Category: News

After rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers into hiding and ultimately leading to the deaths of five people (six, if we count the Capitol Police officer who died by suicide in the days following), Twitter took the unprecedented step of permanently banning Donald Trump from its platform. Since the election Twitter had flagged the president’s tweets that pushed disinformation about the election, but in the wake of the violence in the Capitol, concerns about incitement to more violence led them to warn Trump that he risked being banned if he kept up his inflammatory posts.

He was warned. He was given an explanation. Nevertheless, he persisted. And so Twitter followed through, as did Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms that could be used to stir up extremist violence.

And quite predictably, people who inexplicably still support the president started crying about free speech.

Twitter also took the step of removing in bulk accounts that were dedicated to pushing QAnon, the quacky conspiracy theory that says Trump is in the process of taking down a secret cabal of Satan-worshiping, pedophile Democrats and celebrities. QAnon adherents have been a growing part of Trump’s extremist base and the falsehoods they push have grown more and more a part of mainstream right-wing rhetoric.

In fact, they’ve grown so mainstream in the conservative ecosystem that removing those accounts resulted in many high-profile conservative politicians and personalities losing tens of thousands of followers all at once. And hoo boy, were they not happy about it.

But instead of acknowledging that a big chunk of their following are living in a dangerous bonkersland (and that many of those followers were probably disinformation-pushing bots anyway), they started crying about free speech.

Let’s be clear. The first amendment of the constitution guarantees the right to free speech, meaning that the government cannot silence us. We have the right to say (almost) anything without being shut down or locked up by the government.

Government is the key word here, though. Twitter is not the government. Neither is Facebook or YouTube or any other company. Free speech is a constitutional right; a social media account is not. A social media account is a product we get to use in exchange for seeing ads and handing over some of our personal info. It’s also something we can only access if we agree to a set of terms and conditions and then abide by them. Once we’ve done that, the company is well within its rights to boot us if we break the terms of service.

Trump was not silenced by the government. In fact, he has a literal microphone that can literally reach the entire world literally down the hall from where he lives and works. He can hold a press conference and say whatever he wants at any time. His free speech is still totally intact—and he still has a huge megaphone at his disposal.

As for the other people who have had their social media accounts suspended? Their right to free speech is also intact because, again, a company is not the government. No one is entitled to a platform.

This is how the free market works. Pretty much the only thing a company can’t do is discriminate against someone based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age, thanks to anti-discrimination laws. But a business can deny you service for being a nuisance, for yelling at other customers, for using profanity, for not wearing shoes, and all kinds of other actions if their rules stipulate that they won’t tolerate those things.

There are also common sense things we just can’t do, even if they aren’t explicitly laid out in a business’s rules. For instance, I can’t walk into Nordstrom and shout into megaphone, “Hey fellow customers! Feel free to just take whatever you want for free because Nordstrom’s prices are exorbitant and they don’t need our money anyway!” That would get me kicked out in three seconds, and the company would have every right to do that.

The president can’t go on Twitter and tweet messages that are likely to incite violence, especially after his followers already stormed the U.S. Capitol on his behalf and chanted about killing the vice president. That would be incredibly dangerous.

People can’t go on Twitter and push the idea that our nation’s lawmakers are part of an evil cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who stole the election from Trump and deserve to be publicly executed. That’s dangerous, and we’ve let it pass as absurdity instead of recognizing it as radicalization for way too long.

There are things people just can’t do in a business space. Incitement of violence is something that people can’t legally do in any space, but even pushing disinformation that fuels the beliefs that have led to violence—namely the entire “Stop the Steal” lies about election fraud—is dangerous at this point. Our country is on fire. Anything that directly fuels that fire needs to be kept far away.

Let’s be extra clear here. These social media companies are not banning “conservative” speech or silencing conservative voices. Political views that aren’t insane and dangerous conspiracy theories and that aren’t driving people to mob violence are still up and running and will continue to be up and running (assuming they don’t start violating those rules). In fact, Facebook’s top 10 posts today are 80% conservative voices, as per usual, so cries of partisan censorship fall a bit flat.

Banning the president of the United States is a huge decision, of course. But again, he has an entire press corps at his disposal and his title and position do not exempt him from terms and conditions. It’s not like Trump hasn’t broken Twitter’s rules of service before. As Sam Harris pointed out in his podcast today, people have gotten kicked off of Twitter for far less every single day that Trump has been president. As Harris said:

“Trump has been violating any sane terms of service on Twitter for years. He’s threatened nuclear war on Twitter. More importantly, he has ruined people’s lives intentionally on Twitter. As president of the United States, with tens of millions of rabid followers—many of whom he knows to be quite deranged—he’s attacked private citizens repeatedly, knowing they would be doxxed and inundated with death threats. That should get you kicked off Twitter. He should have been kicked off years ago. In recent months, he’s relentlessly spread misinformation about the election, and he’s destabilized our society in the process. And then he incited an attack on the Capitol. Twitter isn’t obligated to give him a platform to do those things.

This is not a free speech issue. This isn’t a ‘Why can’t we just debate all ideas?’ issue. This is ‘Why should we let the most dangerous cult leader on Earth use our platform to sow division in society’ issue. Why should we give him the tools to produce mob violence? Honestly, I would expect to get kicked off of Twitter for causing 1/1,000,000th the harm Trump has caused on the platform.”

Those clear violations aside, there is a lot of gray area in terms of what counts as violating a social media platform’s rules, and there are legitimate complaints to be had about what does or doesn’t get flagged or banned. We have to rely on the people who make such judgments to be working in good faith, and we can’t always trust that that’s the case. We also need to have important discussions about the power of these huge tech companies and the role they play—or should play—in keeping the world from spinning out of control. But those discussions will necessarily involve the role of government regulation, and right now that’s tricky as most of the people complaining about social media purges at the moment are the same people who decry government regulation.

At any rate, suspending a social media account has nothing to do with free speech. Unless the government makes Twitter shut down someone’s account, no one’s first amendment rights are being violated here.

If you ask conservatives, a double standard has unfairly emerged in the wake of last week’s failed MAGA coup at the US Capitol. That double standard, of course, is that social media websites have been cracking down on them and their misinformation. Donald Trump was permanently banned from Twitter; Senator Josh Hawley lost a book deal. Meanwhile the Democrats…actually, well, they never stormed a federal building armed with zip ties, or close to it.

Anyway, The Daily Show feels that a different double standard exists in the wake of Donald Trump losing to Joe Biden in November. Namely, that Trump voters, who are holding on to the lost cause that the election was stolen from Trump, are fragile souls hurt by defeat. They need to be given time to grieve and, you know, attempt a coup that left five people in Washington dead.

As The Daily Show pointed out, that same grieving period (sans coup) was not allowed to Democrats by Fox News when Trump won in 2016, as the network routinely roasted Democrats for not accepting defeat. In a video posted on Twitter on Monday, the show roasted Fox News by directly comparing the way they covered Dems after Trump’s victory in 2016 with how they’re covering Trump supporters after they’ve spread baseless voter fraud accusations and incited a riot.

It will likely do little to change the dysfunctional political discourse in America, but there really is something satisfying about hearing Tucker Carlson say, “My god, you crybabies, you lost,” even if he’s talking about Democrats in 2016. It’s another example of how media coverage on Fox is markedly different when dealing with Democrats or Republicans, and the grace extended to the latter when it comes to pretty much everything.

It’s been a while since the movie had a really inspired Mad Libs movie pitch, so this one should be a doozy: As per Entertainment Weekly, the next movie from Darren Aronofksy, the oft-eccentric director of Requiem for a Dream, Black Swan, and the quite divisive mother!, will star Brendan Fraser as a 600-pound man eating himself to death. Why not! Everything else in the world remains weird, so sure.

Mind you, it’s not the first time this story has been told. The film will be based on The Whale, an acclaimed play first staged in 2012, which netted its author, Samuel D. Hunter, the prized Obie Award. It revolves around Charlie, who spend the majority of the piece on a couch, dying and dealing with such visitors as his ex-wife, his longtime caretaker, a young missionary, and his estranged daughter. During its initial run in 2012, the Chicago Tribute called it “one of the very best plays” of the year.

Aronofsky has never shied away from material that sounded bizarre on the page, and which wound up bizarre on the screen. But it also sounds like it’s in the same wheelhouse as his most accessible film, 2008’s The Wrestler, also about a self-destructive loner with a daughter who doesn’t like him. There’s every chance this could be the calmest movie from a director who previously sent Hugh Jackman soaring through the cosmos in a space bubble.

(Via EW)

Monday was the start of a new era on Jeopardy! as the show aired its first episode taped after the death of Alex Trebek. The legendary Jeopardy! host died in November after a battle with pancreatic cancer, and the remaining episodes Trebek taped before his passing hit TV screens on Friday.

That episode, originally scheduled to air Christmas Day, featured a lovely tribute to Trebek over his tenure on the show. Monday saw a guest host, Jeopardy! GOAT Ken Jennings, take his spot behind the podium as the show looks for a new permanent host in the coming months. And though Jennings is far from the first person to host a Jeopardy! other than Trebek, he’s certainly filling big shoes in the coming weeks.

Ahead of his first episode airing in most markets, the show shared an interview with Jennings where he described his excitement for taking over the hosting duties. Jennings, who won a record-shattering 74 straight episodes and last January won $1 million against Brad Rutter and James Holzhauer in the show’s Greatest Of All Time Tournament, certainly knows his way around the soundstage. But when asked what’s different about hosting, he said that going behind the host podium made him realize just how good Trebek was at hosting for so long.

“The main thing I learned is just what an impressive, perfect job Alex Trebek did behind the desk here for 36, 37 years,” Jennings said. “And I thought I knew from over there.”

For decades, part of a contestant’s prep for competing on Jeopardy! was quite literally studying Trebek. The cadence he used when giving clues and the way he finished sentences were important factors in determining when it was the right time to ring in on the signaling device. Getting that timing down helped players not buzz in too early, which locks you out from buzzing in again, and in fierce competition, that fraction of a second can make all the difference.

But Jennings said there’s so much more to hosting than it appears from afar, and it took actually getting control of the game to realize just how great Trebek was at keeping things going.

“I thought I had studied the man and had understood just what a remarkable job he was doing keeping the game going, mastering the sense that he understood all the clues, because he did. Explaining it to the audience,” Jennings explained. “And I thought ‘ah, I understood it all.’ And when I had to do it I realized he was doing 10 things I wasn’t aware of for every one I saw. It’s a very demanding job and he was just the best.”

One thing we know for sure that Trebek — and now Jennings — has control over as Jeopardy! host is the tone that plays when time has run out to answer a question. That was all done via a button at the podium, as we learned late last year. It will certainly be interesting to see what feels different about Jeopardy! with another host manning that button and reading the clues, let alone if contestants start studying the way Jennings speaks in order to gain a new edge.

Wednesday’s attempted coup, in which Trump supporters tried, and failed, to stop the ratification of Joe Biden’s election, was no laughing matter. Well, for the most part. Along with terrifying images of geared-up MAGA heads bearing zip ties, there was the appearance of Jake Angeli, aka the “QAnon Shaman,” a far-right conspiracy theorist who showed up in little but tan pants and a fur hat with horns. One person dubbed his outfit “Chewbacca bikini,” to the consternation of Star Wars heads. Like many of the storming rabble, Angeli was arrested. But we now know he’s not as old school macho as he’d like us to think.

On Monday, Angeli, whose birth name is Jacob Chansley, made his first appearance in federal court, albeit telephonically from a quarantine section of a detention facility. According to ABC7, Chansley is accused of “knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds” — both federal misdemeanors. He did not make any statements regarding the two charges.

Chansley has also allegedly not eaten since he was arrested Thursday. The public defender representing him said it was for religious reasons. His mom, however, said it was because “the detention facility won’t feed him all organic food.”

The latter prompted widespread mockery at perhaps the most ridiculous member of the invading MAGA claque.

Yahoo! News also had some revelations about Mr. Chansley, reporting that he’s a “failed actor” who lives with his mom. Their neighbors consider him “bizarre.” His mother, though, calls him a “patriot” and the “gentlest person I know.”

(Via AB7 and Yahoo! News)

Drake has his ear to the ground when it comes to up-and-coming musicians, like when the rapper signed PartyNextDoor to his OVO label way back in 2013. But Drake also keeps an eye out for viral fame, much to the delight of young Nigerian artist Hyzah. After his freestyle went viral over the weekend, Drake gave a friendly cosign to the aspiring musician.

Hyzah’s viral moment sparked when a Twitter user walked passed him on the street in Lagos and was blown away by his rhythmic flow. After posting a video of him, Hyzah’s image went viral and other clips of his different freestyles began to circulate.

In the midst of his viral fame, Hyzah made an Instagram account to further share his music. Hyzah gained tens of thousands of followers overnight as more people saw his videos. One of the many followers was Drake himself, an impressive feat as the rapper only follows 2,400 people compared to his 74.2 million follower count.

Sharing news of Drake’s follow, Hyzah wrote: “Just yesterday i had only 2 followers only to wake up this morning to see Drake @champagnepapi following me…”

Drake’s support didn’t end there. After Hyzah publicly thanked Drake, the rapper and the young artist swapped some friendly DMs. “U are amazing,” Drake praised Hyzah in a message.

Check out Drake cosigning Hyzah above.

The life of being an NBA player is one filled with flights all over the country, and for the unadjusted, it can take some time to learn the rhythms of team flight schedules, which can fluctuate between overnight trips after a game or flights the next morning.

As such, many teams have instituted rules that fine players for delaying departure times by being late to a team flight, because players young and old will sometimes put the team on their time, either purposefully or accidentally and need to pay the price. In Golden State, the fine is apparently $500 per person who shows up late to a team flight, and Steve Kerr doesn’t care what exactly your excuse is — or who you are — because he’ll get that $500 from anyone.

He illustrated this with a story on Sunday in a press conference when he was asked about the relationship many on the Warriors have with Drake, as Golden State was facing Toronto, and Kerr offered up a tale of how one time Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were late to a postgame flight from the Bay to L.A. because they were hanging out with Drake at the arena. As the story goes, Drake was actually catching a ride with them on the plane and Kerr made all three cough up $500 for it.

Drake has famously rapped about the Warriors — and specifically Curry and Green — a number of times, most notably saying “Golden State running practice at my house” on “Summer Sixteen,” and earlier this offseason video emerged of Steph and Drake having a shooting contest at the latter’s home court. While he might not have the skills on the court to ever make it in the NBA, he can at least say he got a rare NBA experience in being fined by a team, which honestly is more rare than playing in a game.

After nearly a decade inside the Octagon, Anthony Pettis recently parted ways with the UFC. The former champion in the WEC and UFC then made a move that turned heads among MMA circles in joining the up-and-coming Professional Fighters League.

“The PFL is on ESPN, I feel like I’m going to be a face of the organization and I have the ability to become a champion in 12 months,” Pettis said in an interview with Uproxx Sports. “I knew I wanted to be a champion. I knew whatever organization I was going to, that I’d be going for that belt. And their format, a season where whoever wins at the end of the year is the champion and there’s a million dollar prize as well.All of those things played into (me joining the PFL).”

Like many around the world, the last year opened Pettis’s eyes and encouraged him to take control of his career. After back-to-back losses to Nate Diaz and Diego Ferreira, Pettis says a meeting with a sports psychologist opened his mind up.

“2020 hit with COVID and I had the opportunity to fight Donald Cerrone,” Pettis said. “With that new mindset, I decided right then and there that I’m going to fight my contract out. I had two fights left and an offer from the UFC. I could have stayed with the UFC. But I decided I wanted to see what was out there and not make these quick decisions, trying to get the next big fight, next big name. I think it made all of us kind of just look at life a little different, slow it down and eliminate all the BS that we had in our lives.”

Pettis is looking forward to the PFL’s format, where fighters compete through a regular season and can qualify for the playoffs and a potential title shot by accruing points from wins. It’s the straightforward nature of the structure that encouraged him to move away from the UFC.

“I think (if I had gone back to the UFC) it would have been one of those things where I had to take these aggressive fights,” Pettis said. “It’s been short-notice fights moving down to 145 pounds, 170 pounds. I’ve been all over the place chasing a belt in the UFC. I didn’t have time to sit back and take a look at what I was doing, getting better as a fighter, as a person and as an athlete. I was rushing into these fights and rushing into these decisions and it’s all my fault. That mindset got me in trouble with my decisions and where I was fighting and who I was fighting. I’m going down to 145 pounds to fight Max Holloway, fighting Wonderboy at 170 pounds, just making crazy decisions.”

At 33 years old, Pettis believes he has time to progress, get better and truly fight for his legacy. He’ll take that mindset to the PFL, where he’s fighting at his natural weight of 155 pounds.

“Obviously (PFL lightweight champion Natan Schulte) has been champion for two years in a row. He’s definitely on the radar, but I feel like everybody’s going to be coming for me,” Pettis said. “Whenever I fight someone, I’m fighting the best version of them. They know the opportunities that come with fighting someone like me. This year, I’m focusing on growth, getting my mindset strong and growing in all aspects. I know that if I’m a happy fighter and mentally there, I don’t think anyone in the world can beat me.”

Pettis will join a stacked roster that includes fellow veterans Fabricio Werdum and Rory MacDonald, along with women’s phenom Kayla Harrison when the regular season kicks off April 23 on ESPN2, with scheduled bouts to be announced in the coming months.

The globe is figuratively drenched in whisk(e)y. And while it might seem to the uninitiated that the U.S., Scotland, Japan, Canada, and Ireland make all of those bottles, that’s not exactly true. These days, whiskey is made all over the planet; and while the big five dominate, Mexico, France, Australia, Israel, South Africa, Germany, and many more are cranking out high-quality whisk(e)y expressions that definitely deserve your attention.

Before we get into the 11 whiskeys to make our list, we just want to point out that we’re highlighting whiskey expressions, in general. We’re not here to break down the specific whiskey laws of France or how the industry is run in Australia. This is about the whiskey we like drinking from places that don’t come immediately to mind when thinking of whiskey. There’s no MO other than that, and the bottles we picked range from peaty single malts to peppery ryes to standard blends.

The point here is that the world of whisky is vast. It’s important to keep exploring its further reaches.

Mackmyra Brukswhisky (Sweden)

ABV: 41.4%
Average Price: $44

The Whisky:

Mackmyra has made a name for itself in the whisky world over the last few years. They have a strong core of high-quality, great-tasting expressions. Assuming you’ve never tried it, you should start at the beginning by sipping on the brand’s core expression Brukswhisky. It’s made up of whiskies aged in ex-bourbon barrels, sherry, and Swedish oak casks. On top of that, smoky malt whisky is added to complete the flavor experience.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find nutty sweetness as well as ripe berries, orange peels, and sweet vanilla. The first sip yields creamy butterscotch, dried fruits, and just a hint of smoke. The finish is long, warming, and ends with hints of caramel apples, and cinnamon.

Bottom Line:

This is truly a unique dram. If you find yourself with a bottle, take your time to discover all the various layers of this exotic whisky.

Abasolo El Whisky De Mexico (Mexico)

ABV: 43%
Average Price: $42

The Whisky:

A new whiskey on the market, Abasolo is a farm-to-table distillery located in Jilotepec de Abasolo (an hour a half from Mexico City). While tequila is king in Mexico, Destileria Y Bodega Abosolo (where the whisky is produced) is the first-ever distillery exclusively making whisky. Made from 100% non-GMO Cacahuazintle corn, Abasolo is a truly unique whiskey that you should make a point to try.

Tasting Notes:

Since this corn whiskey is only aged for two years (in former bourbon barrels), it has a younger, brighter, more unaged flavor than bourbon. But it’s not harsh by any means. The nose is filled with sweet corn, vanilla, and charred oak. The first sip is filled with fresh, roasted corn, caramelized sugar, and sweet cream. The finish is medium, warming, and ends with a final flourish of butterscotch.

Bottom Line:

This young whisky is so sweet and rich that it’s most suited to be an after-dinner drink, on par with a complex liqueur.

Penderyn Celt Single Malt Welsh Whisky (Wales)

ABV: 41%
Average Price: $64

The Whisky:

Penderyn opened in the mountain village of Brecon Beacons back in 2004, making it the first new Welsh distillery to open in over 100 years. Their flagship whisky is the Celt Single Malt. This small-batch whisky is first matured in ex-bourbon barrels before being finished in Madeira barriques.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is subtly spicy with hints of cinnamon, dried orange peels, and slight smoke. Taking a sip will bring you flavors of creamy vanilla, candied orange peels, shortbread, salted caramel, and a hint of woodsmoke. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a final kick of campfire smoke.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes it seems like Wales is the forgotten U.K. whisky region. But if the country keeps cranking out high-quality spirits like Penderyn, that won’t be the case for long.

Seven Seals Peated Port Wood (Switzerland)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $75

The Whisky:

The folks at Switzerland’s Seven Seals created a new technique that’s designed to accelerate the aging process. Located in Stans, Switzerland, the brand was created for more than just whisky production. The real goal is to innovate and so far, whatever it’s doing is working — because the whiskies are receiving heavy acclaim and awards.

One of its best is Peated Port Wood, with its smoky, peaty flavor complimented by sweet, rich port wood.

Tasting Notes:

The first nose is filled with obvious peat smoke followed by dried orange peels, and cherries. The first sip is full of more smoky peat, cloying honey, cooking spices, and sweet vanilla cream. The finish is long, full of lasting heat, and ends with a nice final whiff of campfire smoke.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of peaty Islay Scotches, why not give this unique whisky a chance? You’ll be treated to a highly nuanced, flavor experience you won’t soon forget.

Starward Nova (Australia)

ABV: 41%
Average Price: $44

The Whisky:

Southern hemisphere countries like New Zealand and Australia are well-known for their award-winning wines. But, in recent years, whisky has begun to gain ground because of brands like Starward. While the whole collection of whiskies is memorable, Nova is the real winner. Instead of the usual barrels, this single malt whisky was matured in Australian red wine barrels for two years to give it a complex, one-of-a-kind flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is loaded with fresh, juicy berry and dried fruit flavors that soon move into sweet vanilla. The sip is full of sweet clover honey, spicy cinnamon, more berries, and nutty sweetness. The finish is long, filled with warmth, and ends with toasted caramel and more sweet cinnamon.

Bottom Line:

After you’re done drinking Aussie shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, crack open a bottle of Starward Nova to experience another boozy side of the great Down Under.

Brenne French Single Malt Whisky (France)

ABV: 40%
Average Price: $60

The Whisky:

Like many of the other countries on this list, France is well-known for other forms of alcohol. The land of wine, cognac, and vodka are also home to Brenne — a truly special whisky brand making big waves in the spirits world. The company’s flagship single malt is a “seed-to-spirit” whisky, made with locally sourced heirloom barley and distilled using water from the nearby Charente river before being aged in French Limousin Oak and Cognac casks.

Tasting Notes:

This six-year-old whisky’s nose is full of dried cherries, vanilla cake, and caramelized sugar. On the palate, you get subtle spicy cinnamon, creamy vanilla, brown sugar, and candied orange peels. The finish is medium, warm, and ends with a little zip of cinnamon spice.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of cognac and you’re looking for a gateway into the whisky world, look no further than Brenne.

Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky (England)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $54

The Whisky:

Strangely, even though Scotland and Ireland are well-known for whisky, England isn’t. The country is gin-centric and has been for centuries. But, in recent years, a handful of whisky brands have popped up including Cotswolds. Founded in 2014, the brand’s single malt is made using floor malt and distilled in Forsyth copper pot stills before being aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and wine casks.

Tasting Notes:

Before sipping, you’ll be met with a nose of dried apricots, clover honey, and toasted marshmallows. The first sip is filled with brown sugar, cooking spices, candied orange peels, and creamy vanilla. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a nice finale of buttery vanilla.

Bottom Line:

If you can manage to put down the British gin for one night, grab a bottle of this single malt. Sip on it or mix with it, whatever you like.

Milk & Honey Whiskey In Bloom (Israel)

ABV: 46%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Located in Tel Aviv, Milk & Honey is Israel’s first whisky distillery. While the distillery is making a few bottles of note, Milk & Honey Whiskey in Bloom is the most memorable. This single malt is aged in ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and ex-scotch casks from Islay. The result is a well-rounded, slightly smoky single malt whisky.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find sweet cream, brown sugar, spicy cinnamon, and subtle peat smoke. The first sip is filled with buttery vanilla cream, dried cherries, rich caramel, and just a hint of that soothing peat smoke. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice combination of smoky peat and sweet clover honey.

Bottom Line:

This well-balanced, highly complex whisky should be enjoyed neat or on the rocks in order to experience every single, nuanced flavor.

Amrut Fusion (India)

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $72.99

The Whisky:

India holds an interesting spot in the whisky world. The country has a history of importing whisky, but hasn’t been known as a strong producer. Enter Amrut, an award-winning whisky that’s been available in the US since 2009. While its single malt is heavily lauded by critics, we prefer its smokier cousin Amrut Fusion. 25% of the barley used to make this whisky was actually sent to Scotland to be peat-smoked. The other 75% was dried without peat in Indian, hence the “Fusion” moniker.

Tasting Notes:

Aging in both new oak and former bourbon casks for three-four years creates a subtly peat smoke nose, with hints of charred oak and sweet vanilla. The first sip is filled with hints of caramelized sugar, dried fruits, cinnamon, and a simple kiss of peat. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice combination of subtle pepper and rich smoke.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of Islay whiskies, but you want to get a little more worldly, Amrut Fusion is for you. Just be aware that if you’re expecting a smoke bomb, you won’t find it here.

Bain’s Cape Mountain Whisky (South Africa)

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $27.99

The Story:

While this whiskey can be purchased for less than $30, it won the award for World’s Best Grain at the 2018 World Whiskies Awards. This is a bottle that corn whiskey fans are sure to love. First launched in 2009, it’s made from 100% South African yellow maize. It’s double aged, first in ex-bourbon barrels for three years before being moved to different ex-bourbon barrels for 18-30 more months.

Tasting Notes:

The aromas will surprise no one. First your nostrils will be greeted with creamy vanilla, sweet caramel, and just a hint of charred oak. The palate is filled with sweet cinnamon, caramel corn, toasted marshmallows, and brown sugar. The finish is long, filled with heat, and ends with a final kick of sticky toffee.

Bottom Line:

If you enjoy your whisky “the cornier the better,” this is the perfect bottle for you. It might be made thousands of miles away, but it should appeal to the most tenacious bourbon fan.

Drink Editor’s Pick: Stork Club Straight Rye Whiskey (Germany)

ABV: 45%
Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This fairly new expression is from Germany’s oldest distillery just outside of Berlin, Spreewald Distillery. The juice is made from rye grown in the surrounding region, making it a very local and a very grain-to-glass experience. The whiskey is then aged in ex-bourbon and old German white wine barrels before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The rye really comes through in equal measures of crusty sour rye bread and peppery spice with a counterpoint of hazelnut and creamy chocolate up top. The taste leans into the Nutella aspects, with a real creaminess next to more of that spice with a hint of fresh chilis and a touch of buttery toffee. The chocolate darkens on the end (especially with a little water) as the nuttiness remains strong and is tied off by a final flourish of orange oils.

Bottom Line:

This is a really solid rye that feels familiar while bringing a whole lot of uniqueness to the game. It’s a great workhorse whiskey as well — working in highballs, cocktails, and on the rocks as a sipper.

“Strange Fruit” is one of singer Billie Holiday’s most famous songs. Less known is how the “first great protest” anthem also made her a target of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics. That story will be told in The United States vs Billie Holiday, the new film from Lee Daniels (Precious, Lee Daniels’ The Butler) starring Andra Day as Holiday.

“When you think of Civil Rights leaders, you think of men. When you think of Billie Holiday, you think of this brilliant tortured jazz singer that happened to have been a drug addict. I didn’t know that she kicked off the Civil Rights movement,” Daniels said. “Before there was a Civil Rights movement, there was Billie Holiday and ‘Strange Fruit.’ The government saw that song as a threat and she was a target. That’s history and they keep it from us.”

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

The legendary Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, spent much of her career being adored by fans across the globe. Beginning in the 1940’s in New York City, the federal government targeted Holiday in a growing effort to escalate and racialize the war on drugs, ultimately aiming to stop her from singing her controversial and heart-wrenching ballad, “Strange Fruit.” Led by Oscar-nominated director Lee Daniels and introducing Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Andra Day, The United States vs. Billie Holiday unapologetically presents the icon’s complicated, irrepressible life. Screenplay writer Suzan-Lori Parks, the first African American woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, pens this intimate tale of a fierce trailblazer whose defiance through music helped usher in the civil rights movement.

The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which also stars Trevante Rhodes, Garrett Hedlund, Natasha Lyonne, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, premieres on Hulu on February 26.