BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
BTS had a bit of a reunion at a recent J-Hope solo concert, when Jin and Jung Kook took the stage while Jimin, V, RM, and Suga watched from the audience. The band members will soon all be finished with their mandatory South Korean military service, so fans are naturally wondering when the full-blown BTS reunion is happening. Well, if reports are to be believed, an approximate window has been locked in.
Per The Korea Herald (as Variety notes), a Hybe (the parent company of BTS’ label Big Hit Music) official said, “BTS’ comeback date is set for March next year.”
Another source also reportedly said, “While the exact date is unknown, I think it will be mid-March. I heard BTS is returning in the same month as their brother group Tomorrow X Together. It could be BTS first, then TXT — or the other way around.” Hybe CEO Lee Jae-sang also previously said, “We’re preparing alongside top-tier producers, but the artists also need time to reflect and prepare.”
BTS’ next album will be their first in a while, since 2020’s Be and Map Of The Soul: 7 – The Journey . Their latest single was more recent, with the release of “Take Two” in 2023.
Coi and the baby’s father, fellow rapper Trippie Redd, initially announced her pregnancy this past January, despite a tumultuous relationship that saw the two exchange accusatory messages via social media and song lyrics.
Coi continued working on new music throughout the pregnancy, dropping the What Happened To Forever? EP in February. Trippie, meanwhile, has been promoting his next album, Live Love Laugh Die, which does not yet have a release date.
The two rappers first met in 2019 as both were just beginning to gain public recognition for their music careers. Reports have their initial go at romance “fizzling,” with both making not-so-veiled references to their breakup in their music at the time. However, last summer, they both began to give indications that they’d rekindled their relationship, confirming as much in September.
However, after revealing the impending birth of their bundle of joy, messages between the two on social media suggested that they’d split once again. Despite their latest breakup, though, Coi’s father, rap impresario Benzino, told TMZ that the two are in “a positive place” as co-parents.
We’re officially halfway through the year, and there are a ton of new whiskeys for enthusiasts to get out there and chase!
Each month, we’re greeted by more and more new releases, some forgettable, many good, and a select few of them are really great. For this list, I’ve rounded up the absolute best new bourbons for enthusiasts to set their sights on, and this month’s can’t-miss releases include two phenomenal Tennessee whiskeys, a gaggle of well-aged Kentucky bourbons, and a few truly exceptional ryes.
At 2025’s midway mark, we’ve already seen several whiskeys good enough to warrant “best of the year” consideration. Will we see the field expand with June’s latest releases?
This brand-new offering from the Rebel brand showcases its bourbon after a secondary maturation in Cab Franc red wine casks procured in collaboration with California’s Childress Vineyards.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lots of red berry notes and black pepper with vanilla and oak tones lead on the nose. The Cab Franc casks strongly drive it, but that’s not a bad thing per se. The bourbon notes bubbling beneath the surface are your classic vanilla and burnt caramel.
Palate: The palate opens with the same nondescript red berry sweetness but veers into a hit of nuttiness with black pepper and a faintly floral note as it transitions to the finish. It’s clear that the finishing cask is doing most of the heavy lifting, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on your preference. Personally, I enjoy it despite wishing the underlying liquid were more discernible.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is brief and marked by floral, potpourri-like notes, which detract a bit from the steadier, red wine flavors found at midpalate.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic case of an expression that I wanted to like more than I did. On paper, it sounds great, and in the glass, it’s even pretty good, but with the base bourbon getting lost a bit in the cask finishing process, this is one I would recommend for folks looking for a curiosity more than undeniable quality.
Wyoming Whiskey’s new Buffalo Bill Cody expression is a fun one, created to pay homage to the iconic frontiersman’s legacy. For the release, the brand used grains grown in Wyoming soil, which were then distilled at their facility in Kirby, and utilized a collection of 26 barrels to create the final blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is full of peanut shells, honey, brown sugar, wintry spices, and a hint of cedar. It’s Wyoming Whiskey as you know it, but with a distinctly nuttier and more nougat-heavy aroma profile.
Palate: Once on the palate, you’re getting some restrained peanut brittle notes coupled with the aforementioned wintry spices, nutmeg, and hints of cedar. That nuttiness is really an enjoyable surprise, and it helps to fine tune the more muted honey and vanilla extract notes bubbling beneath the surface.
Finish: For the moderate finish, it’s the interplay of gentle spices like nutmeg and clove woven into restrained sweetness that makes the final impression. There’s also that raw almond shell note that brings it back into the nuttiness wheelhouse, which really balances it all out.
Bottom Line:
I truly didn’t expect to like this expression as much as I did, but even though the volume is a bit muted on each of the layers of flavor, they play off of one another in charming fashion. It all comes together for an undeniably pleasant sipping experience that doesn’t reach for the darker sweet notes that single barrel Wyoming Whiskey can achieve, but instead is a balanced showing with plenty to enjoy.
The colorfully named, Ass Pocket Whiskey, is currently on their third release: A set of 200ml whiskeys. The first is a 9-year bourbon, and this one is a 15-year bourbon, matured in char #4 oak barrels and bottled at 107 proof. Although the source isn’t stated outright, given the mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, this is likely another bottling of “Buff Turkey” bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with lots of walnuts, date syrup, and leather. After a few waves of the hand, you’ll also begin to pick up a touch of allspice, corn husk, and vanilla.
Palate: On the palate, this one starts distinctly sweet with Manuka honey hitting the tip of the tongue before Tahitian vanilla, date syrup, oak, and dilute apple juice unfold at midpalate. There’s also some faint Aleppo pepper notes and nutmeg, which temper the sweetness as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: For the finish, this whiskey reaches its conclusion fairly quickly, but it’s full of apple cider, vanilla, and oak.
Bottom Line:
With a name you either love or hate, it’s helpful that Ass Pocket Whiskey’s 15-Year Bourbon delivers a sipping experience that’s downright easy to like. It avoids the pitfalls of many bourbons in its age bracket by delivering a lighter flavor profile, but with the complexity enthusiasts expect from liquid this mature.
Pulling this one out of your pants is sure to elicit some laughs, but after one sip you’ll see it ain’t no joke.
For this new set of whiskeys, Milam & Greene set out to prove once and for all that a side-by-side bourbon aging experiment can bear wildly different results. With one half of the liquid set aging in Bardstown, Kentucky, and the other in Blanco, Texas, after five years, we’ve got these twin expressions. I tasted both, and they’re equally as good (and come in a set, so you don’t have to just take my word for it), but I opted to review the Texas edition, which is a dramatic 8 proof points higher than its Kentucky kin, below.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Hazelnut spread notes are assertive on the nose here, while an oak influence bolsters the aromas of apricots and apple juice, indicating that some barrel-driven notes will follow on the palate.
Palate: This liquid is very mouth-coating, but the sweet notes are brighter here than on its Kentucky counterpart, with white sugar, apricots, and apple juice flavors folded into some much more prominent black pepper notes. Finally, compared to its Kentucky expression, this one has more noticeable heat, which is welcome.
Finish: The finish is noticeably lengthy, with apricots, oak, butterscotch, and black pepper leaving a lasting impression before it fades.
Bottom Line:
While both versions of Milam & Greene’s “The Answer” set are delicious in their own right, for the full effects of Lone Star State aging, you’ll want to opt for this Texas version. With a noticeably chewier textural experience and a discernibly different flavor profile, it’s safe to say that this experiment has gone right.
Woodinville Whiskey’s second eight-year release is this incredibly dark expression, which follows in the footsteps of its bourbon release from last year. For this expression, Woodinville uses a 100% rye mash bill and matures the whiskey for 8 years in custom-specified, long-seasoned, toasted, and charred American Oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Notes of tarragon, dark chocolate, sage, honey, and fresh Rainier cherries emerge from the glass after this lovely whiskey is given time to rest in the glass. It’s a multi-layered and eminently enticing bouquet that encourages the first sip nicely.
Palate: The palate here is also multilayered, but more restrained than the nose, with black cherry gummy bears, cinnamon bark, and much gentler spice notes creeping in. Gone is the tarragon, replaced by nutmeg, and there’s a nice note of mature oak and spearmint that travels throughout each sip.
Finish: The short to medium finish has a touch of cumin to go with spearmint, barrel char, and honey.
Bottom Line:
Woodinville’s 8-Year Rye has such a lovely nose that you really want to forgive it for having a much more restrained presence on the palate. Alas, at this proof point, while likely ideal overall, it doesn’t have enough punch to live up to its potential.
All in all, this is still a perfectly nice pour, but one that left me longing for just a bit more heft.
This new Founder’s Reserve Rye features a blend of whiskeys sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee, aged for 14,13, 9, and 8 years. The final result is brought to a modest bottling proof of 47.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one has vanilla, cigar box, caramel, and honey, with subtle rye spice and raw mint tones, complete with a touch of soil. It boasts a robust nose that comes across as impressively full, given the fairly tame proof point.
Palate: After taking a sip of this whiskey, it wonderfully coats your palate with brown butter peaches, restrained raw mint, caramel, and mandarin oranges. Again, the mouthfeel is impressively fleshed out and expansive, making it feel like it’s proofed 10 points higher; that’s a good thing.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and buttery, with caramel, rye spice, honeycomb, and a sweet tobacco kiss closing things out.
Bottom Line:
This surprisingly juicy rye has plenty of brown sugar and other darkly sweet notes to satisfy bourbon drinkers, while still maintaining enough spice and herbal notes to keep rye fans corralled. That it ends with some lip-smack inducing heat is the cherry on top.
This new release from Calumet Farms is a hyper-aged bourbon crafted from a mash bill of 74% corn, 18% rye, and 8% malted barley. Non-chill filtered, the final result is minimally proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water before it touches the bottle at 58.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is full of butterscotch, vanilla bean notes, and pie crust, for a creamy and sweet introduction to this bourbon. Charred oak and leather begin to emerge after a few swirls of the glass, along with nutmeg and faint hints of cinnamon bark.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey really pops at first with some bright cherry notes before it evolves to include the caramel, toasted vanilla, pie crust, and pecans. The mouthfeel is really satisfying at 58.5% ABV, allowing the bourbon to really expand over time to coat your tongue and even sizzle with some spice-driven prickliness as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The moderate finish on this one finds the spice notes relaxing as creamier tones of caramel, vanilla bean, and nougat close things out.
Bottom Line:
Calumet Farms 17-Year Bourbon avoids venturing into over-oaked territory and instead delivers a surprisingly lush and creamy sipping experience that offers the complex layers of more mature bourbon with a flavor profile that carries traces from its youth. In short, this one is the best of both worlds in one glass, and whiskey enthusiasts will really appreciate those worlds colliding in every sip.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon is an absolute classic of the bourbon world, so I’m going to assume this one needs no introduction, dear reader. What can be said about the latest release, batch B525, is that this one is aged for 11 years and 6 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof bourbon is humming with roasted almonds, brown sugar, nougat, and very faint orange pith notes. After a few waves of the hand, the sweetness blows off a bit, and the nose begins to favor the nuttier, earthier aromas.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey follows a similar track with the sweetness gracing the tip of the tongue with brown sugar before almonds, nougat, and caramel come careening in. At midpalate, it veers into the earthier tones with nougat and more dilute caramel joining forces with peppercorns, nutmeg, and cornbread.
Finish: At the conclusion, there’s a fresh hit of oak and nutmeg to spruce up the lingering sweet notes of brown sugar on the medium-length finish.
Bottom Line:
Enough ink has been spilled over Elijah Craig’s Barrel Proof Bourbon to fill the Ohio River, so suffice it to say that this latest batch is an above-average expression for a brand whose baseline is excellence. It’s not quite a must-buy for folks who might have a bottle or two of this one at home already, but if you need to replenish your supplies or haven’t bought a bottle in a while, this is a great one to grab.
12. Angel’s Envy Cellar Collection Vol. 5 Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In French Oak Extra-Añejo Tequila Barrels
This whiskey begins with Angel’s Envy standard rye, aged for up to 7 years before being finished for up to 12 months in Patrón French Oak Extra Añejo barrels. For what the brand calls “the final touch”, they blend that with an 11-year-old rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is front-loaded with floral notes that aren’t immediately discernible as agave-adjacent, with white flowers and lilacs leading the bunch. Accents of vanilla, clove, butterscotch, and spearmint also make up the lovely bouquet of aromas.
Palate: In the mouth, the tequila influence is a bit more pronounced as herbal tea with a drop of honey, allspice, and agave syrup notes blend well with butterscotch, brown sugar, cedar, tobacco leaves, and green apples. The texture is fairly dense and juicy, and that helps as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish is lingering and full of orange blossom honey, touches of spearmint, black pepper, and vanilla. Green apple skin and cereal notes help draw the entire affair to a close.
Bottom Line:
It’s actually unfair how good Angel’s Envy’s latest Cellar Collection release is. This one is for the rye drinkers, plain and simple, and none of them should be afraid of the fact that it was finished in tequila barrels, as that finishing cask truly elevates the liquid and imparts some unique flavors that result in an incredible array of flavors.
It’s also unfair that this one didn’t crack the top ten, because in most months, this would be a top-three new expression. It’s that good.
Launched in 2024, Rare Character’s Limited Release series includes bourbon, American whiskey, and rye, released in small batches four times per year. For the latest iteration of its rye lineup, they’re bottling this batch of cask strength whiskey at 122.88 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is full of honeyed graham crackers, rye spice, sage, dark chocolate mints, and vanilla. It’s a rye-drinker’s rye with some faint herbaceous notes playing well with all of that spice and light sweetness.
Palate: In the mouth, RCLR Rye Batch 3 is medium-bodied with gentle heat and light sweet notes (honey, vanilla custard, and nougat), contrasting with the spices. Sage, peppercorn, allspice, and black tea notes can be found at the edges of the tongue while vanilla pudding, faint spearmint, and bitter chocolate occupy the midpalate.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and distills this whiskey’s core flavors down as the allspice, black tea, and vanilla custard notes hold the most sway.
Bottom Line:
Rare Character’s new Limited Release whiskeys are slowly starting to take the whiskey world by storm, and the latest edition of its batched rye deserves recognition on par with its Double Gold Medal-winning bourbon offering. Oh, and for an insider tip: Batch 04 of this lineup is coming soon and it’s even better than this one.
Rare Character is truly improving with every release, and they’re already one of the hottest brands in the industry.
Bourbon De Luxe is a revived brand under the Rolling Fork banner, a brand primarily known for producing excellent sourced rums, but with a budding name in the bourbon space. I’ve previously reviewed their outstanding 8-year expression under this lineup, and now we turn our sights to their 16-year expression, matured for twice the time and proofed at 126.1.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Brown sugar comes wafting out of the glass at first with some seared meatiness, leather, pronounced black pepper, nutmeg, and faint black cherry notes. It has great, subtle layers.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey has all the above, but also some orange peel and barrel char notes, which add a slightly bitter complexity that folds nicely into the sweetness. It’s not an off note, but it does disrupt the balance a bit while adding a bit of intrigue to consider when chewing the whiskey.
Finish: The medium length finish pulls moisture from the palate before making you salivate and leaving more brown sugar and oak in its wake. It’s a distinctly delicious send-off.
Bottom Line:
Bourbon De Luxe’s 16-Year Bourbon is a slightly chimeric sipper, which vacillates between overtly dark and sweet notes, and some more stern, earthy notes that bring it back to, well, Earth. At times dazzling, and overall very delicious, this is a pour that shows its age in impressive fashion.
This second edition of Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass Bourbon follows in the path of the first with a mash bill of 52% corn, 35% rye, and 13% malt, but this one uses a new corn seed varietal: Beck’s 6225. Also separating this year’s release from 2024’s is the proof point, which is now down two notches to 52.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A big hit of candied walnuts leads things off with baked green apples and black pepper picking up the slack. It turns slightly sweeter as you return to the glass for further investigation, as the aroma of caramel corn begins to develop.
Palate: The mouthfeel is dense and pleasant, and the flavors present include black cherries, caramel, pie crust, and oak. It’s a tightly wound core that travels over the tongue with ease, depositing a splash of each layer evenly over the palate.
Finish: The finish is surprisingly short, but the black cherry syrup, walnuts, and faint black pepper notes it ends with are rich enough to ignore that minor critique.
Bottom Line:
Heaven Hill’s 2nd edition of its Grain To Glass bourbon is a bit more restrained yet even more impressive than its first foray. Offering restraint and richness in contrast to the first iteration’s blunt force, this year’s offering represents a welcome evolution and is proof positive that this is a series that bourbon enthusiasts should continue to seek out, both in the present and in the future.
Nose: The notes of torched pears, vanilla pods, black pepper, maple charcoal, and apple leather come swirling to greet the nose like a cyclone of Tennessee whiskey aromas. It’s at once familiar, but also a bit gentler and more approachable than similarly proofed Tennessee whiskeys.
Palate: A big hit of maple candy, fresh apples, and pears kick things off. The sweetness is surprising but really beautiful and well-rounded, with some green apple and potting soil notes transitioning it into the oak and toffee notes.
Finish: The finish is moderately lengthy and has some pot still funk with black pepper and toffee flavors putting a bow on it all.
Bottom Line:
Perhaps the most surprising pour of this entire list, Roaming Man’s Cask Strength Tennessee Whiskey is assertive without being overpowering, sweet without scratching the throat, and above all else, shows a ton of finesse.
It’s certainly bold, but with a heavy dose of sweetness to balance that out, this is an exceedingly crushable cask strength offering.
D.H. Cromwell 15-Year Bourbon is the latest revived brand under the Old Commonwealth umbrella, following in the footsteps of Old Commonwealth Bourbon and Colonel Randolph Bourbon, all iconic brands that Julian Van Winkle previously helmed. This brand-new version of D.H. Cromwell features Kentucky bourbon matured for 15 years, with a mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, and brought to proof at 53% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is full of butterscotch, caramel corn, and white pepper. It’s an intriguing bouquet of aromas that at first seems to defy its 15 long years spent maturing, and tends to favor more of a marshmallow-laden toasted-oak bourbon profile. It’s only on a second pass that you pick up some star anise, leather, and a slightly dusty aspect that’s reminiscent of bourbon from yesteryear and indicative of its lengthy time spent aging.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey capably coats your tongue with more of those lightly sweet notes. Think butterscotch and vanilla buttercream, foremost, before it opens up to reveal the darker notes of sweet leather and ginger snap cookies. There’s also a pulsating presence of orange zest that zigs and zags over the tongue with every sip.
Finish: The finish on this bourbon is moderate and mellow, perfectly apropos for its proof point, with a touch of black pepper, bright red cherries, and dark chocolate perking up before it’s all over.
Bottom Line:
The modern revival of D.H. Cromwell would surely make Dirty Helen proud. This mature, double-barreled bourbon goes big on the butterscotch notes, and it only gets better from the first sip onward. Plain and simple, this is mature bourbon that lives up to all of the expectations of its name.
6. Knob Creek Cask Strength Single Barrel Select Bourbon
Nose: The nose is immediately familiar as it nails the typical Knob Creek profile, with some faintly floral accents bolstering a base of hazelnut spread, milk chocolate, and nougat. Milky Way candy bars wish they smelled this delicious.
Palate: On the palate, frankly, this one has even more in common with a Milky Way bar. The lush, sweet notes gently coat the palate, but then the boozy backbone deposits a prickling of barrel char, black pepper, and cayenne into the middle of the tongue. The results favor the sweet notes, but the alcohol’s punch rounds it out and makes it all the more satisfying.
Finish: The finish is lengthy, and finds the caramel joined by a few shakes of peppercorns and red pepper flakes. That balance of sweet and heat is fantastic.
Bottom Line:
One has to wonder, will this expression replace both Booker’s and standard Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon for fans of the Jim Beam brand? It’s worth considering, as this offering nails the classic flavors found in both, giving you a high-octane alternative to the latter, while granting a more wallet-friendly price point than the former.
More power to you if you find a place on your shelf for all three, but if I had to opt for one, it would most likely be this tasty new expression.
New for 2025, this more accessible version of Old Fitzgerald’s successful decanter series comes in a new bottle with a younger age statement, but a much more wallet-friendly price. Still a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon, this brand-new expression is matured for seven years before bottling. It’s worth noting that while the average price online is currently above $100, it’s expected to decrease soon. The MSRP on this one is an impressive $60.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this new Old Fitzgerald (oxymoron, much?) is delightfully sweet, with caramel notes blending easily into a lighter, honeyed sweetness with Chelan cherries, pie crust, creme brulee, and salted butter all wafting out of the glass as well.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is silky smooth, but with a silky sweetness and gentle density on the tongue that keeps you well aware of the fact that it’s 100-proof bourbon. The caramel tones lead the charge as a subtler mature oak backbone provides the foundation for cherries, gingersnap cookies, faint sage, and even a hint of milk chocolate to blossom. Repeat sips lead to the sweetness receding and notes of nougat begin to take the lead.
Finish: The finish is as buttery as the rest of this pour, and it lingers with medium length before softly receding from your tongue. This is marvelous, well-rounded stuff.
Bottom Line:
While the Old Fitzgerald line has seen just as many middling expressions as exceptional ones since it was first launched, I’m happy to report that this new, widely available version of the brand is among its tastiest. It’s also the most crushable. The carefully curated wheated bourbon barrels that Heaven Hill dumped into this first release are absolutely delicious.
For the first time in its storied history, Old Forester is releasing a rye version of its vaunted President’s Choice expression. Aged for between 7-9 years, this new offering showcases Old Forester’s most premium rye in single barrel format with proofs ranging between 110-125.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins with a bold kick of black pepper, rye spice, and star anise with some interesting cooked pear, vanilla, and allspice tones. It’s a harmonious blend of aromas, one that exhibits more finesse and less force than Old Forester’s barrel-strength single-barrel offerings.
Palate: On the first sip, Old Forester President’s Choice Rye begins a bit hot with a heavy dose of black pepper and nutmeg that soon subsides to allow room for brown sugar, hazelnut spread, and rye spice to take shape over a bed of faint pine notes and some lovely vanilla extract.
Finish: The finish is lengthy, and aided by a full-bodied mouthfeel, depositing black pepper, honeyed herbal tea, and cedar notes before evaporating from the tongue.
Bottom Line:
American whiskey fans have been eagerly anticipating this one since it was first announced, and it does not disappoint. By offering a rye alternative to its long-running, critically-acclaimed President’s Choice expression, Old Forester took a simple win and turned it into a decisive victory.
Back again for 2025, Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is a whiskey that bourbon enthusiasts always eagerly anticipate, and that’s because it’s one of the most consistently delicious offerings on the market today. For those unfamiliar, this one is matured for north of a decade before it undergoes a proprietary filtration process and is brought to proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this year’s Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is refreshingly alluring, with the predictable black cherry, sweet leather, and faintly tannic black tea notes of previous releases melding well here with a few brighter stone fruits, salted caramel, and vanilla ice cream aromas.
Palate: Once this liquid reaches your lips, it reveals all of the aromas in flavor form on your tongue. Chunks of dark chocolate and a splash of honey are new to the mix, but black cherry, black tea, stone fruits, and salted caramel tones translate on the palate. There’s also a touch of orange marmalade, vanilla bean, and apricot jam to be found at midpalate, which helps to brighten the overall tone of every rich sip.
Finish: The finish introduces some cinnamon bark, peppercorn, golden raisins, and creme brulee, for a silky, lengthy finish that defies its moderate proof and gives every sip a soft landing.
Bottom Line:
Michter’s 10-Year Bourbon is always a must-buy bourbon, and this year’s latest edition is just further proof of why it’s a perennial “whiskey of the year” candidate. Blending decadent flavors into a harmonious work of art that both captures and defies the hallmarks of 10+ year bourbon is something to marvel at, and Michter’s seems to do so with aplomb with every release of this coveted age-stated expression.
2025’s Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is a triumph.
2. Mugen Spirit Yokai Series: The Tengu Single Barrel Bourbon (Barrel 2)
This second release from Mugen Spirit continues they’re already well-received Yokai series with another cask strength single-barrel bourbon expression. Slightly lower than the first release, this one still comes in at a hazmat-proof point, which should delight those who missed the brand’s inaugural hazmat offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is loaded with cherry cobbler, pie crust, and torched white sugar. A second wave of aromas adds depth, as black pepper, molasses, cloves, and Manuka honey rise out of the glass to greet the nose.
Palate: On the palate, the nosing notes ring true. The rich, stewed cherry note lands first on the tip of the tongue before blossoming further at midpalate and joining up with a hit of freshly cracked black pepper, fresh clove, cinnamon bark, and Madagascan vanilla. The mouthfeel is full, and as the whiskey rolls over your tongue, it coats every corner of the mouth with its decidedly sweet flavor profile.
Finish: The finish on the Yokai is long and meandering, as it crests and crashes in waves, with cinnamon bark, black cherries, and caramel leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
While I was thoroughly impressed with Mugen Spirit’s initial offering, this one handily one-ups it, thanks to a more concentrated sweetness and a more balanced array of flavors, clearly delineated and well-developed.
This bottle will definitely be in the ‘ best whiskey of 2025’ conversation at year’s end.
1. Rare Character Abstract Impressionistic Total Annihilation Single Barrel Whiskey
Initial details are scant on this release, which was only bottled this week, but here’s the gist of it: this “hyper-proof” series of single-barrel Tennessee whiskeys (note: this could be bourbon, but it’s not labeled as such) is all well in excess of 140 proof. How’s that for heat? This particular pre-release bottling clocks in at 153 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of crisp, ripe apples, polished oak, honey, and corn pudding all really pop on the first pass. Nougat and well-aged oak notes begin to become more assertive as you continue to swirl the glass and allow this one to evolve. Giving the liquid one final sniff, salted toffee and cinnamon bark stand out at last.
Palate: Once in the mouth, this whiskey opens with some of those ripe apple notes before deferring to clover honey, nougat, dried apricot, and spiced orange flavors. That citrus quality grows in prominence as the heat of this whiskey sizzles up the roof of your mouth, bringing in additional flavors of nutmeg, vanilla frosting, and black pepper.
Curiously, the texture of this whiskey mellows out dramatically over time, making this an incredible delight to enjoy 15 minutes after it’s been poured, and those flavors have an opportunity to settle in the glass.
Finish: The finish is bold and lengthy, with oak, red pepper flakes, caramel, and vanilla bean flavors gently numbing the tongue at first before black pepper spice, candied hazelnuts, and apple juice notes close things out.
Bottom Line:
Rare Character co-founder Pablo Moix has said that this series of single barrels deserves to be among the best whiskeys of the year…in any year.
Turns out he’s right, at least for the month of June.
With time in the glass, this whiskey coalesces into a silky mouthfeel and an astounding depth of flavor; there’s no doubt in my mind that this whiskey will indeed warrant “Spirit of the Year” consideration. Who gives a shit that we’re only halfway through? This is more hardcore from 2025’s hottest whiskey brand; a series that enthusiasts will be feverishly seeking out both when it drops and for years to come.
He follows in the footsteps of Carpenter, Hatsune Miku (Season 7), Snoop Dogg (Season 6), Karol G (Season 5), Metallica (Season 4), Billie Eilish (Season 3), Lady Gaga (Season 2), and The Weeknd (Season 1), as Variety notes.
The upcoming season will bring a number of new elements to the game, including a new Main Stage and in-game items like the Bruno-San Outfit, Bruno’s Collection Back Bling, Floating Notes Contrail, Bonde do Brunão Emote, Bonde do Brunão Jam Track, Key Charm Keytar, and Worldwide Bass. Two of Mars’ recent collaborative hits — “Die With A Smile” with Lady Gaga and “APT.” with Rosé” — will also be available as Jam Tracks.
The Season 9 Music Pass will also feature the Die With A Smile Bruno Outfit, which is based on his look from the “Die With A Smile” video.
There’s even more to it than that, so for the complete scoop about what Season 9 will bring to Fortnite Festival, check out Fortnite’s official post here.
We’re still reeling from last week’s loss of funk legend Sly Stone, who suffered from a prolonged battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It’s hard to even capture in words how profound and impactful his musical legacy is. He was simply a genius and he built a massive, enchanting catalog that inspired so many, including the hip-hop nation.
Sampling Sly was like a right of passage for many MCs in the late ’80s and early ’90s. I grew up learning about Sly’s music from the way my favorite rappers re-imagined his tunes. So, it’s only right for me to share some of my choices that connect Sly with the culture that raised me. The funk has no boundaries. Safe travels, Mr. Stone.
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