D23 is bigger than ever in 2024. The in-person celebration of all things Disney, officially renamed to D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, is a multi-day preview of the company’s upcoming projects. Attendees can expect to hear the latest updates on Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pixar, and more.
There will be exhibits, panels, and presentations, and theme park and video game news, too. Here’s what you need to know:
When:
The D23 kickoff at the Disneyland Resort is on August 8, followed by the actual event from August 9 – 11. D23 members can also celebrate D23 Day at Angels Stadium on August 4 when the Los Angeles Angels play the New York Mets. As a Mets fan, I feel confident the home team will win.
Where:
D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event is held at the Anaheim Convention Center during the day and the Honda Center — the home of the NHL team Anaheim Ducks — for “marquee shows” at night.
How To Attend:
Tickets go on sale on March 26th (the time has not been announced yet). For more information, head to D23’s website.
Here’s more on D23:
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s over 100-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic year-round through special experiences; member-exclusive offers and discounts; its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; the D23 Inside Disney podcast; and the latest news on D23.com.
There are countless situations in life where we have to figure out how someone really feels, but they have a good poker face that keeps their feelings well-hidden. According to body language expert Terry Vaughan even the most deceptive people in the world have a tell: the left and right sides of their face don’t usually match.
So, which side do we believe? Vaughan says the left.
“The reason this is a powerful hack is because the left side of the face is more likely to reveal the ‘true emotion’ or the ‘dominant’ emotion if there’s a mix,” Vaughan says. The reason? “The right hemisphere of our brain does more heavy lifting in dealing with processing emotions. The left hemisphere…is a little more analytical or ‘strategic.’”
If someone is trying to be deceptive and “present” a dishonest emotion, their true feelings or “dominant emotions” will be noticeable on the left side of their face. When you’re talking to a salesman and you don’t really know how they feel about the used car they’re selling, pay attention to the incongruity between both sides of their face.
“Focus all of your visual attention on the left side of the individual’s face rather than the whole thing or the right,” Vaughan instructed.
The body language hack is a big hit on TikTok with over 10 million plays.
“OMG I’ve always covered one eye on people’s pictures to see the real them! My family thought i was crazy! Now I know I was right in doing so,” LT wrote in the comments. “I love this… but imagine this scenario, carrying a cardboard to the next coffee date, pulling it out and halfing their face to check,” Maria_me joked.
Gavin Free and Daniel Gruchy aka the “Slow Mo guys,” have filmed all sorts of things in, you guessed it, slow motion—everything from popcorn makers to giant water balloons to even tattoo guns. Each of their videos feels a bit like “Mythbusters.” Just a couple of guys making science super fun.
One of the Slow Mo Guys’ most popular videos, with a total of 41 million views on Youtube to date, features the fastest thing known to man: light.
Since light travels at an unfathomable 186,000 miles per second, Free and Gruchy had to reach out to CalTech for a camera that could capture “10 trillion frames per second,” which they said was “20 million times faster than the fastest we’ve ever filmed on this channel.”
The team first shoots a beam of light through a bottle of milk water. Even though to the naked eye, it looks as though the bottle instantly lit up, the later footage reveals the light (a sort of blue ghost-like thing in the playback) travels from one side of the bottle to the other.
“Every frame seems to be ten picoseconds,” Free says. “And we’re just sort of casually watching this go left to right through the bottle, but in reality the light is moving a million times faster than a bullet.”
Watch the full video below, which includes a few other fascinating slow motion experiments with light.
What is the fastest thing we as the human race know of? Gav and Dan try and film that.
Bourbon is getting stronger and stronger these days. The drive from consumers (mostly a small sect of hardcore whiskey fans) for ever higher proof versions of their favorite bourbons is real and marketing teams are listening. Those marketing teams push distillers and bottlers for high-proof and cask-strength bourbon releases to make fans happy and, let’s be honest, put more SKUs on the shelf.
The thing is, higher proof does not mean better. It just means that there are more ABVs in the whiskey in the bottle (which gets you drunk a lot faster). That can be a detriment just as much as it can be a benefit. And too much heat can push an expression from delectable to intolerable.
This begs the question, which high-proof bourbons are actually worth it? To answer that, I’m going to call out 25 bourbons that all clock in above 120-proof (60% ABV) and taste great. To be clear, this isn’t about single-barrel bourbon — that can have any proof above 80 (40% ABV). It’s also not about cask-strength bourbon either (cask strength can also be anything 80 proof and above). This is specifically about bourbons that hit 120-proof and above on the Richter scale.
These whiskeys might also be cask-strength, single-barrel, or small-batch bourbons. The unifying factor is their hot proof points.
For the ranking, I’m looking at taste above all else. Still, the key component to a high-proof whiskey is whether or not the whiskey’s profile is washed out by heat or whether your senses are muted by burning warmth, buzzing, or numbing. Too many ABVs and you can completely lose the beauty of whiskey beneath all that heat (it’s why proofing exists in the first place, folks). So taste and balance are the twin lodestars of this ranking.
Sound good? Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This is Lux Row’s classic wheated bourbon recipe from 1849. The mash is made with 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley before it’s distilled and then left to mature for at least four years. Once aged, the whiskey barrels are batched and then bottled as-is at cask strength (mostly for retailers or bars).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pecan waffles, pancake syrup, and blueberries drive the nose with a hint of toasted marshmallow and old oak.
Palate: Those blueberries drive the palate toward honeyed Graham Crackers with a sense of almost floral honey, wet brown sugar, and old boot leather.
Finish: That honey amps up through the finish with the leather as cedar kindling and dry tobacco round out the hot finish with a sense of chili peppers stewed in brown sugar syrup with cinnamon and clove.
Bottom Line:
Rebel Bourbon is a great place to start in general. The whiskey is affordable, findable, and very drinkable. Their “cask strength” version clocks in right at 120 proof, providing a nice ease into the sub-category of 60%-and-above whiskeys. This is very easy drinking for such a bold proof. The profile is classic and understandable. Overall, this is a nice table whiskey to have on hand for everyday sipping or mixing into your favorite cocktails.
This new(ish) limited edition single-barrel Ezra Brooks is a classic bourbon. The whiskey is aged for at least five years before it’s charcoal filtered, batched, and then bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange creamsicles and nut cake drive the nose with a soft vanilla malt shake, honey cookies, and touches of cinnamon powder.
Palate: The cinnamon and nut cake pop on the palate as dark chocolate oranges and gingerbread drive the taste toward spiced cake and hot chocolate.
Finish: The spice starts to mount on the finish with a hot end that’s very woody and spicy with an almost bitter dark chocolate vibe.
Bottom Line:
That layer of charcoal filtering after aging helps this whiskey calm down considerably. You’re greeted with a nice creamy bourbon with honeyed classic notes. This is another great ease-into-it option that works just as well as an on-the-rocks sipper as it does in a great whiskey-forward cocktail.
23. Three Chord “Goodbye June” A Blend of Straight & Cherry Bounce Barrel-Finished Bourbon Whiskeys
This new limited edition “Backstage” expression from Three Chords is a blend of four bourbons. A Tennessee bourbon is blended with two Indiana bourbons and one Kentucky bourbon — all five years old. One of the Indiana bourbons was finished in cherry bounce barrels to add a little extra depth to the final product for the band, Goodbye Jane.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a clear sense of Cherry Dr. Pepper with plenty of spice, vanilla, and sasparilla that leads to soft cedar with old leather and tobacco.
Palate: The cherry really pops on the palate with a rich Black Forest cake vibe giving way to cherry cola and a sharp sense of winter spices.
Finish: The end is all cherry all day with spiced cherry syrup leading to cherry cobbler with a tart yet buttery edge, plenty of wet brown sugar, and tons of winter spice to make things nice.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice cherry-bomb bourbon. It layers in chocolate and spices nicely with just the right amount of warmth. It’s a “wow” pour of whiskey but it is a very sippable one, especially if you’re a classic Kentucky spiced cherry bourbon fan.
This whiskey from Bob Dylan’s brand celebrates the singer’s home, Minnesota. The whiskey is a Minnesota bourbon made with Minnesota grains and distilled in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The massive temperature swings — up to 116F in the summer and -80F in the winter — make for a very unique aging experience. Still, this whiskey was ready after seven years of rest and bottled in a small batch as cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamed honey and salted caramel draw you in on the nose with a sense of prunes and dates mixed with rum raisin and brandy-soaked pears kissed with rich vanilla and freshly ground nutmeg.
Palate: That creamy vibe remains on the palate as creamy vanilla buttercream cut with equally creamy honey dances with soft sweetgrass and smudging sage next to a hint of old oak staves soaked in brandy and just touched with old cellars.
Finish: The musty old cellar vibe accents the sweetgrass and sage with rich pipe tobacco laced with marmalade and brandied pears before the lush vanilla takes back over on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey warms slowly and evenly on the palate and leaves you with a nice balance of deep bourbon notes, sweetness, creaminess, and warmth. It’s never “hot” though, which is a nice touch for a whiskey that sneaks north of 120 proof. Pour it over a big rock and you’ll be in for a treat.
21. 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey 10th Anniversary
This Colorado whiskey is made from a mix of local corn, malted wheat, malted rye, and beech-smoked malted barley. As per 291’s classic aging methods, the whiskey is aged for about two years with aspen wood staves in the barrel to accelerate the aging process. Finally, this is batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this is a wonderful medley of winter spices — clove, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon — rolled into a leathery tobacco pouch with a deep sense of green tea leaves marmalade, and buttery salted toffee.
Palate: The taste leans into stewed apple and pear candy while the spice really starts to kick up with a deep heat of the ABVs buzzing on all of your senses as old leather, oak, and tobacco sneak in under the heat.
Finish: Dried peach and apricot tie to the tobacco and oak as the spice starts to burn and numb your tongue on the finish with a dark sense of old marmalade tobacco and winter spice barks.
Bottom Line:
This is a lush and bold spice bomb. You feel the warmth of the stills and hot summers in Colorado highlands on your palate. It does get very warm with a slight buzz on the finish. But an ice cube will calm that right down, allowing you to find deep nuance in this pour. This also makes bold whiskey cocktails.
20. New England Barrel Company Single Barrel Select 5-Year Bourbon
These single barrel selections come from Green River Distilling down in Owensboro, Kentucky. Great barrels are selected by the New England Barrel Company team and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft dried red fruits, old spice barks, and lush vanilla lead on the nose with a sense of wet brown sugar and spiked cider with a fleeting sense of old oak and fall leaves.
Palate: The fruitiness gets leathery on the palate as the vanilla leads to eggnog spice and creaminess with a light sense of minced meat pies, winter spice cakes, and almond paste dipped in pear brandy with a touch of cherry lurking underneath.
Finish: That dark cherry attaches to the tobacco and spice barks on the finish as warmth builds towards a long Kentucky hug.
Bottom Line:
This is a balanced whiskey that really hides its proof. You feel a touch of warmth on the mid-palate and you’re left with a mild buzz on the finish, but it’s all overshadowed by a killer profile of great Kentucky brown sauce. This is also a great candidate for mixing into your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail.
19. Lost Lantern Single Distillery Series Brooklyn Bakery Kings County Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Lost Lantern closed out 2023 with a release of some truly outstanding whiskeys. This single distillery release is a very small batch from New York’s iconic Kings County Distillery. The whiskey in the bottles is batched from five and six-year-old small barrels (15 gallons) made from a New York-grown mash bill of 80% corn and 20% malted barley. Once batched, the whiskey went into the bottle 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel malts and dark chocolate shavings drive the nose toward pecan pie with a dollop of fresh cream next to hints of blackberry brambles and soft sweet oak.
Palate: The palate leans into the blackberry in a crumble fashioned with a big scoop of malted vanilla ice cream next to a slice of warm cherry pie, wintry oak spices, and a touch of that dark chocolate sneaking in late.
Finish: The finish dips honey Graham Crackers in that dark chocolate as the stewed cherry and blackberry lead to buttery spiced crumble and a final bow from the lush malted vanilla ice cream.
Bottom Line:
This is just a great bourbon. Yes, it has a nice warm vibe throughout the whole profile (you feel the warmth on the nose). But again, the proof never overpowers all the wonderful dark fruit, spice, and creaminess of the bourbon.
This is a good one to take your time with by nosing and tasting with water and going back and forth a few times. You’ll always find something new and fun in the glass.
18. Hirsch The Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished In Cognac Casks
This cask-strength version of Hirsch is made from a classic bourbon mash of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley. That hot juice then rests for six years in new American oak. Those barrels are batched and then re-filled into 30-year-old Hine XO fine cognac casks for another year-and-a-half of resting. Finally, the whiskey is batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose feels lush and oaky with a sense of Christmas cookies, mincemeat pies, and sticky toffee pudding next to stewed plums over fresh scones with a hint of brandy butter.
Palate: Old leather boots filled with cinnamon bark and a medley of dates, figs, and prunes lead to chocolate cut with red chili and vanilla and kissed with salt and dry cedar.
Finish: That cinnamon bark intensifies with dark red fruit, light chili pepperiness, and a sense of old malted cookies dipped in vanilla toffee on the very end.
Bottom Line:
It’s almost shocking how well this whiskey hides its proof. There’s a warmth throughout, but it’s never more than a soft buzz that travels from your tongue to your chest as you enjoy the deeper nuances of the profile. Pour this one neat and then have fun with it.
17. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This expression is the purest form of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. The whiskey in these bottles is from the same Blanton’s barrels, but they’re perfect just the way they are. This whiskey goes into the bottle straight from the barrel with no proofing water whatsoever.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium — next to full fall leaves falling on wet grass outside musty old warehouses with a hint of well-worn boot leather lurking beneath it all.
Palate: The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey jars with old wooden spoons and more of that old boot leather before sharp winter spices and dried red chili pop on the mid-palate.
Finish: The end is very long and lingers in your senses with a hot buzzing thanks to the barky spices and dry chili that subtly fades through all that sweetness before ending up in an old cedar box full of choco-chili tobacco layered with old dark fruit leather sheets.
Bottom Line:
Look, if you’re going to buy a bottle of Blanton’s, it’d better be the best one. And these cask-strength versions are stellar. This is rich and creamy with a deep earthy spiced vibe that just works. When it comes to the proof, it’s there as a nice warming hug that accents the profile instead of overwhelming it. Pour this one neat, over a rock, or into your favorite cocktail.
This new batch from indy-darling Thirteenth Colony is a batch of whiskey that’s finished with toasted maple wood. Once batched, the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The sense of an old rickhouse (cobwebs and all) draws you in on the nose with a hint of cherry cream soda, orange florals, and pecan waffles soaked in butter and real maple syrup with a hint of pepperiness.
Palate: That pepperiness pops on the palate with a warming ABV buzz on the tongue next to salted caramel rolled with more pecan waffle, orange creaminess, and a whisper of peppery yet sweet bacon.
Finish: The end has a sense of orange tobacco rolled with cherry leather and old oak stave, smudging sage, and caramel candied pecans touched with a flake of salt.
Bottom Line:
This deeply classic profile is amped up by a warming proof point. You feel the warmth but it’s never hot. That said, this is best served over a single big ice cube for long-lasting sipping.
15. Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This single-barrel bourbon is from Beam’s private barrel pick program for retailers. That means your local retailer goes out to Clermont, Kentucky, and picks a single barrel for their store — or you’ll see these at the distillery for sale. Beam then cuts the bourbon to 120 proof (if needed), bottles it, and delivers it to the store. That also means these will vary from store to store ever so slightly.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a nose full of vanilla oils, salted caramel, and a hint of old oak with a clear sense of Cherry Cola, grassy notes, and maybe even a little barrelhouse must.
Palate: That barrel must pop early on the palate with a bitter and almost smoky feel before dark chocolate-covered almonds and cherry root beer sweeten things up on most of these.
Finish: The finish leans into a creamy mocha espresso vibe before dry cedar planks and cherry tobacco lead to a Red Hot sharp/sweet on most ends.
Bottom Line:
This is another deeply classic profile that’s warming from top to bottom. I’d use this for excellent bourbon-forward cocktails but you can sip this slowly any ol’ day of the week. It has the essential Kentucky hug that’s soft and warming.
This new release from Nevada craft farm distillery, Frey Ranch, is a true grain-to-glass experience. The mash is Frey Ranch’s classic four-grain mash of 66% non-GMO corn, 12% Two-Row malted barley, 11.4% Winter rye, and 10% Soft White Winter wheat — all grown on the ranch. After almost five years of aging in the mountains of Nevada, the whiskey was batched and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose bursts forth on this one with deep cinnamon candy, nutmeg-heavy eggnog, creme bruleé, salted caramel, and buttery croissant next to old cedar kindling, dark boot leather, and a hint of dusty old wine cellar.
Palate: There’s a Black Forest cake vibe on the front of the palate that leads to clove-studded oranges, leathery apricots, black-tea-soaked dates, and rich and moist pound cake just kissed with poppy seeds and vanilla oils.
Finish: The end leans into black cherry with a flake of smoked salt, dark orange, and fresh cacao with a return of that cedar kindling and old boot leather next to this faint note of old rickhouses full of well-aged barrels of whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This is such a varied and delicious whiskey that the proof is secondary to the taste. Yes, the warmth is there, but you barely feel it until the very end when it manifests as a soft buzzing akin to chewing tobacco. Take your time with this one and dig into the nooks and crannies. You’ll be rewarded with endless nuance and depth.
The first Larceny Barrel Proof release of 2024 is an instant classic. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of six- to eight-year-old bourbons from the wheated bourbon barrels at Heaven Hill. Those barrels were batched and then went into the bottle 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This feels warm on the nose with a sense of cinnamon toast, pecan waffles covered in maple syrup, and buttery vanilla paste with a hint of prune and maybe some dates swimming in mulled wine with a whisper of dark fruity brandy.
Palate: Rummy syrup with a deep sense of Nutella spread over a toasted brioche drives the palate toward fig jam, sticky toffee pudding, and a dark caramel cut with burnt orange and salt flakes on the mid-palate.
Finish: That caramel gets so dark that it turns into cinnamon-laced dark chocolate with a touch of allspice and clove before a dry sense of old oak staves wrapped in tobacco round out the hot and dry end.
Bottom Line:
This is just good bourbon. It’s warm and dry at the end with just a little punch of heat to remind you that you’re alive. The overall profile is so classic that you’ll want to dive right back in. And then you’ll want to make your favorite cocktail with this one. It’ll slap.
This brand-new release from Wild Turkey is the first time Bruce Russell’s name has appeared on a bottle. Bruce teamed up with with dad (Master Distiller Eddie Russell) and his granddad (Master Distiller and legend Jimmy Russell) to create a bourbon that spoke to all three of their whiskey palates. The whiskey in the bottles ended up being a blend of 9-, 12-, 14-, and 15-year-old bourbon that all three of the Russells selected together. Once batched, that bourbon was bottled 100% as-is without filtering or proofing to highlight the beauty of the whiskey being made at Wild Turkey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lush vanilla oils are cut with salted caramel and dark cherry root beer made with real sasparilla next to warming winter spices (clove, anise, and allspice) that lean toward mulled wine, cherry-laced tobacco, and hints of dry smudging sage braided with sweetgrass.
Palate: That woodiness leads on the palate before a rush of vanilla buttercream and toffee rolled in roasted almond and dusted with dark chocolate powder shifts the taste toward warm apple pie filling cut with more cloves and allspice and washed down with cherry cola.
Finish: That dark cherry is just kissed with floral honey on the backend as the spices take on a woody bark vibe and the toffee makes a buttery and lush return with a near marzipan feel before old oak staves from a musty rickhouse lead to another braid of sage, cedar, and tobacco on the chewy and silky end.
Bottom Line:
This is a “take your time with it” whiskey. There’s a lot of great stuff layered into this profile. The best part is that the proof never overpowers the profile. The warmth is there like a long and nostalgic Kentucky hug on a cool day when you need one.
The 2023 spring edition of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof was a banger. This edition is a batch of bourbons that are a minimum of 11.5 years old (down from the usual 12-year age statements). The batch is bottled completely as is without cutting with water or chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice sense of funk and fruit on the nose — think standing by a barn in an apple orchard — that leads to salted caramel, cherry tobacco, and rich dark chocolate cut with red chili pepper flakes with a lush vanilla foundation of almond cakes and powdered sugar icing.
Palate: Rich winter spice cakes with a hint of rum raisin drive the taste toward dark cherry spiced tobacco with a rush of ABVs that cause a deep buzz before old cellar dirt floors and oak arrive with a dark sense of chocolate and espresso all kissed with salt.
Finish: Cherry Coke and gingerbread drive the finish with a lush and vibrant sense of red chili pepper spice, black pepper woodiness, and cinnamon bark softness before stewed apple and buttery pie crust lead back toward a vanilla almond cake vibe with a lingering warming sensation.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s just excellent. The warmth is even-keeled and adds to the depth of the iconic Kentucky bourbon profile. This is a “no notes” whiskey.
This first Booker’s release of 2023 was an hommage to Charlie Hutchens — the woodworker who makes Booker’s boxes the whiskey comes in and a long-time family friend to the Noe family who makes Beam whiskeys. The whiskey is a blend of mid to high-floor barrels from five warehouses. Those whiskeys were batched and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength after just north of seven years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toasted almonds and walnuts lead the way on the nose with a deep and rich vanilla cake lightly dusted with cacao, dry cherry, and cinnamon with a touch of old oak cellars and black-mold-encrusted old deck furniture.
Palate: The soft caramel and vanilla open the palate before a rush of woody and sharp spices — clove, anise, allspice, red chili pepper — arrive with a sense of old wood chips on a workshop floor leads to salted toffee dipped in roasted almonds and dark salted chocolate with a whisper of cherry cordial backing it all up.
Finish: That soft sweetness counters the hot spices for a while on the slow finish as the spices take on an orange/cherry/vanilla Christmas cake vibe with plenty of nuts and ABV heat.
Bottom Line:
Booker’s is almost always above 120-proof. Sometimes it’s brilliant. Sometimes it’s a lot. For this batch, it was just right with a deft balance of warmth and soft bourbon vibes. This is an essential slow sipper to have on your shelf for after big meals or celebrations.
9. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength Barrel No. 0015
The latest single-barrel release from Frank August is from a small collection of only 15 barrels. One barrel was chosen for bottling and then bottled 100% as-is to highlight the beauty of the whiskey in that barrel. That means this whiskey ended up being 6.1 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich winter spices draw you in on the nose as deep and sweet oak staves lead to red fruit leather, dark chocolate-dipped cherries, and a layer of vanilla sheet cake.
Palate: Cinnamon cake and peppery citrus drive the palate toward salted caramel over that vanilla sheet cake before more of those chocolate cherries arrive to tie everything into a rich and moist Black Forest cake spiked with allspice and clove.
Finish: The end circles around the chocolate cherry cake as the spices mount on the finish with a warming sense of cinnamon sharpness and red chili heat that’s just tempered by oak wrapped in cherry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
If you’re looking for a warming bourbon experience, look no further. The proof builds with the profile to a crescendo of flavors and textures with a warming sense of comfort. It can’t be beat as a slow sipper on a cold day — this is a pure, delectable Kentucky hug in a bottle.
8. Starlight Family Reserve 2023 Release Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This late 2023 drop from Starlight Distillery up in Indiana highlights the work that the whole Huber family is doing in their distillery and barrelhouses. The whiskey is a small-batch blend of their seven-year-old bourbon that’s bottled at cask strength, highlighting the beauty of their whiskey on the profile.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a deep sense of caramel sauce over a berry cobbler with a dollop of malted vanilla ice cream next to toasted marshmallow, old oak staves, and a hint of old-school toffee hard candies.
Palate: That toffee sweetness and butteriness opens the palate toward almost dark vanilla mocha coffee with a cut of tart red berries and stewed stonefruit before a rich butterscotch vibe takes over.
Finish: The creamy and rich caramel/toffee vibe leads to a spiced oak feel with a winter spice sharpness that’s countered by rich vanilla bean and soft stewed red berries, pears, and apricots with a dash of date and prune-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This true craft whiskey from Indiana is a showcase of how beautifully the team at Starlight is building their whiskeys. It’s so meticulously built but you never see a seam or gap in the blend. It’s ultra-luscious with a sense of warmth that builds like melting into a bed dressed with sheets fresh from the clothesline. Sip it slowly and let it warm your senses with comforting nostalgic notes of whiskey greatness.
7. Very Olde St. Nick Antique Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years “Straight Outta Bardstown”
This late 2023 release from Preservations Distillery is all about the old and forgotten barrels sitting in Bardstown warehouses. The whiskey is a nine-year-old blend of Kentucky bourbons that highlights the beauty of Bardstown whiskey from top to bottom.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of dates and prunes dipped in floral yet creamy honey and then rolled in roasted and crushed almonds before old libraries full of leather-bound books and deeply rich tobacco arrive.
Palate: That musty leather gives way to old barrel houses full of 1800s wood pillars and used barrels before winter spices add a little warmth that’s countered by deep vanilla creamy eggnog, soft date cake cut with black tea, and a fleeting sense of dried cherries soaked in brandy and dipped in dark chocolate cut with espresso.
Finish: The end builds a warmth based around sharp winter spice barks and berries with a nice counterpoint of vanilla buttercream and lush eggnog over pound cake with a hint of poppy seed and soft pipe tobacco that’s just smoldering.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that “hides” its proof so well. The warmth is there but the profile, mouthfeel, and deep flavor notes are front and center. This is another sipper that’s worth taking a little extra time to enjoy. It’ll always reward you for your efforts.
Last year’s Cowboy Bourbon from Garrison Brothers is a blend of only 118 barrels of six-year-old Texas bourbon. 1,000 bottles of the crafty Texas whiskey will be available in mid-September at the distillery with an additional 8,600 bottles going out nationwide the first week of October.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rush of sharp cinnamon bark wrapped up with old saddle leather, freshly fried apple fritters, walnuts, old cedar bark braids twisted up with dried wild sage, and a hint of dried yellow mustard flowers with an underlying sense of maple syrup over pecan waffles.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a hint of allspice and ginger next to apple pie filling with walnuts, brandy-soaked raisins, and plenty of brown sugar next to spiced Christmas cake dipped in dark chocolate sauce.
Finish: The end takes its time and meanders through salted caramel, stewed plums with star anise and sharp cinnamon, a hint of vanilla Dr. Pepper, and a mild sense of chocolate-cinnamon-spiced chewing tobacco buzziness with a warming Texas hug that’s part Hot Tamales and part chili-spiced green tea.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this is a hot whiskey. I’m not going to downplay that. But the heat here is a part of the overall profile that warms the flavor notes, elevating them to something more than their base selves. You’re left with a big sense of the warming Texas sun and big bourbon flavor notes that are unlike anything else out there. However, you may need a big rock to calm this one down a tad if you’re not attuned to higher-proof whiskey yet.
5. George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof (BTAC 2023)
2023’s batch of George T. Stagg was distilled in the spring of 2008 and left to rest in warehouses C, I, K, L, and M around the Frankfort Buffalo Trace campus. After 15 long years of rest, the barrels were batched and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a classic sense of Cherry Coke, old leather tobacco pouches, and rich buttercream made with real vanilla next to fall leaves in an orchard and then this sense of Neoplotian ice cream creeps in that leans toward the strawberry and chocolate ice cream part.
Palate: The palate opens with a deep sense of an apple orchard on a cold fall day with leaves underfoot next to deeply-seeded dark cherry, cinnamon bark, clove buds, and allspice berries with a sense of the Neopolitan ice cream popping up again late.
Finish: The creamy vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry drive the finish back toward the old orchards, fall leaves, rickhouse floors, and soft cherry-spiced tobacco leaves rolled with cedar and smudging sage with a nice warming Kentucky hug on the very end.
Bottom Line:
You cannot talk about bourbons with a proof north of 120 and not talk about Stagg. And while I’m in love with Stagg 22A and 23B, they don’t hold a candle to the current Stagg BTAC. This is just great whiskey, folks (I just re-tasted it last night and believe that statement even more). Yes, there’s warmth here but it’s in service to the overall profile every step of the way.
4. King of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Sixth Edition
2023’s King of Kentucky from Brown-Forman in Louisville, Kentucky is a 16-year-old masterpiece. The batch was pulled from 51 barrels all filled on July 19th, 2007. Those barrels were left alone all these years in Warehouse G in the Louisville Brown-Forman Distillery. Once batched, the whiskey went into the bottle 100% as-is at cask strength, yielding only 3,800 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toasted coconut and brandy-soaked dates lead the way on the nose with a rich sense of good salted dark chocolate, vanilla buttercream, and honeyed Graham Crackers sandwiching toasted marshmallow.
Palate: That dark chocolate takes on a creaminess (kind of like a small espresso mocha) with a sense of sticky toffee pudding cut with black tea, those brandy-soaked dates, a twist of orange, and plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon before leathery notes of old boots and dry tobacco arrive with an ever-warming heat from the ABVs.
Finish: The ABVs buzz to a warmth that peaks before it gets hot as the finish rides a wave toward orchard barks, mince meat pies, mulled wine, and whispers of pear marzipan.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that I just re-tasted very recently and it freaking slaps. The warmth is so vibrant but never overplays the cherried Kentucky bourbon profile. It’s nuanced and deep in all the right ways and will reward returning to it again and again.
3. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection Aged 18 Years Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2024 Release
The 2024 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection was just announced. This year Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll chose 133 barrels from a prime spot in a prime rickhouse. The whiskey is classic Heaven Hill bourbon made with a mash of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. All 133 barrels were laid down back in December 2005 and left alone until bathing and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Iconic bourbon notes of spiced cherry syrup, pecan waffles soaked in butter and maple syrup, oaky spices, old tobacco in leather pouches, and soft caramel swirled with creamy vanilla dance on the nose.
Palate: The caramel gets salty on the palate as the oaky spices dial in toward clove, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg before high-syrup Cherry Coke from a dispenser collides with rich pipe tobacco dipped in dark chocolate with a hint of espresso cream.
Finish: The finish leans into more dark and spicy cherry with a touch of Cherry Dr. Pepper next to creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg, salted caramel, and more of that soft and almost chewy pipe tobacco leading to a dry sense of cedar bark braided with dry sweetgrass and smudging sage on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This one hasn’t quite hit shelves yet (next month) but it’s going to be a huge contender for bourbon and whiskey of the year. It’s fantastic. It’s so damn good that you almost don’t even notice the 120 proof, which is one hell of a magic trick by Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll.
Every year, Willett releases amazing barrels that are going to blow you away. In early 2023, they released this short barrel that yielded only 62 bottles. That made this a distillery-only release of last year — that also means that this was a very fleeting bottle that came and went very quickly.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and oily coffee beans mingle with dark chocolate creaminess on the nose next to wet brown sugar, buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven, salted caramel chews, and this fleeting sense of rye bread with a caraway seed crust covered with fresh and almost sour butter smeared over it.
Palate: That chocolate and coffee bean meld on the front of the palate for a rich and very dark mocha latte vibe before leaning into clove, anise, and sasparilla with a smoldering sense of smudging sage and marshmallow next to lush vanilla buttercream and pear compote cut with saffron.
Finish: Ginger coins dusted in raw sugar drive the finish toward spiced mulled wine and holiday nut cakes brimming with dried rum raisin, candied orange, and brandied cherry before eggnog-laced tobacco layered into an old cedar humidor leads to a rich yet sweet black dirt from a cellar that held hams and funky rind cheeses for centuries.
Bottom Line:
This list would almost be moot without a Willett single barrel. Willett has this innate ability to bottle massively high-proof whiskeys (bourbons and ryes) that defy their proofs with a magical sense of deep and beautiful flavor profiles. This is a whiskey worth hunting for.
This is Buffalo Trace’s classic wheated bourbon. 2023’s Weller BTAC was distilled back in the spring of 2011 and left to rest in warehouses C, L, M, and N for 12 long years. Those barrels were batched and this whiskey was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Deep and dark candied black cherry mingles with dry cedar bark, molasses, real vanilla beans, nutty brown butter, and old leather rolled in pipe tobacco and just kissed with smoldering sage and dry chili pepper flakes.
Palate: The palate opens with a full blast of ABVs, making the front of your tongue tingle, as floral honey, cherry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream, and brown butter streusel cut with nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove lead to a hint of dry orange tobacco.
Finish: Cinnamon sticks and clove buds floating in maple syrup arrive on the finish with a sense of old leather boots, the oak in an old rickhouse, orchard barks, and soft notes of vanilla and cherry cake.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that I just re-tasted last night and it’s glorious. The warmth is perfectly balanced with the deep flavor profile of truly extraordinary whiskey.
Hardcore tequila snobs will tell you that great tequila is wasted in a margarita. I’d like to push back on that a little. While yes, you probably shouldn’t be using your sip-worthy or rare bottles in a mixed drink unless you like burning money, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a great tequila is a strong foundation for making great margaritas. Not exactly rocket science, right?
When I say “margarita” I’m talking about the simple straightforward classic version of the cocktail — tequila, fresh lime juice (from a lime, not a bottle), and some orange liqueur all stirred with ice. If you’re blending up one of those syrupy sweet frozen versions, sure, use the cheapest stuff on hand, but when we’re talking about a three-ingredient drink, a great agave-forward and complex tequila is going to make all the difference.
If you’re looking to level up your margarita game, we’d like to help. Here are 9 of our go-to tequilas for making a delicious margarita, ranked from good to great.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Tequila Posts Of The Last Six Months
A great starting point would be Lunazul’s Blanco tequila, a surprisingly good tequila for the price. Produced at NOM 1513, Tierra De Agaves, Lunazul’s agave is hand-harvested, cooked in an autoclave, fermented with a proprietary yeast, and twice distilled in copper pots.
On its own, it’s a bit harsh, but that harshness disappears when mixed, serving as a fine base.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dry cracked black pepper softened by vanilla with a hint of roasted agave.
Palate: A balance between vegetal and sweet characteristics. I’m tasking vanilla, black pepper, and sour apple skins.
Finish: Dry and peppery with a lingering minty quality.
The Bottom Line:
A mildly harsh agave-forward tequila that will give your cocktails a nice little kick on the backend.
Olmeca Altos is made low and slow with a strong agave character. The tequila is produced at NOM 1111, Pernod Richard Mexico, using traditional practices like slow-cooking the agave in brick ovens, crushing the juice with a tahona, and distilling in copper pots.
The tequila is made using well water which gives it some palpable minerality.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm roasted agave wafts from the glass. It’s shockingly pleasant and inviting for a tequila in this price range.
Palate: Heavy on the citrus zest mixed with fresh green peppers.
Finish: Initially herbal and smooth but after a while the heat starts to build.
The Bottom Line:
A nice mix of zesty citrus notes and agave which present nicely when mixed with lime juice and Cointreau. I like the little burn this one has on the backend as well.
G4 is the sort of tequila that will inspire seasoned collectors to wonder why I’d want to use a tequila this nice in a margarita, to which I say, “Have you tried it?”
Because yes, G4 is amazing neat, but the qualities of this additive-free tequila translate through a margarita amazingly. Produced by 4th generation master distiller Felipe Camarena at NOM 1579, Destileria El Pandillo, G4 cooks its agave in stone brick ovens, extracts the juice with a tahona, and is made with natural spring and rainwater.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lots of agave on the nose with a spikiness that tickles the nose akin to inhaling spices.
Palate: A lovely mix of roasted agave and warm citrus paired with wet grass.
Finish: Bright and nutty with a supple buttery mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
A clean and bright additive-free blanco with a lot of distinct character that is sure to elevate your cocktail game.
A great tequila that highlights the natural sweetness of agave. Produced at NOM 1123 at Tequila Cascahuin, this is another additive-free tequila that is cooked low and slow in stone brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled in a stainless pot with copper coil.
My favorite expression from this brand is the reposado but given the price on that one, you’re stepping into ‘money-burning’ territory, so I’m going to shout out this blanco instead!
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave, citrus, and warm wet soil.
Palate: The humid warmth from the nose translates to the palate, with some caramelized agave sweetness black pepper, the slightest hint of vanilla, and a mineral quality.
Finish: That mintiness peaks out a bit more here but it’s balanced out by citrus and black pepper.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and agave forward with a bit of comforting warmth to it. Pretty mellow despite the lack of aging. A great option if you like your margaritas to lean sweet rather than tart.
I’m such a hardcore LALO fan that I started to become self-conscious about putting the brand on lists last year. But considering this is one of my go-to tequilas in the house, making this list and not including this exquisite blanco would just feel wrong.
The brand makes a single additive-free expression — their blanco — and they are damn good at it. The agave here is sourced from the Jalisco highlands and cooked in stone steam ovens for 20-32 hours before being rested for an additional 18 hours, which allows the sugars to intensify.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and spikey with nose-tickling citrus notes.
Palate: Rich agave and caramel dominate with some cinnamon spice, a hint of vanilla, and a slight touch of fruit.
Finish: Bright, juicy and punchy.
The Bottom Line:
Agave forward, sweet, and rich. Not just great for a margarita, try it with a Paloma as well — the cinnamon character pairs nicely with some grapefruit juice.
This will get you in the same ballpark as our number one choice, so if you’re looking to make a mellow margarita without breaking the bank, this will probably be your top pick.
Produced at NOM 1139, the famed La Alteña, Tapatio cooks agave in stone brick ovens, extracts the juice via a roller mill, and ages the liquid in bourbon barrels for a mellow additive-free tequila that still retains some of that characteristic agave bite.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave, warm barrel oak, and rich vanilla and banana.
Palate: Agave and earth, with some caramel, cinnamon, and creamy butter. There is a confection quality to the flavor here.
Finish: Mellow and soft with a bit of citrus.
The Bottom Line:
Mellow and sweet. It’s not as agave-forward as our number one or number two pick, but it brings a nice rich quality to a margarita.
El Tesoro is a brand that introduced me to good additive-free tequila. Prior to drinking El Tesoro, I was the sort that thought Patrón and Don Julio were top-tier, so the brand will always have a place in my heart for opening the door to truly great tequila.
El Tesoro is produced at NOM 1139, Tequila Tapatio (La Aleteña) where it is one of three brands produced. The agave is cooked in stone ovens, tahona extracted, and fermented in open-air wood tanks before being twice distilled in a copper pot.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Juicy agave leads the way with a hint of fruity mango interest.
Palate: Roasted agave, cracked black pepper, fresh flowers, baking spices, a hint of salt, grass, and minerals. There is a lot to latch onto here.
Finish: Remarkably clean. Agave and grass with no lingering flavor.
The Bottom Line:
Juicy, agave forward, floral and fruity. Use this in a margarita and people won’t believe you kept your cocktail simple with just three ingredients.
Yeah, okay, this is my asshole pick. Maybe you shouldn’t use a tequila over $50 in a margarita, that’s fair. On most days, I’m not going to do it either. But on certain occasions if I want a mellow margarita with deep and complex flavors, something worth savoring and slow sipping. I’m going to use Tequila Ocho’s Reposado, even if it’s against my better judgment.
This tequila is made at NOM 1474, Cía Tequila Los Alambiques, from single estate agave that is harvested at peak maturity, slow-cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours and cooled for an additional 24 before the piñas are crushed in a roller mill and fermented for 100 hours in open air wood fermentation tanks.
After being twice distilled, the tequila is aged in bourbon barrels for over eight weeks to reach the reposado state.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Remarkably warm and inviting. I’m getting rich roasted agave, prominent vanilla notes, and some oak.
Palate: What I love about this repo is that the smell suggests something it’s not, you’d think this would lean syrupy and sweet but what you get instead is a lot of fruit. Prominent notes of citrus, mango, melon and pineapple dominate, balanced with spicy cinnamon and caramelized agave.
Finish: That creamy rich quality from the nose appears on the finish. It’s sumptuous, smooth, and round with a mouthwatering savory finish.
The Bottom Line:
Warm mellow and sweet, but still agave forward. A truly luxurious foundation for a margarita.
I’ve been to the Caribbean a handful of times now, and what I love about this tropical region of the world (you know, besides a whole lot of perfect weather) is that every island has its own distinct identity. Each slice of paradise sprinkled throughout the azure Caribbean Sea has unique cuisine, culture, scenery, and stories to share.
A Caribbean island that might not be on your radar, but should be, is St. Kitts (one half of the country Saint Kitts and Nevis). The island is still (relatively) off the tourism track, as the primary industry was sugar up until 2005. In other words, it’s not yet totally overcrowded with visitors. And while the days when cruises arrive do get busy, for the most part St. Kitts feels like a laidback destination with pristine beaches, rainforests, outdoor adventure, cultural sites, and fresh farm-to-table cuisine.
The island is one of those places that made me utter “Yeah, I could live here,” as soon as I stepped off the plane. If you’re not ready to get up and move just yet, I highly recommend adding this island to your travel bucket list. Read on to find my full guide to your next vacation in St. Kitts.
PART I: WHERE TO STAY
Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort
Chloe Caldwell
If you’re seeking serenity and nature with a dose of luxury, look no further than Belle Mont Sanctuary. The boutique property spans 400 acres on Mount Liamuiga, nestled in the rainforest with a view of the sea. Most of the rooms available are a luxury cottage with a private deck and an infinity plunge pool.
Picture this: You’re in your bikini, the rain is coming down but the sun is still peeking through the fog, the sunset begins on your left and a rainbow appears on your right. You’re surrounded by lush green flora and you can hear monkeys chattering in the distance. Sorry for overusing the word “paradise” but come on!
Belle Mont Sanctuary is a “farm-to-table hotel” focused on wellness and sustainability, so you feel truly immersed in the tropical setting — even the bathrooms are located outside of your cottage, immersed in nature. I was slightly terrified to get up and go in the middle of the night, but getting ready at my outside vanity with the sunrise reflected in the mirror behind me was something special.
The property also has a farm, and the restaurant sources most of its food from the land, forest, and sea around the hotel, or it works with local farmers for other necessary ingredients. Every meal you eat here is organic and fresh, not to mention downright delicious.
Rates start at about $760 per night. Book your stay at Belle Mont Sanctuary here.
St. Kitts Marriott Resort
St. Kitts Marriott
I’m not usually one for large-scale chain resorts, but if there’s any place for it, it’s on a tropical island. Plus, it’s more affordable than some of the luxury boutique options available. The Marriott in St. Kitts offers classic resort vibes with multiple pools, roomy suites, and various dining options, not to mention a casino located in the lobby. But it’s also in a prime location, within walking distance or a short drive to Frigate Bay, a lively part of town with beachside restaurants and bars.
The resort also has a private beach area with tons of cabanas and safe swimming areas, so you don’t have to go far to put your toes in the sand. The only downside is that the property faces away from the sunset, but if you’re open to an early wake-up call, it’s worth getting up for sunrise at least once.
Rates start at $351 per night. Book your room at the Marriott here.
PART II: WHERE TO PLAY
Catamaran & Snorkel Tour
Chloe Caldwell
It’s not a trip to the Caribbean without a Catamaran ride and snorkeling. I recommended a half-day sail with Leeward Island Charters. You’ll sail along the coastline to the nearby Nevis Island, where you’ll snorkel among the stingrays and glowy rainbow fish. (If you have an underwater camera, bring it!) For $80, you get four hours of sailing, unlimited booze, snorkeling gear, and a light lunch.
It’s impossible to be in a bad mood when you’re cruising in the sunshine, with a rum punch in your hand, island jams playing in the background, and nothing but blue sea and sky ahead. The staff is also incredibly friendly and tons of fun.
Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a must on your St. Kitts itinerary. Located atop a volcanic mountain, this incredibly well-preserved fortress represents centuries of history on the island. It was built by African slave labor and used by the British colonial military in the 17th and 18th centuries. While exploring the halls of Brimstone Hill Fortress, you’ll learn about the cultural impacts of St. Kitts’s past and take in the panoramic views of the island around you.
Wingfield Estate and Romney Manor, located right next door to each other, are the home of several noteworthy attractions — the first one being Caribelle Batik. Batik is a traditional Indonesian fabric-dying technique that made its way to St. Kitts, and Caribelle Batik is the spot to find beautifully handmade clothing, home decor, and souvenir pieces.
Some of the women who work here have been perfecting their technique for nearly 50 years. In the store, you’ll get to watch their artistic process in real time while learning more about the technique. If you want a hands-on experience, you can even make your own Batik to bring home. Despite my lack of artistic ability, I loved creating something special with the help of the local artisans to remember my time on the island.
Around the corner from Caribelle Batik is Wingfield Estate, where you can walk through the ruins of an old sugar plantation and a recently discovered rum distillery, which was uncovered in 2013. Wandering the grounds here is another great way to learn more about the island’s history. Old Road Rum, a locally-owned rum brand, now uses the distillery site as its home base. So you can sip on a cocktail when you’re done touring the estate.
Tip: Wingfield Estate and Romney Manor are located near the bottom of Brimstone Hill, so it’s convenient to do these excursions on the same day.
PART III: WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
Make Your Own Rum at Spice Mill
Chloe Caldwell
If you want to dive further into the local rum industry, head to Spice Mill Restaurant for a Kittitian Rum Master Experience. You’ll make your very own bottle of spiced rum to bring home with the guidance of Roger Brisbane, the founder of a local infused spirits brand called Hibiscus Spirits. (He’s also the owner of Spice Mill.)
In addition to his spiced rum recipe, Brisbane will teach you how to make his signature cocktail, so you can impress your friends with your newfound bartending skills when you get home. The distillery is a single room located beneath the restaurant, and the experience is reminiscent of high school chemistry class, except you get to drink the final concoction!
Spice Mill Restaurant itself is also the perfect spot for lunch, as it’s located right on the beach with a view of the Caribbean coastline. Personally, I recommend grabbing a bite here before the rum experience — for obvious reasons.
Learn more about the Kittitian Rum Master experience here.
Farm to Table at Ital Creations
Chloe Caldwell
For a true farm-to-table experience, go to Ital Creations at Fari Organic Farm, a vegan, sustainable, and family-owned kitchen. The entire experience of dining here will make you feel grounded and healthy. You’ll order food from a tin and wooden stand painted yellow, red, and green, then enjoy it at a picnic table under a mango tree.
You can also get a tour of the farm from the owner, Judah Fari, whose calming and knowledgeable demeanor is soothing for everyone around him. He’ll teach you about the healing properties of the various herbs and plants throughout his farm. Fari Organic Farm also hosts events often, such as yoga classes and movie nights, so make sure to ask about their schedule during your visit.
For beachside dining and laidback bar vibes, head to Boozies at the Beach, located on the Frigate Bay Strip amid lively weekend crowds and beach-goers. The restaurant offers a selection of classic bar snacks like nachos and wings, as well as Caribbean favorites like Mahi Mahi with rice and beans. I ordered the curried conch as my main course, which I savored every bite of. The food is good but it’s the ambiance of this place that makes it stand out, from the ocean view to the brightly colored lights and decor.
Stay up to date with Boozies’s hours and menu options here.
If you’re considering a trip to the Caribbean, make sure to put St. Kitts at the top of your list of islands to visit. Between its stunning scenery, kind people, and diverse selection of activities, St. Kitts will leave you feeling inspired and dying to come back the second you leave.
The wave of Leave the World Behind jokes that emerged during the nationwide AT&T outage may have been onto something. According to a new report, the widespread outage is being investigated as a potential cyberattack. If true, that would mean the AT&T outage mimicked the Netflix movie starring Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke far more than anyone realized.
Citing “two sources briefed on the situation,” ABC News reports that “the FBI and Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among other agencies, are now urgently investigating to determine whether the AT&T outages are the result of a cyberattack or a hack, or simply some sort of technical malfunction.”
This afternoon, [National Security Communications Adviser John] Kirby told reporters that DHS and the FBI are looking into the outages as well, and are working with the tech industry and network providers to see what can be done “from a federal perspective to enhance their investigative efforts to figure out what happened here.”
“The bottom line is we don’t have all the answers,” he said. “We’re working very hard to see if we can get to the ground truth of exactly what happened.”
While the implications of the outage being a potential cyberattack are concerning, A&T has informed customers that the situation has been resolved. However, no official explanation for the outage has been disclosed at this time.
“We have restored wireless service to all our affected customers,” AT&T said in a statement. “We sincerely apologize to them. Keeping our customers connected remains our top priority, and we are taking steps to ensure our customers do not experience this again in the future.”
Central Cee takes a stylistic swerve on his first single of 2024, aiming to show off a bit more versatility as he prepares to follow up his 2022 album 23. On “I Will,” Cee makes romantic(-ish) overtures to a potential paramour over a gently strummed guitar, promising, “You’re tryna find someone to take you home and show you love / If nobody will, I will.”
In the video, Cee narrates as his video star spends time going through her daily life and hanging out with her homegirls. The video also shows a softer side of the London rapper, who is set to have a massive breakout this year after receiving a high-profile co-sign from Drake in 2023.
Cench was also included in the 2023 XXL Freshman class alongside GloRilla, Luh Tyler, and more. His buzz increased with the release of “Sprinter” with Dave and the Valentine’s Day single “Me And You.”
Next week, Cee will be at the 2024 BRIT Awards, competing for four awards: Hip-Hop/Grime/Rap Act, Song Of The Year for “Sprinter” and “Let Go,” and Artist Of The Year. He recently won MOBO Awards for Best Male and Song Of The Year for “Sprinter,’ giving him a total of six MOBO Awards.
Brighton & Mila (@themilescouple): Use A Credit Card That Specifically Earns Bonus Points On Hotels & Flights
The starting point is to use a credit card that specifically earns bonus points on travel categories, such as hotels and flights. Some of these cards include the Capital One Venture X (10x points on hotels booked through the bank portal), the Amex Platinum (5x on flights), etc.
However, to go a step above that you should always check whether there’s a way to stack rewards! For instance, British Airways has a partnership with Airbnb that allows you to earn three Avios per dollar spent. At the same time, for your next weekend getaway, you could buy Airbnb gift cards from a grocery store using a card that earns extra in supermarkets (such as the Amex Gold for 4x), then use the gift card to check out at Airbnb (though we recommend reading up on Reddit and Flyertalk about the pros/cons).
More generally, always check your credit card offers and shopping portals for any limited-time discounts and bonus earnings. Maybe there’s a “Spend $500 get $100 Off at Hilton” stay offer that you could link to your Amex card, or 12% cashback at IHG Hotels & Resort when you use Rakuten, etc. Finding ways to earn bonus points through more than one rewards stream is the easiest way to maximize rewards on travel spending!
Serena Stone (@passionforpoints): Use A Card With Embedded Travel Protections
When paying for flights or taxes and fees on award travel, I always use a card with embedded travel protection such as trip cancellation and trip interruption coverage. My favorite cards to use for flights are Chase Sapphire Reserve, Chase Sapphire Preferred, or Capital One Venture X. These cards are also great for embedded rental car coverage.
When booking activities, check Cashback Monitor to get the maximum cashback or points for purchasing Viator or Tripadvisor experiences.
When dining, use a credit card that earns you a higher multiple at restaurants. The American Express Gold card earns 4x and the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Reserve earn 3x on dining worldwide.
Also when traveling internationally, always remember to use a card with no foreign transaction fees.
Michele Lowery (@fancytravelpointers): Use Hotel Credit Cards While Staying At That Hotel
MICHELE LOWERY
The best time and place to use a hotel credit card is when you are staying at that hotel for a paid stay. Hotel credit cards often earn 5x – 15x+ points per dollar when staying at that hotel. I personally don’t advise putting every day spend on hotel cards, but using them at the actual hotel is where these cards shine in earning points.
Most hotel credit cards come with an annual fee night certificate (after year one), making hotel cards a valuable part of your overall award travel strategy.
Victor Cheng (@travelhackvic): Get 10X Points On Car Rentals With Capitol One Venture X
VICTOR CHENG
You might not need to rent a car on every trip you go on, but when you do, make sure you have Capital One Venture X in your wallet. Capital One Venture X can earn unlimited 10X miles on rental cars when you book through Capital One Travel. This will be a huge bonus whenever you need a car. Better Yet, Venture X cardholders are eligible for complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status, and you can Enroll online for the ability to skip the rental counter, choose from the widest selection of Hertz cars, and get guaranteed upgrades.
However, make sure to always compare the price of the travel portal to the other prices on the internet to make sure it’s competitive before booking.
Ryan Horn (@profitsandpoints): Charge All Hotel Expenses To The Room To Ensure Maximize Travel Reward Points
I put absolutely everything I can on a credit card, and I do so strategically by using the right credit card for the right category. When it comes to travel spend, I like to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve, the American Express Green Card, or the Citi Premier card because all three of these cards earn 3x points on most travel spend.
How do I make sure that I get the full 3x points out of most of my purchases when I’m traveling?
Well, if I’m staying at a hotel, I like to charge everything to the room that would otherwise maybe only earn 1-2x points. This ensures that the purchase will be coded as a travel since it’ll appear on my final hotel bill.
Adam Hill (@adamhillyeah): “Double Dip” Or Stack Rewards
ADAM HILL
This is a rule that should come with any purchases or and spend you put on your credit cards, but always try to double dip or stack rewards if possible. Anytime you are purchasing a flight, you should be crediting that flight to a specific airline rewards program.
For instance, I typically credit any One World Airline I buy a cash fare on to my American Airlines account but put in my Frequent Flier number and then pay with a card that earns the best return. Depending on the card, you could be earning 2x-5x points back. It is a great idea to do a little research on Airline Alliances and what airlines are in those groups to understand how you can fly on one airline but receive credit for another one. A great website to use is Where To Credit.
I also will typically look for excursions through Viator and I will activate my Rakuten link to earn Amex points and earn points back with the card I’m using to purchase with. This takes a little bit of research to find the best return as well as a bit of strategy for the points currency you are trying to earn.
Allison Tackette (@luckytictac): Spend Within Your Means
It’s easy to get caught up in spending more and more money to watch your points balances grow. The quicker you earn points the faster you can redeem for flights and hotels. Spend within your means just to earn points. Don’t go into debt for points and miles.
Spencer Howard (@straighttothepoints): Don’t Obsess Over Maximizing Every Purchase
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SPENCER HOWARD
You don’t need to obsess over maximizing every purchase. Yes, it’s great to utilize bonus categories to earn more points on purchases, but it’s not the end of the world if you forget. Points and miles is a fun hobby that can help enhance your travel. It doesn’t need to cause you stress.
Angel Trinh (@pennywisetraveler): Use A Credit Card With Built-In Travel Protections
ANGEL TRINH
If you have any big expenses coming up, ask your friends/family to pay you back for the purchase. You can also get instant card approvals from Amex right away, so you can easily get a lot of points.
Use a credit card that has built-in in travel protections. For example, Chase Sapphire Preferred has the auto collision damage waiver, trip cancellation, trip interruption, trip delay, baggage delay, and lost luggage.
Anytime you buy anything, remember you can layer on points and cash back. For example, for online purchases, you can get cashback/miles from a shopping portal like American Airlines or Rakuten.
If you dine at specific restaurants you can get American Airlines/Southwest/Delta points (you can get only one airline).
Thomas Lonergan (@travelliketommy): Strategize Credit Cards To Earn Points Twice
This is most lucrative spend to maximize your points earning. We want to earn points not once but twice! One from the credit card being used, the other from the hotel/airline program you are booking with!
Having elite status will amplify this significantly.
For example:
Hotels
I earn a minimum of 23.5x points per dollar when staying at Marriott hotels
10x for being a base member
7.5x bonus for my elite status
6x by paying with my Marriott card
I earn a minimum of 34x Hilton points per dollar when staying at Hilton hotels
10x base member
10x elite status bonus
14x paying with my Amex Hilton Aspire card
Airlines
American Airlines: I earn 15x miles per dollar minimum
5x miles for base member
6x bonus miles for exec plat status
4x miles for paying with my Citi AA card
United Airlines: I earn 16x miles per dollar minimum
5x miles base member
6x miles bonus for 1k status
5x amex points when paying with my platinum card
Vivian Tu (@your.richbff): Transfer Your Points To An Airline Or Hotel Partner
Order “RICH AF: The Winning Money Mindset That Will Change Your Life” here.
VIVIAN TU
Don’t redeem your points directly through the credit card. Instead, transfer your points to a hotel or airline and then book your travel there. Sometimes it’s even better to transfer those points and rewards to the hotel and airline’s partners. For example, One World United is an airline “class” for American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Qatar, Fiji Airways, etc. and it can be cheaper to transfer your points to a transfer partner than booking directly through American Airlines.
One World United is partnered with American Airlines
Angelo Minella (@paidwithpoints): Make Sure The Credit Card You’re Using Has Zero Foreign Transaction Fees
ANGELO MINELLA
When it comes to using a credit card overseas the biggest tip is to make sure you use a card that has zero foreign transaction fees. I also like to bring my travel wallet which consists of more cards than my daily driver wallet.
This travel wallet holds any relevant cards that I may need for lounge access or airline/hotel spend that I don’t have in my everyday wallet that also provide more benefits and points!
Since Deonna Purrazzo was nine years old, all she’s wanted is to be was a professional wrestler. With nearly 12 years in the game, she’s had various stints across each of the major American promotions. It hasn’t always been easy for Purrazzo, but with each road block, she’s overcome adversity and come out on the other side stronger.
“It’s definitely not been easy,” Purrazzo tells Uproxx Sports ahead of her AEW Women’s World Championship match at AEW Revolution on March 3. “I struggled a few years ago to even know if I wanted to continue to wrestle.”
The ups and downs of the business had gotten to Purrazzo. What helped her bounce back was finding a group of people and developing working relationships that became productive in both her personal and professional life — a great husband, great friends, and people who wanted to see her succeed.
“I think coming out of that really uncomfortable period where I didn’t know what my next steps were and just having that core group of people around me to be like, ‘You’re good at this, put that drama aside, dig down deep and re-evaluate, because you should be doing this.’ Madison Rayne is one of those people. Britt Baker is one of those people who didn’t let me give up on this dream. And now I get to work with them on a weekly basis,” Purrazzo says. “I feel like it’s a fairy tale, really. Just where I was and where I’m at right now. I didn’t imagine it for myself four years ago.”
In 2020, Purrazzo was released from WWE and joined Impact Wrestling/TNA. She went on to become a multi-time world champion and was ready for, as she says, “that next thing that was going to propel me to the next level.” She determined it was joining AEW, and while she’s etched her place among the top wrestlers in the world, getting to join the promotion doubled as an opportunity to do something she turned down in the past.
“Back in 2018, I was supposed to be a part of the very first All In,” Purrazzo says. “I was supposed to do things like the Jericho Cruise, and I chose a different path. So, this time around, I wanted to kind of right those wrongs, and do something that I never thought would be possible, and that was coming to AEW. So to have that opportunity presented to me meant the world.”
Purrazzo says there’s been an adjustment in joining AEW due to the scale of the promotion and the production — things like being on national television every week and having matches that get interrupted by commercial breaks are new to her.
“I don’t think people realize that I’m almost 12 years into my career, and my match with Red Velvet live on TV was nerve wracking for me because I hadn’t done that in so long,” she says. “So I think I’m just trying to reframe what professional wrestling is and how the Virtuosa translates to such a large scale has been career defining in the last month.”
Fresh out of the gates, Purrazzo has been met with a familiar face in her program with AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm. The current champ is someone Purrazzo previously lived with — up until recently, the pair had matching tattoos — and is someone she calls a bit of a “saving grace” as she joins AEW and attempts to learn a new company.
When she joined AEW, Purrazzo didn’t know how she’d be involved and certainly didn’t expect to be in the position she’s in right from the start.
“It’s a testament to Tony Khan and how highly he thought of me, and then the product Toni and I have been able to put out thereafter,” Purrazzo says about immediately jumping into a rivalry with Storm.
Purrazzo says she’s been nervous since the day her match with Storm was announced for the upcoming AEW Revolution pay-per-view in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“I think that’s probably one of the largest crowds I’ve ever wrestled in front of up until this point,” Purrazzo says. “Just to have that all culminate, Sting’s last match, we’re in Greensboro, the Coliseum. I am just elated. This is such a huge moment for me, and so many new eyes on me throughout the last few months. Going out there and having an absolute killer match with Toni for the AEW Women’s World Championship is going to help continue to redefine who the Virtuosa is.”
Regardless of what happens in Greensboro, the future is bright for AEW’s women’s division.
Purrazzo is joining AEW in what can be seen as a turning point year for the promotion. She points to rising stars like Queen Aminata as an exciting opponent in the future. There’s first-time matchups like mixing it up with the returning Jamie Hayter, Saraya, Ruby Soho, and so many other women she’s never gotten in the ring with.
And then, there’s the “dream match” after the heavily-expected debut of Mercedes Moné.
“There’s never been a real opportunity for it to happen, so like you said, nothing’s been announced, nothing’s been set in stone, but just that possibility would be very, very cool,” Purrazzo says. “I think to have someone like Mercedes, with all of her accomplishments, and everything she’s done for women’s wrestling across the board would help continue to redefine our AEW women’s division.”
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