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Engagement tradition in the United States largely around the ring as an outward symbol of commitment, traditionally displayed as a singular diamond. Though the diamond engagement ring technically dates back to the 1400s in Rome, a De Beers ad campaign in 1947 that declared, “Diamonds are forever,” equated diamonds with marriage in our collective psyches for the better part of the last century.

For some grooms, the size of the “rock” is also a status symbol, showing either how much you can afford or how much of a sacrifice you’re willing to make for your bride.

But as one man found out when he tried to upgrade his wife’s engagement ring, the size of the diamond isn’t what some women value at all.

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A Reddit user shared a photo of a woman’s hand with a small, simple diamond ring on her left ring finger.

“7 yrs ago, she said ‘yes’ to me with this $500 fruity pebble of a diamond when I was BROKE-broke,” the post reads.
I make $200k now. I surprised her yesterday with an upgrade for Valentine’s Day, but she said RETURN IT, that ‘anything else would be a downgrade’ because of what this little dot means to her 🥲.”

“So I am returning this $8k upgrade and I’m taking her to Korea and Japan this winter instead for the same price ❤,” the person added.

Now, there’s nothing wrong with someone wanting a different ring once they have the money to afford one, but the fact that her original $500 engagement ring was more valuable to her than an $8,000 diamond is tugging at people’s heartstrings.

“Brother you’ve found a hell of diamond, I ain’t talking about them rocks,” shared one commenter.

“I’m with her there, the first one is lovely and means something. The second ones are… a bit much for a lot of people, but then I hate diamonds, so maybe I’m biased. Memories are worth far more than a common rock IMO. Enjoy your trip!” added another.

“I’ve got almost the same story,” added another. “Hubby and I were broke when he asked me to marry him. We picked out my ring together. The set included a wedding bank and cost $275. We’ve been married 38 years. Several times, he’s asked me if I want a different ring. I always say no. This ring is perfect!”

One woman’s drove home the true value of a “cheap” ring with a story about her late husband:

“My husband and I got ‘temp’ rings that were $80 and eloped with the idea that on our 5 year anniversary we would renew our vows, get ‘real’ rings and have a ‘real’ wedding.

Unfortunately he passed away in 2017. I cherish my silly little temp ring. It’s the one he placed on my finger and I will love it forever. Even when the tech at the nail salon snickers about it. Even though the stone has cracked and I don’t know how to fix it. This is MY ring that HE gave me I will love it with my whole heart just as I did him.

It’s not the ring, it’s the person who gave it, that makes it worth cherishing.

She cherishes you.”

It’s a good reminder that the real value of an item is not how much it costs but how much it means and that engagement rings don’t have to be fancy or expensive to fulfill their purpose.

You’ll have to find something new to watch during your lunch break on Mondays. Beginning with this past Sunday’s season 11 premiere, HBO isn’t posting full-length Last Week Tonight segments on YouTube until Thursday.

“I know I usually share a link to our main story here on Mondays, but HBO has decided they’re going to wait until Thursday to post them to YouTube from now on,” host John Oliver explained on X. “I hope they change their mind, but until then, you can see our piece about the Supreme Court on HBO, on MAX, and on YouTube in a few days.” Last Week Tonight, Plus A Few Extra Days.

A spokesperson for HBO confirmed the business decision to Variety, writing, “When Last Week Tonight With John Oliver premiered on HBO, the convenience of watching on Max did not exist so YouTube allowed flexible viewing for the main story as well as promotional exposure. We are now delaying that availability and hope those fans choose to watch the entire show on Max.”

Chuck E. Cheese nation is not going to be happy about this.

Last Week Tonight — which recently won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Series for something like the 47th year in a row — airs Sunday nights on HBO at 11 p.m.

(Via Variety)

How big is Sydney Sweeney right now? So big that no one seems to mind that she’s second-billed in the latest comic book movie bomb. Earlier this year, the actress — whose rom-com, Anyone But You, will almost certainly greatly outperform her Marvel-Sony picture, Madame Web — officially became Hot Ones famous. Now she’s adding SNL to her oeuvre.

Per Variety, Sweeney will lord over the late night sketch show’s March 2 episode. It will be her SNL debut, though it will be the third time for the night’s musical guest, Kacey Musgraves. During her monologue, Sweeney may mention Madame Web, though she’ll probably talk up Immaculate, her forthcoming wacko nun horror pic, instead.

The following week, on March 9, brings back someone who’s already hosted the show twice, in 2008 and 2012. That would be Josh Brolin, who may spend his monologue reading one of the poems he wrote for a behind-the-scenes book for his next movie, Dune: Part Two, in which he brings back barking House Atreides weapons master Gurney Halleck. Brolin will be joined by no less than Ariana Grande, touting her new album Eternal Sunshine.

Meanwhile this weekend sees SNL welcoming back someone who’s never been on the show, but only because he was fired over racist and bigoted jokes he’d made in the past. That’s right, it’s Shane Gillis, who it was recently revealed has a history of bringing two Holocaust deniers onto his podcast. But hey, at least there will be more Sweeney and fellow Hot Ones alum Brolin.

(Via Variety)

If you want to go to Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour, tickets go on sale Friday, February 23 at 10 AM local time at livenation.com. If you happen to have a Citi card, though, you can access presale tickets beginning Wednesday, February 21 at 10 AM local time at citientertainment.com.

The Bittersweet Tour will be Gunna’s first tour since being released from Fulton County jail in late 2022. You may notice that Los Angeles and New York are among the major cities without tour stops; Gunna already performed in both for his Gift and Curse shows in 2023. You can see the full tour dates below.

Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour Dates

05/04 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
05/06 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
05/08 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
05/10 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
05/12 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
05/16 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
05/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
05/21 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
05/24 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/25 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
05/28 — Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
05/29 — Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles’ Coliseum
06/01 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
06/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Roots Picnic Festival *
06/06 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/09 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/11 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena

* festival date, without Flo Milli

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

It’s been a little over a month since thousands of people made the renowned yearly pilgrimage to the wildest rave in Mexico, Day Zero. Launched in Tulum in celebration of the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 by Damian Lazarus, Day Zero Tulum has paved the way for the region to become an international electronic music destination while staying connected to Mexican culture (both modern and Indigenous).

As the first international festival in Mexico to create a stage purely for Mexican artists, Day Zero is balances a deep respect for the history of the Mayan people and a love of modern hedonism, sitting at the apex of what a rave can and should be.

On January 12th, the jungles of Tulum were soundtracked from sunset to sunrise by revolutionary sound selectors and artists, including founder Damian Lazarus, Black Coffee, DJ Tennis, Seth Troxler, Acid Pauli, Skream, WhoMadewho, and more. Beyond the music, attendees were able to explore cenotes, immersive art installations, Cirque-style performers hanging from the trees and dancing through the crowd, and traverse physical and spiritual realms through ancient Mayan rituals.

Take an inside look at Day Zero’s cultivation of musical and spiritual connection with this eclectic collection of photos.

Gunna has announced the dates for his first tour since leaving jail. After securing his release with a plea deal in early 2023, Gunna released a new album, A Gift And A Curse, which helped launch him back into the spotlight. From there, he performed his first two shows in Los Angeles and New York, aided by opener Flo Milli. And now, he and Flo Milli are taking off on a full tour, buoyed by the proof of concept from those two concerts.

How Much Are Tickets For Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour?

Until the tickets go on sale on Friday, February 23, there’s no telling just how much they’ll be, but they are likely to be in line with the prices for the Gift and Curse shows in LA and New York. Those were from around $80 to a couple hundred, not including the VIP tickets. So, you can probably expect to pay about that much for tour tickets, as well. You can find more information at livenation.com. See the tour dates below.

Gunna’s Bittersweet Tour Dates

05/04 — Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
05/06 — Detroit, MI @ Fox Theatre
05/08 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
05/10 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
05/12 — Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
05/16 — Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
05/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
05/21 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
05/24 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
05/25 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
05/28 — Nashville, TN @ Nashville Municipal Auditorium
05/29 — Charlotte, NC @ Bojangles’ Coliseum
06/01 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
06/02 — Philadelphia, PA @ Roots Picnic Festival *
06/06 — Miami, FL @ Kaseya Center
06/09 — Orlando, FL @ Kia Center
06/11 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena

* festival date, without Flo Milli

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

Spring is coming up, with the first official day of the new season being March 19. That means summer is coming, which means festival season is near. In recent months, fests have been unveiling their lineups, and we have another one today (February 20): Baja Beach Fest.

The 2024 edition of the annual event is set to go down from August 9 to 11 in Rosarito Beach, Mexico (which is barely across the border and just over a three-hour drive from Los Angeles, for reference). Headlining the three-day, 18-plus, reggaeton- and Latin-focused fest are Rauw Alejandro, Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida, and Kali Uchis. Becky G, Yandel, Mora, Jhayco, Sech, Latin Mafia, Xavi, Jowell Y Randy, De La Ghetto, Alvaro Diaz, Snow The Product, and more.

When it comes to passes, prospective attendees can currently join a waitlist via the Baja Beach Fest website. Their are four tiers of three-day pass: 3-Day GA at $459, 3-Day GA+ at $629, 3-Day VIP at $959, and 3-Day La Playa at $2,059, with no hidden fees attached to any of those prices.

The beachside fest has a lot to offer beyond the music as a press release notes, “During the festival, the town comes alive with merchants, surfing, ATV riding, horseback riding, and other beach activities, street food, and more, creating a party atmosphere that extends for blocks in either direction.”

If you didn’t notice, the US is in the middle of yet another beer boom. There are currently nearly 10,000 breweries in the United States. That’s up from just under 3,500 only ten years ago. That’s a pretty massive change in only a decade. Myriad cities and states are leading the way in terms of number of breweries and quality of beer.

One of the best for both — and an OG in the whole craft beer scene — is Oregon. The Pacific Northwest state is home to more than 300 breweries. While there are a handful of states with more, it’s difficult to beat the overall appeal of the Beaver State for rabid beer fans. Not only does the state host breweries and brewhouses but it’s also known for its hop-growing prowess in the Willamette Valley and other areas. And, of course, it’s got an endless supply of beer lovers.

If you’re planning a trip this winter or spring, Oregon has a whole lot to offer beer lovers (and it’s home to one of our favorite restaurants on earth). Read on to see some of our favorite breweries!

Von Ebert Brewing – Portland

Not only is Portland’s Von Ebert Brewing an outstanding, award-winning brewery, but it’s also home to a restaurant — starring hand-tossed pizzas, smash burgers, and even house-made truffle parm chips.

Back to the beer — Von Ebert is well-known for its Northwest IPA, pilsner, and hazy IPA. On top of that, the brewery makes a trio of Italian-style pilsners and has myriad seasonal and limited-edition brews as well. While the OG location is in Portland’s famous downtown neighborhood “The Pearl,” there are four different Von Ebert locations in the metro area.

What to drink:

No trip to Von Ebert is complete without a pint of its award-winning Volatile Substance IPA. This 6.9% ABV banger boasts flavors like berries, citrus peels, and dank, resinous, pleasantly bitter pine.

Deschutes Brewery – Bend

When it comes to Oregon-based breweries, there are none more well-known than Deschutes. The Bend, Oregon-based brewery’s story began in 1988 when Gary Fish opened a small brewpub. He named it after the river that flows through the city. While there is a Portland location, if you’re going to get the real experience, you need to visit the Bend spot. At the Bend Public House, you’ll find all of your favorite Deschutes beers as well as limited-edition, seasonal, and Bend-only brews. You can also dine in small plates, soups, salads, and all of your favorite pub fare.

What to drink:

After you’ve enjoyed a Mirror Pond Pale Ale or Black Butter Porter on draft, we suggest trying something you can only get at the Deschutes Public House in Bend like Bachelor Bitter. This classic English-style bitter is known for its mix of caramel malts and British hops.

Wolves & People Farmhouse’s Brewery – Newberg

Located in the heart of Willamette Valley, Wolves & People is a farmhouse-style brewery that’s focused on wild, farmhouse, and wood-aged beer styles. If you’re a fan of a more rustic beer style, this brewery is a can’t-miss during your Oregon beer tour. There’s a beer garden when the weather is nice, but there are always snacks like uncured salami, Oregon chevre cheese, jerky, popcorn, and rosemary chips. There are also fifteen rotating taps featuring outstanding, complex beers.

What to drink:

If you visit Wolves & People, you must try one of its wild beers. We suggest Wild Queen, a 4.7% hoppy Saison known for its spicy, funky, floral flavors.

Double Mountain Brewery – Hood River

Opened in 2007, Double Mountain is both a brewery as well as a cidery. While its original location is Hood River, it has other locations in Woodstock and Overlook. Stop into the downtown Hood River brewery for their selection of appetized, sandwiches, and award-winning pizza paired with juicy IPAs, Kolsch-style beers, West Coast IPAs, pilsners, and other beer styles depending on the season.

On top of that, they also have a selection of ciders (if you’re into that sort of thing).

What to drink:

The way we see it, there’s no wrong time of year for a Kolsch-style beer. Double Mountain Kölsch is an unfiltered fruity, malty, crisp, lightly hoppy beer for all seasons.

de Garde Brewing – Tillamook

You might know the name Tillamook because of the famous cheese that comes from this Oregon city. But maybe you should know the town because of de Garde Brewing. It’s one of the only breweries in the US to use spontaneous fermentation starring wild yeasts. This is the place to be if you enjoy wild ales. The beers from de Garde are oak-matured from between six months to more than five years. Stop into the tasting room for pints and bottles to go. It might not be as over-the-top as some of the other breweries, but for fans of traditional, funky, tart wild ales, this is a can’t-miss stop on your Oregon tour.

What to drink:

If you like wild ales, you can drink anything from de Garde and you’ll be more than happy. We suggest grabbing a bottle of its Petria Réserve. This fruity, tart, funky wild ale with made with Riesling grapes and matured for a full four years in oak casks.

Wayfinder Beer – Portland

Like Deschutes, Wayfinder Beer is fairly well-known in the craft beer world nationally. While some breweries are known for their IPA prowess, Wayfinder is all about the lagers. The brewery is centered on highlighting contemporary and traditional lager techniques to create award-winning beers. The pub has delicious foods like banh mi fries, a schnitzel sandwich, steak frites, and even a vegan sausage plate. Beer choices include pilsners, Vienna-style lagers, Czech-style black lagers, and more.

What to drink:

If you’re going to drink one beer at Wayfinder, make it one of its classic, European-style lagers. We suggest Hell, it’s Helles lagerbier. This award-winning beer is crisp, light, thirst-quenching, and filled with floral, earthy Noble hops.

Fort George Brewery – Astoria

You might know Astoria, Oregon as the setting for the 80s classic The Goonies, but it’s also home to one of the state’s best breweries. When you visit, you’ll be treated to a massive building featuring the Downstairs Pub, Upstairs, and the Lovell Taproom. All of this in a 1920s-era building that formerly held a Chevy dealership. Downstairs features a huge menu with everything from burgers to chicken sandwiches to albacore fish and chips to poutine.

Upstairs is all about the pizza and, while every spot has taps, the Lovell Taproom is the place to try seasonal favorites and unique limited-edition brews.

What to drink:

We love a good West Coast pilsner. If you venture to Fort George, grab a pint of Scatter Plot featuring Mittlefruh, Mosaic, and Citra hops. It gets its sweet, malty backbone from the use of Rahr Pils, GW 2Row, and Weyermann Carafoam malt.

The Ale Apothecary – Bend

This popular central Oregon brewery is based on the idea that you can make contemporary beer using the same traditional brewing techniques mixed with Champagne and wine processes to create something truly unique. Its beers are all-natural, made with spontaneous fermentation using wild yeast, and are known for their funky, yeasty, tart, sour flavor profile.

Visit the on-site tap room to sample their naturally carbonated Saisons, golden ales, sour ales, and wild ales.

What to drink:

You can’t go wrong with anything from The Ale Apothecary, but we suggest trying Little Star. This Saison was fermented in stainless steel tanks before being barrel matured with heather and Brettanomyces before being can-conditioned with cane sugar.

We’re nearing that ultimate sweet spot — bourbons that cost $100 or less. It’s so close that you can probably taste it. But before we get there, we’re touting bourbons that cost just under $90 per bottle. And let me tell you, there are some gems here, too. Even a few bottles that would rank highly at the next level up.

This is a section of the bourbon aisle where great bottles shine, rarity builds, and flavor profiles broaden. Let’s be honest with ourselves, if you’re spending $80 to $90 on a bottle of bourbon, it’s for a special occasion or you love the brand. So there’s only one litmus to be met — it better taste f*cking amazing.

Below, I’ve compiled a list of 20 truly tasty bourbons. These whiskeys are ones that everyone should try at least once. They’re palate expanders, unique small batches, special single barrels, one-off masterpieces, and so much more. That all said, they’re ranked according to how deep those tasting profiles go. Think of the ranking as going from “Wow, that’s great bourbon” to “Holy Shit! This is another level!”

Sound good? Let’s dive in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2023, Ranked
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons Under $100, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The 100 Best Kentucky Bourbons, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Tasting Bourbons Under $50, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States

20. Widow Jane Aged 10 Years A Blend Of Straight Bourbons

ABV: 45.5%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

This is sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee bourbons. The hand-selected barrels are sent to New York where they’re blended in small batches (no more than five barrels), proofed with New York limestone mine water, and bottled. What you’re paying for here is the exactness of a whiskey blender finding great barrels and knowing how to marry them to make something bigger and better.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Raw pancake batter opens this one on the nose with sweet yet spicy mulled red wine next to orange rinds, soft vanilla pudding, and light mint waxiness — almost like a fresh candle.

Palate: The taste has a mix of marzipan next to dark chocolate and real maple syrup on the front before descending into soft notes of creamed vanilla honey, cherry compote, and orange-spiced tobacco layered into soft old oak.

Finish: The finish adds some more sweet spicy stewed cherry to that dark chocolate with layers of woody birch water cut with soft winter spice barks and more of that oaky tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a great introduction to the wider world of Widow Jane’s amazing blends and single barrels. This is deep, delicious, and defining. This is a sipping whiskey that’ll reward you will new notes on every revisit. It also makes a hell of an old fashioned with all that cherry, chocolate, and orange.

19. Filibuster Distillery Bottled-in-Bond Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This Virginia whiskey is a grain-to-glass experience. The juice is made from locally grown grains — 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley — and local spring water in the Shenandoah Valley. After five years of mellowing in Appalachia, a small bundle of barrels is batched and proofed to 100 proof before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a waft of old porch wicker next to floral honey, burnt orange, black tea leaves, and a classic sense of woody cherry and vanilla.

Palate: The palate creams the honey while adding in soft oak and cherry pie filling with a hint of vanilla malt next to mulled wine spices — heavy with star anise, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a pinch of mace or cardamom.

Finish: The end has a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean vibe that leads to a mild dried cranberry note next to a strawberry-rhubarb-walnut crumble with a scoop of vanilla malted ice cream that finished back at the old porch wicker braided with dark cherry tobacco and dry cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bourbons that sneaks up on you. It’s classic for a moment, offering deep hints of nostalgia, then it goes deep into woody spice, old coffee houses, and malted sweet treats that take this beyond your average whiskey. This is a stellar pour that deserves a little time and effort to enjoy fully as a slow sipper.

18. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Bib & Tucker is a classic example of what great blending can do with sourced whiskey. The Tennessee whiskey is a marriage of 10-year-old whiskeys aged in the lowest char barrels available, allowing more direct contact with dried wood sugars rather than black charcoal filtration. Those barrels are blended and then proofed down with soft Tennessee water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of vanilla bean (pod, seeds, essence) up top with hints of spicy chewy tobacco, dry oak (almost pine), and a distant note of fresh corn husks.

Palate: The palate really holds onto that velvety vanilla as the corn husks dry out and notes of orange-infused dark chocolate mingle with that spicy tobacco, which starts buzzing on your tongue.

Finish: The end is longish, has touches of that dry pine, and holds onto both the vanilla and dried corn husks.

Bottom Line:

This is the sweet spot for Bib & Tucker. This is lush whiskey that sips so nicely while delivering a fruity vanilla-forward profile. That means that you can sip this neat or fold it into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail with ease. However, I would focus on the former as Bib & Tucker’s 6-year products are more attuned to cocktail mixing.

17. Almost Old Bones Bourbon 9 Years Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

Old Bones is known for their 10-year-old bourbon releases but changed it up a bit for this late 2023 drop. The whiskey is a sourced Kentucky bourbon from Bardstown with a 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley mash bill. The whiskey barrels were left alone for nine years before batching and bottling with a light kiss of water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is pure classic Kentucky bourbon with a deep vanilla presence layered with soft orchard fruits, stewed and spiced cherry, and old barrelhouse earthiness.

Palate: The palate leans into the sweet/spicy vibes with dark cherries dipped in cinnamon syrup and served with vanilla sauce and shaved dark chocolate cut with a hint of oily tobacco and cedar bark.

Finish: The end leans into the tobacco and cedar with a deep oakiness that highlights woody winter spices, stewed fruits, and soft vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This new(ish) drop came out of nowhere and delivered an essential bourbon-sipping experience. Everything that you’d ever want from a deep and delectable bourbon is present with that little extra oomph to take this beyond the ordinary. Sip it neat and enjoy the ride.

16. Blue Run Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Reflection I

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was distilled at Castle & Key back in 2018. 200 of those barrels were hand-picked for this release to take a look back at the past two years of Blue Run and “reflect” upon the trials they brought and the successes they’ve had in making tasty whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a distinct note of tart yet slightly sweet cherry on the nose with a supporting cast of butterscotch candies, mild firewood, and a hint of pancake batter.

Palate: That batter becomes a stack of pancakes with vanilla-laced butter, maple syrup, and a few nuts thrown in that lead to a herb garden full of rosemary bushes, fresh thyme, and a touch of sharp spearmint.

Finish: That savory note mellows out through the mid-palate as a dusting of nutmeg rounds out the finish with hints of woody maple syrup and a final echo of that tart cherry.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that goes that extra step. The savory lush herbs and soft winter spices just work on the palate as the dessert vibes balance a hearty sweet breakfast with a digestif vibe. Pour this one after a big meal and let wash over you. It’ll work wonders.

15. Thomas S. Moore Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks

ABV: 47.65%

Average Price: $81

The Whiskey:

This release from Sazerac’s other distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery, has become a yearly standard release. The whiskey in the bottle is generally kept under wraps. We do know that the bourbon is finished in Cabernet Sauvignon casks for a spell before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Stone fruit and vanilla lead on the nose with hints of brown-butter sugar cookies, bright peach fresh off the tree, and old yet soft oakiness that’s sweet and just kissed with the dirt from an old cellar floor.

Palate: The palate leans into cherry bark with juicy plums, sharply spiced mulled wine, creamy vanilla, and woody sassafras that gently lean toward grape must and a hint of fruity yeasts.

Finish: The spice on the mid-palate leads to some old boot leather, more of that soft oak, and a hint of sweet potting soil with a plummy finish that’s lush and darkly sweet with a whisper of smudging sage lurking in the background.

Bottom Line:

This is another sleeper hit. You do see these on shelves, but they’re often dusty. This is an excellent food-pairing whiskey or whiskey for a wine lover. There’s a wonderful balance of red wine that accents the bourbon in all the right ways. Again, this is a slow sipper, so don’t rush and take your time finding all the hidden nuances in the profile.

Once you’ve done that, you need to make a Manhattan with this one. It’ll be fantastic.

14. Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey Valencia

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This bourbon starts as Penelope’s beloved and much-lauded four-grain bourbon. That whiskey is then re-barreled into Spanish Vino de Naranja casks from Valencia before small batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a light sense of burnt orange and cinnamon toast on the nose that leads to a hint of cherry vanilla cream soda with chocolate chip cookies cut with orange zest.

Palate: That orange zest turns into chunky orange marmalade on the palate over buttery southern biscuits, woody mulled wine spices, wet brown sugar, and oily vanilla pods.

Finish: The end has a nice bitterness to it tied to the orange rinds and seeds with a hint of orange blossom next to salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is a specialty pour that works. The orange presents so clearly. It’s vibrant and playful with a nice balance of bourbon classic notes amped up with the burst of orange. That also makes this a great option for mixing up orange-forward old fashioneds or just sipping over some rocks.

13. Garrison Brothers HoneyDew Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with Honey

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This is technically a “flavored” bourbon but it’s nothing like any other flavored bourbon you’ve ever had. This is Garrison’s Small Batch Bourbon that’s been infused with Burleson’s Texas Wildflower Honey. That means that the bourbon was transferred to a steel tank for storage. In the meantime, those empty barrels were rebuilt into smaller wooden cubes and dipped into the honey until they were completely honey-laden. Those cubes were then put into the steel vats of bourbon to infuse the whiskey over seven long months. That makes the “flavoring” more akin to additional aging rather than adding a sugar syrup.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with clear bourbon notes that worn leather, dry straw, and apple next to elderflower, ripe peaches and apricots, and a touch of raw honey.

Palate: That honey note creates a bridge to the palate which is full of wildflowers, orange oils, cinnamon buns with a little pecan, and a final honey drizzle that’s almost creamy.

Finish: The finish is a balance between the rich honey vibes and the clear sense of bourbon with cinnamon spice, dry pecans, and orange oils all slowly soaking into a pot full of honey.

Bottom Line:

This is perfectly balanced honeyed bourbon. It’s floral and almost light with a deep sense of dark and stormy bourbon underneath. Everything is singing in harmony in this pour, making it a great and fun sipper when you’re looking for a truly unique pour.

12. Laws Whiskey House Cognac Foeder Finished Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $87

The Whiskey:

This Colorado four-grain bourbon starts with standard aging for two years in new American oak. The barrels that hit just the right mark are then batched and re-filled into cognac casks for additional mellowing. Once those barrels hit the right flavor profile, the whiskey is vatted into a 50-year-old French oak foeder (huge barrel, basically) where it rests for a spell before bottling. That foeder is never fully emptied, creating heritage to all the bourbon that passes through it year after year.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This season’s nose has a sense of Earl Grey tea leaves just touched with champagne next to stewed plums and apples with a sense of Saigon cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg, and ground allspice.

Palate: The palate is rich and lush with an apple butter thickness and spice next to singed cedar bark and apple bark over rum-raisin, creamy eggnog, and a whisper of pear.

Finish: The end has a creamy and lush vibe that leans into vanilla and nog with a whisper of holiday cake imbued tobacco rolled with cellar oak and rich caramel sauce.

Bottom Line:

This is another palate-expanding bourbon. There are lovely new and fresh notes going on with this pour that just work. This is one that you’ll want to take your time with though. Add water or ice, re-nose, and re-taste — this whiskey will always reward your patience and effort with greatness.

11. Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands

ABV: 59.11%

Average Price: $84

The Whiskey:

This new release from Barrell Craft Spirits is a unique one. The whiskey in the bottle is batched from Indiana bourbon (five, six, and nine-year-old barrels) with Maryland bourbon (five and six-year-old barrels). Once batched, the whiskey is re-barreled into rum casks and Islay whisky casks. Then those barrels are batched and the whiskey is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with big notes of bananas foster, peach cobbler, and blackberry crumble next to roasting herbs, smoldering smudging sage, old cedar kindling, and rich vanilla-chocolate malted tobacco with a dash of Cherry Coke and Almond Joy.

Palate: Lushness dominates the palate with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, candied orange peels, candied almonds, black cherry soda, cream soda, plum pudding, and mincemeat pies dusted with powdered sugar before dark and lightly smoked oak arrives.

Finish: That smoky oak leads to pepper brisket fat and salted butter cut with cedar tobacco before veering toward blackberry pie and red currants swimming in dark chocolate with a faint whisper of fresh vanilla pods.

Bottom Line:

Keeping on the “palate expanding” train, this one is a must-have. The subtle notes of smoke that sneak into this one are just brilliant. It helps that the base whiskey is pretty amazing already but that finishing touch takes this from a 10/10 to an 11/10 easily. Sip it slowly and enjoy the ride over to Scotland via Kentucky.

10. Remus Repeal Reserve VII Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

2023’s Remus Repeal Reserve is here! The Seventh edition is made from a lot of Indiana bourbons from Ross & Squibb — 6% is a 2007 21% rye bourbon, 26% is a 2013 21% rye bourbon, another 26% is a 2013 36% rye bourbon, 21% is a 2014 21% rye bourbon, and the final 21% is a 2014 36% rye bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey was just kissed with water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Pecan waffles covered in salted butter and fresh maple syrup pop on the nose next to candied cherry, rum raisin, and cinnamon-heavy apple cider with a kick of fresh pipe tobacco and silky vanilla cream.

Palate: That silkiness creates a lush palate full of more rum raisin, brandy-soaked cherries, old cinnamon sticks soaked in mulled wine, walnut-laden Christmas cakes, and soft oakiness with a sweet tobacco edge.

Finish: The cinnamon amps up on the warm finish with more of that creamy vanilla veering toward eggnog with a dusting of nutmeg and drizzled with salted caramel before a whisper of peppermint candy cane arrives with an underlying sense of old oak cellars.

Bottom Line:

This is an essential bottle of bourbon to have on hand. It’s so deep, interesting, and fanciful. This is truly everything (and more) that you could want from an American whiskey. Sip it slow or mix it into one of the best whiskey cocktails money can buy.

9. Redwood Empire Devils Tower High Rye Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This new release from Redwood Empire out in California is a very small batch — only 25 barrels — of good straight bourbon. The mash is super unique with only 51% corn supported by 45% rye, 2% malted barley, and 2% wheat. Those barrels rested until just right for batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a delicate blend of stewed red fruits with a deep and woody spice mix completed by soft leather, cedar bark, and soft pipe tobacco with a hint of cherry syrup.

Palate: The taste leans into the cherry with a deep clove, allspice, and cinnamon vibe before hitting a touch of grassy rye and buttery grits all rolled into an old leather tobacco pouch and placed in an old humidor that’s scented with brandied cherries.

Finish: The end has a subtle and well-rounded sense of classic bourbon with a warming touch of woody spice, dark and stewed red fruit, and deep vanilla creaminess with a hint of nutshell and tobacco.

Bottom Line:

Redwood Empire has always been on their game when it comes to releases. But last, say six months, they’ve started hitting dingers out of the ballpark nonstop. This is just great all-around bourbon that goes well beyond classic into something bigger and bolder while still feeling comforting. It’s kind of like coming home again to a house that’s been remodeled in all the right ways.

Use this one as a slow sipper on a slow day and you’ll be all set.

8. Bainbridge Whiskey Forty Saloon Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch Organic Bottled In Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

Bainbridge Organic has been making seriously great whiskey up in Washington for years now. This whiskey is their first foray into bourbon. The mash bill is a unique recipe of 60% heirloom corn, 25% old variety Triticale (a rye-wheat hybrid), and 15% soft white wheat mix. The whiskey is left alone for five years and six months before batching and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of old corn husks that gives way to salted caramel candies dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with dried lavender and burnt orange on the nose.

Palate: The caramel and chocolate sweetness drive the palate toward vanilla-cherry ice cream with a super creamy feel next to mild hints of grassy spices and new oak barrels fresh off the assembly line (think sweet and freshly toasted wood).

Finish: The grassy spice and toasted sweet oak dry the finish out as more cherry-vanilla creaminess balances out the finish with a hint of marmalade and cedar-infused scone on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a true hidden gem. You’ll probably have to be in the Pacific Northwest to source this. That said, it’s 100% worth seeking out as it’s perfectly balanced and delicious while offering a sense of place (that moment of cedar at the end will transport you). Just make sure to sip this one slowly and add water along the journey to let it bloom in the glass.

7. Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.55%

Average Price: $88

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Kentucky Peerless is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another barrel that lets the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as-is, allowing all that beautiful bourbon and oak aging to shine brightly.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge.

Palate: The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather.

Finish: That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.

Bottom Line:

This is Peerless’ highwater mark from their line. It’s a delectable bourbon that takes the idea of “double oak” to another level without washing the whiskey out with just “wood”. It’s a warmer pour, so make sure to use water and ice to open this one up when sipping. As a side note, this whiskey will make a mean whiskey-forward cocktail too, especially a Sazerac.

6. Wilderness Trail High Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 56%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Wilderness Trail is the whiskey nerd’s whiskey. Their High Rye Bourbon is a mash of 64% corn, 24% rye, and 12% barley grains fermented with a proprietary Wildness Trail yeast using the sweet mash process. The whiskey then spends four years and nine months aging before it’s bottled without any filtration and barely proofed.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a mild holiday cake vibe with brown spice, fatty nuts, and dried fruit mingling with touches of sweet oak, chocolate-covered berries, and buttermilk biscuits on the nose.

Palate: The taste has a buttered-biscuit-smothered-with-berry-jam vibe that’s touched with winter spice, a note of sweetened vanilla, and soft chewing tobacco just kissed with winter mint while a whisper of smudging sage lurks in the background.

Finish: The end is long and warm while leaning back into the dark jammy fruits as the vanilla and spice create a silken mouthfeel.

Bottom Line:

This is a berry-forward whiskey that works wonders as a palate enticer. You’ll want to go back for more of this one. Sipping it slowly and adding water will reveal more buttery creaminess, salted caramel, and a cafe mocha vibe that sings with dark jammy berries.

5. Rabbit Hole Dareringer Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in PX Sherry Cask

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $81

The Whiskey:

This contract-distilled wheated bourbon — 68% corn, 18% wheat, and 14% malted barley — is very reminiscent of wheated bourbons from the iconic Heaven Hill. The whiskey spends an undisclosed amount of years aging before it goes into only 15 Casknolia Pedro Ximenez sherry casks per batch (a truly small batch of bourbon). Those barrels are then blended and touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fruit shines through on the nose with fresh raspberries mingling with strawberry jam, Bing cherries, and dried plums and apricots with a hint of leather and winter spice baking that fruit up.

Palate: The palate really embraces those fruits with a tart and sour vibe to the cherries and red berries while the leather leans raw and the spices lean toward cinnamon and tobacco with a caramel mid-palate.

Finish: The sweetness fades quickly as the finish continues with berries and spice while the cherry attaches to the tobacco and soft cedar on the end.

Bottom Line:

The fruitness of this whiskey is so succinct and inviting that it makes this a great all-around sipper. The depth just keeps going and will reward revisits and judicious mixing into whiskey-forward cocktails.

4. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Pineau des Charentes Barrels

ABV: 52.05%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from craft-distilling darling Starlight in Indiana is a masterpiece of distilling and aging. The juice is made from a high-corn mash with a touch of rye and malted barley in the mix alongside local water. The hot spirit goes into new white oak Canton barrels for about four years before it is refilled into hand-picked Pineau des Charentes casks from France (that’s a light grape-forward fortified wine) for a final maturation.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a soft sense of sultanas soaked in brandy with an echo of an old cheese cellar oak beams, vanilla wafers with floral honey pressed between them, almond crescent cookies, cinnamon powder, nutmeg, and orange and clove marmalade with a hint of savory scone.

Palate: The palate builds on the nose with layers of dark berry fruit leather, spiced holiday cakes with dates, allspice, and plenty of almond (and maybe some walnut) next to chestnut chutney cut with orange, pear, sultana, and a good dollop of winter spices with a hint of caramelized dark ale lurking underneath it all.

Finish: The end is a supple landing in softly spiced and dark fruity bourbon notes by way of a luxurious holiday cake soaked in brandy.

Bottom Line:

This is sold out for the moment. Hopefully, we’ll see another batch soon. If you can find a pour (likely at a great whiskey bar), get a double. This is so freaking tasty and delightful as a sipper that it could easily be ranked number one (that basically means that I’m really splitting hairs from this point on in the ranking).

3. Fortuna Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This whiskey — a revival of a centuries-old dead brand — is from the new company founded by Heaven Hill’s Andrew Shapira with partners Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky, based around the Rare Character Whiskey shingle. The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from six barrels of six-year-old whiskey that’s expertly batched and bottled with just a touch of local Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a beautiful sense of fresh orange blossom and nasturtiums on the nose with a lush honeycomb vibe next to stewed plums with hints of clove and allspice.

Palate: The palate is luxurious with a sense of salted caramel, cherry Dr. Pepper, and sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spice, salted toffee, orange zest, brandy butter, and black-tea-soaked dates.

Finish: The end has a sense of plum pudding with burnt sugars and orange tobacco kissed with anise and clove and rolled up with wild sage and cedar bark and wrapped in old leather pouches.

Bottom Line:

I’m going to have to use the “q” word, folks. This is quintessential Kentucky bourbon from top to bottom. If you’re looking for the perfect pour/sipper of KY whiskey, this is the bottle you stock at home. It makes a perfect slow sipper and cocktail base. You can’t lose with this bottle.

2. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This is a high water mark of what standard Wild Turkey can achieve. The Russells select the “honey barrels” (those special barrels that are as much magic as craft) from their rickhouses for single barrel bottling. The resulting whiskey is non-chill filtered but is cut down slightly to proof with that soft Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla cream spiked with orange oils and sprinkled with toasted coconut mingle with spicy oak and buttery cake on the nose with an underpinning of winter spices by way of a sour mulled wine.

Palate: The palate opens with easy notes of marzipan, subtle dried roses, vanilla pods, more winter spices, and singed cherry bark.

Finish: The end arrives with a sense of Almond Joy next to cherry tobacco dipped in chili-infused dark chocolate with a flake of salt and a pinch of cedar dust and old leather saddles.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that’s just everything you want from a Kentucky bourbon. It’s so approachable without sacrificing depth or nuance. This over a single big rock is an amazing slow-sipping whiskey.

1. Jack Daniel’s 12 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 2

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s 12-year Batch 2 is here! The mash at the base of this whiskey is a mix of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye. Those grains are milled in-house and mixed with cave water pulled from an on-site spring and Jack Daniel’s own yeast and lactobacillus that they also make/cultivate on-site. Once fermented, the mash is distilled twice in huge column stills. The hot spirit is then filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal that’s also made at the distillery. Finally, the filtered whiskey is loaded into charred new American oak barrels and left alone in the warehouse. After 12 years, a handful of barrels were ready; so they were batched, barely proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose bursts forth with soft and bright fruits — kind of like a package of Starbursts — before leaning into a luscious sense of stewed prunes and figs next to mulled wine spices and brandy-soaked vanilla cookies dipped in salted caramel chewing tobacco.

Palate: That Starburst vibe explodes on the palate with all the colors of the fruity sweet rainbow before a thick and creamy vanilla creaminess drives the palate toward burnt orange and vanilla wafers just kissed with Nutella and tobacco stems.

Finish: That tobacco takes on the creamy vanilla with nice layers of dark chocolate, an old barrel house, and soft and smoldering fall leaves wrapped in apple-smoked tobacco leaves bunched into an old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

Yes, this is going to cost more than the MSRP price listed above if you don’t act quickly. This whiskey is getting released in the next weeks and will be on shelves for this price. And then it’ll skyrocket up to around $500 per bottle.

This whiskey is worth standing in line for. This is the best Jack Daniel’s release/age statement whiskey of the modern era. It’s so good that it’s already a contender for bourbon of the year. If you can, buy two as we won’t see these again until 2025.