In her Saturday Night Live debut, Chappell Roan performed two songs: “Pink Pony Club” and “The Giver,” a new country-tinged ode to how “only a woman knows how to treat a woman right” (wink). She also filmed a promo with host John Mulaney and cast member Ego Nwodim while wearing an elaborate outfit designed by Project Runway alum Gunnar Deatherage.
The look was originally going to debut at one of Roan’s music festival dates, but “as we kept building and the look kept evolving and getting cooler and more complex, it was apparent that this look needed to be seen in a more stationary moment, rather than jumping around on stage,” Deatherage explained to People. “Because the last thing we wanted to do is prohibit Chappell from being able to be Chappell on stage — prohibit the magic.”
Deatherage reckons it took around 500 hours to complete the ensemble. “It’s actually the most complex look that we’ve done,” he said. “I think a lot of that was because… we were originally thinking that it had to hold up to an hour-long performance. So we really took those precautions to make sure that everything was made really beautifully.”
Rap pioneer Buckshot, best known as a member of Black Moon and Boot Camp Clik, has been released from the hospital and is recovering after recently being attacked in his native Flatbush, Brooklyn, according to a statement released by his label, Duck Down Music, on Twitter this afternoon. In a video that went viral on social media over the weekend, the 49-year-old rapper was seen in the aftermath of an attack by multiple assailants who left him reeling and bloodied.
To all my friends, fans, and supporters—thank you for reaching out during this difficult time. Recently, I was the victim of a violent assault involving multiple individuals armed with weapons, including handguns. This attack stems from ongoing disputes over my property, where I am the rightful owner but have faced issues with unauthorized occupants who escalated the situation to violence.
As someone who’s been an entertainer and part of this community for over 30 years, I am deeply disturbed that such an incident could happen in New York—a city I love and call home. Violence like this has no place here, and I’m calling on everyone to come together to make New York safer and better for all of us.
I am currently recovering from my injuries and am working closely with my legal team and law enforcement to ensure this matter is handled properly. We are committed to seeing justice served, and I ask for your patience and support as the legal process unfolds. Again, thank you for all the well wishes. Let’s put an end to violence and help rebuild a stronger, safer New York.
Buckshot first debuted in 1992 as a member of the underground rap group Black Moon. Their debut album Enta Da Stage is considered a classic of the East Coast backpacker scene, with its single “Who Got da Props” peaking at No. 86 on the Hot 100. The group’s most recent release was 2019’s Rise Of Da Moon. Buckshot achieved much of his solo success through a run of collaborative albums, including Chemistry and The Solution with famed North Carolina beatmaker 9th Wonder, in the 2000s and 2010s.
Snoop Dogg has been a very visible famous person for decades now, and yet, there are still things the public doesn’t know about him. For example, he’s a seldom-discussed trivia tidbit about Snoop: He enjoys using marijuana. Yes, that was an elaborate joke, but what’s not a joke is the size of the blunt Snoop just showed off on a recent stream with Kai Cenat.
In a clip from the broadcast (seen here) reaches into a bag and pulls out a gigantic blunt, which is noticeably bigger than the average blunt.
“That’s your introduction,” Snoop told Cenat. “Welcome to the game.”
After Cenat made some jokes about the phallic appearance of the blunt, Snoop continued, “This motherf*cker right here is supersized. There’s a whole ounce in this motherf*cker.”
Meanwhile, Snoop has been busy rolling out his upcoming Dr. Dre-produced album Missionary. Like on the Cenat stream, Snoop has been having fun promoting the new project. Last week, he announced the album’s release date (December 13) and did so with a funny skit starring two missionaries. He later shared the cover art (modeled after a condom wrapper, of course) and the tracklist, which has features from 50 Cent, Eminem, Tom Petty, Jelly Roll, Dre, Sting, Jhené Aiko, BJ The Chicago Kid, and more.
The Toronto Raptors retired Vince Carter’s jersey last week, the highest honor the team can give to one of the most iconic players in franchise history. The game happened against the Sacramento Kings, which are the current team of someone else who will probably get his jersey retired by the Raptors some day, DeMar DeRozan.
While the night was all about Carter, there was some tension between DeRozan and noted Raptors fan Drake, which presumably all revolves around DeRozan appearing in the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.” The whole ordeal rubbed former Toronto player Lou Williams the wrong way, which he expressed on FanDuel’s “Run It Back.”
“If I’m gonna speak candidly, I thought that was selfish of Drake,” Williams said. “Drake, as well as the country of Canada, the city of Toronto, they know what DeMar DeRozan has contributed to the culture up there, and what he’s contributed to the Toronto Raptors, and to that community. It goes way bigger than his personal relationship with Drake, it goes way bigger than his personal relationship with Kendrick Lamar. So for Drake to say, ‘If you put up a banner and I’ll personally pull it down,’ it’s like, is it just about you or is it about the Toronto Raptors?”
Drake expressed during the game that if the Raptors put up a DeRozan banner, “I’ll go up there and pull it down myself.” DeRozan was asked to respond to this after the game and told the press that “He gonna have a long way to climb to take it down. So, tell him good luck.” The following day, DeRozan posted a clip from Friday to his Instagram Story, and it’s not hard to read between the lines that he was talking about Drake.
More than half of the WNBA is changing coaches this offseason, as seven of the league’s 13 teams parted ways with their head coach from the 2024 season — and the Golden State Valkyries are entering the league with a new coach as an expansion franchise. Among the teams that fired their coach after the season was the Indiana Fever, as they let Christie Sides go after guiding Indiana to a second-half push that saw them nab a playoff berth before a first round loss.
The Fever figured to be a highly coveted job as it provides an opportunity to coach the last two Rookie of the Year winners in Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston. On Monday, the team officially introduced Stephanie White as their head coach, after White parted ways with the Connecticut Sun to return home to Indiana to take the Fever job for the second time in her career. This time, White takes over a roster that has a ton of talent, and in her intro presser she stated her belief that Clark and Boston can be the best guard-big tandem the WNBA has ever seen.
Those two were at White’s introductory presser, and spoke with ESPN’s Michael Voepel about their excitement to play for White, with Clark explaining that the detailed approach the Sun always had in facing the Fever makes her believe White can help them improve some of their weaknesses quickly.
“We know how much of a legend she is in Indiana,” Clark said Monday. “I think that’s really cool. Playing against her, I would say I felt like her teams always had the best scouts against us. I think that just speaks to her knowledge of the game and her way to analyze, and she clearly was on to something. Hopefully, in turn, now that she knows how to stop us, that should be a good way to know how to [help us] beat certain things as well.”
Boston added, “There’s nothing better than playing for a coach that you can already tell she’s going to pour into us. She knows the talent that we have and I’m super-excited to get out on the court. You can feel the intensity already.”
White will have the next six months to self-scout the Fever and identify the areas they can improve for 2025, as the expectations will only get bigger for Indiana. At the very least, White believes her young star duo is only scratching the surface and if Clark and Boston can level up in 2025 together, Indiana will have a chance to be a real threat to the WNBA’s top-4.
“It is a truth universally acknowledged” by Pride and Prejudice devotees that the Netflix audience adores seeing actresses move outside of their former comfort zones. Even better: if those projects in question fuel a hefty appetite from Netflix viewers for stories about spies and intrigueand hidden agendas. With Black Doves, those twin goals are happening.
Much like Keri Russell has moved into wry comedy mode with The Diplomat, Keira Knightley will be abandoning the ball gowns and period-drama attire that she wore in Anna Karenina, Atonement, and the above-mentioned Jane Austen adaptation. She’ll now be in action-revenge mode, and Netflix is so confident in Black Doves that the streaming service already announced a second season. Let’s clear out the clutter on what to expect from this series.
Plot
Netflix
Look for a pre-holidays trinket to arrive with Black Doves being set around Christmastime in London, where Keira Knightley’s character, Helen Webb, has been living her spy life while being married-in-name to a powerful politician, whose intel is valuable to Helen’s bosses at the Black Doves org. Everything has been going according to plan until Helen’s lover (Andrew Koji) winds up dead under sketchy circumstances. This propels Helen to seek help from her spymaster (Sarah Lancashire) and a long-time friend, Sam (Ben Whishaw, also moving into semi-unfamiliar territory by dropping his Paddington voice), and of course, this new mission is of utmost peril.
The series was created and written by Joe Barton (The Lazarus Project) and produced by SISTER (Chernobyl, The Power) along with Noisy Bear. Things could get explosive, so watch out.
The series will also have a recurring banger on tap with a cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down).” This song is featured in the trailer and surfaces at several points throughout the first season, which does come with a synopsis:
BLACK DOVES is a sharp, action-filled, and heartfelt story of friendship and sacrifice. It follows Helen Webb, a quick-witted, down-to-earth, dedicated wife and mother – and professional spy. For 10 years, she’s been passing on her politician husband’s secrets to the shadowy organisation she works for: the Black Doves. When her secret lover Jason is assassinated, her spymaster, the enigmatic Reed, calls in Helen’s old friend Sam (Ben Whishaw) to keep her safe. Together, Helen and Sam set off on a mission to investigate who killed Jason and why, leading them to uncover a vast, interconnected conspiracy linking the murky London underworld to a looming geopolitical crisis.
Additionally, Knightley could soon become a Netflix fixture with the currently filming The Woman In Cabin 10 film (that co-stars Guy Pearce and Hannah Waddingham), which we’ll revisit when that project grows closer.
Cast
Netflix
Led by Keira Knightly and Ben Whishaw, Black Doves also stars Andrew Buchan, Tracey Ullman, Andrew Koji, Sarah Lancashire, Adeel Akhtar, Tracey Ullman, Finn Bennett, Sam Troughton, Adam Silver, Luther Ford, Kathryn Hunter, Ella Lily Hyland, Gabrielle Creev, Omari Douglas, and Ken Nwosu.
Release Date
Almost out of nowhere, Netflix’s Black Doves is scheduled to take flight on December 5.
Trailer
Keira Knightley in full-on action mode? Yes please.
Halloween has come and gone, leaving us yet again with messy closets full of one-day worn costumes. While the argument is of course always up for discussion on whether it’s the best holiday or not, it’s hard to beat the facts that its indeed one of the biggest and best party nights of the year. It’s one thing to go out and dress up in basic sparkle attire for New Year’s Eve, but as an adult, Halloween is an opportunity to seek out a ticket to an exclusive party and earn “best dressed” of the evening.
While this year offered up a plethora of Halloween parties, we made sure to source the best dancefloor looks all around the world. From “the world’s largest Halloween music festival” at Insomniac’s Escape Halloween, Bali’s DNA: Blackout beach party, Indonesia’s biggest Halloween music festival Scream Or Dance, to Suwannee’s monstrous, multi-genre Hulaween festival, Uproxx touched down to showcase the best costumes from this year’s biggest music festivals.
Welcome to the Crumbl Cookie report. Every week we round up all the cookies at Crumbl, and rank them from least essential to most. Before we get into this week’s cookies, we need to start things off with a bit of a rant. From now into the foreseeable future, Crumbl is switching things up, moving from a weekly roster of six cookies to eight and sure, we can see that appealing to some people, but we think it’s a major misstep.
Part of what makes hitting up Crumbl every week fun is how exclusive each week’s lineup seems. There is an air of curation to the menu, it feels well-thought-out and usually follows some sort of loose theme. But dropping two more cookies per week, that once curated menu starts to feel bloated. And more cookies doesn’t necessarily mean more interesting flavors, instead, we’re just getting more repeats from weeks past.
Crumbl’s menu also isn’t set up for a lineup of eight, the cookies come in packs of four, six, and 12, usually at a discounted price. So if you want all eight, you have to order a six-pack, and then order two individual cookies, which drives up the cost.
We’re telling you, this eight cookie business is a bad move. I’ve heard from Crumbl employees that this is temporary because historically Crumbl sales drop at this time of the year, so the bigger roster is a way of bringing in more business. We hope that’s true, but haven’t heard official word from Crumbl, so for now we can only hope.
Okay, rant officially over. Let’s get to this week’s cookie ranking.
8. Peanut Butter Blossom
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The last time Peanut Butter Blossom was on the menu was just over a month ago, and back then we named this the worst cookie of the week, and once again, this cookie fell short. See, this is why Crumbl doesn’t need to expand its roster, it’s just giving the duds a second life.
This cookie features a peanut butter base dusted with white sugar, with a dollop of fudge frosting in the middle. The flavor is a mix of salty and sweet sensations, with a dry base that is remedied and balanced out by the chocolate fudge. Unfortunately, there isn’t nearly enough chocolate fudge to make this one work.
The Bottom Line:
This is a skip. It’s unbalanced, with an unremarkable flavor.
7. Milk Chocolate Chip
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Because some form of chocolate chip cookie is available every week, this cookie always feels a bit inessential, but this week since the lineup is bigger, it feels even less inessential. If that’s possible.
Look, this is a great chocolate chip cookie, it’s gooey, chocolatey, and has a delicious brown sugar and butter base, but if you’re looking for any cookie to eliminate so you can pick up the six-pack without feeling like you’re missing something, this is one of those cookies.
The Bottom Line:
It’s with a heavy heart that we say, skip this one. It tastes great, but if you’re trying to get that six-pack discount box, this one has to go.
6. Strawberry Cupcake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This cookie is pretty good, it features a delicately sweet vanilla base with a thick swirl of slightly tangy strawberry cream cheese frosting, with some white sprinkles providing a nice visual.
The cookie is strangely refreshing, which is something I never thought I’d say about a cookie. My only gripe? It feels out of place in the fall. This is a spring and summer cookie!
It’s a small complaint but when you’re ranking tasty cookies, you need something to be picky about.
The Bottom Line:
A pretty delicious cookie that feels out of place with this autumnal weather we’re experiencing.
5. The Original Pink Sugar Cookie
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The Pink Sugar Cookie returns! We love this cookie, it has an almond-base with a thick smear of pink almond frosting. The cookie has a sweet and nutty flavor with undertones of cherry.
Visually, it’s a bit boring (and mine was botched somehow), but it delivers big flavor, and that’s the most important thing.
The Bottom Line:
A standard sugar cookie, elevated with flavors of almond and cherry.
4. Oatmeal Raisin
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I like an interesting and adventurous cookie as much as the next Crumbl fan, but sometimes the brand is at its best when it’s playing the classics, and as conceptually boring as this cookie is, it’s f*cking delicious.
The cookie features a fragrant, sweet, and earthy cinnamon base, with purple raisins providing a rush of fruitiness on the aftertaste. The texture of this cookie is a bit grainy and a little laborious to chew, but the flavor is so damn good that I don’t mind that it takes more effort to eat than the other cookies.
The Bottom Line:
Possibly the best classic oatmeal cookie you’ll ever eat.
3. Original ft. M&M’s Candies
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
See what I mean about playing the classics? Everyone, regardless of whether or not you’ve been to Crumbl, has had an M&M cookie, but this is by far the best one I’ve ever had.
The texture is amazing here; it has a slightly crunchier exterior but a soft chew, with a sweet sugar cookie base and M&Ms spread generously throughout the cookie, offering a burst of milk chocolate with every bite.
The Bottom Line:
A perfectly balanced, sweet, and chocolatey M&M cookie. If you’ve felt burned by this style of cookie in the past, try Crumbl’s version, it’s out of this world.
2. New York Cheesecake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The New York Cheesecake cookie takes the best of both cheesecake and cookie and slams them together into one harmonious dessert.
This cookie features a buttery graham cracker base, topped with tangy and sweet vanilla cheesecake frosting, and a heavy dusting of graham cracker streusel. The texture of this cookie is perfect, it’s crumbly, crunchy, yet soft, with a sweet, earthy flavor, and a tangy, rich aftertaste.
If your favorite part of a slice of cheesecake is the graham cracker crust, this delivers a whole lot of that, while still giving that decadent cheesecake vibe.
The Bottom Line:
Call me crazy, but I rather have this cookie than a slice of actual New York Cheesecake.
1. Butter Cake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Wow, a fork of this Butter Cake might just be heaven on earth. This cake is incredibly moist, almost to the point of being gooey, with a buttery and sweet vanilla base, a thick layer of toasty and rich buttercream frosting, and a dollop of vanilla bean whipped cream.
The only thing that could make this sweet, delicate, floral treat taste even better is swapping out that whipped cream for a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. But of course, Crumbl can’t make that work (it would melt all over your cake during transit), but that doesn’t mean you can’t do it once you’re at home.
The Bottom Line:
Of Crumbl’s many delicious cakes, the Butter Cake is easily one of the best. If you’re looking for the one essential dessert at Crumbl this week, this is the one.
There are currently 24 titles on Netflix‘s “Interactive Specials” page. You better watch 20 of them while you still can.
The Vergereports that on December 1, 2024, Netflix “will delist just about all of its interactive shows and films,” including kid-friendly titles Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale, Carmen Sandiego: To Steal or Not to Steal, and Barbie: Epic Road Trip (probably not as epic as this one, though). “The technology served its purpose, but is now limiting as we focus on technological efforts in other areas,” Netflix spokesperson Chrissy Kelleher said.
So, which interactive specials will remain on Netflix? Black Mirror: Bandersnatch isn’t going anywhere. Neither is Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Kimmy vs. the Reverend, Ranveer vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, and You vs. Wild.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch follows a programmer in the 1980s who’s trying to adapt a choose-your-own adventure novel into a video game. It was released on 2018 and won two Emmys, including Outstanding Television Movie.
“It should be more so felt as an experience,” Black Mirror producer Annabel Jones told The Hollywood Reporter about Bandersnatch. “Depending on which route you take, you may feel like you have come to a natural point where you feel sated. There are a number of distinct what we call ‘endings’ but you may not feel that is an ending. They all build and payoff. There are many ways that you can watch the film, but it should all build to one interactive experience.”
You can find the full list of Netflix Interactive Specials here.
It’s not just that there are a ton of great options tempting you at your local liquor store, but it’s also hard to define what exactly makes a bourbon smooth in the first place. Aged spirits are generally well-regarded for their flavor, and at times, the term “smooth” is used as a polite stand-in for bland, unremarkable, or simplistic bourbon.
On the other hand, a “smooth” bourbon can also defy such misconceptions by being well-rounded, approachable, and exceedingly enjoyable. For this list, we’ll break down the top ten bottles that live up to that latter definition, and even better, we’ll cast a wide net by focusing on bourbons up to the $100 price point. Sound like a good deal?
Let’s get right into it; here’s our ranking of the smoothest bourbons under $100 for 2024.
Jimmy Red Bourbon is made using a unique corn varietal, Jimmy Red, which the brand helped save from the brink of extinction. Ecological heroics aside, this isn’t your garden-variety bourbon – it utilizes locally grown grains, is likewise proofed with local water, and is made according to the exacting standards of the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey begins pretty grain-forward, with the Jimmy Red corn taking the lead. It’s full of mineral-like, grainy, nutty, and sweet aromas, with spiced orange peel and cinnamon bark notes enhancing things in the background. There’s also a light, sugary note like cotton candy and further brioche and star anise aromas.
Palate: The palate is well-developed with an oily texture and all of the nosing notes translate to the palate, along with the prominent addition of brown sugar, vanilla pod, and buttered popcorn. Butterscotch and the flavor of Golden Delicious apples are also two welcome inclusions.
Finish: This bourbon has a medium-length finish that leaves you sucking your molars, savoring the flavor of honeyed brioche buns long after finishing every sip.
Bottom Line:
By combining an impressively mature mouthfeel, lush flavors, and a satisfyingly lengthy finish, this bottle of Jimmy Red definitely checks the box as an approachable bourbon. This will be an incredible whiskey to watch moving forward, and it gives the solid impression that it will fulfill its promise to improve sooner rather than later dramatically.
Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon was transitioned into a Kentucky-exclusive offering in 2022. However, in 2024, the brand announced that it would be distributed in other states for the first time in two years due to a surplus. The word isn’t yet out on whether that trend will continue through 2025 and beyond, but it came as welcome news to fans of the Evan Williams lineup’s only single-barrel bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of honey and peanut shell, which soon morphs into gently tannic oak tones and fresh orange rinds. Caramel and graham cracker notes also inform the nosing notes before a few shakes of black pepper curb the overall sweetness.
Palate: The honey flavor leads the palate as peanut shells and caramel take a backseat. The texture is surprisingly thin, but the flavors are not without considerable depth, defying their limitations to take root throughout the palate.
Finish: The finish welcomes an uptick in the influence of the oak and black pepper, only alluded to at other points in the flavor journey. While it’s only a short-to-medium finish, that brevity complements the flavor profile, making this an approachable and easy-to-enjoy pour again and again.
Bottom Line:
Despite its relatively low ABV, Evan Williams Single Barrel’s mellow profile delivers rich flavors that cause it to punch above its weight. While longtime fans of the brand continue to grumble that “it ain’t what it used to be,” remarking on a perceived shift in quality and a substantive uptick in price, this continues to be a great, flavorful, smooth bourbon.
Rebel’s 10-year single-barrel bourbon is an expression marked by a winding history that saw it go from production at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery as a locally distributed bargain brand to becoming a surprise hit thanks to a Billy Idol song, being sold to current owners Luxco, and reimagined as a premium offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of snickerdoodle cookies, inviting caramel and vanilla tones, and some fudge to round out the sweeter notes. On the earthier side, there’s the scent of clove and turmeric, in addition to the faintest shake of freshly cracked black pepper.
Palate: Once in the mouth, caramel, the burnt citrus flavor of a torched orange wheel, and vanilla introduce the senses to this lush bourbon. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with almonds and white pepper found in spades, though it skews more heavily toward the sweet tones. This lovely, well-balanced whiskey rewards chewing as it unlocks further cinnamon bark and wheat funk notes.
Finish: For its final act, Rebel 10-Year Bourbon features rich oak, honey-roasted peanuts, and vanilla that hangs around with considerable staying power.
Bottom Line:
Rebel 10-Year Bourbon has long been rumored to feature whiskey in the blend that significantly exceeds its age statement, and that speculation certainly passes the taste test. The liquid is a lush showcase of how depth can overcome the brevity of flavors to deliver a balanced and highly enjoyable bourbon.
Originally launched in 1994, Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit was Jimmy Russell’s not-so-subtle response to the popularity of another ornately designed single-barrel bourbon bottle: Blanton’s. While the contemporary bottle of Kentucky Spirit is streamlined and comes in the same package as Rare Breed, the liquid inside is a single-barrel version of Wild Turkey Bourbon at 101 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Kentucky Spirit begins gently with honey and graham cracker before holiday spices, apricots, and nutmeg begin to emerge.
Palate: On the palate, the apricot, nutmeg, and graham cracker notes make the first impression, while black pepper and dried cranberries join the party soon after. The mouthfeel is lean but exceedingly enjoyable, and pops of baking spices accent the overall experience.
Finish: The finish welcomes the inclusion of cooked red apple notes along with some vanilla pods before succinctly tapering off in a crescendo of gentle oak tones.
Bottom Line:
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit is perhaps the most highly underrated expression from this highly underrated brand. Showcasing single barrels of Wild Turkey’s iconic 101-proof bourbon really allows you to experience its signature flavor profile while also highlighting the subtle variations that can elevate Wild Turkey whiskey to being among the best in America.
Knob Creek 12-Year Bourbon is the more mature version of the widely available Knob Creek 9-Year Small Batch. Bottled at the same proof from the same stock of barrels, the 12-year version offers a well-aged alternative to an absolute bourbon classic.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, you get some of the signature hazelnut qualities that Jim Beam is famously known for, but with more oak, brown sugar, and honeyed black tea, this expression cranks up the intensity as well as the refinement.
Palate: Once on the palate, this bourbon delivers on the promise of the nose by offering classic Jim Beam bourbon notes with a depth of richness that the 9-year small batch only scratches the surface of. There’s a touch of lemon zest atop the prototypical caramel, hazelnut, and rich oak notes, plus a surprisingly robust texture that grips the edges of the palate while gently coating the middle of it.
Finish: The finish is medium to long with more hazelnut notes joined by black pepper and brown sugar, with nutmeg and clove following shortly thereafter. It closes with some vanilla wafer sweetness before gently receding and welcoming a second sip.
Bottom Line:
Knob Creek 12-Year Bourbon is 2024’s best regularly available Knob Creek expression, thanks to a combination of impressive age and rich, balanced flavor. If you absolutely have to spend $100 on bourbon, it’s tough to do better than this one.
Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll definitely agree that this is an incredible, smooth bourbon.
Woodinville Whiskey Co., out of Washington State, has been producing stellar craft bourbon since 2009. Even with the incredible quality they put into their limited edition offerings, you’d be foolish to skip over their flagship offering. Aged for at least five years, Woodinville Bourbon is made entirely with local grains from a mash bill of 72% corn , 22% rye, and 6% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Woodinville Bourbon’s nosing notes offer a surprising array of atypical aromas with a sweet blend of coconut and pineapple, giving it a piña colada vibe at first before maraschino cherries, whipped cream, corn pudding, and a floral aspect begin to emerge out of the glass.
Palate: Milk chocolate with whipped cream and coconut flakes come rushing over the tongue at first with a silky mouthfeel, helping all of those flavors find their footing. As it switches to the mid-palate, there’s some light umami savoriness, crème brulée, and very little burn, which gives this whiskey the “creamy” texture we’re looking for in a smooth bourbon.
Finish: As that creamy texture ends on the brief finish, we’re left with cacao nibs, caramel, and vanilla ice cream flavor.
Bottom Line:
Woodinville Bourbon’s borderline tropical appeal is a substantial part of its smoothness. Those coconut and milk chocolate flavors work well with the whiskey’s velvety texture to provide a smooth experience that will impress bourbon savants and intrigue any newcomers.
3. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Wheat
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series, founded in 2023, began with three initial entrants, but this new 6-year-old High Wheat Bourbon marks the lineup’s first official expansion. By combining a low barrel entry proof with a high percentage of wheat (39%) in the grain recipe, the brand sought to extract the maximum amount of wood sugars.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of this Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon begins with a ton of crème brûlée and strawberries before a touch of oak, wheat funk, and caramel comes through. There are also a few dashes of clove and lemon zest to round things out.
Palate: Once on the palate, the strawberries and custard notes play a major factor as the remarkably creamy texture of the liquid coats your palate and finds every corner of the mouth. Mellow oak tones, vanilla frosting, and flaky pastry flavors also enhance the bourbon.
Finish: The finish here is surprisingly lengthy, with the strawberry note going from ripe berries to the dried variety as a touch of nutmeg creeps in and the gentle oak vibes fuse with honey.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company already has a wheated bourbon in their Origin Series, and it’s a rock-solid option that has its fair share of admirers among those who have tasted the well-received lineup. That said, this High Wheat Bourbon not only one-ups its wheated bourbon predecessor but also makes for a more flavorful, easy-sipping alternative.
Michter’s was recently voted the World’s Most Admired Whiskey Distillery, and its flagship bourbon is the most readily available example of why. For this expression and the rest of its whiskey lineup, Michter’s uses a proprietary filtration process to optimize the flavor coming from its barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon has a dense aroma bouquet that immediately appears well-refined. Notes like honeysuckle, brown sugar, raisins, and youthful oak fill the air, with each well-developed layer greeting the olfactory senses warmly.
Palate: On the palate, what’s immediately remarkable about this bourbon is the texture, as it gently coats your tongue with moderate warmth, and before you know it, the taste of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts is suddenly everywhere on your tongue. That deceptively viscous texture works well here and is a credit to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and their atypical proof-point.
Finish: The finish here is brief, with brown sugar and cinnamon coexisting harmoniously alongside new oak and clove, making for a gentle send-off after every sip.
Bottom Line:
Michter’s US*1 Bourbon perfectly threads the needle of being delicious and affordable. Free from any harsher elements, your palate will take to this whiskey like a fish in the water as those enchanting mellow notes wash over your tongue and coat your mouth with a remarkable range of flavors that make this one of the smoothest bottles of bourbon that money can buy.
For their flagship 10-Year Bourbon, Widow Jane blends whiskey distillate from three different states in bespoke 5-barrel batches before proofing it down with mineral water from their Rosendale Mines in New York. The barrels from each blend hail from distilleries in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Widow Jane has a captivating nose of fresh cherries, orange oil, mature oak, and milk chocolate paired with more unique notes like waxy plums, coconuts, and pears.
Palate: Immediately, you’ll notice that this is a really rich whiskey that punches way above its modest proof point. That exceptional mouthfeel brings a complex web of all the notes above, with the red cherries, chocolate milk, and coconut aspects featuring most prominently across the palate while maple candy and cinnamon creep in more subtly.
Finish: Again defying its modest proof point is the finish, which lingers for quite a while, leaving mature oak and milk chocolate with a touch of plum on the palate, priming you for your next sip.
Bottom Line:
Widow Jane’s flagship expression might be under the radar for certain consumers who turn their noses up at bourbon produced outside of Kentucky. Still, having featured it in our “best non-Kentucky bourbons” round-up, you should know they’re making some excellent stuff. Not only is this bottle undeniably smooth, but it’s also dangerously delicious.
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