Luckily, they might not have to. In a new interview with Ensemble Magazine, the “Royals” performer said the new LP is in the making and discussed how it’s been. “It has taken me quite a while [to start working on it],” she said. “I mean, I do just take a long time… I do a lot of research, I write a lot down.”
She continued, “Sort of a big chunk of work before I actually start writing music. So yeah, that’s been a really big part of it. It’s been super exciting, and I feel excited about what’s coming.”
As for the wait, she explained, “You know, it’s my intention, it’s always my intention, to move as quickly as I f*cking can, and then that ends up taking different forms. But this one, I really am trying to. I don’t want to wait, you know, so take from that what you will.” She added, “Anything could happen. Let’s see!”
We’ll never tell you what beer to drink at a particular time of year because there’s a place for every style, regardless of the weather outside. But we’re definitely partial to stouts during the frigid (often frosty) winter months. And we mean all stouts — Irish dry stouts, milk stouts, oatmeal stouts, imperial stouts, and barrel-aged bangers.
We can’t get enough of the warming, roasty, chocolate-filled style. Particularly during those short, frigid February days.
This is why we keep a few stocked all winter long. Those heavily invested in the beer world are no different from us, so we asked a handful of well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to tell us the one stout they always have in the fridge. Keep reading to see all of their picks!
Sometimes you have to go with a classic: the Guinness Foreign Extra Stout is the stout I cut my teeth on as a young pup. It was one of the beers that opened my eyes to the universe of flavors beer can have.
Tasting Notes:
Smooth, dark, slightly sweet yet slightly tart. The aroma and flavors of of freshly ground medium roast coffee.
I like to stock Allagash North Sky. This is a Belgian perspective on classic stout flavors, and I think the phenolic yeast character pairs very well with roast and light bitterness.
Tasting Notes:
This Belgian-inspired stout is filled with flavors like dried fruits, roasted malts, chocolate, and coffee.
Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout is a beer I always keep in my fridge. A classic style with dark roasted malts that is silky, smooth, complex, and has a bittersweet finish.
Tasting Notes:
The palate is loaded with flavors like dark chocolate, barley, roasted malts, and sweet caramel. The finish is slightly bitter and totally pleasing.
Always is a stretch, but Beamish is nostalgic for me and when I see it, I’ll grab some. Decades ago, when we were lucky enough to be in a huge liquor store, we’d explore beers by country. Germany was always fun, but dry stouts were another big attraction. Beamish became our favorite and a regular pick up.
Tasting Notes:
Chocolate, roasted malts, vanilla, and a nice, dry finish. It’s difficult to beat the appeal of a Beamish if you can find it outside of Ireland.
I sat on some cans of Only Beginnings, the collaboration between Highland Park Brewery and Firestone this year and started drinking them recently. A hefty and roasty 12.5% ABV stout with vanilla and Amburana wood.
Tasting Notes:
This was a great cold-weather camping beer – well balanced dodging the total melted ice cream body that’s in fashion lately, with great hop presence and cinnamon cereal sweetness from the Amburana.
Obsidian Stout from Deschutes in Oregon is always a go-to for me. A moderate ABV makes it so you can enjoy a couple and its available just about everywhere. It’s just a classic, well-made stout.
Tasting Notes:
Notes of bitter dark chocolate, caramel, dark roast coffee, and a hint of smoke are balanced by a generous hopping rate to keep any sweetness in check.
Central Waters Black Gold
Central Waters
Garth E. Beyer, certified Cicerone and owner and founder of Garth’s Brew Bar in Madison, Wisconsin
The one stout I keep stocked in my fridge is Black Gold by Central Waters because you never know when you’ll need to open a beer for a celebration, or a friend drops by to split something, or you get invited to a bottle share.
Tasting Notes:
It’s boozy. It’s chocolatey. It’s just a damn fantastic blend of barrel flavors and malt artistry in a bomber bottle.
A stout that I always keep stocked in my fridge is Campfire Stout by High Water Brewery. It’s actually brewed with molasses and graham crackers and tastes as close to a s’more in beer form as possible. It’s a great beer to have on hand, especially during the winter months.
Tasting Notes:
In the simplest terms, it tastes like s’mores. With its notes of graham cracker, dark chocolate, and roasted malts, it reminds me of hanging around the fire camping with friends.
North Coast Old Rasputin. Everything you could want in a Russian Imperial Stout, nothing more. Old Rasputin is loaded with aromas of dark chocolate and roasted malts.
Tasting Notes:
The flavor balances more roast, espresso, and dark fruity malty sweetness. It’s full-bodied and finishes slightly bitter. I like it best on nitro.
I only keep our stout stocked in the fridge. But, if I had to pick another great stout, I’d go with Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout. I would order that out at a bar if I were ordering a stout. It’s creamy, roasty, and surprisingly easy to drink.
Tasting Notes:
It starts with a nose of dark chocolate and vanilla beans and moves into a creamy palate of even more chocolate, vanilla, and roasted malts.
Donald Trump loves fewer things more than pelting his many enemies with childish nicknames, but the first one he came up with for Ron DeSantis was a stinker. “Ron DeSanctimonious” doesn’t roll off the tongue like “Crooked Hillary” or “Sleepy Joe.” (Then again, at least it’s not racist.) On Sunday, though, The New York Times reported that he was trying out some new ones for the Florida governor. And one of them was pretty good, if pretty mean: “Meatball Ron,” an apparent dig at his figure. Alas, it appears he’s denying they’re real.
“All of the Fake News is reporting that I spend large amounts of my time coming up with a good ‘nickname’ for Ron DeSanctimonious, who is obviously going to give the presidential ‘thing’ a shot,” Trump wrote on his rinky-dink Twitter clone. “They are all 100% wrong, I don’t even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!”
It’s hard to believe Trump doesn’t spend at least some of his time thinking up immature nicknames for people he doesn’t like. That includes DeSantis, his biggest potential 2024 Republican rival (who’s probably not ready for Trump’s wrath). What’s more, why would he deny “Meatball Ron”? It’s a hall-of-famer. Perhaps he realized it was pretty rich, even for him, to make jokes about someone’s weight given that he’s no Adonis either. Still, maybe he’ll start using it anyway, at least once he realizes he can do much, much better than “Ron DeSanctimonious.”
In news that should surprise no one, Steve Bannon — the right-wing conspiracy theorist who helped put Donald Trump in office — is a cheapskate.
According to a report from The Daily Beast, the former Breitbart co-founder owes possibly hundreds of thousands of dollars to members of his legal team representing him in recent federal and state investigations. Bannon’s been facing criminal charges in multiple cases over his alleged misuse of donations to a GoFundMe campaign intended to raise money to build a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Prosecutors have accused Bannon of money laundering and conspiracy to commit wire fraud which is why the FBI arrested him in 2020 — as he was vacationing on a Chinese billionaire’s yacht.
His legal team was instrumental in ensuring Bannon stayed out of prison and got a pardon from Trump while he was still in office, which is why insiders close to the racist demagogue are confused as to why he’d skimp on paying his own lawyers.
Bannon’s refusal to fully pay his bills has stunned some of his close advisers who’ve stuck around for years.
“I don’t have any reason to believe he doesn’t have money,” one associate said.
After all, Bannon is a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, co-founded the right-wing news website Breitbart, made tens of millions off the iconic sitcom Seinfeld, and hangs out with Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui. In fact, he was relaxing, reading a book on Wengui’s yacht just off the coast of Westbrook, Connecticut when he was arrested by FBI special agents in August 2020.
Bannon reportedly owes his longtime New York attorney Robert Costello more than $100,000 while his other lawyers, Evan Corcoran and David Schoen have either quit filing motions in his defense or asked to be removed from his counsel altogether. Bannon’s legal dine-and-dash is especially bizarre given the fact that he’s currently still under the microscope for his role in the Jan. 6th insurrection and he desperately needs representation if he hopes to win an appeal of a previous conviction relating to the House Oversight Committee’s investigation.
The world would be a lot better if we all could put our prejudices aside and see people for who they are as individuals. If we learned how to lean in with our hearts a bit more instead of our judgmental minds, we’d probably treat each other with much more sympathy.
Sadly, we still have a long way to go as a society until we reach that point.
One of the most significant ways that we misjudge others is by attributing their status, appearance and social skills to their moral compass. People who are economically disadvantaged, overweight, or socially awkward are often cast in a negative light because many think that everyone who falls short of a societal “ideal” have done so out of laziness.
However, that type of thinking is lazy in and of itself.
The saying goes, “You never know what anyone is going through, so be kind,” and it’s true. There are a lot of people out there who are struggling with things we don’t realize. Further, we have no idea what people have overcome to be where they are today.
To help people better understand what others are going through, a Reddit user by the name of anthropocener47 asked the online forum, “What kind of people often get treated with less sympathy?” Many responses are in support of those who are struggling with issues we can’t see.
The post went viral on Reddit, earning over 8,000 comments. The responses were a great reminder that we are often quick to judge others while knowing very little about them.
“Disabled people or people born with deformities/rare diseases.” — KommandaKoopa
2.
“People missing front teeth.” — bizobimba
RogerSaysHi added:
“This really sucks too. My husband fell and broke a front tooth a few years ago. We’ve tried getting it fixed several times, but the fixes just break off. We’re going to have to get him an implant, as he’s getting older, his teeth are getting more brittle. It’s just that implants cost as much as a damned used car. You can tell that it has kind of killed his confidence a little bit. He doesn’t smile as much as he used to. It absolutely blows.”
3.
“Socially inept people—can be due to disorders or simply due to awkwardness. If you can’t play the game and act ‘normal,’ sooner or later you will be made to pay for it. Sooner than later, probably.” — RavensQueen502
4.
“The homeless, the poor, the mentally ill.” — Ok-Equivalent-8509
SchemataObscura added:
“Came to say all of those and addiction.”
5.
“Poor people.” — Pretty-Benefit-233
Cmc added:
“This. There’s a real disdain towards poorer people like they should magically be able to make more money. For lots of people, they have disadvantages that make that more difficult—lack of education or support, lack of time, illness or disability, or even just being stuck in a neverending cycle and having to time/money/ability to get themselves out. For some others, they prioritize other parts of life over money, and there’s nothing wrong with making that choice for yourself.”
6.
“Ugly people 100%.” — dannywarpick
7.
“I had a hard time sympathizing with people who suffer from severe anxiety. My attitude was always ‘just deal with it, stress is temporary.’ Last summer, there was a series of events that triggered unprecedented anxiety for me, I didn’t eat for days at a time, barely slept, and could barely function at work. It was absolutely debilitating and felt completely uncontrollable. A week on vacation helped but it came back as soon as I got home. So I went to my doctor and he prescribed a few meds, which helped a lot. Now I understand that kind of crippling anxiety, and I’m a lot more sympathetic to those who struggle to manage it.” — EncanisUnbound
8.
“People in ‘unskilled’ positions. Sure, a burger flipper or custodian doesn’t need a college degree, but unskilled =/= not hard work. Having to prepare so much food in little time, deal with rude customers, and cleaning up stuff. The number of stories of people smearing poop on the walls. The stuff these people go through, people should feel sympathy.” — guzhogi
Brilliant Tourist added:
“Skilled tradespeople get no respect, and they deserve ALL the respect. We freaking NEED auto mechanics and plumbers. Without them, the world doesn’t run, period, full stop.”
9.
“Fat people. I’ve been fat and I’ve been skinny and the difference in how people treat you is astounding.” — iamanachogirl
Ragingfeminineflower added:
“I said this too. I’ve been both also. I lost weight and didn’t understand why suddenly everyone smiled at me, people started to bend over backward to help me with things, greeted me more, gave me more genuine conversation even… and yes, genuine respect. I slowly started to realize why. I am and always have been the same person, but I know who others terribly are now.”
10.
“Depressed or sad people. It’s a nightmare…” — disabled-R1ggs
11.
“People that don’t smile. My best friend is an absolute angel of a person but I’ve only seen him smile a few times over the last 7 years. Traumatic events are a mother f***er.” – rockonyou717
12.
“The extremely socially awkward among us. My younger brother has been diagnosed with OCD and autism, has zero friends, and has never been kissed or dated in even the most elementary type way (he’s almost 25 now). The world has not been kind to him throughout all this and it breaks my heart.” — [deleted]
rocket_dog 1980 added:
“Boy, this hits hard. My oldest son (17) is incredibly awkward. Adults (my friends and teachers) treat him great and have nothing but positive things to say about him. He has not been embraced by his peers though. He doesn’t have any friends his age. Most kids avoid him altogether. Sad.”
13.
“People who die of suicide. My cousin killed himself when he was 19. I was shocked at how people (many who didn’t even know him) reacted when they found out. People got angry at him and talked about how selfish he was. The priest who did the service at his funeral couldn’t even bother to express sympathy for him. He had a very hard 19 years—neglectful parents (bad enough to be removed by CPS), juvenile detention, and battling heroin addiction, and spent his last few moments hanging from an extension cord in a moldy basement. If that doesn’t make someone worthy of sympathy I don’t know what does.” — ladyphase
14.
“Shy people.” — RudolfMaster
15.
“The elderly. Elder abuse is rampant.” — janice-mericson
16.
“People who lose their temper when desperately trying to get people to understand that they have been abused.” — Salty_Technician2481
17.
“Migrant workers. Imagine moving to a different country, you work your ass off to earn a good living, and some stupid bastards tell you that you’re lazy or you’re ‘taking jobs from more deserving people.’ Xenophobia is the most prominent form of bigotry where I’m from and it is all just hateful, ridiculous slander.” — sheldonisautistic
Rihanna might have delivered an iconic Super Bowl halftime performance, but some are hailing Justina Miles, her American Sign Language interpreter, as the unexpected star of the show.
Miles is being applauded for the way she perfectly matched the pop diva’s energy as she mouthed the lyrics to hits like “Rude Boy,” “Work” and “Umbrella” while leaning into ASL’s inherently expressive movements. The whole thing felt like its own choreographed routine, and fans were here for it.
One video posted to TikTok showing Miles doing her thing with “B—h Better Have My Money” has already gone mega-viral at more than 11 million views.
“This gonna be the next TikTok dance trend,” someone commented.
Meanwhile on Twitter, someone declared Miles as the “true” half-time star. And that was only one of many, many, many people who had nice things to say.
Rihanna’s deffo pulling some queen shit BUT ALSO CAN WE TALK ABOUT THIS ASL INTERPRETER? She’s doing such a great job and bringing so much energy ♥️♥️♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/l8s62Jt7Rs
Miles is hard of hearing herself and has a deaf mother as well as multiple family members with mixed hearing abilities. She previously came to online fame back in 2020 for her version of Lil’ Kim’s 1997 “Crush on You” music video, where instead of just mouthing the words, she signed them in her distinctive flair.
The video, which was part of a viral TikTok challenge, received a flood of support online and even ended up reaching Lil’ Kim herself. Miles clearly has a knack for bringing hip-hop music to life with infectious enthusiasm. No wonder she was matched with Queen RiRi.
Prior to her halftime performance, Miles performed an equally enthusiastic ASL rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” known as the Black national anthem, during the Super Bowl’s pre-show.
Though she’s clearly having fun, Miles considers the moment as a win for more than just herself. During a press conference leading up to the event, she shared that for her, being the first deaf performer to interpret this song “was a chance to bring empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who have never really seen that before. I feel that is truly lifting every voice, even my voice.”
“I value the opportunity to make it possible for all deaf people to enjoy these songs, and not have them miss out on the full Super Bowl experience,” she said in an interview with CNBC. Her aim is to not only entertain, but encourage others to “not to let any obstacles prevent you from achieving your dreams, and to always believe in yourself to go beyond.”
It’s great that we are not only making culturally mainstream events like the Super Bowl more accessible to different communities, but in turn, more people are able to connect with less mainstream ways of life. When we allow more space for different forms of expression, it’s easier to see that, language aside, we’re all moved by performances that make us feel. Thanks to Miles, many people got to enjoy music in a whole new way.
Even though Yellowstone is currently on hiatus, the Dutton family loves drama so much that they simply had to stir up some controversy to hold fans over until the summer premiere.
Earlier this month, it was reported that the original hit series would be wrapping up in favor of a new, Matthew McConaughey-led series that will take place in the Yellowstone universe, with more fan-favorite characters expected to join. But what about the patriarch of the family, played by Kevin Costner? He might be over it!
According to Deadline, Costner’s shooting schedule was the main source of frustration when filming the fifth season. Allegedly, the Golden Globe winner only wanted to work for 50 days of his planned 65 for part one of season five. But when the time came to shoot part two, Costner supposedly “only wanted to spend a week shooting,” perhaps in order to move onto his next project, Horizon, from Warner Bros., in which he will direct and star.
While they have yet to officially confirm anything, earlier this month, a Paramount Network spokesperson told Deadline: “We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come. Thanks to the brilliant mind of Taylor Sheridan, we are always working on franchise expansions of this incredible world he has built. Matthew McConaughey is a phenomenal talent with whom we’d love to partner.”
Even if Costner doesn’t return, the numerous Yellowstone spinoffs have been doing just fine on their own, so maybe it’s time for John Dutton to hang up his ol’ cowboy hat. Or at least let Matthew McConaughey borrow it for awhile.
Father’s Day is always a great time to turn the dad jokes on dads. Last year, Maya Hawke paid tribute to her dad, veteran film star Ethan Hawke, who happened to go googly-eyed over Rihanna at the 2015 NBA All-Star Game. As the story goes (and as revealed in theseGetty images), Ethan attended that game and found himself with one person in between himself and Rihanna while enjoying courtside seats. That’s what Ethan alludes to with Photo #1 in an Instagram post as shown below. The “one person” happens to be Ethan’s son, Levon. Well, Photo #2 showed dad switching seats with his son, who may or may not have been face-palming in embarrassment. Photo #3 is shown above and may or may not reflect Levon’s amusement at the situation.
Ethan enjoyed Rihanna’s “brilliant” halftime show (and he is in good company, including Cardi B.), so he’s reliving his momentous 2015 occasion. On Instagram, he also wrote, “I’m hoping my son can find it in his heart to forgive a Dad for taking his moment.”
Ethan does look rather pleased with himself in Photo #2. However, he leaves some important stuff out here. As in, what are Ethan and Rihanna discussing in that third photo? That’s real “fly on the wall” territory, but I’m gonna go with this: they were definitely discussing The Purge.
The Last Of Us has been gifting us with some emotionally-charged plotlines, in between scenes of Pedro Pascal looking frustrated and that icky zombie guy. But there are people out there who seem to exist solely to complain about every move that HBO makes in regard to the show (or, like, life in general).
The series was met with backlash after a critically acclaimed episode featured a love story between two men, played by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett. But Bella Ramsey, who plays the fearless Ellie, doesn’t seem concerned about the haters.
In a new interview with GQ, Ramsey addressed the controversy, which she doesn’t let affect her. “I’m not particularly anxious about it,” Ramsey said about backlash over the inclusive storylines. She added, “I know people will think what they want to think. But they’re gonna have to get used to it. If you don’t want to watch the show because it has gay storylines, because it has a trans character, that’s on you, and you’re missing out. It isn’t gonna make me afraid. I think that comes from a place of defiance.”
Ramsey announced earlier this year that she identifies as non-binary, though she doesn’t have a pronoun preference. She also said that in between takes, she and Pedro Pascal would discuss sexual identity. “They weren’t always deep [conversations], they could be funny and humorous, the whole spectrum,” Ramsey said. Pascal’s sister came out as transgender in 2021, and Ramsey said that these conversations help different generations understand where each other is coming from. “We were just very honest and open with each other.”
Fans of the original video game series will note that Ellie was portrayed as a lesbian in the universe, so there will likely be more queer-inclusive storylines to come. The more the merrier!
The best Scotch whisky is going to cost you a little money — there’s no getting around that fact. You don’t have to spend a crazy amount of drink good Scotch whisky though. In fact, there are some great bottles that sneak in under $100 that you can actually find on most shelves. That’s a win-win and those are the sorts of picks that I’m focused on calling out below.
For this list of great Scotch whiskies, I’m naming 10 bottles of Scotch that both cost around $85 and freaking rule. That said, I am ranking these bottles. Scotch is not a monolith and there are some huge swings in flavor profiles in the below whiskies. Some of these whiskies are not going to be for everyone, and that’s okay because all of these whiskies are excellently made. Read the tasting notes and find something that sparks your interest.
When it comes to price, we are truly getting into the good stuff at this price point. Still, prices are going to vary by region. Click on the price links below to see if you can snag a bottle wherever you are. If you can, you’ll be in for a great whisky treat. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
The bulbous bottle from The Glenrothes is all about the sherry. The expression spends an undisclosed amount of years in first-fill sherry casks. When those barrels are just right, the whisky is then batched and vatted before being proofed down only slightly.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You’re met with candied orange peel spiked with hints of eggnog spices and a touch of gooey pine resin on the nose.
Palate: The taste holds on tightly to that candied orange while adding in a velvety vanilla cream generously dusted with those eggnog spices and a softer touch of almost sweet wood.
Finish: The finish zeroes in on the orange and nutmeg as the vanilla and oak fade away on the slow end.
Bottom Line:
This is a good spot to start, especially if you’re looking for a bridge between bourbon sweetness and Scotch whisky’s spicy malt. Overall, this is a good on-the-rocks pour that works well in cocktails with a bitter bite.
The juice from Jura is aged in ex-bourbon for an undisclosed amount of years. The whisky is then re-casked in seven barrels: first-fill ex-bourbon from the U.S. and Vosges, Bertranges, Jupilles, Allier, Tronçais, and Limousin barrels from France. The ripple here is that all of those French barrels were new (never held wine) when the whisky went in.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You get a burnt coffee note next to a dark chocolate bar cut with candied ginger and, maybe, a hint of strawberry on the nose.
Palate: Black licorice arrives with a note of burnt orange peels and grilled peaches with a drop of honey next to a wisp of beach campfire smoke.
Finish: The end lingers for just the right amount of time as the distant smoke fades, leaving a hint of sea spray, cacao, and burnt fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is a deep whisky that’s somehow familiar and comforting, thanks to a very easygoing vibe. Overall, I’d mix this into a cocktail where I wanted the whisky to shine.
This no-age-statement blend leans into that signature Walker marriage of Highland and Speyside whiskies with a small dose of Western Scottish whisky for good measure. The lion’s share of the whisky involved in this gilded bottle is Clynelish, a Highland whisky that adds a modicum of peat to the mix.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose balances old leather gloves and honeyed oats with meaty sultanas, cinnamon-spiced malts, a hint of anise, and an echo of grilled fruit.
Palate: The palate leans into the grilled fruit with a smoky underbelly and a savory edge (almost papaya) next to a lush vanilla cream and a sharp clove/allspice vibe.
Finish: The finish combines the dried fruit and honey with a twinge of florals as a whisper of earthy peat sneaks in late, kind of like a dry moss slowly growing on a tree.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskies that’s just good. It’s great in a highball with really good fizzy water and some botanical or floral garnishes. It also makes a killer cocktail base as well as an easy sipper over a big ol’ rock.
7. Lagavulin Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Offerman Charred Oak Cask Aged 11 Years
This brand-new release is the third collaboration between Lagavulin and Nick Offerman. This time around, the team at Lagavulin took 11-year-old malt and finished it in heavily charred casks that used to hold bourbon and red wine. Those barrels were then batched and built around flavor notes that pair perfectly with a steak dinner.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rich peatiness that’s tied to pecan chocolate clusters and dried cranberries with a dusting of sea salt, burnt orange zest, and fine nutmeg.
Palate: The palate dips those red tart berries in dark salted chocolate with cinnamon bark and clove buds next to espresso cream and a whisper of malty vanilla wafers with fresh honey in between.
Finish: The end has this enigmatic mix of smoked toffee, salted black licorice, and brandied cherries wrapped in cinnamon-laced tobacco and folded into an old cedar box.
Bottom Line:
This is a fun one. It’s not as wildly peaty as some Lagavulins and feels very dialed into an American whisky palate, making it a great addition to your bar cart. I dig this over some ice or in a cocktail.
6. Highland Park Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This yearly drop is part of a new line from the Orkney Island’s distillery. The whisky is a blend of single malts that are aged exclusively in old American oak that previously held sherry. The barrels are married and bottled as is, to assure you’re getting all the nuance and flavor of their malts meeting that oak.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a light sense of wildflowers on the nose with a rich vanilla husk that leads towards a touch of peat.
Palate: The taste is surprisingly silken (for a cask strength) with rich and buttery toffee next to honeysuckle, eggnog spices and creaminess, and a small dose of orange zest as a counterpoint.
Finish: The end holds onto the creaminess and spices as the peat just edges in with a whisper of resinous pine smoke.
Bottom Line:
There’s a softness to this dram that’s very enticing. I like this neat with a splash of water to let it bloom a little in the glass. You’ll get a deeper sense of creamy orange and winter spice with a softer and fattier smoke.
5. Caol Ila Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
Caol Ila is a tiny Islay distillery that is more familiar to hardcore whisky fans than the casual drinker. This expression is the distillery’s entry-point whisky that highlights the subtle peatiness, gentle aging, and the soft lapping of the sea against the distillery’s outer white walls.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a matrix of dried roses soaked in water touched by orange oils, almonds, and a trace of classic Listerine buzziness.
Palate: The sip has a savoriness that feels like olive oil speckled with coarse sea salt next to a distant billow of briny smoke, all counterpointed by sweet malts and fruits.
Finish: The finish sweetens the smokiness with a fruity-yet-spicy tobacco edge while the end fades towards an almost salty-sour hint of citrus.
Bottom Line:
This is getting into the really good stuff. Caol Ila is the whisky lover’s whisky and this is only the introductory bottle from the brand. Entry-level aside, this whisky poured over a big piece of ice is damn near perfection in a glass, especially if you’re looking for a deep yet easy-going sipping experience.
4. Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Nectar d’Or
This dram from Glenmorangie is a much-loved Highland malt. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed number of years. The whisky is then transferred to French Sauternes barrels which held sweet dessert wines where it spends two more years finishing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has that classic “shortbread cut with lemon and vanilla” vibe that makes some single malts so approachable on the nose.
Palate: The sip has a buttery toffee nature that’s layered with subtle oak, mild brown spices, and more fruits tied into a creamy pudding body.
Finish: The spice then leans a little towards ginger with that buttery shortbread as it slowly fades out.
Bottom Line:
This is soft and so welcoming from the nose to the finish. It’s probably the smoothest experience on this whole list that gives you great depth and a nice, familiar feeling from top to bottom.
3. Ardbeg Uigeadail Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The mix of peated malts, yeast, and that inky lake water from Islay creates a spirit that’s already full of flavors before it goes into the barrel. That hot juice is then aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. When the whisky in the barrel is just right, they’re blended into this single malt expression, proofed with local spring water, and bottled without any filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is a matrix of smoked plums next to lush Christmas cakes full of dried and candied fruit and citrus with plenty of fatty nuts, dark and wintry spice, and buttery caramel drizzle hit with plenty of sea salt next to a whisper of dried lavender and overripe, almost woody plantains.
Palate: The palate balances sweet berries and pear candy with smoky salmon fat and dark chocolate malts.
Finish: The mid-palate adds a hint of dried chili heat while fading towards a finish full of smoked fat, dried fruit, and a buttery dark chocolate sauce bespeckled with flakes of smoked pink sea salt and cedar chips.
Bottom Line:
This is a bold whisky that’ll have its fans and detractors. I love the peatiness here because it’s not over the top. It’s a briny, funky, fatty peatiness tied to fruitiness and nuttiness with a burnt chocolate underbelly that only widens and softens with a little water in the glass.
This is complex and dark in all the right ways and then bright and fresh just when you need it to be.
2. The GlenDronach Revival Aged 15 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Revival 15 takes its sherried nature very seriously. The juice is aged in a combination of Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks for 15 long years. Those casks are married and this whisky is brought down to a very easy-drinking 92 proof with that soft Highland water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark berry brambles with tart and sweet fruit, stems, thorns, and even a little black dirt draw you in on the nose with a hint of walnut shell and cherry pie.
Palate: The palate is a creamy-yet-bitter dark chocolate orange that leads toward a semi-savory fig countered by ripe apricot.
Finish: The chocolate comes back with cinnamon spice and more dark berries and walnut at the end.
Bottom Line:
This is f*cking delicious. It’s the most classic and wonderful unpeated single malt on the list. Pour it neat, over a rock, or in a whisky-forward cocktail. You will not be disappointed.
1. Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin next to savory (almost oily) herb branches and leaves.
Palate: The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe while this medley of caraway, fresh fennel, and sweet cardamom dance together on your palate.
Finish: The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.
Bottom Line:
While I love The GlenDronch Revival, there’s something about the funky green herbal and orchard notes of this whiskey that keeps calling me back for more. It’s unique but nostalgic. It’s like silk but full of surprises. This is such a good whisky. It also truly blooms with some water added, leading you through herb gardens, fruit orchards, and creameries on a sunny day.
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