Brooklyn rapper Kaseem Ryan, known professionally as Ka, has died at the age of 52, according to a post on his Instagram profile. The statement reads:
We are heartbroken to announce the passing of Kaseem Ryan (1972-2024), the rapper and producer known as Ka, who died unexpectedly in New York City on October 12, at the age of 52. Born and raised in Brownsville, Brooklyn, Ka lived a life of service—to his city, to his community, and to his music. As a 20-year veteran of the New York City Fire Department, he put his life on the line to protect his fellow citizens. Ka rose to the rank of FDNY captain and was a first responder on September 11, 2001 during the attacks on the World Trade Center. He leaves an extraordinary legacy as a recording artist, including eleven remarkable self-released solo albums. Ka is survived by his wife, mother and sister. We kindly ask that the privacy of Ka’s family and loved ones be respected as they grieve this incalculable loss.
Ka was a staple of the underground, indie-rap scene, self-releasing nine solo albums since 2008 on his Iron Works label. Ka was not only known for his wordy flow and heady approach to lyricism, but also for being a down-to-earth example of the rap everyman who created music as much for the love of rap as for money. It was famously revealed in 2016 that he was a member of the New York City Fire Department; one of several underground rappers who openly admitted to keeping a “day job,” he was an example for those who didn’t necessarily want to make rap their “main” career but still loved rapping enough to make a career out of it.
Ka’s most recent output, with albums like A Martyr’s Reward, Languish Arts, and his sole 2024 release The Thief Next to Jesus, were critically acclaimed if not commercially well-known; his fans have been some of the most vociferously supportive, despite a relative lack of notoriety. His impact on rap is outsized, and as more fans come to discover his work in the coming weeks, months, and years, the loss to hip-hop will become more apparent every day.
Yellowjackets has been streaming on Paramount+ for years, but the survival/coming-of-age series recently received the famed Netflix boost. The series’ second season did lose some momentum while it aired, and that season isn’t on Netflix as of yet (and hopefully, you aren’t reading this if you haven’t watched that season finale), but boy, this audience does feel passionately. Co-creator Ashley Lyle revealed on X/Twitter that she did receive “death threats” from those who presumably were not thrilled about a certain character’s death, which is not fantastic. (Calm down, people.)
Still, the show’s newfound audience is raring for more and has begun to wonder about the upcoming third season, in which the 1996-era group remains stuck in the Canadian wilderness, and the present-day group continues struggling, except for Misty, who is having far too much fun and living her best life alongside her several severe personality disorders. Dare I say that this is Christina Ricci’s most entertaining non-Wednesday performance in years? Feel free to fight me on that, but first, let’s talk about what we can expect from more Yellowjackets as a whole.
Plot
The show’s lead creatives (including co-creators Lyle and Bart Nickerson along with showrunner Jonathan Cisco) have been planning for a five-season run. Following the second season finale, Lyle described this vision as being “on track” to adequately finish the timeline where the soccer-team survivors are stuck in the woods for 19 months.
Sadly, the audience will no longer be able to see Juliette Lewis as the burned-out version of Nat after her younger self was shown being crowned as the new Antler Queen. Nat’s death was misinterpreted by authorities as a drug overdose, and that wasn’t the only point of contention with the second season finale. Javi’s 1990s death hit hard, Lottie has now been shuttled off to a psychiatric hospital, and there are too many disparate threads going on to make sense of everything, including Nat receiving Antler Queen status.
As far as upcoming plot goes, Ashley Lyle has promised that the story of Pit Girl is still coming. Lyle added that Nat’s death will also “affect our (anti)heroes in massive ways” while asking, “Will our girls’ struggle to survive against the elements (and themselves) get even down and dirtier? … You betcha!” Lyle does, however, compare the process of making this series as “thrilling and sometimes heartbreaking.” She further declared, “And as an obsessive tv watcher myself, I know that being a fan is weirdly similar” but seriously, those death threats are yikes.
On a more positive note, Melanie Lynskey has, while speaking with People, called the third season season “so exciting” while suggesting that she will never be told anything else in advance if she reveals any of those “huge spoilers.” And Christina Ricci told Hollywood Reporter slightly more:
“This season is going to be even more shocking and surprising than the previous seasons. It’s definitely going to be brutal. But they also put a lot of comedy into it. So I think it’s just going to be… extremely Yellowjackets-y.”
And now, let speculation about the next 1990s soundtrack additions begin.
Cast
Where to begin? Beyond the addition of Hilary Swank, Sophie Thatcher will continue to deliver one of the better 1996-era performances as younger Nat. The remaining present-day core cast includes Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, and Christina Ricci. Back in the woods, Sophie Nélisse, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Samantha Hanratty, Courtney Eaton, and Liv Hewson are still painfully chilling out.
Release Date
Showtime has earmarked Winter 2025 for a return window without a specific release date thus far. That adds up to a 2 1/2 year gap between seasons, but to be fair, the Netflix arrival was timed pretty perfectly for anticipation to build for the next season.
Trailer
Surprisingly, Showtime has not dropped a teaser yet for the third season, but it’s always worth remembering how well this show hits the 1990s soundtrack mark, as with “Zombie” from The Cranberries. Poor Javi.
Once training camp starts and the NBA preseason schedule begins, we don’t often see much in the way of trade activity — although we did get one last blockbuster in just before camp opened that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. Roster moves this time of year are typically non-guaranteed deals being waived and guys on Exhibit 10 and camp deals being let go or signed to two-ways or G-League deals.
On Monday, we got one of those rare preseason deals, though, as the Spurs used some of their remaining space to allow the Kings to get the guaranteed contract of Jalen McDaniels off their roster, for the price of a future second round pick rather than paying out the salary. Per Shams Charania, Sacramento is sending McDaniels and a second rounder to San Antonio, who will waive McDaniels and put him back on the open market to try and find another team to join before the season begins.
It’s the second time this summer McDaniels has found himself on the move, as he was traded to the Kings from the Raptors just before the second round of the NBA Draft in June — with McDaniels learning of the trade in the middle of a workout. McDaniels time in Kings training camp apparently did not impress, and Sacramento opted to send out another second rounder with him to open up a roster spot for a future addition during the season. Whether that means they already have an early season move in mind, we’ll have to wait and see, but the Kings now have an extra roster spot they can fill in a deal to bring back two players for one ahead of the trade deadline.
On a recent episode of Family Feud, contestant Kristen chimed in with something that Johnson and Harvey have in common. “You’re Black,” she shouted. This made Harvey totally lose it; he even gave Kristen a high five and joked, “I like when she said it, she turned to her family, ‘Was that OK?’ And they’re sitting over there going [mouths ‘no’].”
To Kristen’s credit, Harvey and Johnson being Black was number three on the board. The top answer: “bald.” Other popular answers included “bathe in money,” “tall & hunky,” and “famous.” You can watch the clip above.
Harvey previously discussed how, despite being the game show’s sixth host, he makes Family Feud his own. “They allow me to put my own little stamp on the show,” he told Today. “I think that’s the magic to this, the interaction with the contestants. I form the relationships with them… storylines.” Harvey also shared the origin of his memorable facial expressions. “When I was a little boy, when all I dreamed about was being on TV, I was practicing my TV show in the mirror,” he said. “And all I would do in that mirror was make faces.”
The past couple years have been great for Niall Horan fans. The former One Direction member released his latest album, The Show, in 2023, and he launched The Show: Live On Tour, earlier this year. (On top of that, he was a coach on The Voice in 2023.) He wrapped the trek up in Bogota, Colombia a few days ago and revealed what’s next for him: some time away.
As Mirror reports, Niall told the audience, “This stands from tomorrow onwards, you’ll never find me. I’m gonna be hungover as f*ck tomorrow! And I’m gonna disappear for a while. I’m gonna make you guys a brand-new album and I will be back, I promise.”
So, the bad news is that Horan is going away, but the good news is that part of his time away will be spent making new music.
As for when fans can expect Horan to return, it shouldn’t be too long, based on the precedent he has established: All three of his solo albums so far — Flicker, Heartbreak Weather, and The Show — have arrived about three years apart. So, if he keeps that trend going, Horan should be back with a new project in about three years, give or take.
The category, which began as a quality assurance signifier, has taken on new life in recent times because it evens the playing field. By purchasing a bottled-in-bond bourbon, you know that every distillery is producing results with, more or less, the same set of rules. Because of that, the category makes for a great way to explore the differences between producers and assess their respective quality.
Due to the appeal of the above, a number of brands release bottled-in-bond expressions these days, but you may be wondering which is the best. That’s where we come in. Finding a bottled-in-bond bourbon on your local store’s shelf might be easier than ever, but because of that, finding the best is much more challenging. Some brands debuted with bottled-in-bond expressions, while others seek to include them once their core products have caught on, but no matter the path, many producers have an easily accessible offering within the category, and today, we’ll identify the best of the best.
These are the must-try bottled-in-bond bourbons of 2024.
Old Forester 1897 is so-named because this Whiskey Row expression was created to honor the brand’s pivot to 100-proof bourbon in the wake of the Bottled in Bond Act passing in 1897. This offering follows the Bottled in Bond regulations, which in part means that it is bottled at 100-proof and the product of a single distilling season, aged for at least four years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there are apricots and fresh cherries to go with graham crackers, gentle oak tones, and a touch of caramel. Its fairly straightforward nose draws you in and leaves you anticipating the first sip, which is a strong plus.
Palate: Once this whiskey hits your lips, a touch of roasted mocha gives way to robust oak tones, caramel candies, and cherry cordials. With the first pass, it’s abundantly clear that this is a well-rounded bourbon blended to be approachable and easy to drink. The mouthfeel is a bit quotidian, but that’s not a knock, as this works really well as a middle-of-the-road sipper.
Finish: The finish reinforces the generally straightforward nature of this bourbon, offering caramel and gentle oak tones to go with more of the cherry cordial note found at midpalate. The length is short to medium, and I’m not complaining about it.
Bottom Line:
Old Forester 1897 offers a lovely depth of flavor that indicates that it’s been matured for longer than four years. This is undeniably well-made whiskey with a cavalcade of traditional bourbon notes and a restrained textural profile.
Old Grand Dad Bonded is made using Jim Beam’s high rye recipe, and it’s bottled at an even 100-proof, making it a great whiskey for neat sipping but a dangerous one for drinking straight out of the bottle. Old Grand Dad is also offered at 80-proof, and the most heralded bottle in the lineup clocks in at a hefty 114-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens a bit coyly with cinnamon and oak, taking the lead before some peanut shell notes blend with toffee and restrained vanilla extract.
Palate: The palate begins with an interesting lime zest note with some steeliness at the tip of the tongue that quickly recedes and presents a big blast of cinnamon, roasted peanuts, and more vanilla with gentle rye spices kicking in at mid-palate. The mouthfeel is a bit lean, but it holds all of the flavor together enough to maintain your interest.
Finish: The short to medium-length finish showcases the cinnamon and peanut tones before closing with nutmeg and oak.
Bottom Line:
Old Grand Dad Bonded is a damn fine bourbon at a fantastic price, showcasing Jim Beam’s high-rye mash bill in all of its glory. If this were the only bourbon available on the bottom shelf, the world wouldn’t miss a beat.
Benchmark’s Bonded expression is yet another bottle in the revamped Benchmark lineup, which received a facelift and a line expansion in early 2023. For this Bonded offering, Benchmark follows the Bottled in Bond regulations, meaning that, among other things, this bourbon comes from a single distilling season and is bottled at 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Bonded has four distinct aromas: nutmeg, caramel, oak, and brown sugar. There are gradations to those aromas, with the nutmeg coming across as less-than-fresh, while the caramel and oak are more lively next to the subdued brown sugar note.
Palate: Once you take a sip of Benchmark Bonded, you’ll find that the nosing notes perfectly indicate what to expect. Again, those four distinct notes come through, and though they’re joined by a bit of black pepper and cereal notes, it’s the nutmeg, caramel, oak (with the addition of barrel char), and brown sugar that steal the show flavor-wise. The texture is stout; this is the first bourbon thus far that occupies the entire palate before ceding the reigns to the finish.
Finish: On the finish, there’s more brown sugar, black pepper, and even a bit of mocha on each sip. The finish hangs around for a medium length, befitting its proof point, and offers a balanced climax to an overall very balanced bourbon.
Bottom Line:
As the sole bottled in bond expression in the Buffalo Trace portfolio, outside of the E.H. Taylor lineup, this solid budget bottle exhibits the quality standard one can expect from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
17. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond Bourbon
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch is the entry-level offering in Buffalo Trace’s E.H. Taylor lineup. It was created to honor Edmund Hayes Taylor, the original owner of the O.F.C. Distillery, which would eventually become the George T. Stagg Distillery, before being renamed the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Taylor was also the spearhead behind creating the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has exciting notes like bruised peaches, apricots, toffee, and gentle oak with a hint of honey and brioche buns.
Palate: Taking a sip of E.H. Taylor Small Batch is a pleasant surprise as the viscousness is particularly laudable, although the flavors are a bit simple. Look for toffee, apricots, and oak tones to seize the lead when it comes to flavor notes, though there are accents of toffee, black pepper, and honey as well.
Finish: The finish is primarily concerned with the prominent toffee note and is balanced by baking spices like nutmeg and black pepper. It’s a short-to-medium-length finish but one that is exceedingly enjoyable at the same time.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon is a fairly straightforward bourbon that delivers about what one would expect for a middle-of-the-road American whiskey. Enjoyable, though not exceptional, it’s well worth a buy if you see one sitting on shelves for six or seven sawbucks.
16. George Dickel Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky
George Dickel is one of the best-selling American whiskey brands on the planet, so it makes perfect sense to reach for one of their best (and one of their most widely available) bottles for this list. George Dickel Bottled in Bond is released annually, and this year’s version, made with a mashbill that’s 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, is matured for 13 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Look for warm brown sugar, sticky maple syrup, and fruity notes like stewed red apple and ripe bananas when you catch a whiff of this intoxicating whiskey. Adding to the cowboy vibes, a smoky undertone goes well with the mellow oak aromas here. Lastly, there’s a touch of milk chocolate sweetness, which gives this whiskey the impression of being artfully aged.
Palate: On the palate, expect to taste toasted pecans with some subdued brown sugar as the maple syrup aroma notes become more distinct in the mouth. The flavor of bruised bananas and a faint bit of wet tobacco, nutmeg, and cornbread also stand out. The mouthfeel is surprisingly rich and robust despite being only 100-proof.
Finish: On the finish, there’s a rising impression of leather, and more fruit comes into play as a bit of waxy fig comes to the fore, along with a few shakes of allspice.
Bottom Line:
This is George Dickel Tennessee Whisky at its best, with a perfect proof point for enjoying neat or on the rocks. While the liquid undergoes the Lincoln County Process, making this one qualify as a Tennessee whisky, it follows all bourbon regulations with a little Volunteer State twist.
For an introduction to one of the best craft whiskey brands in America, you don’t need to look any further than this bottle from Starlight Distillery. Starlight has made a bit of a name for themselves with their exotic finishing casks but tasting their base bourbon is the kind of eye-opening experience that you’ll want to start with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Take me out to the ballgame! This is a box of Cracker Jacks on the nose, where you can expect caramel sweetness and subtle nuttiness to be present, along with some barrel char and corn-forward graininess.
Palate: On the palate, this retains its nutty quality while providing just enough butterscotch balance plus plenty of nutmeg to make this an enjoyable pour that comes across as straightforward but savory.
Finish: Carl T. Huber’s Bottled in Bond shines on the medium-length finish, where each sip exudes balance between the mellow baking spices like nutmeg and clove along with a gentle sweetness anchored by the notes of butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
Starlight Bottled in Bond Bourbon is full of nutmeg, Nutella-like hazelnut, and warm brown sugar which gives it a commanding enough presence to be enjoyed neat, but it will really shine in boozy cocktails like an Old Fashioned making it a versatile choice.
14. Bardstown Origin Series Wheated Bottled In Bond Bourbon
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series was released in 2023 to much fanfare due to the fact it initially offered three high-quality whiskeys at bargain-busting prices. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a stellar high-wheat bourbon in addition to this more moderately wheated bottled-in-bond expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with stone fruits, confectioners sugar, vanilla, butterscotch chews, and a slightly dusty quality that draws you deep into the glass to discover apple chunks.
Palate: That big apple hit comes through with a bit of charred skin on the palate plus some light white pepper. A delicate drizzling of caramel opens the door for more dense oak, and the texture remains consistent and balanced.
Finish: The finish is fairly curt, concluding with a drop of honey, sawdust, and apple chips.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series features incredible whiskey at every turn, and this high-quality bottled-in-bond wheated offering is the proof in the pudding.
J.T.S. Brown is named after John Thompson Street Brown, who founded the wholesale liquor company that would become Brown-Forman. It is currently offered at 80 and 100 proof, though it also featured an 86-proof version until at least the late 1980s.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey has a flourish of butterscotch and clove that make it stand out from the rest of Heaven Hill’s budget bottled-in-bond offerings. A touch of lemon zest and peanut butter are also evident.
Palate: On the palate, the butterscotch and peanut butter are out in full force, along with some vanilla cream, sweet oak, and white pepper. The flavors are impressively balanced, and despite this whiskey’s restrained mouthfeel, they appear to be well-defined on the palate.
Finish: The medium-length finish again highlights the fusion of peanut butter and vanilla with a gentle white pepper send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s a crowded bunch when it comes to Heaven Hill’s bottom-shelf bottled-in-bond expressions, but J.T.S. Brown reliably outperforms almost all of them thanks to its well-managed balance and surprisingly stout depth of flavor. Like many of Heaven Hill’s most affordable options, it won’t wow you with its complexity but rather with its consistent everyday quality.
Kings County, New York City’s oldest bourbon distillery, has been cranking out incredible whiskey for years now, and it now stands as the best producer in the state. For the latest batch, 13 of their Bottled in Bond Bourbon takes 7-year bourbon from two 53-gallon barrels from the Spring 2017 distilling season.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is resplendent with raspberry, clover honey, toasted coconut, lanolin, and cardamom for a gentle yet decadent base of aromas that entices you to take your first sip.
Palate: Once on the palate, Kings County’s newest Bottled in Bond Bourbon has far-flung flavors like creme brûlée, pomegranate, plum, and robust oak tones. The texture is steady, maintaining balance and presenting those intriguing flavors well.
Finish: The finish is moderate, with vanilla custard and sustained oak leaving the most lasting impression and baking spice patches of nutmeg and cardamom.
Bottom Line:
Kings County’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a rising star in the brand’s portfolio. While the brand’s cask strength expressions offer the fullest display of the Brooklyn distillery’s liquid, their Bottled in Bond offering offers greater insight into their high-quality production practices.
McKenzie’s Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon is a bit of an unknown in the wider world of American whiskey, hailing from North New York’s Finger Lake Distillery. Made per all of the Bottled In Bond Act’s legal specifications, this bourbon is distilled and aged entirely on the banks of New York’s Finger Lakes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this bourbon begins with a touch of wheat funk, lavender honey, fresh hazelnuts, and peanut brittle. It’s a smooth, inviting set of aromas that also brings a bit of chocolate truffle dust, clove, and pastry dough into the fold.
Palate: Once on the palate, all of the flavors from the nose are at the tip of your tongue, albeit in a slightly more muddled fashion. There are chunks of toffee to go with a bit of candied ginger, pastry dough, and peanut brittle up front, while a touch of honey, wheat funk, and chocolate truffle dust haunt the periphery of your tongue and the back of your palate. The liquid is medium-bodied but spry, covering and coating your palate quickly, receding almost as quickly, and leaving those mellow sweet notes behind.
Finish: For its short-to-medium finish, McKenzie Wheated Bourbon gives off the flavor of the slightly overcooked bottom of a blondie. There’s a touch of young oak, cloves, and honeyed wheat toast to send you on your way as well.
Bottom Line:
As one of the lesser-known bourbons on this list, let it be clear that’s an issue of limited distribution and marketing far more than flavor. McKenzie’d Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of the best-kept secrets in my home bar, and if you find a bottle and add it to your liquor cabinet, you’ll soon be telling curious houseguests the very same thing.
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is often named as one of if not the best bourbon under $20. Aged for at least four years, per the Bottled in Bond regulations, this 100-proof bourbon is almost as readily found around the country as Evan Williams “black label.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with honey, lemon zest, and a distinct peanut note on this bourbon. From there, the periphery aromas are faint — a touch of brown butter, apricots, and cumin, but otherwise nondescript.
Palate: In the mouth, those initial three notes make the most substantial impression, along with a piquant texture that slightly prickles the tongue and adds a bit of pop to the citrus flavors in the liquid.
Finish: On the finish, you’ll find some black pepper spice and youthful oak that curtail the peanut and lemon zest flavors. The finish is short-to-medium, giving just enough room to make a satisfying impression on the palate before encouraging repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Evan Williams’ Bottled in Bond Expression is a masterclass in delivering a high-quality, no-frills bourbon. At 100-proof, it can stand tall in cocktails, bringing an abundance of flavor to classics like an Old-Fashioned, but it has just enough depth to perform well on its own—making for a delicious, cost-friendly, everyday sipper.
Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll want to explore this expression and experience the most technically advanced bourbon distillery in the world.
8. Henry Mckenna 10-Year Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Bourbon
Henry McKenna Single Barrel is one of the few bourbons bearing a 10-year age statement that can be found with relative regularity on liquor store shelves. Of note is that it is one of the oldest bottled-in-bond bourbons among any brand’s regular releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is full of medicinal cherry, well-aged leather, a touch of nail polish, and a dark, bubbling brown sugar note. It immediately evinces its age courtesy of the leather notes as well as the mature oak that creeps in on the heels of the red berry aroma.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon tumbles over the tongue as a top-heavy liquid, front-loaded with honey, bright cherry sweetness, and vanilla extract before thinning out at midpalate as the influence of leather and mature oak take hold. The transition to midpalate betrays its initially robust texture, and the bright cherry note from the tip of the tongue becomes more medicinal.
Finish: The finish brings cherry and vanilla extract, again, to the fore, but barrel char and some of the nail polish notes from the nose are also present. It’s a bit more balanced on the finish than it is at midpalate, and that’s helped by the fact that it has a medium length that allows it to develop fully.
Bottom Line:
Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon is infamous for being a lot like life or a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get. Your mileage may vary, as these are typically above-average bourbons, but you should be aware of their inconsistency. That means if you find one of these single barrels that suits your palate, be sure to buy backups.
7. Ben Holladay Bottled in Bond Soft Red Wheat Bourbon
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright stone fruit, spiced pears, cinnamon bark, clove, and white pepper with a touch of celery root hit the nose at first with a waxy note rising in the background in addition to ginger and slight mint sprig.
Palate: The first sip is remarkably rich. It has honey, cream of wheat, pears, and apricots, but it doesn’t stop there. The flavors of clove and cinnamon also come through in spades. The mouthfeel is impressively creamy substantially gripping the edges of your tongue.
Finish: That creamy texture aids the lengthy finish which is full of stone fruits, vanilla custard, black pepper, and dense oak.
Bottom Line:
Holladay Distillery made the bold (and costly) choice to hold all of its core products until they reached six years of age, with this Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond Bourbon being their inaugural expression. The results have been decidedly delicious, leading it to make a major splash when it first launched and growing steadily since then.
Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of those IYKYK expressions from the Willett Distillery. It is sold exclusively in Kentucky on the bottom shelf of liquor stores. This bottled-in-bond offering is not to be confused with the 101-proof small-batch variant available nationwide.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It begins with a really round butterscotch note with some intriguing menthol and tobacco leaf aromas that make you dig deeper in the glass to uncover additional layers of Brooks cherries, pecans, and vanilla extract.
Palate: Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is dense and full-bodied on the palate despite the proof, and it opens with sticky toffee and Brooks cherries while a touch of the menthol from the nose streaks up the middle of the tongue and introduces some dark chocolate at midpalate.
Finish: The moderate finish sees the blossoming of dark chocolate flavor with some fresh hazelnuts, caramel, and white pepper notes rounding things off.
Bottom Line:
This unassuming bottle packs a real wallop with a substantive mouthfeel and a dark, rich flavor profile that will have you double-checking your receipt to be sure you didn’t steal this bottle at roughly $30 USD. Rest assured, your receipt is right; hell, all is right with this bourbon in your glass.
Larrikin Bourbon Company recently rebranded, and if you’re wondering a larrikin is Aussie slang for someone who disregards convention. To wit, the brand’s unconventional Bottled in Bond Bourbon was aged for eight long years and comes from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins floral with dark chocolate and salted caramel notes wafting out of the glass in a tightly wound melange that seems indicative of mature, well-aged bourbon.
Palate: On the palate, that tightly wound base of aromas absolutely detonates with bright cherries, singed orange peel, caramel, and chocolate gently unfurling over the length of the tongue. On a second sip, you pick up vanilla custard as the creamy texture burrows each layer of flavor deeper into your tastebuds.
Finish: The finish takes a surprisingly long time to melt away as the rich vanilla and caramel notes fuse with bright cherries just before they turn slightly tropical, with coconut and peach ring flavors ascending.
Bottom Line:
Larrikin might not be a widely known player on the bourbon scene, but the brand’s sleek redesign and flat-out jaw-dropping density of flavors make up the solid one-two punch that results in this one being a knockout.
Heaven Hill’s flagship bottled-in-bond expression is a rebranded release that was first launched in 2022. Sticking true to their roots, this bourbon is made with their “HH reg” mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year is distinctly earthy and nutty with walnuts and potting soil melding well with brown sugar and oak. All of those enticing notes are undergirded by the warm aroma of vanilla pods.
Palate: Once across the palate, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year leads with brown sugar before the earthier elements of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, oak, and walnuts claim the midpalate. As this pour transitions to the finish, there’s a faint bit of milk chocolate, vanilla cream, and caramel.
Finish: The finish puts a lovely bow on the entire affair as brown sugar and barrel char fuse together with walnut shells and black pepper. Overall, the finish gives the impression that this bourbon is slightly older than seven years, and as it closes with a dash of vanilla extract, it whets the palate, bracing your senses for repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
For the price point, flavor profile, and ample time spent aging, this is a bottled-in-bond bourbon that exemplifies the triumph of restraint over the impulse to feature a younger (or higher) age statement. It’s truly bottled at its peak.
3. Old Fitzgerald 10-Year Bottled in Bond Decanter Series Bourbon
This 10-year wheated bourbon, the thirteenth national release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series, was released early in the spring of 2024 to great fanfare. This expression marks the second time Heaven Hill has released a 10-year version of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Milk chocolate and caramel find the nose first, gently encouraging a deeper investigation. On the second pass, subtle hints of lavender candy, clove, and nougat slowly unfurl.
Palate: The supple texture of this whiskey makes the first impression as it gently caresses your palate before buttery pie crust, toasted almonds, and gooey caramel slowly seep in. The overall flavor profile is mellow but well-defined, as each note has space to make a distinct impression before clearing the way for the next.
Finish: The finish falls off a bit quickly, but here that’s a welcome discovery as Old Fitzgerald 10-Year comes across as almost refreshing, something akin to an amuse-bouche. The sweetness is held perfectly in check with a slight expression of orange rind and nutmeg before a sweet oak note strikes the final chord, allowing this whiskey to leave your palate.
Bottom Line:
Not all Old Fitzgeralds are created equally, with the Decanter Series displaying an unevenness that might give one pause before splurging on the spendy bottles. Those concerns can be tossed to the wind concerning the Spring 2024 release, as this 10-year wheated bourbon delivers the mellow sipping experience one expects with a considerable depth of flavor to boot.
Early Times is a historic brand first launched in 1860 by John Henry “Jack” Beam, Jim Beam’s paternal uncle. In 2021, it was announced that the production of this bourbon would be moved from Brown-Forman, the brand’s previous owner, to the Barton 1792 Distillery under new owner Sazerac.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there’s a strong Luden’s Wild Cherry cough drop note that is distracting at first but becomes increasingly enchanting over time. In addition to that artificial, berry-like sweetness, there are notes of ripe oranges, polished leather, and fresh hazelnuts.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the artificial cherry note and the polished leather from the nose that make the biggest impression as each sip begins very sweet before trailing off into more typical, earthy bourbon notes like oak and nutmeg. Just as the flavors seemingly shift from the front palate to the mid-palate, so does the texture, which begins very slick and viscous before turning lean as the whiskey makes its way to the finish.
Finish: The finish on Early Times Bottled in Bond features a flourish of black pepper and barrel char, which wasn’t present at midpalate. The lengthy finish also showcases an additional pop of fresh hazelnuts, adding a layer of balance to the entire affair.
Bottom Line:
Early Times Bottled in Bond has a fruit-forward medley of flavors and substantive texture, allowing it to hold its own as a neat sipper. Considering that, its budget-friendly sticker price awards it extra points (for a full liter, no less!), allowing you to happily skip bottles that are two to three times the cost.
1. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon
Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a distillery exclusive that showcases unfinished Angel’s Envy whiskey for the first time ever. Even more remarkable is the fact that through careful aging and blending, this bourbon meets all of the Bottled In Bond requirements without requiring water for proof, making it a barrel-proof Bottled In Bond bourbon, one of if not the first on the market.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries, leather, and molasses rise out of the glass at first in a tightly fused ball that bounces from nostril to nostril with brown sugar and wheat bread joining as well. There’s also a distinct oak undertone to go with some milk chocolate, cardboard, and stewed rhubarb, making for an extremely expressive and impressive nose.
Palate: Brown sugar, allspice, raspberry jam, and leather are the most immediately recognizable flavors on the palate, but what’s most impressive is that even as you’re teasing those notes apart, you get a glimpse of a much larger whole. This is an extremely multi-layered pour, packed with flavors you’ll need extended consideration to get halfway through appreciating.
Finish: The finish sees hazelnuts, raspberry jam, and allspice taking turns at the wheel as it gently pulses over your tongue, hanging on for dear life before leaving your palate after a lengthy period.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon is absolutely vital to try because it checks several atypical boxes you can’t get elsewhere. The first Angel’s Envy expression that isn’t finished? Check. The first cask-strength bottled-in-bond bourbon? Check again. But Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon isn’t simply an awesome oddity; it’s straight-up awesome.
Hispanic Heritage Month is coming to an end. If you’ve been following our coverage, hopefully, you’re leaving the month with some great new music to listen to, a new director whose work you can get lost in, a new favorite chef, and new artists to fill your social feeds. But before the month ends, we want to leave you with some skills to impress your friends with, especially as we enter the end-of-the-year party season. And nothing impresses at a party like being able to make some great cocktails.
As Uproxx’s sole tequila writer, I can’t tell you how often people at the parties I host ask me how I “learned how to make drinks” and “whether it’s hard” and let me just tell you — it’s not. If you understand the basics, you’ll be able to put together a great drink no matter what ingredients you have on hand. But understanding those basics is paramount, and the easiest way to get a handle on them is by making the tried-and-true staples.
So for Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re leaving you with the skills to make five of the most essential tequila-based cocktails. Congratulations, you’re now everyone’s favorite person at the party.
Classic Margarita
Dane Rivera
Why You Need To Master It & Tasting Notes:
If you learn to make one tequila cocktail, make it a margarita. Most bars and restaurants you frequent won’t make this drink right, opting to use sweet and sour, bottled lime juice, or worse, margarita mix (just typing it makes me shudder), instead of the classic trio of tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur. The result is this awful candy-sweet drink that muddies the wonderful bite of a good tequila.
When you make it the right way, one sip will introduce you to a perfect balance of mellow barrel-influenced but agave-forward tequila, the bright, tart, citrus of lime juice, and the warm aromatic zesty spice of a good quality orange liqueur. Be warned though, once you have the real thing, it becomes impossible to enjoy any cheaply made margarita.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. quality additive-free reposado tequila (for a list of options, click here)
Juice of one lime
3/4 oz. orange liqueur (I prefer Cointreau)
Salted rim
Lime wheel
Ice
Method:
Run a lime wedge across the rim of the glass, dip glass onto a plate of coarse salt.
Add ice to the rocks glass.
Add tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur, and ice to a shaker.
Shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker is cold.
Pour the margarita into the rocks glass over the fresh ice.
Garnish with a lime wheel.
Serve.
Paloma
Dane Rivera
Why You Need To Master It & Tasting Notes:
As a person who hosts a lot of parties where I’m given the role of bartender, let me tell you, you’re going to want an easy people-pleasing drink that you can whip up in under a minute, especially as you get closer to the end of the night and you’re too tired (or drunk) to make a more complicated step-heavy drink. No better drink fits that task than a Paloma.
A good Paloma is sweet, tart, citrusy, bright, and wonderfully refreshing. There are two ways to make the drink, I’m going to show you the easy way because it tastes the best. If you want to get fancy and simmer real grapefruit juice with lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and maple syrup, by all means, do it (we have a recipe for that, but I wouldn’t describe it as “better,” but it’s certainly more impressive), but I find that this route is only worth it if you’re making a big batch and calling it a day.
Ingredients:
2 oz. quality additive-free blanco tequila (for a list of options, click here)
Juice of half a lime
Jarritos (grapefruit), Squirt, or any grapefruit soda of your choosing
Lime wedge
Ice
Method:
Fill a Collins glass with ice.
Add tequila and lime juice to glass.
Pour grapefruit soda until glass is full.
Stir to incorporate ingredients.
Garnish with a lime wedge.
Serve.
Charro Negro
Dane Rivera
Why You Need To Master It & Tasting Notes:
The Charro Negro is a lot like the Paloma in that it’s a sweet people-pleaser, but instead of bright citrus flavors, this drink comes across as rich, decadent, and somewhat chocolatey. If the Paloma is for hot summer days lounging by the pool, the Charro Negro, with its dessert-like richness, is for the moonlight.
It’s very important that when making this drink, you use Mexican Coca-Cola. Don’t settle for the American stuff. Mexican Coke is made with cane sugar, and you need that darker, earthier, more cinnamon-forward flavor that the glass bottle stuff has to make this drink shine.
Ingredients:
1.5-3 oz. high quality additive-free blanco tequila (for a list of options, click here)
Juice of half a lime
Ice
Mexican Coca-Cola
Method:
Fill a highball glass with ice
Squeeze lime juice over ice
Add tequila
Pour Mexican Coca-Cola until glass is full
Stir, garnish with a lime wheel and serve.
Ranch Water
Dane Rivera
Why You Need To Master It & Tasting Notes:
No cocktail showcases the flavor of tequila quite like Ranch Water. This straightforward cocktail is for people who love the characteristic bite and brightness of good-quality tequila. If you’re not a fan of sweet drinks, this one is for you.
What I love about the Ranch Water is that it allows the tequila to be the star of the show. As a result, it’s probably the only tequila-based cocktail I’d make using the more expensive bottles, as you won’t be diluting the tequila with sugar with this one.
Ranch Water is incredibly refreshing and bubbly; it’s the perfect tequila cocktail for a hot summer’s day.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. high-quality additive-free reposado tequila (for a list of options, click here)
Juice of one lime
Topo Chico or any very fizzy water of your choosing
Ice
Method:
Fill the glass with ice.
Squeeze lime juice over ice
Add tequila
Pour Topo Chico until glass is full
Stir and serve.
Tequila Sunrise
Dane Rivera
Why You Need To Master It & Tasting Notes:
We’ve saved the most impressive for last. It’s not that the Tequila Sunrise is any more difficult to make than the four other drinks on this list, but with its bright orange to rich red gradient, it has this appetizing visual quality that’ll make whoever you’re serving it to say “wow,” and really mean it.
It’s a beautiful-looking drink and an absolute sugar bomb of sweet citrus and cherry flavor. The tequila isn’t really the main focus here, so this is a great option if you’re using a bottle on the cheaper end, though it’ll taste better with higher-quality tequila. The same goes for the orange juice — if you use the cheap stuff, this drink is going to taste cheap, so make sure you’re using a high-quality orange juice, the fewer ingredients the better.
If you have enough fresh oranges on hand, consider using the juice straight from the fruit. It’ll taste best like this and it’ll make the grenadine a bit easier to see.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. blanco tequila (for a list of options, click here)
3-5 oz. orange juice
1 oz. grenadine
1 cherry
1 slice of orange
Method:
Fill the rocks glass with ice.
Add the 1.5 ounces of tequila and three-five ounces of orange juice.
Pour the 1 oz grenadine into the drink and let it sink to the bottom.
Garnish with a cherry and orange wheel on a spear. Serve.
“God is good…. As I post these pictures, my heart and my soul is filled with nothing but pure joy… on October 3 fourth and fifth I had an opportunity to tell my side of the story and there was no better place than Atlanta Georgia,” the Oscar-winning actor and singer wrote on Instagram about his one-man show, One More Chance: An Evening with Jamie Foxx. “I have to thank you Atlanta you showed up and you showed out, I haven’t been on stage in 18 years but I needed the stage and I needed an audience that was made up of nothing but pure love and that’s what you were.”
An emotional Foxx didn’t think of the performance as a stand-up comedy show, it was “an artistic explanation. Of some thing that went terribly wrong, but thanks to the great people in Atlanta especially piedmont hospital you enabled me to come back and be on stage and do what I love to do the most… #nobaddays as my guy James would say #secondchance.”
Foxx has not publicly divulged the cause of his medical emergency, although he spent time at a rehab facility that specializes in strokes and brain injuries.
Welcome to the Crumbl Cookie Report, our weekly ranking of every cookie dropping at Crumbl. If you’re a fan of super sweet — some might even say sickeningly sweet — cookies, then this week is for you. And sure, you can argue that that is the case every week at Crumbl, but I’ve yet to taste a batch of cookies this sweet in the two months that I’ve been covering Crumbl weekly.
That means if you’re a fan of darker and earthier flavors — think pumpkin spice, maple, or anything cinnamon-heavy — you’re not going to find a lot to like this week. Having said that there are some seriously worthwhile cookies dropping this week, and while I’m not as sold on this full lineup as other weeks, there are definitely a few in this line-up that I would consider all-time favorites.
So let’s dive into this week’s ranking, here are all the cookies dropping at Crumbl this week, ranked from least to most essential.
6. Peanut Butter Crisp ft. Butterfinger
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Full disclosure: I’m not a Butterfinger fan, it’s one of the few candy bars I would say I hate, and whether you like this cookie is going to depend entirely on whether or not you’re into Butterfingers. So this one is taking the last place spot for me, if you feel differently about Butterfingers, by all means, give this one a fair shot.
It tastes, well, like a Butterfinger in cookie form. The cookie has a slightly oatmeal-esque texture and is loaded with sweet nutty peanut butter, a heavy drizzle of milk chocolate, and crushed Butterfinger pieces on top. I’ll give the cookie this — it tastes better than a Butterfinger. But just barely.
The Bottom Line:
If you don’t like Butterfingers, you won’t like this.
5. Cookie Dough
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Don’t let this ranking fool you, just because this cookie is ranked fifth, that doesn’t mean it’s bad, the four other cookies just taste better. The Cookie Dough features a brown sugar base with cookie-dough-flavored buttercream smeared on top with bits of cookie dough pieces and chocolate chips. Where this cookie falls short is that there isn’t quite enough cookie dough.
The buttercream tastes only vaguely like cookie dough, it’s much lighter and airier, which comes across more like a simple frosting. The cookie dough pieces are a welcome addition, but there are far too few of them, if they were somehow worked into the cookie, it would greatly improve the experience. And yes, I’m very aware that would be impossible.
The Bottom Line:
A good cookie, but it’s lacking a darker, earthier flavor to offset some of its intense sweetness. I think cinnamon or more brown sugar would go a long way in improving this one.
4. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I seriously considered giving this cookie the top spot at one point, but as much as I love the Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunk, I don’t really consider it a good enough reason to go to Crumbl. It’s my go-to second cookie, though, no order is complete without it.
This cookie has a perfect balance of butter and brown sugar flavor, peppered with a generous supply of semi-sweet chocolate chips with a pinch of salt for added complexity.
The Bottom Line:
My all-time favorite chocolate chip cookie, but it doesn’t justify a trip to Crumbl. Pick it up when it’s convenient for you.
3. Double Fudge Brownie
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This one frustrates me because it’s just a simple, no-frills brownie, but it’s a damn good one. This brownie has perfectly crispy edges, a rich fudge flavor, and a light and creamy milk chocolate frosting. Is it better than your favorite brand of boxed brownie? Absolutely. Is it better than something you could make from scratch? That depends on your brownie recipe.
If the act of mixing, baking, and waiting doesn’t appeal to you, then pick up this brownie. It’s worth it. But if you’re a capable baker, there isn’t anything special about this.
The Bottom Line:
A very delicious, rich, and decadent fudge brownie. It’s great, but it’s also nothing special.
2. Blueberry Muffin
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
If you’re a fan of Blueberry Muffins, you’re going to love this. Best served warm, this Blueberry Muffin cookie combines dark berry sweetness with a rich, buttery, and slightly tart aftertaste. The streusel on top adds a nice bit of texture to the otherwise soft cookie.
At room temp, the blueberry flavor is more pronounced, but I find the soft texture of the warm cookie superior, so consider eating this one right away if that appeals to you.
The Bottom Line:
Wonderful, berry-forward, and addictingly sweet. I’m almost sad that it won’t be around next week.
1. Cornbread Cookie
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
While the Blueberry Muffin is probably my favorite this week, I think it would be wrong to give the top spot to another other than the Cornbread Cookie. It’s one of the most interesting cookies I’ve ever tasted from Crumbl, and for that alone, it deserves number one.
This cookie features a crumbly, gritty, yet soft cornbread base that melts on the tongue with an intensely sweet buttercream frosting and a floral and sweet drizzle of honey. If you’re the type that likes your cornbread sweet, it doesn’t get much better than this, I prefer it to the real thing.
But be warned, it’s much sweeter than a slice of actual cornbread, so it can be a bit overwhelming. Honestly, I can’t eat an entire Cornbread Cookie alone in one sitting; it’s way too decadent. But that decadence helps this cookie to feel like a special treat, and that’s what Crumbl is all about.
The Bottom Line:
The Cornbread Cookie is one of Crumbl’s absolute best. It’s buttery, sweet, and decadent in all the best ways. It’s absolutely worth a trip to Crumbl this week.
Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper founded Eastside Golf in 2019 with the goal of creating a brand that opened doors and welcomed more people into the game that hasn’t always featured a lot of folks that look like them. The two alums of the Morehouse golf team started with the mantra “Be Authentic,” looking to create a brand that could not just sell in the golf space, but would allow more people to feel comfortable being there.
The phrase “grow the game” is often overused in the world of golf, with tournaments, sponsors, tours, and brands throwing it around with little substance to back it up. But it is truly at the heart of what Eastside Golf does, and they go about it in a few ways. One is creating a brand that people who aren’t from the traditional golf backgrounds can see themselves in and want to wear, which had to start with the logo and making sure the brand’s ethos shined through in it.
“When you think about a logo, you really think about the surroundings of that logo,” Ajanaku, who serves as the Creative Director, explained. “You take into account our logo, and you think about, what’s the surroundings on a … I’d say diverse gentleman, jeans, sweatshirt, and Cuban link chain, but he’s playing golf. I bet he has a very interesting story, you know? It’s a whole new way of seeing the golf realm, and truly growing from an aspect of a different lens. Early on, when we started this, our ‘Just Do It’ is ‘Be Authentic.’”
Eastside Golf
That logo quickly stood out in the golf space and resonated with a lot of people who haven’t always seen representation in the game of golf. Among them is former Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz, who became an early investor in Eastside Golf after he began his own golf journey. Cruz picked up the game as his daughter started to play it, and felt an immediate connection to Eastside when he first saw the logo.
“The first time I saw the logo, the first time I saw some of the apparel, I saw myself in it. You know, I saw myself as the logo,” Cruz said. “I saw myself like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. I want to be able to embody that logo and be part of whatever that brings.’ I want to be part of that community that’s representing that logo and that can be like us. And I was like, okay, that is what’s going to encourage people. No matter what color you were — black, white, Spanish — you saw yourself, an inner city kid looking how you dressed in the moment, swinging a golf club. That’s cool.”
The challenge in truly growing the game of golf is finding ways to break down the many barriers of entry. The biggest of those is the cost of playing golf, from buying clubs to paying for rounds to even having apparel. Investment in public golf and municipal golf, which provides spaces to play and tend to be much more budget-friendly, is vital. The increase in sim golf options and interactive ranges like TopGolf have helped create more spaces for people to play and learn the game, stripping away some of the cost of entry by providing clubs to learn with and lowering the demands of traveling out to a course for those in the city.
However, the truth is that golf is a game of investment, both in terms of time and money. That means to truly grow the game, people have to want to spend both on golf, and that can only happen if they feel comfortable and welcomed. That is where Eastside Golf’s impact is at its largest. Creating clothes, shoes, and accessories people want to wear and have with them on and off the course is legitimately important to getting more people into the game. No one wants to stay in a space where they feel they don’t belong — much less invest as much time and money as golf requires — if they feel they have to become someone different at the course.
In their latest capsule, the tagline is “Everyone’s Game,” as Eastside focused on making something that allowed people to customize their look and add their own individual flair. The two shoes they designed with Nike, a Zoom Victory Tour and an Air Max 1 ’86 OG,’ come with interchangeable Swooshes of different colors and textures that give players the ability to change up their look from round to round. It’s the latest step in what has been a detailed journey for the brand, starting with their first shoe, a blue Jordan that was emblematic of the logo, through their Red Clay collection and then 1961 Change, which Ajakanu explained represented the move from the dirt to the grass. Now, it’s about making it “Everyone’s Game,” although they understand the work in creating that is only just beginning.
“When we get on the grass, that’s where we congregate everybody, and now it’s everyone’s game. Get everybody on the grass. Get everybody feeling comfortable about the game. And it was, honestly, a work in progress to get here,” Ajakanu said. “You can’t just come out and help as many people and have as many people understand what your goal is. It’s more of a work in progress. We’re still working in progress to affect change throughout the entire sport of golf. The more that we keep beating the drum and the louder that we get, the more verticals we’ll end up getting into. And that’s, most importantly, for us to grow. But then also, I would say most importantly for change in the purists in the game and a lot of non-golfers.”
Affecting change on a more tangible level is a more difficult challenge to address broadly, but Eastside golf has started with a group that is near and dear to their hearts: the Morehouse golf team. Giving back to the program that gave them opportunities in the game and giving the young men on the team the experiences they wanted to have, but didn’t have the resources for, is their mission.
To provide that, they’ve sought out partners that are willing to make that same commitment and think long-term about how to impact the game of golf, rather than swooping in for a one-off event or capsule to hit a benchmark or capitalize on the brand being hot. To ensure that’s the case, the philanthropy element is the starting point for Eastside when they talk with potential partners.
“When we get on partnership calls, I speak first,” Ajanaku explained. “Because I’m like, so this is Eastside Golf. What we’re about here is truly revolutionizing the game, and showing that changing the game can be shown through a different lens. Now the thing is, how we got here, Olajuwon and Earl, was somebody helping us, and truly putting forth that effort to show us that golf can be for us. Now, that’s one of our most important things. That’s one of our most important missions that we do. So I would start off by saying, philanthropy-wise, what does that look like for you? And that’s how literally we would start off partnership calls.”
That’s how their partnership with Mercedes-Benz came about in 2023, as the two found a natural pairing with common ground in the game of golf and in Atlanta, where Mercedes’ U.S. headquarters are located. As they began to talk, they found themselves aligned on that long-term mission in the game of golf, and began to work out how their partnership would take shape. For Mercedes, it allowed them to branch out to a different audience than the one they typically reach in the golf world, and provide a genuine opportunity to grow the game.
“We just were really excited about the freshness of the organization and their mission, and what they wanted to do,” Erica Bolden, head of Diversity and Inclusion at Mercedes-Benz, said. “And really nudging them to think about the opportunities and what can we do with long-term impact? So really pushing that mission. The value alignment, as far as what they’re doing to push boundaries in the organization and to increase accessibility to the sport. That was really exciting, of course, with me leading DEI efforts. And that is all about what that work is, right? So that was really exciting. And Monique [Harrison] and I just carving out what those opportunities could be for the brand alignment, not only for the visibility, as far as the Mercedes and Eastside Golf brands, but what the missions are doing.
“So really, to push the increased access, thinking about equity in the sport, the visibility of the brand. It’s perfect, especially as Mercedes-Benz, we’re trying to reach into younger, more diverse audiences. So it was great alignment. And then, of course, what we’re doing just as far as the next generation is concerned. Again, that’s the other part that was really uniquely aligned, as far as what Eastside Golf is doing to get younger folks involved into golf, and what we are trying to do as a brand, as far as access to education and empowering the next generation.”
For Eastside, working with Mercedes gave them a luxury brand partner with deep ties to the game of golf, most notably as one of the four main corporate partners of the Masters. That can open doors that would otherwise be shut, like this past year when they launched their women’s line at an event in Augusta for the 2024 Masters and were able to bring the Morehouse golf team down I-20 to Augusta National — a dream experience for any golfer, but particularly those in Atlanta.
Eastside Golf
In September, they put on the second annual Eastside Golf Invitational presented by Mercedes-Benz, which brought supporters of the brand out to Liberty National Golf Course for a tournament benefitting the Morehouse team. It was a celebration of the brand, the impact they’ve been able to have already, and the excitement for what is still to come, all while staying true to their mantra of “Be Authentic.” It’s not easy to put on a golf tournament and have sponsors, celebrities, and performances that feel natural to both the brand and being at a golf tournament, but Eastside managed to do just that.
The celebrities that came through, from Cruz to CC Sabathia to Anthony Anderson, weren’t there simply to make an appearance, but were there as earnest supporters of the brand, who wear it when they play at their home course. Anderson played with the Morehouse team, as Earl and Olajuwon continue to find ways to give them the experiences they would’ve loved to have had as young golfers. Fabolous rolled through for a performance at the after-party outside the Liberty National clubhouse, with Cooper serving as his hype man. For most brands and most charity tournaments, it would’ve felt like a forced and out of place appearance, but in this instance it felt, well, authentically Eastside Golf.
As we spoke two weeks removed from the tournament, Ajanaku had just one word on his mind as he reflected on the event.
“Man, honestly, just grateful,” he said. “I mean, at the end of the day, just grateful at having the opportunity. Because me and Earl remember what it was like growing up in the game [of golf] and what we wanted to see when we were growing up. And we have the opportunity to be that. To actually model that. And that’s for so many kids that look up to us. And so many kids that want to take up the game, or don’t think it’s cool, or just are inspired by the work ethic. At the end of the day, it don’t even have to be anything geared towards golf. So having the opportunity to influence, I’m grateful.”
Part of the challenge with the concept of “grow the game” is how daunting it can feel to impact change on a global sport. There are systemic changes that need to be made to fully open the game up that can’t be tackled by a single brand, but what they can do, and what they’ve identified as their opportunity, is to make that tangible impact on a local level and scaling that up when possible. As Eastside Golf looks forward to the next chapter, they have aspirations of expanding their reach in the college golf space beyond Morehouse and HBCUs, to find more ways to open up opportunities for young golfers. They are exploring partnerships with the PGA, USGA, and LPGA to try and create some of that systemic change.
And then there is the more abstract change that is where they can have a broader impact. As a brand, creating something unique in the golf space that allows more people to be comfortable as themselves on the golf course. That’s the way golf becomes something for people from all backgrounds, by showing there is space in the golf community for everyone and that you can be your authentic self on the course.
Uproxx was invited on a hosted trip for reporting on this piece. Mercedes-Benz and Eastside Golf did not review or approve this story. You can find out more about our policy on press trips/hostings here.
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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
