The margarita is my all-time favorite cocktail. In my opinion, its mix of bright and tart lime-forward flavors and orange citrus aromatics can’t be beaten; it’s equal parts refreshing and delicious. Now granted, if you’ve only had a margarita at sports bars, parties, and restaurants, you might not share my view, and that’s because those margaritas tend to be sweetened to the point that you can’t taste the agave anymore, or any of the nuance and complexity.
I’m a staunch advocate of the classic margarita — that means three ingredients: fresh lime juice, tequila (preferably additive-free and agave-forward), and an orange liqueur (I like Cointreau). It’s incredibly easy to make and relies on the natural flavors of tequila to do most of the work. The lime and orange liqueur? Those are mainly there to elevate what’s already in the bottle, which is why having the right tequila is paramount.
So to celebrate National Margarita Day — February 22nd, just in time for the weekend — we’re shouting out our five absolute favorite tequilas for a perfect margarita. These five bottles are guaranteed to instantly level up your margarita. For fun, we decided to rank them, but truthfully, you can’t go wrong with any of these bottles, so pick up whichever fits your budget.
You’re going to find Olmeca Altos Plata on a lot of our lists, and that’s because it’s one of the best — and cheapest — workhorse tequilas. There isn’t a job this tequila isn’t perfect for, from shots, to margaritas, to sipping. A $20 bottle you can sip? Believe it, because this additive-free tequila is wonderfully agave-forward and natural tasting. It’s an absolute steal at this price.
For those who care about the nerd sh*t, this tequila is made from slow-cooked agave, tahona crushed, finished with well water, and copper pot distilled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is almost entirely dominated by roasted agave.
Palate: Heavy on the citrus zest, both orange and lime, mixed with fresh green peppers with a slight lactic quality.
Finish: Initially herbal and smooth but after a while the heat starts to build.
The Bottom Line:
Olmeca Altos is the best choice for the budget-minded.
I will never stop singing the praises of LALO. This brand makes the perfect blanco tequila, probably because aside from a high-proof version, it’s LALO’s only expression. The brand’s commitment to blanco tequila has allowed it to excel.
This blanco is 100% additive-free with a bright agave-forward and fruity flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and zesty citrus on the nose.
Palate: Buttery with hints of cooked agave and caramel.
Finish: Fruity, bright, vegetal, there is a very pure quality to this tequila.
The Bottom Line:
Bright, vegetal, and wonderfully juicy, LALO almost comes across as made explicitly to elevate a margarita, or really any agave-based cocktail.
Tequila Ocho is deep and complex, with a zesty citrus-forward flavor that makes for an ideal foundation for a margarita. When mixed with a solid orange liqueur, those zesty elements are further accentuated, making for a margarita that dances on the tongue.
It’s also expertly made from agave harvested at peak maturity that are slow cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours, rested for 24 more, and then roller mill crushed.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A perfect mix between zesty orange peel character and warm roasted agave.
Palate: More zest on the palate coupled with earthy slightly floral black pepper and fresh herbs. There is a cilantro-like quality here, so if that’s not your thing, you might be better served by our number two pick.
Finish: More pepper on the aftertaste with a light hint of mint and a pleasing burning aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
LALO will zesty and pepper qualities to your margarita, offering a mix that is a true treat for your taste buds.
It’s Mijenta’s balance of floral, zesty, and vanilla-sweet flavors that make it a great option for those who like their margaritas on the sweeter side. Like every tequila on this list, Mijenta is additive-free. The liquid is produced at NOM 1412, Destiladora de Los Altos, from highland agave that is cooked in a low-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, and distilled via a stainless steel pot.
There is a palpable purity to this tequila that we find very appealing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: White pepper and agave. There is an initial funkiness to this that shifts into a floral honey tone as you inhale deeper. That might read as a turn-off, but the funk doesn’t translate to the palate.
Palate: Rich and buttery with cooked agave, black pepper, and a dash of vanilla. Elegant and dessert-like without being overly sweet.
Finish: Cinnamon and anise with a slight fruitiness that lives on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
If you want your margaritas packed with delicate natural sweetness, you’re not going to find a better bottle than Mijenta Blanco.
We’re giving the top spot to Siete Leguas because it offers the most complexity, making for a fantastic foundation for both a classic margarita and any variations you decide to experiment with.
This additive-free tequila is produced at NOM 1120, Tequila Siete Leguas. When a tequila is produced at a distillery that shares its name and focuses on a single brand, its safe to assume the liquid is going to be expertly crafted. The agave here is cooked low and slow, tahona crushed and made with natural spring water.
It’s tequila made the old-fashioned way, a testament that low and slow is the way to go.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm inviting agave notes with a noticeable wet rock and soil character.
Palate: Earthy and highly vegetal with a strong green grass flavor and some cracked pepper spice.
Finish: Citrusy with a hint of vanilla and some cool mint on the backend.
The Bottom Line:
A wonderful bouquet of grassy, citrus, vanilla, and agave flavors. Equal parts dessert-like and earthy and natural. A complex tequila that will absolutely transform your favorite margarita recipe.
British singer kwn (pronounced “kay-wuhn”) joins the growing class of UK R&B artists who are next-up in the genre’s emerging class across the globe. Look no further than the 2025 MOBO Awards for proof of this as stellar acts like Raye, FLO, Jaz Karis, Sasha Keable, Sinead Harnett, ELmiene, Odeal, and more were highlighted during the ceremony. For kwn, the honor of being celebrated at a future MOBO Awards show, or another similar ceremony, could very well be in her future. The young singer’s career takes a turn for the better with the Kehlani-assisted remix of “worst behaviour.” Though the record is far removed from the beginning days of her career, the sultry remix is the start of something big for kwn.
The “worst behaviour” remix thrives thanks to the undeniable and unavoidable chemistry between kwn and Kehlani, which dates back to their “Clothes Off” collaboration from the latter’s While We Wait 2 project. Both records fearless live at the boundary of peak sensuality as both singers step into each other’s word with bold requests and unfiltered thoughts. As kwn sings, “Can I dare to leave your bed a mess and wet?” on “Clothes Off,” Kehlani promises to “turn into a slip and slide, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied” on the “worst behaviour” remix. Consider their energies matched, something that becomes even more undeniable through the remix’s accompanying music video (scroll down a bit for that).
Collaborations aside, kwn is just as formidable of an artist as she is alongside others. “Eyes Wide Open” yearns for a lover’s return as kwn’s emotions bleeds over the track’s thundering production as she sings of her inability to move on. “Five More” sees her take on the role of the ex who moved on faster than expected (“Don’t tell me I got issues / Just cause I ain’t missing you”) while “Wn Up” mocks an ex who left her for better, but found worse. The aforementioned records are a promising side of what lies ahead for kwn, and as she wraps up her upcoming project, we will see these promising talents come to fruition sooner rather than later.
With the “worst behaviour” remix still in rotation, we put kwn under the Uproxx Music 20 to learn more about inspirations, influences, and aspirations. Scroll down to discover the best of kwn.
Probably my step-grandad playing his piano in his house. Him and my grandma live in Wales and every time we used to visit, we used to wake up to him downstairs playing the keys.
Who or what inspired you to take music seriously?
I think myself to be honest. But my family has always been super supportive and pushed me to keep going.
Do you know how to play an instrument? If so, which one? If not, which instrument do you want to learn how to play?
I used to play the drums back in the day and I’m kinda self-taught on piano. But I’d love to learn guitar or a brass instrument like saxophone or something.
What was your first job?
I worked in a vinyl record shop at the top of my road for a few months when I was like 14/15 before I went to college.
What is your most prized possession?
My Legos.
What is your biggest fear?
Whales and the ocean.
Who is on your music Mt. Rushmore?
I don’t have a lot of artists that have influenced me to be honest. But if I had to pick some: Pharrell, Timbaland, Michael Jackson, and maybe Usher too.
You get 24 hours to yourself to do anything you want, with unlimited resources: What are you doing? And spare no details!
I am bringing Michael Jackson back from the dead and collecting all his unreleased music and taking it for myself. And with whatever hours are left we’ll make a whole new album hahaha.
What is the best song you’ve ever made?
I haven’t made it yet.
What’s a feature you need to secure before you die?
Pharrell!!
If you could appear in a future season of a current TV show, which one would it be and why?
I HAVE to be in Supacell. Maaaaaan what an incredible show from the UK, I think that’s one of the best we’ve had.
Which celebrity do you admire or respect for their personality and why?
I think Doechii is great and just unapologetically her.
Share your opinion on something no one could ever change your mind about.
Steamed white rice is the best side dish on this entire planet earth.
What is the best song you’ve ever heard in your life and what do you love about it?
“Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes. Such an incredibly written story and you don’t ever realize what he’s talking about until you actually read the lyrics and listen again. So simple, but executed so so well.
What’s your favorite city in the world to perform, and what’s a city you’re excited to perform in for the first time?
I haven’t had the chance to perform around the world yet, but everywhere I’ve performed so far has been super good. I’d love to perform in somewhere like Brazil.
You are throwing a music festival. Give us the dream lineup of 5 artists that will perform with you and the location where it would be held.
What would you be doing now if it weren’t for music?
I have no idea. I probably would’ve either carried on with football or chef in a restaurant.
If you could see five years into the future or go five years into the past, which one would you pick and why?
I wouldn’t choose to go back because the life I’ve lived has shaped me already. The mistakes I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learned. These are all the parts of my growing process. I wouldn’t go into the future because I just take every day as it comes. There’s no rush. Life is too short. I might as well make it last and enjoy it.
What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?
Just keep swimming, kid, and follow your gut.
It’s 2050. The world hasn’t ended, and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?
Whew, I think I just want people to say I did something different. That I was a turning point in music.
Nobody expected Suits to take off, let alone become a streaming juggernaut, on Netflix. Yet bingewatching of the Meghan Markle-starring show reached a fever pitch (on both Netflix and Peacock) in 2023, nearly four years after the show was cancelled by USA Network. Talk of a revisiting began, and last spring, official word of the Suits LA surfaced with character and plot details eventually unfurling.
The California-set spin off revolves around Black Lane Law, helmed by Ted Black (Stephen Amell of Starz’ Heelz) and his partner, Stewart Lane (Josh McDermitt ^^^ of AMC’s The Walking Dead). The firm will begin this show in a rocky place, and Gabriel Macht will reprise his Harvey Specter role (in at least four episodes) to give Black a hand in righting the ship. Less than a year after production began, the show is set for debut.
When Does Suits LA Premiere On NBC And Peacock?
The NBC premiere happens on Sunday, February 23 at 9:00pm EST and PST. (Beware of social media spoilers.)
The episode will stream via Peacock on Monday, February 24.
In addition to Amell and McDermitt, Suits LA stars Lex Scott Davis, Bryan Greenberg, Alice Lee, Victoria Justice, Azita Ghanizada, Troy Winbush, and Rachelle Goulding. Guest stars (who will include clients of Black Lane Law) include the late John Amos, Kevin Weisman, Brian Baumgartner, Maggie Grace, Matt Letscher, Carson A. Egan, and Patton Freaking Oswalt.
The Dallas Mavericks have had an eventful month, to say the least, as they traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers in the middle of the night for Anthony Davis, and have been dealing with intense fan backlash ever since.
We have seen Mavs fans protest outside the arena — some literally brought a coffin with a Mavs logo on it — and some have gotten kicked out from in the arena for calling for GM Nico Harrison to be fired. Making matters even worse is that after citing conditioning concerns as the main reason for not wanting to pay Luka long-term and insisting this was a win-now move, Davis got hurt in his very first game as a Mav and they are just trying to tread water in the 8-seed currently.
For the good folks in the Mavs organization trying their best to do their jobs regarding ticket sales, in-game presentation, and marketing, the last few weeks have been a nightmare, and that was incredibly evident when the team released a new hype video and theme song with Dallas artist Dorrough. The video, clearly shot well in advance of the trade, had to then be edited to include clips from Davis’ one game in a Mavs uniform and edit out any images of Doncic. The problem there is, as it turns out, Luka has supplied a lot of Mavs highlights and appears on the floor in even more.
The result is, towards the end of the video below, one of the funniest edits you will ever see as they just completely black out Doncic and put a big Mavs logo over his head.
To their credit, they try to do this at other points with other players in the video to make it seem like it was an artistic choice, but there was very clearly was a strong effort not to show Doncic (there’s another time they do it with him on the bench). The first time I watched it I genuinely laughed out loud because I had been told it was funny but was not expecting how egregious it was. Salute to the Mavs video team, though, this is not their fault and they’re just trying to make lemonade right now.
“I’m not really a rye drinker.” “I’ve tried rye, but it’s not for me.” “I just haven’t found a rye that I like.”
It’s still shocking to me that there are so many hardcore bourbon fans out there who still haven’t gotten into America’s original premier whiskey: rye whiskey. It’s a spirit with a fascinating history in America, a bold flavor profile, and in some cases, it’s really not all that different from bourbon. But for whatever reason, despite the monstrous year that rye whiskey had in 2024, here we are in 2025, and you’ve probably heard one of the refrains above. In fact, you might’ve been the one saying it!
Let’s fix that today. As I mentioned above, in some cases, rye whiskey (primarily those made in Kentucky) isn’t even all that dissimilar from high-quality bourbon. So-called “barely legal” ryes with a rye content at 51% still have a healthy amount of corn in the mix to balance those earthier, spicier notes.
The aperture widens considerably if we forget about mash bills and focus purely on flavor. There are a ton of incredible, robust ryes that bring an array of flavors to the table that are both familiar to and completely foreign to bourbon enthusiasts. Similar to how there are some bourbon drinkers who love peated Scotches or agave spirits, you might discover that going wildly off the beaten path leads you to a new happy place.
So, for this list we’ve assembled a good balance of both: rye whiskeys that heavily feature corn and will be instantly recognizable for bourbon fans, as well as downright delicious ryes that might not have any immediate analogs among America’s Native Spirit, but are so damn good that you won’t even care.
These are the absolute best rye whiskeys for bourbon drinkers, tasted and ranked!
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series Rye subverts the expectations of 95/5 rye whiskey (whiskey with 95% rye and 5% malted barley in the recipe) by finishing it in hybrid American oak and cherry wood barrels for up to 6 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey packs a familiar 95/5 punch of mint candy on the nose but follows that up with a really warm caramel accent and a touch of sassafras. A tiny bit of tannery smell hangs in the air with some dark chocolate and dandelion as well. Lovely stuff.
Palate: Caramel comes first on the palate before being curtailed by mint candy, cinnamon, barrel char, and leather flavors. It tastes round, smooth, and it has a “clean” taste with a clear delineation between the flavors, which play nicely together but never bleed into one another.
Finish: On the moderate finish, there’s the sassafras from the nose along with a bit of star anise and nutmeg to balance things out against a backdrop of wildflower honey.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Origin Series Rye might feature a familiar 95/5 rye recipe that certain bourbon drinkers have an aversion to, but it spices things up with plenty of sweetness, sassafras, and dark chocolate. This is distinctly a rye whiskey, but if a bourbon lover can find room in their heart for this one, then the entire world of rye will be open to them.
Ol’ New Riff is a bit of an oxymoron and doubly so because this “Ol’” expression is the newest release in New Riff’s lineup. With a grain bill of 65% balboa rye, 30% heirloom corn, and 15% two-row malted barley, this expression has only been on the market since mid-May 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Admire the air out of this glass as the aroma of candied walnuts and paprika combine with leather, Red Vines, and figs. Then, go in for a second whiff as vanilla and clove appear out of nowhere.
Palate: More ripe figs can be found on the palate, along with an abundance of delicious nutmeg and root beer notes. Plumbing the substantive mouthfeel reveals further flavors like coffee bean and hazelnut spread.
Finish: The finish is where the hazelnut shines, along with a bit of barrel char and cinnamon. It’s also surprisingly long-lasting, and I hate to say that when tasted blind, it did have something of a “dusty” quality, making it seem “Old.”
Bottom Line:
The name of this whiskey is a bit too tongue-in-cheek for my liking, but your tongue & cheek will absolutely adore the liquid itself. New Riff has mastered Bottled in Bond whiskey and the sweet mash process, especially with their rye expressions. This is the finest example of their mastery yet.
Sazerac Rye, or “Baby Saz” as it’s sometimes affectionately called in alternative to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s Sazerac 18, is an entry-level Kentucky rye from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Originally created as an homage to the cocktail that bears its name, this is a bottle with roots in New Orleans, made in a style that’s instantly recognizable as a corn-driven Kentucky whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has features of honey and corn pudding, while the subtle influence of rye spice, clove, candied mint, and faint black pepper is barely perceptible. That said, it is quite a balanced nose, as the baking spices and more traditional rye aromas do a fine job of elevating its overall sweetness.
Palate: Once this whiskey crosses your lips, the flavors of candied orange peels, sweet mint, and corn pudding instantly greet you. With black pepper joining at midpalate, along with a touch of clay and nutmeg, it does increasingly receive some spice balance, though its sweetness is undeniably the marquee flavor. Lastly, the mouthfeel is a bit lean, but it works well with these light and sweet fleeting flavors.
Finish: The finish is very brief but crisp, as it leaves one last gasp of candied citrus notes to go with some caramel and allspice.
Bottom Line:
Sazerac Rye is a whiskey ideally suited for bourbon drinkers looking to cross the Rubicon into rye territory. Its sweet flavor profile is instantly recognizable as one where corn is heavily featured, but despite that, it brings a few surprises to the party as well, which makes it a delightful, albeit modest, neat-sipping rye.
For this showstopping expression, the boys at Pursuit United take three different ryes sourced from Kentucky and Maryland and finish the blend with 36-month air-dried French oak staves that previously held Sherry.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tropical fruits, herbal tea, and coconut make up the base of the aroma notes, while red berries, sweet mint, and honey accents add to the affair. After sitting in the glass a few beats, the red berry aroma grows in prominence, as does the rise of rye spices and the aforementioned mint.
Palate: The palate on this whiskey is marked by a supple texture that gently cascades over your tongue, giving it a creamy mouthfeel that rewards the sweet flavors of butterscotch, brown sugar, and Rainier cherries while curbing the harshness of black pepper spice, barrel char, and raw mint that offer balance to each sip.
Finish: The finish lingers for a moderate amount of time, leaving behind cinnamon, subtle splashes of milk chocolate, and black-pepper-specked vanilla ice cream before dissipating fully.
Bottom Line:
Pursuit United has never been shy about its commitment to uncovering some of the best-kept secrets in the American whiskey-making landscape and artfully blending them to create something greater than the sum of its parts. For proof of this, behold their Sherry Revere Rye. This balanced and flavorful spin on the rye category offers a bit more sweetness, which is as likely to create new fans from the bourbon world as it is to earn the respect of experienced rye-slugging enthusiasts.
Wilderness Trail is one of the pioneers of sweet mash American whiskey, and while their standard rye has helped to cause a major shift in the market, their latest 7-year release, which debuted in 2023, is looking to change the game again. Age-stated ryes have become all the rage, and Wilderness Trail is well-positioned to ride the wave.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of maple candy sweetness, gentle rye spice, and mellow oak tannins. There’s black pepper and a bit of butterscotch, along with some umami notes that permeate the nosing notes.
Palate: The texture of this whiskey is surprisingly spry, as bubblegum and buttered popcorn come across the palate at first. After chewing the whiskey, a maple candy note comes forth. That maple candy note soon fuses with milk chocolate, nougat, and caramel as the texture becomes leaner and a few more baking spices come into play. Imagine nutmeg and black pepper sprinkled over a Milky Way bar, and you’re not too far off.
Finish: The finish is where a fair amount of mint and rye spice is hiding out, a pleasant reminder that you’re sipping a rye whiskey. The finish is also silky and long-lasting, a credit to the whiskey.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is well-regarded for making high-quality whiskey, and its rye casts the brightest spotlight on its capability. For this 7-year release, the flavor profile leaves behind the more minty tones in its 4-year product, which might be a turnoff for bourbon fans, and instead introduces darker sweet notes that translate well at a higher age.
Bulleit 12-Year Rye is back again after being originally released in 2019. The 2024 edition actually contains whiskey from the first release, which, if you do the math, means there’s much older whiskey in this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Green caramel apple aromas fill the glass and waft over the rim with a touch of honeyed mint tea, allspice, buttercream, and sweet oak. There’s also a distinctive floral aspect that draws you in.
Palate: Oak and allspice take the lead, but those notes are soon supplanted by a dollop of caramel, a mint milk chocolate shake, and the crisp green apple found on the nose.
Finish: Sweet oak and white pepper are abundant on the finish, which has a medium length that gently recedes, leaving you craving the next sip.
Bottom Line:
Look, Bulleit’s 95% rye and 5% malted barley grain recipe is famous for a reason — it’s a crowd-pleaser that helped redefine the category. With some added age, the whiskey takes on a richer depth of flavor, more aligned with the profile bourbon lovers adore, and it delivers an incredible value that’s well worth taking advantage of while supplies last.
Initially barreled at 125 proof over six years ago, the 2024 Thomas H. Handy saw its proof rise to 127.2 during those years spent maturing in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. This expression is always the youngest of the group and, as such, is typically the least sought-out despite frequently being one of the collection’s better offerings.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This year’s Handy begins with an impressive nuttiness, as peanuts, Valencia oranges, herbal tea, and a blend of cinnamon and brown sugar rush up from the glass to greet the nose at first. Over time, there’s an increasingly prominent mint note that latches on to the citrus aroma and forms the body of this whiskey’s stunning bouquet.
Palate: 2024’s Thomas H. Handy opens with a wonderfully heavy mouthfeel that carries orange marmalade, fresh hazelnuts, mint, dark chocolate, and drops of honey across the entirety of your palate. Chewing the whiskey reveals chunks of dark chocolate and touches of oak before it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The medium-to-long finish on this year’s Thomas H. Handy is full of orange blossom notes along with vanilla and peanut shells, making it a real treat from start to finish.
Bottom Line:
Thomas H. Handy is a perpetual dark horse in the race for crowning the best whiskey in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection each year, but the most recent release of this stuff really has some legs.
By impressing at every stage, from the distinct and delightful nosing notes to the incredibly flavorful drinking experience, which extends through the satisfyingly lengthy finish, the 2024 Thomas H. Handy proves that age is only one variable in the equation of what makes high-quality whiskey. Its punchiness will make it a hit for bourbon fans who like their drinks with some distinct bite.
Knob Creek has been putting out stellar rye for a long time, but their brand new 10-year-old expression was released in early June and is now the oldest age-stated rye in the Knob Creek lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Knob Creek 10-Year Rye is oaky with an intriguing note of petrichor to go along with dark chocolate and a Brazil nut meatiness.
Palate: Pecans and nutmeg are the standout flavors on the palate of this pour, with a bit of wheat toast and honey bolstering this fine-tuned and expertly balanced whiskey. The robust mouthfeel defies its modest proof and serves as a fat red cherry on top.
Finish: More honey and wheat toast define the back end of this pour, while a touch of barrel char contributes to the outstanding finish as well.
Bottom Line:
Knob Creek’s regular 7-year rye is not exactly my jam, but that’s not because it’s flawed. It’s just okay. It’s ironic then that adding some oakiness is just what it needed to turn the dial from ehh to eleven. This is sure to be a new standard for a lot of rye enthusiasts, and it’s one that bourbon lovers should seek out immediately.
For this impressive Double Oaked variant of its standard rye whiskey, Peerless Distilling Co. matures the liquid in a second new American oak cask to beef up the oak wood extraction, darken the color, and enrich the flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Whisps of smoke and oak cast a cloud over richer tones of orange zest, vanilla buttercream, black pepper, and cinnamon on the rich nose of this whiskey. Many of the classic rye tones are obfuscated by the robust oak tones, but that’s not a complaint, as the overall aroma is sumptuous and inviting.
Palate: Molasses-based cinnamon cookies hit the palate with your first sip, which is bolstered by robust oak tones, undercut by juicy orange peels, and elevated by vanilla buttercream. The flavor of herbal tea with mint and subtle hints of cacao nibs begins to pool at midpalate, causing the edges of the tongue to salivate and unlock further cinnamon notes along with a touch of nutmeg and brûléed brown sugar.
Finish: The lingering finish is where the rye spice and orange peel notes finally begin to win out over the darker elements, though the flavor of oak, black pepper, and herbal tea aren’t far behind.
Bottom Line:
I’ve been really impressed with several Peerless expressions over the years, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to say this Double Oaked Rye is among the best of the bunch. While Peerless’ base rye is an incredible, albeit overpriced, display of the dazzling flavors that capable hands can wrest from young rye whiskey, this Double Oaked offering balances the scales of value and quality to a better degree.
9. New England Barrel Company Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey
New England Barrel Company is one of the biggest brands in the region, and their superb, sourced stock of whiskey has been turning a lot of heads this year. This exclusive single-barrel expression, hand-selected for Liquor Junction and yielding only 132 bottles, sold like hotcakes and comprises the brand’s oldest sourced rye casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dense caramel and chocolate wafer aromas come tumbling over the glass’s edge, with honeyed mint tea and graham crackers competing with cinnamon bark and flan for your full attention.
Palate: The flavor of chocolate wafers, cinnamon bark, and some fresh sprinkles of nutmeg wash over the palate at first. There’s some mocha and oak at midpalate with potting soil and mint sprouting towards the back of the mouth. The liquid has a nice, viscous, mouth-coating texture, and it drinks well below the proof
Finish: Menthol and barrel char flavors combine with lady fingers and black pepper on the lengthy finish, which lingers courtesy of the proof, which is felt primarily at the midpalate and roof of the mouth.
Bottom Line:
The world of rye whiskey covers so much ground, from light and bright whiskeys to floral, grassy ones and even lush, dark pours. This single barrel selected for Liquor Junction is the last of the bunch, offering a dense, decadent whiskey that truly plumbs depths of flavor that you can only get from well-aged rye. This is exactly the sort of pour that makes you appreciate the depth of richness in the world of rye whiskey because it’s loaded with autumnal spices and well-developed sweetness that’s easy to enjoy all year long.
8. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye
Jack Daniel’s
ABV: 65.7% Average Price:
The Whiskey:
For this juiced-up expression, Jack Daniel’s takes its standard rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley and subjects it to all of its standard production methods with one key twist: it’s bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of nougat, overripe banana peels, caramel, cedar, and spearmint. There are subtler notes along the periphery of the glass, such as black pepper, lemon zest, and apple leather, but those core notes take up a significant amount of space as each of them is impressively distinct and well-developed.
Palate: Vibrant mint blends well with the taste of bananas fosters, and freshly cracked black pepper flavors, which all further fuse with caramel, dense oak, and black tea notes to make up the base of this meaty, delicious whiskey. The mouthfeel is robust and burly with its few “rough edges” tucked neatly behind spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, while maple candy and cedar do additional work sanding down those spiky spots.
Finish: The lengthy finish is full of caramel, subtler banana flavors, and sweet mint accented by black pepper. One of the things this whiskey does most impressively is balance its bold core notes with elegant and purpose-driven accenting flavors, and the finish effectively reestablishes this display.
Bottom Line:
If you only measure by cases sold, Jack Daniel’s is easily one of the most successful whiskey brands on the planet, and yet, despite that, one of their greatest expressions continues to go underrated by hardcore whiskey enthusiasts.
This single-barrel barrel-proof rye is a world-class offering worthy of bourbon lovers’ immediate attention.
Originally launched in 2019, Old Forester Rye quickly became a fan favorite and a bar staple. Utilizing a historic mash bill acquired by Owsley Brown in 1940, Old Forester Rye consists of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Interestingly, on this blind tasting, there is a lot of mint, rye spice, and lemon meringue on the nose of this whiskey for me. The sweet, lemon meringue notes come with a bit of milk chocolate, and once the sweetness subsides, there’s a bit of black pepper and even cinnamon bark hiding underneath.
Palate: The palate is heavier than expected, and a rush of mint, milk chocolate, honey, and rye spice cascades over the tongue on the first sip. The first takeaway is that this multi-layered sipping experience can reward extended consideration. Chewing reveals a bit of youthful oak and a touch of leather.
Finish: The medium-length finish on this whiskey is where the spices return in full force with black pepper and a touch of cinnamon fusing with rye spice, mint, and honey for a balanced and appropriately timely send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s easy to see why this rye quickly became a bartender’s favorite. With an impressive, well-defined set of flavors that up the ante on the rye content while retaining a base sweetness that appeals to bourbon fans, Old Forester Rye is one of the most versatile whiskeys on the planet, regardless of category. Whether you’re a neat sipper or a regular cocktail consumer, this bottle belongs on your shelf at home.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye directly reflects Wild Turkey’s burgeoning commitment to making some of the best rye whiskey on the planet. Officially launched in 2020, Rare Breed Rye is a barrel-proof, non-chill filtered blend of Kentucky straight ryes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rye spice, sorghum, chocolate truffle dust, and orange buttercream fill the air once this whiskey leaves the bottle and enters the glass. There’s lots of ginger and nutmeg, adding depth to the overall aroma profile, along with touches of crème brûlée and floral notes.
Palate: Waves of orange buttercream spill over the palate, carried by the whiskey’s oily texture. Some well-developed milk chocolate notes introduce a darker sweetness at midpalate to contrast with the citrus quality at the tip of the tongue, along with some freshly cracked black pepper and clove.
Finish: Rising spice is very prominent on the finish, which has a medium length before being curtailed by chocolate truffle dust and fresh mint.
Bottom Line:
Rare Breed Rye is frequently overshadowed by its equally stellar bourbon counterpart, but this killer rye definitely deserves its own shine. With a profile that actually feels like an inversion of Rare Breed Bourbon’s mash bill, this beauty charts its own course while ending up at the same destination: a world of flavor.
Pikesville Rye used to be a pillar of America’s twin whiskey capitals, Maryland and Pennsylvania, calling the former home. Now, this whiskey is made in Kentucky by Heaven Hill but still honors its past with its throwback label.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pikesville Rye is incredibly expressive with dense molasses, pine, rye spice, raw mint, potting soil, and dark chocolate. It’s a tightly wound and delightful nosing experience that rewards your patience as those notes slowly uncoil.
Palate: The tip of the tongue is briefly greeted with the citrus splash of tangerines before dark chocolate, allspice, and raw mint sink their hooks into your palate. The toffee aroma from the nose then makes its way to the palate along with a splash of sorghum, red pepper flakes, and, finally, a turn towards milk chocolate that sweetens it up a bit.
Finish: The lengthy finish is full of hazelnut spread, rye spice, mint, and overtures of freshly cracked black pepper. It continues the bold streak that this whiskey kicked off from the moment I opened the bottle.
Bottom Line:
Pikesville Rye is one of the more full-bodied and robust rye whiskeys on this list, making it perfect for punchy, whiskey-forward cocktails. Bourbon drinkers will admire its breadth of barrel-driven flavors, and while it is certainly a rye— complete with pine and dark chocolate notes — it’s that depth of richness that will bring you over to the dark side.
Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye Whiskey is a bottled-in-bond offering from the Buffalo Trace E.H. Taylor lineup, and for a long time, it was the only rye in the lineup. Last year, the world welcomed a barrel-strength version of this offering into the lineup, but given its scarcity, this remains the bottle that bourbon drinkers looking to get into rye should seek out.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has plenty of clove, lemon, caramel, and baked pear notes, while gentle rye spices can be found at the periphery of each whiff. After some time spent in the glass, bright red cherry notes and cinnamon rise in prominence with some young oak.
Palate: The first sip of this whiskey is impressively slick and viscous, with caramel, bright red cherries, and lemon zest cascading over your tongue. That oily texture allows it to coat your palate, and as the liquid recedes, it leaves further notes of black pepper, a touch of mint, and the faintest indication of dill seed.
Finish: The finish is medium-length, marked by a slight nuttiness and a closing note of black pepper and smoked honey.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor Straight Rye Whiskey has long been noted as a “bourbon drinker’s rye,” and for good reason. Buffalo Trace doesn’t disclose the mash bills of its whiskeys, but this bottle definitely drinks like a “barely legal” Kentucky-style rye, featuring a high percentage of corn and an even higher percentage of enjoyability.
Michter’s is known for being meticulous with their releases, and not just the ultra-premium ones, utilizing proprietary custom filtration for each of their whiskeys. For 2024’s 10-year single barrel, Michter’s uses yet another custom filter to ensure this year’s version is different from years prior while maintaining the expression’s award-winning quality.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Huge scoops of vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs melt out of the glass. With Manuka honey and gentle leather accents in the background, this is such a classic Michter’s rye nose that it’s immediately identifiable. And awesome.
Palate: Rich buttercream, fresh cinnamon bark, creamy milk chocolate, crisp red apples…need I go on? Michter’s always does an incredible job with whiskey at a lower proof, and these 10-year expressions offer the grandest stage for them to showcase that prowess. Here, the mouthfeel is jaw-dropping, and the richness of the flavors hit you in lush waves, one after another, but they never threaten to overwhelm your senses. There’s enough runway for each excellent flavor note to take flight.
Finish: The finish undulates away gently after a considerable length of time, sucking your teeth for more hazelnut cream and sweet oak tones.
Bottom Line:
The beautiful array of aromas in Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Rye will definitely appeal to bourbon enthusiasts, but it’s really its robust feature of barrel-driven flavor notes that seal the deal. Worthy of an “A+” on its own, when viewed through the lens of being a “bourbon drinker’s rye,” this expression deserves a ton of extra credit.
2. Frank August Case Study: 03 Winter Cover Rye Whiskey
For their newest Case Study release, Frank August created nine unique batches, each consisting of three selected barrels of straight rye whiskey, and blended them optimally. Notably, this is the first straight rye whiskey in the Case Study series, which has previously highlighted the impressive rising brand’s bourbon blending prowess.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Incredible apple orchard aromas that immediately transport you to a farm in the fall leap out of the glass. There’s some faint cinnamon bark and sage, along with some more distinct honey and muted orange blossom notes that make this whiskey an absolute delight to swirl in your glass and enjoy.
Palate: On the palate, there’s a ton of vanilla ice cream and clove flavor before the apple and cinnamon notes begin to trickle in. It’s incredibly creamy, with crème brûlée enticing the taste buds while gentle oak streaks up the middle of the tongue and floats to the edge of the palate.
Finish: Black pepper, oak, and burnt sugar land on the finish along with some salted caramel sablés
Bottom Line:
This incredibly creamy and well-rounded rye will shock people more accustomed to grassy, peppery takes on the category, but rather than being an imitation bourbon, this one really carves its own lane and leans into the lush apple orchard flavors that will make it a hit all autumn long. With Case Study: 03 representing the brand’s most ambitious foray into the rye category, they’ve earned a ton of respect for their craft and boldly made it known that they’re not just here to stay but that they’ve got next.
Brook Hill is the Rare Character brand’s ne plus ultra expression, which, as you should already know, means this is some absolutely epic whiskey. With a history that dates back to the turn of the 19th century, the modern-day revival of Brook Hill is releasing exclusive bourbons and rye, with a highly limited number of single barrels of the rye hitting the market so far this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Milk chocolate, like the milk in a bowl after you finish your Cocoa Puffs, and sweet mint are most immediately alluring on the nose. Stick around a while, and you’ll also find chunks of toffee, polished leather, and paprika contributing to this dark and brooding nose.
Palate: Candied walnuts hit the palate along with a big spoonful of brown sugar before that Cocoa Puff milk note begins to pool at midpalate, whetting the edges of your tongue. Paprika and barrel char are relegated to the shotgun seat as some nutmeg, Smarties candy, and dried cranberries steer the ship before this transitions into the finish.
Finish: Almost chalky as the texture grips the back of your tongue before tapping out. There’s some oak and nuttiness on the finish, along with drops of honey, but despite the impressive length of those flavors, you’ll probably be on your second glass before you truly appreciate them.
Bottom Line:
After taking home the top prize as our Best Rye Whiskey Of 2024, it should be no surprise to see us lavish praise on Rare Character’s decadent Brook Hill Rye whiskey. However, its unparalleled depth of flavor makes it such an ideal option for bourbon drinkers looking to get into the category. Bourbon drinkers are often in search of bold, rich layers of flavor that they can chew on for hours, and there’s no rye on the market that offers the same lush experience as this one right here.
In general, well-aged (and well-made) ryes should appeal to bourbon fans, and we haven’t tasted a rye whiskey yet that’s as well-made as this one.
Despite the best efforts of certain folks who’d rather overlook the contributions Black Americans have made to culture, science, and technology, it’s still Black History Month.
What better way to celebrate and learn about that history than a film festival of movies that have highlighted Black actors, directors, and culture over the past century? I did just that a couple of years ago, but I had a bit of a head start compared to a lot of people due to my past interest in the Blaxploitation genre.
That’s where film festival programmers like Imani Davis come in. The Chicago transplant is the head programmer for Los Angeles’ American Cinematheque, curating festivals such as Beyond Fest, the highest attended genre film festival in the country, and Davis’ own brainchild, Proof Festival, which exhibits proof-of-concept shorts for industry professionals, helping new and independent filmmakers acquire funding and other connections needed to take their next steps into features.
As the lead programmer, it’s Davis’ job to ensure that films get the audiences they deserve, whether that’s to preserve and promote repertory classics or highlight underserved communities within the film industry — like Black filmmakers, who’ve traditionally been left out of the canon despite being some of the first and most innovative creators and subjects in the space (just check out Jordan Peele’s Nope, a meta-commentary on this phenomenon masquerading as a summer blockbuster monster movie).
Davis graciously sat down for a Zoom interview with Uproxx about her work, from highlighting underseen staples to the importance of uplifting those underrepresented voices for the edification of all cinema. And, of course, she gave her recommendations for the must-see films of Black cinema for Black History Month.
You have one of the coolest jobs I can think of, which is like, “Hey, I think you should watch these movies. These are cool movies.” What are some of the challenges or benefits of being Black in that curator role?
I never thought it was going to be a full-time thing. I studied film studies in undergrad at Ohio State University. I also got my master’s at Northwestern University and dabbled in a lot of things film-related. I really liked the history and theory side of my classes, really geeked out on certain movements such as the rise of the blockbuster in the ’80s and multiplexes and malls and how that changed things.
So, I would geek out on the history part of things. Then, after graduating and exploring things, at first, I really wanted to be a screenwriter. I had a concentration in screenwriting, but I quickly pivoted my first year. I was like, “I love writing, the storytelling aspect of things. I think there’s something else, other things that I want to do in film, too.”
I loved watching movies, loved writing pieces about them, and I then learned about programming in the Chicago indie artist-run space scene. There’s a lot of cool micro cinemas and used abandoned storefronts playing films and such. And there’s this really cool student-run film society at University Of Chicago that anyone could get involved in, called Doc Films. That’s where I learned a lot about programming.
No one was paying me for it in Chicago. I was very much just dabbling, having fun and getting to know people, and getting really involved in this programming community. That’s how I ended up getting connected to the American Cinematheque and it turning into a full-time job. It’s a profession and job that is pretty mystified in general. Not a lot of people know about it. I didn’t even know about it.
What are some aspects of this kind of work that make it rewarding or challenging? Why is it so important for the role to have a Black perspective?
I thought a lot about this in undergrad and in grad school. What is the canon of cinema, especially the western canon? It’s very white. Since the beginning of film as a medium, as an art form, it’s been dominated by older white men. It’s the reason why women are still so underrepresented as directors in the industry. It started as that, so it’s going to take a long time to undo that. Just now, we’re having this moment of seeing more Black directors, the Jordan Peeles, the Ryan Cooglers, the Ava DuVernays. That is all very, very recent.
Of course, they’re pioneers, but even coming into programming with that knowledge of digging back in the older films, even newer films, there’s going to be a lack of diversity. What can I do in my role as a film programmer to unearth and rediscover it, especially now that things are getting restored, too? I remember when I first came in, it was pretty recent when we showed Kathleen Collins’ Losing Ground and that was a restoration. It’s such a beautiful film by a Black woman director, and it’s amazing.
What’s the significance of a budget? We talk about big budget, small budget, and I don’t think anybody knows what a budget actually does.
I feel like the budget is everything, and it is that big distinction between a lot of the times, indie independent versus studio. There aren’t a lot of, especially nowadays, studio-backed films that go below a certain budget. They’re always higher and there’s just more stakes. So I would say the bigger a budget is, the more people are involved and the higher the stakes are. So there are a lot of things that have to come in to justify a bigger budget.
So maybe it’s like, “Oh, it has to be an action or this big-budget action movie, and it has to be these kinds of stars because then it’ll get more international distribution and people will go see it in other countries, too.” There are just more things that get added to the mix.
Things get expensive. That’s the base of a budget, all those line items that add up for the movie. There’s a script fee. There’s the actors, of course. There’s a location, there’s food on set, and you’ve definitely got to feed your people. That is definitely a big one. All the technical aspects. Is there VFX? Is there a special sound that you have to do post-production? Post-production comes into that, the editing, all that stuff.
So what do you look for in films that you want to highlight for American Cinematheque, and how would that differ from something like Proof Festival, which you put on yourself?
Proof is actually one of the American Cinematheque festivals. So when I came in, there was a want to do more with short films and emerging filmmakers in general. We have three theaters that we program at almost every day, and we show all kinds of things, new films, older films. With that, we’re always looking for a balance with the calendar. I think with me and the rest of the programming team, we all have very different, sometimes overlapping tastes, and so you can see that in the calendar, too. That was very intentional to have a well-rounded, diverse programming team that is going out making decisions about the films that we’re showing and what we think that our audience is going to react to.
We have our Beyond Fest audience that is more into horror, thriller, genre films. It’s really eventized with our Beyond Fest screenings. We also have these new restorations, like I mentioned, Losing Ground, which maybe has more of an academic side of the audience that is like, “Oh, I read about that film. I knew about that film from this book and that movement.” So there’s just all different kinds of audiences that we’re trying to reach.
We have a new Neon or A24 movie coming out, and then we’re also showing classic Hollywood things. So, every time we look at the calendar and the month of what’s playing, we want something for everyone represented. That’s always our goal for the day-to-day American Cinematheque. It definitely differs from Proof, which is a short film festival specifically for proof-of-concept short films, because those films haven’t even been made yet.
That’s really cool. When you were talking about getting ready to screen for different tastes and different varieties and things, it reminds me of what I do as a music writer. I have to listen to stuff that I wouldn’t listen to on my own. People sometimes get invited to watch movies or things that they wouldn’t want; “I’m not a horror person, I just can’t handle blood.” What’s your trick or whatever for getting into something that isn’t your genre?
Oh my gosh. I love how you said the genre that I’ll specifically talk about here. I am a big scaredy-cat. I’m not into horror. I feel like I’m a little more into it now, especially since starting this job. We show a lot of it, and I have desensitized myself and grown to appreciate horror for what it is, too. But I just had to do exposure therapy for myself and knowing that a big part of our audience is really into horror. Working at the American Cinematheque, I definitely need to watch horror, grow to appreciate it, know maybe what’s working, what’s not, and know if it’s a good fit for our audience. There’s all different kinds of horror, too. Maybe there’s the blockbuster studio horror and then maybe smaller art house horror.
If you had to distill Black cinematic education down to five movies, which are those movies and what are the criteria you are going to use?
My first instinct is to kind of go back in time. What are those really early films? What can stretch across, what are five films that can hit these different movements and eras to different points in our cinematic history? I do want to include this film that I’ve been talking about the whole time, which hopefully people will watch after they read this: Losing Ground.
It has this reminiscent tone of Black filmmakers getting into their own, portraying their own experiences on screen. Really personal stories in an independent fashion, too. So I think that film is a great showcase of those beginnings. All Dirt Roads Taste Of Salt from Raven Jackson as another example.
And then I feel like I have to put Do The Right Thing in there. I think Spike Lee really represents a Black filmmaker that was really able to have his work inserted into the canon and talked about and written about by scholars and academics.
I’d also want to put something from the LA Rebellion, which was a movement here in California from filmmaking students. Charles Burnett was in that movement, so maybe Killer Of Sheep, of these students that were rebelling against what was out there in terms of Black representation and out there in terms of accessibility for Black filmmakers and funding their really scrappy, beautiful personal films.
That’s three. I’m going to put in Moonlight for sure as a more recent film that I feel is just talked about a lot and has also really stretched the boundaries of how Black cinema is talked about. And another one that’s in that same vein of just big popularity is Get Out.
A newly filed motion related to the matter has raised an eyebrow. Today (February 21), Variety revealed that one of the attorneys representing Diddy has filed to be withdrawn from his case.
According to court documents obtained by the outlet, Anthony Ricco, has asked to be removed from Diddy’s legal team. “Although I have provided Sean Combs with the high level of legal representation expected by the court, under no circumstances can I continue to effectively serve as counsel for Sean Combs,” wrote Ricco in the filing.
Seemingly to not jeopardize attorney-client privilege, Ricco did not disclose any details surrounding his decision to step away. Instead, Ricco provided a vague explanation in the paperwork. Based on Ricco’s motion, there were “sufficient reasons” for the hasty legal maneuver.
Although Marc Agnifilo and Teny Geragos will reportedly remain on as Diddy’s counsel, Ricco’s departure has raised an eyebrow.
Diddy is currently being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center as he awaits his trial for racketeering conspiracy; sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Diddy nor has his remaining legal team issued a public statement regarding Ricco’s motion.
In 2015, rising Disney Channel star Sabrina Carpenter released her debut album, Eyes Wide Open. A decade and five albums later, she was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2025 Grammys (she lost to Chappell Roan). Was this a case of category fraud, something that is typically associated with the Oscars (especially this year)? Not according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. “For me, what it comes down to is when an artist rises to national or international prominence,” he told The Hollywood Reporter about Best New Artist eligibility. “It could be their first record, it could be their sixth record.”
In other words, “Espresso” happened.
Then, along with “Please Please Please” and “Taste” came the Grammy nominations, the sold-out tour, the holiday special, the SNL anniversary cameos, and the Dunkin commercial. It’s a meteoric, well-deserved rise from the third line of the 2024 Coachella poster to festival headliner, but now that it’s 2025, I wonder: who is this year’s Sabrina Carpenter?
Let me make the case for Jade.
To a lot of (mostly British) people reading this, Jade Thirlwall — who goes by Jade as a solo artist — needs no introduction. She was a member of Little Mix, one of the top-selling girl groups of all-time, along with the original The X Factor-formed lineup of Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards, and Jesy Nelson.
They had five No. 1 hits in the UK between 2011 and 2021, and over a dozen other tracks that peaked in the top 10. But Little Mix’s two most popular songs, “Wings” and “Black Magic,” stalled at No. 79 and No. 67 in the United States, respectively. They’re part of a long, proud lineage of British acts that America never fully embraced, for one reason or another — the girl group Robbie Williams, so to speak (where’s the Better Man-style biopic?).
In 2022, the same year that Little Mix went on hiatus, Thirlwall signed a solo record deal with RCA Records. Two years later came one of the best debut singles I’ve ever heard in recent memory. The ever-shifting “Angel Of My Dreams” is ambitious, addictive, and the kind of song that should be an “Espresso”-level hit. If you don’t feel something in the soaring final 30 seconds, you should go see a doctor for that. Unfortunately, “Angel Of My Dreams” never even charted in the United States. Neither did her follow-up singles, the disco-influenced “Fantasy” and the club-ready “It Girl.”
But although chart success in the US has thus far eluded Jade, there are two things to remember:
1. She hasn’t even released her debut solo album yet; that’s almost certainly coming later this year.
2. She’s making the kind of music she wants to make.
“I’m a bit of a dark horse. I’ll try anything once,” Jade told Rolling Stone UK. Later on, she said, “I like never feeling safe with a song.” From another interview, this one talking about her forthcoming album with Junkee: “The vibes I think is a bit of chaos. I wanted people to be let in on my brain and my creative journey of finding out who I am [and] what music I want to make. I think the music actually reflects that [it’s] kind of a surprise with each song.”
I mentioned Sabrina Carpenter earlier, but maybe Charli XCX is the better comparison (and not only because it’s surprising Jade got to selling a butt plug before Charli). Those in the know knew she was a pop genius long before Brat; Number 1 Angel and Pop 2, in particular, came out nearly 10 years ago, and they still sound like the future. So why was Bratword-of-the-year (and album-of-the-year) big when the equally-great How I’m Feeling Now stalled at No. 111 on the Billboard 200? As Twiggy Rowley, a member of Charli’s management team, explained it, “She’s always operated three steps ahead. The only change is that people are now catching on.”
My fellow Americans, let’s not make the same mistake with Jade. Don’t wait to catch on until it’s “cool” to celebrate her — start now. Artists who make songs as exhilarating as “Angel Of My Dreams” deserve to be celebrated, not lost in the algorithm void. Jade can be the 2025 pop star of your dreams.
We have Haribo to thank for giving the world the gummy bear. The German brand launched the very fist packaged gummy bears — called Gummibärchen — back in the early 1920s, and the world has been snacking on them for the last 100 years. In those 100 years, there have been very few innovations. Sure, there have been new flavors, different sizes and textures, but largely the shape, size and flavors of Haribo’s bears remain the same and any brands that have followed suit have surely used Haribo as their gummy muse.
It’s not surprise that gummy bears have remained a favorite — they’re unapologetically sugary, they can pull out a filling at any moment (which we guess is a good thing?), and even though they have little to no redeeming nutritional value, at the end of the day, they taste amazing and that’s all anyone really wants from good candy. Candy bowls, in the green rooms of your favorite events, recording studios and anywhere with extensive snack offerings will often have some form of gummy bears and you can bank on their presence at any store that offers candy and snacks.
Are they always good? No. So to seperate the good from the bad, we sampled as many brands as we could get our paws on. For this ranking, we paid special attention to flavor and texture as we find these two factors principal in determining how good or great a Gummy Bear is. We largely skipped any sour or low-calorie varieties, fully risking our dental work for your gain. So here they are, the world’s best gummy bears, ranked from bad to great.
Easily the strangest Gummy Bears on the market, 365’s vegan bears bear little textural resemblance to your traditional Haribo-style gummy. The berry-tasting anonymous fruity-flavored bears come in pink and red. The texture is a waxy one that is more reminiscent of extra large-sized fruit snacks than true candy. Flavor-wise 365’s bears are not atrocious, just ambiguously fruity and also sugar-forward thanks the tapioca syrup and cane sugar combo.
Best Flavor: Dark Red
Bottom Line: There is nothing “gummy” about these bears besides the fact that you have to pick them off that part of your mouth after you eat them.
Walmart’s Great Value delivers on its namesake as these affordable gummies have a softer chew in most cases, contain artificial flavors and colors, while tasting moderately decent. We’d say they offer a great value! The flavors are cherry, strawberry, apple and lemon – each tasting unique though none are exceptional. Great Value produces very standard gummy bears and there’s truly nothing wrong with it but don’t except anything beyond the baseline.
Best Flavor: It’s a toss up.
Bottom Line: Great Value Gummy Bears are a fine way to fill your candy dish or your sweet tooth craving, but it’s doubtful you’d go out of your way for a second bag, even if you’re already at Walmart.
Very closely resembling every normal size gummy bear on the market, 7-Eleven’s bears take a page from the Albanese playbook (more on this later) and include 12 different flavors. Spongier than the Haribo variety, these hibernating gummies are also slightly softer than your average bear though they appear indistinguishable in shape. Flavorwise, the variety is plentiful with 12 flavors and you’ll be sure to find some favorites but it’s also tough to say there are any that go past being one note sweet and vaguely similar to the artificial flavors those fruits are typically flavored with.
Best Flavor: Lime.
Bottom Line: 7-Eleven does a commendable job with their branded gummy bear offering though their contribution to the gummy game is a bit questionable, considering they carry several of the other brands listed here in most of their stores. The spongy texture of these bears is ideal, but some flavors end with an extra sugary aftertaste that goes a bit beyond and others have a weird off-putting aftertaste that is difficult to verbalize.
Strangely imperfect in their cut from whatever mold or machine they’re produced by, Bowl & Basket’s 12 flavors are very sweet in flavor and soft in texture. Your dentist may be quicker to endorse these not-as-chewy gummy bears, but they’re still pretty sticky. Though the flavors here are in the double digits, there is nothing particularly pleasing or mind-blowing about any of them.
Best Flavor: Grapefruit.
Bottom Line: A perfectly passable option, but this is a Shoprite store brand and not one of the good ones, as Shoprite sells a lot of the other brands listed here already.
Nice’s Gummy Bears’ shape and size is identical to that of an Albanese bear (we promise we’ll tell you what this means soon), but they’re thicker and tougher in texture and a little more sugary in flavor, though not necessarily sweeter. Some of the flavors have depth beyond being one note sweet, but others are on the more generic side.
Best Flavor: Blue Raspberry
Bottom Line: Nice Gummy Bears turn out to be a quality pickup if you’re ever at a Walgreen’s, but they are far from the best.
Target’s Favorite Day Gummy Bears offer a variety of flavors. Here is the deal though, the texture is not very soft and chewable. This is a harder bear. Texture aside, Favorite Day executes on a pretty high level and most of the flavors here are well-done, our favorites include Orange, Pineapple, Blue Raspberry, Watermelon and Peach. A peach-flavored gummy bear – why isn’t this more of a thing?
Best Flavor: Peach.
Bottom Line: Target’s Favorite Day Gummy Bears are one of the best from a corporate mega store. But they can’t compete with the more dedicated brands that we’ve ranked higher.
Softer than a traditional gummy bear but still gummy, California Gummy Bears are one of the only brands where the bear is shaped like an actual animal and not just a bear with superb posture sitting upright like it’s in a chair. Since they are California gummy bears and the state is known for that style of bear, the shape seems very on-brand, while also being cute and colorful due to the different flavors.
Unfortunately, despite the great shape and decent soft texture, the alluringly appealing flavor variety does not fully execute on the deliciousness spectrum. Pink Grapefruit and Tangerine bears lack any sour note that typifies real citrus nor does Peach or Mango have any signature tang. Ultimately, these come off like a missed opportunity to offer interesting flavors.
Best Flavor: Raspberry.
Bottom Line: The well-designed branding and packaging cast California Gummy Bears as a premium product and though they don’t deliver completely on flavor, they do in all other categories that count.
Perhaps my eyes are getting old but the difference in color between Strawberry and Blueberry, as well as Raspberry and Cherry are difficult to decipher with Haribo’s Wild Berry Goldbears. Raspberry and Wild Cherry both have a slight tang, making them more dynamic in flavor than their blue-ish counterparts that are mainly just sweet. All of the Wild Berry Goldbears flavors have the same signature bouncy Haribo texture, beloved by snacking consumers and floss companies, alike.
Best Flavor: Wild Cherry.
Bottom Line: The Haribo Goldbear is a textbook gummy bear, and their Wild Berry collection offers many popular berry flavors. If that’s your speed, then you can’t go wrong with picking up this less common variety of Haribo’s Goldbears.
Haribo Goldbears are literally the gold standard when it comes to gummy bears. The bears offer a familiar blend of flavors, with that signature chewy molar-testing texture the brand is known (and beloved) for. The Goldbears are sure to satisfy any gummy bear hankerings. Though the flavors are artificial, they’re exactly what you expect from a gummy bear and are distinct enough to satiate lovers of cherry, lemon, pineapple and orange.
We don’t have anything bad to say about Haribo Goldbears, they’re dependably consistent and if you want to switch it up, they offer a sour version as well as bags with other flavors.
Best Flavor: Orange.
Bottom Line: There is nothing innovative about Haribo Goldbears, but who needs gimmicks when you have the original recipe? There is no wow or shock factor, but these don’t disappoint in anyway. They are the gold standard. The foundation that all other bears are birthed from!
Black Forest makes their gummy bears with real fruit juice, and they genuinely have a juiciness to them. Despite their juiciness, all flavors finish sugary sweet and the soft chew of the gummy has a bit of a fruit snack feel to it. These are just facts, not knocks, each flavor does specifically taste of its real fruit self, the lemon is citrusy but not tart, the cherry has the full body flavor of real cherry and the apple is slightly earthy and sweet, as most real apples usually are. If you like your bears tasting natural, you’ll love these.
Best Flavor: Cherry.
Bottom Line: Black Forest Gummy Bears have a juicy finish and mouthfeel that few brands offer, and though they taste great, they’re mostly sweet and have an addictive soft chew texture that is atypical of gummy bears. For that we can’t give them the top spot, but they are solidly top five.
Bearing (sorry, had to) flavors like Peach, Mango, Cherry and Strawberry and with 90% organic ingredients, Yum Earth’s Gummy Bears are the direction the future of candy should be headed. Yum Earth proves you can choose not to consume genetically modified or artificial ingredients and still have a delicious candy snack, as these bears are wonderfully chewy, texturally bouncy, and very satisfying. The flavors are equally tasty too, each distinct and some with citric acid to mimic the sour notes of the actual fruits.
Best Flavor: Peach.
Bottom Line: Yum Earth’s Gummy Bears come in snack size packets that are small enough to sneak into lunches or desk drawers, whatever suits your fancy, and very easy to justify due to the portion control. They also taste great, which is the most important thing.
We’ve been alluding to this brand constantly, so if you’ve been scratching your head throughout this ranking, it’s about to pay off. Albanese set a new standard: 12 flavors, soft and squishy, skinny, but taller than your average bear. These bears offer a texture and aftertaste that slightly resembles Jello — in a good way if that’s possible — Albanese’s staple Gummy Bears are the prototype for soft but perfect gummy texture. Albanese’s bears also contain juicy fruity flavor that none of its copycats has been able to duplicate, even if they attempt to copy Albanese flavor for flavor.
Best Flavor: Pineapple.
Bottom Line: Often imitated but never bested, Albanese blew our minds the first time we ever sampled them and we’ve been hooked since (though our favorites are their Sour Gummy Bears, which are identical to these but with the citric acid/sugar outer layer to up the ante). Albanese has clearly put Haribo and other Gummy Bear brands on notice with their 12 flavor Gummy Bears concept.
Trader Joe’s Tiny Organic Beary Gummies are so small, you could argue that these aren’t gummy bears at all, but instead gummy cubs. Small size aside, we’re counting them! The Beary’s texture has a great bounce, though slightly softer than the usual bear. Strangely, the Beary flavors are not listed on the packaging, but they’re all individually very fruity and flavorful. We’re tasting cherry, apple, grapefruit, apricot, and possibly others. Part of the fun is trying to figure out the flavors, I guess. I certaintly enjoyed it.
Best Flavor: Grapefruit.
Bottom Line: Trader Joe’s Organic Beary Tiny Gummies are some of the best Gummy Bears out despite their miniature size. Ultimately, the size doesn’t diminish the experience, in fact it increases the joy because you can easily combine or eat handfuls without feeling any guilt or shame. Not only that, but these are also some of the best-tasting gummy bears, and at the end of the day that’s what matters most.
First off, kudos to Albanese for even having the chutzpah to call on very niche and unusual flavors for their “Exotic” Fruits Gummy Bears (e.g. Asian Pear, Blood Orange, Alphonso Mango, Crimson Cranberry etc.). Albanese is a brand known for having double digit flavors, and while this pack comes up a bit short, they’re still delivering eight flavors, which is more than Haribo could ever dare to offer (shots fired).
Flavor-wise, the Exotic Fruits bear a juicy nuanced profile for each individual flavor that taste just like the actual fruits they represent and that’s not a surprise because Albanese utilizes real juice concentrate in its recipe.
The mere fact that Albanese has a cranberry-flavored gummy bear is already pretty unique, but the way the brand executes on that mix of tart and sweet flavors typical of real cranberries just can’t be beat.
The more typical gummy bear fruit flavors like raspberry are bursting with juicy sweet goodness but an also slightly sour flavor, more dynamic than any raspberry gummy you’ve tasted. Even the Queen Pineapple flavor has a piquant note that mimics the more bitter parts of the fruit – there is nuance and complexity to every single flavor in this bag. We’ve truthfully never had a brand like it.
Texturally, they’re identical to the artificial version of Albanese Gummy Bears, offering a slightly soft bounce to the bear than what is historically typical, as well as an easier chew. But we’re going to let flavor take precedent over texture here. These can’t be beat.
Best Flavor: Rubus Raspberry.
Bottom Line: Very few gummy bears on the market have as genuine and dynamic a flavor as these Albanese True To Fruit Exotic Fruits Gummy Bears. The nuance, the complexity, the flavor blend — we’ve never had a bear offer so much! Yes, they’re that good.
When North Carolina rap crooner Morray released his new single “FTA (Failure To Appear)” a month ago, it was the Fayetteville native’s first new single in nearly two years, after the Lil Tjay collaboration “High Price.” Prior to that, he’d released the buzzy 2020 single “Quicksand” and featured on fellow Fayettevillian J. Cole’s 2021 hit “My Life” alongside 21 Savage, reprising Pharoahe Monch’s chorus from Styles P’s 2002 standout, “The Life.”
After being featured on XXL‘s Freshman cover, and with the co-sign of one of hip-hop’s unofficial “Big Three,” it seemed Morray was poised to blow up in a big way before he took a long break, basically disappearing for all of 2024. Perhaps that was a blessing in disguise: After dodging the contentious and testy energy of a year defined by diss tracks, Morray has a more-or-less clean slate as he prepares to release his second mixtape, Long Story Short, unencumbered by the baggage of his connections (and label obligations, as he’s newly independent, with distribution through EMPIRE).
Still, he got plenty out of his association with his Fayetteville compatriot, who famously told him to scrap several albums’ worth of material in the process of recording his debut, which he hopes to release this year after setting the table with Long Story Short. As he tells Uproxx via Zoom, “Every song that J. Cole heard that he said didn’t belong, none of those songs are even around anymore.” Instead, he’s focused on reintroducing himself to the world of hip-hop and establishing what’s transpired “off-screen,” so to speak, as he contemplated his comeback.
That slow-cooked approach has served many of his peers well, from J. Cole himself to some of the biggest success stories of the past four years. Musically, the album sees Morray attacking gritty beats with even more bluesy aplomb than ever, while contextually, hip-hop’s soil is ready for some new sounds after the scorched-earth scuffling of the past year. Morray has emerged with some stories to tell, and with Long Story Short, he delivers a useful prologue, synopsizing the parts we need to know before serving up the real plot for 2025.
What have you been up to since we last heard from you?
Honestly, I’ve been just living life. I ain’t going to lie to you: Really going through it and just realizing who I want to be and the kind of music I want to make and the kind of person I want to be, the kind of father I want to be. Just really just been living, you feel me? And learning in these past four years. I’ve really just been working on my craft and working on my pen and working on Morray.
It shows. The raps on this are incredibly top tier. I could never in my time figure out how to get down that melodic style that you’re so good at because my breath control wasn’t there. Do you jog three miles a day to get that up or how do you maintain that?
No, I’m going to keep it a band. Bro, growing up in church, you going to learn that breath control regardless. Auntie ain’t about to sit here and let you mess up the whole song because you can’t breathe, so you got to learn that at a young age. So that sh*t came from me since a little kid because jogging three miles a day, no sir-ski.
It’s 12 tracks and the process of selecting tracks has always been really interesting to me because there’s a logic that goes into it: You record a lot and then you have to figure out which ones. What are the criteria that make a Long Story Short song a must-have and what’s the sort of thing that can disqualify a track?
I wanted to stick to exactly what happened in chronological order, so there’s a lot of songs that I make that sound the same. So it’s like, I have four songs that have the same topic, but which song is the best song out of those four songs? And then I pick the next topic and make four to five songs for that topic and pick the best song… I like to go through and just create different vibes for the same topic just to see what’s the best vibe I can have.
Because there’s so many ways you can tell a story: There’s not just one way. I’ll write a song and record it four different ways just to hear how it sounds. Different flows, different tempos, different everything just to see, “Okay, does this fit the story better or does this one?”
In terms of Long Story Short, what kind of a story would you say that this is? If you had to give it a genre and a log line… You know how movies are like, “Oh, Die Hard on a boat”? They give you a log line and then they give you the genre of it. What would this one be?
Triumphant gladiator vibes. I just see myself being in the middle of the arena, bro, fighting everything that’s against me and really coming out on top. Just ain’t no “Hail Caesar,” it’s “Hail Morray” now. I’m putting myself first and I’m ready to just take on anybody.
What were some of the struggles or obstacles or things that you felt like were trying to hold you back over the last three years? And what were some of your strategies or your things that helped you overcome those in the process of writing this album?
It was lack of confidence for me, lack of support from people that I was doing business with before. It was a lot of small things that became big things. So I can’t pinpoint one single thing, but it was a difficult four years trying to figure out exactly what I was trying to do and who I was trying to become.
I made so many different kinds of sounds, and it was trying to figure it out, and I finally realized: “Yo, bro, get back to you.” And I got that from the people that surround me, the people that support me, the ones that helped me, the ones I call when I’m struggling with something or the ones that surround me and like, “Yo, bro, you got this.” Having a close-knit team is really what makes me feel like I could do it all because I know they’ve really got my back.
That actually reminded me of something that you said prior to… I want to say it was ’22. You were doing an interview with HipHopDX. You told DX that J. Cole made you scrap “hella” albums. How much of Long Story Short is entirely new and how much of it is a remainder of something that J. Cole was like, “That’s not good enough, bro?” And you just reworked it until it was?
Well, I’m going to keep it a band. Long Story Short, it is a mixtape. I wouldn’t even call it my album, because I feel like I just had so much to get out and I wanted to do this. Okay, Long Story Short, before I give you my album, this is what you have to start with. You got to know me first.
And every song J. Cole heard that he said didn’t belong, none of those songs are even around anymore. No lie. So that whole album probably got scrapped there. I’m not using none of those songs ever. This is all a revamp, a new Morray. And he’s heard these songs and he f*ck with these songs so it’s like, all right, it’s cool. I really found my lane. It’s not because of nobody else. It’s just because I feel comfortable with the music now.
I first discovered North Carolina as a hip-hop hub in high school because of Little Brother. I remember the point of contention was Little Brother was really salty about people thinking they were supposed to sound like Petey Pablo. Since then, there’s been Rapsody and there’s been J. Cole and there’s been you. The kind of artistry that y’all make is unique, and it’s always very inspirational. It’s always very soulful… But everybody’s got bars.
North Carolina’s filled with so much culture, so much blues, so much jazz, so much that’s real to the heart core of our culture. So when we rap or when we sing, we’re always finding some way to give it back to the culture, and also tell our own story as well. North Carolina’s just got so much. It’s just so much of everything. So much love. There’s so much affection. There’s so much comfort. It’s so much of everything that you just want to put it in your music. Even in the negative songs, too. You want to have some kind of comfort. Like, “I’m riding around my city but it’s on me,” type sh*t. But it’s just a very comfortable sound, a very fulfilling sound and it makes you feel better than just being a rapper.
Who’s somebody or what’s something that you consider an inspiration that you think most people would be surprised by?
I get my inspiration from watching people that have been in a bad situation and made themself better. It’s not even specific people. I could be on the ‘Gram and see somebody tell their story from who they used to be to who they are now, and it just excites me as a person. Like, “Damn, whatever you went through bro, you just beat the odds. I feel like I need to write a song about beating the odds right now because bro, I’ve been there, and you’ve been there and at least I know you can relate.” And that’s where I pull from. My inspiration comes from everyday life, seeing life. I got to live it, or I can’t write it.
What would you say is the moral of the story of Long Story Short? What would you hope people take away from this project after listening to it a couple of times and apply to their own life?
I really want people to get, yo, everybody’s life, whether you are a rapper, whether you’re a federal worker, whether you don’t do sh*t at all, you’re going to have ups and downs. You got to find the good in all your bad. Every tribulation, every trial, you can have a triumph if you just keep going. Every song on my project is telling people, “Yo, I’ve been through the wire, but I’m not afraid to bet on me.” I’m fearless. The way I name my songs, I want people to say this is their favorite song and feel what that title is telling you. That title is telling you your feelings.
Let’s say next year, you should happen to stop by Uproxx’s new studio, and I’m just in there working and I say, “Oh, what’s up, Morray? What you been up to?” What do you want to be able to say?
I want ’25 to have brought me nothing but success. A successful mixtape, a successful album, a tour. I want to say that I’ve just been working. The amount of work I want to do, that’s what makes me happy. When I see you next year, I want to say, “Bro, I haven’t sat my Black ass down since we talked.” Music is my baby. I wish I was one of them n****s who be like, “Oh, I want to work and then go chill.” I don’t want to ever chill. All I want to do is work. I’m a rapper: My work is fun.
Long Story Short is out now via Morray Music/EMPIRE. Find more information here.
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