Category: Trending

Unless you entered a “darkness retreat” like Aaron Rodgers, you know that Rihanna was the headliner of the Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona last night, February 12. The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35, but Rihanna (and everything in her orbit) remain undefeated.

Rih ripped through 12 songs — the final of 39 setlist versions she filtered through in recent months — and she even revealed she’s pregnant with her and ASAP Rocky’s second child (as confirmed by her reps to The Hollywood Reporter).

Rihanna had teased to Nate Burleson ahead of the game that she was “thinking about bringing someone” out as a special guest. Nobody expected the special guest would be an unborn child.

A different special guest that became the internet’s darling: American Sign Language (ASL) performer Justina Miles.

Miles was technically initially introduced during Apple Music’s halftime show presser last Thursday, February 9, where she shared her excitement for signing Sheryl Lee Ralph’s pre-game performance of “Lift Every Voice And Sing,” also known as the Black national anthem. She called it “important” to be able to “bring that empowerment to millions and millions of Black deaf people all over the country who have never really seen that before.”

Miles separately touched on signing Rihanna’s halftime show to CNBC’s Make It: “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.”

The weekend is over and Valentine’s Day is basically here. That means that you’re probably going to be looking for that perfect gift so that you’re not scrambling on Tuesday during your lunch break. And what better gift is there than a fine bottle of whiskey for your special someone?

None, I say. To that end, I’m going to do some of the heavy lifting for you and name 20 whiskeys that will make a great gift this Valentine’s Day.

Below, I’m calling out bottles across bourbon, rye, Irish whiskey, Scotch, and Japanese whisky categories that flat-out wow (so there’s no need for a ranking here). I’ve broken these whiskeys down by price point between $0 and $100, $100 and $250, and $250 and up to give you a chance to get everything from a casual gift to something truly magnificent for your crush or partner.

That means then that some of these bottles are going to cost a mint and be a little harder to find depending on where you are in the country. My best advice is to read through the tasting notes, find a bottle that speaks to that special person in your life, and then click that price link to see if you can get it wherever you live.

Good luck!

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• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $20-$30, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $30-$40, Ranked

$0-$100 — The “Hello, Lover” Bottles

Fortuna Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $84

The Whiskey:

This whiskey — a revival of a centuries-old dead brand — is from the new company founded by Heaven Hill’s Andrew Shapira with partners Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky, based around the Rare Character Whiskey shingle. The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from six barrels of six-year-old whiskey that’s expertly batched and bottled with just a touch of local Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh orange blossom and nasturtiums mingle on the nose with honeycomb next to stewed plums with hints of clove and allspice.

Palate: The palate is luxurious with a sense of salted caramel, cherry Dr. Pepper, and sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spice, dark orange zest, brandy butter, and black-tea-soaked dates.

Finish: The end has a sense of plum pudding with burnt sugars and orange tobacco kissed with star anise and clove, rolled up with wild sage and cedar bark, and wrapped in old leather pouches.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This whiskey is a bourbon lover’s dream. This is the sort of bottle you buy for someone who loves quintessential bourbon but wants the best there is right now.

Lagavulin Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Offerman Charred Oak Cask Aged 11 Years

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $79

The Whisky:

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.

Who It’s Perfect For:

Thanks to streaming, Parks & Rec lives on in all of our hearts. That combined with the fact that this is an excellent and nuanced whisky that’s built for an American palate makes this is great peated single malt to get for Valentine’s Day.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Toasted Cherry Wood and Oak Barrels

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This whiskey — from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s own Origin Series — is their classic 95/5 rye that’s aged for almost five years. Then the whiskey is finished with alternating toasted American oak and toasted cherry wood staves in the barrel. Once the whiskey is just right, it’s batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic with fresh cherry layered with nasturtiums, cinnamon sticks, and soft cedar planks just kissed with clove, nutmeg, and anise before light red peppercorns and brandy-soaked cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate kick in.

Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead with a lush mouthfeel that’s full of spicy stewed fruits and ciders mixing with creamy vanilla and nutty bases over subtle chili pepper spiciness far in the rear of the taste.

Finish: The end pushed the woody spices toward an apple cider/choco-cherry tobacco mix with a cedar box and old leather vibe tying the whole taste together.

Who It’s Perfect For:

If you have a rye whiskey fan in your life, then this is the play. This rye is a unique and delicious bottle that works wonders in food pairings, easy sipping, and mixing into great cocktails.

Glenmorangie The Nectar d’Or Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $80

The Whisky:

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.

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.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is just good unpeated single malt. It’s classic, so easy to drink, and offers a great depth that’s iconic for a reason.

Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $68

The Whiskey:

Freddie Noe — Beam’s eighth-generation Master Distiller — created this expression by blending classic Basil Hayden with bourbon partially aged in California red wine casks. The resulting batch is then proofed down and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a hint of orange zest on the nose with sour mulled wine spices — star anise, cardamom, cinnamon — next to Cherry Coke and vanilla cake with white frosting.

Palate: The palate is soft yet creamy with a nutty spiced cake vibe next to zucchini bread with a dollop of butter next to tart-dried berries dipped in brandy with a hint of dark cacao in the background.

Finish: The end is pretty short (low-proofed) and finishes with a sense of old oak staves soaked in sour red wine with a dash of burnt orange and dried winter spice rounding things out.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This marries the world of California red wine with Kentucky bourbon. It’s a great match and a good gift for any hardcore red wine lover looking to get into bourbon thanks to a low ABV and easygoing demeanor.

Aberlour A’bunadh Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 56.2%

Average Price: $95

The Whisky:

A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the whisky in this Speyside bottle represents that idea for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. The whisky then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak.

Palate: The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla.

Finish: The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which lead towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is a great stepping stone from bold bourbon to deep and bold unpeated Scotch malt whisky. It’s big and brash on the palate but also sweet, nutty, and velvety. This is a great one.

Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The juice is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly 10 to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine.

Palate: The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate.

Finish: The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This wins doubly in that there’s some great whiskey in the bottle and the bottle itself works as a stylish decanter. That’s two gifts in one!

Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $69

The Whisky:

Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background.

Palate: The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness.

Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.

Who It’s Perfect For:

If you’re getting Scotch whisky for someone, there’s almost no doubt that they’ve at least heard of Johnnie Walker. Well, this is the best version that money can buy (until you get into the rare stuff). This is a fun and old whisky that’s also just really tasty.

Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

ABV: 56.25%

Average Price: $35

The Whisky:

This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness.

Palate: The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess.

Finish: The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.

Who It’s Perfect For:

Maker’s Mark is another brand that most bourbon drinkers will have at least heard of. This version is their apex with a deep flavor profile and accessibility almost unmatched in the bourbon game. Plus, it makes one hell of a Manhattan.

Noah’s Mill Small Batch Genuine Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57.15%

Average Price: $67

The Whiskey:

This is the bigger and bolder sibling of Willett’s Rowan’s Creek Bourbon. It’s the same whiskey — a no-age-statement bourbon that’s made from four to 15-year-old barrels — that’s barely proofed down with local Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Maple syrup-covered walnuts greet you with a sense of dark dried cherries and a hint of rose water next to old leather books and holiday spices.

Palate: The taste holds onto those notes while adding in a stewed plum depth with a whisper of caramel apple and orange oils.

Finish: The vanilla and sweet oak kick in late with a rich depth and well-rounded lightness to the sip fade towards lush cherry tobacco, soft leather, and winter spice matrix tied to prunes and dates.

Who It’s Perfect For:

Willett is one of those brands that elicits a lot of “oohs” and “aahs” thanks to a prestigious shine (and exclusivity). This is one of the best Willett bottles that you can actually get. It’s also quintessential Kentucky bourbon and will show that you care about bourbon too.

$100-$250 — The “I Choo-Choo-Choose You” Bottles

Nashville Barrel Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey UPROXX Single Barrel 6 Years Old January 2023 Barrel

ABV: 59.08%

Buy Here: $119

The Whiskey:

The barrel was chosen and bottled at the tail end of 2022 on a visit to Nashville Barrel Company. The whiskey in the bottle is a 6-year-and-two-month-old bourbon from MGP of Indiana. The high rye mash bourbon (75/21/4 corn/rye/malted barley) aged for five years in Indiana before moving to Nashville for an additional 14 months of resting. The bourbon went in the bottle at cask strength straight from the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with toffee, mild leather, orchard barks, blood orange, soft sweet grains, cinnamon sticks, cherry tobacco, plum, and a whisper of old pine accented by a touch of thyme.

Palate: The taste meanders through salted caramel, dates, cinnamon bark, cardamon pods, clove buds, and soft vanilla cake before leaning slowly into a spiced warmth.

Finish: The end arrives with sweet and chewy pipe tobacco, orange bitters, rock candy, and very light yet creamy cacao lushness next to hazelnut Manner Neapolitan Wafers and dry oak.

Who It’s Perfect For:

You cannot go wrong with a barrel pick of single-barrel bourbon as a gift. Nashville Barrel Company is one of the biggest names in that game right now and UPROXX’s first barrel pick is a great place to start that single-barrel journey for any budding bourbon enthusiast.

Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys 13 Years Old

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $173

The Whiskey:

Eddie Russell made this whiskey to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The whiskey is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.

Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.

Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is one of the best bottles Wild Turkey has ever released. Getting this as a V-Day gift means that you took the time to really find something special from the bourbon sphere.

Oban Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years 2022 Special Release

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $128

The Whisky:

This lightly peated Highland whisky from the tiny Oban Distillery is rendered from refill and new American oak barrels. That whisky is vatted and then refilled into Amontillado-seasoned casks for a final rest before batching and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lithe sense of lemon/lime saltwater taffy and Whether’s candies wrapped in white wax paper with a hint of lime leaves and wild sage next to salted smoked lemons and tangerines with a hint of really good and cloudy extra virgin olive oil speckled with smoked sea salt and freshly cracked red peppercorns.

Palate: The palate is silken and full of layers of smoked grapes, smoked plums, and salted chili pepper candies with a fleeting sense of violet and lavender creaminess tied to a lush vanilla underbelly.

Finish: The end has a mild woody chili pepper spiciness that’s dry and leads to a limber finish with warmth, lightly caramelized malts, and smoked apricot jam with brandy cream.

Who It’s Perfect For:

You can get a regular Oban 14 or Little Bay and be set. But is that really something special to give as a Valentine’s Day gift? Not really. Oban is a special whisky and their Special Releases are stellar. Lean into it.

The Balvenie French Oak Finished in Pineau Casks Aged 16 Years

ABV: 47.6%

Average Price: $217

The Whisky:

The whisky here is a masterful blend from whisky legend David Stewart. After around 15 years of aging, the whisky is transferred to Pineau des Charentes casks (a French fortified wine) for a final maturation, which is The Balvenie’s first foray into French oak finishing. The whisky is then bottled with a touch of water but as-is otherwise.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a soft floral note next to fresh honey, green grass, pear skins, cinnamon rolls with vanilla posting, and a hint of orchard woods.

Palate: The palate has a lemon meringue pie aura with subtle hints of honey-soaked gingerbread, shortbread biscuits, rum-raisin, and orange zest with a hint of salted dark chocolate lurking in the background.

Finish: The end has a light mix of ginger candies and cinnamon-laced dark chocolate creaminess with a whisper of apple/pear tobacco.

Who It’s Perfect For:

The Balvenie makes some of the softest and deepest unpeated single malts on the shelf. This new expression is glossy Scotch whisky that will speak to the wine lover in your life.

Writer’s Tears Red Head Irish Whiskey

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $199

The Whiskey:

This is classic Irish single malt that’s triple distilled before a long aging process. The hot juice rests in Spanish Oloroso sherry butts until it’s just right. Those barrels are batched and proofed before bottling otherwise as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt orange and peach skins mingle with a hint of salted dried mango next to red berry tea leaves, plum jam cut with clove, and a mild sense of brandy butter and scones.

Palate: Nutella comes through on the palate with a sense of rum-raisin, old sherry-soaked oak staves, and creamy vanilla cake.

Finish: The end leans into the brandy butter and scones with a sense of sharp orange marmalade and fresh breakfast tea cut with cream and honey.

Who It’s Perfect For:

Irish whiskey has come a long way in recent years and this bottle is a prime example of how deeply nuanced the tipple from the Emerald Isle has become. If you know anyone that loves anything Irish (or is a writer). this is the play.

$250 & Above — The “I Love You 3,000” Bottles

Talisker Forests of the Deep Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 44 Years

ABV: 54.6%

Average Price: $4,892

The Whisky:

This is one of the more unique Taliskers to hit shelves. The 40-plus-year-old whisky is made finished in casks made with staves that were charred with Scottish sea kelp and stave wood shavings. The staves are then used to finish the whiskey before it’s vatted and bottled 100% as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of classic fruit orchards with a hint of blossom next to briny smokiness from a distance that slowly fades into toasted seaweed salad tossed with roasted sesame seeds and chili oil with a fleeting sense of mild soy sauce lurking way in the background.

Palate: The taste leans into orange zest and maybe even lime leaves with a twinge of old and sweet oak before a twinge of soft rope dipped in seawater leads to a thin line of a beach campfire surrounds by grey stones and spitting rain.

Finish: A mild note of chili pepper arrives late with a mild waxiness tied to chocolate, plum, and pear with a final flourish of a fruit orchard in full bloom.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is one of the rarest whiskies on the list with just north of 100 bottles even making it to the U.S. That means getting one of these is the ultimate gift for true love.

Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 15 Years Old 2022 Release

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $3,246

The Whiskey:

This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line starts in earnest. The whiskey in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs.

Palate: The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup.

Finish: The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.

Who It’s Perfect For:

Pappy is always a good way to wow a loved one on Valentine’s Day. But not all Pappy is created equal and the 15-Year from last year is one of the tastiest in a while. Getting this bottle shows that you went beyond the hype and actually found the best bottle to share.

Mortlach Midnight Malt Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged for 30 Years

ABV: 49.1%

Average Price: $4,799

The Whisky:

This is 30-year-old Mortlach from a couple of barrels that actually made it that long without drying out or becoming undrinkable — it’s kind of a miracle in that sense. The vatted whisky was finished in a trio of barrels — Bordeaux wine, Calvados, and Guatemalan rum — before bottling completely as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lovely hint of malt dipped in honey with a touch of apple stewed with cinnamon and saffron that leads to roasted pork skin and fat cut with a sense of rosemary and singed sage before a honeyed oaked sweetness arrives again

Palate: The taste is like a creamy, apple-forward, malty lush elixir cut with hints of black pepper, burnt orange, and marzipan that leads to a sense of honey-soaked cinnamon sticks floating in apple cider.

Finish: There’s another rush of that black pepper late that leads to woody apple cores and wintry barks that eventually fade towards a mildly spiced apple-cinnamon tobacco leaf packing into an old cedar box.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is another rarity from a true whisky connoisseur’s distillery. If you get this for the whisky lover in your life, they’ll know you went above and beyond, and I don’t just mean the price tag. I mean that in that this whisky is astoundingly delicious, rare, and greatly desired by in-the-know whisky drinkers.

Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $7,026

The Whiskey:

Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these (at least) 20-year-old barrels from the Michter’s rickhouses based on… I guess just “pure excellence” would be the right phrase. The bourbon is bottled as-is — no cutting with water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A sense of dark cherry with deep rummy molasses, dried rose petals, old almond shells, and cedar bark mingle with a fresh pipe tobacco leaf just kissed with apple and pear essence with a hint of vanilla oils and old wintry wine spices.

Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness.

Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This was my favorite bourbon of 2022 because, well, it’s delicious. Getting this bottle is getting the best of the best for a bourbon lover.

The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Spanish Oak 2022 Edition “Tsukuriwake” Selection

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $3,999

The Whisky:

This Japanese single malt is all about marrying fine Japanese whisky with Spanish oak. The whiskies are aged exclusively in oak from Northern Spain. After the flavor profile hits the exact right depth, the barrels are vatted and proofed with a dash of water for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a medley of sultanas, dates, prunes, dried cranberries, and maybe some candied grape before veering toward a big umami note that’s halfway between a sun-dried tomato and a dash of powdered mushroom.

Palate: The palate opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spices, black tea-soaked dates, and almost creamy toffee next to orange oils and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans.

Finish: The end takes on a buttery vibe as creamy dark chocolate attaches to those espresso beans and a final hint of orange sneaks in late.

Who It’s Perfect For:

This is one of the best whiskies out there, full stop. It’s rare, delicious, and has that “wow” factor. Plus, getting a bottle of rare Japanese whisky shows that you’ve gone well beyond the ordinary to find something truly extraordinary.

Last night’s run of Super Bowl ads ranged from pretty bad to not terrible, but there were a few notable standouts that got people’s attention. Some did so in a not-so-fun way that had viewers raging at their televisions, while others were lovey-dovey or played well off their stars’ celebrity.

One that fans couldn’t stop talking about, though, featured Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh dancing to hold music in their living room while sharing Bud Lights. While the premise was simple and cute enough, the part that captivated Super Bowl viewers was the hold music itself. We’ve all heard it at some point; the synthesizer-washed easy listening-style composition is one of the more recognizable and widely-used examples of the genre.

But, of course, viewers want to know more. Why is that song everywhere? What’s it called? Who made it? And how was Miles Teller hitting those moves?

While we can’t really explain that last bit, the song, “Opus 1” by Tim Carleton and Darrick Deel, has already been pretty thoroughly investigated by the internet. The two composers were 16-year-old computer nerds obsessed with Yanni when they made the song on a four-track recorder back in 1989, and given to Cisco Systems when Carleton went to work for the then-startup in the ’90s.

As he designed the company’s phone systems, he offered the song to the design team, and it eventually ended up in the final product, which runs phones for hundreds of companies.

Unfortunately for Carleton, he didn’t copyright the tune or get his former employers to sign a licensing agreement, so he doesn’t get any royalties from it. But then again, neither does the TikTok creator who came up with the familiar concept years ago:

Sigh. I guess this is a useful reminder: If it’s even a little bit cool, the odds are very high a Black person did it first and didn’t get credit for their idea.

In her first in-depth interview since the Batgirl film was jarringly cancelled by the newly-formed Warner Bros. Discovery, Leslie Grace is pushing back on the claim that Batgirl was “not releasable.” It had been widely reported that the studio saw a tax write-off to canning the film as WBD pivoted away from the prior regime’s aggressive spending on HBO Max content. However, when new DC Studios chief James Gunn and Peter Safran unveiled their DC Universe plans, Safran said some choice words about the quality of Batgirl.

“I saw the movie, there were a lot of incredibly talented people in front of and behind the camera on that film. But that film was not releasable,” Safran previously said. “It happens sometimes. That film was not releasable.”

Grace rejects that claim. While talking to Variety, she opened up about how much of Batgirl she was able to watch before WBD pulled the plug on the film, which also featured Michael Keaton reprising his iconic Batman role:

I got to see the film as far as it got to; the film wasn’t complete by the time that it was tested. There were a bunch of scenes that weren’t even in there. They were at the beginning of the editing process, and they were cut off because of everything going on at the company. But the film that I got to see — the scenes that were there — was incredible. There was definitely potential for a good film, in my opinion.

Brendan Fraser, who played the Batman villain Firefly in the film, was also reached for comment to Variety, and once again, he did not hold back his thoughts.

“That was a gut punch. But then we learned that it was in the interest of writing down some debt? That part really stung,” Fraser said before praising Grace’s performance. “What I find most lamentable is that now a whole generation of little girls are going to have to wait longer to see a Batgirl and say, ‘Hey, she looks like me.’ That makes me sad. I know how good she was. And I know what this would mean to so many people.”

(Via Variety)

Donald Trump is an elite troll, so why would he sit out Super Bowl LVII? He was even teed up by Texas congressman and Trump supporter Ronny Jackson’s Rihanna slander last week.

As relayed by The Hill, Trump gave his unsolicited opinion on Rihanna’s Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show last night, February 12.

“EPIC FAIL: Rihanna gave, without question, the single worst Halftime Show in Super Bowl history,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This after insulting far more than half of our Nation, which is already in serious DECLINE, with her foul and insulting language.” Trump added, “So much for her ‘Stylist!’”

The latter bit was a reference to his Truth Social post from Thursday, February 9, again noted by The Hill: “Without her ‘Stylist’ she’d be NOTHING. Bad everything, and NO TALENT!”

Trump is likely holding a grudge over Rihanna’s consistent history of criticizing him, including her very fashionable celebration of Trump losing the 2020 US presidential election.

California Representatives Maxine Waters and Ted Lieu came to Rihanna’s defense:

Outside of the political arena, the response to Rihanna’s 12-song halftime performance was overwhelmingly positive.

The Fenty boss and nine-time Grammy winner revealed she’s pregnant with her second child, which her representatives later confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter. Rihanna and ASAP Rocky welcomed their first child together, a son, last May. And nobody enjoyed Rihanna’s dazzling return to the stage more than Rocky.

Watch Rihanna’s full Super Bowl LVII halftime performance here.

Vladimir Putin is in it to win it. “It” meaning his war on Ukraine, although victory isn’t coming quickly for him and possibly not at all. To add several insults to Russian injury, he’s been ditched by North Korea and is also apparently very upset about “crab” being a nickname for him as bestowed by Russian citizens. Not only that, but Putin is seeing his alleged girlfriend and a rumored lover be sanctioned by the U.S.

What next? Only an ominous warning from the U.S. for all of its citizens to immediately leave Russia. This isn’t the most surprising development, given that WNBA player Britney Griner went through hell and back before Russia finally admitted that the athlete was “wrongfully detained.” The newest warning (from the U.S. embassy in Moscow) has been relayed by Reuters:

“U.S. citizens residing or travelling in Russia should depart immediately. Do not travel to Russia. Russian security services have arrested U.S. citizens on spurious charges, singled out U.S. citizens in Russia for detention and harassment, denied them fair and transparent treatment, and convicted them in secret trials or without presenting credible evidence.”

The embassy further goes on to condemn Russian officials’ tendency to “arbitrarily enforce local laws” as they see fit against U.S. workers in Russia. Whereas the Kremlin is declaring that this is nothing new from the U.S. “[T]his is not a new thing,” responded Dmitry Peskov on behalf of the Kremlin. And he’s correct, yes. The U.S. State Department issued a similar warning in October after Putin began drafting his own citizens by the hundreds of thousands. At the time, the U.S. pointed out that they could not “provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia” except on a severely limited” basis.

The newest warning is a re-up, but perhaps recent intelligence led to amplified guidelines. In the meantime, The New York Times reports that the Kremlin is irked about Putin continuing to use the Wagner mercenary army to wage war. Lots of headaches over there.

(Via Reuters & New York Times)

David Jude Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy The Dove, aka Plug Two of De La Soul, was a true pioneer of hip-hop. The news of his passing yesterday — just days after De La Soul was celebrated as part of the Grammys’ 50 Years Of Hip-Hop presentation and weeks before the iconic trio’s music becomes available on streaming services for the first time ever — shook the hip-hop community, who flooded social media with expressions of dismay, grief, and condolences for Dave’s family and bandmates.

Dave’s influence was such that there almost isn’t a single rapper from the ’90s that his music didn’t inspire in some way, as seen by the online outpouring of love for him from alt-rappers, gangsta rappers, and pop rappers alike. Questlove, who is often among the most eloquent in sharing his thoughts about musician friends who have passed away, summed it up:

“thank David Jolicoeur, Kelvin Mercer & Vincent Mason (Paul Houston too) for everything. All too often we have to wait for tragedy to strike before we express how much someone means to us.

As eager as I am to educate & teach a lesson. I decided to erase it & not mask the sadness with brainiac smarts about why #DeLaSoul was one of the most amazing beautiful products of this culture of hip hop.

I just wanna thank them for the decades of zaniness, the fun memories of my teen years, the blueprint laid out that eventually brought Tariq & i together. The freedom of expression, those crazy skits, the fresh new ideas, the blatant honesty (especially in a time period in which it was frowned upon——listen to that “Stakes” verse….what a legacy to leave behind!!) psssssh that #Senyah flip on “Pony Ride” you told me about, i LOST MY MIND!!!!!!!!! when I heard that) —-so many creative gems.”

He also implored fans to stream De La’s music — and purchase it — when it again becomes available on March 3.

Meanwhile, dozens of rap luminaries including Busta Rhymes, Chuck D, Erick Sermon, LL Cool J, 9th Wonder, Pharrell, Redman, and many, many more shared posts honoring Trugoy. See more below.

Sheryl Lee Ralph delivered a powerful performance of “Live Every Voice and Sing” ahead of Sunday night’s Super Bowl, and what’s not to love? You’ve got the star of one of America’s most popular sitcoms, Abbott Elementary, bringing a beautiful rendition of the Black National Anthem to televisions around the world. Who could get mad at that?

First, Majorie Taylor Greene, but also Lauren Boebert, that’s who.

The Colorado congresswoman couldn’t help but hurl chunks of red meat to her conservative base by complaining about the presence of two national anthems instead of just one. She accused the NFL of trafficking in wokeness, and it’s not hard to hear the dogwhistles in Boebert’s tweet. She’s practically screaming them.

“America only has ONE NATIONAL ANTHEM,” an angry Boebert said. “Why is the NFL trying to divide us by playing multiple!? Do football, not wokeness.”

“Wait – I thought u stopped watching when players were kneeling,” Eddie J. Mauro tweeted. “Why would you care what songs are being played???”

“Hey, Lauren. I just heard your dryer signal go off. Your white hoods are dry,” wrote user KD.

“If you think that singing a song about a brighter future for Black Americans ‘divides us,’ I think that says more about you than it does anyone else,” Brian Krassenstein responded.

Kristin V. Shaw gave Boebert an education on the lyrics:

Perhaps we might educate you on the lyrics:

“Life every voice and sing
Till Earth and heaven ring
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty
Let our rejoining rise”

There are 100 reasons to share this beautiful song with our fellow Americans. There are zero reasons for you to complain.

You can see more reactions below:

(Via Lauren Boebert on Twitter)

Every now and then, U2 will rub people the wrong way with a promotional effort. Most notably, back in 2014, they upset a lot of iPhone users when they teamed up with Apple to put their then-new album Songs Of Innocence in every iTunes user’s library, whether they wanted it or not. Now, Bono and company have once again left people scratching their heads, this time with their Super Bowl ad from last night (February 12).

In the cryptic 15-second spot, a giant spherical object hovers over various areas as a news reporter says in a voiceover, “An unidentified object has been spotted over the skies.” In the end, the ad is revealed to be for U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere, the band’s upcoming residency at new Las Vegas venue MSG Sphere at The Venetian.

While Super Bowl ad campaigns are usually planned months in advance, the timing of this one was certainly peculiar, given the recent media coverage of flying objects like the Chinese spy balloon from earlier this month. Furthermore, the ad even has brief glimpses of what appears to be the actual balloon.

(Coincidentally, the Lockheed U-2 is a type of reconnaissance aircraft and as ABC-7 Chicago recently noted, “Pentagon sources say United States U2 spy planes were used to photograph the Chinese balloon in flight so intelligence teams could see how the foreign equipment operates, and whether there was a threat to national security.”)

Of course, this all led people to joke that perhaps it was not China, but U2, behind the spy balloon.

The band also shared a longer version of the ad; Find that below. They also shared a new version of Achtung Baby hit “One” from their upcoming album Songs Of Surrender, so check that out below as well.

The Kansas City Chiefs topped the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 in Super Bowl LVII on Sunday night, February 12, but for millions of people, Rihanna’s halftime performance was the one and only reason to watch.

Rihanna tore through 12 of her hits, reminding everyone just how deep her bag is. ASAP Rocky was spotted on the field, and he looked like a giddy fan hearing “Diamond” live for the first time.

At the end of her set, Rihanna appeared to hint that she’s pregnant with her and Rocky’s second child. Her representatives later confirmed her pregnancy to The Hollywood Reporter once the second half of the game was underway.

Rihanna and Rocky welcomed their son last May. During her Apple Music press conference last week, Rihanna shared with Nadeska how becoming a mother influenced her decision to take on the coveted Super Bowl halftime stage.

“When you become a mom, there’s something that just happens where you feel like you could take on the world, you can do anything,” Rihanna said. “The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all. It’s important for me to do this this year. It’s important for representation. It’s important for my son to see that.”

Rocky also shared insight into the moment with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe in January.

“I’m just as excited as you guys, if not more. I’m super excited. This is huge. This is incredible. I’m so glad that my lady’s back making music again and whatnot, and getting back out there,’ Rocky told Lowe, adding, “It’s just incredible, especially for both of us — it is a good year for both of us to be more active and be out there. But the Super Bowl is huge, and her being the creative she is, she going to bring it, man.”

There had been rampant speculation that Rihanna’s first performance in seven years would trigger an album or tour announcement. Instead, Rih doubled down on motherhood and living her best life with Rocky.

Watch the full Apple Music Super Bowl LVIII Halftime Show here.