The Cavaliers and Thunder met on Wednesday night in Cleveland in the most anticipated game of this regular season, as the two teams with the most wins in the league feature a combined record of 61-9. The game lived up to the hype, with the Cavs winning a 129-122 shootout despite an off-night from star guard Donovan Mitchell (11 points).
That Cleveland won the game without needing heroics from Mitchell was particularly notable given that has not been the case in big games in the past. With the caveat that this was still a regular season game, there was unquestionably some extra juice in the building and both teams seemed determined to live up to the occasion — as someone that previously covered the Atlanta Hawks, it felt an awful lot like the much-hyped Cavs-Warriors showdown in 2015. That atmosphere has not always been kind to this Cavs core, but they showed in the win that, despite a roster that’s mostly the same, they are a very different team this season.
The Cavs last two playoff appearances have featured disappearing acts from the non-Mitchell stars. Darius Garland has struggled as a creator and finisher against increased ball pressure and physicality in the postseason, while Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were notably pushed around and dominated in the paint and on the glass by the Knicks two years ago. On Wednesday, it was that trio that lifted them to a win over an OKC team that prides itself on its defensive pressure and physicality, the exact kind of things that have bothered the Cavs in the past. It is certainly notable that the Thunder weren’t at full strength with Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso out injured, but even so, they employ a slew of strong perimeter defenders (Lu Dort was the primary reason for Mitchell’s struggles), along with one of the boogeymen for the Cavs from that Knicks series at center, Isaiah Hartenstein.
The thing the Cavs have lacked previously, aside from Mitchell, is the combination of confidence and aggression that is required to take down top competition. The best teams will provide ample opportunities for you to question yourself and try to break your confidence that you can accomplish your goals. To beat that requires a level of competitive spirit, self-belief, and determination that the Cavs have, quite frankly, not shown in the biggest moments. On Wednesday, that was all evident from their entire roster, showing the kind of growth that is necessary for this team to be a legitimate contender.
Allen, who famously said “the lights were brighter than expected” after their series loss to the Knicks, dominated on the glass in the kind of performance where it felt like every important rebound was going to end up in his hands by sheer will. He finished the night with 25 points (on 9-of-11 shooting) to lead the team and had 11 rebounds. Seven of those came on the offensive glass, including two offensive boards and a third tipped to Donovan Mitchell in a two-possession stretch in the final two minutes that helped the Cavs seal the win.
Mobley continued his breakout season offensively with 21 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), 10 rebounds, and seven assists, showing off all of his improvements under the biggest spotlight of the season. Mobley was once a tweener, a ball of potential with various partially developed skills, unsure of where he belonged on the floor offensively. Now, he’s just a monster who has more assurance and confidence in his abilities and knows the spots on the floor he is most effective from. Mobley has become another playmaker for this Cavs team rather than just a play-finisher, capable not only of getting himself a shot, but knowing where his outlet is when help comes and making those reads and passes on time and on target. He fed Allen a couple lobs and passes for layups, kicked out to his shooters, and when the opportunity presented itself, got to his spots to get buckets of his own. With the Cavs up three late, Mobley drove into the chest of Hartenstein — two years ago, he may have been bumped back and taken a fading, falling leaner. This time, went straight up and through Hartenstein, rising above him to flip in a short hook shot that gave Cleveland some cushion.
Garland wasn’t lighting it up from three (2-of-6 from deep) but still had a strong game with 18 points and seven assists. Being able to impact the game even when his jumper isn’t hot is a needed step, and he was attacking decisively and embracing the kind of contact that has given him issues in the past. His floater with 27 seconds to play was the exclamation point on the win, getting by Cason Wallace with a quick crossover and getting into the paint and his shot up before the help could arrive. It was the exact kind of confident decision-making that he’s lacked in big games in the past.
Beyond that trio, the Cavs got big lifts off the bench from Max Strus (17 points on 6-of-7 shooting), who gave them the shot-making they needed when they signed him two summers ago, and Ty Jerome (15 points on 6-of-7 shooting), who has been a bench boost as another surprising creator with a lethal float game in the lane. Every good team needs the occasional big game from “the others,” and while it’s not something teams want to bank on, the Cavs will have good reason to believe they’ve built out the kind of depth needed to have options for the playoffs with their rotation.
Wednesday’s win was the exact kind of game the Cavs needed to continue building their own confidence that this year really is different. All the questions about this team are reserved for the postseason, and they know as well as anyone that the real answers can’t come until then. At the same time, this game had that kind of atmosphere and should provide them with further belief that what they’re doing this season under Kenny Atkinson is a real step forward.
We’ll find out if they can put it all together in May and June, but at least for this test in January, Cleveland showed everything we’ve wanted to see from this group against the best competition they could ask for.
Blondshell (a.k.a. Sabrina Teitelbaum) earned some acclaim with her 2023 self-titled debut album, and now she’s ready to go again: Today (January 9), she announced If You Asked For A Picture, a new album.
Teitelbaum also shared a video for “T&A,” of which she says:
There’s a Rolling Stones song on Tattoo You called ‘Little T&A’ and at one point in the song, he says ‘tits and ass,’ so I’m borrowing that. I think in music, it’s easy to see things as either more sexualized or more romantic, and I wanted this to be both. I see it as a love story — maybe not the most fairy tale love story — but I wanted it to feel like a really narrative song, where one thing leads to another and then you end up somewhere you didn’t expect. Normally that’s not how I write, but I wanted a song like that.”
Teitelbaum also shared a note about the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, writing, “It feels impossible to think of anything other than the fires in Los Angeles right now. The city I’ve lived in for ten years is burning and the scale of the loss is incomprehensible. In a way it feels dumb to talk about music, but I also think the whole point of art is for it to exist in the context of pain as a small emotional respite… even if just for one moment. Please stay safe. Thank you for letting me share this with you. 12 songs about searching for love, family and friendship in many right and wrong places.”
Watch the “T&A” video above. Below, find the If You Asked For A Picture cover art and tracklist.
Blondshell’s If You Asked For A Picture Album Cover Artwork
Following his breakup with Brianna LaPaglia (a.k.a. Brianna Chickenfry), Zach Bryan has spoken out against “weird couch warriors” commenting on his personal life and coming after his friends. The country singer is so sick of “sad” trolls, in fact, that he’s considering quitting music for good.
“All you f*ckn weird couch warriors attacking and belittling my friends on the internet because you’re assuming I have a girlfriend are weird as hell and should be studied for science,” Bryan wrote in the first of numerous Instagram Stories on Thursday. “Everyone wonders why I quit touring and don’t want to be attached to music anymore. meanwhile you’re calling my friends ugly and harassing them?”
Bryan insists he doesn’t “have a girlfriend and don’t plan on having a girlfriend however I do have normal friends that I love very much,” and instead of focusing on who he’s dating, the “I Remember Everything” singer is asking people to “go give your attention and time to the literal city burning down and stop being so sad and fickle and childish through screens. Last thing I’ll ever say on this. Insane I even have to.”
It wasn’t his last Instagram Story, however.
“I am allowed to have love, laughter and good people in my life.
No matter how bad of a person you think I am, go ahead and come for me. I can take all the hatred because I’m not a child. But do not come for my friends who do nothing but love and care for me.
Everyone wants you to have fun and make great music but you guys are making it really hard to do that with my friends getting insulted and death threats everyday.
Everyday I lose a little more faith in humanity and everyday I get closer to never being in the public’s eye again which is incredibly sad because I truly do really love humans and being happy and joking around and laughing a lot.”
Bryan later wrote, “I am so terrifyingly unphased by the fake sh*t people say about me online but coming for people I love and care for is my line and my final straw. okay have a good day everyone love you miss you.” He then shared a picture of his very good dog, which you can see here.
Multiple wildfires spawned by dry conditions and high winds have ravaged the Los Angeles area this week, as more than 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the fires. Sports are well down the list of importance in Los Angeles right now, but both the NBA and NFL have games in L.A. this weekend, with decisions needing to be made about how to proceed.
On Thursday, the NBA decided to postpone Thursday night’s game between the Lakers and Hornets at Crypto.com Arena, with Shams Charania of ESPN breaking the news and Dan Woike of the L.A. Times confirming. At this time there is not an official date for a makeup game, but it is the right move by the league as it seems impossible for the focus to be on basketball as the fires continue to rage just miles from downtown. Lakers coach JJ Redick and Clippers star Kawhi Leonard were both impacted by the fires, with Leonard leaving the Clippers road trip this week to go back to L.A. as his family had to evacuate their home.
The Lakers and Clippers are both scheduled to play home games on Saturday in L.A., and everyone hopes there will be some positive updates by then on containment of the fires, particularly the Palisades and Eaton fires that are the largest. The NFL has said they are likewise monitoring the situation and that the plan for now is for the Monday night Wild Card game between the Vikings and Rams to be played at SoFi Stadium, but that they do have a contingency plan in place if necessary.
Chris Stapleton has been on the All-American Road Show tour since 2017, and it just keeps going as the country crossover star continues to add new dates to the run. Well, he’s done it again: Today (January 9), Stapleton announced a fresh set of North American shows.
The new run stretches from June to August (along with an October show at Hollywood, Florida’s Hard Rock Live). Tickets for the new shows go on sale starting January 17 at 10 a.m. local time, and more information is available on Stapleton’s website.
Find the full list of dates below.
Chris Stapleton’s 2025 Tour Dates: All-American Road Show
02/25 — Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena*
02/26 — Melbourne, Australia @ Rod Laver Arena*
02/28 — Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre*
03/01 — Brisbane, Australia @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre*
03/04 — Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena*
03/05 — Sydney, Australia @ Qudos Bank Arena*
03/07 — Auckland, New Zealand @ Spark Arena*
03/08 — Auckland, New Zealand @ Spark Arena*
06/04 — Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena†
06/07 — Charlottesville, VA @ John Paul Jones Arena‡
06/12 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena+
06/18 — Greensboro, NC @ First Horizon Coliseum^
06/20 — Albany, NY @ MVP Arena^
06/27 — Tinley Park, IL @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre#
07/11 — St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre‡
07/12 — Milwaukee, WI @ Harley-Davidson Homecoming Festival
07/23 — Belmont Park, NY @ UBS Arena~
07/25 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden~
08/01 — Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center**
08/08 — Phoenix, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena‡‡
08/15 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre*
08/22 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena**
10/10 — Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live
* with Marcus King
† with Nikki Lane
‡ with Brittney Spencer
+ with Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs
^ with Maggie Rose
# with The War & Treaty
~ with Grace Potter
** with Allen Stone
‡‡ with Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives
It’s a new year, so it’s time to take stock of the whiskey landscape by reviewing and ranking the best new whiskey brands of 2025!
We gave you the best bourbons of 2024 and the best ryes of 2024, but now we’re turning our focus forward and scouring the whiskey world for the best new brands for 2025. For this list, we compiled all of the brands who either released their first whiskey last year or ones who are essentially newcomers and released their first expression in the past two years, who deserve to be on your radar right now.
To spice things up, we also reviewed and ranked their most buzzworthy expression to give you a better sense of what you should be looking for. These are distilleries in far-flung places like Virginia and Kentucky, as well as rising non-distilling producers who are scouring the barrel market and bottling some truly special juice.
Sound good? Let’s jump right in and talk about the best new whiskey brands you need to know in 2025!
The latest project from the Henderson family, the same folks who founded Angel’s Envy, is True Story, which launched in 2024. True Story’s whiskey lineup features an Amburana and Sherry-finished rye, with this Moscatel-finished bourbon as their flagship.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes fling the door open with delightful honey, surprising macadamia nuts, and stewed stone fruits. It’s a balanced and generally light melange that is a treat to nose at length despite not being overly complex.
Palate: The palate opens with vanilla frosting, dates, and macadamia nuts’ faintly nutty, creamy flavor. This is easy-sipping bourbon for sure, with a nice roundness that highlights how balanced and well-integrated it is with those Moscatel secondary maturation casks.
Finish: The finish ends succinctly with a touch of white pepper joining red berries and dilute honey.
Bottom Line:
True Story doesn’t just have a highly unique bottle; the bourbon (and rye) housed in that opaque packaging is one of a kind as well. With a light, sweet flavor profile ideal for the bourbon-curious, but rich enough for the enthusiasts, the Henderson’s definitely have another hit on their hands.
19. Bear Fight American Single Malt Whiskey
Bear Fight Whiskey Co.
ABV: Average Price:
The Whiskey:
Bear Fight Whiskey, founded in 2022, is a cheeky brand that has subverted industry norms since day one. With creative partner Gabriel Macht of Suits fame on board, the brand is looking to expand its national footprint (paw print?) and its inaugural expression: this award-winning ASM made from 100% malted barley should help them do just that.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with classic American single malt aromas of hay, green apples, and honey, with some faint smoke, nutmeg, and caraway anchoring those light, sweet notes with an earthy base that’s easy to enjoy.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey truly blossoms with black currants, honey, and stewed green apple notes cascading over the tongue and sticking to the back of your teeth. Chewing the whiskey unlocks those baking spices that grant it extra depth, gently brushing your palate and the roof of your mouth with nutmeg, freshly cracked black pepper, and faint whisps of sage before transitioning into the finish.
Finish: This whiskey’s closing act reintroduces the smoky note that was first promised on the nose, with a touch of leather, fresh figs, dilute honey, and youthful oak in tow to balance things out. It’s a reasonably succinct finish that beckons repeat sips due to its crispness and distinct flavors.
Bottom Line:
Bear Fight Whiskey, adorned with an apropos tattered label, is far less rugged than its name would suggest. Instead, this whiskey’s subtle infusion of well-formed flavors makes for a mellow sipping experience that eschews the bite for a wonderfully approachable whiskey that should help the brand expand the American Single Malt category’s popularity.
Beyoncé’s much-talked-about entry into the whisky world comes in the form of a bespoke blend of American whisky made with a grain recipe that’s 51% rye and 49% malted barley, meaning this is officially a rye whisky. Once the whisky, hand-selected by Dr. Bill Lumsden, reached maturity, it underwent a secondary aging process in Texas. It was dumped into Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for that aging process, imparting it with a ruby hue, a creamier texture on the tongue, and a more berry-forward flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries and rye spice delight the nose at first, and with a twist of orange rind in the mix, it actually smells a lot like an Old Fashioned cocktail. Swirl SirDavis in your glass, and you’ll also begin to pick up notes of honeyed wheat toast, oregano, and black tea.
Palate: The flavor of fresh mint sprigs, vanilla pod, and nutmeg greet the tongue while notes of honey and ripe cherries begin to spring up once you get past that initial wave of baking spices. The notes of nutmeg and black pepper kick up again at the end of each sip, as does some sherry flavor, which leaves a whisper of Brazil nuts with a gentle kiss of dessert wine sweetness.
Finish: On the finish, as the whisky trickles off your palate, the taste of sherry is again prominent. Fresh hazelnuts, oak from the barrels it was aged in, and black pepper are also evident. The flavors dissipate fairly quickly, giving the whisky a smooth impression overall. For its final act, you’ll notice that your mouth begins drying out, encouraging repeat sips so you can return to the flavor found early on.
Bottom Line:
This whisky lends itself well to mixed drinks and features luscious, balanced flavors, making it an attractive, moderately proofed option for drinking neat. Its unconventional production method, from the grain recipe to its secondary maturation under the Texas sun, offers enough intrigue to entertain hardcore whisky enthusiasts, and the sweet, sherry-enhanced approachability helps corral newcomers.
DeHart Whiskey, founded by brothers Mike and Dan DeHart, is currently limited to Kentucky, but if the success of this first release is any indication, they’ll be branching out in 2025. This expression, launched in 2024, came in the form of five different cask-strength single barrels in a proof range between 108.8-111.2 and came from a popular mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is loaded with gooey caramel notes while vanilla bean, oak, brown sugar, and a hint of mocha flutter around the periphery. The oak, in particular, forms the backbone of this whiskey, while the sweet notes, complemented by a bit of graham cracker and smoked honey, make up the bulk of the aroma profile.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey opens up with crème brûlée, browned marshmallow, a touch of milk chocolate, and faint smokiness. For those familiar with the classic toasted bourbon flavor profile, this will be right in your wheelhouse as it plays all of the hits, complete with some black pepper spice and subtler nougat nuances.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and reintroduces some of the smoked honey found on the nose, along with a touch of tobacco leaf, sage, and menthol.
Bottom Line:
For this inaugural release, the DeHart family proves themselves more than up to the task of delivering a classic toasted bourbon, made all the more impressive by the fact that they bottled it at cask strength. This is indicative of their prowess in selecting single-barrels, opting to lean on their talent for picking over tinkering with the liquid. It’s hard to argue with the results, and with the news that they’ve got more barrels in stock (hopefully coming soon) there’s good reason to keep an eye on them for 2025.
While Smokeye Hill was founded by Blake Johns in 2018, the brand waited five long years to release its inaugural expressions in 2024. This 93-proof bourbon was aged for at least five years in 30 and 53-gallon barrels with a variety of barrel chars before being bottled without chill filtration. Of note, they also have a barrel-proof variant that won several prestigious awards in 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Blue corn, peanut butter, tobacco leaf, and cigar ash make up the initial nosing notes. On the second pass are Rainier cherries and a little white chocolate, delivering the sweetness.
Palate: Tobacco leaf, oak, and almond extract hit the palate at first, while the blue corn and peanut brittle notes splash across the tongue soon after. There’s a touch of fresh almonds and white chocolate before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish has a mellow sizzle that caps things off nicely and concludes with vanilla frosting, shaved almonds, and barrel char.
Bottom Line:
Smokeye Hill’s 93-proof offering is more tightly wound and slightly better than the barrel-proof version that’s been garnering critical acclaim. Due to a harmonious assemblage of flavors and the commendable development of those flavors, it’s safe to say that this brand-new bourbon is a winner and the nascent company is poised for a big 2025.
EverNorth Spirits was founded by the gentleman behind the wildly popular Youtube channel “Bourbon Junkies,” Daniel Shook and Sean Paisley in 2023. Originally named Virtue Spirits, they’ve since rebranded and barreled forward, releasing stellar bourbons, American whiskeys, and perhaps most impressively, rye. This one is a 95/5 rye mash bill from Indiana that was aged in Maryland.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of honey, Andes mint chocolate, black pepper, and surprisingly mature oak, which rounds it all out. It’s an inviting nose that isn’t shy about announcing its 95/5 rye origins.
Palate: Once on the palate, that flavor of Andes mints takes you back to hotel stays in the 90s (does anyone leave mints on the hotel pillow anymore?), and it takes you on a flavor journey that includes fudge, barrel char, and a gentle touch of black pepper flecked graham cracker.
Finish: The finish is fairly succinct, but it closes out with black pepper, fresh mint, and rich fudge.
Bottom Line:
EverNorth Spirits is such a super fun brand because its founders have a breadth of experience with the whiskey on the market, and they honed in on some very particular flavor profiles that align with their palates. Taking this standout rye as an example, it’s clear that the duo knows what they’re doing, and with American whiskey and bourbon that rivals even this outstanding expression, I’m sure that they have even more great things in store for 2025.
Old Stubborn is following up their polarizing inaugural wheated bourbon release with something a little different — a rye-recipe bourbon. A premium marriage of 10, 11, and 12-year-old pot still straight bourbon went into this second expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Grain-forward with plenty of pot still funk, Old Stubborn Batch 2 is full of malted chocolate and earthy notes on the nose reminiscent of oak and mocha.
Palate: On the palate, there’s an unsweetened Apple Jacks note that immediately entices repeat sips before hints of honey begin to bloom at midpalate.
Finish: The finish features the honey in full swing while the earthy oak tones from the nose reemerge along with black pepper and herbal notes.
Bottom Line:
Old Stubborn’s first release in 2023 may have been polarizing, but Batch 2 from 2024 seems firmly focused on gaining mass appeal. Classic bourbon notes pair well with the grainy texture and medium-length finish on this pour to make for a rock-solid sipper.
Larrikin Bourbon Company began its life as the Lawrenceburg Bourbon Company in January 2023 before undergoing a rebrand in the summer of 2024. If you’re wondering, a larrikin is Aussie slang for someone who disregards convention. To wit, the brand’s unconventional Bottled in Bond Bourbon was aged for eight long years and comes from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins floral with dark chocolate and salted caramel notes wafting out of the glass in a tightly wound melange that seems indicative of mature, well-aged bourbon.
Palate: On the palate, that tightly wound base of aromas absolutely detonates with bright cherries, singed orange peel, caramel, and chocolate gently unfurling over the length of the tongue. On a second sip, you pick up vanilla custard as the creamy texture burrows each layer of flavor deeper into your tastebuds.
Finish: The finish takes a surprisingly long time to melt away as the rich vanilla and caramel notes fuse with bright cherries just before they turn slightly tropical, with coconut and peach ring flavors ascending.
Bottom Line:
The Larrikin brand’s sleek redesign and flat-out jaw-dropping density of flavors make up the solid one-two punch that results in this one being a knockout. Keep an eye out for the brand’s chic fleet of bottles as they expand distribution and set their sights on taking over in 2025.
Bourbon de Luxe is a new line from the folks behind Rolling Fork, which has been branching out from their rum base into Armagnac and now American whiskey — a new edition to their portfolio as of 2024. This expression, a three-barrel blend that was distilled and aged in Bardstown for 8 years, is the brand’s first foray with a revived label and its inaugural bourbon expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is marked by citrus-leaning top notes of candied orange peel and dried apricots, with candied ginger adding to the nuance before oak undertones, milk chocolate, and fresh peanuts swirl into the mix.
Palate: The first sip of Bourbon de Luxe is lush with candy bar notes of milk chocolate, nougat, and caramel swirls while the oak is held at bay behind the flavor of fresh florals like jasmine and lavender. There’s also a light cherry note that persists throughout, reminiscent of Rainier cherries more so than cocktail or black varieties.
Finish: The medium-to-long finish introduces the flavor of toffee chews, hazelnut spread, and nutty mocha tones.
Bottom Line: Bourbon de Luxe is an expression that excited the American whiskey world, as revival brands tend to do, thanks to speculation about whether the contemporary release can or will live up to the original label’s former glory. While the flavor profile of 2024’s Bourbon de Luxe does vacillate from the former’s butterscotch-heavy flavor profile, it introduces one more attuned to the modern palate and succeeds in exceeding expectations.
Kinfolk Trust is a brand-new blend of American whiskeys from Taste Select Repeat’s Orlando “OJ” Lima, launched in late 2024. The unique blend takes barrels sourced from Dark Arts Whiskey House (potentially Danville-distilled bourbon) and Bainbridge Distillery. While there are only three batches of the cask strength version planned per year, the same is anticipated for the lower “Preferred Proof” version.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes unveil hints of beeswax at first, while butterscotch, oak, and orange blossom aromas follow close behind. It has a very creamy, approachable nose despite the proof, with a faintly vegetal note pulsing throughout as well.
Palate: Bubblegum reaches the palate first, then the faintly citric, sweet note of orange pith comes in. It’s big and flavorful at midpalate, with loads of butterscotch, slightly floral notes, orange marmalade, and restrained spice blossoming. The heat fans out over the edges of the tongue and then dart up the roof of the mouth, with black pepper leading the charge.
Finish: Kinfolk Trust’s Cask Strength offering has a lingering finish that hangs on the palate for a long time, with some nougat and black pepper leaving the most lasting impression.
Bottom Line:
As part of an intimate product reveal in Louisville, Lima indicated that he wasn’t intent on creating an empire with Kinfolk Trust, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is whiskey fit for a king. If this thoughtful, well-constructed inaugural blend is indicative of what we can expect from the future of the brand, then you’ll want to keep them firmly on your radar for 2025 and beyond.
10. Hazelbaker Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Bond Aged 7 Years
While PCS Distilling was founded in 2021 for their new brand, Hazelbaker, which was first released in late 2024, they kept things simple. The idea was such: take some of their best barrels, sourced from Indiana and matured in a bonded warehouse, and blend them together after seven years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Is there a Milky Way in my glass? The aroma of chocolate, caramel, and nougat greets the nose at first, with some accenting notes of brown sugar and robust oak rounding things out.
Palate: Brown sugar and milk chocolate splash across the tip of the tongue for a highly sweet introduction to this bourbon. The milk chocolate persists at midpalate as the rich texture of this bourbon brings touches of mocha, sweet oak, and cherry leather.
Finish: The lengthy finish reiterates all of the aforementioned flavor notes, which continue to blossom, showcasing their impressive richness minutes after your final sip.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon remains consistent from the nose to the palate, delivering a milk chocolate candy bar in a glass. While PCS Distilling has developed a strong reputation for its finished iterations under the NULU brand, this by-the-books bottled-in-bond offering shows exactly why they’ve been so successful: they’ve figured out how to select some delicious, high-quality straight whiskey to serve as the backbone of everything they do.
Raconteur Rye’s second batch, nicknamed “Brazen,” represents a subtle evolution of this ascendant brand. At a slightly higher proof with “dialed up” flavors, this 7-year-old rye was finished in Mizunara casks that previously held 17-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dates and Fig Newton aromas mesh at first with some cracked black pepper and pie crust combined with cream soda and strawberry saltwater taffy at the center of it all. This whiskey has a really fun nose that’s lively and inviting.
Palate: It’s a lot more viscous than I expected from the nose, with great oiliness and a surprising bit of chocolate milk to go with the flavor of dates and red grapes. Fresh mint, mellow black pepper, and oregano kick in at midpalate and undulate across the palate, climbing up the roof of the mouth.
Finish: The finish has a touch of leather, more grape, and some gentle oak for balance. It has a medium length aided by the viscous texture, which grants it a supple staying power while the black pepper spice slowly recedes.
Bottom Line:
The bevy of flavors in this bottle might initially give you pause, as it takes a second for all of those tightly wound layers to unfurl, but with some time spent in the glass, this rye only gets better and better. Your only trouble will be maintaining the will to let it sit and improve because even the first sip of Raconteur Rye is sure to draw you in quickly.
8. River Roots Barrel Co. 13-Year Bourbon Finished In Port Wine Barrels
Made from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, this well-aged expression from River Roots Barrel Company was then finished for an impressive six long years in port wine barrels. The brand, founded in 2023 by Michael Symon and partners, is based in Cleveland, Ohio, and has quickly established a reputation for sourcing premium, double-digit age-stated bourbon with the added benefit of being housed in interesting secondary maturation casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fidge, hazelnut, and oak make up the core of this whiskey’s nosing notes, while further accents of nondescript red berries, peanut shells, and marzipan flesh things out a bit.
Palate: Once on the palate, those core aroma notes spring to life with a mellow richness that subsumes the palate and belies both the base whiskey’s age and the lengthy finishing process it underwent. The mouthfeel follows the path laid by the flavors, as its full-bodied texture gently coats the tongue and allows you to appreciate each decadent layer of flavors at your leisure.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and marked by an uptick in black pepper spice to go with the hazelnut spread, peanut shell, and jammy red berries found throughout the palate. There’s also an undulating backbone of oak and vanilla extract that makes this one a treat to the last sip.
Bottom Line:
This lush, decadent expression is an exemplar of what River Roots Barrel Co. has been releasing to date: high-quality, well-aged whiskey. They’ve also produced some incredible younger bourbons and malt whiskeys, but it’s these unique finished products that seem to be winning them the most praise and fueling the excitement around their potential moving forward.
Dark Arts Whiskey House is an amazing emerging non-distilling producer based right in Lexington, Kentucky, that’s putting out some mouth-watering whiskey sourced from Kentucky and Indiana. This particular single barrel was selected by the Volusia Bourbon Society in partnership with Liquid Ministry.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of raspberries and ripe apples leap out of the glass, and they’re joined by the aroma of cocoa, oak, and rye spice, which makes for a balanced and intriguing nosing experience. The palate instantly becomes sufficiently whetted.
Palate: With the initial sip, this whiskey brings some heavy cocoa and oak tones on top of a wave of Cherry Cola, vanilla extract, and allspice. It will really stop you in your tracks. The proof point is perfectly balanced, allowing those waves of flavor to lay siege to every corner of your mouth without ever becoming too much to handle.
Finish: The lengthy finish is the final act of this magic trick, subsuming your senses in vanilla, black pepper, and cream soda before a kiss of bright red cherry sends you on your merry way.
Bottom Line:
Dark Arts Whiskey House is doing a little of everything, with stellar finished barrels and powerhouse Indiana ryes making up their portfolio, but these straight bourbon whiskeys are the best showcase of “Chief Alchemist” Macaulay Minton’s prowess as Master Blender and Taster.
River City Whiskey, having released their first expression in fall 2024, is one of the newest brands on this list. This expression, from founders Da’Mon Brown and Ricky Rice, is a natural outgrowth of what began as a barrel pick group that the two started. Now, entering the arena of creating a brand, they’ve brought this inaugural expression “Beaver Bridge Barrel” to market using the single-barrel format they’ve perfected to present a cask-strength bourbon, aged for nine years, and made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes open with bruised pears, apple skin, singed orange peel, vanilla custard, black pepper, sage, and barrel char. The aromas are impressively well-developed and delicate but distinct, leading to extended appreciation before you venture in for the first sip.
Palate: The lighter, sweet notes come through on the palate, with peach rings, dried apricot, and scraped vanilla pod seizing your attention at first. The whiskey then turns a bit floral at midpalate before ceding ground to the flavors of restrained oak and honeyed black tea as it fans out over the tongue and begins transitioning to the finish.
Finish: The finish is robust but brief, expanding rapidly with full flavors before gently concluding with vanilla wafers, orange blossom, and white pepper lingering at the end of the party.
Bottom Line:
This is simply great whiskey that shines on the front end with distinct, well-developed flavors that blend together harmoniously before blossoming at mid-palate and succinctly shedding its petals on the finish. The price of admission is perfect, and as this bourbon flows with far more peaks than valleys from beginning to end, it shows that River City Whiskey is ready to open the floodgates of their hand-selected high-quality single-barrel bourbons with this inaugural release.
5. 2XO Gem of Kentucky
2XO
ABV: 54% Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
2XO is the brand founded by rockstar blender Dixon Dedman just three short years ago, but he waited until 2023 to launch the brand’s best work to date: The Gem Of Kentucky. Billed as “the only double-barreled single barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey on the market,” the brand released roughly 70 of those unique single barrels to market in the initial run with a second wave of releases following in 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This bottle begins expressly fruity with red berries and orange zest leading the way to polished leather, an abundance of vanilla, and some surprising sandalwood.
Palate: Once on the palate, this pour opens with more fruit as the flavor of cherries and clementines burrow deep into your tongue while mature oak and leather notes find the edges of the tongue and the cheek. There’s a gently pulsing influence of baking spice throughout, with black pepper, allspice, and sage becoming most expressive as this pour transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish welcomes more allspice and sage, and it’s surprisingly lengthy, allowing the fruit-forward notes to reemerge as well as the satisfying taste of vanilla ice cream.
Bottom Line:
Dixon Dedman is no stranger to mingling delicious barrels of sourced whiskey, and the experience he’s accrued from blending previous projects has him in peak form here. 2XO’s more affordable options are well worth your attention as an entry point into the nascent brand. Still, once you try their premium offering, you’ll fully appreciate just how stellar this new category of double-barreled single barrels can be.
Dream Spirits, out of Leesburg, Virginia, is a non-distilling producer on a rapid ascent since their inaugural release in late 2022. Dreamed up by the proprietor of the world-famous 1 West Dupont Circle Wines & Liquors store, Prav Saraff, the brand is sourcing standout barrels of bourbon from Kentucky and Indiana and bottling it at their home base in Old Dominion. This special release, launched in mid-December, is an exclusive blend of 95% 6-year high rye MGP bourbon with 5% 16-year Tennessee bourbon. The blend then rested in stainless steel for 3 weeks before being dumped into Mizunara barrels for 21 months, an unprecedented period for finishing casks of that type.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey opens with rosewater and Rainier cherries before sandalwood, black pepper, and cedar perk up in the glass. Tahitian vanilla, butterscotch, and nougat can also be found once you stick your nose deeper into the glass, while dried raspberry top notes begin to emerge after a short period of resting.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey really follows through on the nosing notes. Dried raspberries and black pepper spice open the door for faintly floral notes, sandalwood, butterscotch, and vanilla bean flavors to stroll right through. The texture is spiky, in a good way, with flourishes of baking spice accenting the otherwise flavorful, full-bodied, fruit-forward experience.
Finish: The lengthy finish is where the Mizunara casks have the last word, as cinnamon, sandalwood, and black pepper spice tickle the palate while figs, dark chocolate, and vanilla extract sweeten the send-off.
Bottom Line:
Mizunara-finished bourbons are a rarity due to the expensiveness of the rare casks, but when utilized correctly, they can create marvelous results, as this bourbon goes to show. Dream Spirits isn’t yet known as a premier blending house, but having tasted several of their single barrels throughout the year and enjoying the hell out of this Mizunara-finished offering, it’s obvious they’ve got incredible liquid on their hands and a bright future ahead.
Premier Drams is a new brand that was launched early this summer by the same man behind Washington D.C.’s legendary whiskey bar, Jack Rose, Bill Thomas. 8 years ago, Thomas began procuring contract-distilled whiskey from an elusive producer in Bardstown, Kentucky, and aging it at the site of the historic Old Taylor Distillery, which today is the home of Castle & Key. Due to Castle & Key’s uniquely cool maturation facilities, many of the barrels that went into these Premier Drams single barrels saw a significant drop in ABV, with the majority hovering right around the 100-proof mark at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Strawberry saltwater taffy escapes the grasp of the glass to greet the nose at first before evolving into a cherry Luden’s note and partnering up with truffle honey, white pepper, and peanut brittle for a mellow and intriguing medley.
Palate: On the palate, it’s a delight to discover that the Luden’s cherry note has evolved into a full-blown Rainier cherry, carrying white pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and honey in tow. The flavors here are markedly rich, defying its moderate proof and delivering a depth and richness that will have you sucking your molars, frantically trying to prevent even a single drop from slipping through the cracks.
Finish: Vanilla pods, salted butter, fatty Brazil nuts, and white pepper prevail on the finish with a dollop of honey and Rainier cherries, adding a sweet closing kiss as it succinctly slides off your palate.
Bottom Line:
Premier Drams is quietly revolutionizing the modern bourbon landscape by delivering cask-strength bourbon at a moderate proof point and it’s honesly like peering into the future. In the fashion of any groundbreaking innovator, I’m not entirely sure the public was ready for it in 2024, but that’s what makes discovering excellent single-barrel offerings like this so awesome. I suspect that, in due time, these stellar new releases will be even more coveted than they already are.
2. Binder’s Stash Barrel Proof Single Barrel Bourbon
Binder’s Stash is a premium non-distilling producer bottling top-shelf single-barrel whiskey from Indiana and Kentucky. The brand’s fervent digital presence has been documented here before, with this particular single-barrel, “Make It Make Sense,” being one of the budding brand’s latest releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Black cherry, grapefruit, and allspice aromas are the opening act. Next up, palo santo, chocolate wafer cookies, and maple candy that hangs in the air in the background.
Palate: This bourbon begins chocolatey as hell and heavy on the palate, making it taste like whiskey more than twice its age with cherries and rich oak with leather and vanilla pods. It’s drying at the edge of the tongue with a sort of grainy texture that’s intriguing and, again, gives it the impression of much older whiskey.
Finish: The finish has bubblegum and cinnamon, and it’s medium to long with some more vanilla coming in, giving it a sweet send-off that makes you want more immediately.
Bottom Line:
This is a remarkable and remarkably well-named whiskey because delivering this much flavor at 5 years old defies expectations. Credit to Binder’s Stash for pulling this barrel after only half a decade and resisting the urge to entice consumers with a higher age statement (though they’ve got more of those, too). This offering proves there’s no telling when a bourbon is ready, but it will tell you itself.
We’re really excited to see how this brand can continue to surprise in 2025.
1. Old Commonwealth Distillery Cask Strength Bourbon
The very first expression from Old Commonwealth Distillery is this Old Commonwealth 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Cask Strength Bourbon, which launched to much fanfare only a few weeks ago. History lesson: Old Commonwealth is an iconic brand created in the 1970s by Julian Van Winkle II, the son of “Pappy” Van Winkle, and in those days, it utilized liquid from the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Fast-forward to 1997-2002, Julian Van Winkle III was selling a version of Old Commonwealth that was proofed to 107 and utilized a wheated mash bill just like his father did decades before. This contemporary recreation has been five years in the making, and though it uses a mash bill sans any wheat, its founders felt that this whiskey was exceptional enough to carry the banner and continue the legacy.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: When you first pour Old Commonwealth into your glass, it opens with the aroma of blueberries and rosewater before deferring to some sweet tobacco, earthy oak, and a fat scoop of vanilla ice cream. It picks up some cherry cordial and leather as it sits in the glass. This is well-layered, lovely stuff.
Palate: Cherry and caramel notes come barreling down the middle of the palate with some faint coconut flakes and well-defined oak undergirding the entire affair. A second sip welcomes clove, hazelnut, and honeyed green tea as the dense liquid begins coating your palate, making you salivate for more.
Finish: The finish is lengthy with white pepper, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate chunks, and sticky toffee all making an impression.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious stuff that belies the 5-year journey Old Commonwealth underwent from ideation to creation. After landing a spot in the top 25 on our top 100 bourbons of 2024 list, you had to know that this one would rank highly here. With 2024 marking Old Commonwealth’s introduction to the bourbon world, we’re pumped to see how pulling from their flagship label’s rich history will propel Old Commonwealth Distillery in the future.
To the delight of Mr. Peanutbutter and fans of good sitcoms everywhere, the debauched It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia gang appeared in Wednesday’s episode of the comparatively wholesome Abbott Elementary. It’s part one of a two-part crossover event with the second episode airing during the upcoming season of It’s Always Sunny (which should premiere later this year).
The idea for the crossover was conceived by It’s Always Sunny creator and star Rob McElhenney and Abbott creator and star Quinta Brunson, who was asked to name the greatest rapper of all time for Complex‘s “GOAT talk” series.
“Jay-Z,” she told McElhenney with no hesitation. “His lyrics have inspired me so much, how I write, how I make business moves, how I make things that are Black but for public consumption.”
As for McElhenney, he went with Tupac, although Eazy-E is up there, too. “When I was 11 years old or something when Straight Outta Compton came out and suburban white boys in Philly finding that and playing it, your mind is just f*cking blown,” he explained. “Blew my socks off. I love it. I love it.”
You can watch Brunson and McElhenney’s “GOAT” video above. Meanwhile, Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are both streaming on Hulu.
It’s been over 7 years now since Mac Miller’s premature death, and while he was only 26 years old, he left behind an incredible hip-hop legacy. That legacy has continued since his passing via posthumous releases, with the 2020 album Circles and the upcoming Balloonerism. The latter is set to drop on January 17 (just before his January 19 birthday), and now the loose and chill track “5 Dollar Pony Rides” has been released today (January 9).
“Many of Malcolm’s fans are aware of Balloonerism, a full-length album that Malcolm created around the time of the release of Faces in 2014. It is a project that was of great importance to Malcolm — to the extent that he commissioned artwork for it and discussions concerning when it should be released were had regularly, though ultimately GO:OD AM and subsequent albums ended up taking precedence.
We believe the project showcases both the breadth of his musical talents and fearlessness as an artist. Given that unofficial versions of the album have circulated online for years and that releasing Balloonerism was something that Malcolm frequently expressed being important to him, we felt it most appropriate to present an official version of the project to the world. With that in mind, we’re happy to announce that Balloonerism will be released on January 17th, 2025.”
Listen to “5 Dollar Pony Rides” above.
Balloonerism is out 11/17 via Warner Records. Find more information here.
Godzilla has been having “a moment” since his 1950s debut, but the nuclear lizard’s ubiquity has (deservedly) gone into overdrive in recent years with Toho’s Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One, which is streaming on Netflix and has a sequel coming. The “absolute slobberknocker” of last year’s Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire also kept Legendary’s Monsterverse coming in hot, but the small-screen has been bringing the fire, too. Legendary and Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, which began its run by promising Kurt Russell teaming up with Godzilla.
What transpired on Apple TV+ was (to put things mildly) a streaming success, and in April 2024, Legendary and Apple TV+ announced a second-season renewal in addition to “multiple spin-off series.” Let’s piece together what clues have been dropped so far and speculate about whether that “death” was really the end for Russell’s involvement in the series.
Plot
Apple TV+
It’s fair to say that the events of Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters‘ first season were intentionally muddy at times, including the motives of Lee Shaw (portrayed by both Kurt Russell and his IRL son, Wyatt) in this generation-spanning series. That became clearer by season’s end, but a major lingering question in the jump between seasons is whether Lee Shaw survived another portal entry. This ambiguity was probably planned since there was no guarantee on whether Kurt Russell would return for a second season, but also, Shaw has been brought back before, so anything is possible. Also, we saw no body, so death cannot definitively be called either way. Those signs point to his return in the second season, or Shaw could surface in a future movie.
When quizzed on a possible return by The Direct, Kurt Russell reflected to the Monarch org’s history and suggested that the baton could be passed:
“I think that what’s interesting about this show is that when you go back in time, you flashback to how these people got together and where this whole thing started. It’s the human aspect of it that you are focused on. And I think all his life; he’s, you know, there were certain things that he was waiting for, and setting up that sort of mysterious way that you finally begin to understand towards the end. To me, you would carry on with that and understand mysteries work in different ways, with different people, different scenarios. So they’d… have to lean into those scenarios.”
So, no news is good news from Kurt Russell? We will see. What is much more concrete, however, is Legendary’s confirmation that the second season will spend plenty of time on Skull Island, as confirmed by a recent still from Legendary with this message: “Greetings from Skull Island. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 is in production.”
Legendary/Apple TV+
In other words, we should be seeing much more of this guy:
Legendary/Apple TV+
Let’s hope that Godzilla isn’t entirely out of this show’s equation. There’s been no discussion on that subject from official parties, and series creator Chris Black told Screenrant (in a group conversation that confirmed the return of cast members Kiersey Clemons, Anna Sawai, Joe Tippet) that he’s essentially bound to secrecy:
“I think our friends from Apple are here, so I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say. But it’s going to be big. It’s going to be great. We’re really excited and just so thrilled to have the opportunity to come back and keep telling this story. I think if you watched the season finale, and you get to the end of the season finale, I think you know what the teaser is.”
In that same discussion, Anna Sawai did express hope that Cate Randa will be “taking a little bit more action” now that she’s learned about her family legacy. Fingers crossed, and there will be no protest from the Shōgun audience on that front.
Cast
Although Apple TV+ hasn’t been straightforward on returning cast members, we can expect to see plenty of returning faces. That could include Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell or simply the latter or neither of them at all, but stay tuned there.
Anna Sawai figured prominently into the finale as Cate Randa, so those who want more of her after Shōgun know where to find her, and other first-season cast members included Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, John Goodman, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski.
Variety reported thatPrey‘s Amber Midthunder signed on for a recurring second season role as Isabel, “an intelligent and powerful businesswoman.”
Release Date
With Legendary and Apple TV+ providing a “first look” in November 2024, we can guess that a late 2025 release is possible, but don’t be too surprised if this pushes into early 2026.
Trailer
Since Apple TV+ hasn’t released any footage yet, G-Fans can revisit this moment when Lee Shaw realizes that what doesn’t kill Godzilla only makes the nuclear lizard stronger.
Each week our staff of film and television experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
If you enjoy the Harley Quinn show and/or James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, you’ll love Creature Commandos. The animated series tracks a secret team of incarcerated monsters — including Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, and G.I. Robot — who are recruited for missions deemed too dangerous for humans. “When all else fails… they’re your last, worst option,” the Max description reads. Every episode was written by Gunn, while the cast includes Indira Varma, Sean Gunn, Alan Tudyk, Zoë Chao, David Harbour, Maria Bakalova, Frank Grillo, and Viola Davis. It’s a fun introduction to the new DCU.
In Black Doves, the always wonderful Keira Knightley plays Helen, an undercover professional spy who has been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the titular Black Doves. But when her secret lover Jason is assassinated, an old friend (Paddington’s Ben Whishaw!) is tasked with keeping her safe. Together, they set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason, which, as often happens with these kinds of shows, leads them into a vast conspiracy. Pepe Silvia will be watching.
Carry-On makes a (mostly) single-setting thriller star out of the unsung heroes of the holiday season: TSA agents. Ethan (played by Taron Egerton) is tasked with outsmarting a mysterious traveler (Jason Bateman at his most menacing) who blackmails him into letting a dangerous package slip onto a Christmas Eve flight. Carry-On is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, The Shallows, and Black Adam, but don’t hold that last one against him) with a script from Ratchet & Clank (!) writer TJ Fixman.
Discover what all the fuss over the vaping cardinal is about. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), Conclave is about the messy drama behind selecting a new pope. Per the official synopsis: “Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence uncovers a trail of deep secrets left in the dead Pope’s wake, secrets which could shake the foundations of the Church.” Such drama queens.
The Dark Passenger-verse expands with Dexter: Original Sin, a prequel to the original series and Dexter: New Blood. This one is set in 1991 and follows Dexter Morgan (played by Patrick Gibson) as he transitions from student to serial killer with guidance from his father Harry (Christian Slater). Michael C. Hall will reprise his role, sort of, as the voice of young Dexter’s inner monologue. Will there be a treadmill? Find out!
Stephanie Hsu, who really should have won the Oscar over her Everything Everywhere All at Once co-star, is joined by Zosia Mamet in the new series Laid. The “f*cked up rom-com” is about a woman who finds out that her former lovers are dying in unusual ways, and must go back through her “sex timeline” to figure out what the heck is going on.
Juror #2 received such a tiny theatrical release, we wrote an entire post about how to see it. It’s Clint Eastwood’s possibly final film for chrissakes! Thankfully, the film is now on Max, so more people can watch the throwback legal thriller starring Nicholas Hoult as a jury member going through a moral dilemma. It’s the most 1994 movie of 2024 (complimentary).
Netflix’s most-watched show ever is back. Squid Game season 2 sees the return of Gi-hun (played by Lee Jung-jae), a.k.a. Player 456, who has only one goal: to end the horrifying competition for good. This time, Gi-hun finds himself “locked in a tense battle” with the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), as well as trying to survive against the other competitors. Squid Game is the rare water-cooler show in the “death of the monoculture” era. Keep up if you want to know what your co-workers are talking about.
Colin Firth with white hair? Yes please. Lockerbie: A Search for Truth is inspired by the true story of Pan Am Flight 103, which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1988, killing 259 passengers and crew and 11 more on the ground. It’s up to Dr. Jim Swire (Firth), whose daughter died in the incident, to find out exactly what happened.
6. Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Netflix)
netflix
War is, generally speaking, bad… but I would not oppose a second Revolutionary War on the U.K. for getting Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl before the U.S. did. Just saying. Feathers McGraw returns in the new claymation masterpiece from Aardman. This time, the evil penguin aims to enact revenge on our cheese-loving heroes for getting him locked up in prison by reprogramming Wallace’s robotic garden gnome.
Along with Interview with the Vampire, Mayfair Witches is part of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe on AMC (which has seen a surge in popularity since the shows were added to Netflix). Season 2 of Mayfair continues the journey of Rowan Mayfair (played by Alexandra Daddario) after giving birth to the demon Lasher (Jack Huston). As per AMC: “She is determined to understand what he has become – human or monster? – and to use him to fulfill her purpose as a healer, but when tragedy strikes, she must put aside her own desires and fight to protect her family.” To paraphrase Elton John, the witch is back.
Written and directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Shoplifters), Asura is a family drama set in 1979 about about four sisters — Tsunako (Rie Miyazawa), Makiko (Machiko Ono), Takiko (Yu Aoi), and Sakiko (Suzu Hirose) — who discover that their dad is having an affair. It’s being called 2025’s “first great new TV show.”
Black Box Diaries is one of 15 films to make the shortlist for Best Documentary Feature at the 2025 Oscars. It follows Japanese journalist Shiori Itō, who accused a prominent media executive of rape in 2017. She also published a memoir about the case, Black Box, which is “credited with sparking the #MeToo movement in Japan,” according to a synopsis. The documentary is told through video diaries (shot on Itō’s iPhone), audio recordings, and courtroom footage. Black Box Diaries is a tough but essential watch.
Noah Wyle? As a doctor? It’s crazy enough to work. This time, the ER star works in a hospital in Pittsburgh, and the show is “a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes.” The entire 15-episode first season takes place over the course of one 15-hour emergency room shift, not unlike 24.
For a while there, Taylor Kitsch was everywhere. He went from playing hunk with a heart of gold Tim Riggins on Friday Night Lights to starring in two big-budget films, John Carter and Battleship, as well as a prominent role in Oliver Stone’s Savages, all released in 2012. But when all three films underperformed and/or were met with scorn from critics (justice for John Carter!), Kitsch stopped being The Next Best Thing. But now he’s back with his biggest part in years: American Primeval, a gritty, gloomy limited series set in the American frontier during the 1800s. The cast also includes the great Betty Gilpin, Kim Coates, and character actor favorite Shea Whigham.
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