On Wednesday, Amazon announced the end of its live streaming audio service Amp. According to Bloomberg, the service was launched in May 2022 as a competitor for chat apps like Clubhouse and Twitter’s Spaces feature (both of which have also since shut down), while CNBC reports the decision was made in the wake of a “sweeping review” of Amazon’s expenses by Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Per Business Insider, Amp had failed to meet internal goals for months.
Is Nicki Minaj’s Queen Radio Canceled Due To Amp’s End?
Amp, which operated a bit like its competitors but allowed users to play licensed music and take “callers” while on the air, thus encouraging a “radio show” style format, had hip-hop stars like Big Boi, Joe Budden, Nicki Minaj, and Pusha T as part of its launch and their shows and events were expected to draw plenty of users. However, that is clearly not how it turned out. As an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement, “We’ve made the difficult decision to close Amp. We learned a lot about how live music communities interact in the process, which we are bringing to bear as we build new fan experiences at scale in Amazon Music.”
As far as what happens to those shows now that Amp is shuttering, that remains to be seen. Amazon Music currently hosts its own exclusive podcasts, so it’s possible that it’ll fold shows like Queen Radio into its existing lineup and simply stream them from that platform instead. Like Spotify, which also shuttered its own Clubhouse clone earlier this year, Amazon has been increasing its focus on traditional podcasts, so if the Amp shows can be suitably revamped to fit the format, it’s entirely possible that Queen Radio will return in some form before long.
After eight years as a fan-favorite correspondent, Roy Wood Jr. is leaving The Daily Show. Despite calls for the comedian to take over the top spot after Trevor Noah stepped down late last year, Comedy Central has been in no rush to fill the position as it has worked through a series of guest hosts, including Wood. With an offer not being extended for the top gig, Wood has made the decision to step away and focus on the next steps in his career.
“I can’t come up with Plan B while still working with Plan A,” Wood told NPR while making it clear that he doesn’t want to work for The Daily Show while waiting for someone else to become the host. “The job of correspondent…it’s not really one where you can juggle multiple things. [And] I think eight years is a good run.”
Wood did make it clear that doesn’t hold a grudge against Comedy Central, and he would, of course, still be open to the hosting job if the network approached him with it.
“If you’re offered the chance to host The Daily Show at any point in your life… you have to stop for a second and consider that,” Wood said. “The next question becomes, ‘What does The Daily Show look like in 2024? And what does late night look like in 2024?’”
He elaborated further on his decision to leave in a post on Twitter/X this afternoon.
“You don’t own these jobs. You rent them. They are not yours. Ultimately, no matter how long you are there, you’re just passing through”- Doug Herzog
Wood’s departure leaves The Daily Show in an interesting bind as it continues to struggle with finding a new host. For a while, former correspondent Hasan Minhaj seemed like the top contender, and even Wood agreed that Minhaj has what Comedy Central is looking for.
“I think Hasan checks a lot of boxes that the network would want and people would want,” Wood told NPR. “Hasan’s young, he’s global and he has the political I.Q.”
But Minhaj’s chances went out the window last month when a New Yorker expose revealed he embellished certain anecdotes about his life, including one where his family was mailed anthrax, which didn’t happen. Shortly after the piece hit, Variety reported that Comedy Central was going back to “square one” in the search for a new host and would look “beyond” Minhaj for a candidate.
Who that candidate might be is anybody’s guess at this point.
As Loki gets ready to make his glorious return in Season 2 of his reality-breaking Marvel series, the Trickster God has his hands full right out of the gate. The first season ended with Loki returning to the Time Variance Authority, or TVA, after Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) made the calamitous decision to murder He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors), a Kang variant who was preventing the Sacred Timeline from falling into chaos.
However, when Loki returned, his partner Mobius (Owen Wilson) had no idea who he is, and judging by the newest sneak peak from Marvel, that situation doesn’t look like it’s improving anytime soon. In the clip, Loki fans can see what happens immediately after the Season 1 end scene, and clearly, the TVA doesn’t react well to a stranger suddenly appearing in their facility with dire warnings about an evil mastermind who’s been controlling everything from behind a storm at the end of time. They didn’t like that.
Here’s the official synopsis:
Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.
Loki Season 2 premieres October 5 at 9 ET/6 PT on Disney+.
Mr. The Bear himself Jeremy Allen White might have wrapped up season two of the hit culinary horror-drama (it’s too scary for some of us who are afraid of fine dining), but he’s just getting ready to promote his next project, the wrestling drama The Iron Claw.
The movie was given the all-clear to go ahead after reaching an interim agreement with SAG-AFTRA, which means the A24 film is all set to hit theaters this winter. Here is everything we know so far about the upcoming film, which is based on a very real family.
Plot
The film will chronicle the infamous Von Erich family of wrestlers and their tragic story. Fritz Von Erich became an AWA Heavyweight Champion in the 60s before having six (!!!) boys–five of whom became (or attempted to become) professional wrestlers throughout the 80s. While the bunch became successful inside the ring, the family suffered a series of tragic losses and accidents, and were often dubbed as “cursed.”
Cast
Zac Efron will star as Kevin, the eldest Von Erich brother. Harris Dickinson will portray David Von Erich, while Jeremy Allen White will take on Kerry Von Erich, and Holt McCallany will portray the father Frtiz. Lily James, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also star.
Release Date
The movie is set to hit theaters on December 22, 2023. As with other A24 films, it is expected to debut on streaming after a theatrical release, and potentially on Paramount+.
Trailer
No trailer has been released yet, though Efron released a first look on his Instagram. Filming took place last fall, so we should be getting some jacked-up footage soon.
Sherry cask finishing in the Scotch whisky game is nothing new. Doing it right on the other hand … that’s a whole other beast. There’s no getting around that blenders will put whisky that’s not quite there yet or slightly imperfect into a finishing cask to cover up those imperfections or out of a need to speed things up. That makes it easy to get duped by any sort of cask finish. But there are plenty of folks out there in whisk(e)y land who are doing it right. They aren’t cutting corners, they’re taking their time, and they’re adding something truly special to their whisk(e)y to legitimately elevate it.
Enter The Dalmore’s brand-new Cask Curation Series — Part 1. The first release in this new series shows how deeply important cask finishing can be when done right. In this case, that finishing was with sherry casks from the iconic Tio Pepe González Byass winemakers in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.
The team at The Dalmore put their heads together with the González Byass crew to find the perfect barrels of sherry (at all ages) to help finish very old The Dalmore Single Malt Scotch Whisky. This was less about the finish and more about marrying flavors from very specific sherries to very specific whisky. Trial and error was the name of the game as two teams of absolute masters found the perfect balance of wood, whisky, and sherry to create a trio of one-of-a-kind sherry-finished Scotch whisky.
That one-of-a-kind whisky led to 150 sets of three new bottles at 26, 28, and 43 years old. Since there are only 150 trio sets, this is a very rare and elite whisky product with a crazy high price tag — hell, you have to ask to be considered to pay your hard-earned cash for a set, it’s that elite. Naturally, I don’t know if it’s worth it for you because I don’t know who you are. If you’re looking for a truly unique whisky experience with elite-class whisky partnered with iconic sherry wood, then this is going to be a must-have. There are few whiskies that do a sherry finish better than these three bottles. So with that, let’s get into what’s actually in the set.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This new release is the youngest of three elite whiskies that The Dalmore is dropping. This very limited edition bottle is hewn from The Dalmore’s iconic malt that spent years aging in ex-bourbon casks. The whisky was batched and then re-barreled into a González Byass 2002 Vintage Sherry Cask (Cask #4) for years more of aging until just right. The final product was bottled 100% as-is to highlight the beauty of that finishing barrel on classic The Dalmore.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a bright sense of caramelized oranges, fresh floral honey, and ripe off-the-vine apricots with a deep sense of rich vanilla pods, dry cacao, and fresh almonds with a hint of cherry syrup.
Palate: Raisin-heavy spiced cakes are cut with bright orange zest on the palate as cherry syrup leads to almond cookies cut with vanilla oils and a sense of sultanas baking in the hot sun.
Finish: There’s a buttery sense of a fresh croissant on the finish next to creamy espresso for sipping, ginger rock candy, and lush vanilla cake cut with more orange oil, almond, and poppy seed.
Bottom Line:
This is funky and fresh and presents more on the sherry side of things than a classic The Dalmore. If you’re looking for that classic plummy port-finished darkness that the brand is known for, go elsewhere. All of that said, this is so light, airy, and bright, it feels like a wholly new whisky from The Dalmore. Make sure to add a little water to let the citrus and bourbon vanilla get extra creamy and really luxuriant on the senses.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series The Sherry Edition Aged 28 Years Finished in Very Rare Gonzalez Byass 30-year-old Matusalem Sherry Cask
This whisky starts off with The Dalmore’s ex-bourbon-cask-aged single malt. That whisky was then transferred into a 30-year-old Matusalem Oloroso Sherry, which is a dark, sweet, and spicy sherry with plummy depths. After a long rest, the whisky was bottled at cask strength to let all those dark sherry notes shine in the whisky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Black-tea-soaked dates, old leathery prunes, and rum-soaked raisins drive the nose toward black licorice ropes, dark and creamy honey with a hint of summer flowers, and a bright burst of star fruit with a deep sense of bourbon vanilla beneath it all.
Palate: Mincemeat pies and sticky toffee pudding (cut with orange zest and salted toffee) drive the lush palate toward bold marmalade, brandy-soaked pears cut with marzipan, and more of that black licorice with a hint of absinth candy.
Finish: Black cherries soaked in brandy and dipped in salted dark chocolate arrive late on the finish with a sense of sasparilla bark, dark molasses, and more of that mince meat pie vibe next to candied orange tobacco and whispers of cedar.
Bottom Line:
Holy shit, this is good whisky. It has that deep and dark The Dalmore vibe while going even deeper on a holiday spiced sherry vibe that just keeps delivering dark and delicious flavor notes on the nose, palate, and finish.
If this list was ranked (it’s not because this is only sold as a set), this would be number one by a country mile.
The Dalmore Cask Curation Series The Sherry Edition Aged 43 Years Finished in Very Rare Gonzalez 30-year-old Apostoles Sherry Cask
This long-aged version takes whisky that spends decades resting in ex-bourbon and batches it. That whisky is then refilled into a 30-year-old Apostoles sherry cask, which is a very sweet, spicy, and plummy sherry with deep woody depths. Once just right, the whisky was bottled at cask strength 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Summer honeycombs piled with bright and fresh oranges greet you on the nose with a sense of fire-roasted chestnuts, fresh raisins, sultanas, meaty dates, and a deep sense of bourbon vanilla with a touch of almond oil.
Palate: The vanilla gets vibrant and rich on the front of the palate as sweet orange binds with dark chocolate just flaked with salt next to huckleberry, black currant, and grapefruit pith with a flutter of oaky tobacco.
Finish: Apricot jam over a sweet and soft scone with a buttery edge drives the finish toward more juicy orange cut with sharp cinnamon, chocolate, and sea salt next to grilled pineapple studded with cloves and nutmeg.
Bottom Line:
This is a stellar whisky that really leans back into the brighter notes of the 26-year-old. It’s almost airy and bright even though it’s over four decades old. Overall, this is the pour you pour when you want something 100% unique and bright.
Dark rum is a great fall sipper to have on hand thanks to the mix of dark fruit, sweet caramel, and warming spicy notes usually found in their flavor profiles. Dark rums also make for some killer cocktails this time of year too. It’s a good time to start thinking about stocking some well-aged rum on your home bar cart, is what I’m getting at.
To help you find the tastiest dark rums to grab this time of year, I’m conducting a double-blind taste test. What does that mean exactly? With the help of my very patient wife, I was able to taste 15 pours of dark rum without any idea what brand or even style each dark rum was. I gave my wife two directives when picking the lineup though: One, don’t grab more than two bottles from the same brand, and two, don’t grab any flavored or spiced rum. All of my dark rum samples are in the same boxes and bins, so it wasn’t too taxing of an ask.
Once the dark rums were poured, I dove in and started tasting and ranking based on the flavor and depth of what was in the glass in my hand. To be very clear, I’m not here to discuss the veracity of these spirits. I know rum has a lot of additives and coloring; I also know that people lose their shit over those details and insist on purity. That’s not what this list is about. This is about dark rum bottles that are on shelves and how they taste. This double-blind tasting is looking for well-made distillates that taste good. It’s as simple as that. We can talk about additives and coloring in the rum game another time.
Sound good? Let’s dive in and find some tasty rums to sip and mix with this fall!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Nose: The nose draws you in with a mix of dried ancho chili, real maple syrup, hints of bitter chocolate, caramel candy, and a good layer of creamy vanilla with a note of woody winter spices.
Palate: The palate opens with a creamy dark chocolate-covered espresso bean vibe next to more of that creamy vanilla cut with cinnamon and clove that builds towards Christmas spice cakes covered in that same dark chocolate.
Finish: The end then veers into bright and lush fruits — star fruit, tangerine skins, and peach juice — with a nice sense of tiramisu creating a creamy finish.
Initial Thoughts:
Well, this is a nice place to start. This is good but very light. All those flavors are just there, making this feel like a cocktail base more than anything.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a leathery mix of oak, eggnog, honey, and toasted coconut with a dash of tangerine and almost floral coffee.
Palate: The spice marries the woodiness on the palate as peanut brittle, marzipan, and grilled pineapple leads to hints of black pepper and some tobacco.
Finish: That tobacco and pepper are complemented by leathery fruits, melon skins, and creamy spice with a vanilla base on the finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is perfectly nice too. It’s very woody and nutty but it works with the peppery spice.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of dried fruits next to woody spice and some vanilla but it’s very basic.
Palate: The palate is light but carries a sense of toffee cut with vanilla and cinnamon next to a whisper of peach and chocolate.
Finish: Honey molasses and more dark dried fruits (mostly raisin) drive the finish toward a very light and short end.
Initial Thoughts:
This tasted cheap and light but did have a profile that said, “Yup, that’s dark rum alright…”.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a mild sense of old oak and leather next to dark winter spices, dark berries, and a whisper of potpourri.
Palate: The palate has a rich blackstrap molasses sweetness and bitterness that leads to woody winter spices, red berries with a candied edge, and a hint of that dried floral vibe.
Finish: The end gets a little light but it’s more minerality than watery proofing as wet pipe tobacco and sweet vanilla candies dominate.
Initial Thoughts:
This was light too but had a much deeper and clearer flavor profile. It still felt like something you build with or sip slow.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is very grassy — almost wet straw — with a sense of leathery wood, old cinnamon sticks, and dried red berries.
Palate: Vanilla, dark fruits, oak tannins, and chocolate caramel chews drive the palate as touches of dried red berries and maybe a little black tea mingle on the mid-palate.
Finish: The end leans back into the wet straw and caramel as the vanilla marries to those dried berries with a spicy foundation.
Initial Thoughts:
This was fine but that wet straw vibe was a little off-kilter.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is deep with notes of old oak staves next to a spiced holiday cake full of candied fruits, raisins, dark spices, and buttery vanilla with a hint of espresso bitterness and maybe a whisper of gooseberry.
Palate: The palate leans into the wintry cake spice with a focus on nutmeg and clove creating a lush eggnog feel next to candied ginger, woody huckleberry, pine resin, and Almond Joy.
Finish: The end has a flourish of marzipan and fresh mint next to pineapple tobacco and more of those dark holiday cake spices all wrapped up with soft cedar bark and dry sweetgrass.
Initial Thoughts:
This has a ton going on and it all makes sense with a nice balance. It was a little dry and woody but I imagine over a rock that wouldn’t be an issue.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich caramel cut with clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg leads to chili-laced dark hot chocolate on the nose with notes of vanilla and orange.
Palate: The vanilla gets creamy on the palate as the caramel carries more dark winter spice, loads of dark chocolate, and rum-soaked raisins next to roasted almonds with a hint of suede.
Finish: Old oak and dry cinnamon sticks round out the finish with creamy vanilla and plenty of chocolate and a mild note of grassy cedar bark.
Initial Thoughts:
This is creamy and sweet with a classic dark rummy vibe emboldened by a lot of chocolate.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Banana bread with walnuts and plenty of brown powdery baking spice drives the nose toward light tropical fruit, oak, and caramel before a clear note of sweet black tea arrives.
Palate: That pineapple gets woody on the palate as more brown spice melds with sweet rock candy, old leather tobacco pouches, and plenty of vanilla.
Finish: The end takes on a banana foster vibe next to plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon, a hint of orange, and malty vanilla cream that ultimately leads back to a very clear sense of sweet black tea.
Initial Thoughts:
This was complex and very easy drinking, thanks to that sweet tea feel.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and spicy caramel leads to mulled wine, old cedar tobacco boxes, dates soaked in brandy, and deep dark chocolate that’s just kissed with sea salt and espresso oils with creamy vanilla lurking beneath it all.
Palate: Rum raisin, eggnog, and cinnamon bark drive the palate toward toasted oak with a sweet edge, dark espresso cream kissed with more dark chocolate, and five-spice that gives way to a hint of water chestnut.
Finish: The five-spice leads to sweet soy (almost like teriyaki sauce without the garlic) before rich caramel sweetness leads back to dark dried fruits and almost tart dark chocolate.
Initial Thoughts:
This is wildly complex and it works. The umami, dark fruit, and buttery sweetness just play so well together on the palate. This is next-level rum.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich cinnamon cookies dipped in nutmeg-heavy eggnog leads on the nose with stewed pears, overripe bananas, and toasted almonds next to an almost floral sense of pineapple.
Palate: Cellared oak and dark molasses open the palate toward lush vanilla, more cinnamon and nutmeg, and a bright sense of freshly cut pineapple full of fresh juice cut with those brown spices and soaked in rum, creating a pineapple holiday cake vibe.
Finish: A hint of peppery fatty smoked pork arrives late and perfectly accents the pineapple as notes of dark cherry jam, old spice barks, and dry orange zest mingle with old oak staves.
Initial Thoughts:
This is excellent, even if it is very pineapple-forward. It just works and runs so deep and it’s fascinatingly delicious.
Taste 11
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep with pine-y honey, fresh ginger, rum raisin, and old leather tobacco pouches with a hint of winter spice barks and dried orange, lemon, and lime leaves.
Palate: Overripe bananas and brandy-soaked figs mingle with deep dried and candied orange on the palate as dark chocolate attaches to winter spice, rich molasses cakes, and a sense of funky oak cellars.
Finish: The figs get jammy on the end as the spices sharpen and the chocolate takes on vanilla and gets creamy with a very Christmas spiced cake vibe running deep on the finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is just good. It’s funky, nostalgic, and deep.
Taste 12
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery fruit and toasted coconut lead to orange flowers, peach pits, and banana fosters on the nose with a hint of Almond Joy.
Palate: Honey and Nutella arrive on the palate next to gingerbread dipped in milk chocolate, light dry tobacco, and a hint of dill.
Finish: Pear and black licorice drive the finish toward more caramel sweetness and a dash of lemon pepper straight out of the 1990s.
Initial Thoughts:
This was fine. The profile was dialed but it was a little light all things considered.
Taste 13
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet dried leathery fruits open the nose toward rich vanilla, caramelized tropical fruits, nuttiness, and a good dose of winter spice mixes.
Palate: Those spices and vanilla mix on the palate to create a winter cake vibe dipped in dark chocolate with grilled tropical fruits cut with honey and chili spice.
Finish: And hint of old leather and oak arrive on the finish with a sense of banana leaves, pineapple skins, and more winter spice.
Initial Thoughts:
This either needed some water or time to open it up a bit. It was very tight in the glass and I feel like there was more here if I had the time to really dive into it.
Taste 14
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is very light and fresh on the nose with hints of vanilla, coffee beans, and plumminess.
Palate: Almond Joy and vegetable broth drive the palate toward old oak and a hint of apricot jam over light tobacco.
Finish: A hint of bourbon vanilla arrives late with a sense of wood spices, old tropical fruits (overripe), and soft chocolate.
Initial Thoughts:
This was very much a shrug. It’s fine. It’s also very flat.
Taste 15
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of roasting herbs on the nose with an almost fresh moment of sugar cane juice (right off the press) next to dark winter spices brightened with fresh ginger, mango juice, and pineapple cores.
Palate: The pineapple gets juicy on the palate before melding with rich dark molasses, darker chocolate, and a sense of creamy vanilla layered with rich and sharp winter spices.
Finish: Those spices, chocolate, molasses, and tropical fruit bind on the finish to create a rich and vibrant Christmas cake on the end that’s spicy, fruity, and softly decadent.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a really tasty rum that delivers a hardcore winter nostalgia vibe.
Part 2 — The Smooth Dark Rum Ranking
Zach Johnston
15. Brugal 1888 Doblemente Añejado Gran Reserva Rum — Taste 3
Brugal 1888 is produced in the Dominican Republic. The rum is aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks which they call “double-aging.” Those barrels are batched, the rum is proofed, and it’s bottled.
Bottom Line:
This tasted fairly cheap. That doesn’t mean “bad.” It just means that it’s made for mixing. Use it accordingly.
14. Papa’s Pilar 24 Solera Profile Dark Rum Spanish Sherry Cask Finish — Taste 14
This Florida rum is sourced from nine different rums from around the Caribbean and Central America. Those barrels are sent up to Florida where they’re batched and then re-barreled into Spanish sherry casks for a final maturation before batching, proofing, and bottling.
It’s worth noting that this is an official project of the Hemingway family. They’ve gone the Joan Woodward and Paul Newman route with this business and donate 100% of the profits from Papa’s Pilar to various charities.
Bottom Line:
This is perfectly fine rum. I’d use it for mixing cocktails.
13. Proof And Wood 2/3 Pot Still Rum Distilled in Jamaica 3 Barrel Blend — Taste 5
This rum is bottled in the U.S.A. from only three barrels of Jamaican rum. The rum first spent two years in ex-bourbon barrels in Jamaica before traveling to Kentucky where they were re-barreled into ex-rye whiskey barrels for another three years of rest — hence the 2/3 on the label. The three barrels were batched, just kissed with water, and bottled without any extra sugar, color, or flavor added.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that was fine. It was a little funky on the nose but ultimately finished strong. That slight imbalance is the only reason this is lower on this panel’s ranking.
12. Flor De Caña V Generaciones 30 Years Old — Taste 13
This rum is a true cane-to-glass experience from the slopes of the San Cristobal volcano in Nicaragua. This particular expression is a single barrel aged up to 30 years in the shadow of that volcano and is proofed with mineral water bubbling up from the volcanic soil underneath.
It’s also worth noting that this brand is made at a distillery that’s certified as 100% sustainable, carbon neutral, and fair trade.
Bottom Line:
This was very tight. It simply needs a lot of time, air, and water to get into the depth of this pour. I went back to this and after about 30 minutes and a few drops of water, it really bloomed in the glass. But that was no longer part of the tasting panel. Take that for what it’s worth.
11. Plantation Rum Barbados 2013 Limited Edition 9 Years Old — Taste 12
This limited edition from Plantation Rum is a sourced set of Barbadian rum. The rum (from West Indies Rum Distillery) is molasses-based, column and pot distilled and spent eight years aging in bourbon casks by the sea in Barbados. Then those barrels were sent to France where the rum was re-barreled into Maison Ferrand cognac casks for another year of rest before bottling at cask strength with no additives or coloring.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the good stuff. This was a nice sipper overall but felt like it’d really shine as a cocktail base for a rum old-fashioned or the like.
10. Angostura Caribbean Rum Aged Seven Years — Taste 1
While Trinidad and Tobago’s Angostura is probably best known for its iconic bitters, don’t sleep on their deep bench of rums. Their seven-year-old expression is a really solid entry. The juice is aged for at least seven years in ex-bourbon casks before it’s blended, filtered, proofed, and bottled with no sugar or spice additives.
Bottom Line:
This is a good standard dark rum to have on hand. It’ll make a mean cocktail and work as a sipper over rocks in a pinch.
9. Plantation Rum Venezuela 2010 Limited Edition 12 Years Old– Taste 2
This limited edition vintage rum from Plantation is sourced from Destileria Sofa’s cellars in Venezuela. The rum is molasses-based, column distilled, and aged in ex-bourbon for eight years. Then the barrels were sent to Javrezac, France for an additional four years of aging in Ferrand cognac French oak casks. Finally, those barrels were batched, just kissed with proofing water, and bottled without any additives.
Bottom Line:
This is a good all-around sipper with a deep profile. It was a little woody, but that can be solved easily with a big ol’ rock in the glass.
This Nicaraguan rum is made on the slopes of the San Cristóbal Volcano. The molasses is made from estate-grown sugar cane from that volcanic soil. The rums are then aged in ex-bourbon barrels for varying amounts of time before blending. It’s important to note that “18” is the average age of the barrels involved and not the age of the expression.
Bottom Line:
This was a pretty good sipper with a very approachable profile. This is the sort of pour that you sip with ice when you want a dark rum that delivers. I can also see this working really well in cocktails as a replacement for bourbon.
7. Mount Gay Barbados Rum Andean Oak Casks — Taste 6
Master Blender Trudiann Branker is creating some amazing Barbadian blends with Mount Gay’s Master Blender Collection. The fourth release takes Mount Gay rum that spent 14 years mellowing in former bourbon barrels just a stone’s throw from a beach and finishes that rum in South American oak from the Andies. After 11 months in those barrels, the rum is proofed and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is a very complex rum that takes you on a journey. I’d recommend taking the time to let this bloom in the glass with some time and water and enjoying the ride slowly.
6. Brugal Colección “Visionaria” Edición 01 Finished in Toasted Virgin European Oak Casks — Taste 7
This classic Brugal rum is made with their iconic Dominican rum that’s finished in special barrels using the “Aromatic Cask Toasting Technique”. That means that the rum was finished in special barrels that were toasted with Dominican cacao beans as the fuel for the fire. Those beans imparted chocolate aromatics into the wood to play with the rum that was eventually filled into them.
Bottom Line:
This was a chocolate bomb, sure. But it worked. The chocolate was part of the overall profile and not a dominating force. If you’re looking for a deftly layered chocolate-forward dark rum, this is going to be your jam.
5. Chairman’s Reserve Finest Saint Lucia Rum “Legacy” — Taste 8
This Saint Lucia rum is about the blend. The rum is made from barrels of both molasses-based rum and sugarcane juice-based rum (similar to rhum agricole). The rums were distilled on both pot and column stills before aging ex-bourbon barrels on their own. Finally, those barrels were batched, the rum was proofed, and then bottled.
Bottom Line:
This had a really attractive profile. It was so easygoing while offering a deep sense of well-made dark rum. Try it over a rock or in your favorite rummy cocktail.
4. Diplomatico Distillery Collection No. 3 Pot Still Rum — Taste 15
This limited edition rum from Venezuela is all about the pot still juice. The blend is a mix of 100% pot still rums that spent eight years resting in ex-bourbon barrels. The final blend was built to highlight flavor notes that the pot still imbues into the spirit.
Bottom Line:
This was just really easy drinking while offering a truly deep flavor profile. It wasn’t a “wow” sip but it was a very nice one.
This Indian rum is made from locally grown sugarcane at Picadilly Distillery in Indri, India. Once distilled, the rum spends 12 long years in ex-bourbon casks where it loses 94.4% of its volume to the angel’s share. Finally, the casks are batched, just kissed with local water, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This was a big surprise. It was unique but still offered a deeply layered dark rum tasting experience. I can see this working wonders over ice, allowing the deeper notes to shine.
This one-off rum from The Appleton Estate’s legendary Joy Spence is a recreation of the equally legendary J. Wray & Nephew 17-Year-Old from the 1940s — which is the rum that helped launch the entire tiki craze back then. The rum in the bottle is a blend of four very rare single-estate rums that mimics that iconic 1940s release exactly.
Bottom Line:
Even though this is made for making the perfect Mai Tai, it’s delicious on its own. It’s very pineapple-forward, but it’s fresh and real pineapple (a hard trick to pull off). And if you’re looking to make the best Mai Tai ever, this is the bottle to do it with.
1. Diplomatico Ambassador Selection Cask Strength Finished in Pedro Ximénez Barrels — Taste 9
This Venezuelan rum is made from a blend of 100% pot still rums. Those rums spent 12 years in ex-bourbon casks before being batched. Then that rum was re-barreled into Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for a finishing run before batching, proofing, and bottling without any added sweeteners, caramel coloring, or other additives.
Bottom Line:
This was the deepest and tastiest rum on the panel today. It just kept going, was delicious neat, and beckoned me back for more.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Smooth Dark Rums
Zach Johnston
There’s a lot going on with this list of dark rums. There are so many different flavor profiles, textures, and vibes that you really can’t go wrong finding the one that speaks to you the most.
That being said, the top four or five are the most stellar examples on this panel. Again, each one offers something a little different. So go back and re-read the tasting notes and find something that speaks to you. Or grab yourself a bottle of that Diplomatico Ambassador and be done with it. It’ll be a delightfully deep, spicy, and fun dark rum sipping experience.
Even with Drake’s newest album just hours away from release (theoretically), it looks like his fans can’t help but speculate about what else he’s got up his sleeve. While For All The Dogs is scheduled to drop this Friday, October 6 (less than twelve hours away as of this writing), there’s already a rumor going around that the third installment of his EP series Scary Hours is already on the way. As with many Drake rumors, it started with a cryptic post of his on social media — in this case, an Instagram Story reading, “Scary Hours for those who remain sleepless after all these years… shall we begin?”
Considering that Drake had to make a choice between finishing his tour and finishing For All The Dogs (choosing the album and pushing back its release date in the process), it seems unlikely that Drake has been simultaneously working on a second project. After all, such a release would probably only take attention from his new album — something that would be pretty counterproductive after the months he’s spent seeding excitement for it.
However, given the timing of the post, it was more likely a last-second promo for his new single “8AM In Charlotte.” Considering his propensity for the late-night recording sessions that often spawn his so-called “timestamp songs,” he was probably hyping fans up its release. Of course, given Twitter users’ fondness for deciphering clues (even ones that aren’t there) and taking practically everything literally, it seems that the figurative “scary hours” — i.e., Drake’s favored time for wrapping up projects with these freestyles — were mistaken for a reference to the Scary Hours EPs. He had certainly been teasing one back in June 2022.
Either way, it’s looking spooky out there for Drake haters as he preps the launch of his eighth studio album, just weeks before Halloween.
Earlier today (October 5), Netflix unveiled a new four-part documentary series about David Beckham, appropriately titled Beckham. Given that he’s been married to Victoria Beckham for over two decades now, she gets some screen time, too. In one particularly charged moment, David pushes back on a claim from Victoria (who, keep in mind, is also known in Spice Girls as “Posh Spice“) that she had a “working class” childhood.
In a clip shared on social media by Netflix today, Victoria tells an off-camera interviewer, “We’re very working… working class.” Then, from off-camera, David interjects, “Be honest.” Victoria insists she is as David repeats, “Be honest.” He continues, “What car did you dad drive you to school in?” Victoria starts, “So, my dad did…,” but David interrupts, “No, one answer: What car was it?” Victoria says, “It’s not a simple answer because…,” then David again interrupts, “What car did you get your dad to drive you to school in?”
Victoria responds, “It depends,” which got a “No no no no no…” out of David. Victoria then conceded, “OK: In the ’80s, my dad had a Rolls-Royce.” David says “thank you” and leaves the room, after which Victoria takes a frustrated pause.
At a time when it seems like things need to be either epic or edgy to pop, MAX’s pirate comedy Our Flag Means Death made its mark on the strength of its quirky goodness, its ability to (as showrunner David Jenkins puts it) make its audience feel seen, and a resistance to condescension in service of comedy and servicing its main relationship.
While resultant buzz and hard numbers surely helped the show secure its second season (which debuts tonight on MAX with 2 episodes), it’s easy to assume that the passionate fanbase played an outsized role in MAX’s decision-making. Check Reddit, Tumblr, and other social sites for fan posts and you’ll discover a powerful love fest comprised of fan art, fan fiction, and excitement for the places the show might go with the love-struck lead characters at its heart: Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby) and Blackbeard aka Ed (Taika Waititi). Who would want to let down such a vocal group?
Eager to get a sense of the impact of that explosion of love and support from fans and where things are going with Stede and Ed as we head into the new season, Uproxx spoke with Jenkins about last season’s finale, the meaning of happy endings, comparing the show to The Sopranos, and whether we’re going to get Muppets on the show.
Do you feel an enhanced level of responsibility because people are feeling seen by the show and have an affection for the show? Going into creating this second season, you’re obviously exposed to that, you know that that’s there, is there a danger of overcompensating and over-delivering for fans when you’re creating the second season? How do you defend against that?
I try not to think about it too much because I think the strength of the show is that it’s not super back patty. And I think once you get to the point where you’re like, “We’re doing a great job, we’re really doing an amazing thing,” then it’s going to suck. I do think that if you staff the room well and you create a good sociological imagination for the room of a bunch of people who have a bunch of different backgrounds and a bunch of different perspectives and you listen to them and then you try to keep the fan art out of it, keep the things people are asking for and clamoring for… As much as you can, I try to keep that out of the writer’s room and out of the creative. It’s fun to enjoy when you’re going through your thread, but it can’t come into the room. If you’re logically following what the characters are doing, it keeps you from getting high on your own supply hopefully.
Why did we need that break with Ed and Stede at the end of last season? Why couldn’t we continue the momentum of the coupling into season two?
I think because they’re both clumsy and they don’t know enough yet and they’re both emotionally very immature and there’s no way that they’re going to be healthy enough to sustain a relationship knowing what they know. And I think seeing Stede learn that he doesn’t even know what love is until his ex-wife tells him about it at the end of the first season. And Ed’s never let himself be vulnerable before and he gets really burned. Stede never knows what he’s done, he always underestimates his own power and how he can damage something just by doing things impulsively. And then Ed, what does a really damaged guy look like after he’s had his heart broken? I think to skip over those storylines I think gives us a lot less fuel to see them rebuild each other and just try to find a more mature way to be in a relationship.
Is there hope for these characters or are these fatal flaws? And by hope I don’t mean is everything going to be perfect for the rest of the run of the show? Is there hope for something more than just this cyclical thing where they break up, they get back together, they break up, they get back together, the Sid and Nancy of the sea. Is there hope for them to grow?
Sid and Nancy of the sea, that’s a good pitch. (Laughs) I think that, to me, the fun of it is there’s the ending of the thing, they lived happily ever after. Which apparently all cultures have different ways of doing that. Other cultures, instead of saying they lived happily ever after, they say, and the story goes on and on and on. And our insistence that it’s happily isn’t like what our relationships are. Our relationships are constant work and constant, is it going to capsize? Is it not? Oh, it’s really good right now, but what happens when it shifts? And so I like the idea that I want to see these two guys learn what a more mature idea of love is and then see them struggle to maintain it, which seems to be the story of all of our romantic relationships and a lot of our friendships.
Yes, it’s constant work, but there’s also constant reward, it’s micro treasures that you uncover along the way. And so seeing them do that, when I talked to Rhys, there was a notion expressed that it’s nice to see characters just hang out and be together. Can we anticipate seeing that at some point in the future with these characters where they can get over some of this and over the hurt?
I think so, and I think we get there in this season, but I think what, to me, mature love is being comfortable with a thing called midlife, which is just life without volatility. Sometimes being comfortable, just being okay is the hardest thing. It is their struggle to be, can we just be together and fine? Is an interesting struggle. But I think that has to be a struggle for it to be interesting and I think that there have to be moments where things are good. Tony and Carmela on The Sopranos, very troubled marriage. There are moments where things are all right.
I hope Stede and Ed aren’t modeled after Tony and Carmela.
That’s a different relationship.
Slightly different. Who’s who in that? Ed is Tony, maybe? No, maybe not.
Ed’s got strong Carmela energy.
That’s a good point. I think you’re actually right. I think Ed is Carmela and Stede is Tony.
I think that looking at Aunt Bonny (Minnie Driver) and Mary Read (Rachel House) as a George and Martha couple, where’s it’s like, that’s a very, very messed up, way more mature (relationship) than Stede and Blackbeard’s relationship because they’re dealing with marriage and committing to each other for a long time and they have a very poisonous view of it. But I think they’re looking at, who are couples that are successful? They’ve never seen a successful relationship. Ed’s parents are messed up, Stede screwed up his marriage. And to watch these two people who are damaged just learn how to be okay, that seems like a good journey to me. And I think you want to reward that with some times that are okay. That’s where it’s fun that they could die at any minute because they’re pirates, so other things can happen.
The ensemble was so strong in season one, it’s great in season two and you also have some guest stars this season. As a showrunner, do you ever get nervous that you’re going to lose the thread of the characters, that you’re not going to be able to service all of these characters with the same level of affection?
Always.
How do you balance that?
It’s tough. I think you can tell if a guest star is even (within) the script. You’re like, okay, this is a lot. And then you look at the page count. I think that was a thing with Will Arnett. We can get Will Arnett to play Calico Jack and it’s a fun, big character and it’s really easy to be, “Woo, Calico’s got a lot to do, let’s look at page count here. Let’s add a good sea story for Frenchie and Wee John, I haven’t seen them in a minute.” And I think with this show we’re blessed. We have so many muppets and everyone’s such a brilliant actor and any of these characters could have their own show. I think that the balance is always striking. Does everyone have enough to do? Does everyone have enough of a meal or even a bite in an episode and then with two fewer episodes, it’s definitely a constant struggle through this season.
You mentioned Muppets. Can you add literal Muppets?
You can always add Muppets. I would argue that Karl the Seagull is a Muppet in a way. We couldn’t use a seabird in New Zealand in season two, and so we had to figure out how to do it so all of Karl’s stuff was shot in Los Angeles. But maybe we should have made him a Muppet, that would’ve been a little easier.
As far as season three, do you have a plan in place or do you wait, take a breath, see how things are received?
Take a breath, see if this is something that Max wants to do again. They were really gracious in giving us season two and in helping us rightsize the show so that this is something that they would want to do post AT&T. Warner Discovery is being, I think, a lot more fiscally responsible. God bless AT&T and Jason Kilar for giving us the first season. But I think it’s a big show. I think for season three, if it makes sense for them and we have the fan response, we loved making it, they’re wonderful partners. I have a very strong notion of where I’d like to take that show for a third and final season. I’d love to go on this ride again. It’s a joy to make.
Without spoiling anything, does season two end in a way that if that was the last bit, that people aren’t going to light things on fire, that people will accept that as an ending? Is it satisfying or do you have to leave it open to try to push?
It was very important to me to land season two in a place where if this was it, this particular audience would feel like Ed and Stede had their due and it wasn’t just pain, but it was something that could be construed as a happy ending. And I think there’s a clear way forward for a season three, but I think if this were it, I think this could be a kind and non-upsetting and gratifying way to wrap the show up.
Over four years ago, the world first received news of the next Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg followup to HBO’s Band Of Brothers. A lot has gone down since then, but the pair did not forget about their audience. Not by a long shot, and Spielberg’s Amblin Television has officially joined forces with Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s Playtone for Masters Of The Air, which will be coming fairly soon to an Apple TV+ streaming device near you.
When? On January 26, 2024. That was easy.
This shall be the second such followup, more than 20 years after Band of Brothers on HBO in 2001. They later launched The Pacific in 2010, and the gang is now back together for a limited series starring post-Elvis Austin Butler and Barry Keoghan, along with Callum Turner, Anthony Boyle, Nate Mann, Ncuti Gatwa, and more. Yes, this new project is obviously based upon a true story as related in Donald L. Miller’s book, Masters of the Air: America’s Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany.
Apple TV+’s description further promises “a true story of brotherhood and American airmen in WWII Europe,” and back in 2019, Deadline summarized the project as “the story of the American bomber boys in WWII who brought the war to Hitler’s doorstep.”
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