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It’s no secret that the Uproxx crew loves a great American road trip. The freedom that comes with setting out on the open road is intoxicating. “Road trips are so good for us in the head, and the heart, and the spirit” — thus spoke a trending TikTok audio of Matthew McConaughey. But it’s not just a social media or film trope — the open road is a teacher. It takes us away from our ordinary and into the unknown.

If we let it, it’s a diversion from our lives that brings us closer to the lives of others. And that’s just what I set out to do – on the most famous road in America: Route 66.

Labeled the “Mother Road” by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath, the nearly 100-year-old road – winding over 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles – is legendary. What began as a transportation corridor during the Depression and World War II eventually became the poster child for freedom and optimism post-war. As the shortest year-round route between the Midwest and Los Angeles, families packed up their cars for long road trips to Disney, the Grand Canyon, and the storied American Southwest, stopping at roadside attractions, unique motels, and natural wonders along the way.

With the advent of Interstates in the later part of the century, many small towns and curiosities that made a trip on Route 66 so memorable were bypassed completely. Route 66 looked likely to become a string of ghost towns (this is pretty much the plot of the Disney movie, Cars, BTW). Luckily, various heritage groups sprung into action to preserve the iconic road, its local economies, and its place in American history.

In 1990, the US Congress passed a law recognizing that Route 66 had “become a symbol of the American people’s heritage of travel and their legacy of seeking a better life” — which led to the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. With the 100th anniversary of the road coming in 2026, it’s the perfect time to revisit this storied road, get off the interstates, and take the long way. As an Illinois native, I was most interested in the beginning portion of this route, traveling between Chicago and St. Louis.

Here is my guide:

START IN CHICAGO

The official “beginning” of the road is in downtown Chicago in such an unassuming place that my Uber driver insisted I gave him the wrong address. But no, steps from Millenium Park at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue intersection lies the sticker-covered “Begin Route 66” sign where our journey launches.

Now, Chicago isn’t necessarily the sort of small-town vibe I envisioned when I decided to drive a portion of Route 66 solo, but as America’s “Second City” it would be a crime to touch down and not spend a couple of days exploring before hitting the road.

WHAT TO DO:

What can’t you do in Chicago, honestly? I’ve spent many weekends in the Windy City (and Uproxx has written plenty on it) and I’ve still never run out of things to do. For this trip, I decided to keep it somewhat “touristy” and check out some of the most famous landmarks, restaurants, and museums in town.

MILLENIUM PARK

Is it a trip to Chicago if you don’t stop by “The Bean” in Millenium Park?

The art installation – officially named Cloudgate – has become an icon of the city. (Note: construction will limit access to Cloudgate until spring 2024) Stroll through this beautiful public park, stopping at The Bean, Lurie Garden, Crown Fountain, and catching a Jay Pritzker Pavillion show.

SECOND CITY

Head to The Second City for an unforgettable improv experience. The comedy theater is legendary, launching the careers of almost every notable comedian I can think of – John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Jordan Peele, and many others. There are several different shows to choose from – I opted for “The Best of The Second City: Chicago Style” on my last visit, and barely had time to sip my drink without spitting it out from laughter.

RIVERWALK

Stroll along the redeveloped Chicago Riverwalk, along the infamous Chicago River. Enjoy public art, eating, drinking, or people-watching. I loved sipping a glass of wine at City Winery while watching the boats pass me by.

URBAN KAYAKING

For the adventurous, rent a kayak or head out on a guided kayak tour with Urban Kayaks, with locations along the Chicago Riverwalk and North Avenue Beach; there is an adventure for all skill levels. I loved kayaking downtown on the Chicago River for a sunset guided tour. It’s a great alternative to the popular architecture tours – if you’d like to get your heart pumping.

WHERE TO STAY:

ARLO CHICAGO

I loved my stay at Arlo Chicago – just steps from Millenium Park and the start of Route 66. Formerly the Hotel Julian, the hotel has recently undergone a reopening and reimagining that is worth a look — with views of The Bean right from your window to a bustling bar and restaurant, impeccable service, and stylish but understated decor – it’s the perfect place to be if you want to get in the action of Michigan Avenue.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK:

FOOD TOUR

I opted for a food tour of classic Chicago restaurants on this visit, to go complete tourist. And I was not disappointed. The Chicago Favorites Walking Tour, with Bobby’s Bike Hike, was a great way to learn some Chicago history and enjoy classic Chicago dishes while meeting new people worldwide. We made stops at Lou Malnati’s for classic Chicago deep-dish, the SNL famous Billy Goat Tavern for a Chicago-style hotdog (always hold the ketchup), an Italian Beef, and a brownie for dessert.

Add a craft beer package at three stops, or buy drinks for a boozy and filling trip.

ABOUT LAST KNIFE

I was lucky to visit About Last Knife, the restaurant at Arlo Chicago, on the first days of their new menu for dinner and breakfast. My seared tuna appetizer was incredible, followed by truffle pasta with short ribs cooked to perfection – I loved it so much that I opted for a short rib hash the following day for breakfast. The vibe is hip without being overdone, with a great mix of travelers and locals.

FESTIVALS

There always seems to be a street festival in The Windy City, and it’s the perfect excuse to try new dishes. I headed to the Tacos Y Tamales Festival in Pilsen for some tamales (obviously), a churro ice cream sandwich, and some brews.

LOU MITCHELLS

Before I left Chicago to embark on the next leg of my Route 66 road trip, I had to stop at the iconic Lou Mitchell’s for breakfast. The classic American diner, located right near the beginning of Mother Road, has been serving travelers and locals for 100 years. Before hitting the road, come early to get a table and enjoy classic diner fare, complimentary donut holes, and homemade ice cream.

LEG 2: CHICAGO TO PONTIAC, IL — TWO HOURS

The first leg of the trip winds from Chicago to Pontiac, Illinois. The town of just over 11,000 people is home to the Route 66 Museum, countless murals, and small-town vibes.

WHERE TO STOP:

TOUR OLD JOLIET PRISON

On the way to Pontiac, I stopped at the Old Joliet Prison for a tour – as historic prisons are always one of my favorite roadside attractions. The iconic former State Penitentiary housed inmates for over 150 years, appearing in The Blues Brothers, and was a filming location for the show Prison Break. These days, you can take self-guided or guided tours of the massive property and learn about its history and famous inmates.

VISIT THE ROUTE 66 MUSEUM

After your slightly macabre morning, drive into downtown Pontiac to spend an hour (or three) at the massive Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum. The sprawling museum showcases an incredible amount of paraphernalia from all along the route, including — my favorite — the van and converted art school bus (the Road Yacht) of legendary artist and environmentalist Bob Waldmire. Spending much of his life traveling back and forth along Route 66 from Illinois to Arizona, Waldmire sold pen and ink drawings and told stories of life on the road.

Waldmire is beloved in the Route 66 community and was even the inspiration for Fillmore in the movie Cars. I loved seeing his vehicles, photos, and art on display in the museum. After your visit, explore downtown Pontiac for an impressive amount of murals and quaint small-town charm.

GRAB A BITE AT ACRESINN

Just steps away from the Route 66 Hall of Fame and Museum lies the locally-owned cafe, restaurant, and market ACRESinn. I loved the fried Korean BBQ sandwich with Korean BBQ, slaw, and kimchi mayo with a side of potatoes.

ENJOY A FLIGHT AT PK UNKORKED

After a long day, I loved finding PK Unkorked Wine Shop and Tasting Room. I settled in for a tasting with my book while local performers got ready to play. It was not fussy but offered great wine and a community feel.

LEG 3: PONTIAC TO SPRINGFIELD, IL — 2 HOURS

The second leg of my trip took me to Springfield — the capital of Illinois. As someone who grew up in Central Illinois, I know Springfield well — mostly through school field trips — so I was excited to explore some old haunts again — this time with a drink.

WHERE TO STOP:

WALK THROUGH LEGENDS NEON PARK

One of the coolest stops I made was Legends Neon Park at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Walk through the park at dusk or later when iconic neon signs from Route 66 are illuminated on a path that takes you from Chicago to St. Louis. The attention to detail is impressive, and it’s kitschy fun to see all of the neon signs.

VISIT THE LINCOLN PRESIDENTIAL MUSEUM AND LINCOLN HOME

You can’t visit Springfield without visiting some Abraham Lincoln attractions — they’re everywhere, and for good reason. Although the 16th President was not born in Illinois (despite it being known as the Land of Lincoln), he spent much of his life there from practicing law to becoming elected as President. I had visited Lincoln’s Home — a National Park Service Historic Site — many times but loved having a private tour with a park ranger on this visit before heading over to the impressive Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

The museum is surprisingly engaging and interactive – doing a great job of leading visitors through Lincoln’s life from birth to death — including a great exhibit set at my alma mater that I am, of course, partial to.

STEP BACK IN TIME, STAYING AT THE BRESSMER

I stayed right Downtown in Springfield at The Bressmer, a historic victorian style home with each floor available to rent. My ground floor suite was like stepping back in time — and was enormous. I had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, and office to relax in after a day exploring.

ORDER A HORSESHOE AT OBED AND ISAACS

Just down the street from The Bressmer is a Springfield classic — Obed and Isaacs Microbrewery. I popped in for dinner and ordered the Springfield-originated classic Horseshoe — an open-faced sandwich of toast layered with protein, cheese sauce, or gravy and topped with french fries — with one of their craft brews before heading next-door to 7th Street Cidery for some taster pours on the large patio.

GRAB LUNCH AND A LOCAL BREW AT LA PIAZZA

Just steps from the State Capital lies La Piazza where I enjoyed a salad, warm bread, and a local Cannibal Cupcake brew from local Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling. It’s a great place to sit outside and people-watch.

GRAB A COFFEE AND PASTRY AT CUSTOM CUP

Before leaving Springfield I stopped by Custom Cup Coffee for a lavender latte and pastries. The micro-roastery specializes in custom, small-batch, roasted-to-order coffees right in the heart of the city.

LEG 4: SPRINGFIELD TO ALTON, IL 1.5 HOURS

The next leg of the trip took me from Springfield to Alton, Illinois — on the banks of the Mississippi River. The historic town, along with the nearby Pere Marquette State Park have long been a stopping point for travelers heading West.

WHERE TO STOP:

ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS

There are plenty of Route 66 attractions on each leg of the trip, but I loved the kitschiness of those on this leg the most. Stop in the massive Pink Elephant Antique Mall, Shea’s Gas Station Museum, Route 66 Motorhead’s Bar and Grill, and the original historic Route 66 brick road, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

RIDE THE ALPINE COASTER AT AERIE’S RESORT BEFORE DINNER WITH A VIEW

Head to Aerie’s Resort in nearby Grafton to take the gondola up for a great view over the Mississippi, with an alpine coaster (the first in Illinois), zip-lining, great food, and a great wine selection. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped out of the midwest and into the mountains.

WAKE UP OVER THE RIVER AT THE CRACKER FACTORY

I loved staying in downtown Alton at the Cracker Factory, a converted historic building with upscale suites to rent. I was lucky to have the Penthouse all to myself with two bedrooms, a huge great room, amazing large terraces with views of downtown and the river. It’s perfectly situated in downtown Alton with lots of eclectic shops nearby.

LEG 5: ALTON TO STATE LINE AND ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — 30 MINUTES

The last leg of Route 66 in Illinois is from Alton to nearby St. Louis, Missouri. From there you can head into STL to explore or continue on Route 66 all the way to California.

WHERE TO STOP:

CAHOKIA MOUNDS STATE HISTORIC SITE

A visit to Cahokia Mounds, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is essential if you’re anywhere near St. Louis. Named after the nearby modern-day community of Cahokia, the State Historic Site preserves the remains of an ancient Native American city that was once the largest and most sophisticated settlement in pre-Columbian North America. With more than 70 earthen mounds of varying sizes and purposes, it is recognized as one of the most important archaeological sites in the United States.

WORLD’S LARGEST CATSUP BOTTLE

I lived in Illinois outside of St. Louis as a kid for a few years, and one of my greatest memories is driving by the “Worlds Largest Catsup Bottle” on the way to school. A quirky Route 66 landmark and photo-op, the 170-ft water tower has been a staple for Route 66 travelers since its construction in 1949.

CONTINUE ON THE MOTHER ROAD… MAYBE ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA.

The social media joint formerly known as Twitter hasn’t been the same since You Know Who took over. It’s become a haven for resurrected anti-Semitic accounts, once avoidable verification issues, threats that all of it could become pay-only, and, of course, a dumb name change. But it still has problem that plagued the before-Elon Twitter: Name accounts can still be hacked.

As per The Daily Beast, On Tuesday fans of Christina Applegate were rightly alarmed when her account suddenly took a hard turn towards cryptocurrency.

“I am loving NFTs!” read a post that was soon pinned to the top of the actress’ account. “I almost lost my NFTs a few days ago, I had to migrate my NFTs cause of the new contract upgrade! DONT LOSE YOUR MONEY!!!! I CARE ABOUT ALL MY FANS!!! I CRYPTO! #CRYPTO #Bitcoin #Ethereum.”

There were other, non-crypto posts that were still suspect, including one that read, ““Comment ‘applegate’ letter by letter on my tweet, and i will choose 50 people that did to follow back! ”

At one point the suddenly questionable account addressed the elephant in the room. “Everyone, i am not hacked. I have simply been struggling with my illness and have been looking into internet currency (like Cryptocurrency) please stop this accusation,” read the post, referencing Applegate’s struggles with multiple sclerosis. “Thank you. I don’t like being made fun of.”

But Applegate’s publicist eventually contradicted that assertion, telling The Daily Beast, “Her account was indeed hacked. We are trying to fix that.”

By late Tuesday, the crypto posts had been zapped from Applegate’s feed, suggesting (hopefully) that all had been set right.

(Via The Daily Beast)

Earlier this year, Queens Of The Stone Age released In Times New Roman…, their first album since 2017’s Villains. In the interim, they’ve announced a slew of tour dates. They’ve also been on the road since August and will play shows through the end of the year.

The first batch of gigs they announced had a plethora of openers on select dates: Phantogram, Viagra Boys, The Armed, and Jehnny Beth. However, all of the dates with Phantogram and Viagra Boys have since passed. The dates with The Armed and Jehnny Beth are happening now and end on October 8. Beginning December 5 is the second leg, which boasts the band Spiritualized.

Check out the remaining tour dates below.

09/19/2023 — Omaha, NE @ Steelhouse
09/20/2023 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre
09/22/2023 — Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park
09/23/2023 — St. Louis, MO @ Saint Louis Music Park
09/24/2023 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
09/26/2023 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
09/27/2023 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion
09/29/2023 — Denver, CO @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
09/30/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Great Saltair
10/02/2023 — Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
10/03/2023 — Vancouver, BC @ Pacific Coliseum
10/04/2023 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena
10/06/2023 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
10/08/2023 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock
12/05/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
12/06/2023 — El Paso, TX @ Abraham Chavez Theatre
12/08/2023 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center
12/09/2023 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
12/10/2023 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
12/12/2023 — Albuquerque, NM @ Revel
12/15/2023 — San Diego, CA @ Viejas Arena
12/16/2023 — Los Angeles, CA @ Kia Forum

Even though America is the world’s wealthiest nation, about 1 in 6 of our neighbors turned to food banks and community programs in order to feed themselves and their families last year. Think about it: More than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021 (1 in 8 children).

In order to solve a problem, we must first understand it. Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, released its second annual Elevating Voices: Insights Report and turned to the experts—people experiencing hunger—to find out how this issue can be solved once and for all.

Here are the four most important things people facing hunger want you to know.

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Hunger is still an urgent crisis despite signs of economic recovery. In the months following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, headlines report that the nation’s economic health is bouncing back after years of hardship. However, a big chunk of our population is experiencing a different reality. Recovery has been uneven nationwide, and grocery prices are still higher than normal despite easing supply chain issues. With the end of the federal support offered throughout the pandemic, child poverty rates have shot up, and families like Donnette McManus’ are feeling the squeeze.

“Even though you have your list, you have your budget, things are changing so quickly. Your salary can’t keep up. So, you get to the store with the same exact list, the same 10 items can cost you 50% more,” said McManus, who lives in Massachusetts.

People facing hunger say that ending food insecurity is about more than just food. Ending hunger may sound like a simple task: make sure everyone, regardless of who they are and where they live, has access to the food they need. However, as neighbor-advocate Jennifer Estrada of Wisconsin pointed out, the reality is a bit more complex, especially considering that hunger is only a symptom of bigger economic challenges.

“As much as you work, the system is set up for you to continue in a cycle of food insecurity,” said Estrada. “Your whole check goes to a rent payment if you’re not fortunate enough to own a house, with nothing leftover. But you get kicked off if you make $2 more. There needs to be some security, there needs to be a revamping of the whole system … It seems like instead of creating less barriers to help the families in our community, it seems like policies and procedures continue to make more barriers.”

One of the biggest takeaways from the 2023 Insights Report is that housing is unaffordable. Working 40+ hours a week still isn’t enough to get by for many folks. Stopping hunger in its tracks is as much about strengthening economic well-being as it is about providing equitable access to enough nourishing food.

Hunger is an issue that intersects with more than what we put on our plates. Hunger strikes without discrimination, affecting anyone, anywhere, at any time. Millions of people in the U.S. are just one job loss, missed paycheck, or medical emergency away from experiencing food insecurity. Due to a long history of racism, discrimination, and oppression in our country, hunger impacts some communities more than others, including communities of color and communities in rural areas.

While the impact of hunger is widespread, people facing it note that the stigma associated with it can strip people of their dignity or deter them from accessing the food assistance programs they’re eligible for and need. There are also inequitable systems in place that do not work for everyone.

“Your basic clerk at your local DHS [Department of Human Services] office is only employed to input information and output information back to you. A lot of times, you feel like you’re not even a human. You’re just a number to them. And if I’m just going to be a number to you, I have a mental meltdown,” said Kimberly Harris, a resident of Washington, D.C.

Ending food insecurity requires a catalyzing movement. While hunger remains a widespread and persistent problem, our country already has the tools to eradicate it forever—they just need to be utilized. Most people facing hunger said that federal and local governments should treat hunger as an urgent crisis—signaling that it will take all of us to bring hunger to a halt.

So how can you take action right now? Do your part and visit FeedingAmerica.org/ElevatingVoices to read the 2023 Elevating Voices: Insights Report and sign a petition to encourage Congress to pass legislation that will help ensure no one in America goes hungry. Let’s all pitch in to make the wealthiest nation become the happiest and most prosperous—for all.

Houston, Texas is the birthplace of many a music icon — Beyoncé, Paul Wall, Travis Scott, and Bun B all hail from the largest city in the Lone Star State. So when one of those legends decides to launch something in H-Town, it’s sure to make some noise. Still, few could have predicted the buzz when the UGK’s Trill OG himself opened his new burger concept, Trill Burgers, in June after a few years of popping up at festivals around the country.

Drake has been to Bun’s new joint. So has Shaq. E-40, Luda, and Tyson have all dropped by. So it’s no wonder that locals and tourists alike are ready to brave the line, which often wraps around the storefront.

Thankfully, that snaking line moves quickly and efficiently. Upon entry, diners are greeted with a thumping mix of dirty south hip-hop from the likes of Outkast, Paul Wall, Gucci Mane, and of course, UGK. The walls are graffitied with paintings of Bun, as well as his late bandmate Pimp C. Bun has always been the holder of Pimp’s legacy and the decor underscores their brotherhood.

Trill boasts a simple menu of their standard “OG Burger” — a smash burger with two patties, two slices of American cheese, pickles, caramelized onions, and a signature sauce. Diners can also order the triple OG burger, a vegan OG burger made with Impossible Foods patties, and a triple vegan OG burger. It’s In-n-Out-level sparse without the secret menu — a strategic decision to make sure quality control is kept on lock.

Good Morning America recently named Trill Burgers the best burger in the nation. It was also a hit at this year’s Coachella. So naturally the Uproxx crew had to pay a visit.

Tasting Notes & Thoughts:

After about a 15-minute wait in line, I ordered the OG burger combo, which comes with fries and a drink. With slim patties smashed with pickles and caramelized onions, slathered with the special sauce, and sandwiched between two Martin’s buns, the burger already has the makings of a down south favorite. And I’m here to spoil this review by telling you — it delivers on flavor.

The OG burger is notably juicy; that’s literally the first note I wrote down. The sweetness of the onions, sauce, and pickle balances well with the umami savoriness of the patty. The burnt outer edges of the smash burger also give the burger a nice crisp texture. Some smash burgers rely on an assortment of toppings and garnishes but Trill’s are seasoned so well that even with only two toppings (and the sauce) the burger literally bursts with flavor.

I did feel like it would have been nice to balance out the meat with some lettuce or tomatoes but I certainly like the Trill OG more than Smashburger, based on flavor alone. Perhaps lettuce or tomato options will be added as the restaurant finds its footing.

The fries contain a crispy outer coating, which gives them a sweet taste and an almost cheddar-esque aftertaste. I wondered if the potatoes were brined in pickle juice before going to the fryer but that notion was denied by an employee, who noted that the taste comes from the restaurant’s assortment of secret seasonings. Regardless, these fries are undeniably delicious and even more so when dipped in the secret burger sauce (ask for it on the side).

The visit proved to be rather quick, with guests entering and exiting quickly. The burgers and fries don’t sit too heavy, which is ideal if you’re walking around Houston after your lunch. Trill is located in a shopping district with a locally-owned music store, a used book store, and a comic book and game shop — plenty of ways to kill time if you make a day trip from Dallas (like we did).

The Bottom Line:

Trill is great. Incredible, even. Granted, opening a restaurant in Houston – a mecca for southern staples like barbecue and burgers – is a tough bet. But with a legend behind it and a strong customer base from both near and far, the burger joint is sure to become a city staple. And don’t be surprised if the Trill OG has plans to franchise throughout Texas and beyond.

Trill Burgers is located at 3607 S. Shepherd Dr. in Houston, TX

The last two years have been great for afrobeats singer Adekunle Gold. The Nigerian artist has made an impact outside of his home country and his progression eventually earned him a record deal with Def Jam Records. That deal came before the arrival of his most recent album Tequila Ever After which was released back on August 1. The project features 18 songs and contributions from Khalid, Coco Jones, Zinoleesky, Pharrell, and more. Less than two months after its release, Adekunle Gold is ready to bring Tequila Ever After on a North American Tour which kicks off on September 22. The Tequila Ever After Tour will also feature two guests: Nonso Amadi and Masicka.

Who Is Opening Adekunle Gold’s Tequila Ever After Tour?

Nonso Amadi

Nonso Amadi is a Nigerian-born singer who grew up in the UK. In 2015, he released his first EP, Alone, and his breakout moment came a year later with “Tonight.” In the years that followed, he would go on to deliver celebrated collaborations with the likes of Maleek Berry, Juls, Santi, Odunsi (The Engine), and others. Most recently, Amadi released his debut album When It Blooms which flaunts 15 songs and guest appearances from Majid Jordan, Tay Iwar, Beam, Zinoleesky, and Tamera.

Masicka

Masicka is a Jamaican dancehall artist who first earned recognition after he won a high-profile deejay competition that was sponsored by the Carribean media platform Hype TV. The recognition would continue for him as he won the Best Upcoming Artist at Jamaica’s Music Industry Achievers Award in 2013 and more recently, earned a nomination for Best Male Artiste at the 2020 International Reggae & World Music Awards. His last project was released back in 2018 with Start From The Grung, but he has released numerous singles over the past year including “Tyrant,” Swamp To The Globe,” “Pieces,” Grave Freestyle,” “Feisty,” “Like Gold,” and “Umbrella.”

Tequila Ever After Tour Dates

Here are the dates for the Tequila Ever After Tour:

9/22 — Dallas, TX @ House of Blues Dallas
9/23 — Houston, TX @ House of Blues Houston
9/25 — Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
9/27 — Washington, DC @ The Theater at MGM National Harbor*
9/29 — Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre*
9/30 — Boston, MA @ Orpheum*
10/1 — Montreal, QC @ MTELUS*
10/3 — Toronto, ON @ Rebel*
10/6 — Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Chicago*
10/7 — Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
10/9 — Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
10/12 — Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Las Vegas
10/14 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern*
10/15 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
10/18 — Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
10/20 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
10/22 — Edmonton, ALB @ MIDWAY

* – dates that Masicka will perform

Tequila Ever After is out now via Def Jam. Find out more information here.
When It Blooms is out now via Universal Music Canada. Find out more information here.

John Fetterman has always been good at social media. Zinging opponent Dr. Oz online was one way he crushed him at the ballot box. The Pennsylvania senator has been in the news a lot recently, and over the most shallow reason possibly: his love of hoodies and gym shorts, even on Capitol Hill. He’s handled those attacks with a cool wit, and he did the same over a more sinister issue: bizarre conspiracy theories alleging he has a doppelgänger.

People on social media have had a field day with claims that there are two Fettermans. Sometimes he has fewer tattoos. Sometimes he has a mustache (as Fetterman did, after losing a bit to one of his kids). But when confronted with the tinfoil hat theory, he’s had some fun with it. For one, he posted an image from The Simpsons, in which Homer’s “exact double” — a far wealthier gentleman who has a mustache, as Fetterman did not long ago — enters Moe’s and receives a rude rebuke.

He repeated the joke when asked about the theory by HuffPost. “I have to talk to my other,” he told them, adding, “It’s all true. I’m Senator Guy Incognito.”

On Monday, Fetterman was on a field day, firing back at people comparing his sartorial preferences with the antics of MAGA folks like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, and Meatball Ron DeSantis. But it’s clear he can juggle multiple ridiculous fronts at once.

(Via Mediaite)

We’re deep in Bourbon Heritage Month, which is full of bourbon releases, parties, and festivals. Case in point, the 2023 edition of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival just wrapped up in Bardstown, Kentucky, and it was a doozy. This year’s three-day fest was a bespoke county fair devoted to dozens of whiskey brands pouring their best pours for rabid whiskey fans.

I was there for two days. Let me tell you, it was a blast.

I also got to taste a ton of new whiskeys — ryes, American single malts, blended whiskeys, and bourbons (of course). While I couldn’t taste them all, I tried my best to get a wide swath of options to find the best whiskeys that you should be looking for right now. Below, I’m calling out 20 whiskeys that truly stood out. While most of these were tasted at the actual festival, a couple of them were also tasted at dinners and parties that took place down in Bardstown, near the festival grounds. That means that there are some elite pours on this list that are going to cost you some serious cash.

This time around, I didn’t rank these whiskeys. They’re all good in their own ways. There’s something for everyone below. My advice is to read my tasting notes on each bottle and find the one that sparks your interest. Then smash that price link to see if you can snag your own bottle. Let’s dive in!

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

Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Sherry French Revere Oak

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $74

The Whiskey:

This new rye from the team over at Bourbon Pursuit is a masterful blend. The whiskey is hewn from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s 95/5 Kentucky rye batched with two Sagamore Spirit ryes — one a 95/5 and one 52/43/5 rye/corn/malted barley. Those whiskeys are batched and re-barreled into a French sherry revere cask for a final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of dark fruits — black cherry, dates, rum raisin — on the nose that leads to soft and sweet oak next to worn leather, mulled wine, and brandy-soaked fig cut with nutmeg and clove.

Palate: The taste is more on the woody side of the spice with a clear sense of old-school mulled wine with sweet vanilla and star anise over orange rinds and raisins with a slight chili warmth underneath.

Finish: The chili warmth drives the finish toward a soft red-wine-soaked oak that’s spiced with orchard barks and fruits next to vanilla/cherry tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is a delicate and nuanced rye whiskey. You can easily drink it neat or on the rocks and you’ll be rewarded with a deep and fun profile.

Luca Mariano Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel

ABV: 51.5%

Average Price: $68

The Whiskey:

This whiskey marries Italian-American heritage with bourbon in Kentucky’s horse country. The whiskey is a contract-distilled high-rye bourbon that spends six years resting in new American oak. That whiskey is then just barely touched with local water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose feels like walking through a peach orchard on a sunny day with blossoming honey suckles wrapped around cinnamon sticks in your hand.

Palate: The taste builds on that spiced honey with a mild root beer vibe next to overripe peach, a touch of vanilla cream, and a whisper of fresh mint.

Finish: The finish stays fairly mellow with creamy honey and mild spices blending with a soft touch of vanilla/mint tobacco warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bourbon pours that’s just… very nice. It’s balanced from nose to finish and provides a clear and concise profile. Pour it over a big rock and take your time sipping this one — or make a killer whiskey-forward cocktail with it.

Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old 2023 Edition

ABV: 47.2%

Average Price: $185

The Whiskey:

The whiskey barrels sourced for these single-barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the whiskey goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.

Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.

Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet toasted marshmallow on the very end.

Bottom Line:

Every time I taste this one it gets better. This is quintessential Kentucky bourbon with a fantastic and very deep flavor profile. If you’re looking for a pretty much perfect bourbon pour, this is the whiskey to chase down.

Hardin’s Creek ‘Boston’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $169

The Whiskey:

Part three of the Hardin’s Creek 2023 releases is finally here. This whiskey is a 17-year-old bourbon made with Beam’s classic mash bill. The whiskey spent all 17 of those years in rickhouses on the Boston, Kentucky campus (a little further south of the Bardstown area). Those warehouses are in a flatter area (instead of tucked away in hollers or perched atop hills). So the actual buildings had more access to bathing warm sunlight, wind, and rain — all of which slightly shifts the aging process of the barrels in those warehouses.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a classic medley of wet brown sugar cut with rich vanilla buttercream, cinnamon bark, and dark cherry cola just kissed with dark chocolate and salt.

Palate: The taste leans nutty (more almond shell than marzipan) with a deep sense of salted dark chocolate-covered espresso beans next to sticky toffee pudding, salted caramel sauce cut with orange zest, and a hint of coffee cake dipped in black tea with a fleeting sense of old rickhouses floors and dry tobacco.

Finish: That dry tobacco and earthiness amp up the finish as the spice barks sharpen toward a warming finish full of Kentucky hugs, vanilla beans, and soft spiced brandied cherries dipped in dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

I was a really big fan of the Frankfort version released early this year but this might have won me over. It’s just so beautifully rendered and deeply flavored with a profile that just keeps giving while you sip. Pour this one over a big ice cube and take your time digging into its depth.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout Barrels

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company is a collaboration with Chicago’s Goose Island’s iconic Bourbon County Stout. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of six- and seven-year-old Kentucky bourbons that are batched and then re-barreled into Bourbon County stout barrels. 12 months later, the whiskey is blended with another 9-year-old Kentucky bourbon, barely proofed, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A moment of honey draws you in on the nose before veering toward rich and very dark chocolate with a deeply stewed cherry cut with oily vanilla, mulled wine spices, and pear brandy-soaked marzipan with a hint of candied orange zest, dry espresso beans, and moist tobacco leaves.

Palate: There’s a moment of malted chocolate shakes on the taste that leads to a rich spiced Christmas cake brimming with walnuts, sultanas, candied cherry, candied lemon rinds, and leathery dates that lead to moments of creamy and very boozy eggnog poured over a Black Forest Cake.

Finish: The Christmas spices, fruit cake, dried fruit, and eggnog all combine on the finish to create a rich and sumptuous finish full of luscious textures and just the right amount of spiced whiskey warmth.

Bottom Line:

This is Christmas in a glass. Drink it accordingly.

Willett Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Rare Release Single Barrel Family Release Aged 7 Years Barrel No. 12266 Bottle 9/191

ABV: 60.9%

Average Price: $599

The Whiskey:

This is a rare one. It’s Willett’s classic bourbon mash that’s aged for seven long years at Willett in Bardstown, Kentucky. Then a single barrel was bottled at cask strength, yielding only 191 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vibrant bourbon notes of vanilla-heavy crème brûlée mingle with fresh orange zest, creamed honey, old oak warehouses with dirt floors, salted caramel dipped in dark chocolate, whispers of star anise-heavy mulled wine, and a twist of fresh mint with this sense of apple cotton candy.

Palate: The taste bursts forth with blood orange zest, burnt sugar from atop the crème brûlée, bright red berries (think raspberry, currants, and holly), and a hint of rye roasting herbs just kissed with smoked fat.

Finish: The berries lean into homemade and winter-spiced cranberry sauce with a moment of Cherry Coke before veering back toward vanilla buttercream and old oak staves in a cold rickhouse on a rainy fall afternoon with a bold yet balanced warming Kentucky hug lingering for a good while on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a “F*ck, that’s delicious!” pour of whiskey. If you ever wondered why Willett is so revered and sought after, a pour of this will answer that question from the first nose. I do recommend pouring it over a big rock and taking your time though. There’s a lot to savor here and it takes time to really indulge in it all.

Very Olde St. Nick Antique Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years “Straight Outta Bardstown”

ABV: 65%

Average Price: Coming Soon

The Whiskey:

This new release from Preservations Distillery is all about the old and forgotten barrels sitting in Bardstown warehouses. The whiskey is a nine-year-old blend of Kentucky bourbons that highlights the beauty of Bardstown whiskey from top to bottom.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of dates and prunes dipped in floral yet creamy honey and then rolled in roasted and crushed almonds before old libraries full of leather-bound books and deeply rich tobacco arrive.

Palate: That musty leather gives way to old barrel houses full of 1800s wood pillars and used barrels before winter spices add a little warmth that’s countered by deep vanilla creamy eggnog, soft date cake cut with black tea, and a fleeting sense of dried cherries soaked in brandy and dipped in dark chocolate cut with espresso.

Finish: The end builds a warmth based around sharp winter spice barks and berries with a nice counterpoint of vanilla buttercream and lush eggnog over pound cake with a hint of poppy seed and soft pipe tobacco that’s just smoldering.

Bottom Line:

There are actually two of these new bourbons. The other is a 13-year-old version that, to my palate, is oakier and tighter (and a little less accessible). This is the sweet spot in that you’ll be instantly whisked away to fond winter memories of your childhood from the nose to the finish. Pour it over a rock and let it take you away.

Penelope Straight Rye Whiskey Heavy Toasted Barrel Finish

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is made with 100% Indiana rye whiskey. The whiskey was then re-barreled into fresh heavily toasted barrels (with a tiny bit of char) before batching and bottling with a touch of proofing water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a leathery sense of old winter spice barks, rich caramel, and vanilla pudding cut with butterscotch and orange rinds.

Palate: There’s a sense of singed marshmallows and dark orange zest on the palate that leans into hints of minty tobacco and cedar bark.

Finish: A hint of salted caramel and dark chocolate oranges drive the finish toward a soft old oakiness and a touch of smudging sage.

Bottom Line:

This is just nice. Drink it how ever you like to drink your whiskey.

Rare Perfection 15 Years Old Cask Strength Canadian Whiskey

ABV: 59.85%

Average Price: $194

The Whiskey:

This very rare whiskey from Preservation Distilling is a Canadian whiskey that was hidden away up in Canada for a long time. The whiskey in the batch is a 15-year-old whiskey that’s batched to highlight dark and deep fruitiness while feeling like something deeply familiar to the American bourbon lover.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark orange chocolate balls open the nose toward rich vanilla buttercream, smoldering oak staves, and a whisper of dry green tea leaves with this whisper of strawberry shortcake lurking in the background.

Palate: The orange takes on a candied vibe with a hint of ginger on the palate as creamy eggnog lattes mingle with pear brandy-soaked marzipan dipped in dark chocolate next to a moment tart red fruit tobacco.

Finish: A deep oakiness arrives late with warming spice barks and rich tobacco leaves before the orange returns with a bright zestiness that accentuates the warming spices and old oak.

Bottom Line:

This is a very fruit-forward pour with plenty of citrus and berry. Then it just goes so much deeper. I really want to play around with this in Manhattan variations as the winter arrives.

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2nd Edition Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey Aged 20 Years

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $289

The Whiskey:

The 2nd edition of Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection asks what budget brand Mellow Corn would taste like when left alone for 20 years and treated like an elite whiskey. The results from the mash of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye ended up in 110 barrels back in October 2002. After 20 long years in Heaven Hill’s famed Rickhouse 1K, they were batched and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a mix of sweet white grits cut with salted caramel and old oak on the nose next to a slight nuttiness with a hint of sweetgrass dipped in Caro Syrup.

Palate: That dry grassy nature continues on the palate as burnt orange and dry nuts balance out next to sweet dry white hominy and a hint of vanilla pods.

Finish: The end leans into the burnt orange and nuttiness with a creamy edge and a mild sense of powdered winter spices.

Bottom Line:

This is a wildly different and delicious pour of whiskey. Yes, it’s literally Mellow Corn that’s aged for 20 years, and it 100% works. I’d pour this over a single small rock and let it bloom in the glass and then take my time really diving deep into the profile.

Old Man Winter Bourbon From The Black Hills

ABV: 54.9%

Average Price: $154

The Whiskey:

This new release is a masterful blend of whiskeys from the core of America’s distillery region. The blend in the bottle is a batch of Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee whiskeys that are balanced to highlight classic bourbon notes at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Peach cobbler with a big scoop of malted vanilla ice cream pops on the nose with a light sense of rye bread crusts, caramel pie, and mild orange zest cut with oaky tobacco.

Palate: Apricot jam over buttermilk biscuits leads the taste toward white pepper spiciness, winter spice barks, and a bright burst of grapefruit pith before this mild sense of white grape juice and almost savory melon arrives.

Finish: That melon goes full honeydew on the finish with a bit more of that orange before black peppercorns and smoldering smudging sage drive the end toward woody tobacco boxes wrapped in old leather.

Bottom Line:

This is another outlier that’s very fruit-forward in fascinating ways. Weirdly, this feels like something you play around with in cocktails while also serving as an obvious neat pour to really take your time with. Your mission is to find how that balances for you.

Barrell Rye Cask Strength A Blend of Rye Whiskeys Batch #004

ABV: 57.85%

Average Price: $84

The Whiskey:

This brand-new blend of ryes from Barrell Craft Spirits combines four styles of rye. The main component is five, six, and 10-year-old Indiana rye mixed with a five-year-old Tennessee rye, a 6-year-old Kentucky rye, and a 14-year-old Canadian rye. Once batched, those whiskeys were bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Leathery candied fruits and berries drive the nose toward tobacco leaves, roasting herbs, and nasturtiums with a whisper of woody sasparilla just kissed with spearmint and sesame seed.

Palate: There’s a candied fruit vibe on the palate with pecan waffles, butter, maple syrup, and a touch of burnt marshmallow dipped in creamy espresso that leads to anise and old boot leather.

Finish: Hazlenut shells and marzipan lead to a whisper of dried botanicals like juniper and ancho chili with a woody sense of dried herbs and tobacco dosed in old brandy.

Bottom Line:

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite rye whiskeys of the year. It’s just so goddamn good, deep, and delicious. You know what to do!

Hemingway Rye, Signature Edition Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Rum Seasoned Oloroso Sherry Casks

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

The second release from Hemingway Rye is a blend of six-year-old Indiana rye (classic 95/5 rye/barley) with a four-year-old Kentucky 95/5 rye. Once those whiskeys were batched, the rye was re-barreled in Oloroso sherry casks that held rum.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a hint of dry sweetgrass over berry brambles before veering into nut cake and rum-soaked raisin with a hint of spice barks and vanilla cream.

Palate: Caramel cut with orange oils and dipped in dark chocolate drives the palate toward clove and nutmeg-heavy eggnog with a touch of vanilla sugar cookies, orange cake, and a medley of dates, figs, and prunes.

Finish: That dark fruit folds into a sticky toffee pudding vibe with more of that chocolate-covered caramel and dark orange with a lush finish.

Bottom Line:

Yep! Another stellar rye whiskey. This one feels like the perfect all-around whiskey in that I want to make cocktails with it just as much as I want to sip it neat or on the rocks.

Green River Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Full Proof

ABV: 59.5%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

The latest addition to the core Green River lineup is a doozy. The Kentucky whiskey is a rye-forward single-barrel bourbon. The mash bill is 70% Kentucky-grown corn with 21% rye and 9% malted barley. That whiskey rests for at least five years before water is added to bring the proof back down to entry proof, hence “full proof”. The whiskey is then bottled directly from the barrel as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cream soda and honeycomb greet you on the nose with a light sense of spiced holiday cakes, vanilla sheet cake, soft-dried chili, and old woody spice.

Palate: The honey and vanilla bond on the palate to create a luscious mouthfeel that leads to balanced notes of sharp dried chili spice, soft worn leather, pipe tobacco, and rich walnut bread with plenty of butter, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

Finish: The end leans toward the leather and tobacco with a chili-choco vibe accented by soft walnut and even softer vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This single-barrel product just doesn’t miss. The spice is perfectly balanced with the deeper nutty and vanilla bourbon vibes. Take it slow, find your sweet spot, and then experiment with this one.

Filmland Spirits Presents Ryes of the Robots Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey 2023 Batch

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey blends Hollywood B-movies with sourced whiskey is very new. The actual juice is a 95/5 rye/malted barley sourced whiskey from Kentucky. Beyond that, not much is known. Though there’s been an incredible amount of work about writing a script and drawing up storyboards around the beautifully designed release.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a nice mix of dark berries and old leather next to cinnamon bark and clove berries with a hint of caramel before veering toward sheet cake and singed marshmallows.

Palate: The palate hits a mint chocolate chip vibe with a dash of black peppercorn before bright red berries floating in vanilla-laced cream lead the taste back toward smoldering marshmallows and a lot of woody winter spice.

Finish: Oak staves and cinnamon bark really peak on the finish next to very mild menthol tobacco just kissed with red berries and more of that creamy vanilla with a whisper of green grass lurking under it all.

Bottom Line:

This is a great straightforward rye pour. It’s succinct and gets the job done. I’d start by using this in whiskey-forward cocktails and then go from there.

Three Chord Cask-Finished Bourbon & Corn Whiskey Finished in Honey & Toasted Barrels

ABV: 55.65%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This is from a wide-ranging whiskey brand created by Neil Giraldo (Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist and producer behind Pat Bantar and Rick Springfield’s biggest hits). The whiskey in this expression is hewn from a high-rye five-year-old MGP bourbon, a standard six-year-old MGP bourbon, and an eight-year-old Kentucky corn whiskey. Those barrels are batched and the whiskey is re-barrelled into toasted barrels from ISC and Speyside cooperages for three months. Then those barrels are batched and that whiskey is then re-barreled once more into Fern Valley Farms honey casks for one final month of mellowing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a nice spiciness to the nose that leans into cedar and smudging sage with a hint of nasturtiums, creamy honey, and gingerbread cookies.

Palate: The mouthfeel is lush with a nice layering of corncake with honey, vanilla malt with a cherry on top, and bold winter spice barks and botanicals with a hint of burnt orange and red chili pepper.

Finish: The spice ramps up on the end with a good Kentucky hug (more a buzz than a burn) next to light white grits cut with butter, honey, and caramel with a hint of orchard fruit lurking behind it all.

Bottom Line:

This builds from a soft nose to a powerful finish. It’s nuanced and deep in all the best ways. Take it slow on the neat pour, add water to let it bloom, and then play around with it once you get a handle on the overall profile.

New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey from New Riff is years in the making. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of single malt whiskeys made with 100% barley mash bills (Golden Promise, Maris Otter, Chevallier heirloom barley, and Scottish peated barley malt) that are aged for seven to eight years in a combination of new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, red wine casks, Portuguese brandy casks, classic sherried oak casks, and a few others.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich malted winter spiced cakes lead the nose toward chili pepper spice, old dried fruits (dates, prunes, figs) all dipped in floral honey, and a light sense of citrus (both candied and dried) before old oak, orchard bark, and fall leaves arrive with a sense of fermented fruit laying on the ground of that orchard.

Palate: The funky fruit and fall leaves drive the taste back toward rich vanilla and spiced malted fruit cakes with a light sense of pipe tobacco and old leather boots before floral honey gives way to bright nasturtiums.

Finish: The floral spiced honey gets malty on the backend with a hint of salt and rock candy before hot tobacco and dried red chili build on the end.

Bottom Line:

This is a bold American single malt that hits every note so clearly. It all makes sense and becomes a bit of a whirlwind on the senses (in the best way). Pour this over a big ice cube and go from there.

Barrell Bourbon Cash Finish Series: Tale of Two Islands

ABV: 59.11%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

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

Tasting Notes:

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

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

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

Bottom Line:

This is delicious, unique, and deep. This is another one that you’ll need to take your time with to really savor. But trust me, it’ll be a very rewarding time investment thanks to how much depth is here.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau Doisy Daene A Blend Of Straight Whiskeys Finished In Sauternes Barrels And Toasted Oak Barrels

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This collab is a blend of 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon with six-year-old Indiana rye (with a high-corn mash bill). Those whiskeys were batched and then re-barreled into Chateau Doisy Daene Sauternes barrels for another seven months of aging before another batching session. Then that whiskey was re-barreled again into new toasted oak barrel for a final four months before batching and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rum raisin and black-tea-soaked dates drive the nose toward bitter marmalade, brandy-soaked marzipan, cinnamon-laced apple cider, and creamed honey with a fleeting sense of white wildflowers in the summer.

Palate: Semi-fermented raisins fresh off the vine open the palate toward caramel candies cut with freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg next to soft vanilla pound cake drizzled with toffee cut with orange and salt.

Finish: The finish leans gently toward old oak staves in a sunny grape orchard with a light sense of orange blossom, Earl Grey tea, and fresh honeycomb with a nice vanilla lush underbelly.

Bottom Line:

This is a dark fruity masterpiece. Drink it slow and enjoy every moment.

Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Toasted Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

ABV: 54.45%

Average Price: $520

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is Michter’s standard rye that’s finished in a second, toasted barrel. In this case, those barrels are air-dried for 24 long months before being lightly toasted and loaded with the rye. The whiskey then goes into the bottle at barrel strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a spicy and sweet nose that’s just like a buttery, candied, and dried fruit, and nut-filled holiday cake that’s been drenched in good whiskey and left to sit for a month to really amp up those flavors while a flutter of dry cedar kindling dipped in dark chocolate sneaks in.

Palate: The taste has a clear sense of black-tea-soaked dates, creamed vanilla honey, black walnuts, wet brown sugar, and a touch of salted dark chocolate with a whisper of bitterness that feels like vanilla pods still on the branch and old smoking hickory just kissed with brisket fat.

Finish: The mid-palate dries out towards that pitchy yet dry woodpile with an echo of dirt from the bottom of that woodpile on the finish before the roasting herbs and soft dark berries arrive with a whisper of dark chocolate tobacco and leather.

Bottom Line:

This is another masterpiece whiskey. The woodiness from the toasted barrel balances excellently with the deep rye vibes to create something bigger than its individual parts. Again, take it slow and enjoy every second.

Earlier this month, That ’70s Show star Danny Masterson received a 30-year prison sentence (to life) following two rape convictions, years after he was formally charged for the 2003 events that took place at his Hollywood Hills home. His fellow Scientologist wife, Bijou Phillips, married The Ranch actor in 2011 and was said to be inconsolable when the sentence was announced in court. Less than a month later, TMZ reports that Bijou has filed for divorce:

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Bijou filed to end things Monday in a California court. Her attorney, Peter A. Lauzon, tells TMZ, “Ms. Phillips has decided to file for divorce from her husband during this unfortunate time. Her priority remains with her daughter.”

He continues, “This period has been unimaginably hard on the marriage and the family. Mr. Masterson was always present for Ms. Phillips during her most difficult times of her life. Ms. Phillips acknowledges that Mr. Masterson is a wonderful father to their daughter.”

TMZ further reports that Phillips has listed “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the divorce and is looking to restore her maiden name. She also requests legal and physical custody of their daughter, age 9, and she’s seeking spousal support.

Masterson’s conviction and sentencing arrived several years after the allegations against him stalled out in the Los Angeles County court system.

This post is being updated…

(Via TMZ)

Read David Grann’s non-fiction bestseller Killers of the Flower Moon and you spend a lot of it with the feds. Originally the forthcoming movie was supposed to focus heavily on the FBI, too. But the filmmakers decided to make the story of the Osage story the main focus, with law enforcement mere supporting players. Now Leonardo DiCaprio is opening up about why they effectively turned the movie inside out.

In a profile of the film by British Vogue, DiCaprio talked about how he let himself be recast. Initially, he was to play Texas Marshal-turned-federal agent Tom White. He wound up playing Ernest Burkhart, a WWI vet who marries Mollie (Lily Gladstone), a wealthy Osage woman, and gets involved in a sinister plot hatched by his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro). (White wound up going to Jesse Plemons, who’s still fourth-billed.) Focusing on the feds ultimately felt off, he said.

“It just didn’t feel like it got to the heart of it,” DiCaprio explained. “We weren’t immersed in the Osage story. There was this tiny, small scene between Mollie and Ernest that provoked such emotion in us at the reading, and we just started to penetrate into what that relationship was, because it was so twisted and bizarre and unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.”

Director Martin Scorsese also opened up about the switch in a cover story by Time. “After a certain point, I realized I was making a movie about all the white guys,” Scorsese said. “Meaning I was taking the approach from the outside in, which concerned me.”

And so Scorsese and the screenwriter decided to dramatically overhaul the original script, which, for one thing, gave Gladstone a far meatier role.

“Before the rewrites, I had three pages of some pretty mouthy dialogue,” Gladstone revealed in an interview for Interview:

“But I was struggling so much with the scenes that when COVID shut everything down and the project went quiet for a minute, I assumed that I’d blown the audition. About a year later, I got a request to Zoom with Martin Scorsese. And then I got new sides sent to me that had beats. Suddenly it was a scene that had minimal dialogue…And I was like, ‘Oh man, I can plug a character in here now. This is amazing.’ Because I’d heard that the rewrites completely did a 180. Leo was supposed to be playing Tom White, Jesse Plemons’s character.”

Killers of the Flower Moon is scheduled to hit theaters on October 20.

(Via British Vogue and Variety)