Country star Tyler Braden has worn many hats. Before signing to Warner Music Nashville in 2019, he worked as a firefighter. But back at home, he plays the role of the chef, where he cooks the meals that made him the talk of the Brentwood fire station in Alabama.
We visit Braden in his Nashville home for our “Hometown Sounds” series, where he is cooking chicken and dumplings, a favorite from his firefighting days.
“Unlike so many of the complicated things we do in the real world, food is simple,” says Braden. “You get out what you put in, and you can really get something amazing. It doesn’t have to be complicated, and I like to live by that, from food to my wireless service. That’s why I use Straight Talk. They give it to you straight, with no contract and no compromise.”
As he is cooking, Braden shares stories of his days as a firefighter, growing up in Slapout, Alabama, and how he discovered he wanted to be a singer. Braden grew up on country music, and says it was a “big part of [his] life.”
“I was really little when I learned people would tip for singing,” Braden says. “I would ask, ‘How much you pay me to sing ‘Friends In Low Places’ [by Garth Brooks]. That’s, like, my earliest memory of wanting to get paid to sing.”
His dream later brought him to Nashville, where he continued working as a firefighter as he was taking meetings with publishers and labels. Though he eventually left the fire service to pursue music full time, he still holds those days close to his heart.
“If I didn’t work hard in the fire service and put myself through the grueling things you have to do there, I couldn’t handle the consistency of the stress, and just how constantly you’re moving in the music industry,” says Braden.
Check out more of Braden’s story above, plus learn his secret as to how he makes his dumplings so plump.
Tyler Braden is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year — for beer! While that’s not precisely the way that song goes… maybe it should be? December, regardless of which holidays you celebrate, is a great month for beer. Specifically, Christmas beers.
The beer style is so named because it’s generally available in the late fall until after the holidays. While there’s no guarantee of beer style, they range from amber to red ales, to darker beers like Scotch ales, strong ales, and even stouts. They’re usually stronger in ABV and often (but not always) spices and seasonal flavors like orange peels, ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, and others.
The best part?
Every holiday season there are countless Christmas beers from breweries all over the country. And while we think the 2022 holiday season is a great time to try as many local brews as you can, it’s also a great time to enjoy some of the most popular, well-known, OG Christmas beers. Keep reading to see eight of our favorites, ranked based on overall seasonal appeal.
Roasted malts, Chinook, and Mt. Hood hops give this malt-forward beer its bold winter warmer flavor. Unlike some of the other well-known Christmas beers, this one doesn’t have holiday spices.
Tasting Notes:
Roasted malts, chocolate, brown bread, caramel, and lightly floral hops are prevalent on the nose. The palate is similar with more bready malts, caramel, and roasted malts. It’s rounded out by more floral hops. Overall, it’s well-balanced, but not overly exciting.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t a bad beer. It’s a nice, solid, malty brew. It just seems to be missing a little something that really makes it a Christmas beer.
While many brewers opt for “winter warmers” and other styles for their Christmas beers, Bell’s really goes for it with this seasonal Scotch ale. It’s 7.5% ABV and known for its robust malty flavor and rich, sweet toffee, and warming finish.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is vanilla, raisins, caramel candy, dried cherries, and roasted malts. The palate is centered on brown bread, more vanilla, toffee, dried cherries, chocolate, and herbal, earthy hops. It’s filled with warming flavor but still seems to lack that spice we expect from a Christmas beer.
Bottom Line:
This a beer for the toffee, vanilla, and caramel fans. If you’re looking for seasonal flavors, look elsewhere. You won’t find them here.
This 8.3% ABV English-style strong ale is available from October through the holidays. It’s brewed with London ale yeast as well as 2-row, Black, Chocolate, Bonlander Munich, and Gambrinus Honey malts. It gets its hop presence from the addition of Bullion hops.
Tasting Notes:
Aromas of dried cherries, other dried fruits, roasted malts, caramel, brown bread, and literally a whole fruitcake greet you before your first sip. The palate expands on this with candied nuts, caramel, roasted malts, and chocolate. There are no wintry spices, but they aren’t missed here.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a holiday-spiced Christmas beer, this isn’t it. But it’s so loaded with rich, caramel, warming flavors you won’t miss it.
This highly popular “festive winter ale” is brewed with Pale, Crystal, Carapils, Extra Special malts and toasted barley as well as Bravo, Cascade, Delta, Us Tettnang, and East Kent Goldings hops. It’s known for its warming, well-balanced flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Caramel candy, dried cherries, raisins, roasted malts, treacle, and lightly floral earthy pine are found on the nose. The palate is filled with toffee, raisins, roasted malts, molasses, dark chocolate, and just a hint of pine at the very end. It’s a warming, malty sipper for a cold winter night.
Bottom Line:
Another beer without any wintry spices and you definitely don’t miss them. The malt and hop balance makes this a unique, yet highly drinkable winter beer.
One of the most well-known Christmas beers on available, Great Lakes Christmas Ale is brewed with 2-row, Crystal 45, Special roast, roasted barley, and wheat. It also has Mt. Hood and Cascade hops and gets its wintry flavor from the addition of honey, ginger, and cinnamon.
Tasting Notes:
There are a ton of seasonal spices on the nose. Honey, cinnamon, ginger, orange peels, and toffee lead the way. The palate is more of the same with ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel, roasted malts, and brown bread leading the way. The finish is a nice mix of malt sweetness and holiday spices.
Bottom Line:
Even with the addition of ginger, honey, and cinnamon, this Christmas beer is not overly spiced. The holiday flavors are well-tempered by the other flavors.
Brewed since 1975, there are no Christmas beers more beloved than the iconic Anchor Christmas Ale. Even though the label and ingredients change annually, this winter warmer is known for its caramel malts backbone and wintry flavor palate.
Tasting Notes:
What begins as a nose of roasted malts, moves into toffee, dried fruits, molasses, and light herbal, earthy hops. The palate is centered on treacle, brown bread, raisins, chocolate, figs, and light spices. It’s rounded out with just a hint of bitter, earthy pine. Overall, a rich, complex winter sipper.
Bottom Line:
There’s a reason Anchor Christmas Ale is so popular year after year. It’s the balance and complexity that brings drinkers back every holiday season.
St. Bernardus Christmas Ale is definitely a special winter treat. While some Christmas beers are higher in alcohol content, St. Bernardus takes it to a new level with this 10% ABV Quadruple with its nutty, caramel, slightly spicy, warming flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of dark chocolate, dried cherries, ripe berries, candied orange peels, and caramel malts are big on the nose. The palate is raisins, dried cherries, chocolate, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, and roasted malts. The finish is rich, sweet, and sublimely warming.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a full-flavored, balanced, malty, warming Christmas beer, look no further than this classic brew. It’s guaranteed to warm your spirits and your body.
It’s not the holidays without Troegs Mad Elf. This eagerly-awaited 11% ABV Christ beer is brewed with chocolate malts, Pennsylvania-sourced honey, and five different types of cherries. It’s sweet, tart, warming, and memorable.
Tasting Notes:
Dried cherries, toasted marshmallows, toffee, vanilla beans, roasted malts, and cinnamon are big, bold aromas on the nose. Drinking it reveals more caramel candy, tart cherries, dried fruits, cinnamon, roasted malts, and seasonal spices. It’s sweet, spicy, and effortlessly warming.
Bottom Line:
It was tough to pick the best Christmas beer out of this bunch, but the cherry, honey, and gentle spices of this seasonal staple propelled it above the rest.
Snoop Dogg and Master P had been faced with some legal pressure about the name of their rap-centric cereal, Snoop Loopz. The brand is set to debut soon, but a name change had to be in order before the official launch of the breakfast food via Snoop and Master P’s company, Broadus Foods.
“So they don’t want us to use Snoop Loopz on our cereal box even though that’s that’s my name,” Snoop Dogg wrote on Instagram last week. “We’ve built a national brand and disrupted the cereal industry, we did it with hard work and integrity. I know they’re uncomfortable and scared. But our mission is to build diversity and economic empowerment.” Adding that, “It’s official we’re taking over the breakfast foods industry. They can’t stop us. It’s David versus Goliath. Master P and I got the slingshot. This is a minor setback for a major comeback.”
Now the decision has been made. The cereal line will forever be known as simply “Snoop Cereal” and it currently features three individual cereal flavors. They made the announcement in a YouTube clip and the Doggfather emphatically said “They can’t take that from me!”
The video is like an unboxing for their line of cereal like the new Frosted Drizzlers, Fruity Hoopz with Marshmallows, and Cinnamon Toasteez. Master P touted they are the “first Black-owned cereal company that’s nationwide and able to reach families everywhere.” He also said, “I wanna let y’all know that this is healthy, cause everyone keeps saying ‘make some healthy cereals!’” Before Snoop added, “We gonna look out for you. You wanna be healthy? We gonna make it healthy for you.”
Watch Snoop Dogg and Master P’s unboxing of the Snoop Cereal line below.
Despite announcing his return as Superman following an appearance in the end-credits scene for Black Adam, Henry Cavill has officially hung up his cape and will not be moving forward as the Man of Steel. Prior to the confirmation that Cavill would not be returning to the superheroic role after years of patiently waiting, there were rumblings that new DC Studios chief James Gunn was rebooting the DC Universe. That now appears to be the case.
In a Twitter thread explaining why Cavill is not returning, Gunn revealed his plans for a new slate of films, which includes a younger take on Superman.
“Among those on the slate is Superman. In the initial stages, our story will be focusing on an earlier part of Superman’s life, so the character will not be played by Henry Cavill,” Gunn tweeted. “But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.”
But we just had a great meeting with Henry and we’re big fans and we talked about a number of exciting possibilities to work together in the future.
In an Instagram post confirming he’s exiting the role, Cavill took the news professionally, but he did manage to voice his frustration with being told to publicly announce his return only to have it taken away. That had to sting. However, Cavill was sure to offer his support for whoever takes the role next as he graciously accepted that his “time to wear the cape” has passed.
As for why Gunn is going for a younger Superman, there’s an easy answer. The new DC Studios chief is working on a 10-year plan for the franchise, which would presumably age Cavill out of the role far before Gunn can complete his multi-film story that will also stretch across TV, animation, and gaming. Plus, a new Superman will allow Gunn to make a clean break from the Zack Snyder films as he embarks on this new adventure.
I’m entirely biased as a product of my time but 2022 was a great year to be a sneakerhead. Not only were there more dope drops than we care to count (technically we did count them because we chronicled the best drops every week) but the current climate of sneakers offers a little bit of something for everyone. Classic silhouettes from the ‘80s and ‘90s are enjoying a renaissance as sneakers like the Air Max Penny 2 and the New Balance 550 have found new audiences.
Meanwhile, Jordan heads are getting spoiled rotten with re-stocks of legendary colorways and new collaborations over the best silhouettes of the lineage (Jordan I-V). The often mocked Y2K era of sneakers has found fans (Nike Shox anyone?) and luxury wear and sportswear are more aligned than they’ve ever been as silhouettes like the Jacquemus Air Humara and Prada x Adidas Re-Nylon Forum sell out in an instant. We even got a new show to celebrate this year — Uproxx’s Fresh Pair.
Sneakers in 2022 have never been boring and in celebration of one of the strongest years in sneakers since pre-pandemic, we’re naming the 20 best drops of the year and where to cop ‘em. This will ensure that as you step into 2023, you’re geared up with the best kicks possible. On to the next year!
But first… a quick word on Yeezys
You’re not going to find any Yeezys on this list even though much of the first half of 2022 was dominated week-to-week by some truly fly Yeezy drops. Meaning the omission might come as a surprise… unless of course, you’ve been paying any attention to the insane words that have been spilling out of Ye’s mouth in recent times. I thought that going into this list ignoring the brand was going to be a challenge but you know what? It wasn’t. As I said, 2022 was a great year for sneakers and while Ye dropped some great sneakers in the year’s first half, he spent the rest of it doing odd shit like wearing White Lives Matter t-shirts, palling around with literal Nazis, and spewing all sorts of misinformed anti-semitic horseshit.
In his hubris, Ye declared “The thing about me and Adidas is… I can literally say anti-semitic shit and they can’t drop me” and then repeated himself for dramatic effect (and because he didn’t really have anything substantial to say) “I could say anti-semitic things and Adidas can’t drop me, now what, now what?” Only to, you know, be dropped by Adidas — a brand that was quite literally started by a card-carrying member of Germany’s Nazi party. So… I guess they showed him.
Full stop, hate, and division simply have no place in streetwear and Uproxx won’t celebrate a brand/ line of products by someone who actively spreads it. Yes, at one time Ye made some great music and some dope sneakers, but that’s not a good enough excuse for his bullshit and streetwear has enough problems, from the sheer amount of waste produced by the fashion industry to shady labor practices, and Nike’s dealings with supply chains in China linked to forced labor by done by Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region (according to the New York Times, Nike claims they no longer source products from Xinjiang and that its suppliers were not using textiles or yarn from the region, but stronger audits are needed). So, yes, we’re skipping Ye.
As fans of streetwear we should continue to be outspoken and critical of the brands that produce our favorite sneakers, streetwear is far from perfect, but by talking about its shortcomings openly and often, hopefully, we the consumers can push our favorite brands in the right direction.
That’s a bigger conversation that deserves its own dedicated article, for now, let’s talk about the year’s best sneakers.
JJJJound x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Olive, February 2022
GOAT
While 2022 was a strong year for sneakers, it started off at a snail’s pace. It took two full months until we got our first notable drop of the year in Justin Saunders’ JJJJound x New Balance 990v3. Built upon the third iteration of the 990 silhouette (arguably the best) this sneaker features a dope dark olive colorway over a mesh midsole with pigskin suede overlays.
By just utilizing three colors, Saunders was able to deliver a harmonious design that combined earthy green tones with reflective silver accents and a black ‘N’ logo to pull it all together.
Find the JJJJound x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Olive at your favorite aftermarket site.
Union LA x Nike Dunk Low Pistachio, February 2022
GOAT
Union LA has long been one of the strongest Nike collaborators and 2022 only solidified that reputation. Released as one of the three colorways from Union’s “Passport Pack” the Pistachio Dunk Low featured a semi-translucent tearaway upper in neutral grey tones with a pistachio-esque under glow that revealed a leather base dressed in navy and green hues once worn away.
The entire Passport pack was inspired by rare early 2000s-era sneakers from around the world and since 2022 was the year of Y2K-2, these throwback sneakers resonated so strongly with the modern sneaker culture. Even now, ten months later, they still look super dope.
Find the Union LA x Nike Dunk Low Pistachio at your favorite aftermarket site.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 9060 Penny Cookie Pink, March 2022
GOAT
Chicago designer Joe Freshgoods is a name you’re going to be seeing a lot in this article, and for good reason, he’s one of the most vital designers in the game right now. Dropping mid-way through the year, his 9060 collaboration with New Balance brought a whole lot of vibrant color to a brand that is famous for being a bit drab and low-key.
The Penny Cookie Pink 9060 was released as part of Freshgoods’ “Inside Voices” pack and sported a pink mesh upper with peach-colored suede overlays atop an ABZROB midsole. The 9060 itself was a hybrid silhouette that took elements of the 990 and infused it with features from New Balances 2000’s era running shoes. The result is simply one of the best silhouettes to come out of New Balance ever.
Find The New Balance 9060 Penny Cookie Pink at your favorite aftermarket site.
Air Jordan 1 Retro High ’85 Georgetown, April 2022
GOAT
For this roundup of the greatest sneakers of 2022, I tried to stay away from simple colorway restocks in favor of brand-new designs but I couldn’t put a cap on 2022 without shouting out one of the greatest retro releases of the year, the Jordan 1 High ’85 Georgetown. Dressed in the navy and grey colors of the Georgetown Hoyas basketball team, this colorway was meant to reference the 40th anniversary of Jordan’s winning shot against the Hoyas in 1982 when he was a way less famous college ball player.
There is something kind of cruel about commemorating that moment by donning the school colors of the team MJ defeated, but we doubt any Hoyas players would complain given MJ’s legendary status and the dope way this colorway comes together on this classic design.
Find the Air Jordan 1 Georgetown Retro High ’85 at your favorite aftermarket site.
Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 550 Conversations Amongst Us, April 2022
GOAT
Two years ago Aimé Leon Dore’s Teddy Santis resurrected the 550 silhouette from the New Balance archive and in 2022 Joe Freshgoods perfected the sneaker with this all-white pair from his ‘Conversations Amongst Us’ collection. Every piece from the ‘Conversations’ collection was made in collaboration with the Black Soles, an initiative started within New Balance that aims to amplify Black voices in the footwear industry.
The sneaker featured a cream-colored canvas upper with leather and suede accents and a dope spin on the ’N’ logo branding that featured a contrasting black outline. This cream-colored beauty sat atop a slightly aged outsole giving it a slight vintage look. It remains the greatest colorway to ever grace the 550 silhouette. That’s the power of Freshgoods!
Find the Joe Freshgoods x New Balance 550 Conversations Amongst Us at your favorite aftermarket site.
Union LA x Air Jordan 2 Grey Fog, April 2022
GOAT
In truth, there were a lot of great Union Nike collaborations this year, but we had to whittle it down to the absolutely essential pairs, and this take on the Jordan 2 is one of them. The Jordan 2 has long been overlooked despite it being designed by Peter Moore and Bruce Kilgore, the fathers of some of Nike’s greatest silhouettes, but this year, 36 years after its original release, it finally got the respect it deserved with a series of dope collaborations that reimagined this ahead of its time design.
Chris Gibbs and the Union crew swapped out the faux-lizard skin leather upper for a textile construction with suede overlays and perforated details. Featuring a combination of Grey Fog, Siren Red, and Light Smokey Grey, with bright blue accents, this take on the Jordan 2 took what was once a simple design and outfitted it with contrasting colors and premium details.
Find the Union LA x Air Jordan 2 Grey Fog at your favorite aftermarket site.
Supreme x Nike Shox Ride 2 Black, June 2022
GOAT
If you came of age in the ‘00s you might look at a brand new pair of Nike Shox with absolute horror, but if you’re a fairly young sneakerhead just getting into the scene, you have no point of reference or reason to hate on this design. Despite being a design that is twenty years old, the Shox somehow manages to look futuristic.
The idea of Shox might be hard to swallow for you, which is why we’re shouting out this pair made by the kings of streetwear, Supreme, who dropped a four-colorway set of the sneaker at the start of summer and this all-black pair was the best of the bunch. Featuring a mesh upper with leather overlays, the Shox Ride 2 sports Supreme branding and that iconic pillar-supported heel that makes the design so polarizing.
Find the Supreme x Nike Shox Ride 2 Black at your favorite aftermarket site.
Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba ‘Cream White Bold Green’, June 2022
GOAT
Made in collaboration with British fashion designer Wales Bonner, this simple update of the Adidas Samba is the best the silhouette has looked in some time. The sneaker sports a cream nylon upper with hairy suede paneling, and faux-crocodile leather three-stripes. This low-profile sneaker rides on a semi-translucent gum outsole and sports speckled green and cream laces that help to wrap the design together.
The Samba is an all-time great silhouette but the design is a bit tired at this point, making its appearance in year-end lists a true rarity. Through her impeccable design sense, Wales Bonner made the decision to include this pair easy.
Find the Wales Bonner x Adidas Samba ‘Cream White Bold Green at your favorite aftermarket site.
A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 2 Airness, June 2022
GOAT
I wasn’t joking when I said this was the Jordan 2s year, and if the number of drops wasn’t indication enough, having A Ma Maniére take a stab at the silhouette should be proof enough. The Atlanta-based label is one of Jordan Brand’s strongest collaborators and they put their elegant spin on the Jordan 2 for a sneaker that fully lives up to the original vision Moore and Jordan set out to achieve with this luxury piece of footwear.
Featuring a cracked leather upper with wine-red piping and snakeskin detailing, this take on the Airness exudes luxury in a way its designers could only dream of. It’s great to see the vision finally achieved at a time when luxury streetwear isn’t a pipe dream, but the norm.
Find the A Ma Maniére x Air Jordan 2 Airness at your favorite aftermarket site.
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Reverse Mocha, July 2022
GOAT
Travis Scott dropped a grip of sneaker collaborations with Nike this year but nothing was quite as hyped as the low-top Reverse Mocha Jordan 1. Featuring a suede upper dressed in brown with crisp white leather overlays, and that now-iconic signature reverse swoosh, the Reverse Mocha was, as its title suggests, a low-top version and twist on 2019’s Jordan 1 Mocha.
2021 was a strong year for Travis Scott with a grip of drops that dominated year-end lists everywhere, 2022 was a bit different but the one big drop we got was easily one of La Flame’s best ever. This is an all-time top Travis Scott Cactus Jack Nike collab and all future releases will be compared to this heat. Bring on 2023.
Find the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Reverse Mocha at your favorite aftermarket site.
Teddy Santis x New Balance 990v3 Made in USA Raw Amethyst
GOAT
Teddy Santis is a major part of why New Balance has become one of the most beloved brands in sneakers, ranking even higher than the mighty swoosh in some streetwear circles. He is who we have to thank for resurrecting some of NB’s strongest forgotten silhouettes and his influence is so strong that New Balance has named him the creative director of the prestigious Made in USA line. This year his best release was easily this Raw Amethyst version of the 990v3.
Coming out of New Balance’s Made in USA line (obviously), this 990 features a mesh upper with soft lavender pigskin suede overlays with a red-orange N logo and navy blue laces. It looks like the sort of color combination Miami/New York brand Stray Rats would put together, with the sort of luxurious minimalism that Santis’ Aime Leon Dore brand is known for.
Find the Teddy Santis x New Balance 990v2 Made in USA Raw Amethyst at your favorite aftermarket site.
Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Blue Tint, August 2022
GOAT
Now that Yeezys are a thing of the past, Bad Bunny has risen as Adidas’ strongest collaborator, and even though Benito doesn’t produce new designs a la ‘Ye, he still has a pretty solid track record when it comes to his Adidas collabs. Not only is the Blue Tint forum Bad Bunny’s best Adidas drop of the year, but it’s also the best Bad Bunny-branded sneaker to date.
Featuring a monochromatic blue colorway influenced by the waters of Puerto Rico, this Blue Tint forum sports a leather and suede upper, a padded collar, and a semi-translucent midsole. There is something calming about this pair of sneakers, it’s not loud or attention-grabbing, it reflects an artist comfortable in his element, which makes sense considering Benito’s latest album, Un Verano Sin Ti, is one of the most streamed albums of the year. We’re seeing an artist operating at the top of his game and it has us psyched to see what he has in store for next year.
Find the Bad Bunny x Adidas Forum Blue Tint at your favorite aftermarket site.
Nike Air Max Penny 1 Orlando
GOAT
Penny Hardaway’s signature sneaker, the Air Max Penny, is officially back. Both the Air Penny 1 and 2 have gotten all sorts of attention this year via high-profile collaborations with the likes of Social Status, but we have to tip our cap to this Orlando colorway which serves as a retro rerelease of the sneaker’s original ’95 debut colorway.
Featuring a nubuck upper in black with a chunky white midsole and true blue accents, the Penny 1 Orlando sports a massive swirling jeweled Swoosh and a Pylon midsole with an exposed Air unit and looks super fly.
Find the Nike Air Max Penny 1 Orlando at your favorite aftermarket site.
Social Status x Nike Dunk Mid Chocolate Milk, September 2022
GOAT
Social Status’ Air Penny collaborations might not have made our best sneaker list, but this Chocolate Milk-inspired mid-top dunk from the brand’s Free Lunch collection did. Featuring a leather upper in shades of brown, tan, and cream, this Dunk features a bright blue outsole with a giant TPU wraparound swoosh in milky pink, a reference to the other colorway out of the Free Lunch collection, Strawberry Milk.
It was a real toss-up between the Strawberry Milk and Chocolate Milk iterations of this shoe but we have to give it to the chocolate, this autumnal mix of colors with bright pastel accents offers a near-perfect mix of colors.
Find the Social Status x Nike Dunk Mid Chocolate Milk at your favorite aftermarket site.
J Balvin x Air Jordan 2, September 2022
GOAT
Okay, yes, we’ve shouted out a lot of Jordan 2s this year but I mean just look at this pair! How could we not show it some love? This sneaker, made in collaboration with reggaeton star J Balvin, feels like a direct response to Bad Bunny’s Blue Tint Forum, and considering the two artists have long been friends and collaborators, it’s almost as if the designs are two sides of the same coin. That might be a blasphemous statement in a world where it often feels like you have to pledge your allegiance to the Swoosh or the Stripes, but if anyone could find harmony in the world of streetwear, It’s J Balvin and Bad Bunny.
Featuring a ripstop upper in powder blue with cloudy blue overlays, a white midsole, and a translucent blue outsole, this sneaker looks to the blue sky above for inspiration. Whatever tranquil world Balvin and Benito are living in, we want in.
Find the J Balvin x Air Jordan 2 at your favorite aftermarket site.
Palace x New Balance 580 Gargoyle Lapis Blue, September 2022
GOAT
This year the London Based skatewear brand produced its first New Balance collaboration, the 580 Gargoyle Lapis Blue. Sporting hairy suede panels over a mesh upper and a speckled midsole, Palace’s take on this forgotten ‘90s silhouette manages to equally represent the heritage of both New Balance and Palace while offering the streetwear community something fresh.
The 580 was a famed staple in the ‘90s Japanese streetwear scene and we have Palace to thank for helping bring the design back into the modern consciousness with the sort of embellishments that weren’t popular in the era that this sneaker lived in.
Find the Palace x New Balance 580 Gargoyle Lapis Blue at your favorite aftermarket site.
Salehe Bembury x New Balance 990v2 Sand Be The Time, December 2022
GOAT
Salehe Bembury spent a lot of time this year dropping new colorways of his Crocs collaboration, the Pollex Clog, and while we love that shoe, it was never going to make it in our top shoes of 2021. Not because we don’t have any respect for Crocs, but because we already highlighted the shoe last year and 2021 still owns the best colorways of the silhouette.
Luckily for all of us, Bembury dipped back to collaborating with New Balance for a continuation of his ‘Sand Be The Time’ line. This sneaker takes the second iteration of the 990 silhouette and dresses it up in hairy pink suede over a salmon-colored midsole with forest green, purple, and cement accents and a purple chenille ’N’ logo. That chenille logo is the icing on top of a truly sweet design.
Find the Salehe Bembury x New Balance 990v2 Sand Be The Time at your favorite aftermarket site.
Jacquemus x Nike Women’s Air Humara LX Pink Flash, December 2022
GOAT
The Paris-based band has created something truly unique with Nike in their ongoing Air Humara collaboration and while most people will reach for the white and brown colorway that dropped at the start of the year, we’re giving the spot to this women’s exclusive Pink Flash Air Humara LX.
Featuring an all-pink monochromatic upper, this hairy suede and mesh sneaker sports a mini-gold swoosh, stitched leather lace tips, and a textile-wrapped midsole over a dark brown gum sole with heavy tread. It doesn’t have the minimal elegance of the older colorways, but it’s impossible to ignore and sometimes that’s what you need when you step into a room.
Find the Jacquemus x Nike Women’s Air Humara LX Pink Flash at your favorite aftermarket site.
Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Dunk Tan Mossy Green
GOAT
Every year in sneakers we need a bat-shit crazy design that challenges sneakerheads everywhere and splits us into two camps. Polarization in sneakers is always fun, and this year’s most polarizing release was easily Cactus Plant Flea Market’s recently released low-top Dunk. Featuring a thick quilted suede upper with an oversized wraparound white swoosh, and mismatched thick laces and sock liners, the rainbow outsoles, this take on the Dunk feels truly random.
The asymmetrical branding, the altered embroidered swoosh logo, the weird mossy muddy midsole, the random yin yang logo on the lateral heel, it’s the sort of sneaker that makes you say “what the actual f*ck” out loud the first time you see them. But you know what? That’s kind of fun. Leave it to Cynthia Lu’s Cactus Plant Flea Market to keep us on our toes with this shoe that looks like it was minted on day 6 of a mid-90s music festival.
This is a brand that always surprises and for that we cherish them.
Find the Cactus Plant Flea Market x Nike Dun Tan Mossy Green at your favorite aftermarket site.
SNEAKER OF THE YEAR: A Ma Maniére x Jordan IV Violet Ore, November 2022
GOAT
Just like last year, we chose not to rank this list but we didn’t want to close out our roundup without shouting out what we consider the sneaker of the year. A Ma Maniére is hands down one of the best brands operating in streetwear right now, and this minimal and beautiful take on the Jordan 4, arguably the best Jordan of all time, is easily our favorite release of the year. Featuring an elegant muted violet nubuck upper with a woven tongue, a quilted collar, and a creamy off-white midsole, this sneaker is as perfect a colorway as any sneakerhead could hope for.
That’s no easy feat on a silhouette like the Jordan 4, there are a whole grip of amazing renditions of this show, and yet this pair, released in 2022, 33 years after the original, ranks amongst the absolute best. It’s a testament to A Ma Maniére’s skill as a brand, and to the versatility of this design given to us by Tinker Hatfield. Printed on the interior of the heel tab on each pair are the words, “‘It’s not about the shoes … it’s about where you’re going,” and we couldn’t agree more with the sentiment. We love sneakers, but sneakerheads can sometimes get bogged down on the collectible aspect of their kicks. There is nothing wrong with collecting, but owning a pair of great sneakers is all about wearing them, and the inscription is the perfect reminder of that.
Find The A Ma Maniére x Jordan IV Violet Ore at your favorite aftermarket site.
As the “new media” era of active players holding jobs on sports television, radio, and podcasts, we are blessed with some incredibly awkward moments when those players or their teams become the topic of conversation — particularly within the world of sports transactions.
On Friday, this happened on NBA Today when Danny Green, who joined the desk as he continues rehabbing from offseason knee surgery, sat next to Brian Windhorst while Windy reported on Memphis’ ability to upgrade their roster by packaging their extra first round picks with Green.
Something you don’t see very often on sports talk shows:
An NBA insider (in this case Brian Windhorst) talking about a certain player being discussed in trade rumors on TV while being in the same room as him (Danny Green)! #NBATwitter#BigMemphispic.twitter.com/2ihWlTbYZV
They both handled it quite well, with Green being a veteran of trade rumors and hearing his name coming up. As Green noted, he’s going to get back to on-court work soon (which is just the first step in getting back into game action), but also knows that his contract is certainly the type of deal that is easily packaged in a trade with picks and would allow the Grizzlies to make an addition to the roster without sending out a current contributor.
At the same time, Windy adds that Green is the type of veteran Memphis wants around the team given his championship experience, and they aren’t simply going to shop him just to move him. That said, if the opportunity arises to fill a greater need than a 3-and-D wing for Memphis and they can get it done, Green and a pick might be on the way out.
American whiskey isn’t so much a category as a catch-all for all those whiskeys that don’t easily slot into bourbon, rye, or American single malt whiskey categories. These are the whiskeys that are often called “blended” or are made from 100% corn or wheat. Or they simply get called “American whiskey” because that’s… generally what they are and more designations is not what the whiskey world needs.
That means that there’s a lot of variation in “American whiskey.” But for drinkers, that means that the category offers something interesting, fresh, and maybe new (to you!) to try. So what’s the best American whiskey?
Friends, it’s high time for UPROXX’s Best American Whiskeys of 2022 list! For this list, I’ve pulled in 30 of my favorite American whiskeys that don’t fall into the three main legal categories of American whiskeys in 2022 (bourbon, rye, and American single malt). While this list varies from stellar blended whiskeys to funky wheaties and corn-fueled gems (and so many more variations on those themes), the throughline is that they’re all delicious and worth seeking out, especially if you’re looking for something truly different.
A quick note on selection — some of these whiskeys are American blended whiskeys with small components of Irish and/or Canadian whiskey in the blend. I’ve still included these whiskeys since those international whiskeys are generally minor components. In a couple of cases, that blend is creating a new sub-category of “Irish-American whiskey” that may well be its own American whiskey category one day. Time will tell. Until then, I’ve kept these whiskeys in because they’re 100% made in the American whiskey ecosystem and sold in the U.S. market as American products.
Lastly, I’m ranking these whiskeys according to my professional opinion. I’ve been lucky enough to taste over 1,500 whiskeys this year. I’ve judged international spirits competitions. I’ve hit the trade shows and toured damn-near countless distilleries. The list below represents the best I’ve been able to taste in 2022 with a ranking based on pure deliciousness. Cool? Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This high-altitude whiskey is made with 100% Idaho-grown corn. That corn is mashed with pure Rocky mountain water, which is also used to proof the juice before bottling. But first, the whiskey spends 6.5 years resting in oak before single barrels are picked for a bottling run.
Tasting Notes:
Maple syrup and clove-studded oranges lead on the nose with rum raisin, mild sour butter, and a hint of old cellar beams. The palate is lush with a warm sense of mulled wine spices and sour cherry next to cinnamon-buttered toast and soft yet sweet corn muffins. The end has a smooth vanilla base with a hint of date and black tea next to buttery cornmeal with a hint of brown sugar.
Bottom Line:
This is just really nice whiskey from a very small operator in the Rockies.
29. Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey
This is where things get interesting. Evidently Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Assitant Distiller Lexi Phillips have been laying down barrels of American single malt on the side and not telling a soul. This expression, a “triple mash,” is comprised of 60% Jack’s Tennessee Rye, 20% Jack’s Tennessee Whiskey, and 20% of their new American malt. Once those bonded whiskeys are blended, they’re proofed down with that iconic cave water and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a hint of wet malts that leads into a big note of fresh honey with a hint of honeycomb. There’s a touch of vanilla on the nose alongside wet deck planks, a little bit of sweetgrass, a hint of potting soil, and big and plump dates with a very distant note of cream soda. The palate is all about those wet malts with plenty of vanilla backbone — think full pods you pay $30 each for. The mid-palate is super soft with hints of nutmeg, buttery toffee covered in crushed almond, and that vitamin aisle again all leading to wet wicker, more of that vanilla, a whisper of applewood, and a super clear sense of rain-covered slate on the very backend.
Bottom Line:
This is the progenitor of Jack Daniel’s foray into American single malt. The vibe here is classic enough to hold the attention of Tennessee whiskey fans while offering something unique and fresh.
This whiskey is a match made in Colorado. The whiskey is aged in imperial oatmeal stout from Breckenridge Brewing. The brewery and distillery are only two miles apart. So, there’s very little time between the beer getting emptied from the barrels and the whiskey getting filled in, adding extra layers of flavor to the final product. Moreover, you can actually get the beer that was aged in the bourbon barrels for this project from Breckenridge Brewing in case you’re looking for a good pairing this winter.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this one is surprisingly fruity with a mix of dark berries that are almost tart with hints of ripe banana and chocolate-covered strawberries with a hint of burnt vanilla husks. The palate dries out that strawberry while the chocolate darkens as salted caramel kicks with an eggnog spice base and a touch of dry and mild chili pepper flakes. The finish lingers for a while as the burnt vanilla, caramel, and dark berries coalesce under the dark and bitter chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is a great crafty whiskey (the grain and fruit really speak to craft beer brewing vibes) that’s worth pairing with a good beer any time of year.
This whiskey is made from 100% locally grown Minnesota wheat, which adds a nice depth of local flavor. That wheat is then fermented with a fruity yeast strain before distilling. The juice is then cold-aged in those Minnesota winters before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Hints of berries and bananas lead towards a caramel spice undercut with vanilla on the nose with a slight grassy nature. There’s a mild spice — think cardamom, dry chili, and cinnamon — on the palate with red berries and dark chocolate kissed with sweet caramel. The end leans into the grassy nature of the wheat with a dash more of that chili/cinnamon spiciness.
Bottom Line:
This is a very easy-going wheated whiskey with a nice spicy edge.
26. Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American 110 Proof
The latest release from Irish-American whiskey brand Keeper’s Heart blends Irish grain and pot still whiskeys with American rye whiskey (all aged over four years). Unlike the previous releases from the brand, this expression ramps up the rye whiskey and ABVs with a higher proof and only a touch of water in the final blend.
Tasting Notes:
Oatcakes and vanilla wafers mingle with raisins, bushels of apples, and gingerbread with a hint of honey and I want to say mango skins. The palate leans into the soft and powdered winter spices with a soft orange citrus note that leads to apple nut oatmeal with plenty of fresh honey and raisin next to spicy apple cider and ginger snaps. The end has a maltiness that’s followed by sweet winter spices, honey, and nuttiness.
Bottom Line:
This was the bottle of Keeper’s Heart to get this year thanks to those ABVs really allowing the masterful blending to shine.
This Oregon whiskey is all about in-house production. The beer/base of the whiskey comes from Rogue’s own brewery. The juice is distilled on-site. And, finally, the barrels are hand-crafted — from barrels that held Rogue’s stout — at Rogue’s own barrel works. The American single malt spends one year mellowing in new Oregon oak casks before the juice is re-barreled in those stout casks for an additional two years of maturation.
Tasting Notes:
The nose invites you with a dark roast coffee cut with a few pumps of orange syrup and topped with a dark chocolate foam with a dusting of nutmeg. The palate largely delivers on that but lets the coffee bitter towards an espresso bean while the dark chocolate dries out into a powder and the spice warms towards candy cinnamon with a touch more of that orange lurking in the background. The mid-palate veers away from the dryness towards a creamy vanilla finish with a touch of powdered sugar and dark chocolate powder.
Bottom Line:
This is a dark and fun whiskey, especially if you’re looking for a great beer pairing pour.
This unique release from Penelope is “light” in the sense of aging, not like a “light” beer. This is all about the barrel having no char which is classified as “light whiskey.” Anyway, this expression is a blend of MGP whiskeys (pretty much the only distillery making light whiskey) that’s left at a very high proof before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This is a wild card with familiar notes of pancake batter with plenty of vanilla, caramel corn balls, sweet apple tarts, and a mild dose of very soft yet resinous pine. The palate moves from creamy vanilla pie toward apple crumble with plenty of butter and brown sugar, cinnamon, and tartness before a layer of soft floral citrus arrives. The finish feels like vanilla cupcakes frosted with an eggnog frosting with plenty of powdered sugar everywhere next to a woody yet subtle spice mix.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a style that’s going to catch on (again) as distillers and blenders look to expand their shelf space, and this is a great example of why it’ll catch on.
This brand-new whiskey is rendered from a marriage of Iowa’s famed Cedar Ridge and Indiana’s MGP whiskeys. The blend balances bourbon with a majority of rye in the mix to create a “high rye” American whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is soft and full of rye bread crusts, a touch of pound cake, and a hint of marzipan with a mild “woodiness” below everything. The palate feels very Irish Whiskey with a spiced maltiness — cinnamon and nutmeg mostly — next to wet brown sugar, floral honey, and a hint of lemon pepper. The end really leans into the maltiness with a hint of nutshell woodiness and toffee sweetness next to mild raisin notes.
Bottom Line:
This is a very approachable and drinkable whiskey that works well on the rocks and slaps in a cocktail.
Old Carter might be the ultimate whiskey nerd label. The blends are hand-selected by the husband and wife team, Mark and Sherri Carter, from the best barrels they can find. Beyond that, they keep their blends and details pretty close to their chest to add a little mystery to the endeavor.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a nose full of rich and creamy vanilla ice cream scoop over a pecan waffle with hints of dark cherries, Honey Nut Cheerios, and a touch of old cedar all sneaking in. The palate leans into that waffle with a good pour over maple syrup over cinnamon brown butter, a fresh batch of glazed doughnuts, and a few braids of spicy orange-infused tobacco. The end leans back into the vanilla with a sheet cake vibe as the dark berries attach to the tobacco and wintry spice with a final note of creamy toffee and nougat.
Bottom Line:
Old Carter remains one of those brands whiskey insiders love to talk about but hasn’t hit the mainstream yet. This is a good entry point for a wider audience to enjoy the blending masterwork at play.
This whiskey celebrates 291’s 11th anniversary of distilling out in Colorado. The juice is made from 291’s classic mash and then aged for around two-plus years in barrels with Aspen wood staves added into the whiskey barrels. A select handful of the absolute best of the best barrels was then hand-picked then batched and bottled as-is to create this cask-strength version.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of old porch wicker that leads to worn leather, chili-spiked dark chocolate, and dark and meaty dried dates, figs, and prunes with a hint of vanilla. The palate is darkly fruity and then blows out with intense ABVs. It’s a hot buzz that mutes everything else until it fades, revealing orange and vanilla with woody winter spice and some more dried stone fruits.
Bottom Line:
This fleeting limited edition from craft darling 291 out in Colorado is one of their best releases.
20. Balcones ZZ Top Tres Hombres Texas Whisky 2022 Edition
ZZ Top worked directly with Master Distiller Jared Himstedt (over Zoom) to blend three Balcones whiskies together. The blend is one part Balcone’s signature Blue Corn Whisky, one part Texas Single Malt, and one part Texas Rye. The idea behind the blends was to build the sip from a bold and oily base towards a fruity mid-palate that ends up nice and spicy.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a Digestive Biscuit with a hint of brown butter, brown sugar, and pecan leading to a moment of dried juniper next to floral citrus. The palate is bright with a grapefruit soda vibe — more Fresca than Jarritos — as a moment of cumin dances with some suede, grape must, and a salty cracker. The end leans into the floral side of the citrus while adding in a hint of fresh ginger spice and apple cider cinnamon candies.
Bottom Line:
This was one of the funniest releases of the year.
19. BLACKENED A Blend of Whiskeys Finished in Black Brandy Casks
This whiskey from Metallica uses a special “Black Noise” method while finishing the aging process of the booze. The whiskey barrels are exposed to sonic waves which jostle the wood and allow the spirit to interact with the sugars a bit more than usual. The whiskey in those barrels is a blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys that are vatted and then finished in black brandy casks before a blast of music, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is mildly sweet with a hint of honey next to light chili pepper spice, old leather, and burnt sugars with a twinge of butteriness. The palate is fairly classic with a mix of rich vanilla, soft caramel, winter spices, another touch of dried chili pepper, and maple syrup candies. The end dries out with a note of dried straw next to creamy vanilla and a final note of chili tobacco spiciness.
Bottom Line:
Sonic aging aside, this is a serious whiskey with a great flavor profile that proves Blackened is more than just a celeb brand. It’s a real contender.
18. Five Trail Blended American Whiskey Barrel Proof Bold and Uncut
This new batch of whiskey from Coors’ new distillery and Bardstown Bourbon Company out in Kentucky blends six-year-old Colorado single malt with 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, those whiskeys go into the bottle with zero filtering or proofing.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a sense of old leather and cumin seeds next to salted caramel, pecan waffles, real maple syrup, and browned butter with a few woody spices thrown in alongside a date or prune. The palate sweetens the spices with a hint of sour mulled wine next to caramel apples, Cherry Coke, gingerbread, and allspice-heavy Christmas cake with candied orange rinds. The end leans into the gingerbread with a nice layer of marzipan and cedar over some mild ABV warmth.
Bottom Line:
Coors released four expressions for this line this year and this was the bottle to add to your bar cart.
17. F.E.W. Motor Oil Whiskey Finished in Rum and Vermouth Casks
This whiskey is a collab between Illinois’ F.E.W. Spirits and the rock band Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. The juice in the bottle is a blend of F.E.W. Bourbon finished in rum barrels, F.E.W. Bourbon finished in vermouth barrels, and a mesquite-smoked wheat whiskey. Those barrels are vatted and proofed down to 101 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a clear sense of chocolate malts next to dry reeds and rich spice with a slightly floral edge. Think sassafras by way of whole cinnamon and very subtle hibiscus. The palate starts off with a dry chocolate cookie before layering in vanilla husks, brown sugar, and a faint whisper of fat from a brisket smoker. The end lets the brown sugar and dry spices mingle with a thin line of that fatty smoke rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
F.E.W. has never really let us down and this whiskey was a high point in a great year for the brand.
16. Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey
This Michigan whiskey is 100% wheat whiskey. The grains are 100% organic and grown locally around Michigan. The whiskey then ages for an undisclosed about of time before it’s blended into a final product that looks to Irish whiskey for inspiration.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of toffee and vanilla cake on the nose with a dash of woody winter spices, eggnog creaminess and nutmeg, and a light whisper of smudged sweetgrass. The palate leans into the smoldering grassiness while warm dark spices add a sharpness before stewed pears and plums mingle with clove, anise, and cinnamon bark next to oily vanilla pods and a whisper of old leather and tobacco wrapped in dry sweetgrass on the warm and buzzing finish.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey won a ton of awards this year, including Best in Show/Whiskey of the Year at Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards. Hype aside, this whiskey lives up to all those accolades as a devilishly fun sipper and one hell of a cocktail base.
15. Whiskey War Double Double A Blend of Straight Whiskeys
This Ohio whiskey is hewn from a rye-heavy mash bill. That spicy juice is then rested in new American oak for a spell before being vatted and re-barreled into another brand-new American oak barrel, all adding up to five years of mellowing. Those barrels are then batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sweet sense of salted caramel on the nose that gives way to dried chili pepper, old wet leather sheets, pink peppercorns, and a hint of burnt orange rinds over cider-soaked cinnamon bark and raw waffle batter with a whisper of pecan. The palate hits that burnt orange and caramel note harder as minor keys of winter spice, fruit cake, and rum raisin darken the taste. The end has a sense of pitchy firewood and sweet oak next to smudging sage and spearmint-chocolate tobacco just dusted with lemon pepper from the 90s.
Bottom Line:
This is another award-winning whiskey — awarded Best Blended Whiskey of 2022 in San Francisco — that lives up to the hype. It’s really freaking tasty and makes a killer Manhattan.
14. Balcones Big Baby Bottled In Bond Straight Corn Whiskey Matured in Tequila Casks
This Texas whiskey is one of the most interesting releases of 2022. The juice is made from 100% roasted blue corn from New Mexico. That mash is pot distilled before going into used tequila barrels for a five-year rest. After maturation, the barrels are vatted and proofed down to 100 proof per bottled-in-bond law and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a lovely balance of fresh and bright Key lime pie next to freshly cracked black and red peppercorns with dry corn cobs, grapefruit pith, and a dash of old dry cedar bark intertwined with orange-laced tobacco leaves and black tea. The palate leans into dry chili spice with a hint of sea salt next to honeydew melon skins, vanilla wafers, and a burst of apple Jolly Rancher that leans toward Martinelli Apple Cider cut with cream soda. The end kicks up the melon vibe with a watermelon candy vibe before layers of dry sweetgrass, cedar bark, lime leaves, and vanilla tobacco finish the sip on a dry yet bright note.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of the unique, fresh, and fun whisky coming out of Balcones right now.
13. Barrell Private Release Kentucky Whiskey Finished in an Apricot Barrel
These releases from Barrell Craft Spirits tend to be the best of the best barrels they have stocked. This expression is made from Kentucky whiskeys that are up to 18 years old. Those whiskeys are then finished in apricot brandy barrels before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Apricot jam and creamy peanut butter mingle with mint candy, anise, clove, and sweet black licorice ropes with a secondary layer of spicy, woody tobacco and vanilla cream underneath it all. The palate opens with a sweet bran muffin next to dry porch wicker as dried chili pepper spice warms things up and dried and leather fruit — think dates, dried apricot, and maybe even dried pineapple — balance the taste. The finish is soft yet full of dark fruits, woody spices, and a hint of vanilla cream pipe tobacco.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a nutty, spicy, fruit bomb, this is the whiskey for you.
The Bardstown Discovery Series has become one of the most beloved and sought-after blended whiskeys in the game. Their latest edition is a mix of 35% eight-year-old Georgia bourbon, 31% 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon, 19% 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey, and 15% 12-year-old corn whiskey from Ontario. Those barrels are shipped to Bardstown where they’re masterfully vatted and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is dense yet inviting with hints of sour apple next to waxy cacao nibs, old boot leather, bruised plums, wet cedar bark braids, soft winter spice, and a hint of wet forest mushroom underneath it all. The palate is ultra lush with creamy vanilla leading things off as layers of cinnamon cake, dry reeds, and a twinge of spicy orange tobacco leaf mingle. The end is pure silk thanks to that vanilla with an accent of chanterelles and stewed plums in a ginger/cinnamon/clove brown sugar syrup base.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Discovery Series just keeps getting better and better. While I’m still partial to #6 from last year, this year’s high point was #9, and has really stuck with me.
11. Rare Character The Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Aged 11 Years
This new whiskey from the Rare Character team out in Kentucky is a single barrel that’s like finding a golden needle in a haystack. The single barrel was distilled back in February 2011 with a mash of bill of 65% malted barley and 35% corn. That barrel was left alone until December 2022 when the Rare Character team bottled it completely as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This whiskey opens with a nose full of sharp chili spices soaked in apple cider and cherry liquor with a sense of old leather saddles, rich and sweet porridge, coconut cookies with dark chocolate chips, and a sense of old straw in a damp cellar. The palate is lush with a sense of soft vanilla wafers next to a complex mix of apple wood, blanched almonds, peach pits, pear cores, mango skins, wet grass, and … this whiskey just keeps going. The long finish is completely devoid of any ABV burn and instead relishes in malted vanilla wafers, woody white peaches, red apples, wet deck timbers, and a hint of soft winter spice cake with a touch of walnut and blood orange.
Bottom Line:
This is a seriously deep whiskey that’s going to blow up in 2023. And it’s not even the only expression from Rare Character on this list.
10. High West The Prisoner’s Share Batch No: 22G12
This is blended whiskey made from straight whiskeys (mostly ryes and bourbons) that are sent out to Utah for batching. Once blended, those whiskeys are then re-barreled into The Prisoner Red Blend wine barrels for a final, high-altitude rest. Finally, the barrels are batched, just kissed with water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This has a fruity nose that’s bright and tart with black currants, pomegranate, and sour cherry next to darker dried fruits — prunes, dates, figs — over fermented honey, gingerbread, and a hint of dried roses and maybe some cherry blossom before cedar pops in. The palate really leans into the honey and dark dried fruits before veering into apricot jams, scones, and dark orange slices that are damn near juicy with a hint of black pepper. The end has a coconut cream pie vibe that’s countered by oaky tobacco with a twinge of burnt orange.
Bottom Line:
This is classic High West whiskey and a true high point from the brand this year.
This whiskey is made with a fair amount of rye over bourbon in a traditional sour mash style. This year’s release varied mildly in that some of those whiskeys in the blend were aged in specially made toasted French oak that spent 24 months seasoning before they were made. The barrels were all vatted and bottled with just a touch of Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Soft leather, burnt orange, spiced Christmas cake, fresh vanilla beans, sultanas, and a hint of fresh firewood round out the nose with a hint of almost sweet oak char. The palate has a nice sweet spiciness to it like a box of Hot Tamales next to allspice and orange with raisins, nutmeg, and a whisper of espresso bean sneaking in late. The end marries the orange oils to soft cedar notes with a woody spiciness next to soft notes of sweet cinnamon, stewed plums, minced meat pies, and brandied cherries layered into chewy tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This secret Michter’s is an elegant display of blending sour mash whiskeys into a greater whole.
This organic wheat whiskey from up in Washinton has a pretty unique finish. The juice is made from 100% USDA organic soft white wheat pulled in from local Washington farms. The spirit then spends around two years mellowing in oak before it’s re-barreled into oak from Islay which held peaty whisky for 10 to 12 years. After around 10 months of finishing, the whiskey is vatted, proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a sense of soft and damp nori next to a whiff of beach campfire smoke made from driftwood underneath a metal grill that’s searing pineapple and tart apples with a hint of white pepper and vanilla bean. The palate layers in more of the driftwood campfire smoke with a savory sea salt edge leading toward smoked pork belly fat and maybe a hint of smoked salmon belly too next to a touch of old boot leather. The finish veers towards a sweet and smoked toffee candy with hints of maple syrup next to dark chocolate sauce flaked with more sea salt and just kissed with that driftwood smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is a complex and rewarding whiskey that deserves time and attention, especially if you’re looking for something truly special.
7. Cascade Moon Aged 15 Years Barrel Proof Spirits Distilled From Grain
This whiskey, er, spirit, was made with George Dickel’s high-corn mash bill with about 8% each of rye and malted barley as support. It was barreled in new oak and left to rest in Cascade Hollow’s single-story rickhouse. After 15 years, Austin decided to bottle these spirits at barrel proof (with no fussing) instead of blending them out into other expressions (which is what usually happens with barrels that dip below the legal ABV standard to be called “whiskey”).
Tasting Notes:
Soft orchard fruits and dry grains draw you in on the nose initially before turning toward a fresh cherry Necco Wafer with a cut of old leather, sour currant, and damp white moss. There’s a faint hint of pine resin buried deep in that nose too. The palate is supple with a silky vanilla base supporting hints of cinnamon apple sauce, a flourish of buttery honey, and whole wheat biscuits with a twinge of buckwheat and maybe some sweetgrass. The mid-palate hits a light marzipan note before fading toward more vanilla, a touch of nutmeg, and almond shells on the very soft finish.
Bottom Line:
I know, this isn’t legally a “whiskey” but it’s a prime example of why expectations aren’t always necessary. This whiskey is a dazzling example that “barrel proof” is just a number and that the flavor profile is all that really matters in the end.
6. Bardstown Bourbon Company Fercullen Blended Whiskey
This Kentuck whiskey is a blend of America and Ireland and it rocks. The blend is made from 36% 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey (84/8/8 corn/rye/malted barley mash), 24% 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon (75/13/12 corn/rye/malted barley mash), 20% 12-year-old Kentucky bourbon (78/10/12 corn/rye/malted barley mash), and 20% 21-year-old Irish single malt (100% malted barley) from Powerscourt Distillery in Wicklow. Those whiskeys are vatted and bottled in Bardstown as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The Irish whiskey just comes through on the nose with a sense of nutty honey clusters with soft malted vanilla wafers next to rich and salted toffee, black cherry, and burnt orange marzipan with a hint of pecan waffles and really good drip coffee. The palate has a sense of malted oat cakes next to red pepper spice, blackberry pie, mocha frappuccinos, and stewed tart apples with plenty of winter spice — think star anise, cardamom, and nutmeg. The end is full of sweet and sour mulled wine with a sense of sticky toffee pudding, mince pies, and caramel tobacco with a touch of peanut shell and pine box.
Bottom Line:
This Irish-American blend is a powerhouse whiskey and an excellent example of the great things going on at Bardstown Bourbon Company.
This release takes Michter’s signature Kentucky Sour Mash — which doesn’t have enough corn or rye to be either bourbon or rye whiskey — and finishes it in toasted barrels. In this case, those barrels are first air-dried for 18 months and then lightly toasted barrel before the whiskey is filled in. Finally, the booze is batched and bottled with a good dose of that Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a soft sense of a pile of firewood cut from an old fruit orchard next to dark chocolate oranges with a flake of salt and a drop of honey with a hint of vanilla cake frosted with apple-cinnamon butter frosting. The palate has a lightly smoked cherry vibe next to clove and allspice with a sense of lush and creamy eggnog and vanilla-cherry tobacco stuffed in a slightly pitchy pine box. The end really leans into the cherry tobacco with a layer of mild chili spice and more of that soft and sweet orchard firewood.
Bottom Line:
This is just good whiskey. It’s great as a sipper and makes one hell of a cocktail.
This year’s Little Book is another masterpiece from Beam’s Master Distiller, Freddie Noe. The juice in the bottle is a blend of four-year-old straight malt whiskey finished with cherrywood staves, four-year-old straight malt whiskey finished in applewood smoked barrels, four-year-old straight malt whiskey finished in hickory smoked barrels, four-year-old straight malt whiskey finished with maplewood staves, and Beam’s classic five-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, making this a kind of single malt/bourbon hybrid. The juice was bottled after blending with no filtering or proofing.
Tasting Notes:
This blend was built to celebrate grilling meats in the backyard and that’s evident from the nose as hints of smokey orchard woods pop first. Next, the nose reveals hints of sour cherry, tart apple cores, and bright orange zest with a smidge of smoked plum in the background with a dash of winter spice and maybe some oatmeal cookie dough. The palate kicks in with a mix of winter spices and dry green herbs (a hint of sage?) next to lightly smoked sweet cherry wood and some dry hickory that leads to a hint of cherry root beer. That cherry layers into a dry tobacco leaf with a thin line of dark chocolate and some rum-raisin as the finish veers toward orchard wood with smoked apricot and a twinge of salted vanilla cream lurking underneath it all.
Bottom Line:
This blend of Kentucky malt and bourbon feels like the future (as it made this list lot this year).
This ultimate edition of Barrell Craft Spirit’s beloved Dovetail Whiskey feels genre-defining. The whiskey in the blend is made from Indiana, Tennesee, and Canadian whiskeys that are up to 25 years old that were finished in rum, port, and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet wine barrels. Finally, those barrels are batched and bottled 100% as-is in Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a sense of tart red currants and old red wine barrels with a sharp grapefruit pith balancing things out before spearmint and raspberry jam lean the nose toward creamy and sour espresso with a hint of root beer cut with cherry syrup. The palate leans into orange and lime leaves with a twinge of strawberry and rhubarb next to sage, mint, and parsley tied up with pine resin burned to toast marshmallows. The end has a ginger vibe with a touch of spicy rum, cran-apple cider, wet wicker, old boots, and grilled pineapple drizzled with rummy toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious. It’s also deep. You can just keep going and going on the nose and palate and always find new taste avenues to go down. Amazingly, that Hazmat ABV (above 70%) doesn’t overwhelm the palate at all. That alone is a miracle, making this a must-try whiskey.
2. Rare Character The Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Aged 14 Years and 5 Months
This whiskey from Rare Character was distilled back in May 2008. 14 years later, in December 2022, the single barrel was bottled and released into the wild. The whiskey in the bottle was made from a mash of 65% malt and 35% corn, creating a signature “Kentuck Straight Malt Whiskey,” which is only just becoming a thing.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a distinct sense of stewed fatty meats in dried chilis, clove buds, cinnamon bark, peppercorns, bay leaves, whole cumin, turmeric, and sweet garlic all wrapped up in a banana leaf next to sharp cherry root beer with a soft vanilla white cake countering everything and a sense of salted caramel candied dipped in dark chocolate and dusted with the faintest whisper of dried lavender pedals. The palate pops with a sense of cinnamon bark, juniper berries, and whole Tellicherry black peppercorns next to moist fruit cakes soaked in brandy and brimming with dried fruits, candied citrus, and almost black dark spices. The end lingers for a while hitting wet leather gloves, old tobacco pipes, wet braids of cedar bark, wild sage, and wicker, and a sense of fallow apple orchards in the winter.
Bottom Line:
This is a masterpiece whiskey.
1. The Last Drop Signature Blend No. 28 A Blend Of Kentucky Straight Whiskeys
This blend is from Buffalo Trace’s Master Blender Drew Mayville, who’s been at the distillery since 2004. Mayville created this blend by sampling bourbons and ryes from the rarest and sometimes oldest barrels of whiskey in Buffalo Trace’s vast and numerous warehouses. While the exact details of the final blend are unknown, we do that the whiskeys in this blend are some of the rarest that the distillery had on its ricks. And since it is a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey, this is technically a “blended straight whiskey.”
Tasting Notes:
What’s amazing is that the moment you open the bottle, you’re whisked away to Buffalo Trace on the nose. It’s that dark red brick and black mold with the old rickhouse beams, dirt floors, sour mash fermenters, and green grass with fall leaves crunching under feet. The nose then starts to deepen into sticky toffee pudding, old dried-up figs, black-tea-soaked dates, burnt orange, cinnamon sticks, dried ancho chilis, firewood pitch, and a creamy underbelly of vanilla and toffee. The palate warms with an ABV buzz that leads to soft vanilla cream with tart but dark berries floating next to orange zest and salted caramel. There’s a sense of old boot leather and Kiwi boot cream next to waxy cacao nibs, cherry cream soda, pecan and dark chocolate clusters, pistachios, and roasted root veg — think caramelized parsnips and carrots next to a Yorkshire pudding. The end becomes a luxuriously soft and creamy sip of stewed black cherries with anise and clove next to holly bushes and fir needles with a little bunch of spices — cinnamon sticks, star anise, dried rose, a stick of pine, dried orange peel — tied with an old waxy piece of twine.
Bottom Line:
This is the zenith of American whiskey. If there’s a better American whiskey out there, I haven’t found it. And I’ve absolutely freaking searched.
The RICO trial against Young Thug and YSL Records hasn’t even begun yet, and it’s already marked by a ton of drama. While Young Thug’s codefendants Gunna and Walter Murphy were both released after pleading guilty to one count each of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in exchange for reduced sentences (four years suspended and one year reduced to time served). And now, during a pre-trial court hearing for Thug, an enthusiastic fan broke into the trial via Zoom to call for Thug’s freedom with some inappropriate content of his own.
According to The Atlanta Journal Constitution, a Zoom call set up to allow attorneys to attend remotely was hijacked by a naked man with a message reading “Free Young Thug.” Deputies were forced to scramble to turn off screens. Eventually, it was determined that one of the legitimate attendees was screen-sharing at the time.
As anyone who had to attend a Zoom meeting during the pandemic lockdowns can attest, Zoom break-ins can be pretty common. Heck, I recently had to boot a Zoom invader from a meeting myself and always set interview calls to require a password. If anything, though, the incident shows how impassioned people are about the potential outcome of the upcoming trial (which Murphy’s lawyer is convinced was entirely set up to catch Thug over any of his alleged conspirators). Thug’s been charged with a slew of offenses and could end up in prison for a very long time, so expect scrutiny to remain intense as the trial gets underway in January.
Rising Puerto Rican star Lunay will be touring the US next year. Yesterday (December 15), the reggaeton heartthrob revealed the dates for his Lunay New Season USA Tour.
At 22-years-old Lunay has proudly represented the new generation reggaeton stars. In 2019, he released his breakthrough single “Soltera.” Lunay received two epic co-signs when Daddy Yankee and Bad Bunny jumped on the remix of the song. Since then, Lunay has amassed over 650 million streams on Spotify and 43 million listeners across 178 countries. His other hits include the alluring “Aventura” and “Todo O Nada” featuring Brazilian superstar Anitta.
Lunay New Season USA Tour will mark his first tour in the US since COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. The tour will kick off on February 3 in Salt Lake City. Nine dates have been announced with the location for a February 25 date to be announced soon.
“I am crazy to start this tour,” Lunay said in a statement. “Thanks to my fans, who have been so supportive since the beginning of my career. You can’t miss this show. We will set America on fire.”
Lunay also released the music video for his new single “Nuevo.” He teamed up with another one of Puerto Rico’s up-and-coming acts, Yovngchimi. The frenetic beat harks back to the classic sound of reggaeton’s mixtape days in the nineties. In the video, they flex about living the high life with everything brand new, including cars and motorcycles. Tickets for Lunay New Season USA Tour are now on-sale on his official website here.
Watch the video above and find the tour dates below.
02/03/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Sky SLC
02/04/2023 — Las Vegas, NV @ Area 15
02/09/2023 — McAllen, TX @ La Catedral
02/10/2023 — Louisville, KY @ Bourbon Hall
02/11/2023 — Providence, RI @ The Strand
02/17/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ Noto Philly
02/18/2023 — Chicago, IL @ The Forge
02/19/2023 — San Francisco, CA @ The Grand
02/24/2023 — Orlando, FL @ Gilt Nightclub
02/25/2023 — TBA
I mean, sure, he’s been dead for 23 years, but the man faked the Moon landing — surely he can fake his own death, too, and tweet about Barbie. “They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery! Even Barbie is a Kubrick fan…” @StanleyKubrick tweeted, following the release of the 2001: A Space Odyssey-parodying teaser for director Greta Gerwig’s follow-up to Little Women. Weird! But also sweet.
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!
As for Barbie, Gerwig still hasn’t revealed what the plot is about, but star Margot Robbie said it will surprise people (although probably not as surprising as the ghost of Stanley Kubrick tweeting about the doll movie where Ryan Gosling plays Ken).
“We like the things that feel a little left of center,” she told the Hollywood Reporter. “Something like Barbie where the IP, the name itself, people immediately have an idea of, ‘Oh, Margot is playing Barbie, I know what that is,’ but our goal is to be like, ‘Whatever you’re thinking, we’re going to give you something totally different — the thing you didn’t know you wanted.’” Barbie comes out on July 21, 2023.
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