Category: Worldwide

While Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout is widely thought of as the OG bourbon-barrel-aged stout (the first version was entered in the Great American Beer Festival in 1995), it’s hard to argue with the popularity of Founders KBS (Kentucky Breakfast Stout). This bourbon-barrel aged chocolate coffee stout has a ridiculous score of 100 (out of 100) on Beer Advocate and is one of the most widely beloved beers in the world.

In fact, the beer is so popular that it’s spawned two more iterations — KBS Espresso and the newly released KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge.

If you’re new to stouts, you might be confused by what the phrase “Kentucky Breakfast Stout” actually means. Before there was KBS, there was simply Founders Breakfast Stout (and there still is). This imperial coffee stout was made with flaked oats and two different types of coffee. (While we rarely drink beer for breakfast, it is a thing and the addition of coffee certainly helps.) In 2001, sensing the emerging popularity of barrel-aged stouts, the folks at Founders wanted to find a way to barrel-aged its iconic Breakfast Stout.

Barrel broker (yes, it’s a thing) Tom Griffin asked the Founders team if they wanted a few bourbon barrels. After tweaking the recipe a few times, they came up with the KBS we all now know and love. We taste and rank all three expressions below.

3) KBS Espresso

ABV: 12%

The story:

Founders KBS is a bourbon barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout that is brewed with actual coffee. KBS Espresso takes the caffeine to a new level by aging the stout on espresso beans after the initial bourbon barrel aging. The result is the perfect stout for fans of serious coffee aroma, flavor, and the buzz that comes with it.

Tasting Notes:

If you nose this beer as you might with a whiskey, you’ll be met with aromas that are… exactly what you’re expecting. The first scent is reminiscent of popping open a can of coffee beans. This is followed by subtle bourbon sweetness. The first sip yields subtly bitter, dark roasted coffee, milk chocolate, and creamy vanilla. The finish is bold, warming, and ends with a nice kick of espresso and caramel.

Bottom Line:

Saying this is the lowest-ranked of the three is a bit misleading. It’s a great beer. It’s really great for people who love coffee. For the rest of us, the original KBS will do.

3) KBS Maple Mackinac Fudge

ABV: 11%

The Story

This is the newest addition to the KBS family. It’s an imperial stout with Mackinac fudge, coffee, maple syrup, and chocolate — all aged in oak bourbon barrels. The people of Michigan believe that their fudge is the best in the world. Founders paid homage to that by making this supremely indulgent version of Kentucky Breakfast Stout.

Tasting Notes:

This beer has the words ‘maple’ and ‘fudge’ in its name, so it should come as no surprise that the first aromas that fill your nostrils are rich fudge and sweet maple syrup. The first sip delivers even more velvety, sweet milk chocolate, charred oak, vanilla sweetness, and a nice subtle coffee backbone. The finish is smooth, slightly warming, and ends with a mouth full of melted fudge.

Bottom Line:

This is a fun beer that’s great for the holidays, but it’s not the kind of beer you’re going to want to drink all day. It’s high in ABV and the equivalent of drinking a boozy milk chocolate bar.

1) KBS

ABV: 12%

The Story:

As we mentioned before, back in 2001, the folks at Founders were offered a few bourbon barrels by a friend. They figured, “Why not add Breakfast Stout to the barrels and see what happens?” The barrel amplified the chocolate, coffee, and caramel flavors of the stout while adding warming bourbon and charred oak notes.

The first batches hit the taproom in 2003 and it’s been a fan favorite ever since.

Tasting Notes:

The first sniff is full of strong, bold, chocolate, and coffee aromas. The first sip is full of sweet bourbon, rich vanilla, toasted oak, bitter espresso, and creamy milk chocolate notes. The finish is sweet, warming, and ends with a nice hint of bourbon sweetness.

Bottom Line

While it’s fun to try different KBS recipes, it’s pretty tough to be the original. It’s perfectly balanced and full of rich chocolate and coffee flavors. The perfect barrel-aged beer.

In late August, a 17-year-old named Kyle Rittenhouse from Illinois crossed state lines and shot three protesters during the unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killing two. One he shot in the head. Instead of inspiring a reckoning among conservative circles, Rittenhouse became a Republican folk hero. Indeed, less than three months later he’s been set free, after raising enough funds to make his astronomical bail of $2 million. And people were shocked to discover some of that dough came from no less than former child star Ricky Schroder.

Schroder, who has never reclaimed the spotlight he once had as the young star of the ’80s sitcom Silver Spoons, was outed on Friday by Rittenhouse’s lawyer L. Lin Wood, who himself is most famous for defending Richard Jewell, a rent-a-cop falsely accused of terrorism during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. (Wood was played by Sam Rockwell in Clint Eastwood’s movie from last year.) Wood thanked those who raised money to free a teenager facing two counts of murder, and singled out two prominent donators: Mike Lindell, aka the My Pillow guy, and the once-famous Schroder.

Schroder was proud to be called out. He even reposted Wood’s tweet on Parler, the social media site that has been overtaken by conservatives and which, despite its commitment to free speech, requires one to sign up for an account to read what people post there. But those who remember him were horrified to learn what he’s become. Some even check out his Wikipedia page, where they learned that, only two years ago, he was arrested twice for suspicions of domestic abuse, though he was not prosecuted for either.

Schroder was a big star in the ’80s, but he never successfully transitioned into an adult performer. Not for lack of trying. He spent three seasons on NYPD Blue, during which time he changed his name to simply “Rick.” (He’s since changed it back.) But people were not happy to see the 50-something Ricky.

Some reckoned with their youth.

Some questioned his priorities.

Some pointed out that Dolly Parton knows how to use her riches.

Others remarked on how the Trump era has exposed the seedier sides of people’s natures.

Some compared and contrasted him with Paul Rudd, who is one year older and not someone who donates to people awaiting murder trials.

One person pointed out that Schroder first became famous with the 1979 remake of the 1930s wrestling weepie The Champ, in which his father was played by an even better-known conservative actor: Jon Voight.

One person who chimed in was fellow actor Chad Lowe, who shed some light on Schroder’s evolution.

And some had no idea who Ricky Schroder is.

But those who did knew that the real star of Silver Spoons was a young supporting player named Jason Bateman.

Kyle Rittenhouse is due for a preliminary hearing on December 3, where he will be tried for first-degree intentional homicide.

(Via THR)

In-N-Out is now officially the favorite fast food burger joint of Colorado, as the state opened its first In-N-Out Burger in the Denver suburb of Aurora. Anticipation for the new In-N-Out was high. So much so, that at one point yesterday people were waiting in 14-hour drive-thru lines to get their hands on a Double Double, a chocolate shake, and some devastatingly lackluster fries.

Unless they ordered those taters Animal Style. Coloradans, do ya’ll know about Animal Style yet?

Look, 14-hours is a long time to wait for anything, let alone In-N-Out. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Californian, I adore In-N-Out, but I’ve never waited longer than 40 minutes at the drive-thru. And even then, that’s a long enough wait to opt for Wendy’s or Five Guys. Or better yet, go to the mom and pop burger joint.

Things, unsurprisingly, got tense in the drive-thru with reports of fights breaking out and all sorts of other shenanigans that typically happen when people wait longer than an hour for food. The Aurora Police Dept was on the scene to keep things civil, and the department’s official Twitter account has been posting updates to the line’s current wait time, which ended the day yesterday at a much more manageable 12 hours.

It’s been a busy first day of free agency around the association. All the usual finagling and machinations were on full display when the moratorium period opened on Friday, and just when you thought things were settling down for the evening, Sam Presti and the Thunder proved they still had a few tricks up their sleeve.

Jrue Holiday was one of the first chips to fall in trade season, as earlier this week, the Pelicans orchestrated a deal that would send him to Milwaukee in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and other assets, giving the Bucks that missing piece they believe they need to round out their roster for a true title run.

But they apparently weren’t finished with that particular deal. Late Friday night, news emerged that they were expanding the deal to include other players and other teams, namely Steven Adams, who will apparently be heading to New Orleans when the dust settles, according to Woj.

New Orleans and Milwaukee are expanding the original Jrue Holiday trade to include more teams and players, including the routing of Steven Adams to the Pelicans, sources tell ESPN. Talks are moving toward a possible four-team trade.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

But the deal doesn’t end there.

Mavericks guard Delon Wright is headed to Detroit as a part of a three-team trade with OKC, source tells ESPN. Detroit’s Trevor Ariza is going to the Mavericks. https://t.co/TExRzOlzsP

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

Here’s the deal: The Mavericks gets James Johnson; Pistons get Delon Wright; OKC gets Ariza, Jackson and pick. https://t.co/ezb9dXnpGw

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

For the sake of clarity, it’s a deal that also included multiple assets.

Sources: The Steven Adams-to-Pelicans trade includes Denver, which traded a 2023 lottery protected first-round pick for the 24th pick (RJ Hampton) on draft night. That pick is headed to the Thunder — along with two seconds — for Adams.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

It’s an awful lot to keep track of, but the operative part here is that Steven Adams’ time with the Thunder appears to be over, as he was one of the last remaining players of a core group that once featured Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and himself, and were once one win away from toppling the Warriors and heading back to the Finals.

It’s been a rather eventful start to free agency, with a slew of deals sweeping across the league since the moratorium period opened on Friday. None of them have necessarily been of the blockbuster variety, but nonetheless, the machinations that are happening now will have real and long-lasting effects on the NBA landscape for years to come.

The Los Angeles Clippers found themselves in the mix, somewhat unexpectedly, when it was reported that Montrezl Harrell was opting to leave the team in free agency and join the Lakers. To no surprise, fiery point guard Patrick Beverley quickly tweeted his displeasure about the deal, but later added that he wishes his now-former teammate the best.

The Clippers can also take solace in the fact that they are retaining another front court player who has been a key part of their rotation, as Marcus Morris is reportedly returning on a rather large four-year, $64 million contract.

Free agent Marcus Morris has agreed to return to the Clippers, source tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

Deal: 4 years, $64M, per source. https://t.co/w8keZqg6hE

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 21, 2020

Morris sent his own tweet out soon after.

Run it back!

— Marcus Morris (@MookMorris2) November 21, 2020

Morris averaged 11.8 points and four rebounds during the playoffs and shot 47.5 percent from downtown. He was also a key defender for the Clippers. After a disappointing end to their Bubble run, the Clippers will return with the same starting lineup as last season, albeit with a new head coach at the helm and renewed sense of purpose to capitalize on the wealth of talent on their roster.

John Wall appears ready for his tenure with the Washington Wizards to come to an end. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Wall, whose name has popped up recently in a potential swap for Russell Westbrook of the Houston Rockets, has reportedly made clear that he would like a trade from the only NBA team for which he’s played in his career.

Wall, of course, has not spent all that much time on the floor for the Wizards in recent years as he has worked to rehabilitate a string of injuries. But prior to all of that, Wall was one of the most explosive point guards in basketball. For his career, Wall has averaged 19 points, 9.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.

There are reasons why a Wall deal might be extremely difficult, particularly his contract. The former No. 1 overall pick hasn’t played a game in nearly two seasons, and is slated to make $41,254,920 this year, $44,310,840 in 2021-22, and $47,366,760 in 2022-23, with the final year being a player option. His deal also includes a 15 percent trade kicker.

Basically, it’s hard to project out what John Wall is right now besides a 30-year-old guard with a string of injuries and a gigantic contract. Still, if he has his way, someone will take a bet on him, and a new team will be in his future for the first time in his NBA career.

As the Undertaker prepares for a “Final Farewell” this Sunday ahead of his retirement, the WWE star unveiled something exciting, albeit wildly unexpected, on Friday. Undertaker teamed up with Snoop Dogg for a line of collaborative merch — and fans are both excited and confused.

Available exclusively through WWE’s website, the collection boasts t-shirts, hats, and hoodies in a handful of designs. While the collaboration may seem out of left field, Undertaker explained to Complex how the project came together:

“Obviously, Snoop is such an iconic figure in pop culture. And then obviously, the Undertaker has been around a little while himself, and plays a role in pop culture. So, to the date this Sunday, Nov. 22, marks my 30th year with WWE and then Monday, Nov. 23, will be the 27th anniversary of Snoop Dogg’s groundbreaking album at the time, Doggystyle. As crazy as it sounds, it makes a lot of sense that two figures so relevant in pop culture have these anniversaries coinciding with each other. I couldn’t be more happy to be doing this with Snoop. Obviously, everybody knows, everything Snoop does turns to gold anyway, and then half of that turns platinum. So, I think it’s really cool, and just adds another layer to each of our legacies in the entertainment world.”

Echoing Undertaker’s sentiment in a statement, Snoop noted his similarities with the WWE star. “Undertaker. 30 Years. Boss Dogg. 27 years. Godfather to Doggfather — I have an enormous amount of respect for such an icon in the sports and entertainment industry. Our career paths are similar in longevity and the respect we have from our peers,” Snoop said. “It’s only right we team up for this collaboration to celebrate both of our reigns as the Original Deadman and the Original Gangsta.”

While Undertaker and Snoop were on the same page about their collection, some WWE fans weren’t so sure. Many who caught news of the merch were initially confused about the collaboration.

Others, however, were excited for the unexpected surprise.

Check out photos of the Snoop Dogg and Undertaker merch above.

Things didn’t quite go as planned for the Los Angeles Clippers this season. Despite boasting an embarrassment of talent on their roster, they fell short in the second round in Orlando to a scrappy and talented Nuggets squad that managed to overcome a 3-1 series deficit and topple a team that had their sights set on a title.

It was a brutal series that pointed to what could be a larger overarching issue about team chemistry or the lack thereof. That’s something Montrezl Harrell was already aware of long beforehand. Back in January, Harrell criticized his teammates for lack of cohesion after an ugly loss and called the locker room “problematic,” which drew an angry reaction from Doc Rivers.

Now, it appears Harrell has decided to cut his ties with Clippers altogether, opting instead to join forces with their locker-room rivals. It’s an outcome that left at least one teammate in disbelief, as fiery point guard Patrick Beverley reacted with an angry emoji on Twitter.

whathttps://t.co/44m24c60Ux

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) November 21, 2020

It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a teammate has left to join a rival in free agency, and if the Boston Celtics are any indication, it could ignite a feud that could last for the next decade or longer, although probably to a lesser degree than the Rondo-Ray-Allen-Garnett debacle. But Pat Bev has never been one to take things in stride, so every Lakers-Clippers game next season will surely be must-see television.

Beverley, for his part, did his best to downplay it later, in a response to one of the many memes that has already surfaced in the wake of Harrell’s decision.

Frfr happy for him tho https://t.co/8JnvRHJGVd

— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) November 21, 2020

So, who knows. Maybe he’s already cycled through the five stages of grief and has arrived at acceptance. I probably wouldn’t hold my breath, though.

The first day of free agency saw a number of major deals as, despite very few teams holding significant cap space, teams around the league found ways to lock in free agents on the opening day of action.

Among the teams with significant cap space are the Detroit Pistons and they were very active on Friday, signing Josh Jackson, Jahlil Okafor, and Mason Plumlee to deals, but they weren’t done there — and weren’t done signing former Nuggets. Late on Friday, word emerged that they had managed to swipe Jerami Grant away from Denver on a pretty massive three-year, $60 million deal.

The Nuggets were expected to be pushing to keep Grant after he played a significant role for them in their run to the Western Conference Finals, as their leading defensive wing, taking on the top assignments on both the Lakers and Clippers in LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard. Denver will now have to replace that production, particularly on the defensive end, while Detroit will be banking on him being able to take on an expanded role on the offensive end, both spacing the floor as a shooter around their lottery pick Killian Hayes but, for $20 million a year, they will clearly want him to be more of an on-ball threat as well.

That’s a role Grant likewise wants, as he reportedly turned down the same amount of money from Denver for a larger role in Detroit.

Christian Wood was a revelation for the Detroit Pistons last season. After suiting up for a number of NBA and G League squads to start his professional career, Wood settled into a role off the Pistons’ bench nicely, setting himself up to become one of the most highly-sought-after frontcourt players in the 2020 free agent class.

Wood ended up finding a home on Friday evening, several hours after the window opened for players and teams to come to terms on deals. According to Frank Isola, Wood is headed to the Houston Rockets on a three-year deal that will pay him $27 million.

There was a little bit of confusion in the ensuing hour or so following Isola’s tweet, as multiple reports indicated that no deal had been reached between the two sides, although there was interest. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, though, the deal ultimately came to fruition, with Wood getting even more money than originally believed.

Further reporting by Wojnarowski indicated the deal will happen via a sign-and-trade.

For a Rockets team that jettisoned all of its big men last year and traded 6’9 forward Robert Covington earlier this week, Wood brings some much-needed frontcourt reinforcements. The hope will be that he can build off of a career year last season as the 25-year-old power forward averaged 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game.