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AEW Double Or Nothing 2020: Card, Analysis, Predictions

AEW Double Or Nothing (2020) airs this Saturday night, May 23, available on B/R Live, FiteTV, and on pay-per-view. The show features an AEW World Championship match between Jon Moxley and The Exalted One Mr. Brodie Lee, the finals of the TNT Championship tournament with Mike Tyson presenting the winner, a “casino ladder match,” and much more. Come back to UPROXX on Saturday night for full results, an open discussion thread, and everything else you need to know. Here’s the full card as we know it.

AEW Revolution Card:

1. AEW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Mr. Brodie Lee
2. Stadium Stampede Match: Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana, Ortiz, Sammy Guevara) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Adam Page, Broken Matt Hardy)
3. TNT Championship Tournament Final: Cody vs. Lance Archer
4. AEW Women’s Championship Match: Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida
5. Casino Ladder Match for a shot at the AEW Championship: Colt Cabana vs. Kip Sabian vs. Rey Fenix vs. Luchasaurus vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Darby Allin vs. TBA
6. Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Kris Statlander
7. MJF vs. Jungle Boy
8. Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes
9. (Buy-In) AEW Tag Team Championship Number One Contender Match: Private Party vs. Best Friends

As always, we’ve got your complete rundown of the card and analysis below, featuring predictions for all eight matches. Make sure to drop a comment and let us know who you think’s winning, and be here on Saturday night to see if you’re correct.

Here’s what we think will go down at AEW Double Or Nothing 2020.

(Buy-In) AEW Tag Team Championship Number One Contender Match: Private Party vs. Best Friends

AEW

What You Need To Know: All Elite Wrestling’s tag team division is currently being dominated by an anime nerd with unstoppable knee strikes and a cowboy who has been at home doing real cowboy shit. They’ve both got more important things to do, apparently — see the Stadium Stampede match below — so it’s a good idea to refocus the tag division post-total-quarantine and decide who’s getting the next shot. The top two challengers: Best Friends, who have been on TV a ton during the epidemic, and Private Party, who have not.

What Will Happen: The big question here is, do you give the next Tag Team Championship match to the team that’s actually been on TV for the past two months, or do you send out the Death Triangle to ruin it for them and give the win to a talented team that could really use some focus and momentum? Given that this is on the Buy-In, I think my prediction is that Death Triangle (or at least Fenix) shows up to attack Orange Cassidy on the outside, distracting the Friends and costing them the match. That way, you can have Best Friends and Death Triangle both get involved in the Casino Ladder Match, which already contains the connective tissue of Fenix and Orange Cassidy.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – This match should be a lot of fun, and I’m guessing Best Friends win because it’s a way to give the popular Orange-Chuck-Trent trio something more meaningful to do on Dynamite. Possibly this will start us down the road to Orange Cassidy vs. Michael Nakazawa.

Scott Heisel – Hey, Private Party is alive! The last time they were on Dynamite, the NBA was still in season. Cool to see them back on a bigger platform, but I don’t see how the Best Friends don’t take this. Maybe we’ll finally get to hear Chuck Taylor say “shit” on live TV — fingers crossed!

Raj Prashad – Best Friends have been on a roll recently and seem like the logical pick here to earn the No,. 1 contender spot in the tag division.

Elle Collins – The Best Friends have been real workhorses during the pandemic, and I think they’re going to get this win and the title shot that comes with it as a reward.

Shawn Spears vs. Dustin Rhodes

AEW

What You Need To Know: A few weeks ago, Shawn Spears happily clapped while Murderhawk Monster Lance Archer more or less murdered Dustin Rhodes to send a message to Cody. Spears hates Cody a lot, so he gets to live vicariously through the actions of a guy big and strong and mean enough to do something to somebody. With Dustin bordering on forced retirement, Spears decided to “rub it in” by ruthlessly mocking Dustin via CNN parody (?) and challenge him to what he assumes will be an easy match. And, because of Dustin’s almost certain injuries, he might get it.

What Will Happen: I think the most interesting story to tell here is Dustin’s lingering injuries and, for lack of more tactful phrasing, PTSD following Archer’s attack. Dustin should be able to beat Shawn Spears 9 times out of 10, but if Archer’s got him truly shook, he’ll have to defeat HIMSELF before he even gets there. Spears callously and opportunistically running up the score on an injured man is some A+ heeling, and would absolutely set him up as a motivated first challenger for Cody’s TNT Championship run. Especially if Archer kills Cody after the match, too.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – Nothing on this card makes up for the no-fans atmosphere enough for Double or Nothing to be worth the $50 PPV price tag, but this match is the least worth the $50 PPV price tag. At least Shawn doesn’t have an on-screen wife for Dustin to assault during this match, I guess.

Scott Heisel – I feel like this match solely exists to torment Brandon. I’ll pick Spears for the win, too — it’s gonna be a bad night for the Rhodes boys…

Raj Prashad – This one seems a bit thrown together with two guys who have no clear path forward. I’ve got Spears winning this one with the expectation that AEW plays up the ‘maybe it’s time to retire’ angle for Rhodes.

Elle Collins – We haven’t even seen Dustin since Archer demolished him. He’ll luck like a million bucks just by showing up and being able to compete. Then he’ll lose to Spears.

MJF vs. Jungle Boy

AEW

What You Need To Know: What happens when a rich kid who’s not really a rich kid faces an actual rich kid who never acts like a rich kid? We’ll find out when MJF, who has been sidelined for two months with a severe hangnail injury, takes on Jungle Jack Perry (™ Jim Ross), who hopes to avenge the humiliation of his child-sized friend and continue equating minimalist jungle living with sportsmanship and fair play.

What Will Happen: MJF cheating his way to another victory seems too easy. The part of my brain that’s never right makes me think the story is Jungle Boy surprising him with a roll-up, getting thrown around by Wardlow afterward, and being a catalyst for the eventual Luchasaurus vs. Wardlow match. Although we teased a Luchasaurus vs. Jake Hager match in this way for what felt like months and it never materialized, so … maybe MJF just cheats and wins?

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – Jungle Boy will defeat MJF in this match booked for all twink-enthusiasts and/or people who like to say “the future of the business.”

Scott Heisel – MJF has been *so* cocky about this that I think he’s going to lose to a flash pin when he drops his guard down ala Razor Ramon/1-2-3 Kid, which will then cause Wardlow to come in and destroy Jungle Boy, thus finally leading us to Wardlow/Luchasaurus like we all want.

Raj Prashad – After picking up the win over Marko Stunt, picking MJF to earn the win over Jungle Boy and eventually look for the trifecta with a tilt against Luchasaurus.

Elle Collins – I don’t think anybody wins this match, really. There will be Wardlow/Luchasaurus shenanigans, and they can set up whatever’s coming next.

Dr. Britt Baker DMD vs. Kris Statlander

AEW

What You Need To Know: A dentist is fighting an alien.

What Will Happen: The only problem: Britt might be seriously injured following Monday’s tag team match, so there’s no guarantee the match will happen at all. If it does, this seems like a really easy way to pivot from Nyla Rose vs. Indeterminate Challenger Of The Season to Hikaru Shida vs. Britt Baker for the title going forward. No disrespect to Nyla necessarily, Britt’s just been one of the show’s MVPs in 2020 and Shida’s been number one contender since we were born.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – Since I’m guessing Shida wins the women’s title at DON, I’ll say Baker beats Statlander here, which puts her on a path to challenging for the title soon.

Scott Heisel – The odds of this match happening as advertised seem significantly lower after Dynamite, as it looked like Baker injured her right knee after that Nyla Rose corner spot. If it actually does happen, either with Baker or a substitute (Penelope Ford, probably), expect Statlander to win.

Raj Prashad – Hopefully Baker wasn’t too seriously injured Wednesday night and is able to compete. Should she go through with this one, it’s one of the more compelling matches on the card, with both fighting for the next contender spot for the women’s belt. I’ve got Statlander picking up the win and moving into title contention.

Elle Collins – I’m just hoping this match still happens, after the Doctor injured her knee on Dynamite. Assuming it does, I’d like to see Kris get a big win here, to start building her back up toward the title scene, but considering all the effort AEW has been putting into Britt Baker as a character, I’m guessing she takes it.

Casino Ladder Match for a shot at the AEW Championship: Colt Cabana vs. Kip Sabian vs. Rey Fenix vs. Luchasaurus vs. Orange Cassidy vs. Scorpio Sky vs. Frankie Kazarian vs. Darby Allin vs. TBA

AEW

What You Need To Know: The number one contender to the AEW World Championship will be determined in the CASINO LADDER MATCH, in which wrestlers will start at the ground floor of a casino and battle their way to the roof, where they will have to climb a ladder and pull down a briefcase containing a contract, which — [checks notes] wait, I’ve got my notes all mixed up.

What Will Happen: The only winner that makes any sense here is Darby Allin, unless AEW randomly wants to run a Jon Moxley vs. SUPABAD Kip Sabian main event on the next show. Can Darby grind a ladder? I expect a ton of shenanigans — maybe some Best Friends vs. Death Triangle content as mentioned earlier, or even a throwback to the SCU vs. entry level Dark Order minions rivalry — but barring PAC barging his way into the match and winning, Moxley taking his turn at putting Darby over without actually losing to him seems most likely. I just want everyone to get through this without permanent spinal injury.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – With all this match’s weird stipulations, I think it’ll be a mess, but a potentially-fun spot-festy one as long as you can get past them doing this stuff without an audience. I feel like I’m wrong, but I’ll predict Rey Fenix wins because I want to send him some good vibes.

Scott Heisel – They’ve promised a surprise ninth entrant for this match, but don’t expect it to be Rusev, Zack Ryder or any other of WWE’s recently released talents — they’re all still under a non-compete clause for an additional two months. However, Drew Gulak’s contract recently ran out, meaning he is *not* under those same restrictions, so it could be him — but is that really a big enough surprise? I don’t think so. Maybe we get another Jeff Cobb one-off, but in all honesty, it’ll probably be something kinda obvious like Joey Janela or Jimmy Havoc. Either way, I’m picking Darby for the duke, and I’m already drooling at Darby/Mox II.

Raj Prashad – With Darby Allin cracking the top five in AEW’s championship rankings, he’s my pick to win and who I’d imagine has to be the favorite going in.

Elle Collins – Assuming he’s not hurt too badly from Wednesday’s fall, I think Fenix looks really good to win this. And if so, his title match against Moxley will be amazing.

AEW Women’s Championship Match: Nyla Rose (c) vs. Hikaru Shida

AEW

What You Need To Know: The number one contender to the AEW Women’s Championship for the past 12 weeks or so has been Hikaru Shida, a workhorse who will hit you with a running knee or a kendo stick, depending on which is easiest. She finally gets her one-on-one match against the champion, who hasn’t defended the championship much because of These Uncertain Times but is otherwise completely dominant and way too prone to licking the palm of her own hand. DURING A PANDEMIC.

What Will Happen: This should be hard-hitting and borderline dangerous at times, but as I think more than one of us has mentioned multiple times already in this preview, Rose hasn’t been able to compete much and Shida’s been number one contender forever. If she sits at the top of the division every week but can’t close the deal and become champion, what does that mean for her? I say give it to Shida, keep building up Britt Baker as the next big opponent (unless her injury is so serious she won’t be wrestling again any time soon), and finally, finally start giving the top of the women’s division some character-based stories.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – We don’t know much more about Hikaru Shida as a character than we did at the first Double or Nothing a year ago, but basically everybody likes her now and she’s shown she can have good matches with pretty much everybody, so I think she wins the title here.

Scott Heisel – Nyla’s only defended the championship once since winning it way back in February, which is a byproduct of AEW only having quarterly pay-per-views and of Rose being grounded from travel due to the pandemic. It would be weird to end her reign here, though I’d be way into Shida as the champ — she connects with me in a way Riho never did. This one is almost a coin flip for me, but I’ll pick Shida for the victory.

Raj Prashad – Rose has seemed relatively unstoppable of late and even though AEW tried to put some doubt in our minds with the table spot Wednesday night, I’ve got the champ retaining.

Elle Collins – I’d kind of like to see Shida win here. She’s such a good wrestler and has such star potential, I think she’d make a great champ. But Nyla’s only had the belt for a little while, especially if you don’t count the time she missed due to the pandemic, so I don’t think she’s dropping it yet.

TNT Championship Tournament Final: Cody vs. Lance Archer

AEW

What You Need To Know: WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson will present the brand new title belt to the winner of the TNT Championship Tournament finals. It’ll either be Cody Rhodes, the EVP who thrives in a high stakes environment dripping with classic southern wrestling pathos, or Lance Archer, the murderhakwed monster who is beyond ready to cause crimson masks and dramatic, dying crawls to the ropes. They’ll be accompanied to the ring by a coach with a tire iron and a belligerent snake-handler, respectively.

What Will Happen: Mike Tyson will show up in an Elite shirt, only to knock out Cody and tear it off, revealing the Suzuki-gun shirt underneath.

Seriously though, if this follows the trend of Cody’s other big pay-per-view matches, there should be a great story attached to all the blood and injury. Archer’s out to prove a point, and while I don’t necessarily think he’ll get the formal win and the championship, I think whatever win Cody manages to get will result in him being clawed and chokeslammed within an inch of his life. Does Lance Archer care about a TV title, or is the tournament just a means to an end to get the match he asked for in the first place? And if Cody had just granted him the match then, would this violent delight have had such a violent end?

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – The type of storylines Cody has are a lot more justifiable in a sports-based wrestling promotion if he has a title and he can’t win the world title, so he’ll win this title. This match could be fine or it could be bad; I just don’t want to see the senior citizens involved in this feud anywhere near wrestling and I don’t want to see any of this wife-assaulting stuff AEW seems to think is fun to have on their shows.

Scott Heisel – Cody should never win a championship in AEW ever. Murderhawk beats the ever-loving shit out of the son of a son of a plumber and even comes out on the winning end of a shoving match with Mike Tyson after the fact. Make him a star, Cody! (Just don’t let Jake The Snake and Arn Anderson actually fight, we don’t want to give the crown prince of Saudi Arabia any ideas.)

Raj Prashad – This one’s difficult. Cody can’t compete for the world title, so conventional wisdom would say he earns the secondary belt. But Archer is being billed as a monster heel and it would be stunning if AEW did anything to slow that build. Going with Archer to pick up the win.

Elle Collins – This is going to be one of those Rhodes Family drama bombs. Cody’s going to give it his all, but I think he’s going to lose. Mox is playing the hero with the top title, so it just makes sense for a monster like Lance Archer to hold the midcard belt.

Stadium Stampede Match: Inner Circle (Chris Jericho, Jake Hager, Santana, Ortiz, Sammy Guevara) vs. The Elite (Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, Hangman Adam Page, Broken Matt Hardy)

AEW

What You Need To Know: We were supposed to have a big, classic War Games match between the Inner Circle and the Elite, but can’t do it any time soon because of a variety of real-life reasons and sympathies. So instead we’re getting the “Stadium Stampede,” which is a falls count anywhere match in an empty NLF stadium; the kind of match you can do when your bosses own a football franchise and you’ve got unfettered use of an 82,000 seat building.

What Will Happen: They wouldn’t be doing a 10-man match inside an empty football stadium if they didn’t have a bunch of great spot ideas already planned, would they? It’s like how Kevin Owens saw the pirate ship at Raymond James Stadium and was like, “I want to jump off of that.” Give me Sammy Guevara doing a shooting star press off the scoreboard or something. Give me Matt Hardy teleportation gags turned up to 11. I want Matt falling into sinkholes and emerging as Genghis Khan. Let’s go balls out crazy here and make it as unforgettable as a real War Games match would’ve been. Also, bonus points if Jaxson de Ville catches a Judas Effect.

As for a formal pick, I think The Elite could really use this. The Inner Circle feels like they’re almost always coming out ahead in these fights, and nothing’s really on the line here but pride. Recommended finish: a swarm of nanobots flies into the stadium and avenges the death of Vanguard-1 with extreme prejudice. You don’t want to see Chris Jericho trying to hit a robot plane with a back elbow strike at the top of an NFL stadium while a plush Jaguar Man lay dead at his feet?

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – The Inner Circle wins, which kicks the intra-Elite strife back into gear now that Nick and Hangman are back.

Scott Heisel – This one is gonna be all sorts of ridiculous, and I’m thankful Hangman is finally back on our TV screens for the first time in two months. It seems like this match is more or less replacing the Blood And Guts match originally scheduled for March, so I’m assuming whatever character beats were planned for that one will be rolled into this one. The Elite will finally turn on Hangman, but not before he finds himself a beer stand in the stadium and has his fair share of cold ones. Inner Circle wins via Chris Jericho taking some home-run cuts on Matt Hardy’s body. (But wait! Who’s that coming down in a helicopter on the 50-yard line brandishing a bat of his own? It’s… It’s… It’s gotta be STING!)

Raj Prashad – This one should be a blast with plenty of options for the Inner Circle and The Elite to put together some unique spots throughout the football stadium. After months of torment, I’ve gotta go with The Elite picking up the win.

Elle Collins – The only thing we know for sure is that this is going to be bananas. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Inner Circle win here, only to get their comeuppance when it’s finally time for Blood & Guts. That’s my prediction, but it could go either way.

AEW World Championship Match: Jon Moxley (c) vs. Mr. Brodie Lee

AEW

What You Need To Know: Mr. Brodie Lee went from being a swampbilly cultist and a woodland hammer enthusiast to being a thieving Vince McMahon parody in charge of a multi-level market scheme of incelibates. Life comes at you fast. He attempted to establish dominance over the AEW World Champion by attacking him and stealing the championship, and even the champ breaking Lee’s prized henchman’s arm wouldn’t get him to give it back. So now they’re going to wrestle about it, Jon Moxley’s going to have to fight off Brodie and an army of Marko Stunt-sized masked guys at the same time, and the champ’s getting his belt back, one way or another.

What Will Happen: If this is anywhere near as good as those old Shield vs. Wyatt Family matches, this could be Moxley’s best AEW match so far. I can’t imagine a world in which Brodie Lee becomes AEW Champion in his first match against a real opponent, but I think he’ll take the champ to the limit in an engaging loss. Brodie Lee is a massive upgrade from Jake Hager in every way, and a motivated Mox deserves some equally hungry challengers to make his first title run something special.

Staff Picks

Emily Pratt – The Mr. Brodie Lee gimmick is whack but Brodie Lee the wrestler is cool, so I expect this match to be one of the strongest on the show. Moxley retains because he’s great at being champion and hasn’t been champion for that long yet.

Scott Heisel – I don’t know if I’m in the minority on this or not, Brodie Lee as the Exalted One still doesn’t make any sense from a visual perspective. His ring gear is unappealing, and his weird insistence on wearing suits outside the ring but still having a terribly unkempt beard and hairstyle just doesn’t work for me. Either go full-on corporate slimeball or dirty yourself up again. The middle-ground isn’t working. Lee just isn’t world champion material to me. Mox retains.

Raj Prashad – Moxley has been on a tear in 2020, but Lee offers his biggest challenge since winning the belt. Despite Lee looking to establish the Dark Order as AEW’s top stable, I’ve got Moxley picking up the win.

Elle Collins – I think this is going to be a really fun match. Some people complain about ex-WWE guys being at the top of the AEW card, but honestly Jon Moxley versus Brodie Lee feels like something I’ve never seen before, even though I have seen Dean Ambrose versus Luke Harper. These are two guys finally getting to live up to their potential, and that’s exciting. All of that said, there’s no way Mox is dropping the belt. Brodie stole it weeks ago, and this is where Mox takes it back.

There you have it, that’s what we think will go down at Double or Nothing 2020. Agree? Disagree? Want to hit us in the head with a brick for liking a thing you don’t like or NOT liking a thing you do? Drop down into our comments section below to let us know about it, and make sure you’re here on Saturday for our open discussion thread, results, breakouts, and more.

Then make sure you’re here on Wednesday when Brodie Lee’s AEW Champion, Kip Sabian’s the number one contender, Arn Anderson is somehow the TNT Champion, and we’re like, “wow, sorry, we got ALL of that wrong.”

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Adult Swim Revived ‘Tuca And Bertie’ After It Was Cancelled By Netflix

Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim brand of programming has long been a chance for under appreciated shows to get a second or even third chance at eyeballs. Now the latest beneficiary of that block appears to be Tuca and Bertie, the Netflix animation series in the style of BoJack Horseman which saw a single season on the streaming service.

Netflix cancelled the Tiffany Haddish and Ali Wong-led Tuca and Bertie in July of 2019 after a season which critics raved about the show and it developed strong buzz online. Its cancelation drew some controversy over how streaming services evaluate their shows, but it appears Tuca and Bertie was, indeed, beloved enough to give it a second chance.

On Friday, Adult Swim’s Twitter feed announced it was picking up Tuca and Bertie, with “new episodes” coming in 2021.

It’s unclear if the first season will also air on Adult Swim to get some Netflix-less cable subscribers some context as to what these hilarious birds have been up to in the first season. In the weeks after its cancelation, Haddish publicly hoped the show would find a new home in some capacity, so it seems that this news has been in the works for quite some time.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a source indicated that Netflix had to sign off on the deal allowing a show developed for the service to head elsewhere. There’s also an option for further seasons, great news all around for folks who felt the birds initially flew the coop far too soon.

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“Tuca & Bertie” Is Coming Back In 2021 Thanks To Adult Swim


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38 Kitchen Products That Are Totally Worth The Investment

Ina Garten is gonna be *so* jealous of your home kitchen.


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10 Famous Kids Who Have Basically Became Adults Since I Last Blinked My Eyes

And now I feel old AF.


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Quavo Joins The Class Of 2020 By Announcing He ‘Finally’ Graduated From High School

Those graduating high school and college this year had their plans thrown off course when the pandemic led to closed schools and canceled graduation ceremonies. In lieu of graduation, many musicians and celebrities joined efforts to host a virtual ceremony to celebrate graduates. Quavo just announced he’s part of the large group of seniors who had to virtually accept diplomas this year. The rapper announced that he has “finally” gotten his high school diploma and is joining the class of 2020.

When he was a teenager, Quavo had attended Berkmar High School in the Atlanta suburb of Lilburn. The rapper had been a part of the school’s football team where he was a celebrated player and record-setting quarterback who reportedly led his county in passing yards one year, according to Complex. But Quavo decided to pivot from football and dropped out of high school to pursue music full time just months before graduating.

Quavo’s music career was obviously successful, but the rapper still decided to return to school and finish up his GED to receive a diploma. Quavo has now successfully completed his courses and can officially call himself a high school graduate.

The rapper announced his achievement on social media accompanied by several photos of him beaming in his cap and gown. “Finally Can Say I Graduated High School Class Of 2020 We Lit,” he wrote on Instagram, adding: “Now What College Should I Go To?”

Along with sharing the photos, Quavo celebrated by releasing the Migos song “Need It” with YoungBoy Never Broke Again.

Listen to “Need It” above.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Affordable Single Malt Scotches To Sip This Weekend

Finding a good bottle of cheap single malt scotch here in the United States is tough. First, there’s the matter of import costs. The bottles have to get to the U.S. from Scotland — an added layer of expense. Then there’s the fact that scotch is aged for much longer than your average bourbon (which generally only ages two to four years). As we’ve said before, time spent in the barrel costs money.

That’s not to say it’s impossible to find good single malt in the U.S. hovering around the $30 mark. There are a lot of bottlers who buy up un-used barrels from distilleries and give them finishing touches in their own warehouses, then slap their own labels on. They vary in quality greatly, but there are definitely some drinkable expressions out there. Plus you have the standard or base versions of some single malts available — just straight, non-fussed-with expressions. Those can be quite solid, even without bells and whistles.

The ten bottles below represent a range of affordable single malts that definitely get the job done. We’re not talking the best single malt scotches ever. We’re talking about the best single malts in this price range that you can also get delivered. In the end, these are the bottles that can introduce you to a style without draining your bank account.

NOTE: With bars and tasting rooms closed, we’ve supplied tasting notes from the distillery here.

Glen Ness Aged 8 Years

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $20

The Whisky:

This label comes from Alistair Forfar. The bottler is known for buying up cheap barrels and releasing them as specialty labels under the Alistair Forfar shingle. Generally speaking, these bottles are going to have rough edges that work best when mixing, not sipping.

Tasting Notes (from Drizly):

“Rich, Oak, Nut, Long.”

Highland Queen Majesty Classic

ABV: 46%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

This expression from Highland Queen — which is probably better known for its blends — gets high marks for its drinkability. Famed whiskey reviewer Jim Murray (Whisky Bible) called this single malt “well-made” and with “no off notes at all.” That’s high praise for a very affordable dram of whisky.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Aroma: Sweet and fruity with light floral notes. Flavor: Soft and elegant with light fruit notes marrying nicely with the light oak tannin. Finish: Soft and sweet.”

Shieldaig Highland Finest Old

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $25

The Whisky:

Distiller, blender, and bottler Ian Macleod purchases Highland whisky from an un-named distillery to bottle this expression. The idea behind the expression is to highlight the peatiness of the northern reaches of the Highlands in the taste.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“The sharp fragrance of pine-studded islands. The flash of silver herring in the dark waters of the loch. The shawls of mist around the shoulders of the nearby Torridon hills.”

Glen Kirk 8 Year Old

ABV: 40%
Region: Speyside
Average Price: $25

The Whisky:

Glen Kirk — meaning valley church — is a sourced Speyside single malt that’s bottled under the Angus Dundee shingle. The whole idea behind the dram is to keep the process old-school so as to shine a light on the ways of the Speyside’s master distillers.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Glen Kirk Aged 8 Years has rich-tasting characteristics with a light, malty and mellow palate and smooth finish.”

Hamilton’s Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $25

The Whisky:

Hamilton’s is another bottle sourced by Angus Dundee. This label aims to highlight the Highlands as a sort of gateway into the regional style. The idea is that if you like this, you’ll be on a path to finding more Highland whisky to drink.

Tasting Notes (from the distillery):

“Nose: Intense and fresh with citrus tones and hints of spicy oak. Palate: Clean and crisp with pleasing harmony between natural sweetness and the soft spicy oak. Finish: Prolonged fusion of malted barley and oaky-vanilla.”

Tomatin Dualchas

ABV: 43%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $27

The Whisky:

Sold as “Legacy” back in Scotland, this whisky was created for the town of Tomatin. The whisky celebrates the fact that the town grew thanks to the distillery becoming the heart of the community. It’s also a great entry-point for Tomatin’s wider range.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Time in Bourbon barrels and Virgin Oak casks brings a light sweetness to The Tomatin Legacy, which boasts aromas of vanilla, marshmallow, pineapple, and lemon. On the palate gentle flavors of candy, pine, lemon sherbet, apples and sponge cake emerge ahead of a light, clean finish.”

Ainsley Brae Single Malt Oak Cask

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $28

The Whisky:

Alexander Murray & Co. sources their single malts from an undisclosed Highland distillery. They then transfer that juice into a wide array of finishing casks to add their stamp to the whisky. Their “Highland Oak” finished is the most straightforward and offers the perfect place to start.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“An aromatic whisky, fresh and vivid. Drawing nicely from the wood. Lots of garden fruits and light honey. Greengages and pear. Gooseberries. Yellow flowers. Vanilla. Lovely waxy notes. A perfect dram to celebrate a grand occasion.”

Grangestone Master’s Selection Rum Cask Finish

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $28

The Whisky:
This bottler and blender is actually based in England but is owned by Scottish heavy-weight William Grant & Sons. It’s rumored that Grangestone pulls Highland malts from William Grant for finishing in their own warehouses. In this case, the finishing took place Caribbean rum casks.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Aroma: A rich malty aroma with a biscuity sweetness and fresh fruit notes. A delicate leafy character is balanced with vanilla sweetness. Taste: Sweet and rounded with vanilla oakiness. The malty character carries through into the taste with subtle notes of caramelized fruits. Finish: Mellow and long-lasting.”

Aerstone Sea Cask Aged 10 Years

ABV: 40%
Region: Lowland
Average Price: $30

The Whisky:

Aerstone — also from William Grant & Sons — is made specifically for beginners. The whisky is produced at an un-named William Grant distillery and then mellowed for accessibility. It’s light, easy, but still holds all the classic hallmarks of a single malt scotch.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Nose: Light and floral with a subtle, nutty character. Delicate oak, malted biscuits, and creamy vanilla background. Taste: Lightly-toasted almonds, sweet cotton candy and a gentle vanilla oak, balanced with a touch of tannin. Finish: Lingering oak with delicate sweetness.”

Glenmorangie The Original Aged 10 Years

ABV: 40%
Region: Highland
Average Price: $32

The Whisky:

This is a bit of a fudge since it’s two dollars over $30. Still, it’s worth mentioning as Glenmorangie The Original is a wonderful gateway dram of single malt scotch. The whisky has a deep heritage in Scotland dating back centuries. The juice in this expression is aged for ten long years in used American oak, giving it a real depth at a very affordable price-point.

Tasting Notes (from the distiller):

“Aroma: The scent of citrus and ripening peaches is softened by the aroma of vanilla. Taste: First, vanilla is detected on the tongue before it ripples along the palate bringing a burst of flowery fruitiness. Finish: About a minute after tasting, you are left with a clean and salving aftertaste with hints of orange and peach.”

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Courtney Barnett Offers Up ‘Sunday Roast’ From Her Bedroom On ‘Fallon’

While many musicians have been forced to cancel their tours in the coming months, Courtney Barnett was lucky enough to finish her first-ever solo tour this year just before the world went into lockdown. Even amid the pandemic, Barnett continues to bring her fans solace through music. On Thursday, Barnett graced fans with an intimate performance of one of her Tell Me How You Really Feel tracks on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

Performing from her bedroom, Barnett was armed with an acoustic guitar for a stripped-down rendition of her ballad “Sunday Roast.” With expert fingerpicking and her recognizable cadence, Barnett delivered her lyrics with down-to-earth vulnerability. “It’s all the same to me / Just bring yourself / You know your presence is present enough / I got a front row seat,” she croons.

Ahead of her Tonight Show performance, Barnett partnered with other big-names in indie music for the benefit livestream “Courtney Barnett And Lucius & Friends.” Joined by Sheryl Crow, Fred Armisen, Sharon Van Etten, Bedouine, Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, and more, Barnett played a collection of hits and covers to benefit a coronavirus relief fund.

Watch Courtney Barnett’s “Sunday Roast” performance on The Tonight Show above.

Tell Me How You Really Feel is out now via Mom + Pop. Get it here.

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Future’s Efficient ‘High Off Life’ Is A Reliable Reminder Of Simpler Times

The future is often said to be uncertain, but Future — Future is nearly always a sure thing. On his latest full-length release, High Off Life, he proves this case, for better or worse. After charting new territory on his prior release, 2019’s The Wizrd, he retreats to the safety of his most well-trodden topics on his latest, perhaps wary of wandering too far afield for his fans or maybe just hunting for some sense of stability in disconcerting times. Whichever reason it is, it’s tempting to call it a disappointment, but Future’s competence in crafting his reliably scummy hits keeps High Off Life afloat, even if listeners might have wanted to see some true elevation from the 10-year veteran.

Fortunately, Future’s penchant for crafting inescapably crafty choruses of semi-intelligible but murky chants remains intact, buoying the proceedings accordingly. “Ridin Strikers,” “Posted With Demons,” and “Too Comfortable” are prime examples of the sort of refrains that Future’s crackling baritone makes sound like the sweetest poetry. Future makes short work of sneering precepts like Future’s ironclad inability to love these hoes or his tendency to sic his shooters on anyone who draws his ire. Get drunk, stay up way too late, sing these in an inebriated stupor — that’s what they’re made for and how they’re best enjoyed.

The production is, as usual, top notch as well, with clattering 808s and snare rolls that are easy to fall into as veteran producers CuBeatz, Southside, Tay Keith, TM88, Wheezy, and a cadre of their trap-traipsing brethren do what they do best. It’s all tied together with expert vision by executive producer DJ Esco, Future’s longtime collaborator and DJ who helped craft one of his career high points, the 2017 double album Future/Hndrxx. Their easy chemistry is evident in how smoothly the project glides along; Esco knows what sounds work for Future, how to sequence them, how to keep the moving pieces of an album churning along with well-oiled efficiency. It works.

Except, maybe it all feels too easy. It’s Future on autopilot, doing the same things he’s always done the same way he’s always done them. It feels like a tactical retreat to the familiar, unwilling to take any creative risks. There’s value in knowing your lane and sticking to it, but when it all starts to sound the same, maybe it is time to try something new — especially after Future showed what he might be capable of on his last full-length project, The Wizrd. While he’s always offering a glimpse of the heartbreak behind the callous exterior — “Accepting My Flaws” stands out here — it’d be nice if he got into specifics after 10 years of vague paranoia anthems sprinkled with dazzling flexes.

But hey, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Anything I could complain about here — the length, just over an hour, was something I actually praised on The Wizrd, while the boasts continue to encompass the usual, clothes, jewels, girls, guns, cash — is just part of the equation for a Future album. At this stage, what Future offers is the equivalent of comfort food, something that satisfies a specific hunger for a time until the next helping. Future’s specific formula fills a lane that only Future can — indeed, it’s a lane that Future himself helped create along “Life Is Good” co-conspirator Drake.

As the Torontonian artist points out on the hypnotic hook of that track, “Working on the weekend, like usual” is routine for them. With the world seemingly falling apart around us, who can begrudge Future’s fans for indulging their craving for musical junk food? High Off Life is escapist fantasy, harkening to a time when you could resist getting close to someone for fear of emotional trauma rather than risk of respiratory illness. It seems we all feel wistful for simpler times; if we can’t have them, than at least we can enjoy the simple pleasures that remind us of them.

High Off Life is out now on Epic Records. Get it here.