but that doesn’t mean they are finished releasing projects this year. Teaming up one last time in 2020, the duo put forth a dazzling video for their collaboration from Aiko’s acclaimed Chilombo LP.

Offering a black-and-white visual to the heart-throbbing number “10k Hours,” Aiko and Nas opt for elegant minimalism. The video depicts Aiko delivering her devastating lyrics into a microphone while sporting a sophisticated dress. Nas then appears, similarly dressed to impress, to reflect on his past rocky relationships in his verse.

In other Aiko news, the singer recently joined Summer Walker, Kehlani, and Teyana Taylor in calling out double standards in the music industry. “There are different sounds within R&B that I’m seeing reflected in other genres,” Aiko said in a conversation with Billboard.

“We’re seeing more rappers singing, being more melodic, doing more love and sexy songs. You probably wouldn’t have heard that from a straight-up rapper back in the day. And now there are traditionally pop artists doing R&B albums, but it’s called pop… I’m like, ‘This is a very ’90s R&B sound, but it’s considered pop.’”

Watch Aiko’s “10k Hours” video above.

Chilombo is out now via Def Jam. Get it here.

On the same exact day that TIME honored Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as its “Person of the Year” — a title that Donald Trump has coveted for years — one of Europe’s largest magazine has bestowed the outgoing president with a far less prestigious title. In an article titled “Loser of the Year,” Der Spiegel magazine blasted Trump’s incompetence during his first and only term in office, labeling him as a man who was “was never concerned with the common good, but always with one thing — himself.” Via The Hill:

“Nothing is normal under Trump,” the article added. “He refuses to admit defeat. Instead, he speaks of massive electoral fraud, although there is no evidence for it. The whole thing is not surprising. Trump’s presidency ends as it began. Without decency and without dignity.”

The writers are, of course, referring to Trump’s ongoing efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election while refusing to address the rapidly rising coronavirus rates that are threatening to exceed hospital capacities by Christmas. During his own “vaccine summit” on Tuesday, Trump spent the whole time railing against reality by claiming he was rewarded a “victory” in the election and pleading with the Supreme Court to have the “courage” to hand him a second term. Trump’s tactics became even more unhinged by the end of the week as he spent Friday morning ranting on Twitter that the Supreme Court needs to “Save the USA!” before going global with his plea. “I just want to stop the world from killing itself!” he desperately tweeted.

(Via The Hill)

Despite the election being over for a full month now, Donald Trump and his surrogates are still attempting to overturn the results of Joe Biden’s victory in various courts around the country. The latest flailing attempt is more than 100 Republican lawmakers insisting that the Supreme Court take up a challenge to legally cast votes by mail, or something of the sort.

Regardless, as the losses pile up and Trump supporters get more desperate, the lawsuits are getting weirder. Say what you will about whether demanding election results get overturned damages the fabric of democracy or is a coup and all that, but pretending to represent states that don’t exist certainly at least qualifies as bizarre.

Reporters on Friday noticed lawyers had filed briefs where they claimed to represent new states that “support” the filing that Republican lawmakers supporting Trump had previously filed. Those states, called “New California” and “New Texas,” immediately started trending on Twitter as people reacted to the wild news.

As Business Insider reported Friday, the states are actually “states in waiting” according to the lawyer who represents both of them, as they’re hoping to break away from existing states they feel are being unfair about upholding the results of a democratic election, among other things.

The amicus brief for the fake states was filed by Robert E. Thomas III, an attorney with an address listed in Nevada who is a member of the state bar in California, a state that is real.

Thomas told Insider in an interview that New Nevada and New California are “new states in waiting,” and that each is a registered 501(c)(4) organization attempting to form new states using the proper Constitutional process. He said states like Pennsylvania administered their elections in a way that’s “arbitrary and capricious.”

“The Supreme Court gives states in a case like this an absolute right to intervene,” Thomas said. “And we regard ourselves as one of those states with an absolute right.”

It’s a very real attempt to undermine the election for a very imaginary reason. But the name “New California” also had a lot of people thinking about something far more apocalyptic, mostly because it sounds a lot like something from the Fallout video game series, the New California Republic.

New California Republic shows up in basically every Fallout game, though the newest title, Fallout 76, has a setting firmly in post-apocalyptic West Virginia. But with the way this year has gone, it’s not a surprise that plenty of people thought about the end of the world when “New California” started trending on Twitter.

Kyrie Irving received a fine from the NBA on Thursday evening following a statement he put out in which he made clear he did not want to speak to the media. Like most things involving Kyrie Irving, his release led to a number of takes and a lengthy dialogue about the relationship that NBA players have with the media.

Irving responded to his fine on Friday on his Instagram with a quote by Malcolm X and a statement about how he wanted the money from his fine going towards “marginalized communities in need.” He ended with a pair of sentences that drew a ton of attention, writing that, “I do not talk to Pawns. My attention is worth more.”

His use of the word “pawns,” believed to be an indictment of the media, drew a ton of attention. Elsewhere in the world of basketball, it spurred a question to Kevin Love by a member of the Cleveland media. Love, a former teammate of Irving, was as candid as ever in his response, and explained why he had an issue with the verbiage, even if he understands the point that Irving is making.

“I think that calling anybody a pawn is a sure sign of disrespect, and I understand where Kyrie is coming from in trying to better a number of people’s lives, but I’m just not a divisive person,” Love said.

Love also recalled something he was told by Flip Saunders, his former coach in Minnesota, who told him “everybody has a part to play” in the NBA ecosystem.

“To call you guys, or, listen, anybody pawns, I’ve just always felt … I’ve always taken Flip’s words to heart,” Love said. “Everybody has a part to play, this is you guys’ livelihood. I’m thankful that we’re all working, you guys are all working, I think this goes without saying right now.”

The whole comments are worth listening to, as Love tries his best to cut through the discourse around Irving and give a straightforward answer. The pair, of course, were teammates in Cleveland from 2014-17, where they won a championship.

Everyone has that person in their life who “always plays the victim.” When something goes wrong it’s “never their fault” and if you try to challenge them on the issue they get all “high and mighty” on you.

They’re the type of person who does something wrong then tries to paint you as being the real problem for calling them out. Because their bad deed was just them making things even.

These people can be impossible to deal with because they’re never wrong. This mentality also stunts their developmental growth, because when you’re never wrong, you don’t have to change a thing.

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A recent study by Israeli researchers Gabay, Hameirio, Rubel-Lifschitz, and Nadler has found that the “victim mentality” is a real and stable personality construct that influences how people make sense of the world around them.

These constructs are powerful to us because we use them to predict and anticipate events and, in turn, they influence our thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

According to research, the victim mentality or, as they call it, “Tendency for Interpersonal Victimhood,” or TIV, is a stable construct that people can carry with them throughout their lives.

It’s defined as “an ongoing feeling that the self is a victim, which is generalized across many kinds of relationships.” That’s why your friend with the victim mentality always plays the victim and everything that happens in the world is an affront to them.

Researchers say there are four main components to TIV:

Need for recognition – whereby individuals have a high level of need for their victimization to be seen and recognized by others

Moral elitism – seeing oneself as morally pure or “immaculate,” and seeing those who oppose, criticize or “victimize” oneself as completely and totally immoral and unjust

Lack of empathy – having little empathy or concern for the suffering of others, because your own victimhood is so much greater than the suffering of others. Also includes an entitlement to act selfishly or harmfully towards others, without recognizing their pain or experience

Rumination – a strong tendency to brood and remain extremely fixated on times, ways, and relationships where they experienced victimization and being taken advantage of

A person who has TIV may be very vocal about their victim status whether it’s caused by societal issues, a personal problem, or something they’ve fabricated. They believe their status affords them moral superiority to others and allows them to behave in ways that are unassailable.

“How dare you judge me? I am a ______ .”

People with TIV are also more likely to try to seek revenge on those who’ve aggrieved them.

This type of person is defined by, and clings to, their perceived trauma and weaponizes it against others. Scott Kauffman of Scientific American says that people can develop TIV without even “experiencing severe trauma or victimization.”

Kauffman believes that people who have experienced trauma are capable of using it for healthy personal growth instead of unhealthy self-aggrandizement.

What if we all learned at a young age that our traumas don’t have to define us? That it’s possible to have experienced a trauma and for victimhood to not form the core of our identity? That it’s even possible to grow from trauma, to become a better person, to use the experiences we’ve had in our lives toward working to instill hope and possibility to others who were in a similar situation? What if we all learned that it’s possible to have healthy pride for an in-group without having out-group hate?

By coming to the concrete realization that this form of victim mentality is real it gives sufferers a greater ability to realize that they are living with an unhealthy personal construct that can be altered. It also gives those of us who have to deal with these people a better way to understand these frustrating people.

Adult Material (HBO Max) — Hayley Squires stars as a well-known British porn star who lives in the spotlight while also juggling motherhood. Rupert Everett plays her old colleague, with whom she navigates the Internet’s porn revolution, and they search for innovative ways to put a fresh spin on all things erotic. WarnerMedia’s streaming service acquired this drama series, which is currently airing on the U.K.’s Channel 4, from Banijay Rights.

The Prom (Netflix film) — Ryan Murphy’s relationship with Netflix keeps on giving, this time with a neon-bedazzled Broadway adaptation, which stars Meryl Streep, Nicole Kidman, and James Corden. The three help shake up the prom at a small Indiana town after a teen faces bigotry while attempting to attend her high school’s biggest dance with her girlfriend. Also, glitter, glitter, and more glitter, all in service of inclusion.

The Mandalorian: Chapter 11 (Disney+ series) — The bounty-hunting Star Wars series does something that it’s never done until now: give Baby Yoda a break. Don’t worry, the little guy will be back in action soon, but people still have mixed feelings.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special (Disney+) — Based upon High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, this special features all-new musical numbers for Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s Eve/Day. Stick around for a sneak peek at Season 2.

Ava (Netflix film) — Jessica Chastain stars in this spy action-thriller, along with Colin Farrell, who plays her character’s handler. Chastian is a globe-trotting assassin who is somehow attempting to reunite with estranged relatives, and everything gets to be a bit too much. Oh, and John Malkovich is along for the ride.

Small Axe (Amazon film collection) — It’s week four of five for this batch of Steve McQueen-directed movies. The stories, set in London’s West Indian community, will explore the endurance of the human spirit despite setbacks from discrimination and rampant racism, all set from the late 1960s to the 1980s.

Here’s the rest of this weekend’s notable programming:

SNL (Saturday, 11:29 p.m.) — Host Timothée Chalamet and musical guest Bruce Springsteen.

Supermarket Sweep (Sunday, ABC 8:00 p.m.) — Leslie Jones and every bit of her enthusiasm will host contestants in this revival of the grocery-shopping game show.

Pandora (Sunday, CW 8:00 p.m.) — Can Jax save the entire universe from utter destruction before it’s too late? Xander’s also pursuing some redemption while the Ancients prepare for final judgment time.

The Outpost (Sunday, CW 9:00 p.m.) — Tobin’s loyalty isn’t looking so great while Yavalla’s tested by a confrontation, and Talon and Zed must carry out an assassination.

Your Honor (Sunday, Showtime 10:00 p.m.) — Bryan Cranston’s intense (although uneven) limited series faces inevitable comparisons to Breaking Bad, and for sure, Cranston’s character executes his most Walter White-like maneuvers since Heisenberg left the building with AMC’s 2013 “Felina” finale. This week, his character is Panic-Cranstoning over an alibi for his son and pulling off unorthodox favors in the process.

Shameless (Sunday, CW 9:00 p.m.) — The Gallaghers are dealing with the pandemic in their own way on Chicago’s South Side, and this week, Kevin and V are trying to breathe new life into their pot business while Carl’s first day as a cop isn’t anything like he expected it to be. (I’m still holding out for these things to happen, by the way).

In case you missed these recent picks:

Euphoria Part 1: Rue (HBO Max) — Need a little Zendaya to tide you over before the show returns (at an undetermined date) for Season 2? The Emmy award winner returns for the first of two special episodes. This one officially lands on HBO on Sunday, but you can catch it early already, only on HBO Max. Rue’s relapsing and ends up in a diner whilst contemplating life after Jules leaves her along at the train station following their winter formal.

Big Mouth: Season 4 (Netflix) — One of TV’s funniest shows is back to drum up anxiety, courtesy of Tito the Mosquito (who will be voiced by Maria Bamford), in addition to all the hormone monsters that you dearly love. Newcomer voices on the series include Ayo Edebiri replacing Jenny Slate as Missy, along with Zach Galifianakis, Seth Rogen, Josie Totah, Lena Waithe, Quinta Brunson, John Oliver, Sterling K. Brown, Paul Giamatti, Maya Erskine, and Anna Konkle.

Hardy Boys (Hulu series) — The beloved detective book series gets the reboot treatment with Frank (Rohan Campbell) and Joe (Alexander Elliot) leaving the city for their parents’ hometown following a tragedy. What seems like a quiet summer grows more intriguing when they stumble upon some key evidence.

Taylor Swift is infamous for hiding Easter eggs in her songs and videos so that fans can decipher her next move. She even admitted to leaving hints in the lyrics of her album Folkore this summer. So after releasing the surprise LP Evermore Thursday night, fans think that Swift has left a subtle clue pointing to yet another secret release.

It wasn’t long after Evermore‘s release that fans were already beginning to suspect a third album was in the pipeline. The main theory stems from Swift’s album artwork. In a black-and-white photo of the singer standing in front of a tree, the word “woodvale” can be seen written in the top corner. This led fans to speculate that Swift is gearing up to drop a third surprise release, this time titled Woodvale.

On top of the world “woodvale” appearing in images, Swift herself said that she “couldn’t stop” writing songs during her recording sessions, which could mean she’s sitting on a lot of unreleased material. Alongside the release of Evermore, Swift wrote: “To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing songs. To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: to turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in and my collaborators and I are proud to announce that my 9th studio album and folklore’s sister record is here. It’s called evermore.”

Check out fans trying to decode Taylor’s next move above.

Evermore is out now via Republic. Get it here.

Matt Smith is becoming TV’s go-to prince. He portrayed Prince Philip on The Crown, where he was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series at the Emmys, and he’ll play Prince Daemon Targaryen in the Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon. Described as a “peerless warrior and a dragonrider,” Daemon “possesses the true blood of the dragon. But it is said that whenever a Targaryen is born, the gods toss a coin in the air…” He is the younger brother of King Viserys, played by Paddy Considine in the show, and was born some 200 years before Daenerys.

HBO revealed two more additions to the House of the Dragon cast on Friday: Olivia Cooke, who was fantastic in Sound of Metal, as Alicent Hightower, and Emma D’Arcy (Truth Seekers) as Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. Alicent is “the daughter of Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, and the most comely woman in the Seven Kingdoms. She was raised in the Red Keep, close to the king and his innermost circle; she possesses both a courtly grace and a keen political acumen,” while Princess Rhaenyra is “the king’s first-born child, she is of pure Valyrian blood, and she is a dragonrider. Many would say that Rhaenyra was born with everything… but she was not born a man.”

No dragons have been announced yet, but we know they’re coming.

Of all the sentences I never imagined myself writing, “Barack Obama does a dramatic reading of Eminem’s ‘Lose Yourself‘” would rank pretty high on the list — if I had one, that is. And yet, it’s the one I find myself still not quite believing I did write, so I have to write it again.

Former President of the United States of America Barack Obama — the first Black President in the nation’s 250-year history — did a dramatic reading of Detroit rap star Eminem’s 2002 record-breaking, 8 Mile soundtrack hit “Lose Yourself.” Here it is. Gaze upon it in wonder.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CIq1VEyppDL/

It’s okay if you need to take a minute after watching that. Because you should. If ever there were two polar opposite personalities in this wild world of ours, they would definitely be Barack Obama and Marshall Mathers. The cool-headed, measured former Head of State of the US and the foul-mouthed rap rebel certainly don’t seem like they have much in common. To be fair, it’s only the intro, but it implies that there’s more to come, and the mind reels at the possibilities

But the unifying element in this connection is the fact that Barack Obama used the song during his 2008 presidential campaign. As he explains in the video above, it helped him get hype as its underdog story was one he could relate to as a one-term Senator running for the highest office in the land. Especially as a Black man in a very, very whitewashed arena (Joe Biden’s using the song now). There are some pretty obvious analogs here, but the important thing is:

Barack Obama did a dramatic reading of Eminem’s “Lose Yourself,” and it is glorious.

Watch it above.