Rolling Loud has been on a tear since its establishment about a decade ago, with the first festival going down in Miami in 2015. Since then, the event has expanded to include editions in California, New York, Australia, Portugal, Toronto, Rotterdam, Germany, and Thailand. Now, the empire continues to grow: Today (April 11), organizers announced Rolling Loud Europe.
The inaugural event is set to take place at Racino, an open-air venue in Ebreichsdorf, Austria, which is near Vienna. The fest runs from July 5 to 7 this year and will be headlined by Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, and Playboi Carti.
Beyond the headliners, the lineup also features Gunna, Ice Spice, Offset, Don Toliver, Ski Mask The Slump God, Lil Tjay, Sexyy Red, Chief Keef, K-Trap, Unknown T, Destroy Lonely, Flo Milli, BabyTron, TiaCorine, Anycia, Money Boy, Gola Gianni, Ufo 361, Shirin David, Pashanim, Reezy, Rondodasosa, and Fresh.
Tickets go on sale starting April 12 at noon CET. Find more information on the festival website.
Rolling Loud co-founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif say in a statement, “We couldn’t be more excited to return to Europe. We’ve been blown away by the passion of the fans at our European shows, and we know our first show in Austria is going to keep the energy going.”
Coachella 2024 is days away, and Reneé Rapp is ready to leave it all out there. On Wednesday, April 10, Pop Crave posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) of Rapp’s Coachella billboard. “GOOD T*TS AND BIG HEART,” the billboard displays, which is perfectly Reneé Rapp-coded.
Rapp is known for her blunt confidence and humor, so it wouldn’t be outlandish to think that she just decided to advertise her Coachella 2024 set with this as a standalone message. However, the truth is that it comes from the second verse of Rapp’s 2023 song “Tummy Hurts,” in which Rapp sings, “I just want some recognition / For having good tits and a big hеart / I can’t believe I let you hit it / In hindsight, that might be the worst part.” It’s a track from Rapp’s extremely successful debut studio album, Snow Angel.
Last week, similarly tongue-in-cheek billboards from Coachella 2024 headliner Tyler, The Creator. Rapp is scheduled to perform on Sunday, April 14, and Sunday, April 21.
Coachella 2024 will kick off at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California on Friday, April 12, with headliner Lana Del Rey, who will return on Friday, April 19. Tyler, The Creator will headline on Saturday, April 13, and Saturday, April 20. Doja Cat will bring it home with headlining sets on Sunday, April 14, and Sunday, April 21.
AEW made the decision to air the footage from the highly-publicized backstage fight between CM Punk and Jack Perry that occurred at All In last year in London. While the footage was aired as part of the build to an upcoming bout between FTR and The Young Bucks, all of the attention was on that particular clip, which directly led to Punk’s firing from the promotion and his eventual return to WWE.
The clip essentially backed up the version of the events that Punk laid out on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour last week, and in the aftermath of the clip hitting the internet, the always-outspoken Punk took to his Instagram Story and reacted to the whole thing. If you know anything about CM Punk, you will not be surprised to learn that he was not subtle here.
Our own Raj Prashad spoke to AEW CEO Tony Khan in the lead-up to Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite, and while Khan called Punk’s comments on Helwani’s show “interesting timing given where everything stands,” he claimed that the decision to air the footage was in an effort to promote the upcoming match at AEW Dynasty on April 21.
“It’ll be a must-see segment when the Young Bucks play this footage and talk about what happened at Wembley Stadium and how it relates to what’s coming up next for the Young Bucks in AEW,” Khan told Uproxx Sports. “I think that it will create a lot of interest in what this is all about. And I think the Young Bucks will have an explanation for why they think this is important and why it’s relevant to what’s going on at AEW Dynasty on pay-per-view.”
As AEW builds toward its Dynasty pay-per-view in St. Louis on April 21, the promotion used Wednesday night’s Dynamite to unveil behind-the-scenes events at All In from Wembley Stadium last year in an effort to move the rivalry forward between the Young Bucks and FTR. The Bucks took the spotlight Wednesday night, showing the video incident involving “The Scapegoat” Jack Perry and “the other individual,” CM Punk.
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) April 11, 2024
The Bucks claimed Punk tried to make the entire show about himself and that he was good friends with FTR, theorizing that maybe FTR were the masterminds behind this entire thing, and that while they were dealing with the fallout from this incident, they were thrown off from their game. They continued by saying that if you look in the history books, FTR beat the Young Bucks at All In: London, but there should be an asterisk because it threatened to take down the biggest show of all time.
FTR came out afterward and vented about the Young Bucks dragging video back up from eight months ago. Cash Wheeler continued and said they need to beat the Young Bucks at AEW Dynasty because they’re “petty, little bitches.”
The release of this footage comes one week after CM Punk shared his side of the story on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, offering details about his backstage scuffle with Jack Perry following his infamous “cry me a river” comment. We didn’t have audio, but Punk’s description of the incident doesn’t seem far off from what played out on television (H/T Wrestling Inc for MMA Hour transcription).
“I walk up to him and I’m like, ‘Jack, why do you insist on doing this dumb internet s*** on TV?’ He’s like, if you have a problem, do something about it.’ I was like, ‘Come on man. I can f***ing kill you. What are we doing? … I thought I was doing the responsible thing. I didn’t punch anybody. I just choked somebody a little bit. Samoa Joe was there, told me to stop. I quit. I turned to Tony and said, ‘This place is a f**king joke. You’re a clown. I quit.’”
Speaking to Uproxx Sports ahead of the show, AEW CEO Tony Khan said it was important for the Young Bucks to explain why this footage is relevant. When asked on his reaction to Punk speaking out and if that impacted the release of this footage, Khan says, “That was interesting timing given where everything stands.”
“For us, this is a decision based on the timing of our upcoming pay-per-view, AEW Dynasty, and given where the Young Bucks stand going into the World Tag Team Championship Tournament finals at AEW Dynasty,” he said. “This was the right time and place for them to play this footage and talk about why it’s relevant to them and AEW going forward and what this means going into AEW Dynasty.”
The Bucks and FTR’s showdown will be their fourth under the AEW umbrella, and Khan expects another spectacle.
Lil Dicky joined Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce for this week’s episode of New Heights, and the episode was packed with Lil Dicky’s signature self-deprecating charm. Around the 40-minute mark, Jason asked Lil Dicky whether he’d had a “welcome to the industry” moment.
“Another story I’ve never told that just came into my head that’s perfect for this moment,” Lil Dicky said. The Dave mastermind then took the audience back to the 2015 BET Experience Sprite Celebrity Basketball Game. Back then, Lil Dicky still had imposter syndrome and did not feel like he belonged on the same roster as Floyd Mayweather, Snoop Dogg, Chris Brown, and John Wall.
“I don’t know how I got in the game to the point where I actually put a lot of stock and import in this game,” he explained. “I got there an hour early to warm up because I literally thought a way that I could get ahead in this industry faster will be, like, scoring 30 points in this game.”
Instead, Lil Dicky was on the bench, and while Chris Brown called Lil Dicky “a dope rapper” pre-game, he also rained on Lil Dicky’s parade. John Wall was the team’s coach and eventually told Dicky he could go in as a substitute for Brown.
“I walk up to Chris, and I’m like, ‘Yo, I’m in for you,’” Lil Dicky said. “And he goes, ‘I’m not coming out.’ Then, there’s 11 guys on the court. Everyone is matched up. I’m clearly the odd man. I look to John Wall, like, ‘Coach!’ And John Wall brings me back over. [The] first thing I say is, like, ‘John, get a grip and have some authority on your team.’ It’s humiliating to send me out there and then pull me back in. It’s so emasculating.”
Once Lil Dicky finally got in the game, he was rewarded by getting “fouled so hard by Deontay Wilder — at the time, heavyweight champion of the world.” He concluded, “I get up. I missed two free throws, and then I played one more meaningless minute. I moved to the end of the bench and just chose not to even make myself available for the rest of the game.”
The latest episode of The Joe Budden Podcastbegan with a discussion around J. Cole’s Might Delete Later. Co-host Lamar “Ice” Burney was reviewing “Pricey” and noted the song features Gucci Mane and Young Dro. Budden interjected, “And Ari Lennox. Don’t do that to Ari. Ari Lennox is on track one as well. Shout-out to her.” It seemed like a well-intentioned shoutout for a split second before Budden added, “Don’t need her to go grab a football helmet again.”
What Did Ari Lennox Say About Joe Budden?
It would appear Lennox did not take kindly to her name coming out of Budden’s mouth. On her Instagram Story, Lennox posted a video of Consequence punching Budden backstage at a Love And Hip-Hop: New York reunion taping in 2013. After 24 Instagram Story posts of the same video, Lennox wrote, “Knocked your little glasses off and everything. Keep my precious name out of your psychotic, animal-abusing, women-terrorizing, demonic trolling, nicotine-encased mouth. All this meth smoke for a woman but not for any man beating your ass in real life. Bald b*tch!”
Ari Lennox’s IG story is just Joe Budden getting punched by Consequence on loop pic.twitter.com/GG0JQsxAmw
Budden dismissed Lennox’s feelings — emphasizing that “it’s a blessing” to be able to tour as a musician and suggesting that Lennox should have told her team that she didn’t want to open for Rod Wave. For reference, Budden’s “football helmet” comment this week was a callback to mocking Lennox’s response to having a bottle thrown at her during one of her Nostalgia Tour sets.
Lennox also clapped back in January. “Y’all, I don’t know what Joe Budden’s obsession is with me, but what I will say is that somebody needs to tell him to stop touching them dogs,” she said on an Instagram Live, as captured here. “I don’t understand why he’s so obsessed. Like, why are you so obsessed?” Budden apologized (sort of).
The Boston Celtics made a few major trades this past offseason, one of which involved acquiring Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers in the aftermath of the Blazers sending Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. It was quite the coup for Boston, because while Holiday is a perfect fit in their backcourt due to his ability to impact winning on both ends of the floor, there was no chance the team could acquire him from the Bucks, which were viewed as their top challenger at the top of the Eastern Conference coming into the year.
Instead, Boston swung for the fences with the Blazers and made a deal happen. The next question: What would the future hold for Holiday, who had a player option for 2024-25? That got answered on Wednesday night, when Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that the two sides agreed to a 4-year extension worth $135 million.
BREAKING: After arriving in a blockbuster offseason trade, Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has agreed on a four-year, $135 million contract extension, his agent Jason Glushon of @GlushonSM tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/Llln2yczSI
Wojnarowski noted that Holiday is making history in becoming the fourth player who is 33 or older to get more than $100 million guaranteed.
Holiday will become the fourth player to sign a fully guaranteed deal worth more than $100 million at 33 or older – a list that also includes LeBron James, Steph Curry and Al Horford.
Holiday has been fantastic for the Celtics during his first year in Boston, as he’s continued to play at an All-Defense level and is in the midst of the most efficient offensive season of his career. While his counting stats have fallen on an absolutely loaded Celtics squad, he’s shooting a career-best 43.1 percent from behind the three-point line.
It feels good to be the new kid on the block. Mainly because everyone has their eye out and wants to know what you’re all about. What makes you you?
Well, I’m ready to answer that question by laying out my 10 favorite sips of bourbon ever. It’s a big ask, but I’m up to the task.
For a bit of background, I’ve been enjoying bourbon for well over 10 years and doing so professionally for the past four. Over that time… let’s just say I’ve had a lot of bourbon. Whether it was straight from the barrel at Buffalo Trace Distillery, in the gallery for Sotheby’s first exclusive American whiskey auction, or on the edge of the Grand Canyon with Uproxx’s previous whiskey critic, Zach Johnston, I’ve been on a coast-to-coast quest to determine the best.
Fair warning, you may have to search high and low for a mere sip of some of these bottles. Rarity may not be a prerequisite for excellent bourbon but when we’re talking about whiskey as good as the ones listed below, well, they certainly tend to be hard to find. Hell, one of them was famously christened “the best bourbon you’ll never taste.” But this whiskey critic has tasted them all more than once, and I assure you the risk (to your wallet) is worth the reward.
Here’s my list of 10 bourbons that I think are simply the best.
10. 2017 Al Young 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch
The late Al Young is one of the most famed names ever tied to the Four Roses brand. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association Hall of Famer was honored with his own limited edition expression for his 50th anniversary with the brand in 2017. Among Four Roses connoisseurs it’s considered some of the best whiskey they’ve ever bottled.
Limited to just 10,000 bottles, it’s also one of those special releases that send the secondary market into a frenzy as fans try desperately to purchase the dwindling number of unopened bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of honeysuckle and fruit parfait are accented by a sprinkle of cinnamon and sweet leather, which is the primary indication that there is some older bourbon in this blend.
Palate: The liquid is immediately lush with bright fruits, think of apricots and pears, along with some vanilla bean ice cream and a gentle backbone of oak and mellow spices.
Finish: The honeysuckle and fruity notes linger on the back end of every sip and they’re joined by a healthy dose of allspice making for a long-lasting, albeit mellow, finish reminiscent of caramel-drizzled fried apple pie.
Bottom Line:
After trying Al Young 50th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch on several occasions (and being one of the lucky few to own a bottle) it remains my standard bearer for how excellent Four Roses bourbon can be. The ABV isn’t overwhelming but it delivers flavor in spades which is proof positive that bourbon doesn’t need to be big and bold to remain full of flavor.
Since 2018 King of Kentucky has been an annual release from the folks at Brown-Forman that showcases the very best of their well-aged stock. Because each of these expressions are bottled as single barrels you can expect slight variations between them, but versions in the 14-15 year age range are truly the best of the bunch. While the contemporary expression is a highly sought-after bourbon, it was created to honor a fairly quotidian blended whiskey of the same name which was originally produced way back in 1881.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon bark and figs are evident but rich leather and juicy black cherry notes are the stars of the show here.
Palate: A big wallop of polished leather and barrel char envelopes the tongue before tart cherries, fig, and dark chocolate find their footing. This is a pour that comes across as complex and dense from the first sip and forces you to lean forward and appreciate every rich layer. Gooey caramel, coconut rice pudding, and pops of Aleppo pepper flakes aren’t uncommon either.
Finish: Can you say, long-lasting? Sure, but you won’t want to speak as you savor just how decadently sweet this finish is while it hangs around well after your final sip.
Bottom Line:
What makes King of Kentucky reign supreme is the unapologetic boldness of its performance on the palate coupled with an intoxicating bouquet of aromas on the nose. It simply captures all there is to love about high-proof, full-bodied bourbon of a certain age. It’s no cliche to say these bottles are fit for a king.
Eagle Rare 25, which was first released by Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2023, represents the pinnacle of their celebrated Eagle Rare Bourbon lineup. To create this whiskey they took barrels that were initially earmarked for their Double Eagle Very Rare expression and began aging them in the experimental Warehouse X for an additional 5 years beginning in 2018.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cocktail cherries, gooey caramel, and freshly cracked black pepper greet the nose along with a robust yet refined aroma of oak which serves as an indication that this is well-aged whiskey.
Palate: Resplendent with mixed-berry tarts – raspberries and blueberries chief among them – you can also expect to find brown butter, candied ginger, and a surprisingly restrained sweet oak presence undergirding the entire affair.
Finish: While it isn’t the lengthiest finish of all time, those mellow spice notes fuse well with the brown butter and fruit-forward character of its flavors which allows each sip to gently recede from the palate.
Bottom Line:
What makes Eagle Rare 25 so exceptional is the innovative aging technique that Buffalo Trace Distillery uses to decelerate the impact of bitter and tannic notes while reaping the benefits of more favorable flavors that can only be achieved through maturity. The result is a stunning whiskey on its own merits that is even more remarkable for the fact it retains an impressive vibrancy in its old age.
It’s been a joy to witness (and taste) the incredible whiskey that Rare Character has been releasing since they were founded in 2021. The first of several show-stoppers for the brand might go down as their best bourbon ever – Obliteration. Limited to just 36 bottles, this 14-year hazmat bourbon of undisclosed origin disappeared in a puff of smoke when it was initially released online. Since then the spark of interest has grown into a roaring flame of approval as the folks who were bold enough to open those bottles tasted what was inside.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Be forewarned, when nosing this whiskey you will face the fire as a rush of ethanol greets you at first. However, once you get acclimated to the ABV you’ll find peanut brittle, decadent dark chocolate, and savory cooked dates wafting out of the glass for your approval.
Palate: Again, the high heat of this bourbon will sting at first but once your palate is properly adjusted there are gobs of sticky caramel, syrupy black cherry, tobacco leaf, and freshly oiled leather like you might get on the tip of your tongue during the first game of spring training.
Finish: This is as long as a finish as you can expect from a bourbon. Enjoy it as baking spice detonates and those little flavor particles crash into chunks of fruity sweetness that cause a chain reaction you can still taste 20 minutes later.
Bottom Line:
While certain bourbons excel with finesse, Rare Character Obliteration barrels over your tongue leaving no prisoners behind. You can expect your palate to be on the receiving end of a dense and complex pour, capable of astounding and obliterating your taste buds in equal measure.
What’s the most famed name in bourbon history? Pappy Van Winkle? No, the other most famed name – Stitzel-Weller. That fame was birthed by the incredible whiskey that Julian Van Winkle was bottling for his Pappy lineup but he wasn’t the only one to find a home for such legendary liquid. Enter Marci Palatella who created the Very Olde St. Nick brand specifically for the export market in the late 1980’s. This particular 114.8 proof, 15-year version is believed to have been bottled between 1988 and 1991 by Julian Van Winkle III himself which adds a level of intrigue.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas immediately take a sweet approach with dried cranberries and toffee filling the air before warm vanilla and toasted oak begin to blossom. Think of the scent of campfire roasted marshmallows that have just turned light brown and slap that between two layers of graham cracker.
Palate: The oily viscosity is immediately striking but what follows is a rush of lush and refined flavors with cocktail cherries, bourbon balls, butterscotch, and boozy vanilla melding well with the gentle influence of clove and walnuts.
Finish: The finish clings to your palate and picks up a bit of maple syrup, black pepper, and a flaky croissant note that really ups the ante providing a notable butteriness to each sip that helps to hold the disparate parts together.
Bottom Line:
Dusty bourbons are often heralded for exhibiting a level of richness that isn’t matched by today’s offerings. Simply put, old Stitzel-Weller bourbon is the finest example of this. Look for the bright cherry and butterscotch notes to be particularly unique when compared to contemporary expressions then settle in for the decadent finish – another hallmark of what the best vintage bourbons can offer.
First dubbed “the best bourbon you’ll never taste” by a writer back in 2012, the legend of A.H. Hirsch’s 16-year “Gold Foil” has only grown since then. Initially distilled at Pennco Distillery, the man who ordered the whiskey – namesake Adolph H. Hirsch – never actually bottled it. That task fell to Julian Van Winkle III who did so with this 16-year-old bourbon at the behest of liquor store owner Gordon Hue in 2003. While there are several legendary releases of A.H. Hirsch bourbon floating around, the 16-year gold foil version featured the widest release (2,500 cases) and so inspired the popularity of the brand plus an entire book espousing its elusiveness and superlative quality.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The effusive aromas of salted caramel, golden raisins, and a healthy sprinkle of nutmeg all show well here. Given some time there’s a bit of well-aged oak that develops in lockstep with a note of vanilla custard.
Palate: The density of flavors on the palate is immediately impressive considering its relatively mild proof. The tip of the tongue is where the taste of custard and golden raisins take hold, allowing salted caramel, a touch of sweet oak, and several dashes of nutmeg to accentuate every viscous sip.
Finish: Balance is the name of the game here, as each taste foregoes a drawn-out experience for a medium-length finish that encourages return trips to the glass (and the bottle) as you appreciate its simple sophistication.
Bottom Line:
A far cry from the punch-’em-in-the-face bourbons of today, A.H. Hirsch 16 Year opts instead to display the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. With a sumptuous flavor profile that instantly stuns and a bouquet of aromas that showcases beautiful balance, this is a bourbon that best exhibits the mantra “less is more.” Good luck finding it at its original suggested retail price of $45, though.
The present-day Michter’s Distillery is led by President Joe Magliocco who, from day one, has employed some of the most knowledgeable folks in the industry with a single aim in mind – to create the best American whiskey possible. When it comes to America’s native spirit, the brand’s most successful effort can surely be considered Michter’s 20-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Oh, yeah…this is mature bourbon. It plays all of the classics – black cherry sweetness, deep leather aromas, and refined oak – and does little to stray from them.
Palate: Again, Michter’s 20 is a straightforward sipper with black cherries, leather, and well-aged oak taking the reign and refusing to let go. Along the periphery, there are clove and black pepper aspects to be found in the spice department and sweet bits of butterscotch and vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness.
Finish: The lengthy finish is where those guest appearances recede and we’re back showcasing the three main flavors which impress due to their ample richness.
Bottom Line:
Featuring a blend of sourced bourbon that is painstakingly mingled and undergoes a proprietary filtration process, Michter’s 20 might just be the quintessential bourbon. Full of rich oak, mature leather, and black cherry, this is the whiskey above all others that demonstrates what well-aged bourbon should taste like.
Imagine, if you will, a time when Jimmy Russell isn’t playing a pivotal role in the Wild Turkey brand. It’s that very (harrowing) thought that inspired this limited edition which was comprised of 23 hand-selected barrels that Eddie Russell set aside in 1998. The idea was that they would eventually be bottled as a tribute to his dad Jimmy on the eve of his retirement. Well, 15 years later those barrels had reached the peak of their maturity but Jimmy wasn’t going anywhere. The barrels were dumped into steel tanks to preserve their flavor before being bottled and released in 2015. Despite its limited quantity and what was then an eyebrow-raising asking price of $250 the 2,070-bottle batch sold out quickly and is commonly cited as the very best bottle of Wild Turkey ever sold in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wild Turkey at its finest, which means a healthy helping of allspice and apple pie spices (with nutmeg and cinnamon leading the way) along with stewed red apples and an abundance of sticky caramel.
Palate: The red apples from the nose turn into more of a black cherry note here, developing a deeper sweetness that combines with the apple pie spices and adds some vanilla ice cream. The influence of oak sets a solid foundation for all of these flavors to reach their full potential as none of them manages to outshine the others, instead allowing them to crest in glorious harmony.
Finish: Here the oak influence grows and provides more of a platform for the baking spices to strut their stuff. The finish is satisfyingly lengthy which makes parsing each layer of flavor all the more enjoyable.
Bottom Line:
Not only is Russell’s Reserve 1998 a quintessential Wild Turkey bourbon, but it dials all of those prototypical flavors up to the umpteenth degree. Skewing delightfully on the dark end of the sweetness spectrum it contains a complexity that its single-barrel likeness hints at but never fully achieves.
We’ve talked a bit about Julian Van Winkle III but Old Fitzgerald was the flagship brand for his grandfather, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery. While the whiskey produced by Stitzel-Weller made its way into several other brand’s bottles over the years (many of them fetching tens of thousands of dollars on the auction market) there’s simply no topping the stuff they kept for themselves. In 1964 all bottles of Old Fitzgerald that were aged for at least 12 years received the “Very Very Old” designation, and for my money, they’re the best wheated bourbons ever to be produced.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Candied walnuts, honey, and slightly musty oak make their way out of the glass at first. After a few waves of the hand, the aroma of honey only becomes more refined, and it is joined by a bit of orange peel, plenty of brown sugar, and a touch of leather to boot.
Palate: This is a spectacular bourbon from the first sip as candied walnuts and sweet oak fan out over the tongue and make way for pops of clove and nutmeg along the roof of the mouth. It’s oily and dense, allowing those flavors to take root on the palate and slowly grow over time.
Finish: Again, the finish benefits from its robust viscosity which holds all of the rich, sweet notes close and allows the earthy flavors of oak and leather to provide a superb balance on the back end.
Bottom Line:
With remarkable balance and considerable gusto, Very Very Old Fitzgerald 12-Year bourbon is a pure delight from start to finish. When it comes to wheated bourbons there are none finer as this Stitzel-Weller-produced bottle puts them all to shame. The Pappy Van Winkle of today is merely a shadow of what the man himself was producing, and that says it all right there.
While Russell’s Reserve 1998 may hold the title of being the best Wild Turkey bourbon ever sold in America, Wild Turkey 14-Year Master Distiller Selection is the intercontinental champ. Reserved for the Japanese export market, bottled at 107 proof, and limited to roughly 6,000 bottles, Master Distiller Selection was said at the time to be, “Jimmy Russell’s vision of the ultimate bourbon.” With one sip I was immediately inclined to agree.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Where Russell’s Reserve 1998 is more reminiscent of the dark sweetness Russel’s single barrels are known for, Master Distiller Selection is a masterclass of balance that allows the influence of oak, subtler baking spices like nutmeg and clove, and semi-sweet aromas like chocolate wafers and hazelnut to shine.
Palate: Dark chocolate and hazelnut gently wash away to reveal apple chips, butterscotch, and a faint touch of rosemary. Oak is evident but not overpowering which leaves enough room for those subtle spices from the nose to make themselves heard.
Finish: Absolute harmony between the subtle spice notes, semi-sweet flavors, and the earthy oak influence linger long after the last sip making for an awe-inspiring finish.
Bottom Line:
Come for the depth of flavor but stay for the way Wild Turkey 14 Year Master Distiller Selection remarkably balances everything that makes bourbon great. After I first tried this bourbon I tirelessly sought out a bottle of my own and paid a mint at an auction house to do so. While I rue the last-minute bidder who pushed the price of this bottle north of my ordinary bourbon budget, this is anything but ordinary bourbon. Wild Turkey 14-Year Master Distiller Selection is the best bourbon I have ever had the pleasure of sipping.
The Boston Celtics locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference with nearly a month to play in the season. They currently hold a 14-game lead on second with three games to play, and will be the heavy favorites to reach their second NBA Finals in three years.
Even with their regular season dominance, there are just enough lingering questions about the Celtics in the playoffs — particularly their struggles closing out games in recent years — that would normally lead to some pundits cautioning against predicting a romp through the East. However, this year there is not just a gulf between Boston and the rest of the conference, but there are very few teams that even look like they’re rounding into their best form as the regular season comes to a close.
Because of that, the Celtics have incredibly high odds to make the Finals, both at sportsbooks and in probability models. They’re -140 to win the East, with ESPN’s BPI giving them a 54.6 percent chance at making the Finals. Others, like Playoff Status, are up at 69 percent. Things are rarely that simple, but finding East teams capable of threatening them in a 7-game set is pretty difficult right now. Let’s go down the list and see who might give Boston a scare, going from least to most imposing threat.
9. Chicago Bulls
Respectfully, no. I could see a gentlemen’s sweep in the first round on the backs of a hot shooting night from the Bulls but, c’mon. No.
8. Atlanta Hawks
They did win two games against the Celtics recently, one in rather hysterical fashion with Dejounte Murray scoring 44 points on 44 shots, so I can’t say they don’t have a chance. Trae Young is coming back which, in theory, should help Atlanta — remember, Young gave the Celtics all they could handle last year in their series that went six games. But with their perimeter defense, I just cannot see how they pull more than a game or two off of Boston, even if they get back to full strength.
7. Cleveland Cavaliers
I’m sorry to the good people of Cleveland, but I cannot take this Cavs team seriously right now. I’m not sure this Cavs team takes themselves seriously right now. It’s not easy to be the worst vibes team in the East right now with the way Milwaukee’s going, but I think Cleveland currently holds that title. There are a lot of very good players on this team, but it is just not working and they have suffered some dreadful losses of late, while Donovan Mitchell just does not look right due to his knee issues. Add in how they performed in last year’s playoffs and I’m just out on the Cavs as a threat this year, which is a shame because I really thought they’d made themselves better in the offseason.
6. Indiana Pacers
The Pacers can score with anyone. Can they stop the Celtics? Probably not. But I will say this, if Indiana — which has some impressive wins of late — is shooting well, they can at least apply some pressure to Boston. I don’t think it’s enough to win four times in seven games, but with Tyrese Haliburton finding his shooting form again (40.5 percent from three in the last 10 games) after a slump when he rushed back from a hamstring injury and Pascal Siakam playing very well in the space provided, they could pick off a game or two. I have a hard time seeing how they keep up for a full series because of their defense, but they could certainly avoid a sweep and make a few games very interesting with their shooting.
5. Orlando Magic
Orlando has been one of the NBA’s best defensive units all season, and can send waves of length and size at Boston at every position. The question for the Magic is on the other end. Paolo Banchero has grown tremendously as a scorer and playmaker this year and Franz Wagner, even in a down shooting year, creates problems for defenses with his physicality and ability to get downhill. I’m fairly confident those two will continue their strong play because their styles seem to fit well with how playoff basketball is played. That said, there are legitimate questions about how the guard play will hold up against a team like Boston, and there will be a gigantic gulf in three-point shooting between the two teams. The margin for error for Orlando would be razor thin because most nights they’re going to get beat from the three-point line, and for a young team getting their first taste of playoff basketball, it’s hard to buy into them in a whole series.
4. Miami Heat
I’ll be honest, I don’t know what to think of the Heat. They’ve been a middling team all year, but we also know the regular season is, as Josh Hart noted, just used by Jimmy Butler to do side quests before locking in for the playoffs. As long as Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Erik Spoelstra are there, Miami is going to have a high floor in the playoffs. They have proven capable of designing and executing a plan to frustrate the Celtics stars in the past. That said, their ceiling certainly isn’t as high as Boston’s, and the makeup of the rest of the team is a bit different.
The Heat would need another incredible shooting stretch from the supporting cast and Boston spent this offseason building a roster with the sole focus of covering up the holes Miami exposed a year ago. That said, it would be an incredible test of Boston’s mental fortitude as much as anything else if they ran into the Heat in the first round, because Miami would absolutely ask the same questions as last year and see if Boston has learned the answers. And if the Heat took a Game 1 off of the Celtics? That would be one hell of a test for a team has been criticized in the past for struggling when they get punched in the mouth.
3. New York Knicks
The Knicks will have to go through the postseason without Julius Randle, which leaves them without the frontcourt scoring punch to serve as a balance to Jalen Brunson’s brilliance on the perimeter. That is a real concern against the Celtics offensive firepower, but I still think the Knicks could be a thorn in Boston’s side, plus Randle’s playoff history isn’t exactly sparkling, so it’ll be fascinating to see how big of a deal not having him in the playoffs is. New York has the defense to muck things up and have the length and versatility to create some interesting problems for Boston’s stars, particularly with OG Anunoby back in the lineup. That would make for a fascinating matchup on that end of the floor, but Boston also has the ability to present more problems to Brunson than any other team with their strength at the point of attack thanks to Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.
The Knicks ability to really push the Celtics in a series would be dependent on their wings knocking down threes at a high rate to keep Boston’s defense honest, but if they can hit shots, New York has the size and physicality on defense to try and mimic the Miami gameplan that bothered the Celtics a year ago. Boston, of course, hopes they’ve made the right additions in Holiday and Porzingis to create alternate pressure points and make it harder to execute that type of plan. Of the likely second round opponents, I think New York is the one that can create the most stress for Boston.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers are getting healthy and are the only team in the East that you would really say is peaking at the right time. Tyrese Maxey is on a heater, Joel Embiid is steadily finding his footing and looking like his regular self, and De’Anthony Melton just came back and gives them some needed backcourt depth. We saw last year that Philly is certainly capable of giving the Celtics problems, as they probably should’ve won that second round series. With a healthy Embiid-Maxey combo, Philly presents a unique challenge from any other team in the East, and if they can hit shots around those two, they are certainly dangerous.
That said, they also are one of the few teams with more playoff scar tissue to overcome than Boston. While the Celtics have to prove they can get over the hump and win a title, the Sixers will feel pressure just to get past the conference semis. As such, when these two teams meet would likely factor heavily into who feels the most pressure. If it’s a first round series — meaning the Sixers wouldn’t get through until the second Play-In game — I think the pressure would be felt by Philly because of their many early exits. If it’s a Conference Finals, then Philly will have gotten over the proverbial hump of the second round and would be playing freed up, while Boston would feel the pressure to get to the Finals in a year where that’s the baseline expectation.
1. Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks were supposed to be their top challenger and may still be, but even with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, Milwaukee seems to be actively trying to make sure no one is buying them as a threat as the regular season comes to a close. Prior to Tuesday’s win in Boston, they lost four straight games to the Wizards, Grizzlies, Raptors, and Knicks, with Doc Rivers having to invent new ways to shift blame off of himself after each loss. Milwaukee has been a .500 team under Rivers’ guidance, and while they certainly have the clearest upside with their star duo, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez, they also have proven they can lose to anyone on any given night.
Even so, they’ve shown they can play up to the level of their competition as often as they play down to it. They’re 8-4 against above .500 teams since the All-Star break and showed on Tuesday they do have an extra gear to find (aided by some hot three-point shooting). It must be noted that Boston had little reason to be as invested in that game, but even so, the Bucks remain the biggest threat provided their top stars are healthy, which is of course a real question after Giannis went down with a calf strain. If he is able to fully recover and be back to his normal availability by the time these two teams meet in the playoffs, Milwaukee poses the biggest threat to the Celtics in the East. If he cannot, the door opens even further for Boston.
When the 2022 Dobbs decision overturned the federal protection of medical privacy in reproductive decisions, leaving abortion law up to the states, experts warned of the legal and medical consequences to come: People in states with old laws on the books would find themselves facing abortion restrictions the likes of which had not been seen in over 50 years since Roe vs. Wade became “settled as a precedent of the Supreme Court,” and medical providers would face legal conundrums that threatened patient care.
There is only one abortion exception allowed for in the law—to save the life of the mother. As medical providers have made clear, that kind of exception is a murky gray area that leads to impossible questions like “How imminent does a mother’s death need to be?” for a doctor to take action without fearing legal repercussions.
Civil War-era historian Heather Cox Richardson shared some of the details about how the law came about and the context in which it was written on Facebook, and the historical facts paint a picture of how utterly absurd it is for the law to go into effect in 2024.
“In 1864, Arizona was not a state, women and minorities could not vote, and doctors were still sewing up wounds with horsehair and storing their unwashed medical instruments in velvet-lined cases,” wrote Richardson. She pointed out that the U.S. was in the midst of the Civil War, and that the law didn’t actually have much to do with women and reproductive care.
“The laws for Arizona Territory, chaotic and still at war in 1864, appear to reflect the need to rein in a lawless population of men,” she explained, sharing that the word “miscarriage” was used in the criminal code to describe various forms of harm against another person, specifying dueling with, maiming and poisoning other people.
Richardson offered that detail as the context in which the law states that “a person who provides, supplies or administers to a pregnant woman, or procures such woman to take any medicine, drugs or substance, or uses or employs any instrument or other means whatever, with intent thereby to procure the miscarriage of such woman, unless it is necessary to save her life, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not less than two years nor more than five years.”
How did the law even come about? At that time, the newly formed Arizona Territorial Legislature was composed of 27 men. The first thing they did was authorize the governor to appoint a commissioner to draft a code of laws, but a judge named William T. Howell had already written one up. After some discussion, the legislators enacted Howell’s laws, known as “The Howell Code.”
The code included laws like, “No black or mulatto, or Indian, Mongolian, or Asiatic, shall be permitted to give evidence in favor of or against any white person,” as well as “All marriages of white persons with negroes or mulattoes are declared to be illegal and void.”
Richardson also pointed out that the code set the age of consent for sexual intercourse at 10-years-old.
Arizona wasn’t admitted to the union until 1912
— (@)
Essentially, a law written by one man, 48 years before Arizona was officially a state, over half a century before women were allowed to vote, when it was perfectly legal to enact and enforce racist laws and see 10-year-olds as old enough to consent to sex, is now considered “enforceable” by the Arizona Supreme Court.
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