It’s been about six months since All Americanseason five came to an end. As with all seasons of All American, season five was filled with drama, but no season matched the dramatic moment of Coach Baker’s death in episode 12 of season five. Baker led a scouting combine for his South Crenshaw high school at an off-campus location. When the combine was complete, he along with team members that included Jabari and Asher, jumped on the team bus to return home. It was during the route home that the bus got into a car accident and went off a cliff where it was partially hanging for some time. In an attempt to save Jabari, Coach Baker was unable to save himself as he was still on the bus when it plummeted to the bottom.
Why Did Taye Diggs Leave All American?
Coach Baker’s death of course means that Taye Diggs, the actor who played Baker, will no longer be on the show. During an interview with Variety, the All American showrunner Nkechi Okoro Carroll spoke about the decision that led to Baker’s exit.
I had a pretty good idea at the end of last season that that was where the season was going. We were so incredibly lucky to have Taye Diggs be part of this production from day one, so one of the things that we’d always talked about was, we have no idea of how long we would be able to hold on to him. I mean, he’s Taye Diggs. So we were like, let’s always make sure we’re communicating with each other, and when it feels like it’s the right time, if we’re both feeling that way, we’ll have the conversation and figure out a really dope way to have him exit the show.
It became a mutual thing of, we have an opportunity to do something that no one is going to expect. Does this feel like the right time to do it? We both felt like it was. Even though it was so far in advance, I already knew that whenever it would happen, that this was how I was going to do it. I pitched it to him like I was pitching an episode, beat by beat, even though it was still easily a year away. He was like, ‘It feels like the right time and it feels like the right way to do it.’ It just felt right for both of us.
Despite Diggs’ exit appearing to be permanent, the actor didn’t shut the door on a potential return. In a May interview with TVLine, Diggs said that he would be open to returning as a ghost or spirit of some sort “in the context of the boys are struggling, and they kind of envision me giving sage advice.”
Animals can be far cleverer than we give them credit for, especially creatures we don’t think of as having distinct personalities. Most of us expect cats and dogs to do show us their unique quirks, but what about a flying squirrel?
A video is making its way around the internet that has people giggling over the dramatic antics of a large pet flying squirrel. It includes no narration explaining what’s happening and no context—it just shows a flying squirrel repeatedly faking its own death by broom.
That’s right. Death by broom. And from the way it looks, the little bugger came up with the idea on its own and made multiple attempts to create a convincing crime scene.
This is one you just have to see.
Twitter user @Birrellebee wrote that the squirrel “faked his own death, and created a whole crime scene…for attention. I think I’m in love.”
Whether the squirrel really did this just for attention or for some other reason isn’t clear, but no one seems to offering a more plausible explanation for it.
Watch:
u201cThis flying squirrel faked his own death, and created a whole crime sceneu2026for attention. I think Iu2019m in love. u201d
— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d) 1685808791
While some people have expressed understandable concern over flying squirrels living indoors as pets, we don’t know what the living situation here really is. Maybe the squirrel was injured and rescued. Maybe it can’t survive in the wild. We simply don’t know.
What we do know is that this adorable rodent deserves an Oscar for its performance. The way it gracefully somersaults right into position. The placing of the broomstick on its neck and splaying itself out flat on its back. The checking to see if anyone is looking. The repositioning of the murder weapon multiple times to figure out which one seems more believable.
Was that really what it was doing? Who knows. But it was a genuinely incredible performance nonetheless.
And of course, the people of the internet didn’t disappoint in the comments.
u201c@pimlius @nycsouthpaw Well, maybe he shouldu2019ve thought of that, befor being such a wee drama queen. Nobody likes an attention whore.u201d
— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d) 1685808791
u201c@RIDICULO_pathy @BirrelleBee I love this squirrel ud83dude02ud83eudd70u201d
— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d) 1685808791
“@GreigBeck @BirrelleBee @MAllanScott It’s an insurance scam.”
u201c@GreigBeck @BirrelleBee @MAllanScott Itu2019s an insurance scam.u201d
— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d) 1685808791
u201c@Marx_Bros_Thing @BirrelleBee Sameu201d
— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d) 1685808791
Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, abortion-rights advocates have made key victories in multiple ballot initiatives.
Another victory for reproductive rights activists happened Tuesday night in Ohio, where abortion rights were enshrined into the state’s constitution by an overwhelming vote of nearly 60% in favor
.
The ballot measure’s language guarantees every person in Ohio the right “to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion,” and prohibits the state from “burdening, penalizing or prohibiting” those rights.
And last and number three, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won re-election in red state Kentucky after supporting abortion rights as a core message of his re-election campaign.
Abortion rights advocates marked Tuesday’s success as a sign that by and large, Americans desire for women to have freedom of choice.
President Biden wrote that it “makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.”
Meanwhile, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said in a statement: “Reproductive freedom is a winning issue, now and in November. Anti-choice lawmakers take note: The voters have spoken, and they will turn out at the ballot box to oppose efforts to restrict reproductive freedom.”
Scroll down to see more reactions:
We won today because of the volunteers and organizers who continue to show up for Ohio. Thank you for your activism. pic.twitter.com/ejnKLr6dGy
With the upcoming presidential election in 2024, abortion rights seem destined to be a key issue. And while that might mean more narratives around it are construed to create political divides throughout our country, so far that hasn’t appeared to be the reality for most Americans—who, even in more conservative leaning states, actively support a woman’s right to choose.
Whiskey just tastes better and fuller with a little water and cooling. It’s science.
With a lot of warm whiskeys dropping this time of year, we felt like it was the perfect time to blindly taste some bold AF barrel-proof bourbons with a single rock in them to find the very best and highlight how much these bourbons change with a single rock. So for this blind tasting, I purposefully grabbed 10 very bold and very hot barrel-proof bourbons. My wife was kind enough to pour them and then I added a single medium-sized, deeply-frozen ice cube.
Before we dive in, let’s get technical. What happens when you add an ice cube to a glass of bourbon is that as the cube starts to melt, it begins to slowly dilute the whiskey. This allows the fatty acids to detach from the esters (chemical compounds that hold flavors). Since the fatty acids are free, the whiskey gets super creamy and maybe even nutty. At the same time, the esters (chemical flavor notes) change, thanks to being free of those same fatty acids.
The whole profile of the whiskey shifts. This is often called “the bloom” in tasting circles.
Since we’re talking about ice and not dropping in drops of water, the whiskey also cools — but only slightly. If you put whiskey in the freezer, it’ll dull the profile massively thanks to the chemicals binding together, creating a viscous texture. With a single ice cube that adds dilution, this doesn’t really happen. Instead, some chemical compounds (esters) — think sharp hot spice notes — are lowered in volume while others are raised — think fruitiness and earthy notes. Again, you’re simply highlighting more of what’s actually in the distillate while, yes, making it easier to drink.
Here’s a cold hard fact in case you’re still incredulous. Every whiskey blender at every bottler or distillery proofs/dilutes their whiskey down to 20% ABV or 40-proof to taste it. Why? That’s the proof where the whiskey is most flavorful with the best texture (and cannot hide its faults). That is true of all whiskey in all regions. What does that tell you? Even barrel-proof or high-proof whiskey is best when it’s diluted with some water. That’s because far more of the flavor profile is muted by over-proof heat from the ethanol than water. That high proof not only hides flavor notes but also turns off the taste receptors on your palate (it’ll feel like a burn to you physically). That’s a double fail if you’re trying to get the full brunt of what the distiller/blender/bottler did with their whiskey — so add some ice!
Make sense? Now it’s time for us to dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Part 1 — The Barrel-Proof Bourbon On Ice Blind Tasting
Zach Johnston
Taste 1
Zach Johnston
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 grainy porridge 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.
With Ice:
The nose on this changes to a rich and creamy vanilla malt with cherry on top. Think of a real vanilla malt made with really good malt powder where you still get that light note of the sweet barley grain. The palate gets super grassy and loses almost all of that graininess while the mid-palate hits a dark chocolate mocha latter vibe with plenty of dark fruits and mild winter spice barks.
This is a dream to sip over a rock.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is beautifully deep with salted butter, old soft leather gloves touched with menthol, soft vanilla beans, and toffee candies dipped in walnuts and dusted with dark chocolate powder.
Palate: The palate hits on deep yet soft woody spices — allspice berries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods — while dark cherry tobacco in an old pine box mingles with salted caramel, black tea leaves, and more of that soft leather.
Finish: The end mixes dark berries and spiced honey with old porch wood and a moist vanilla white cake with a hint of spiced mint lurking in the background.
With Ice:
This takes on a heavy cream nose (almost a fresh whipped cream) that turns toward vanilla custard that’s almost a flan with homemade caramel sauce. The palate weaves rich eggnog with mild woody spices and luxurious vanilla cake at the end.
This is a creamy delight with a good layer of spice to remind you of its depth and wood finishing.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is rich on the nose with deep senses of dark chocolate brownies just kissed with stewed black cherry and old vanilla pods before a soft sense of red chili tobacco and wet brown sugar tobacco lead to a whisper of smoldering fall leaves.
Palate: That dark chocolate and chili-laced tobacco drives the taste toward a Christmas cake brimming with candied cherry, orange rind, rum raisin, clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and creamy vanilla icing with a dash of salt, marzipan, and brandy-soaked apple and pear orchards.
Finish: The rich and boozy holiday cake fades on the finish as deep earthiness — think firewood bark and smudging sage — drives the end toward a big Kentucky hug of warmth that’s just right.
With Ice:
The nose on this turns into the chocolate ganache instead of a chocolate candy like a Lindt Ball. The palate is like an iced Mexican hot chocolate with dried chili melding with almost umami dark chocolate next to a whisper of mildly spiced horchata.
I really dig this.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of stewed apples lead to apple cider spiked with dried red chili, allspice, and anise on the nose before dark chocolate oranges and salted caramels give way to old oak staves with a hint of vanilla-mint tobacco.
Palate: That vanilla creates a silky palate with tons of butterscotch and caramel popcorn with a good flake of salt as cinnamon and chili-heavy cider leads to Christmas nut breads and old leather tobacco pouches with a hint of dark cherry.
Finish: The end amps up the ABVs dramatically as chili, black pepper, and anise drive the end toward an almost cool mint tobacco vibe with a vanilla buttercream underbelly.
With Ice:
The nose melds cedar bark, birch tea, and root beer pudding to create a creamy yet woody vibe. The palate balances those woody spices with dark fruits and a dry sweetgrass end that’s bold and warming but not overly hot.
This feels like it nails its barrel-proof vibes with long aging and beautiful base distillate. It’s really freaking good is my point.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You get a sense of dry cornmeal on the nose next to apple crumble, plenty of wintry spice, a hint of mulled wine, wet brown sugar, and a thin layer of wet yet sweet cedar.
Palate: A hint of brandy-soaked cherries arrives on the palate with a dusting of dark chocolate powder next to more apple pie filling, spice, and buttery crust alongside a sweet, toffee-heavy mid-palate.
Finish: The end arrives with a dry wicker vibe, cherry tobacco chewiness, and a hint of that dark chocolate.
With Ice:
The nose gives you a light vanilla cream feel before the palate pops with deep winter spice barks. The mid-palate highlights dark cherry with a woody orchard bark feel. This is nice but doesn’t quite pop like the others.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
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.
With Ice:
The nose feels like a scone smeared with rich buttercream next to dark but very creamy chocolate. The cherry really brightens on the palate as red berries stewed with clove, allspice, and cinnamon reach toward soft nuttiness.
This is a really nice pour of whiskey.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rummy spice and fruit open the nose with a sense of nutty winter cakes, caramel sauce, and soft kindling with a light whisper of tobacco just kissed with chili chocolate.
Palate: The palate leans into the chili-chocolate vibes with plenty of winter spice barks, rich marzipan, soft vanilla lusciousness, and a good dose of mincemeat pie.
Finish: Stewed plums and dates drive the finish toward sharp spice barks, more tobacco, and a whisper of walnut bread.
With Ice:
The nose takes on this soft spiced dark berry gelée vibe (the kind you get inside a German Christmas cookie). The palate is super creamy with a nutty sense of spiced winter cakes cut with rich vanilla and chocolate sauces.
This is a very good whiskey.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
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.
With Ice:
The nose on this one feels like quintessential Kentucky bourbon with deep and dark cherry swimming in reach vanilla buttercream with a good dose of mild winter spices adding sharpness and depth. The palate is super creamy with a chocolate malt vibe next to spiced vanilla pudding over a sticky toffee pudding dripping with salted caramel sauce cut with fresh orange zest.
This is a pretty freaking excellent whiskey, too.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honey Graham Crackers and almond cookies present on the nose with a sense of clove-studded oranges and old cinnamon sticks with a note of caramel and apple.
Palate: The apple merges with the cinnamon and caramel on the palate next to leathery prunes, piney honey, and more clove-orange before a dark potting soil arrives with a deep earthiness.
Finish: That earthiness turns into dry sweetgrass on the finish with a sense of cinnamon-heavy stewed apples and old oak.
With Ice:
The nose holds onto that Graham Cracker dipped in honey vibe. The palate gets super grassy with a dark winter spice berry feel.
This is a good whiskey but doesn’t quite have the same edge as some of the others.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is peppery with a sense of white chocolate and vanilla pudding cups next to sweet cola cut with cherry and maybe some brown sugar.
Palate: Peaches and mulled wine lead on the palate with a sense of fresh oak lurking in the background, mild notes of orange zest, and hints of nuttiness.
Finish: Mulled wine cut with fresh orange lead to lemon pepper and more oak with a final note of cherry tobacco with a very sweet edge.
With Ice:
The nose stays pretty peppery as the overall palate hits classic bourbon notes. This was fine.
This MGP whiskey is made with a unique bourbon mash bill of 60% corn, 25% wheat, 10% rye, and 5% malted barley. The whiskey is batched from barrels that are two, three, and four years old before re-barrelling into French Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon casks for another three months of resting.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfectly fine bourbon but nothing to write home about.
9. Watershed Distillery Fall Finishing Series Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Apple Brandy Barrels Aged 6 Years Barrel Strength — Taste 9
This Ohio whiskey is all about batching and finishing. The bourbon was re-filled into American oak that held apple brandy for years. After six total years of aging, the whiskey was batched and then bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice enough bourbon. Even with ice, it feels more suited for whiskey cocktails than sipping.
8. Penelope Barrel Strength Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Aged 9 Years — Taste 5
This blended bourbon is a masterful lesson in the power of blending. The three bourbons in the blend create a four-grain bourbon via their mash bills. The final blend is comprised of 44% 10-year-old Indiana bourbon, 46% nine-year-old Indiana bourbon, and 10% nine-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This was a nice everyday sipper. Again even with ice, it felt like it’d make a better cocktail. But … I’d still sip this on a weekday and not be mad about it.
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.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper over ice that lets the oak shine through all the way to the end.
This single-barrel pick from ReserveBar is a very unique bourbon. The whiskey in the bottle is made from 99% corn and 1% rye Indiana bourbon. The team at ReserveBar picked one special eight-year-old barrel of that whiskey and bottled it 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
I like this over ice but it didn’t quite pop like the next five pours on the tasting panel. Like the two pours above, this is a nice mid-week easy-going sipper.
5. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength Barrel No. 0015 — Taste 6
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.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper with a good depth. It’s classic.
This first Booker’s Small Batch of 2023 has arrived! This release is 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.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this is where we get into the “wow” pours. This is excellent bourbon over a single rock. If you’re looking for a quintessential Kentucky bourbon sipping experience, this is the play.
Stagg is Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill no. 1 (a low-rye mash) turned all the way up to MAX volume. The whiskey spends about a decade resting in the old Buffalo Trace warehouses before it’s batched and bottled (in this case in Spring 2023) 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
The shift here is pretty drastic and all for the better. This is essential Kentucky bourbon with that little extra somethin’ somethin’ that draws you back for more. The hype is real as this is so drinkable with a rock.
This 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.
Bottom Line:
This changes from a crafty grain-forward ABV boom to a svelte and sexy bourbon with insane depth and zero burn. This was … exciting.
The last drop from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof of 2023 is a big one. The whiskey in the bottle is a 13-year and 7-month-old bourbon that was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that changed massively for the better with a touch of water and ice. It truly bloomed in the glass into this foundational Kentucky bourbon that then just kept going and going on the palate with new and fun flavor notes. This is a great sipper.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Barrel-Proof Bourbon On Ice
Zach Johnston
Overall, there wasn’t a bad bourbon on this list. If I were to skip any bottles, it’d be the tenth bottle only. The rest all have something unique to offer.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The top four are mind-blowingly great pours of bourbon over a single rock. And they’re all iconic expressions. With that hint of dilution and a touch of cooling, it is easy to see why those top four bourbons get so much hype. They’re truly that good. Get all four if you’re able.
Whiskey just tastes better and fuller with a little water and cooling. It’s science.
With a lot of warm whiskeys dropping this time of year, we felt like it was the perfect time to blindly taste some bold AF barrel-proof bourbons with a single rock in them to find the very best and highlight how much these bourbons change with a single rock. So for this blind tasting, I purposefully grabbed 10 very bold and very hot barrel-proof bourbons. My wife was kind enough to pour them and then I added a single medium-sized, deeply-frozen ice cube.
Before we dive in, let’s get technical. What happens when you add an ice cube to a glass of bourbon is that as the cube starts to melt, it begins to slowly dilute the whiskey. This allows the fatty acids to detach from the esters (chemical compounds that hold flavors). Since the fatty acids are free, the whiskey gets super creamy and maybe even nutty. At the same time, the esters (chemical flavor notes) change, thanks to being free of those same fatty acids.
The whole profile of the whiskey shifts. This is often called “the bloom” in tasting circles.
Since we’re talking about ice and not dropping in drops of water, the whiskey also cools — but only slightly. If you put whiskey in the freezer, it’ll dull the profile massively thanks to the chemicals binding together, creating a viscous texture. With a single ice cube that adds dilution, this doesn’t really happen. Instead, some chemical compounds (esters) — think sharp hot spice notes — are lowered in volume while others are raised — think fruitiness and earthy notes. Again, you’re simply highlighting more of what’s actually in the distillate while, yes, making it easier to drink.
Here’s a cold hard fact in case you’re still incredulous. Every whiskey blender at every bottler or distillery proofs/dilutes their whiskey down to 20% ABV or 40-proof to taste it. Why? That’s the proof where the whiskey is most flavorful with the best texture (and cannot hide its faults). That is true of all whiskey in all regions. What does that tell you? Even barrel-proof or high-proof whiskey is best when it’s diluted with some water. That’s because far more of the flavor profile is muted by over-proof heat from the ethanol than water. That high proof not only hides flavor notes but also turns off the taste receptors on your palate (it’ll feel like a burn to you physically). That’s a double fail if you’re trying to get the full brunt of what the distiller/blender/bottler did with their whiskey — so add some ice!
Make sense? Now it’s time for us to dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
Part 1 — The Barrel-Proof Bourbon On Ice Blind Tasting
Zach Johnston
Taste 1
Zach Johnston
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 grainy porridge 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.
With Ice:
The nose on this changes to a rich and creamy vanilla malt with cherry on top. Think of a real vanilla malt made with really good malt powder where you still get that light note of the sweet barley grain. The palate gets super grassy and loses almost all of that graininess while the mid-palate hits a dark chocolate mocha latter vibe with plenty of dark fruits and mild winter spice barks.
This is a dream to sip over a rock.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is beautifully deep with salted butter, old soft leather gloves touched with menthol, soft vanilla beans, and toffee candies dipped in walnuts and dusted with dark chocolate powder.
Palate: The palate hits on deep yet soft woody spices — allspice berries, star anise, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods — while dark cherry tobacco in an old pine box mingles with salted caramel, black tea leaves, and more of that soft leather.
Finish: The end mixes dark berries and spiced honey with old porch wood and a moist vanilla white cake with a hint of spiced mint lurking in the background.
With Ice:
This takes on a heavy cream nose (almost a fresh whipped cream) that turns toward vanilla custard that’s almost a flan with homemade caramel sauce. The palate weaves rich eggnog with mild woody spices and luxurious vanilla cake at the end.
This is a creamy delight with a good layer of spice to remind you of its depth and wood finishing.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is rich on the nose with deep senses of dark chocolate brownies just kissed with stewed black cherry and old vanilla pods before a soft sense of red chili tobacco and wet brown sugar tobacco lead to a whisper of smoldering fall leaves.
Palate: That dark chocolate and chili-laced tobacco drives the taste toward a Christmas cake brimming with candied cherry, orange rind, rum raisin, clove, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and creamy vanilla icing with a dash of salt, marzipan, and brandy-soaked apple and pear orchards.
Finish: The rich and boozy holiday cake fades on the finish as deep earthiness — think firewood bark and smudging sage — drives the end toward a big Kentucky hug of warmth that’s just right.
With Ice:
The nose on this turns into the chocolate ganache instead of a chocolate candy like a Lindt Ball. The palate is like an iced Mexican hot chocolate with dried chili melding with almost umami dark chocolate next to a whisper of mildly spiced horchata.
I really dig this.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of stewed apples lead to apple cider spiked with dried red chili, allspice, and anise on the nose before dark chocolate oranges and salted caramels give way to old oak staves with a hint of vanilla-mint tobacco.
Palate: That vanilla creates a silky palate with tons of butterscotch and caramel popcorn with a good flake of salt as cinnamon and chili-heavy cider leads to Christmas nut breads and old leather tobacco pouches with a hint of dark cherry.
Finish: The end amps up the ABVs dramatically as chili, black pepper, and anise drive the end toward an almost cool mint tobacco vibe with a vanilla buttercream underbelly.
With Ice:
The nose melds cedar bark, birch tea, and root beer pudding to create a creamy yet woody vibe. The palate balances those woody spices with dark fruits and a dry sweetgrass end that’s bold and warming but not overly hot.
This feels like it nails its barrel-proof vibes with long aging and beautiful base distillate. It’s really freaking good is my point.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You get a sense of dry cornmeal on the nose next to apple crumble, plenty of wintry spice, a hint of mulled wine, wet brown sugar, and a thin layer of wet yet sweet cedar.
Palate: A hint of brandy-soaked cherries arrives on the palate with a dusting of dark chocolate powder next to more apple pie filling, spice, and buttery crust alongside a sweet, toffee-heavy mid-palate.
Finish: The end arrives with a dry wicker vibe, cherry tobacco chewiness, and a hint of that dark chocolate.
With Ice:
The nose gives you a light vanilla cream feel before the palate pops with deep winter spice barks. The mid-palate highlights dark cherry with a woody orchard bark feel. This is nice but doesn’t quite pop like the others.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
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.
With Ice:
The nose feels like a scone smeared with rich buttercream next to dark but very creamy chocolate. The cherry really brightens on the palate as red berries stewed with clove, allspice, and cinnamon reach toward soft nuttiness.
This is a really nice pour of whiskey.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rummy spice and fruit open the nose with a sense of nutty winter cakes, caramel sauce, and soft kindling with a light whisper of tobacco just kissed with chili chocolate.
Palate: The palate leans into the chili-chocolate vibes with plenty of winter spice barks, rich marzipan, soft vanilla lusciousness, and a good dose of mincemeat pie.
Finish: Stewed plums and dates drive the finish toward sharp spice barks, more tobacco, and a whisper of walnut bread.
With Ice:
The nose takes on this soft spiced dark berry gelée vibe (the kind you get inside a German Christmas cookie). The palate is super creamy with a nutty sense of spiced winter cakes cut with rich vanilla and chocolate sauces.
This is a very good whiskey.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
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.
With Ice:
The nose on this one feels like quintessential Kentucky bourbon with deep and dark cherry swimming in reach vanilla buttercream with a good dose of mild winter spices adding sharpness and depth. The palate is super creamy with a chocolate malt vibe next to spiced vanilla pudding over a sticky toffee pudding dripping with salted caramel sauce cut with fresh orange zest.
This is a pretty freaking excellent whiskey, too.
Taste 9
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honey Graham Crackers and almond cookies present on the nose with a sense of clove-studded oranges and old cinnamon sticks with a note of caramel and apple.
Palate: The apple merges with the cinnamon and caramel on the palate next to leathery prunes, piney honey, and more clove-orange before a dark potting soil arrives with a deep earthiness.
Finish: That earthiness turns into dry sweetgrass on the finish with a sense of cinnamon-heavy stewed apples and old oak.
With Ice:
The nose holds onto that Graham Cracker dipped in honey vibe. The palate gets super grassy with a dark winter spice berry feel.
This is a good whiskey but doesn’t quite have the same edge as some of the others.
Taste 10
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is peppery with a sense of white chocolate and vanilla pudding cups next to sweet cola cut with cherry and maybe some brown sugar.
Palate: Peaches and mulled wine lead on the palate with a sense of fresh oak lurking in the background, mild notes of orange zest, and hints of nuttiness.
Finish: Mulled wine cut with fresh orange lead to lemon pepper and more oak with a final note of cherry tobacco with a very sweet edge.
With Ice:
The nose stays pretty peppery as the overall palate hits classic bourbon notes. This was fine.
This MGP whiskey is made with a unique bourbon mash bill of 60% corn, 25% wheat, 10% rye, and 5% malted barley. The whiskey is batched from barrels that are two, three, and four years old before re-barrelling into French Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon casks for another three months of resting.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfectly fine bourbon but nothing to write home about.
9. Watershed Distillery Fall Finishing Series Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Apple Brandy Barrels Aged 6 Years Barrel Strength — Taste 9
This Ohio whiskey is all about batching and finishing. The bourbon was re-filled into American oak that held apple brandy for years. After six total years of aging, the whiskey was batched and then bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice enough bourbon. Even with ice, it feels more suited for whiskey cocktails than sipping.
8. Penelope Barrel Strength Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Aged 9 Years — Taste 5
This blended bourbon is a masterful lesson in the power of blending. The three bourbons in the blend create a four-grain bourbon via their mash bills. The final blend is comprised of 44% 10-year-old Indiana bourbon, 46% nine-year-old Indiana bourbon, and 10% nine-year-old Kentucky bourbon. Once batched, the whiskey is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This was a nice everyday sipper. Again even with ice, it felt like it’d make a better cocktail. But … I’d still sip this on a weekday and not be mad about it.
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.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper over ice that lets the oak shine through all the way to the end.
This single-barrel pick from ReserveBar is a very unique bourbon. The whiskey in the bottle is made from 99% corn and 1% rye Indiana bourbon. The team at ReserveBar picked one special eight-year-old barrel of that whiskey and bottled it 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
I like this over ice but it didn’t quite pop like the next five pours on the tasting panel. Like the two pours above, this is a nice mid-week easy-going sipper.
5. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength Barrel No. 0015 — Taste 6
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.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper with a good depth. It’s classic.
This first Booker’s Small Batch of 2023 has arrived! This release is 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.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this is where we get into the “wow” pours. This is excellent bourbon over a single rock. If you’re looking for a quintessential Kentucky bourbon sipping experience, this is the play.
Stagg is Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill no. 1 (a low-rye mash) turned all the way up to MAX volume. The whiskey spends about a decade resting in the old Buffalo Trace warehouses before it’s batched and bottled (in this case in Spring 2023) 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
The shift here is pretty drastic and all for the better. This is essential Kentucky bourbon with that little extra somethin’ somethin’ that draws you back for more. The hype is real as this is so drinkable with a rock.
This 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.
Bottom Line:
This changes from a crafty grain-forward ABV boom to a svelte and sexy bourbon with insane depth and zero burn. This was … exciting.
The last drop from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof of 2023 is a big one. The whiskey in the bottle is a 13-year and 7-month-old bourbon that was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that changed massively for the better with a touch of water and ice. It truly bloomed in the glass into this foundational Kentucky bourbon that then just kept going and going on the palate with new and fun flavor notes. This is a great sipper.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Barrel-Proof Bourbon On Ice
Zach Johnston
Overall, there wasn’t a bad bourbon on this list. If I were to skip any bottles, it’d be the tenth bottle only. The rest all have something unique to offer.
Now, don’t get me wrong. The top four are mind-blowingly great pours of bourbon over a single rock. And they’re all iconic expressions. With that hint of dilution and a touch of cooling, it is easy to see why those top four bourbons get so much hype. They’re truly that good. Get all four if you’re able.
Afrobeats is one of the fastest-growing genres in the country. There are big names who have seen global success, but there are even more talented up-and-coming artists looking to achieve the same type of success. Finding those artists can be tough, but we’ve got you covered. Every week, we’ll share an update on the best new afrobeats songs you need to hear and hopefully, you can find someone new to add to your rotation.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Mannywellz & Pink Sweat$ — “Attention” & “Better With You”
Almost six months after his Don’t Tell Anyone EP, Mannywellz returns with a pair of songs alongside Pink Sweat$. The two tracks, “Attention” and “Better With You,” are cut from a cloth closest to alté, a sound perfect for Mannywellz afrobeats and Pink Sweat$’s R&B backgrounds.
KCee — “I Pray” Feat. Oxlade
Weeks after releasing “Tuesday,” KCee checks in with “I Pray” alongside Oxlade. Together, the two singers strike up an energetic amapiano-inspired record that speaks to a higher power to thank them for their success and to protect them from the enemies that may lurk around them.
Teni — “Malaika”
Teni’s second album Tears Of The Sun arrives on November 19, and ahead of its release, she returns with “Malaika.” The third single on the project, joining “Lanke” and “No Days Off,” is built on the groove of afrobeats as Teni takes time to thank God for helping her through the ups and downs in her life.
Joeboy — “Only God Can Save Me”
In less than two weeks, Nigerian singer Joeboy will release his Body, Soul & Spirit EP. It appears to be a companion project to his second album Body & Soul, which he released back in May. He begins the EP’s rollout with the vulnerable “Only God Can Save Me” which Joeboy uses to discuss the lack of control we have over our destiny.
Victony — “No Joke”
During an interview with Uproxx back in May, Victony hinted at “really unique” records he had on the way. His latest single “No Joke” is seemingly the first, and it’s a groovy single that is both assertive and confident.
Minz — “Blessings”
We’re due for a project from Minz, but for now, we’ll take the singles the singer continues to deliver. “Blessings” joins “Sokoto” and a remix of “Wo Wo” as his drops in 2023, and on it, Minz takes a moment to celebrate the blessings and success that have rained on him in his life.
Morravey — Ravi
Much of the world was introduced to Nigerian singer Morravey thanks to her feature on Davido’s “In The Garden” from his Timeless album. She now steps out on her own with her debut EP Ravi. Through its five songs, Morravey shows her versatility through dance, reggae, highlife, and afro-pop records.
Tega Boi Dc — “Child’s Play” Feat. Shallipopi
If you love amapiano, Tega Boi Dc’s new record “Child’s Play” with Shallipopi is just the track for you. It comes after Tega Boi Dc’s summer record “Come For You” and after Shallipopi’s October release “Things On Things.”
Mellissa — “Henny Talk”
Ghana singer Mellissa is a name you’ve seen beside artists like Amaarae and BOJ, and now, she’s gearing up to stand out on her own with an upcoming EP. Ahead of that project, she drops “Henny Talk” which is a fun and steamy single that combines romance and a bit of liquor to show how feelings can run wild once both are combined.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Afrobeats is one of the fastest-growing genres in the country. There are big names who have seen global success, but there are even more talented up-and-coming artists looking to achieve the same type of success. Finding those artists can be tough, but we’ve got you covered. Every week, we’ll share an update on the best new afrobeats songs you need to hear and hopefully, you can find someone new to add to your rotation.
Here are some more releases on the new music front that you should check out:
Mannywellz & Pink Sweat$ — “Attention” & “Better With You”
Almost six months after his Don’t Tell Anyone EP, Mannywellz returns with a pair of songs alongside Pink Sweat$. The two tracks, “Attention” and “Better With You,” are cut from a cloth closest to alté, a sound perfect for Mannywellz afrobeats and Pink Sweat$’s R&B backgrounds.
KCee — “I Pray” Feat. Oxlade
Weeks after releasing “Tuesday,” KCee checks in with “I Pray” alongside Oxlade. Together, the two singers strike up an energetic amapiano-inspired record that speaks to a higher power to thank them for their success and to protect them from the enemies that may lurk around them.
Teni — “Malaika”
Teni’s second album Tears Of The Sun arrives on November 19, and ahead of its release, she returns with “Malaika.” The third single on the project, joining “Lanke” and “No Days Off,” is built on the groove of afrobeats as Teni takes time to thank God for helping her through the ups and downs in her life.
Joeboy — “Only God Can Save Me”
In less than two weeks, Nigerian singer Joeboy will release his Body, Soul & Spirit EP. It appears to be a companion project to his second album Body & Soul, which he released back in May. He begins the EP’s rollout with the vulnerable “Only God Can Save Me” which Joeboy uses to discuss the lack of control we have over our destiny.
Victony — “No Joke”
During an interview with Uproxx back in May, Victony hinted at “really unique” records he had on the way. His latest single “No Joke” is seemingly the first, and it’s a groovy single that is both assertive and confident.
Minz — “Blessings”
We’re due for a project from Minz, but for now, we’ll take the singles the singer continues to deliver. “Blessings” joins “Sokoto” and a remix of “Wo Wo” as his drops in 2023, and on it, Minz takes a moment to celebrate the blessings and success that have rained on him in his life.
Morravey — Ravi
Much of the world was introduced to Nigerian singer Morravey thanks to her feature on Davido’s “In The Garden” from his Timeless album. She now steps out on her own with her debut EP Ravi. Through its five songs, Morravey shows her versatility through dance, reggae, highlife, and afro-pop records.
Tega Boi Dc — “Child’s Play” Feat. Shallipopi
If you love amapiano, Tega Boi Dc’s new record “Child’s Play” with Shallipopi is just the track for you. It comes after Tega Boi Dc’s summer record “Come For You” and after Shallipopi’s October release “Things On Things.”
Mellissa — “Henny Talk”
Ghana singer Mellissa is a name you’ve seen beside artists like Amaarae and BOJ, and now, she’s gearing up to stand out on her own with an upcoming EP. Ahead of that project, she drops “Henny Talk” which is a fun and steamy single that combines romance and a bit of liquor to show how feelings can run wild once both are combined.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records has seen some truly rough times recently. Going back to 2018, the label has seen its roster depleted by incarceration and deaths. Rappers from the label who have been locked up include Foogiano, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Hotboy Wes, Mac Critter, and Pooh Shiesty, while last year, Big Scarr died at just 22 years old.
However, despite those bleak conditions, there is some good news: Ralo, one of the first current 1017 rappers to be locked up, is home free after serving five years of an eight-year sentence. Ralo had been arrested in 2018, accused of trafficking over $2 million in marijuana, and due to both the vagaries of the broken justice system and the COVID-19 pandemic, languished in a variety of jails for nearly four years before even getting a court date in early 2022. He was credited for this time along with a year and a half for good behavior, hence his “early” release.
The 28-year-old was greeted outside the federal penitentiary by family and friends in a video posted online, beaming from ear to ear as he celebrated his hard-earned freedom
While it remains to be seen if he can pick up where he left off — his most recent mixtape 97 Months was released in April this year — the silver lining is that his onetime mentor Gucci Mane was able to recover from his own stint in prison and come back bigger and better than ever. If anyone has pointers on bouncing back, it’ll be him.
Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records has seen some truly rough times recently. Going back to 2018, the label has seen its roster depleted by incarceration and deaths. Rappers from the label who have been locked up include Foogiano, Hoodrich Pablo Juan, Hotboy Wes, Mac Critter, and Pooh Shiesty, while last year, Big Scarr died at just 22 years old.
However, despite those bleak conditions, there is some good news: Ralo, one of the first current 1017 rappers to be locked up, is home free after serving five years of an eight-year sentence. Ralo had been arrested in 2018, accused of trafficking over $2 million in marijuana, and due to both the vagaries of the broken justice system and the COVID-19 pandemic, languished in a variety of jails for nearly four years before even getting a court date in early 2022. He was credited for this time along with a year and a half for good behavior, hence his “early” release.
The 28-year-old was greeted outside the federal penitentiary by family and friends in a video posted online, beaming from ear to ear as he celebrated his hard-earned freedom
While it remains to be seen if he can pick up where he left off — his most recent mixtape 97 Months was released in April this year — the silver lining is that his onetime mentor Gucci Mane was able to recover from his own stint in prison and come back bigger and better than ever. If anyone has pointers on bouncing back, it’ll be him.
With the well-received spinoff Gen V now wrapped up, The Boys‘ fans have only one question: When is Season 4 coming out? Well, we’ve got an answer thanks to a flurry of activity on the social media account for the satirical superhero show. (Plus some new posters.)
Right off the bat, The Boys account has confirmed that Season 4 will officially arrive in 2024, which was not a given thanks to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike:
The Boys fans also got an official statement from Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher that offers a profane confirmation of the show’s imminent return:
The following statement was released today by Billy Butcher, through his mate Hugh Campbell, who is much better at this technology shite, former employee of the Federal Bureau of Superhuman Affairs (“C*NTs”) located in New York, NY, in response to Season 4, coming in 2024: “Oi, we’re f*ckin’ back.”
You can check out the missive from the desk of Billy Butcher below:
Amazon also dropped two new character posters for Season 4 that capitalize on Butcher and Homelander’s show-stopping cameos in the Gen V Season 1 finale that melted fans’ minds.
Here’s The Boys Season 4 poster for Billy Butcher:
Amazon Prime Video
And here’s The Boys Season 4 poster for Homelander:
Amazon Prime Video
While plot details are still scarce, Season 4 will no doubt pick up the thread of Butcher’s experimentation with Compound V that allowed him to finally go toe-to-toe with Homelander, but at a possibly devastating cost. Use of the serum is out of the question, but Homelander is now more dangerous than ever after the public cheered for him committing murder in public. His reign of terror is just beginning.
The Boys Seasons 1-3 and Gen V Season 1 are now streaming on Prime Video.
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