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Flavored whiskeys are very hit-and-miss. As someone who tastes, judges, and writes about whiskey for a living, I can tell you it usually goes one of three ways in flavored whiskey. Either you’re going to get a super sweet sugar bomb that maybe has a hint of what’s promised on the label flavorwise; or it’ll be sort of blank and pointless (maybe too sweet or not sweet at all); or the bottlers will absolutely nail what’s promised on the label in a way that truly represents the flavor they’re chasing.

Frankly, more often than not you’ll end up with a bottle that’s overly sweet and little else. That sucks.

To help you avoid the shit out there, I’m pulling in eight bottles of flavored whiskey and blind tasting them. This is a very straightforward tasting. I’m looking at the level of sweetness and whether or not it’s crystal clear from the jump what “flavor” the whiskey is. Basically, I’m looking for which bottle delivers something distinct and doesn’t overdo the sweetness.

Our lineup today is as follows:

• Stillhouse America’s Finest Spiced Cherry Whiskey
• Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Coffee Old-Fashioned
• Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish Batch no. 12
• Arcane Alpha American Whiskey with Hops
• Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey
• Southern Comfort Original
• Whiskeysmith Co. Blood Orange Flavored Whiskey

Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of dark and woody winter spices — clove, anise, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg — on the nose with a black cherry soda syrup vibe. The palate is largely the same with a clear woody spice tied to dark cherry that leads to flat root beer on the end.

This started off strong and sweet then veered off into flat soda territory pretty quickly.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Coffee grounds, orange peels, and cherry dominate the nose. The palate really leans into the orange and spice before hitting a soft drip coffee vibe at the end.

Overall, this was pretty good, distinct, and not too sweet.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Sweet peanuts come through strongly on the nose with a hint of dried cacao powder. The palate is amazingly sweet and hits on a Reese’s Peanut Cup vibe and that’s about it.

This was shockingly sweet but did deliver a crystal clear sense of peanut butter and chocolate.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is very light on the nose, I maybe get some apple and cinnamon but that’s about it. The palate has a spicy essence that’s tied to a bit of dried fruit and maybe some allspice and chocolate but that’s about it.

This was very blank. It wasn’t overly whiskey-like or sweet at all.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Woah! This is dank AF with a citrus-forward hoppiness on the nose that’s undeniable. That darkness carries through on the palate with a bit of tart red berries and light pine resin next to a dash of holiday baking spices and maybe some vanilla.

This was … interesting. It wasn’t too sweet but felt like it wasn’t too much of anything — a whiskey, flavored whiskey, dank IPA, or otherwise.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

This is clearly salted caramel on the nose with a mild sweetness and a hint of vanilla and spice. The palate is buttery and, well, full of salted caramel. The end is very sweet but that sweetness stays attached to that caramel all the way.

This was very sweet but that sweetness made sense because it was attached to caramel (you know, melted butter, sugar, and cream). This pour has made the most sense so far.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

SoCo! There you are! This is so distinctly Southern Comfort with a light fruity nose that leans toward apple and raisin with a cinnamon candy vibe. The palate veers a little toward black licorice and cherry candy with a winter spice edge.

Shit. This wasn’t bad. It certainly wasn’t overly sweet (on this panel anyway).

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Orange, orange, orange! The nose is a bridge between fresh orange rinds and marmalade with a hint of vanilla cake and maybe some soft winter spices. The palate is so orange and overly sweet that it feels like you’re drinking orange bar syrup straight from the bottle.

This is clearly orange but so sickly sweet that it barely matters.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Breckenridge Rum Cask Finish Batch no. 12 — Taste 4

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $48

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is labeled and a high-rye bourbon that’s aged in Colorado rum casks with “natural flavors” added.

Bottom Line:

This was just kind of blank. I didn’t get rum or bourbon. This is a hard pass from me.

7. Arcane Alpha American Whiskey with Hops — Taste 5

ABV: 41.5%

Average Price: $46

The Whiskey:

Arcane is known for making full-on craft beer and then distilling that hopped beer into whiskey. In this case, they did that with a triple IPA and then added some hops to the barrels for extra hoppiness.

Bottom Line:

This was 100% hopped like a ridiculous IPA. It was fine overall but really didn’t balance on the palate as well as it could have. Plus, I can’t see what I’d ever use this in.

6. Whiskeysmith Co. Blood Orange Flavored Whiskey — Taste 8

ABV:30%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This whiskey comes out of Old Elk Distillery in Colorado. Beyond that, not much else is known about the fidelity of what’s in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

This was clearly orange and nearly great but then got so goddamn sweet on the palate that all was lost. I could see watering this down with some bubbly water and plenty of ice though. So it’s not a total loss.

5. Stillhouse America’s Finest Spiced Cherry Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 34.5%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts off with Stillhouse’s 100% clear corn whiskey that’s then infused with black cherry, a mix of wintry spices, and some vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This was clearly spiced cherry. That’s a win. However, it was very sweet but then kind of petered out on that flat root beer finish.

4. Southern Comfort Original — Taste 7

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $11

The Whiskey:

Southern Comfort is made from whiskeys sourced from Sazerac Company’s many distilleries. Those barrels are spiked with fruit and spices during maturation and then bottled with plenty of proofing water.

Bottom Line:

This was (shockingly) not as bad as I remembered. There was a sense of balance, fruit, and spice, and it wasn’t too sweet. Don’t get me wrong, it was still very sweet. But I could see drinking this with some fizzy water and an orange slice.

3. Ballotin Chocolate Whiskey Peanut Butter Chocolate — Taste 3

ABV: 30%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is whiskey blended with “all-natural” chocolate and peanut butter “flavors.”

Bottom Line:

This delivered a clear and concise nose and palate. It was very sweet but hit the nail on the head with a peanut butter chocolate whiskey. All of that said, I’d probably use this to make pancake syrup or in cookies maybe.

2. Hochstadter’s Slow & Low Coffee Old-Fashioned — Taste 2

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is a blend of straight rye whiskey, Intelligentsia Coffee, raw honey, demerara sugar, Angostura Bitters, and orange peel, creating a black-as-night whiskey in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

Again, this delivered a very clear profile. Also, it wasn’t overly sweet. I don’t think I’d ever drink it (I’m not a coffee drinker) but I respect it.

1. Duke & Dame Salted Caramel Flavored Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 35%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This starts with a blend of 100 percent corn whiskeys with a couple of two-year-old bourbons. That juice is mixed with “natural flavors” of salted caramel to create the final product.

Bottom Line:

This was the clearest of the flavored whiskeys, and the sweetness made 100% sense here. This was concise and tasted really nostalgic. I don’t for the life of me know when I’d ever reach for this outside of baking, but I do know it’s a quality product that delivers exactly what it promises.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I was sort of surprised by the quality of most of these (well, the top five anyway). And I get it, these are for folks looking for a soft landing in a whiskey with a familiar flavor profile as a shooter or mixer. That’s totally cool.

In the end, I think there’s value in this sector. And while I would never reach for these (even the “not that sweet” ones are too sweet for me), I can see using them for baking or mixing into heavy batched winter cocktails.

Netflix has fallen on hard times. Earlier this year it started bleeding subscribers, prompting much internal panic and belt-tightening. Gone (probably) are the days where they fork over a fortune for some blockbuster that doesn’t even get released in theaters. (At the same time, they’re only granting Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery a one measly week in the nation’s multiplexes.) There’s even a watered-down, ad-supported version now. They’ve also tried to crack down on password-sharing, without much success. Now they’re trying something else to save the ship.

As per Variety, on Tuesday the streamer unveiled a new, exciting feature. It’s called “Manage Access and Devices,” and it allows users to identify all the devices they’re currently signed into and sign out of any they’re no longer using. It’s really helpful for anyone who signed into their account while traveling then forgot to sign out. That’s the angle Netflix is taking when pitching the new feature.

“With the busy holiday season just around the corner, many of our members will be on the move and watching Netflix wherever they are traveling to see family and friends,” boasted product manager Charles Wartemberg in a blog post. “Logging in to your account while at a hotel or even your friend’s house is easy and intuitive, but lots of people then forget to log out.”

Read between the lines, though, and you can see another, more pressing issue for Netflix. The company has estimated that there are over 100 million non-paying households worldwide signed into Netflix, i.e., streaming off of a password that’s been shared with them. There are more than 30 million such users in North America alone.

There is another reason for the feature’s existence: It will help subscribers feel more confident that their accounts are secure — that someone piggybacking off of their subscription isn’t maxing out their stream limit (if they have such a plan) or making unwanted changes. But in the end, it might prove more beneficial for the big streamer itself.

(Via Variety)

It’s been about a decade since The Walkmen called it quits and went on an “extreme hiatus.” The band members stayed active on their own, with singer Hamilton Leithauser notably putting out four excellent albums in the years since and Bauer releasing his latest album, Flowers, earlier this year. Now the band has announced that they’re getting back together with Leithauser sharing a statement that said they were inspired to return after watching a clip of one of their 2003 performances. “So, we’ve decided we’d like to play together again,” Leithauser said.

The Walkmen have already announced a pair of comeback concerts at New York City’s Webster Hall on April 26 and 27 of 2003. Check out Leithauser’s full statement on the band’s comeback below.

Back in 2013, an unnamed Walkmen band member (Peter Bauer) announced to the Washington Post that we were going on an ‘extreme hiatus.’ I assumed that meant there would be a lot of monster energy drinks and maybe that red-headed snowboarder guy would be hanging around a lot…but none of that actually happened. Instead, in the ensuing years we’ve all worked on a ton of different projects in a ton of different places. Recently, someone sent us a clip of us playing at Irving Plaza from 2003, and it just looked very exciting. So, we’ve decided we’d like to play together again. Right now, we are very thrilled to announce that we will be playing at Webster Hall on April 26 & 27. See you soon.

The ticketing presale begins Wednesday 11/16 at 10 am EST and continues through the 17th at 10 pm EST. Register here. General on-sale begins Friday, November 18th at 11 am EST.

Rolling Loud is returning to Los Angeles for the first time since 2019 after being canceled in 2020 and held in San Bernardino in 2021. The roaming festival has a new home at Hollywood Park in Inglewood (the home of SoFi Stadium) and is set for March 3-5, 2023. The lineup was announced today, headlined by Future, Playboi Carti, and Travis Scott. It’ll be Travis’ first headlining performance in the US since Astroworld.

Rolling Loud came roaring back with a vengeance in general in 2022, bringing events to Portugal, Miami, New York, and Toronto (all, funnily enough, featuring Future as headliner/unofficial mascot). It was an eventful year, to be sure, as the Miami event saw Travis Scott’s return to the stage after the Astroworld disaster, and Kid Cudi’s early departure from it after being pelted with objects by the crowd.

Meanwhile, the New York Rolling Loud was marred by the NYPD’s ongoing war against drill music, as well as ASAP Rocky’s meme-spawning mosh pit mishap. LA fans still have plenty to look forward to, though, as the last iterations of the festival in city of angels brought memorable performances and viral moments that still have an impact on hip-hop to this day (Cardi took back Offset, after all).

You can see the full lineup below and get more information here.

Warning: Spoilers for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ahead.

There has yet to be a Marvel movie that has secured an acting nomination at The Oscars, but after Angela Bassett’s performance in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, many fans are campaigning for her to get the coveted Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Queen Ramonda.

While her role as Wakanda’s fierce ruler was a stand-out of the already dazzling movie, Bassett was not too keen to return to the Black Panther universe after the death of Chadwick Boseman. Director Ryan Coogler told her that Queen Ramonda would have to be the emotional support for Shuri, the pressure was on. “It was scary,” Bassett admitted to IndieWire.

When the actress learned that the Queen would ultimately die towards the end of the film, Bassett was rightfully angry. “I objected,” Bassett continued. “Yeah, I was like, ‘Ryan, what are you doing? Why? You will rue the day! You will rue the demise of [Ramonda]. People are gonna be so upset.’”

Coolger also had to explain the rules of the Multiverse, and the fact that her character could likely come back at any point in the future, or in another Marvel movie, for that matter. She continued, “[Ryan] was like, ‘Angela, I know, I know, but look, to die is not really to die in this world. It doesn’t really have to mean that.’” Imagine her popping up alongside Paul Rudd in Ant-Man! How fun would that be?!

“All kinds of crazy things happen,” Bassett added. Yes, Marvel is notorious for putting crazy things in their movies, so bringing people back from the dead or even from another film franchise actually isn’t that off-brand.

(Via IndieWire)

A new Nipsey Hussle documentary is on the horizon and LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Company production house are involved. James, who posted a teaser trailer today for the documentary today on Twitter, is teaming up with Hussle’s Marathon Films for what looks to be a comprehensive look at the life and times of Nipsey Hussle.

The trailer takes an emotional look at Hussle, his childhood, his rise, his fatherhood, and his undeniable drive to succeed. Hussle can be heard on the trailer saying, “Crenshaw and Slauson. In the Crenshaw district. This is really where the Nip Hussle story started.” The trailer also shows that the film will focus on how Hussle reinvested back into his Crenshaw community and always gave back until the day he died.

There’s no word yet on the release date for the film, but you can watch the trailer for Hussle above.

Nipsey Hussle is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Kendrick Lamar‘s list of impressive accomplishments is already quite extensive, and yet it seemingly continues to grow by the day. The latest addition to the highlight reel of his achievements is another rarity; according to Insider.com, his nomination today for an Album Of The Year Grammy Award for Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers makes him the first artist in Recording Academy history to receive nominations for four consecutive releases.

Kendrick was first nominated in 2012 for his debut album, Good Kid, MAAD City, then again for its follow-up To Pimp A Butterfly in 2015. His last album, DAMN., was released in 2017, and was also nominated for Album Of The Year, winning Best Rap Album at the 2018 ceremony, as well as a Pulitzer Prize for Music — the first-ever rap album to do so. Kendrick is now tied with Kanye West as the rapper with the most Album Of The Year nominations, however, Kanye’s were non-consecutive. Kendrick is the most nominated rap artist this year, as well.

Naturally, Mr. Morale is also nominated for Best Rap Album this year, along with DJ Khaled’s God Did, Future’s I Never Liked You, Jack Harlow’s Come Home The Kids Miss You, and Pusha T’s It’s Almost Dry. In the Album Of The Year category, Kendrick is the sole rapper competing against a field including Adele, Beyoncé, Harry Styles, and Lizzo. You can see the full list of nominees here.

Omar Apollo and Anitta are officially first-time Grammy nominees. Following the announcement of the 2023 Grammy Awards nominations earlier today (November 15), both artists shared their reactions to the news.

Omar Apollo and Anitta are nominated for Best New Artist. Their nominations can be seen as representations of Latin music in the category. Apollo, who is Mexican-American, has always blurred the lines between what constitutes Latin and pop in his music. On his debut album Ivory, he delved into his Mexican roots a few times like in ranchera ballad “En El Olvido.”

Apollo revealed that he had to log into the Twitter web app to express his excitement. In his reaction post, he also included a blurry selfie photo.

“Got nominated best new artist omg,” Apollo wrote with crying, hugging, and champagne bottle emojis.

Anitta is another artist who is blending pop and Latin music. On her album Versions of Me, the Brazilian superstar sang in Portuguese, Spanish, and English. She scored one of the biggest hits of the year with her reggaeton romp “Envolver.” In July, Anitta was awarded a Guinness World Record for becoming the first solo Latin artist to reach No. 1 on Spotify with her breakthrough song.

In her reaction post, Anitta expressed that she is excited to represent her country Brazil. She added that being nominated for Best New Artist already feels like winning to her.

“Wow! Wow Wow Wow… never in life I would imagine this moment coming,” Anitta wrote. “I’m from Brazil guys… I mean .. wow! Speechless. Thank you, thank you, thank you… grateful forever. Winning or losing this is the biggest achievement I could ever imagine. Lots of love for all the other nominees making history.”

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will take place on February 5, 2023. For a full list of nominations, click here.

Some artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Indie music has grown to include so much. It’s not just music that is released on independent labels but speaks to an aesthetic that deviates from the norm and follows its own weirdo heart. It can come in the form of rock music, pop, or folk. In a sense, it says as much about the people that are drawn to it as it does about the people that make it.

Every week, Uproxx is rounding up the best new indie music from the past seven days. This week we got new music from Sharon Van Etten, Perfume Genius, Hatchie, and more.

While we’re at it, sign up for our newsletter to get the best new indie music delivered directly to your inbox, every Monday.

Soul Blind — Feel It All Around

Hudson Valley grungy group Soul Blind have finally crashed into the scene with their long-awaited debut. Their 2018 tracks “Crawling Into You” and “Falling Asleep” were delightful slices of hypnotic, heavy shoegaze, as was their 2021 EP Third Chain. But Feel It All Around watches them going all in for 11 relentless, immersive songs that take influence from ’90s rock while still transforming it into something new and exciting. Standouts include “Bruise The Sore” and “Everyday Evil,” but it’s best to listen to the LP in full.

Sharon Van Etten — We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong (Deluxe)

Sharon Van Etten’s We’ve Been Going About This All Wrong was a gorgeous, sprawling release earlier this year, and we’re lucky enough to get an expanded version. The deluxe features new tracks, the newest being “When I Die,” an existential earworm that’s as gorgeous as it is contemplative.

Manchester Orchestra — “No Rule”

Manchester Orchestra are still kicking it and they haven’t lost any of their spark. Andy Hull’s vocals are eternally enchanting, and his storytelling only strengthens with time. Their new song “No Rule” reckons with mortality with striking lines full of imagery: “Taking your very last breath / You are guided away from the garden / Hanging your arms on his neck / You said, ‘I love you,’” he sings.

Alex Lahey — “Sh*t Talkin”

Alex Lahey’s new song “Sh*t Talkin” has the texture of an early 2000s movie. The buoyant guitars, her pop-star vocals, the edgy, anthemic chorus with the simple but infectious hook: “Oh, sh*t talkin all the way home.” It’s for blasting on a drive with friends, going a little too fast and spreading a little too much gossip.

Hatchie — “Nosedive”

Hatchie’s new trippy track “Nosedive” is a whirlwind of color and mayhem. it’s packed with sputtering, hallucinogenic sounds and her voice comes in like a guiding force for the listener. A chaotic music video intensifies the sensory overload. The lyrics heighten the nonsense: “Wasted youth is a tragedy when you’re in the driver’s seat / Pray for someone to take control while you ignore your basic needs,” she sings.

Sega Bodega — “Kepko”

Similarly, Sega Bodega’s “Kepko” doesn’t hold back on disorientation. Harmonies strike from all angles, making voices sound like foreign instruments; a jittery beat quakes and quivers, keeping the listener on edge but unable to stop detaching. At a little over three minutes, it’s a crazy journey.

Runnner — “Bike Again”

“Bike Again” by Runnner is a tender, twangy ballad that begins with evocative, fragmented storytelling: “Telling myself that it’s time to get out / Fell off my bike again / It’s so embarrassing / How much I want to call you now,” Weinman says, his airy voice blending in with the weightless strumming of an acoustic guitar. The song ascends into a warm, sonorous outro with horns and a piano, all blending to make a wall of sound that feels bigger than itself — it feels like looking out at the ocean and being comforted by its enormity.

Fever Ray — “Carbon Dioxide”

Fever Ray go all in with “Carbon Dioxide,” an eccentric electronic anthem with attention-grabbing vocals and unforgettable sonic landscapes. At nearly five minutes, every second is packed, making for a memorable track.

Fleet Foxes — “A Sky Like I’ve Never Seen”

For the movie Wildcat, Fleet Foxes unveiled the sprawling ballad “A Sky Like I’ve Never Seen.” It’s a relaxing ode to nature: “There’s an ocean on the line / In it empty and it dream / There’s a sun above a sky like I’ve never seen / A sun above a sky like I’ve never seen,” and has the warmth of a sunny day.

Perfume Genius — “4 Minute Warning” (Radiohead cover)

Covering the legendary band Radiohead is not easy. You know a good amount of fans are going to be pretentious about it, regardless of what it sounds like. However, Perfume Genius’s rendition of their song “4 Minute Warning” hits the spot. It’s patient, genuine, and spellblindingly present.

Without a dog, the John Wick movies wouldn’t even exist. Over the past three films, Keanu Reeves‘ assassin has either lost a canine, been attacked by them, or fell in love with a new one, so naturally, John Wick 4 plans to keep that tradition going. In a new interview, director Chad Stahelski revealed that the fourth installment — which by the way is only tentatively titled John Wick: Chapter 4 and may change — will feature a brand new dog, who will do a “cool thing.”

However, making that “cool thing” happened required getting the canine acclimated to the vast stunt team, who were given the arduous task of chilling with the dog for an hour a day and just having a ball. Via Collider:

You have to get to know your friends. So in order for the dog to be very playful, and safe, and have the confidence just like a human would, they have to spend time with each individual stunt guy. So we had to rotate every hour. One of our 10 main stunt team guys would go and play. That was his job. He had to go play with the dogs, and get tackled by the dogs, and play Frisbee with the dog. So you get acclimated to our canine friend and then that’s how we started working it. But it was about a little over five months.

After being asked if the stunt team ever got to take the dogs home, Stahelski said that was a “no” because it’s important for the dogs to go home with the trainers. But the stunt team got plenty of paw time on set.

“If they’re not in the stunt rehearsal hall with Keanu or cast or choreographing, they’re with the dogs,” Stahelski told Collider. “They don’t take them home. But they spend a lot of time with the animals.”

(Via Collider)