If you’ve been on social media at all over the past couple of weeks, you have more than likely heard a snippet of Rob49‘s new single, “WTHelly” — or at least seen people adopting the unusual lingo coined by the New Orleans native. The song, which he released on March 21, has racked up streams, while a slew of Rob’s famous compatriots from Justin Bieber to GloRilla have been slinging the new slang in their social media posts.
In a recent interview with TMZ, Rob explained the unusual, slightly unhinged title. “It’s something that my partners came up with in New Orleans,” he said. “We just be saying that so I just put it in a song.”
Over on YouTube, which provides a graphic for the most played section of the song’s stream, an explanation for the song’s viral popularity emerged. In the song’s closing bridge, Rob goes nuts with the “WTHelly” exclamation, sending it through a string of transformations that includes “What the hellyanté?” “What the Helly Berry?” “What the helly-bron James?” and “What the helly Cyrus?” The clip lends itself well to uses in TikTok videos, which find users reacting to all kinds of situations with the combination of confusion, disgust, and amusement implied by the exclamation.
Rob49 has made the most of his spotlight over the past two years, getting in collaborations with Travis Scott, Cardi B, and most recently, Cash Cobain and Bay Swag. With “WTHelly” taking over the ‘Tok, he could be due for another huge surge in popularity soon.
You can watch the video for Rob49’s viral hit, “WTHelly,” above.
Back in February, Quavo released his latest solo single, “Trappa Rappa.” Prior to that Quavo appeared on and dropped several interesting collaborations including “Georgia Ways” featuring Luke Bryan and Teddy Swims as well as “Slow It Down” with The Kid Laroi. Now, he’s teasing another musical crossover and could very well include Travis Scott.
Over on Instagram, Travis Scott showed Quavo some birthday love (April 2). “Happy bday to the Cho,” he wrote on a photo of Quavo in his stories.
Acknowledging the shoutout, Quavo reposted the message onto his stories with an eye-catching caption. “HJ2 still…,” he chimed subtly referring to their past joint album.
The pair originally joined forces for a joint project in 2017, releasing the 13-track studio album, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho. Although the rappers have maintained a working relationship in other ways, they never released a follow-up project.
However, Quavo’s hint at a potential sequel to Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho seems to be a birthday wish supporters are happy to get behind.
“This is the one we really need,” wrote one fan on X (formerly Twitter).
This isn’t the first time Quavo has referenced the body of work. While vacationing in July 2024, he asked fans to get Travis Scott onboard with the idea. “Thinkin’ HJ2? Tag Jack,” he captioned an Instagram post.
Could the Huncho Jack hiatus come to an end in 2025? We’ll see.
Earlier this week, PinkPantheress announced the impending release of a new mixtape with a trailer featuring several different versions of the British songwriter-producer. Today, she released the first track from the upcoming project, “Tonight,” which is accompanied by a Bridgerton-inspired video that brings modern house vibes to the Victorian era.
Prior to announcing the tape, PinkPantheress made her unofficial return to the spotlight in February, joining DJ-producer Shygirl on her song “True Religion,” which appeared on the Club Shy Room 2 EP alongside collaborations with Bambii, Jorja Smith, SadBoi, and Saweetie. Before that, PinkPantheress opened the new year with a post of her studio setup, promising “we are so back” with new music.
Fans could have been forgiven for thinking that she wouldn’t release that new music as a single collection. Last year, she ruffled some music fans’ feathers when she suggested that people don’t care about tracklists. “I was like, ‘Do people care about tracklisting?’ I couldn’t believe it,” she said on the Kids Take Over podcast. “Some people would were like, ‘Oh, it’s a great album, but the tracklisting doesn’t make sense.’ I’m like, just listen to the songs.” She questioned the backlash on Twitter, writing, “who cares if i listen to albums in full lol. It’s music, it’s meant to be unique to everyone.”
Now, Keery has a new album, The Crux, out now, and it features a track called “Charlie’s Garden,” which is an ode to Stranger Things castmate Charlie Heaton.
He spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the track, saying, “I guess part of trying to be as honest as I could was realizing that I could use these songs to sing about the people that I love in my life, and to memorialize these times that I’m experiencing. And so it just kind of came about.”
He went on to explain how sharing a backyard with Heaton and Natalia Dyer while filming the final season of Stranger Things led to the song:
“Charlie and Natalia lived together, and I lived with a friend, and our backyards touched. Charlie is always in his yard doing all these chores. Over the summer, we’d have off days, and I would be hanging out, playing guitar, and I’d look back in the yard and he’d be digging, he’d be burying wire. […]
He and Natalia were taking their dog Penny for a walk at the park and they left, and he has a piano in his house and I was just dinking around. ‘Hey, can I play your piano while you’re gone?’ ‘Sure.’ ‘OK, lock up.’ So this song just comes out. Charlie and Natalia come back, and I say, ‘Hey, listen, I got this song!’”
Keery also said of the track, “It’s one of my favorites now, just because the influences are very clear. It’s The Beatles, but [Paul] McCartney specifically, and ELO. It’s an homage to my great friend and my time in Atlanta. So I get a real kick out of listening to that song.”
Heaton even appears on the song, putting on an American accent for a voiceover that’s spread throughout the track.
Listen to “Charlie’s Garden” above.
The Crux is out now via AWAL. Find more information here.
It’s grueling work, but somebody’s got to do it. After all, life is busy enough, and depending on how your bank account is set up, buying every flashy new label to hit liquor store shelves isn’t an option. That’s why I decided to round up the best new whiskeys to cross my desk lately into this tidy list, ranking them all from good to great.
For this list, we’ve got everything from well-aged Tennessee whiskey to the latest batch of classic bourbon, never-before-released American whiskey, and much more!
The spring is here, and with these new whiskey releases, you’ll have plenty of good cheer to raise a glass to while you soak up the warming weather. Without further ado, here are the best new whiskeys to chase down right now!
O.K.I.’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon, sourced from MGP, gives the brand a new entry-level whiskey offering. This inaugural bottled-in-bond bourbon was bred from a mash bill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet mashed grains lead things off — think of Cream of Wheat drizzled with honey — while the aroma of pears and Golden Delicious apples come tumbling out of the glass soon after. Saigon cinnamon and pie crust notes follow closely behind those more robust notes.
Palate: It opens with hints of molasses, red apples, and barrel char on the palate before taking a slightly bitter turn reminiscent of Kalamata olives, with wildflower honey, black tea, and cigar ash emerging as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish continues strumming the notes of black tea and cigar ash, with a healthy shake of black pepper spice and some Bosc pear sweetness to end it all.
Bottom Line:
This unique take on bottled-in-bond MGP whiskey doesn’t entirely hit the mark, but thanks to its distinct earthiness, it certainly has something interesting to say. If unconventional, earthy bottled-in-bond bourbon is your jam, then you’ll want a bottle of this one ASAP.
19. Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt Whiskey
Hirsch’s first American Single Malt offering sure is a fun one. Double-distilled from 100% malted barley in small copper pot stills, this whiskey is aged for 6 years and 9 months in both new char #3 and toasted American oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Singed blood orange notes start singing as I pass my nose over the glass with robust malt chocolate tones, cinnamon bark, maple taffy, and a faint honeydew melon sweetness blends with underripe mango skin to round things out.
Palate: Maple candy and dark chocolate take the lead on the palate before black pepper, honeydew melon, mango, and black pepper spice kick things into high gear at midpalate. As it transitions to the finish, it picks up steam with some red apple and bubblegum notes, joining hints of sweet malt and molasses.
Finish: The brief finish is most prominently marked by the persistence of underripe mango tones in concert with black pepper spice, malted chocolate milkshakes, vanilla extract, and Manuka honey. Surprisingly, a pinch of sassafrass closes the door on the entire affair.
Bottom Line:
We’re in the midst of what can be considered either the first or second wave of American Single Malt whiskey, and with its inaugural ASM offering, Hirsch seems poised to be a permanent fixture in the movement. This unique take on the category, full of tropical fruit and maple candy, is definitely indicative of how diverse the flavors in ASM can be.
18. Bernheim Original Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey
Bernheim Barrel Proof Wheat Whiskey, a newer addition to Heaven Hill’s portfolio, has been slowly gaining steam since it was first introduced two years ago. This year’s first batch (“A” indicates the first batch of the year, “2” indicates the month, and “25” indicates the year) sticks to the script, delivering Heaven Hill’s flagship wheat whiskey undiluted at full cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes on this one are led by Granny Smith apples and peanut brittle, which morphs into a cinnamon-dusted apple sauce note with nutmeg, cloves, and a touch of spearmint. Sandalwood and faint leather notes round things out.
Palate: On the initial sip, this is a restrained albeit flavor-packed pour that leads with stewed apples and brown sugar before broadening to include cinnamon bark, allspice, lemon zest, and ground ginger. For a wheat whiskey it has a sturdy base, texturally speaking, and effectively coats your palate without displaying some of the disjointedness common with the category.
Finish: The lingering finish introduces milk chocolate and nutmeg, while the gentle oak tones fuse with mocha and cinnamon for a satisfying conclusion.
Bottom Line:
I’ve never considered myself to be a big fan of wheat whiskey, which has a tendency to suffer from a thin mouthfeel and a lack of harmony between its flavors. Bernheim Barrel Proof, however, continues to defy those expectations with medium-bodied, well-integrated offerings like this one.
If you’ve previously given up on this expression, now is a good time to check back in and give your palate a refresher.
17. Penelope Wheated Four Grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Penelope’s brand new affordable offering is a crowd-pleaser: Wheated Bourbon. While savvy enthusiasts will note that Penelope already offers a Four Grain bourbon with wheat in the mash bill, this one has a slightly higher percentage of wheat in the mash bill and is bottled at a higher proof. Finally, this expression is non-chill filtered to preserve maximum flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The distinct aroma of kettle corn wafts out of the glass before red licorice, dried apricots, and peppercorn notes claim center stage. On the second pass, the peppercorn is cracked open and ground as black pepper spice and apple sauce aromas start to assert themselves, while nutmeg and brown sugar have the final say.
Palate: The texture of this whiskey is surprisingly lush and mouth-coating, with menthol, rich honey, dried apricots, and peppercorn flavors rolling over the palate. This drinks above the proof, which is a compliment and probably a credit to the fact that it was bottled without chill filtration.
Finish: The medium-length finish features a much more assertive assortment of baking spices, with cinnamon bark, nutmeg, and black pepper piggybacking off some red apple sweetness before it’s all over.
Bottom Line:
Penelope’s Wheated Bourbon is a revelation. While I’ve typically been more drawn to the brand’s burlier high-ABV options, with excellent expressions like this and their recent 10-year Estate Collection offering, I am inclined to reconsider my position. Don’t be fooled by its position on this list. This is a whiskey I cannot recommend highly enough.
Bulleit’s brand-new bottled-in-bond bourbon really hits the sweet spot for fans of the brand who love their classic flavor profile but would love a little extra flavor even more. What makes this one so special is the fact that it’s comprised 100% of Bulleit’s own distillate — a first for the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with floral notes accompanied by black currants, fresh hazelnuts, juicy clementines, caramel, and nutmeg.
Palate: On the first sip, it’s clear that this whiskey has a really clean mouthfeel, with distinct notes of fresh hazelnuts, sweet, gooey caramel, and fresh red apples coating the tongue at first. It has very well-defined albeit limited layers of flavor, and it’s very tasty; you’ll want to take repeat sips.
Finish: The finish is medium length, surprisingly, but fairly mild, with black pepper and seasoned oak joining red apples before sage emerges as it fades off.
Bottom Line:
Bulleit has made a resounding splash in each of the last two years, first with the return of its celebrated 12-year rye and now with a bottled-in-bond line expansion comprised entirely of their own distillate. This new expression deserves praise as it strikes a nice balance of flavors and indicates a ton of promise for future tasty offerings.
15. New Louisville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 8 Years
Nicknamed “El Chapo,” this new single-barrel offering from New Louisville Whiskey Co., which is itself an offshoot of Prohibition Craft Spirits Distilling Company, is an 8-year, Indiana-sourced bourbon. You probably know PCS as the parent company of NULU Whiskey Co.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose of this whiskey is resplendent with wild cherry bark, mature oak, chocolate truffle dust, and vanilla beans. A few swirls of the glass unveil Ladyfingers, almond extract, and mascarpone with a hint of peanut brittle.
Palate: The palate leads with mocha, almond extract, and black cherry notes before evolving to include chocolate truffle dust, allspice, and sugar-sweetened mascarpone. The texture begins buttery before the ethanol sinks its hooks into your tongue, introducing barrel char, black pepper, and cloves.
Finish: The finish is medium to long and marked by ground ginger, almond extract, mature oak, and black cherry flavors as it slowly sizzles away.
Bottom Line:
This impressively robust bourbon matches its formidable flavor depth with just enough finesse around the edges to maintain a “crushability” more often found in whiskey at a lower proof. If you’re a bourbon fan, you’re familiar with the classic notes found in this rock-solid single barrel. What you’re probably not familiar with is experiencing them in such an approachable, well-rounded manner.
14. High West Bourye Blend Of Straight Whiskeys Batch 25A24
High West’s Bourye is the expression, more than any other, that helped put bourbon-rye blends on the map. That said, while the trend has spread throughout the industry a bit, it hasn’t really caught on yet. No matter, High West’s Bourye is a regularly available exploration of the subset, made from a blend of straight whiskeys. Though it doesn’t have an age statement, all of the whiskeys (sourced from different, undisclosed distilleries) in this blend were aged for at least ten years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Have you ever smelled freshly baked blueberry muffins? Imagine that aroma with a touch of lemon zest with honey, white pepper, and faint peppermint notes bolstering the background of each whiff. This is some alluring stuff, with vinegar and savory dates to round it all out.
Palate: The mouthfeel is the most immediately apparent aspect of this pour, with a heavy density that easily coats the palate with chocolate truffle dust, waxy plums, potting soil, and menthol. Bits of gooey caramel punctuate the underlying sweetness between the more staid, earthy notes.
Finish: The finish is short to medium, which sadly is too short a runway for this complex, multi-layered pour to reach the heights it has aspirations for fully.
Bottom Line:
This is definitely the best batch of High West’s Bourye that I’ve tried in years, and even though an all-too-short finish mars it, it’s that same brevity that will send you in for a second sip. I can’t help but want more from this whiskey, but that’s not to call it an underachiever because it still delivers the goods.
The latest Orphan Barrel offering, dubbed Fanged Pursuit, features 17-year non-chill filtered Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. KSBW at that age is hard to come by. Notably, it’s brought to Orphan Barrel’s preferred proof — a relatively low 46% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose bursts forth with the aroma of Luden’s cherry cough drops, clove cigarettes, Red Vines candy, leather, and torched orange wheel covered in dark chocolate. With patience, the sweet red notes continue to vacillate between red licorice and black cherry while peanut shells and caramel come into focus.
Palate: This whiskey begins with tobacco leaf, Rainier cherries, and red apple skin on the tip of the tongue before it introduces sage smudge, black pepper, barrel char, and touches of lime rind.
Finish: Allspice, dark chocolate, thyme, and orange zest hang on the palate with a medium-length finish to close things out.
Bottom Line:
I’ve been pretty consistently impressed with Orphan Barrel’s offerings, enjoying the flavorful, low-ABV expressions in a vacuum. Their price, however, has more often been the sticking point. At 17 years old, this is one of the few expressions in the lineup that warrants the cost, offering an atypical and enjoyable tasting experience.
Binder’s Stash releases used to be black and white: either you loved them, or you hadn’t tried them yet. The same could be said for the brand’s color scheme, which previously only came in black and white, but for 2025, Binder’s Stash is shaking things up and debuting new colorways, including this one, reminiscent of Tiffany blue, to house some premium 9-year bourbon from Indiana.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey opens with candied almonds, dark chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon before it takes an intriguing turn toward Tajin-like aromas of lime, chili pepper, and salt. This is a light but multilayered nose that’s really enjoyable.
Palate: The palate leads with notes of tobacco leaves, vanilla frosting, chili peppers, faint black pepper, and lime. The texture is lean and spry, with the whiskey easily traveling over your tongue and depositing sweet butterscotch notes along the edges of the tongue.
Finish: “Swing Juice” has a short and sweet finish with almond shells, barrel char, and butterscotch, leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
Binder’s Stash has been putting out an eclectic bunch of high-quality whiskey blends over the last few years, and this “Swing Juice” single barrel is right up there with the best of them. While supplies are generally limited on Binder’s Stash bottles, and the demand is always feverish, you definitely should seek them out to add to your personal collection as soon as possible.
11. Old Sport Single Barrel American Whiskey (Barrel #9)
Old Sport is a vintage whiskey label being revived by Old Carter founder Mark Carter. Fans can expect an assortment of American whiskey and bourbon in the limited release of single barrels in this line. Barrel #9, which I’ll be reviewing today, is one of the brand’s American whiskey releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with light notes of buttered popcorn, lavender, butterscotch, orange zest, pear skin, and nutmeg. Given some time to relax in the glass, further notes of sage smudge, a hint of cedar, and rich vanilla smoothness also emerge.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey is buttery and supple with top notes of vanilla buttercream, creme brulee, dried apricots, and stewed pears. From there, it evolves to include ground Ceylon cinnamon, dilute honey, and delicate white flower flavors.
Finish: The finish is viscous and medium-length, marked by mild tones of cinnamon and dilute honey with a bright, fruit-forward infusion of orange zest and vanilla.
Bottom Line:
Seen by some as the long-awaited arrival of Old Carter’s single barrel program, Old Sport whiskey is actually an animal of a slightly different stripe. With a stronger emphasis on American whiskey than bourbon, at least thus far, fans of Old Carter’s American Whiskeys will find in these releases a familiar mellow sweetness that’s sure to hit the spot.
Caleb’s Crossing, the inaugural bourbon release of the brand’s Dual Cask Series, is a treat. This non-chill filtered expression was made from a blend of whiskeys with mash bills of 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley (aged for 7 years), and 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley (aged for 6 years). The final blend underwent secondary maturation for seven months in red and white Pineau des Charentes as well as Armagnac casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes begin with waxy plums, lipstick, and wildflower honey for an at-first confounding medley that gradually coalesces as black pepper, vanilla extract, and candied almonds enter the fray. I’m also picking up some cayenne and black tea with a spoonful of milk, which is cool.
Palate: Plums, honey, peppercorn, leather, and the flavor of champagne grapes come tumbling over my front teeth and cling to my palate with the initial sip. It has the sweetness of white sugar, but those stone fruit notes make it more approachable, while hints of nutmeg and black pepper give it some welcome depth.
Finish: The succinct finish features the most intriguing conversation between the sugary sweetness and the black pepper spice, with subtler notes of apricots, green apples, and lilacs rounding it all out.
Bottom Line:
Caleb’s Crossing bourbon is fantastic in that it doesn’t shy away from proudly showcasing the base spirit while adding to those core flavors with two interesting finishing casks. That secondary maturation period adds layers of flavor that enhance the underlying liquid, achieving exactly what a good finished product should: a result that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Jack Daniel’s age-stated series kicked off back in 2022 with a 10-year whiskey, and ever since then, we’ve welcomed ever-better entries into the lineup. This year, we’re welcoming the inaugural batch of Jack Daniel’s brand-new 14-year Tennessee Whiskey, marking the first time since the mid-1900s that the brand has released an expression at this age. Most intriguing of all? This is the first barrel-proof expression in the lineup, and it clocks in at a respectable 126.3 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bananas foster comes tumbling over the edge of the glass with a strong rum-like overtone, followed by the aroma of hazelnut spread, pineapple chunks, clove, black pepper, and duck fat to round things out.
Palate: Once on the palate, the flavor of bananas foster, molasses, brown sugar, and tobacco leaf coat the tongue with a slightly chalky mouthfeel. Further notes of Brazil nuts, vanilla pods, faint leather, marzipan, and restrained oak soon bring more life to the party. This is a multilayered and delicious sipper.
Finish: The lingering finish is drying at midpalate but juicier at the edges of the tongue where the banana and marzipan linger with closing notes of sage smudge and nutmeg.
Bottom Line:
Expectations for this release were sky-high ever since preliminary mock-up labels first hit the TTB and social media soon after. Was the wait worth it? Most definitely.
Almost every new limited edition in Jack Daniel’s lineup has immediately entered the debate for “best modern Jack Daniel’s expression.” While the influence of oak is more prominently featured on this release than any of the previous age-stated series bottles, which may not be for everyone, this is yet another stiff competitor for that honor.
Booker’s new Barry’s Batch honors Barry Berish, former Beam Chairman and CEO and a dear friend to Fred Noe. The base of this bourbon (41%) comes from the 5th floor of the 7-story warehouse 3, with additional components coming from center cuts in warehouses 1, H, X, and G.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: These days, I go into pretty much every Booker’s expression expecting an onslaught of floral notes combined with peanuts, peanut shells, or hazelnuts. For 2025’s first batch, there are indeed some floral notes of lavender found right off the bat, but some salted dark chocolate, nutmeg, and corn pudding obfuscate the nutty notes.
Palate: The whiskey is impressively oily and explodes with the flavor of cayenne, brown sugar, salted dark chocolate, and robust nutmeg. I’m immediately struck by how dynamic this whiskey is. Viscous on the palate and full of cinnamon, baked apples, and honeyed graham cracker notes that all brush up against a vigorous shake of black pepper and rapidly building ethanol punch.
Finish: The finish is rather lengthy, aided by this whiskey’s high heat. The closing notes include brown sugar, black pepper, baked apples, graham cracker pie crust, and ground ginger.
Bottom Line:
While the swiftly building heat does, in fact, detract from the overall experience here a bit, singing the roof of the mouth in a level 3 char, I’m pleased to report that this is my favorite standard Booker’s release of the last two years. Not one to throw that claim around lightly, I was delighted to have my expectations subverted in such a dynamic way thanks to each surprisingly layered and flavorful sip.
Barrell Craft Spirits is well known for having one of the best blending teams in the business, but it also has a burgeoning reputation for secondary maturation. Enter this P.X. Sherry cask-finished blend of straight bourbon whiskeys. Edition 001 of this expression features a mingling of straight bourbons that were sourced from Kentucky (9 & 10 years old), Indiana (6, 7, 8, & 12 years old), and Tennessee (7 & 15 years old) before being finished in Pedro Ximenez barrels from Spain.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The sherry notes are a hit right off the bat with this whiskey. It immediately gives off the aroma of a Black Forest cake with cocoa powder and whipped cream gently folded into brandied cherry notes, almond extract, nutmeg, and torched blood orange peels. This is a potent, engaging aroma profile.
Palate: On the palate, it takes on the flavor of a spiced orange cake olive oil cake with pecan nuttiness, robust black pepper, and salted honey notes washing over the tongue at first. You feel the heat on the palate more than you sense it on the nose as it sinks its hooks into your tongue and holds on for dear life.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and full of orange blossom and black pepper, with some nutty oiliness and dried raspberry notes lingering on the palate before it sizzles out of existence.
Bottom Line:
I’ve long felt that Barrell Craft Spirits is underrated, albeit a tad bit overpriced. However, with its mid-shelf offerings, it’s been shedding accusations of the latter while reinforcing notions of the former. Put plainly, this is exquisitely blended whiskey, artfully finished and delivered at an incredibly fair price. This is a new whiskey that you need to own.
6. Pursuit Spirits Derby Town 7-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Here’s a whiskey that caught me by surprise. When I saw this one in my mailbox, I didn’t realize at first it was from the fine folks at Pursuit Spirits. Derby Town is a revived label that dates back to 1933 and the end of Prohibition. For the contemporary release, the Pursuit Spirits crew is bottling bourbon sourced from Kentucky, aged for seven years, and bottled at full barrel proof. This expression falls under their Mellwood Collection, which also features a bottled-in-bond bourbon in tandem with this release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wow. A bouquet of sweet plums, brown sugar, cherry cordials, torched shishito peppers, clove, and raw honey comes wafting out of the glass at the outset. It’s a decidedly dark and sweet profile aided by undertones of mature oak and sweet leather.
Palate: The palate of this whiskey follows a familiar flavor journey as the nosing notes, led by sweet Mirabelle plums, brown sugar, and clove, before cherry cordials and torched shishito peppers round things out. A bit of milk chocolate pools at midpalate with black pepper, red apples, and mature oak, adding breadth to the full-bodied experience.
Finish: Once this whiskey reaches the lingering finish, it welcomes an uptick of black pepper, barrel char, and brown sugar, all undergirded by mature oak tones that gently dry out the palate, leaving a sweet, earthy impression as it fades away.
Bottom Line:
While the arrival of this whiskey at my doorstep came as a surprise, I was even more taken aback once I had a chance to try it. Kentucky bourbon aged for 7 years, even at barrel strength, doesn’t tend to be this flavorful, but this one is jam-packed with rich layers. From the packaging to the 375ml format, this release is intriguing, but the best part by far is the whiskey.
The same can’t be said for all revived brands, but this one passes the muster.
5. Lost Lantern Single Distillery Series: Opulent Orchard New York Distilling Co.
This unique release from the country’s preeminent independent bottlers — Lost Lantern — sees them working alongside one of New York’s first distilleries, New York Distilling Company. For the first rye in the brand’s Single Distillery Series, Lost Lantern bottled a blend of three different 7-year-old rye whiskies that were finished in American apple brandy barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It opens with the aroma of green apple saltwater taffy, transporting me back to the Jersey Shore while allspice, thyme, and Manuka honey notes draw my nose deeper into the glass. This has a mellow, well-integrated aroma profile with really impressive harmony. I can’t wait to take a sip.
Palate: The first sip continues the surprisingly mellow vibes with green apple taffy notes gently coating the palate while mild black pepper spice, nutmeg, and potting soil notes balance out that mellow sweetness without stealing its thunder. This drinks well below its proof in the heat department, but the richness of its flavor lives up to the ABV, which is a laudable feat.
Finish: The finish is lengthy and mouth-drying, with nutmeg, green apple chips, mild cinnamon bark, black pepper, and faint honey notes closing out each sip. Texturally, it gains weight on the palate without singing the tongue, indicating its proof with subtle blunt force rather than an acute sharpness.
Bottom Line:
In order of impressiveness, Lost Lantern’s Opulent Orchard expression has an alluring profile, rich, well-integrated flavors, and a restrained heat that only crops up on the finish, making it a slow-building sipper that crescendos at just the right moment. It’s so harmonious and perfectly proofed I almost can’t believe it wasn’t diluted to achieve this profile. This is a dangerously delicious bottle, befitting of its name.
Pinhook’s Vertical Series is now in its 5th year of bringing consumers on the journey of experiencing the flavor evolution of the brand’s sourced rye whiskey. As a quick refresher, Pinhook took a select lot of four-year-old MGP-sourced whiskey in 2020 and has been releasing it annually with one additional year of maturation. This year’s expression is now 9 years old, blended from just 20 barrels of 95/5 rye and bottled unfiltered at 111.2 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It opens with lush, sweet mint notes, sage, caramel, dark chocolate, and petrichor. It’s a totally classic rye profile with great dark sweetness and impressive depth. Nutmeg, vanilla extract, and bacon fat blend well with the aroma of calvados that close out the aroma notes.
Palate: The first sip is full of sweet mint, calvados, allspice, green peppers, and salted caramel. A second sip emphasizes the allspice and brings a bit of barrel char, Mexican hot chocolate, and Concord pear flavor into the mix. The mouthfeel here is medium-bodied.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and full of oak, black peppercorns, and toasted almonds with some sweetness reminiscent of honeyed mint tea that holds it all together.
Bottom Line:
Any American whiskey enthusiast worth their salt is already familiar with the 95/5 rye whiskey profile, but having the opportunity to witness its evolution from year to year is an innovative experience that’s not to be missed. Equal parts education and elegance, Pinhook’s Vertical Series appears to have hit the sweet spot with this nine-year offering.
Talk about making a splash! After banishing one of its most beloved offerings as an export-exclusive and teasing domestic drinkers with last year’s 70th Anniversary bottling, Wild Turkey is finally ready to make 8-year, 101-proof bourbon a part of its everyday American whiskey lineup. It utilizes Wild Turkey’s sole bourbon mash bill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley, made in the same way as classic Wild Turkey 101 but aged for eight years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It starts surprisingly floral, but this quickly gives way to brown sugar, plums, Honeycrisp apples, clove, and vanilla notes. Aside from the notes’ richness, the balance they present themselves with makes them impressive. If you’re patient, you will also find a touch of sherried mushrooms with sage and black pepper spice alongside burgeoning caramel aromas.
Palate: The dense mouthfeel makes the mouth’s periphery start watering as soon as the whiskey hits your palate, with brown sugar, stewed apples, vanilla pods, and sweet tobacco leaves setting the table. Saigon cinnamon, clove, and mature oak notes help flesh things out.
Finish: The lengthy finish has Manuka honey, cinnamon bark, black pepper, and cinnamon bark in spades with walnut shells, French vanilla, and brown butter that kick in as it starts warming the mouth.
Bottom Line:
Wild Turkey’s latest run of 8-year 101 is as magical as it ever was. Last year’s 70th Anniversary release was created as an homage to Jimmy Russell and thus reflected the flavor profile Jimmy prefers. This year’s 8-year 101, however, is its own thing. With a flavor profile that emphasizes more of the dark sweet notes, rich red berries, and baking spice boldness found in, say, Russell’s Reserve as opposed to Rare Breed, Wild Turkey has created a “new” expression that will wow its core fans.
Woodford’s original release of Chocolate Whisper in 2021 was met with a ton of fanfare. So much so that the brand held back some of those barrels and decided to re-release them, now at 12 years of age. To rehash how these releases got their name: this whiskey was distilled immediately after a run of bourbon that utilized chocolate malted rye, which left a “whisper” of chocolate flavor in the succeeding batch that the distillery found too intriguing to pass up.
One final note that makes this re-release special is that while 139.4 proof is the highest-proofed Woodford Reserve release of all time, this whiskey was actually slightly proofed down. It isn’t even at cask strength! That’s impressive.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A bounty of chocolate truffle notes fuses with gooey caramel, Macadamia nuts, flan, cinnamon bark, and polished leather on the nose of this bold whiskey. Subtler accents of brandied cherries, Earl Grey tea, melon rind, and vanilla pods really help elevate all of the top notes as well.
Palate: Once on the palate, notes of caramel, French vanilla frosting, cinnamon bark, and brandied cherries seize the lead while the robust chocolate notes from the nose emerge at mid-palate with a creamy, full-bodied chocolate fudge flavor that becomes an anchor for the entire pour.
Finish: The medium-length finish feels perfectly proofed as the fudge notes roll over with accents of almonds, mild barrel char, and vanilla pods.
Bottom Line:
Woodford Reserve fans don’t frequently gripe about the label delivering their favorite whiskey at a modest 90.4 proof, but on the sparing occasions when the Versailles, Kentucky, distillery opts to push the boundaries and produce cask-strength bourbon, it certainly always generates excitement. Now that we’ve had a chance to try the highest-proofed Woodford Reserve release ever, we can’t help but hope that singing its praises will result in a third Chocolate Whisper in the future.
This is one of the best Woodford Reserve releases we’ve ever tasted.
1. Bardstown Bourbon Company Distilled Reserve Cathedral French Oak Barrel Finish Bourbon
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s latest release is more than 300 years in the making. Utilizing a blend of Kentucky bourbons between the ages of 9 and 18 years old, with the lion’s share coming from 14-year and 18-year stock comprising 45% and 37.5% of the blend respectively.
As for the three-centuries-in-the-making, that’s due to the oak staves that made up the barrels this blend was finished in. The 300-year-old French oak staves hail from the Bercé Forest and were originally harvested to restore the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris following the fire of 2019, thus the name.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon bark, chocolate-covered raisins, spiced cedar, black cherry, and vanilla ice cream notes stand the tallest on the first pass over this glass. Some orange rind, star anise, and maple syrup notes soon emerge as well for an indulgent, well-developed nose that will keep you coming back to the glass for enjoyment.
Palate: Maple syrup, French vanilla, roasted coffee beans, and brown sugar flood the senses on this remarkably robust bourbon from the first sip. The flavors border on decadent as the richness finds every corner of your mouth. There is a slight astringency, akin to gently over-steeped honeyed black tea, but it doesn’t detract from the boldness of the flavors as the liquid glides to its conclusion.
Finish: That astringency melts away on the lengthy finish as notes of maple syrup, vanilla bean, faint black cherry notes, orange rind, and mature oak overrun it.
Bottom Line:
This is exceptionally delicious bourbon, and after reading the back label and seeing the ages and percentages of the whiskeys in the blend, the flavor notes make a lot of sense. It’s also hard to discount the impact of the 300+ year French oak used for the barrels that this blend was finished in, as decadent, mature, woodsy notes are well-integrated from the nose to the palate.
To put it plainly, this might be the most “must-try” bourbon that Bardstown Bourbon Co. has ever released and is an early contender for bourbon of the year.
Today (April 4), Doja took to X (formerly Twitter) to praise fellow Grammy Award-winner Doechii. “Doechii is MY inspiration,” she wrote. “Doechii is here to STAY.”
In tour footage (viewable here), Doja affirmed Doechii backstage of one of their shows. “When I was a kid and I say [Lady] Gaga and Beyoncé, I would look at [them] and be like, ‘She was supposed to happen,” she said, “You [Doechii] are supposed to happen.”
An emotional Doechii replied: “Aw, stop it. I love you so much. Thank you so much for having me [on your tour]. You don’t understand. You didn’t have to do [invite me on the tour].”
Since then, the ladies have remained in contact. The pair even teased a collaboration was in the works, but it has not yet been released. With Doja’s recent online declaration maybe the record could see the light of day soon.
Lil Yachty and Veeze are back together again. Last summer, they teamed up for “Sorry Not Sorry,” and now they have another new collaboration out, “Can’t Be Crete Boy.”
Like their previous link-up, this one also comes with a Lyrical Lemonade video. The stylized visual sees Veeze rapping his opening verse as the shot slowly zooms in, increasing the focus on Yachty dancing in the background, and when he’s more prominent in the frame, his first verse begins.
Veeze kicks off the first verse, “Breakin’ up happy homes, Chrome Heart made my coat / These n****s behavin’ when rappers around, they actin’ like Amber Rose / She a ho, so I couldn’t propose, give a f*ck if her name was Toast / Every day, I re-up on the dope, we gon’ drink us a cup with the fro.” Yachty also addresses folks he views as beneath him, rapping, “Ain’t f*ck with these n****s, I’m master, movin’ around like a bastard / Ain’t goin’ back and forth with no sucker-ass n**** who fill out FAFSA / First n**** tug on my chain, make an example, make a disaster / I like my hoes no face, no case, my b*tch straight out Nebraska.”
Ed Sheeran recently announced that his new album is called Play, and now we have a taste of it with the single “Azizam.”
Sheeran says of the track:
“Even though it’s completely different to anything that I’ve ever done before, Azizam feels familiar to me. I wanted to create a party atmosphere in a song and Ilya Salmanzadeh, who I worked with on the track, helped bring that to life. He was so inspiring to work with.”
A press release notes the song’s origins lie in a meeting with Salmanzadeh (a Swedish/Iranian producer), where they found an overlap between Persian and Irish folk music and decided to put them in a pop context.
This comes shortly after Sheeran’s appearance on The Tonight Show last week, where he spoke about the song. He noted the title is Farsi for “my dear,” and that he’s recorded a version of the song that’s sung entirely in Farsi. He added, “I feel like the Persian community has really embraced the song and what we’ve been doing with it, and I feel very honored to be kind of taken by the hand and shown different things.”
For more on how the track came to be, Sheeran also shared a behind-the-scenes video of the making of “Azizam” a couple days ago:
Steven and Ian open this week’s episode with a question: Was the first quarter of 2025 a little disappointing, in terms of album releases? Seems like it was. So why not look ahead to the second quarter? The guys go over new-release teases for music this week from a bevy of stars, including Wet Leg, Turnstile, and WU LYF. Then they do the Fantasy Albums Draft for the second quarter, discussing upcoming records from Lana Del Rey, Bon Iver, Billy Woods, Tunde Adebimpe, and more.
In the mailbag, they discuss the newly announced arena tour for Brand New, and whether the emo band has faced appropriate consequences for allegations against singer-songwriter Jesse Lacey.
In Recommendation Corner, Ian talks up “Altered Zones”-core act OHYUNG while Steven stumps for the dreamy neo-grunge band Momma (with extra shouts to Craig Finn and The Waterboys).
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 233 here and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
A little over two weeks after he announced the impending release of his upcoming album, Wild, Russ has shared the music video for its sensual single, “April 7.” A confessional, passionate love letter to his life partner, “April 7” details the ways in which the former Uproxx cover star shows his affection for her.
“When you with me, leave your wallet at home, when you be callin’ my phone, I still light up,” he raps in the second verse. “Every time I take you shoppin’, I’m blowin’ a couple thousand or more, and the clothes pile up.”
Shortly after revealing the title of Wild, Russ shared a longer post on Twitter (never calling it “X,” get serious), explaining the album’s name. “The title ‘W!ld’ represents my evolved perspective on life’s inherent unpredictability and the transitional phase between resisting life’s challenges and embracing them,” he wrote. “After I got external success, my focus naturally shifted inward, realizing that there was a whole world I hadn’t explored yet. My internal one. At this point of my journey I’m really interested in navigating the ‘wild’ of my internal landscape so that I can engage with my external experiences with a renewed, healthier and more grounded mindset.”
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