Category: News

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Simply saying the world “scotch” to a true aficionado conjures up complex imagery. Peat smoke. Copper pot stills. The fog and brine of the rugged coast of Scotland. Fancy gentlemen (usually wearing full beards or well-maintained mustaches) holding up Glencairn glasses as they marvel at the elegant color of their favorite single malts. (This latter image is finally receding into the rearview as the industry strives to diversify.)

But just because 30-year-old bottles of The Balvenie or GlenDronach easily run $1000, doesn’t mean there aren’t great bargains to be had for less than the price of dinner for two at Chipotle. In the past, we’ve talked about bottles of Scotch in the $50 to $200 range. Today, we’re going to lower our price point (as well as our standards) and head on down the lowest shelf at the liquor store.

Here are my personal picks — snatched from deep in my tasting notebook — for the best bottom shelf Scotch whiskies on the market.

J & B Rare

ABV: 40%

Distillery: Knockando

Price: $24.49

The Story:

You may have heard the name J & B before without really know anything about this blended whisky. The initials stand for Justerini & Brooks. The spirit inside is truly unique (and rare) because of its combination of Italian, English, and Scottish roots. Made from a blend of 42 single malt and grain whiskies, this bargain bottle never disappoints with its mellow, highly mixable flavors.

Tasting Notes:

You might not think of nosing a bottom shelf scotch whisky (especially a blended scotch), but you should. When you take a sniff of this surprisingly balanced whisky, you’ll be met with hints of toasted oak, cinnamon, and sweet cream. The first sip brings forward dried fruits and cooking spices. Sticky toffee pudding and dried orange peel emerge next. The finish is long, warming, with just a sprinkle of spice and subtle smoke at the very end.

Bottom Line:

There’s a reason bartenders love this bargain bottle. It’s cheap, complex, and easily mixable into your favorite scotch (or American whiskey)-based cocktails.

Highland Queen Majesty Sherry Finish

ABV: 46%

Distillery: Tullibardine

Price: $17.97

The Story:

There’s a pretty good chance you’ve never heard of Highland Queen Scotch. Named for Mary Queen of Scots, this brand has been around since 1893. It’s made by a distillery you probably have heard of: Tullibardine. The Highland Queen Majesty Sherry Finish doesn’t carry any age statement and is shrouded in mystery. Though it’s purported to be finished in sherry butts similar to offerings from higher-end brands like The Macallan, Bowmore, and Ardbeg.

Tasting Notes:

The sweet smell of sherry is prevalent from the very first nose. After that, your senses will be filled with Christmas spices and sweet vanilla. The first sip yields cinnamon, butterscotch, and toasted caramel. The finish is long, smooth, and warming with a final flourish of spicy heat.

Bottom Line:

If you’re on a budget, but you want a whisky that was finished in sherry butt, this is a good pick. While not the greatest sipper on the planet, it will do the trick in a pinch.

The Famous Grouse

ABV: 40%

Distillery: The Famous Grouse

Price: $20

The Story:

Not only is Famous Grouse “famous,” it’s also been the best-selling whisky in Scotland for more than forty years. If that’s not enough to get you to try this bargain blended whisky, we don’t know what will. While it carries no age statement, the malt and grain whiskies included are blended together and rested to create a whisky known for its mellow, drinkable, mixable flavor.

Tasting Notes:

This supremely well-balanced whisky starts with the nose. The first aromas you’re treated to are butterscotch, dried cherries, and cinnamon. The first sip brings rich, toasted oak, creamy vanilla, and sticky toffee pudding. The finish is long, warming, and smooth with a final flourish of caramelized sugar.

Bottom Line:

This expertly crafted blended whisky is perfectly suited for budget sipping in a Glencairn glass, but it’s a better fit in your favorite whisky cocktail.

Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition

ABV: 50%

Distillery: Glenrothes

Price: $25

The Story:

Classic Cutty Sark, while cheaper, is only 40% ABV. The brand’s Prohibition Edition with its 50% ABV and bold flavor is a much better value for your money. This blended Scotch whisky was created to pay homage to Prohibition bootlegger Captain William McCoy both in its name and its higher alcohol content.

Tasting Notes:

You might think higher ABV means harsher blended whisky. In some cases you’re right, but there’s an exception to every rule. Cutty Sark Prohibition Editions begins with aromas of sweet cream, dried orange peel, and rich cocoa. The first sip brings forth hints of walnuts, sweet caramel, and subtle peppery spice. The finish is long, very warm, and filled with toffee notes followed by subtle astringency.

Bottom Line:

This is the kind of high-alcohol whisky that deserves to be served neat or on the rocks. Open up the flavors with a few drops of water and sit back and enjoy every sip.

Sir Edward’s 12

ABV: 40%

Distillery: Leith Distillers

Price: $19.99

The Story:

This gold medal winner at the San Francisco Spirits Competition is matured for a minimum of 12 years in Scotland before being shipped to Bordeaux, France to be bottled by a brand called Bardinet. So… it’s kind of like a Scottish, French whisky. Don’t worry, we’re also confused.

All you need to know is that it’s technically a scotch and it’s crazy cheap for a 12-year-old.

Tasting Notes:

For a scotch that can be purchased for under $20 at some stores, Sir Edward’s 12 deserves to be nosed. The first aromas you’ll be met with are tree nuts, dried orange peel, and honey. The first sip yields brown sugar, subtle spices, anise, and butterscotch. The finish is long, warming, and filled with toasted oak and subtle smoke.

Bottom Line:

While this whisky was aged for 12 years, it’s still better utilized as a mixer than a sipper. It’s not the harshest sipping whisky, but it shines much brighter in cocktails.

Grangestone Bourbon Cask Finish

ABV: 40%

Distillery: Unknown

Price: $16.99

The Story:

This award-winning whisky is double barrel matured to create a unique, complex, bargain bottle. It’s first aged in new, charred American oak casks before being moved into first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. It carries no age statement but is made from whisky distilled at one of the brands owned by William Grant and Sons before being bottled in England.

Tasting Notes:

This is truly bargain bottle — starting with whiffs of dried fruits, sticky toffee, and butterscotch. The first sip brings forward cinnamon, sweet cream, toasted honey, and sweet vanilla. The finish is mellow, medium in length, and ends with a hint of pleasing spicy heat.

Bottom Line:

While you probably want to save the higher-end whiskies for sipping, if you’re ever going to find a really cheap bottle to drink neat, this is it.

The Indiana Pacers will interview more than a dozen candidates as they seek to replace the recently dismissed Nate McMillan, and according to a new report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Spurs assistant Becky Hammon and former Grizzlies and Kings coach Dave Joerger are among the candidates Indiana will look at.

Also on the list are common NBA coaching candidates like Sixers assistant Ime Udoka, Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, and newly-demoted Nets assistant Jacque Vaughn, in addition to newer names like Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee and Miami’s Dan Craig and Chris Quinn.

For the most part, though, it seems like Indiana is casting a pretty wide net in the search for its next head coach. The NBA has a ton of highly qualified and smart assistant coaches who could take the Pacers to the next level after five straight first-round playoff exits in the Eastern Conference.

When McMillan was dismissed, reports indicated Indiana would target a coach like Mike D’Antoni who could improve the team’s offense. While D’Antoni’s availability is unknown with the Rockets in the middle of a second-round battle with the Lakers, other creative offensive coaches like Joerger, Hammon, and Vaughn will give the Pacers some new perspective about their team as they conduct a wide-ranging search.

Whether you’re a hardcore adventurer trekking across the Himalayas or a city-dwelling skater gulping water between grinding handrails, you’ve probably owned a Nalgene bottle. From its first appearance in the cultural zeitgeist — a statement piece for the backpackers and environmentalists of the ’70s — the brand has cultivated intergenerational appeal through a commitment to simplicity, durability, and sustainability. It’s got that special classic/ timeless quality that so few products ever achieve. So much so that the phrase “let me fill up my Nalgene” is ubiquitous everywhere from destination music festivals to boutique hostels to backcountry hiking routes.

Now, with the launch of Nalgene Sustain bottles the brand is ready to build on its rich legacy by doubling down on the qualities that made its signature product so iconic. This new iteration, like those preceding it, lives at the intersection of form and function. It balances utility and stylishness while pushing deeper into the frontier of a market it single-handedly defined.

“We essentially created the personal hydration category,” Elissa McGee, GM of Nalgene Outdoor Products says. “That concept wasn’t a thing, so we defined it. Now we’re taking it further.”

McGee explains that in creating the Nalgene Sustain line, the brand is once again eager to set the bar, this time as the first reusable bottle made with recycled plastic to hit the market. Using a revolutionary material, Tritan Renew, every Nalgene Sustain bottle is composed of up to 50% recycled plastics otherwise destined for a landfill.

Nalgene

Part of the Nalgene brand’s push for a more sustainable product is a reassertion of the brand’s core beliefs. It’s also a necessary response to the plague of single-use and short-term-use plastics that adventurers and vagabonds see strewn along trails and beaches year after year. But while the commitment to build a recycled bottle was longstanding, Nalgene Sustain bottles represent new production processes that weren’t previously possible.

“If you tested one of our new Nalgene Sustain bottles and you tested the standard Nalgene bottle, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference,” McGee says. “It’s exactly the same performance but we’ve made it that much cleaner and that much more sustainable — all while still being the bottle you know and love.”

Aside from being half-composed from recycled material, the Nalgene Sustain line doesn’t make any moves to change the classic Nalgene silhouette. In our opinion, it’s better for it. It’s still a short, stocky, lightweight 32-ounce bottle with a recognizable wide-mouth design dressed in seven translucent colorways. Every visual cue — from the logo to the measurement lines — points back to the brand’s history.

“There’s not a decision that we make that doesn’t tie back to who we are or doesn’t connect to where we came from,” says McGee.

Nalgene

Nalgene first began as part of the Nalge Company in Rochester New York in 1949 as a plastic alternative to glass laboratory beakers. Everything from the iconic wide-mouth design to the simple shape and measurement scale printed on the side of each bottle has its origins in the lab market. In fact, it’s this practicality that first inspired scientists to start taking the bottles out on the trails with them instead of lugging around clunky metal canteens.

After catching on with the backpackers and renegade environmentalists of the 1970s, Nalgene bottles hit the mainstream at the 1980 Olympics at the side of the US hockey team. In the decades since, it’s clearly established itself as the standard when it comes to reusable water bottles for skaters, hikers, wanderers, and lifestyle artists.

“We have this funky crazy looking little bottle,” McGee notes. “But it’s because it has been fully pressure-tested in the labs to make sure it does all of the things you need it to do — that’s what made it really take off.”

Ironically, the Nalgene brand’s “function over fashion” attitude and the bottle’s penchant for customization via stickers and printed logos has created huge fans for the brand in the streetwear community. Fashion houses like Supreme and UNDEFEATED have done splashy collabs that quickly sold out. By the same token, smaller customizations and tweaks — like the different-colored bottle caps, logos, and cap attachment pieces across the Sustain line — are quickly noticed and celebrated by style-centric aficionados.

“When you start to look at those streetwear partners or those girls and guys who are especially trend-forward and really pushing the envelope, what they look for is something that doesn’t want to or need to ride their coattails,” McGee notes. “They want to find a brand that is authentically doing its thing that they can put their unique spin on.”

Of course, authenticity isn’t something achieved through buzzwords and “brand story.” It’s hard-earned — field-tested across decades. It comes with scrapes, scratches, and lots of miles. As McGee says:

“We’ve heard so many stories — from service members in the military who have told us that a piece of shrapnel that would’ve otherwise hit them hit their bottle, to people telling us that purchasing our bottle was their first step toward a healthier lifestyle, to nature hacks using a Nalgene bottle as a nightlight or pouring hot water in it to use as a heater in a sleeping bag — stories like that are something we really treasure.”

The new Nalgene Sustain line builds on the legacy that both McGee and fans of the bottle are so eager to highlight. The new line updates what is arguably the most recognizable reusable water bottle in the history of reusable water bottles with a true-to-form performance and technology-based step forward into the future. “Be yourself, but keep your eyes on the horizon,” it announces.

That balance of growth and commitment to history is a delicate tightrope to walk. This bottle handles it with style.

Nalgene

Perfume Genius shared his shimmering fifth studio album Set My Heart On Fire Immediately back in May. Since the singer can’t tour behind the release, he’s come up with different ways to stay engaged with his fans. The singer recently stopped by Santa Monica’s KCRW station to perform a few songs with a full band. Along with sharing some originals, the singer gave a moving rendition of Leonard Cohen‘s “Bird On The Wire.”

For his cover, Perfume Genius gave his backup band a break, opting to tackle the song with just his vocals and a piano. “If I could play this cover anywhere, I think I’d want to play it in a big church with a big pipe organ,” he said about the song. “Or, if somehow we could get the pipe organ to a deep, dark cave.”

Before covering “Bird On The Wire,” Perfume Genius gave a rendtion of his Set My Heart On Fire Immediately tracks “On The Floor” and “Jason.” Providing context to his music, the singer said: “I wrote ‘On The Floor’ about the idea of a crush, and how when it becomes desperate and obsessive, it can turn into this thing that lives on its own separate from you and almost detached from the person you care about,” he said. “Its own weird world with fictions and ideas all swirling around, and how it can be like a plague on you, and really taxing.”

In other Cohen news, the singer’s estate may sue the Republican National Convention over the use of his song “Hallelujah.” When the RNC reached out to Cohen’s label and his estate, they both promptly denied the request to use the song. But the RNC went ahead with it anyway, playing two covers of the track, which Cohen’s estate still owns the rights to. The family’s legal representative said they were “surprised and dismayed that the RNC would proceed knowing that the Cohen Estate had specifically declined the RNC’s use request, and their rather brazen attempt to politicize and exploit in such an egregious manner ‘Hallelujah’, one of the most important songs in the Cohen song catalogue.”

Listen to Perfume Genius sing “On The Floor,” “Jason,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Bird On The Wire” above.

Set My Heart On Fire Immediately is out now via Matador. Get it here.

In the days since Steve Nash was hired to coach the Brooklyn Nets, the assumption among fans and media has been that the decision was made mostly in accordance with what Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving would want. And while that still may be true, Nash put to bed the idea that his hire was made with Durant’s hands on the controls.

In fact, Nash made it clear that it was him who reached out to Nets general manager Sean Marks himself, rather than the other way around. We know Nash and Durant formed a strong relationship when Nash was an advisor with the Warriors, but this was not a case of behind-the-scenes negotiations between a superstar and a coaching candidate.

“Kevin and I have a relationship, we’re friends, but I did not talk to him specifically about this,” Nash said at his introductory press conference. “For me it was really trying to hone in on what I could bring to the table here and fulfill what this franchise is looking for.”

Since being hired, Nash has spoken with both Durant and Irving, he said. Even if their blessing wasn’t the sole green light for Marks, it’s clear Nash will have to gain buy-in from both players to be successful in Brooklyn.

Nash and Durant have their own relationship — the former was a consultant with the Warriors during the latter’s tenure in the Bay — but Nash expanded upon his past with Irving as well, dating back to when the two worked out together a few years back and which has continued to the present day. Nash went on to call Irving one of his all-time favorites.

Whether Nash explicitly spoke with either star player about the job and their involvement in the search won’t matter much when the basketball begins. That Nash has cultivated relationships with both and whether he can continue to do so will be the decisive force in the Nets’ success next season as they pursue the franchise’s first championship.

Spillage Village’s upcoming album Spilligion is coming out this month after the group released the video for its lead single “End Of Daze” at the beginning of June. The Atlanta-based group — consisting of 6lack, Earthgang, Hollywood JB, JID, Jurdan Bryant, and Mereba — last released a full-length project in 2016. This time around, they’ve added new members Deanté Hitchcock and Benji, and they’ve got some impressive backing from J. Cole’s Dreamville Records after the group featured prominently on the Revenge Of The Dreamers III compilation.

Since their last album, 2016’s Bears Like This Too Much, the collective has seen a marked rise in their individual profiles — especially for core members 6lack, Earthgang, and JID. Of course, 6lack released the critically-hailed Free 6lack in 2016, following up with East Atlanta Love Letter in 2018 and most recently delivering the 6pc Hot EP all while preparing his highly-anticipated third album.

Meanwhile, JID received massive praise for his 2017 debut The Never Story and its 2018 followup DiCaprio 2, making him one of Dreamville’s biggest standouts. He’s since toured practically non-stop, only taking a break for vocal cord recovery. Finally, Earthgang’s Rags, Robots, and Royalty trilogy of EPs brought attention to their debut album Mirrorland, which they’ve been promoting with creative videos throughout the pandemic and subsequent precautionary lockdown.

Other members like Deanté Hitchcock and Mereba released solo albums of their own — Better and The Jungle Is The Only Way Out, respectively — but fans have long wondered whether the group would ever return to recording as a whole. Today, they got their answer, along with the imminent release date: September 25.

Check out the official announcement from Dreamville Records above.

While filming Mission: Impossible 7 in Europe, director Christopher McQuarrie has been sharing travel photos on Instagram to give his followers some natural scenery to enjoy. There’s just one small problem. They’re now convinced each picturesque scene will be the target of one of Tom Cruise‘s wild, death-defying stunts. Case in point, on Thursday, McQuarrie posted a photo of a scenic waterfall:

On any other Instagram account, this would be a run of the mill pic from somebody’s vacation. But when you know that Cruise is in the mix, and filming another Mission: Impossible, then the possibilities are endless. Within minutes, McQuarrie fans like YouTube filmmaker Patrick H. Willems were already going to town wondering what insanity Cruise is going to do these rapids.

The comments on McQuarrie’s Instagram post are loaded to the gills with similar suggestions. However, the director shouldn’t be surprised, and he kind of set a precedent for these sort of reactions. Earlier in the week, McQuarrie shared this photo of Cruise standing next to a massive motorcycle ramp that looks big enough to launch the actor into the stratosphere.

On top of that, Cruise and McQuarrie found themselves in hot water after local media outlets began accusing the production of planning to blow up an historic bridge. While McQuarrie was able to defuse the situation by confirming that the bridge was not a national monument and that he had local officials’ blessing, the secret is out. Mission: Impossible 7 might be out here blowing up bridges that may or may not have Tom Cruise on them. Couple that with his unyielding pursuit of being the first Hollywood actor to rocket himself into space to film his next movie, and you really can’t blame fans for seeing an innocent photo and wondering how Cruise will use it to risk his life. The guy has a brand.

(Via Christopher McQuarrie on Instagram)

Maybe it’s because I haven’t been to a movie theater since March (shoutout to The Hunt, ugh), but the release of the Dune trailer is a capital-e Event. It’s because of the cast, including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Javier Bardem, and Jason Momoa (I need to know how he got the “With” credit). It’s because of the director, Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival filmmaker Denis Villeneuve. It’s because of the source material, Frank Herbert’s novel of the same, and David Lynch’s “half-satisfied” adaptation. And it’s because of the sandworms, which make a last-second appearance in the trailer above.

Here’s the official plot synopsis:

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence — a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential — only those who conquer their fear will survive.

Dune opens on December 18. Merry Christmas?

Earlier this year, Rick Moranis decided to officially end his retirement with a new Honey, I Shrunk The Kids movie (after sitting out multiple Ghostbusters opportunities), but given that the announcement dropped in February, those wheels probably aren’t turning too swiftly. Ryan Reynolds knows how to seize an opportunity, so he decided to nab Moranis for a sorta-preview event in the form of a Mint Mobile ad. The cellular company is one of Reynolds’ many investments, and he recently launched the “world’s most affordable” (and short-lived) streaming service to that end.

Now, we can take a look at Reynolds hanging out with Moranis while they promote Mint Mobile’s new unlimited plan. Reynolds uses their onscreen time to liken Moranis prolonged disappearance from the public eye to the cell company’s lack of an unlimited option. Until now.

Yes, it’s awkward, and intentionally so, but it’s good to see the 1980s mainstay, and fans of Spaceballs in particular should enjoy the absurdity of him making a return in this fashion. However, Reynolds is savvy enough in most cases, other than, you know, that plantation wedding, which he truly now knows was a “giant f*cking mistake.” It’s a nice way to tide over people who still hold a place in their heart for Rick Moranis, until he joins with Josh Gad, who will play his son (who also, you know, shrinks his kids) in the eventual Honey, I Shrunk The Kids followup.

Wiz Khalifa turned 33 years old yesterday and to celebrate, he dropped some music in the form of his Big Pimpin mixtape. Wiz must have been feeling young again despite getting a year older because he released the tape in a throwback fashion: Directly to digital mixtape site DatPiff, which was pivotal in his early come-up as it hosted early tapes like Kush & Orange Juice and Taylor Allderdice.

Big Pimpin contains 17 tracks (including three skits), with production by Harry Fraud, Mufasa, and Tai. It also includes guest appearances from Wiz’s Taylor Gang cohorts Chevy Woods, Saxlrose, and Young Deji, as well as a reunion with longtime partner-in-rhyme (and smoking), Curren$y, who comes through on the hazy “Prove It” to catch a vibe or two. The duo last collaborated on their 2019 album 2009, which commemorated ten years since their first joint mixtape, How Fly.

In other Wiz Khalifa news, the Pittsburgher is delving into the food service industry this autumn with HotBox By Wiz, a delivery-only restaurant operating in partnership with DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and Uber Eats in his hometown, as well as Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C., among other cities.

Listen to Wiz and Curren$y’s “Prove It” above.

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