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A bottle of bourbon for $200 is… kind of a crazy ask. You can get a great bottle of bourbon for $50, there’s no getting around that. So when you start looking at price points around $200, it’s important that you’re talking about something ~more~ than your average tasting bourbons. Whiskeys at this price (SHOULD!) go beyond charred oak barrels or whether or not we’re talking about wheated bourbons, like Pappy Van Winkle (which doesn’t even appear on this list). This is about finding something extra and truly special from the bourbon scene.

To help you find those special bourbon bottles, I’m going to call out 12 bourbons that actually do merit the high price tag.

When it comes to which of these bourbons to drink, well… that depends on you. Read through my tasting notes and find the whiskey that piques your interest or sounds enticing. Then click on those price links to see if you can find that whiskey in your region. Okay, let’s dive in!

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12. Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $189

The Whisky:

This new expression from Jim Beam is about highlighting the beautiful high-end barrels from Beam’s vast rickhouses. The whiskey in the bottle is a classic low-rye Beam that rested for 16 years and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the bottle as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a rich spice mix of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, almost bitter cloves, and dusty allspice with a hint of black licorice leading to a buttery caramel sauce with a flake of salt, twinge of vanilla oil, and whisper of cherry tobacco in an old cedar humidor.

Palate: The palate builds on that classic foundation with layers of old boot leather, hard sultanas, meaty dates, stewed plums, and rum-soaked Christmas cake with candied orange rinds and cherries.

Finish: The end soaks the raisins and candied fruit in maple syrup with a hint of sour cherry laced with ancho chili peppers and woody spices.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey has really grown on me over the last few months. It’s a damn fine Jim Beam whiskey that highlights its spicier edge while still holding onto the dark fruitiness the brand is known for. Basically, if you’re looking for an older age statement Jim Beam at cask strength, then this is the bottle for you.

11. Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50.35%

Average Price: $194

The Whiskey:

This sourced bourbon is built from 11 and 18-year-old bourbon barrels. The real star of the show with this whiskey is that those bourbons were finished in Armagnac, Cognac, and sherry casks before vatting and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with sticky toffee pudding that really amps up the cinnamon and nutmeg next to black-tea-soaked dates next to some stewed prunes wrapped in chili-chocolate-laced tobacco leaves and dripped in honey and then walnuts.

Palate: A savory fruitiness opens the palate with figs and pumpkin that leads towards an apricot jam with a hint of clove and cinnamon next to light touches of old library leather and funk.

Finish: A faint hint of dark berries arrives on the mid-palate before the finish luxuriates in burnt toffee, almond shells, more of that leather, and dried-out apricots.

Bottom Line:

This is a deep bourbon with a classic feel that’s dailed up to 11. It’s sharp yet 100% approachable as a slow sipper. It also has a nice stone fruit feel at the end, which adds a nice extra layer of nuance. Overall, this is the bottle you grab when you’re looking for a classic that goes the extra mile.

10. Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Small Batch 3-KY

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

Old Carter is a hidden-away bottler right off Whiskey Row in Louisville. It’s still very insider. Their process is all about finding great barrels of whiskey, blending them, and bottling them for whiskey lovers in the know. In this case, that was a very small batch blend that yielded only 1,116 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A thickness comes through on the nose with creamy vanilla and maple syrup vibe with a buttery underbelly accented by old corn husks, woody cinnamon, allspice, and lush nutmeg with a hint of hazelnut.

Palate: Thick salted caramel sauce vibes with a black-tea-soaked date feel as cinnamon syrup and smoldering orchard wood leads to a big mid-palate Kentucky hug.

Finish: That warmth fades quickly as hints of dried cranberry tobacco and cedar braids filled with wicker and sweetgrass end the sip on a dry note with a touch of floral honey lurking underneath it all.

Bottom Line:

Old Carter’s team just cannot miss. Their sourced barrels are kind of magical and these releases always deliver. This will be harder to find outside of Kentucky, but worth the hunt, especially if you want to have a real in-the-know bourbon on your shelf.

9. Frank August Case Study: 01 Mizunara Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 62.2%

Average Price: $165

The Whiskey:

For this first “case study,” the team at Frank August picked five bourbon barrels to finish in Japanese Mizunara casks. While those barrels were finishing the elixir within, the team checked the whiskey every 30 days to assure they batched and bottled the whiskey at just the right moment.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a rich sense of butterscotch candy on the nose with freshly fried sourdough doughnuts dusted in brown sugar, cinnamon, and maybe some spearmint next dusting of white pepper.

Palate: The taste starts off creamy and full of toffee as apple pie filling with plenty of cloves and cinnamon leads to peppery mint chocolate and salted caramel drizzle with a twinge of pine resin.

Finish: The end is lush and spicy with a hint of caraway-encrusted rye next to cinnamon bark and clove buds next to warm menthol tobacco dipped in dark chocolate and wrapped with cedar bark and wild sage.

Bottom Line:

This is a whiskey that goes somewhere new with its bourbon profile. It’s funky and fun with a hint of malt whisky in the mix. Get this if you’re looking for a bourbon with subtle hints of malted whisky — definitely a win for anyone eager to expand their palates!

8. Kentucky Senator Bourbon 15 Years Release #1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $199

The Whiskey:

This sourced whiskey celebrates both Kentucky’s bourbon heritage and U.S. Senators from the Bluegrass state. The juice is made with a mash of 78.5% corn, 13% rye, and 8.5% malted barley. The whiskey is left alone for 15 years before the team at Kentucky Senator Spirits blends and bottles this one, without filtering or proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This whiskey opens with a medley of dry cedar, black cherries, burnt toffee, buttered sourdough pancake, old leather, cinnamon bark, and spiced chewy tobacco.

Palate: The palate leans into the woody spices with cloves and anise taking center stage as soft maple syrup and pecan-cinnamon-butter create a spiced/sweet/creamy vibe on the palate.

Finish: In the end, more woodsy spices mingle with rich cherry tobacco as old oak, salted caramel, and vanilla cream pie round everything out.

Bottom Line:

This is a great, nutty Kentucky bourbon that feels like a warm hug on a cold day. It’s sweet, quintessential, and a bourbon lover’s bourbon.

7. The Prideful Goat 15 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $194

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a sourced masterpiece of Kentucky bourbon that’s bottled down in Texas. The mash bill is corn heavy with 78.5% corn next to 13% rye and 8.5% malted barley. That hot juice is left in barrels in Kentucky for 15 long years before they’re shipped to Texas, blended, and bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is classic bourbon with a deep sense of buttery toffee next to dark cherries with a sour edge, slightly tannic oak, a hint of worn boot leather, and a spicy tobacco leaf.

Palate: The palate hits on a soft ginger snap with sharp cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg leading to a handful of allspice berries before wet brown sugar and maple candy kick in and mellow the mid-palate toward dark cherry tobacco wrapped up with old wicker canes and pine needles.

Finish: The end subtly drops toward old oak staves, the cellar floor, and caramel/cinnamon syrup with a dash more of that tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a spicy and woody bourbon with a nice creaminess, especially when you add a little water. If you’re looking for something more oak and spice-forward, then this is the bourbon for you.

6. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 18 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $183

The Whiskey:

This limited-edition release celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, which started back in 1992 during the darkest days of bourbon. The whiskey is Beam’s standard mash bill that’s distilled at a slightly different temperature and treated with a little more care during aging by placing barrels in very specific locations throughout their vast warehouses. After 18 long years, the best of the best barrels are small batched, and just proofed before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark molasses and pecan clusters with salted dark chocolate lead to brown butter, old figs, and salted caramel with a woody sense of cherry and apple bark next to cinnamon-laced cedar sticks with burnt orange.

Palate: The palate is full of lush vanilla notes next to singed cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, star anise, salted black licorice, and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a hint of dried red chili spice turning up the heat on the mid-palate.

Finish: The end has a floral honey sweetness that balances everything toward orange blossoms and bruised peaches, cherry tobacco, and clove tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a masterpiece of bourbon. It’s endlessly sippable and one of the purest examples of well-aged Kentucky bourbon that you can actually find (for the most part). If you’re even remotely a fan of Knob Creek, then this is a must-have. If you love a really good bourbon… then this is a must-have as well.

5. Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskies Finished in Armagnac Casks

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is a blend of 12-year-old, low-rye bourbon from Kentucky and 10-year-old, very-low-rye bourbon from Tennessee. The whiskeys were re-barreled into Armagnac casks from the famed Chateau de Laubade. One set spent two years mellowing on the bottom floor of the rickhouse while another set spent 16 months mellowing on the top floor. After that, the barrels were vatted and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This hits on complex notes on the nose from old leather, dried sage, cellared oak, roasted almonds rolled in toffee, sultanas, and then deep winter spice: freshly ground nutmeg, mace, cardamom, sharp cinnamon.

Palate: The palate has a silky vanilla foundation with more sultanas over top, fresh and meaty dates, ginger snaps, and prunes mingle.

Finish: The end has a gingerbread vibe next to cherry bark and grape must with more of those spices pouring into an old cedar humidor that used to hold tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is the best brandy-driven bourbon you can buy in 2023. The balance of the armagnac barrels on the bourbon is pretty much as lush as you can get. In short, this is the brandy-finished bourbon profile that all the other brands are chasing.

4. Booker’s Small Batch Bourbon Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2022-03 “Kentucky Tea Batch”

ABV: 63.25%

Average Price: $179

The Whiskey:

The latest Booker’s is a nod to “Kentucky Tea” which isn’t tea at all. It’s when you add a little whiskey to a glass of water and then that looks like tea. The whiskey in this case is a blend of bourbon barrels from seven locations across six different warehouses. The final product was bottled without any fussing at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of sour cherry and vanilla cookies on the nose with a supporting cast of dark tobacco packed into old cedar boxes with a rough and worn leatheriness tying everything together.

Palate: The palate opens with a vanilla white cake frosted with cherry and chocolate — a bit like a Black Forest cake — that leads to orange oils, clove, and old pine boards with a touch of sap.

Finish: The end has a fruitiness that leans towards a spicy star fruit with a fresh vibe next to light pear tobacco with a pine humidor edge.

Bottom Line:

This was my favorite Booker’s release last year. It’s pure Kentucky bourbon through and through with a nice sweetness that’s countered by a hint of pear and spiced tobacco to balance things out wonderfully. This is a great sipper to have on hand. It also makes one hell of a Manhattan.

3. Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey

ABV: 48.5%

Average Price: $199

The Whiskey:

This age statement released from Jack Daniel’s is a throwback to a bygone era in Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is aged for at least 10 years before batching. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a bold line of wet and sweet wood.

Palate: The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and marries it to a woody and spicy tobacco leaf alongside toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel paired with dry corn husks that are just singed.

Finish: The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with an almost smoked oak woodiness.

Bottom Line:

Batch 2 of this whiskey was just released, meaning that you might actually be able to find this right now. Batch 2 is far woodier than Batch 1. So, if you’re looking for an oak-forward whiskey with a bright fruitiness as a counterpoint, then grab this while you still can.

2. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 13 Years Old

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $173

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was made by Eddie Russell to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The blend is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.

Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.

Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best Wild Turkey releases of all time. It’s on shelves now and still (kind of) gettable. Basically, if you’re a fan of Wild Turkey in any way, this is a no-brainer addition to your bar cart.

1. Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old

ABV: 47.2%

Average Price: $185

The Whiskey:

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

Tasting Notes:

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

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

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

Bottom Line:

This is classic Kentucky bourbon and the essential sipper that most other bourbons are measured against (that few actually live up to). Although this whiskey wasn’t released last year, 2023 bottles are hitting shelves right now. That means that you might be able to find this at MSRP right now. Start hitting those bourbon streets. You might get lucky and find one or two of these out there!

The release of Chlöe’s long-anticipated solo debut album, In Pieces, is just weeks away, and the “How Does It Feel” singer has just unveiled the tracklist. Consisting of 14 tracks, the album will include a pair of unexpected features in addition to the Chris Brown feature on the aforementioned single. Future will make a fitting contribution to the track “Cheatback,” while Missy Elliott appears on “Told Ya.” You can see the full tracklist below.

As Chlöe has rolled out her album, she’s also drawn headlines for some of her acting roles as well. In February, it was announced that the singer would star alongside Woody Harrelson and Oliva Colman in a musical film inspired by Bob Dylan, North Country, while last week her sex scene in the Amazon Prime social media satire Swarm set Stan Twitter abuzz. And in April, just one week after her album drops, she’ll star in Peacock’s musical comedy, Praise This, ensuring that the spring will belong to the Bailey sisters (Halle, the other half of the duo, stars in The Little Mermaid in May).

In Pieces is out 3/31 via Parkwood/Columbia. Pre-save it here.

Tracklist:

1. “Someone’s Calling (Chlöe)”
2. “Pray It Away”
3. “Body Do”
4. “I Don’t Mind”
5. “Worried”
6. “Fallin 4 U”
7. “How Does It Feel” Feat. Chris Brown
8. “Feel Me Cry”
9. “Make It Look Easy”
10. “Looze U”
11. “Told Ya” Feat. Missy Elliott
12. “Cheatback” Feat. Future
13. “Heart On My Sleeve”
14. “In Pieces”

Cinnamon cereal is the best of the best! Sure, you can make a case for nostalgic favorites like Lucky Charms or Crunch Berries or, if you’re a health nut, keep pretending that some muesli that tastes like hay is the best, but at the end of the day, no other cereal represents breakfast (which is designed to be indulgent) better than cinnamon cereal. It’s got enough sugar to satisfy a sweet tooth with a flavor profile that reminds the taste buds of classic morning indulgences like French toast.

Cinnamon and breakfast work! Why else would there be so many different variations of cinnamon cereal out there?

I’m not just talking about those budget bags that sell you cereal without the box, either. I’m talking about big names: Life, Chex, Magic Spoon, and Trader Joe’s — they all have a flavor that is designed to compete with the flavor’s most popular iteration, Kellogg’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch. So who makes the best? We found out by putting all the cinnamon cereals we could find to the blind taste test.

PART I — Methodology

For this blind taste test, I went to three different grocery stores in my area: Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s, and two different Targets and picked up every cinnamon cereal on the shelves. Here is today’s tasting class:

• Cascadian Farm — Organic Cinnamon Crunch
• General Mills — Chex Cinnamon
• Kellogg’s — Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll
• Kellogg’s — Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Magic Spoon — Cinnamon
• Malt O Meal — Cinnamon Toasters
• Market Pantry — Cinnamon Oat Bites
• Trader Joe’s — Crunchy Cinnamon Squares
• Quaker — Life Cinnamon

I had my girlfriend pour me a small bowl of each at random with whole milk, and wore a blindfold since we were dealing with various shapes. If you’re wondering if eating nine different textures of cereal absolutely tore up the roof of my mouth, the answer is “yes, it did.” But we do these things for science! Let’s dive in.

PART II — The Tasting

Taste 1:

An initial great spicy cinnamon-forward flavor! It doesn’t taste like it’s too strongly cut with sugar, but… it has a very stale aftertaste. Overall the dusting of cinnamon is a bit too light here, it starts off tasty but quickly devolves into bland territory.

Taste 2:

Very crispy texture with a strong dark cinnamon flavor. It’s earthy and a bit spicy, but something about the texture of this cereal ended up sticking to every crevice of my teeth. It got so bad that I had to give my mouth a thorough rinse. You shouldn’t need a toothpick to eat cereal.

The aftertaste is also pretty bad, very stale.

Taste 3:

Very sugary with a dose of cinnamon spice that appears on the aftertaste. The mouthfeel is sharp and crispy, with a nice audible crunch. The cereal soaks up milk very well and comes across as very flavorful despite being submerged in milk.

Delicious. This must be the real Cinnamon Toast Crunch, right?

Taste 4:

A great flavor with a perfect balance of sugar and cinnamon and a toasted rice aftertaste. It has a nice and snappy texture. The cinnamon sugar flavor here is a lot more subtle than Taste 3 — it tastes like a health-conscious alternative but doesn’t sacrifice flavor in the process.

Taste 5:

A rich and dark cinnamon flavor. A great crispy texture that soaks up milk excellently. There is a weird sugary aftertaste that I don’t like here though. It’s almost as if it gets sweeter between bites. Good but not my favorite.

Taste 6:

Great flavor, it’s spicy and sweet, leaning a bit harder on cinnamon than sugar, but the texture is horrible. It’s way too crunchy and it doesn’t really soak up milk at all. I dipped my spoon in this one a few times just to get it a bit more bathed but it still came across as too dry.

Taste 7:

Almost totally flavorless. I’m really struggling to get anything out of this one, I’m getting the slightest hint of cinnamon. This is definitely some sort of healthy cereal. It’s all crunchy texture with not nearly enough flavor to justify its dryness.

Taste 8:

Very similar to Taste 7 in texture but with a way better execution in terms of flavor. It’s dry and crunchy, but the cinnamon sugar is prominent without tasting like you’re eating cereal packed with sugar. Just enough flavor to satisfy. I’m also tasting a hint of oat in there, which is a nice surprise.

Taste 9:

This one is obviously a wheat cereal, it has that dark and earthy naturally sweet flavor. This cinnamon is also very nice, it leans more toward the natural flavor of cinnamon with just a hint of sugar to keep it from being too dry. It’s natural tasting, but not at all off-putting. But the dominant flavor here is wheat, not cinnamon, so while I like this one, it’s not number one.

Part 2: The Ranking

9. Market Pantry — Cinnamon Oats Bites (Taste 7)

Price: $2.89

Market Pantry, Target’s brand that isn’t Good & Gather, makes some fine products… but this Cinnamon Oats cereal is not one of them. This is by far the blandest cereal I’ve ever had, and yes, I’ve had cornflakes. This is an oat-based cereal but unfortunately, you can’t even taste the oats.

The cereal sports 24g of whole grains per serving, which is great, but it’s an absolute chore to eat and for that, it gets the bottom spot.

The Bottom Line:

I’d call it the worst-tasting cinnamon-flavored cereal your money could buy if it tasted like anything at all.

8. Magic Spoon — Cinnamon Roll (Taste 2)

Price: $9.99

Magic Spoon’s whole thing is that it’s a healthy grain-free cereal for adults with high protein content and no sugar. That’s a noble goal, but we’d be lying if we said this compares to the real thing. It doesn’t — the flavors taste suspiciously artificial and the texture is some of the worst I’ve ever encountered. Seriously, this stuff will stick to your teeth like you’re chewing wet styrofoam.

How do I know what wet styrofoam tastes like? Because I’ve had Magic Spoon.

The Bottom Line:

It’s cereal for adults if cereal tasted weird and got stuck in your teeth all the time. The only cereal you need to eat with a toothpick in tow.

7. Cascadian Farm — Organic Cinnamon Crunch (Taste 1)

Price: $4.19

Cascadian Farm is so close to being good! This organic cereal has a delicious cinnamon flavor at the forefront, but its stale and bland aftertaste hurts it, significantly. It’s just not a pleasure to eat.

It’s made with some great ingredients, including cane sugar, and whole-grain wheat, and sports three grams of fiber and 15 grams of whole grains, but that all takes a backseat to flavor, and considering this leaves you with a cardboard flavor in your mouth, we can’t cosign it.

The Bottom Line:

Starts off delicious, but ends up tasting too bland to really win us over.

6. Quaker — Life Cinnamon (Taste 8)

Price: $3.10

Quaker’s cinnamon version of Life is fine, it’s healthy, made with whole grains, and without artificial flavors or preservatives, but it tastes like a healthy cereal. That’s fine if that’s what you’re into, but if we’re comparing it to sugar-packed competitors in search of what tastes better, I’m sorry but this just doesn’t cut it.

If you love the sugary-packed cereals that this is brand hopes to imitate but are trying to cut back on the massive amounts of sugar, you’re going to like this, But we can’t pretend it actually tastes better.

The Bottom Line:

A nice healthy option if you’re trying to cut back on sugar, but if you aren’t, there is better-tasting cereal out there.

5. Kellogg’s — Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll (Taste 5)

Price: $7.17

This flavor attempts to capture the magic of Cinnabon in cereal form and… it doesn’t really do that. Don’t get me wrong, it tastes good, and I really like the crispy texture that soaks up milk very nicely, but this is a far cry from that magic that is Cinnabon. It seems like the public agrees too because Kellogg’s is always discontinuing and bringing back this cereal.

The Bottom Line:

It’s good but Kellogg’s can’t seem to decide if it wants to keep this cereal around. Unfortunately, if they discontinue it again, it’s not good enough to be mad about.

4. Malt-O-Meal Cinnamon Toasters (Taste 6)

Price: $1.95

Malt-O-Meal is one of those budget brands that sell you the cereal in a bag, box free. Let me just say, I don’t have a problem with these brands. I think for the most part they are great alternatives to the big brands and considering cereal is already in a plastic bag inside the box, I don’t need the extra waste. That said, Malt-O-Meal is good but it’s not great.

The thing that holds this cereal back is the texture, it’s so hard and crispy that it totally blocks out the milk. You could use this stuff as a bulletproof shield if you wanted to.

The Bottom Line:

A great flavor, and if you like crunchy cereal this is a fine option. But it doesn’t soak up milk at all, so if you like your cereal a bit wet, this isn’t your brand.

3. Trader Joe’s — Crunchy Cinnamon Squares (Taste 9)

Price: $2.99

I have to hand it to Trader Joe’s, they not only make a damn good cinnamon cereal, but they manage to give you that familiar flavor while still bringing something different to the table. This cereal is made with whole grain wheat, making it a healthier alternative to the competition, but it doesn’t sacrifice flavor in the process. In fact, the wheat flavor is pretty tasty itself!

That gives this cereal an interesting problem though, it doesn’t actually taste all that much like cinnamon. Cinnamon is there, but the dominant flavor is wheat, and that’s fine if that’s what you’re after, but that’s not what we’re after. So for that, it gets the third-place spot.

The Bottom Line:

A delicious wheat-flavored cereal with just a hint of cinnamon.

2. General Mills — Cinnamon Chex (Taste 4)

Price: $3.99

Cinnamon Chex is great! Well-balanced with just the right level of sugar and cinnamon, Cinnamon Chex uses 100% real cinnamon in its recipe and alternates between seasoned Chex and plain whole grain rice Chex. That keeps it from being too sweet, while still providing enough flavor to come across like you’re missing out on something.

Each serving is only 8 grams of sugar which is higher than the healthy brands, but lower than our number one choice.

The Bottom Line:

Healthier and less sweet than the competition without sacrificing flavor.

1. Kellogg’s — Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Taste 3)

Price: $3.79

Cinnamon Toast Crunch is the quintessential cinnamon cereal, that is undeniable. I wanted desperately for another cereal to take the top spot, it’s the reason we put each to a blind taste test, to remove any and all biases, but this one still came out on top. It just offers the most delicious experience. Is it the 12 grams of sugar per serving? Yes, probably. Actually, most definitely. This is the sugariest cereal out of the whole lot.

In terms of flavor, nothing beats it, and considering every other cereal is trying desperately to be this one (you can tell by what they are named), it’s almost like other brand knows this is the best as well. The mouthfeel is perfect, it’s light, crispy, and crunchy, and soaks up milk well without ruining the structural integrity of the cereal. The flavor perfectly mixes sweet sugar with spicy earthy cinnamon that retains its flavor no matter how long it sits in the milk. It’s perfect.

The Bottom Line:

The quintessential cinnamon-flavored cereal. It has the most sugar, which makes it less healthy than some of the other brands, but in terms of flavor, nothing even comes close to the experience this one offers.

A few months ago, Stephen King pretty much ignored Ted Cruz when the much-maligned senator attempted to outwit him over banned books. That move blew up in Ted’s face, and the same goes for his attempts to tweet about Fight Club and, as a The Princess Bride superfan, rumble with Cary Elwes. Yet Ted, never to be deterred, swung at a horror maestro and missed (Ted may have also missed the plentiful biblical themes in King’s work while lobbing an insult), and King is now apparently circling back with a blow of his own.

Mind you, King is saving his loftier prose for the printed page, which is likely a wise move because personal energy conservation is an underrated move. Also, attacking with the bluntest of swords can be effective, depending upon context. As such, the King of the Dad Jokes decided to simply refer to Ted as “Dumbo” in reference Ted’s condemnation of Anthony Fauci, who Ted accused of being “smug and gleeful” while he “casually called to shut down bars, restaurants, and gyms.”

“A million dead, Dumbo,” the Cell author responded. “If America hadn’t listened to Fauci, the number would have been twice or three times that.”

The “Dumbo” may have made some people’s evenings. Simple, yet effective.

For a lot of celebrities, if trolls come after them online, odds are they’ll either never notice, or they’ll see it but choose to ignore. That’s not always the case with Lil Nas X, though, as the active Twitter user is far from afraid of clapping back at people who come after him. Over the weekend, for example, one Twitter user said they feel like the rapper is “not really gay” and Nas wasn’t going to leave that alone.

Sharing a clip from Nas’ Lollapalooza Chile performance, a Twitter user wrote on March 17, “I feel like he’s not really gay or not really that feminine it’s so forced.” Another user responded, “I think he is, but he forced the feminine part,” and the original poster replied, “Yes like he don’t exude feminine energy at all and when he does stuff like this it’s kinda cringe or comes off unauthentic. It’s like he’s a caricature of a fem boy idk.”

In response to the initial tweet, Nas dismissed them by writing the next day, “oh no guys it’s the estrogen expert.”

This comes shortly after Nas found himself in a bit of online hot water when the trans community took exception to a joke of his.

Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump were practically at each other’s throats on Monday morning as the former president’s possible arrest hangs in the air. DeSantis fired the first shot by making a noticeable jab about Trump’s legal predicament instead of offering support to his fellow Republican.

“I don’t know what goes into paying hush money to a porn star to secure silence over some type of alleged affair. I just, I can’t speak to that.” DeSantis said during a press conference in Panama City, Florida when asked about a possible Trump indictment. “I’ve got real issues to deal with here in the state of Florida.”

According to CNN, DeSantis’ quip reportedly stirred up laughter from the crowd and quickly went viral as the Florida governor scored a blow on Trump, who clearly caught wind of the remarks. The former president fired back on Truth Social, but in an odd move, he deleted his attack.

“Ron will probably find out about this sometime in the future when he’s unfairly and illegally attacked by a woman (or possibly a man!) with false accusations,” Trump wrote in the now-deleted post.

However, before anyone thinks Trump took the high road by deleting the post, he simply wanted to add more teeth by including a screenshot of allegations that DeSantis allegedly partied with underage girls.

“Ron DeSanctimonious will probably find out about FALSE ACCUSATIONS & FAKE STORIES sometime in the future as he gets older, wiser, and better known, when he’s unfairly attacked by a woman, even classmates that are ‘underage’ (or possibly a man!)” Trump wrote in the updated post. “I’m sure he will want to fight these misfits just like I do!”

While Trump is doubling down, DeSantis seems content with his Stormy Daniels jab. The Florida governor told reporters that as far as the Trump case goes, he has “no interest in getting involved in some type of manufactured circus.”

(Via CNN, Aaron Rupar on Twitter)

What’s in a name?

A lot, actually. We know that names reflect certain aspects of one’s identity. We know that repeated mispronunciation of a person’s name potentially undermines that identity. We know that sometimes this is unintentional, and other times, more insidious intentions of “othering” are at play. Especially when it comes to those with non-English names.

We also know that, on the flip side, making the effort to properly pronounce a person’s name is one of the simplest forms of kindness and respect that someone can offer. And it really pays dividends.

Just take a page from Kelly Clarkson’s book.

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Clarkson recently had K-pop girl group TWICE on her show to perform their latest English single, “Moonlight Sunrise.”

With the help of an onstage translator, Clarkson bonded with the group about starting their careers from reality TV—Clarkson from “American Idol,” and TWICE from South Korean TV show “Sixteen”.

During the interview, Clarkson made sure to personally address all nine members in the group—Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Momo, Sana, Jihyo, Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu—by their name.

Then, at one point, Clarkson checked with the translator to see if she was pronouncing Tzuyu’s name correctly.

Clarkson pronounced it the way many English-speaking fans did—”Tzoo-Yoo.” The translator explained that while that version is “good,” the Korean version is actually pronounced “Jjeu-Wee.” Almost resembling the word “chewy.”

The stark contrast between pronunciations at first threw the host a little. And after doing a lighthearted doubletake (“Wait, what?!”) Clarkson quickly decided to go straight to the source.

“How do you want me to say it?” she asked Tzuyu.

Tzuyu responded, “Jjeu-Wee.”

In typical Kelly Clarkson fashion, she quipped, “How you say it is adorable! OK, so, Jjeu-Wee—I think I said it right, I’m trying,” before moving on to talk more about their song.

It’s such a short exchange, but it made a huge impact. Those who watched online complemented Clarkson on her efforts to make her guests feel welcomed.

“I love that Kelly is trying so hard to pronounce her name and making them feel comfortable. And that was the closest she could get to correctly pronouncing Tzuyu in one day! I could barely pronounce it perfectly in a month so, congrats Kelly!” one person wrote.

Another added, “The way Kelly pronounced Tzuyu to cheewy and saying it’s adorable you can feel she knows how to respect and entertain her guest even though there is a language barrier. We love you Kelly and Twice.”

Watch below:

Big thanks to Kelly for showing just how easy it is to offer this truly simple gesture. And within the span of 30 seconds, no less.

You know the end of the interview where they ask, “Do you have any questions for us?” It’s a dreaded question for a lot of people. Even though you know it’s coming, the question still catches you off guard and you wind up asking something possibly irrelevant or nothing at all. Then the whole ride home, approximately fifteen questions pop into your head.

But don’t you fret, because TikTok creator Kyyah Abdul has a list of five questions to keep tucked in your brain’s pocket to close out an interview. And folks in the comments are applauding the creator’s ability to figure out if the company is a fit for you and clarify any concerns the interviewer may have. Her advice was so genius that even a person who is involved in candidate recruitment chimed in saying, “Being in both senior leadership and directly involved in candidate recruitment, these questions are fire. 10/10 recommend.”

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The video has well over 800,000 views on TikTok and nearly 200,000 likes. In the nearly 3-minute video, Abdul is sitting in her car and explains how one of her questions always trips up interviewers, but says, “It would give me the opportunity to address any concerns they had as a result of my interview.”

One of the first questions on her list is, “How do you and senior leadership respond to errors made in the workplace?”

Most people who have held more than one job have experienced being in an environment where minor mistakes were ridiculed or caused you to be micromanaged. So asking this sort of question in the interview seems like it would give you a better understanding of that company’s work environment.

Some commenters have tried her methods and others are eager to continue to soak up her knowledge.

“I always incorporate your questions and am told that this was the best interview they ever had,” one commenter wrote.

“This is the first interview question video I’ve seen NOT from a recruiter or manager. And it was actually really helpful. Thank you so much,” someone else wrote.

“I used these questions during my last interview and they thought I was brilliant,” another person said.

Clearly viewers think Abdul’s interview hacks are invaluable. Watch the video below to hear the rest of the questions:

@kyyahabdul

A lot of people have asked me about interview questions so I am reposting my most viral interview video #interview #interviewtips #interviewquestions #interviewtipsandtrick #interviewprep

If you somehow missed Irish dance extraordinaire and viral sensation Morgan Bullock, you’re in for a treat.

Back in 2020, the then 20-year-old performer posted a video of her jigging to a remixed version of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage,” also featuring the vocals of Beyoncé. As the internet is wont to fawn over unexpected mashups, it’s no wonder that the clip sent folks into a frenzy online.

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Honestly, after watching Bullock’s slick, rhythmic choreography perfectly complement the song’s attitude, you might start thinking Irish dancing and hip-hop are a match made in music heaven.

Watch:

@morgvn.elizabeth #irishdance #fyp #keepingactive #spacethings #foryou ♬ Savage Remix – Megan Thee Stallion

Once Bullock’s video started gaining traction, the compliments began rolling in, including from those who felt like she was putting a positive, modern day spotlight on the traditional dance.

Here are just a few comments scattered throughout social media:

“From all in Ireland, we love what you are doing. Well done and we here appreciate such a wonderful dancer.”

“This makes Ireland proud. Maith thu 🇮🇪🇺🇸”

“Old Irish-American guy here: you are WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!! The world needs more artistry such as yours.”

Though she had trained in various styles her whole life, Bullock told Good Morning America that she became “mesmerized” by Irish dancing the moment she first saw it, and quickly gravitated towards it—even dreaming of one day performing with the world-renowned Riverdance troupe.

That dream came true. Below is a picture of Bullock, making her debut as the first Black female Irish dancer to tour with Riverdance ever. TikTok really can be a wonderful thing.

Opening night here at the wonderful Van Wezel Hall in Sarasota, Florida. We are delighted to be back on stage in the US – here’s to a wonderful six months of doing what we love most! ❤️#riverdance #sarasota #florida #dance #inspire #passion #vanwezel pic.twitter.com/n8UQGhhzU1

— Riverdance (@Riverdance) January 11, 2023

Now that her lifelong wish is fulfilled, Bullock hopes that her story and TikTok posts continue to inspire a love for the dance—even for those who, like her, might not typically encounter it.

“It’s an amazing art form that should be shared,” she told GMA.

Want even more hip-hop Irish dance numbers? Follow Bullock on TikTok here.

Robert Smith of The Cure was already a hero to five decades of disaffected youth, including the creators of “South Park,” but now everyone has a reason to love the “Close to Me” singer. He got Ticketmaster to admit it was gouging customers and got them a refund.

The Cure went out of its way to ensure that ticket prices to its upcoming North American tour were affordable to the average fan by selling them as low as $20. The band also used Ticketmaster’s “verified fan” process to cut down on scalpers and prevent fans from having to pay inflated prices on resale sites.

But the band had no power over the egregious fees that Ticketmaster tacks on to every sale. The band wouldn’t agree to dynamic pricing—where ticket prices fluctuate based on demand—so it appears as though Ticketmaster simply raised its fees per ticket.

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Britpop legend Tim Burgess of The Charlatans UK called out Ticketmaster’s ridiculous prices by posting a photo of someone being charged $92 in fees for purchasing four $20 tickets. The fees cost more than the tickets themselves!

Smith called out Ticketmaster on Twitter.

“I am as sickened as you all are by today’s Ticketmaster ‘fees’ debacle,” Smith wrote in an all-caps Twitter thread. “To be very clear, the artist has no way to limit them. I have been asking how they are justified. If I get anything coherent by way of an answer I will let you all know…There are tickets available, it is just a very slow process. I will be back if I get anything serious on the TM fees.”

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The Cure and their fans’ collective outrage over Ticketmaster’s exorbitant fees must have struck a nerve with the company, and it responded by doing the unthinkable: giving fans refunds.

“After further conversation, Ticketmaster have agreed with us that many of the fees being charged are unduly high, and as a gesture of goodwill have offered a $10 per ticket refund to all verified fan accounts for the lowest ticket price transaction,” Smith wrote. “And a $5 per ticket refund to all verified fan accounts for other ticket price transactions for all Cure shows at all venues.”

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Ticketmaster’s sudden, surprising generosity comes as it is under scrutiny from the government for potentially being a monopoly. In a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Clyde Lawrence, a singer-songwriter in the New York City-based band Lawrence, made the case that Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, puts performers in an unfair position.

“In a world where the promoter and the venue are not affiliated with each other, we can trust that the promoter will look to get the best deal from the venue; however, in this case the promoter and the venue are part of the same corporate entity so the line items are essentially Live Nation negotiating to pay itself,” Lawrence said.

Ticketmaster has also been targeted by the Biden administration in its push to pass the Junk Free Prevention Act. Biden has urged Ticketmaster to lower “the huge service fees” that companies “slap on to tickets for concerts or sporting events that can easily add hundreds of bucks to a family’s night out.”