Ridley was eventually traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who seemed willing to take a flyer on the young, talented receiver in hopes he would be reinstated this year. On Monday, they got their wish, as Ridley was officially reinstated to the league by the NFL, meaning he will join Trevor Lawrence and the reigning AFC South champs this fall.
In three-plus seasons in Atlanta, Ridley accumulated 3,342 yards and 28 touchdowns, becoming a formidable weapon opposite Julio Jones. He will now slot into a Jaguars offense that took significant strides over the course of this season under the guidance of Doug Pederson, rounding out a receiving corps that includes Christian Kirk and Zay Jones. Ridley will bring Jacksonville a different dimension to the passing game, providing a speedy, downfield threat for Lawrence to stretch the field with, as he averaged 15.3 yards per reception in his standout 2020 campaign in Atlanta.
His role on “Game of Thrones” might have put Pedro Pascal on the map, but starring in Disney Plus’ “The Mandalorian” and HBO’s “The Last of Us” has transformed him into a household name. When people aren’t applauding his performances, they’re usually gushing about his looks.
So much so that the 47-year-old actor was coined “the internet’s daddy.” For the most part, Pascal has been a good sport, playing along when the nickname got mentioned during television segments, interviews and red carpet appearances.
However, a reporter from Access Hollywood approached him during a premiere for “The Mandalorian” Season 2, giving him a list of thirst tweets to read out loud. For those who are unaware, ”thirst tweets” are when fans express their sexual desire for a celebrity online. Having stars awkwardly read theirs in front of a camera has become a media trend.
Trendy or not, Pascal was not having it.
After being handed the list, Pascal read them silently. Then he politely declined, then (presumably to keep things light-hearted) said, “Dirty, dirty!” before thanking the reporter and walking off.
Pascal might have been unfazed by the situation, but the clip, which has since gone viral, has spurred a bigger conversation about how abusive this kind of behavior can be.
One issue here that people pointed out was the on-the-spotness of it all, which made things feel particularly jarring and exploitative.
As one person mentioned on Reddit, “At least the celebs filming the ones on YouTube have already agreed to the premise because asking someone to read thirst tweets unprompted is so crazy to me? Like imagine rocking up to a work event and someone asks if they can film you reading sexually explicit comments written about you by strangers, I’d be like ??? Have some decorum lol.”
Another pointed out how an event for a show that’s supposed to be kid-friendly made the situation even more inappropriate, even if he had played along in the past.
“He’s on this specific red carpet for a Disney + show which I think is the key difference here. I don’t think Disney would appreciate him reading ‘I want Pedro Pascal to spit in my mouth’ aloud at the Mandalorian premiere. In addition, who cares if he played into it before? If he doesn’t want to anymore that’s a boundary perfectly within his right to set,” they wrote.
Someone please explain to me why it’s okay for people on the internet and in the media to talk about Pedro Pascal in a manner which would be disgusting if he were a woman.
On Twitter, someone compared Pascal’s situation to the kind of fetishizing that actresses have historically dealt with. “I feel like Pedro Pascal is getting the actress treatment where he cant go to any interview without being sexualized its wild.”
Some commented that because Pascal is a man, society sees it as okay to give him more conspicuous sexual attention. “Someone please explain to me why it’s okay for people on the internet and in the media to talk about Pedro Pascal in a manner which would be disgusting if he were a woman,” one person wrote.
Mostly folks were just sharing agreement that this joke has run its course, and that it was a good thing Pascal shut it down.
“I’m so happy he’s putting his foot down. The amount of interviews and things I’ve seen where he has had to address the ‘daddy’ thing is so aggravating,” one person wrote.
“People think it’s such a compliment but it’s still sexualizing and dehumanizing,” another added.
“Every Pedro Pascal interview rn is just thinly veiled sexual harassment —whether it’s making him read grossly invasive tweets sexualizing him or incessantly calling him daddy. tired and weird antics!!!!!!” commented one person, implying that Access Hollywood is far from the only media outlet to overstep boundaries.
Every pedro pascal interview rn is just thinly veiled sexual harassment —whether it’s making him read grossly invasive tweets sexualizing him or incessantly calling him daddy. tired and weird antics!!!!!!
It’s no secret that many times fans cross the line when it comes to how they treat celebrities. Maybe it’s because, for many of us, they do represent a kind of fantasy—be it our vision of fame, fortune, beauty, talent, you name it. This clearly happens to both male and female celebrities, as Pascal’s story illuminates. But as cliche as it sounds, stars are people too, and they deserve a baseline level of respect.
And speaking more universally, being treated as a sexual object can make anyone feel uncomfortable, especially when being attractive suddenly becomes your sole identity marker. Hopefully, this story shines a light on knowing how far is too far when it comes to “paying a compliment.”
An incredibly scary scene unfolded on Monday in Florida during a spring training game between the Tigers and Red Sox, as Boston’s third baseman Justin Turner got hit in the face by a fastball that got away from Detroit pitcher Matt Manning. Turner immediately fell to the ground as the Tigers catcher called for the training staff, which ran out to attend to him and needed a number of towels to take care of the bleeding.
Turner was eventually able to get up and walk off of the field, with the assistance of the training staff and still holding towels to his face, which seems like good news all things considered.
Turner, who spent the last nine years of his career starring in L.A. for the Dodgers, joined the Red Sox on a 2-year deal this offseason as the 38-year-old looked to continue his excellent career in Boston. Now, though, it seems very likely he will miss time to start the season as he recovers from this facial injury, which we await official word on the severity of. Hopefully he will be able to make a full recovery and return to the field later this season, but the main concern is with his overall well-being at the moment after a terrifying injury.
It might seem like it was only yesterday when that renaissance painting of the Roy siblings made the rounds on the internet after the shocking season three finale, but that was way back in December 2021, so you might need a quick reminder of what went down at the end.
In the season three finale, we finally got a closer look at Kendall’s poor tortured soul after he painfully reveals that he was involved in the death of a waiter at Shiv’s wedding. The siblings share a (rare) moment of hold-handing before attempting to reason with their father, which, as you may or may not know, did not go well.
After some somewhat on-the-nose foreshadowing by the way of Monopoly, it was revealed that Logan Roy had acquired his ex-wife’s shares in the company, which squashed the sibling’s scheme to stop the sale of Waystar-Royco. Tom betrayed his wife Shiv, but at least he got his get-out-of-jail-free card.
We cannot forget about our favorite Swede Matsson, played by real-life Swede Alexander Skarsgard, who managed to sweet-talk his way into absorbing WayStar into the conglomerate GoJo. With one last “f***k off,” Logan leaves his kids defeated and out of the deal… for now. Don’t worry, there is more Skarsgard to come in season four.
As for what else is on the horizon, sure, we will get a nice skillful chess game as the siblings call for an all-out war, but we will also finally get to see Connor and Willa get married, something she is really excited about and not at all regretting. It will also be the final season of the drama, so expect some loose ends to be tied up unless Cousin Greg gets his own spin-off (it’s what the people really want but don’t deserve). Here’s the official tagline for the final season:
In the 10-episode season four, the sale of media conglomerate Waystar Royco to tech visionary Lukas Matsson moves ever closer. The prospect of this seismic sale provokes existential angst and familial division among the Roys as they anticipate what their lives will look like once the deal is completed. A power struggle ensues as the family weighs up a future where their cultural and political weight is severely curtailed.
The fourth and final season of Succession premiered on March 26th on HBO.
Pacifiction, written and directed by Albert Serra, won best actor and best cinematography at the César Awards, basically France’s equivalent of the Oscars, and comes to the US puffed with various laurel-bounded film festival honors and glowing pull quotes from the likes of AO Scott and Cahiers du Cinema (the latter calling it “the best film of the year.”), as it rolls out to various arthouses.
In some ways I understand the praise. It’s easy to describe the movie that Pacifictioncould be in a way that sounds thrilling, especially combined with stills depicting waves at Teahupo’o and sexy, South Pacific idyll. Pacifiction is set in and shot on location in Tahiti, which was enough to draw me in alone. Yet there’s a gulf between Pacifiction‘s promise and the crushing burden it is to actually sit through — which is numbing and banal in a way that doesn’t inspire flowery prose. It mostly inspires curmudgeonly grumbling (foreshadowing…).
Scarcely have I seen a movie with such an intriguing premise and set of influences that also seemed so determined to put me to sleep. Pacifiction plays like a heady combination of John Le Carré, Graham Green, Paul Gauguin and the droning of a leaf blower. It’s 162 minutes long and “languid” doesn’t come close to describing the monotonous pacing.
Benoît Magimel, he of the best acting César, plays De Roller, the “high commissioner” of Tahiti appointed by France. His job, as he seems to envision it, is to travel about the island mingling with rich foreigners, poor locals, tourists, and gadflies alike, a sort of benevolent, bloviating presence who gets to borrow the prestige of the mother country to enrich the locals, in the most paternalistic way possible. All while naturally availing himself of the elevated social status that comes with the position. Essentially, a preening bureaucrat, though not necessarily an evil one. Magimel is brilliant in a wonderfully nuanced role.
One major complication to this cushy gig is the arrival of a louche French admiral and some pale marines, which spark rumors of a French submarine cruising the local waters, and with it the possibility of resumed nuclear testing. Indeed, nothing puts a finer point on the absurdity of colonialism like the world’s great powers choosing to test their most destructive weapons in their most picturesque territories, leveling paradise to put up superfund sites (Moruroa in French Polynesia being basically the French equivalent of Bikini Atoll).
Other players in the drama include De Roller’s trans woman mistress, Shannah (Pahoa Mahagafanau, in a wildly-compelling performance), a horny visiting author, a local activist, and a handful of various other shady characters, including a drunk hotel guest who wakes up from a stupor screaming about a stolen passport in Portuguese. They all congregate at Morton’s, a smoky tiki joint where the local service staff wear skimpy, provocative outfits in order to perpetuate the myth of Tahiti as the libertine paradise that attracted sketchy Europeans for hundreds of years, from Gauguin to Brando.
Again, on paper this all sounds incredible, to the point that I almost just reconvinced myself to watch it again. I can’t think of a movie I’d click “play” on faster than a Polynesian Casablanca about shady spooks, bumbling colonials, corrupt officials, and slimy sex tourists set in Tahiti. Yet just when Pacifiction seems like it’s about to coalesce into that, rewarding our patience after 90 or so minutes of numbingly repetitive dialogue and pointlessly long takes, it plays itself out with 40 or so more minutes more of long-take visual noodling, complete with droning score.
This movie takes an incredibly sexy premise and stages it in the driest way imaginable, almost entirely score and music free for much of its lengthy run time, with characters monologuing for 15 and 20 minutes on end. At the one-hour 53-minute mark, two shadowy figures who’ve been lurking on the perimeter for the whole movie get together for what seems like an important dialogue. They speak in English as the subtitles fall away, and say… something. I rewound it four times and I still have no idea.
I understand and appreciate a film that doesn’t hold your hand through every plot point and demand you interpret in just one particular way. But Serra’s choices in Pacifiction seem not just restrained and open for interpretation but deliberately obtuse. Rather than immersing you in the subject matter they all but forced you to consider the construction, to ask “why is he trying to make a romantic subject so dull?”
Other than to inspire generous critics to call this style “meditative” I don’t have a great answer. It also raises the question, why am I even reviewing a movie that maybe 1% of my audience will even see? Because it made me angry, I guess. People wait for the director’s cuts of their favorite films, but I’d love to see a “producer’s cut” of this one.
‘Pacifiction’ is currently playing a handful of big cities. You can see where here. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can read more of his reviews here.
Jenny Lewis is using her 2021 single “Puppy And A Truck” as a bridge into her new era today, March 6. Lewis initially dropped the existential, relatable jam while opening on the first leg of Harry Styles’ ongoing Love On Tour, and the new “Puppy And A Truck” video calls back to that time.
Directed by Lewis and Bobbi Rich, the visual begins with black-and-white footage of the crowd at the October 10, 2021 Love On Tour stop in Tampa, Florida. It cuts to Lewis wearing a pink bunny onesie, strumming her guitar in her hotel bed alongside her adorable dog, Bobby Rhubarb.
We’re later taken inside Lewis’ tour bus, driven by someone whose identity is concealed inside of a dog costume. At the very end of the video, it’s revealed that Harry Styles is in fact the anthropomorphic pooch.
“Like a shot of good luck / I got a puppy and a truck,” Lewis posted to Instagram. “Here’s the video for puppy and a truck! We shot it on Love On Tour 2021 opening for @harrystyles. Thank you to my tour manager @brandtdettling for capturing some of this magic onstage and off with his phone and with his drone!”
She continued, “What an amazing experience it was to see the country once again but with new eyes! We were bubbled up and tip-toeing back to life on the road and greeted with such warmth from Harry’s audience. After our first night in Las Vegas @mgmgrand (where I’ve seen many a boxing match) the vibe was so positive that I truly wept a little from my glittery eyes. What a time!”
Lewis closed her Love On Tour chapter with this video and simultaneously announced she’s going on another tour later this year:
The Joy’All Tour is slated to begin July 7 in Chicago. Lewis’ supporting acts will be Cass McCombs, Jenny O., and Hayden Pedigo. Tickets will go on general sale this Friday, March 10. Find more information here.
While plenty of attention has been rightly heaped upon Halle Bailey for her role in the upcoming Little Mermaid remake lately, her sister Chlöe is also building her filmography — albeit, via some lower-profile releases. One of those releases is Praise This, a musical comedy coming to Peacock in April. Chlöe just shared the first trailer for the film on social media, and it looks like the perfect vehicle to show off her acting and singing chops at the same time.
According to Deadline, its studio, Universal Pictures, is apparently hoping for Pitch Perfect-esque franchise potential, and judging from the trailer, it certainly appears that the acapella comedy’s DNA is part of the genetic makeup of Praise This, along with a dash of Chlöe’s mentor Beyoncé’s own gospel-based musical comedy, Fighting Temptation.
Per Collider, Bailey will portray Sam, an aspiring singer who gets shipped off to Atlanta to live with her cousin Jess, played by Anjelika Washington. There, she joins Jess’s praise team as they prepare for a singing competition. The cast also includes comedian Druski and The Wire alum Tristan “Mack” Wilds. There’s also a cameo appearance by Quavo.
Praise This is coming to Peacock on April 7, 2023. You can watch the trailer above.
Since the start of 2023, there’s been a whole thing between Selena Gomez and Hailey Bieber, which has mostly consisted of fans interpreting subtle online activity to mean the two (both of whom are associated with Justin Bieber in one way or another) have problems with each other. The whole thing prompted Gomez to take a break from social media recently, saying when announcing her online hiatus, “I’m 30. I’m too old for this… I’m just going to take a break from everything.”
Gomez has since returned to the internet, though, and yesterday, she seemingly addressed the Bieber situation.
In the comments of a recent TikTok post (the one below, in which Gomez demonstrates her beauty routine), Gomez wrote, “Thank you and love you all so much. I’m deeply grateful for each and every one of you humans. You make me unbelievably happy.” A few minutes later, she added in another comment, “Please, please be kinder and consider others mental health. My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love [folded hands emoji].”
Selena Gomez shares new message to fans on TikTok:
“Please, please be kinder and consider others mental health. My heart has been heavy and I only want good for everyone. All my love” pic.twitter.com/eMQ8J2UdlI
Whenever there is a beloved celebrity who has a steady stream of well-loved projects, it’s only a matter of time before “fans” get really weird, and it normally happens pretty quickly. Thanks to the power of social media, anyone can fire off the most absurd comments and get little flack from it because, hey, that’s the internet for you, and it’s easy to be anonymous in a sea of other anonymous users.
As we get further into the 2020s, it became pretty standard for people to ask actors to read weird tweets about them. This isn’t new, but it has gotten increasingly unhinged as the years go on and people become a little too comfortable spewing “compliments” at people who they don’t really know.
While Pedro Pascal has no problems with being the internet’s daddy, he wants to keep it pretty tame, which is not exactly what his fans are doing. While promoting season three of The Mandalorian, Pascal was approached by Access Hollywood to read some NSFW tweets about him, which he politely declined, saying they were “dirty.”
Pascal, being the gracious actor he is, didn’t make much of a scene, but many of his fans are jumping to his defense online.
I think it’s time for the internet to leave pedro pascal alone. It’s sexual harassment, but no one seems to care bc he’s a man + is graceful about it. It’s really gross and I would never want to be treated like that. https://t.co/NuNwWuPQMz
this over sexualization and general weird behavior towards Pedro Pascal is out of control and was my biggest fear with TLOU series coming out, it’s driving me crazy
I literally feel so bad all they do is call him daddy and talk about how he’s a heartthrob. Yes he’s gorgeous but the guys in two major series rn like? Talk about his work? Like jfc leave him alone
I can’t imagine having red carpet access only to make an actor uncomfortable by putting him into a sexual situation he didn’t accept like that.
I thirst Pedro like we all do but the way he’s been reduced to this instead of you know maybe asking about his work… https://t.co/XYsMysxU21
— Kate Sánchez⁷ #SXSW (@OhMyMithrandir) March 2, 2023
The actor has expressed his frustration with fan requests lately, calling certain situations inappropriate. “People come up to me and ask me to do the voice for their kids. But I think it sounds inappropriate,” Pascal explained. “Because it is a breathy, low-register bedroom voice. It is so creepy and doesn’t work in real life.”
So how do you navigate a liquor store shelf loaded with bourbons that feel very scattershot while also being unarguably expensive? You bring in an expert like me to lead the way.
Below, I’m calling out 15 bottles of bourbon — all between $100 and $125 — that are worth adding to your bar cart. But since this is a kooky sort of middle-ground price point, huge brands like Wild Turkey, Knob Creek, and even Buffalo Trace tend to be absent (we’ll get back to them at higher price points). Instead, I’ve compiled a list of bourbons from bespoke blenders/bottlers, craft masters, and independent operators from all over America. But don’t worry, there are still some huge name bourbons peppered throughout — all ranked by how special and tasty they are.
Lastly, these prices are based on delivery in Kentucky or bottle shops at distilleries. Prices and availability will vary depending on your region. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
This whiskey was distilled in Indiana with a high-rye mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Those barrels were then sent to Jackson, Mississippi, where they spent a few years aging. Finally, the team at Cathead batched the barrels and bottled them as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a subtle boot leather on the nose with a hint of caraway on rye crust next to salted caramel sauce, and old oak staves with a hint of musty earthiness.
Palate: The palate leans into the salted caramel with a buttery underbelly next to warm winter spices — cinnamon, cardamom, star anise — next to burnt orange and a whisper of marzipan.
Finish: The end is fruity, vanilla-filled, and just kissed with woody tobacco spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a masterclass in blending MGP whiskey. The depth is real and takes you on a journey. This makes a killer old fashioned but also works well on the rocks. Overall, get this if you’re looking for something that steps outside classic bourbon sweetness and really leans into dry rye vibes.
14. Olde Raleigh Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Honey Barrel
The whiskey in this bottle is a four-grain of corn, malted barley, rye, and wheat from barrels of whiskey sourced from Colorado, Indiana, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Wyoming. Those barrels were five, nine, and 17 years old when they went into this blend and were finished in an old honey barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a tannic nature to the nose with dark and woody spices (cloves, allspice, anise) next to a mild sense of Honey Nut Cheerios.
Palate: The palate has a honey candy feel next to Hot Tamale candies, singed toffee, and dark red berries with a dry edge.
Finish: The end has a sense of honey vanilla wafers next to more of that bold cinnamon and woody allspice, a hint of cherry/vanilla, and a twinge of charred oak with honey tobacco backing.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a big bourbon and delivers deep and bold flavor notes that are succinct. If you’re looking for a honey barrel finished bourbon that still tastes like brazen bourbon, this is the bottle for you. The honey is a wonderful accent, not an overpowering sweetness.
Backbone is made with classic MGP whiskey. That juice is hewn from a mash of 74% corn, 21% rye, and 5% malted barley that’s five to seven years old. The barrels are shipped down to Bardstown, Kentucky, where they are batched and bottled as-is with proofing or filtering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic bourbon with a balance of caramel, vanilla, cherry, and sweet wood that’s cut with plenty of dark winter spice.
Palate: The palate is largely the same with a sense of stewed plums and marmalade next to an almost malty note tied to the vanilla and spice.
Finish: The end has a nice sweet oakiness that leads back to dark caramel and cherry tied to tobacco leaves and humidors.
Bottom Line:
This is another prime example of why and how dominant MGP’s classic 74/21/5 high-rye bourbon is right now. Think of it like a fine wine that’s peaking. This blend is the perfect balance of some of the best barrels available today with a deeply classic bourbon vibe. This is the bottle you get when you want a comfort pour of something straightforward.
12. WhistlePig FarmStock Bourbon Beyond Bonded Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Bottled in Bond
This is WhistlePig’s first bourbon that’s made 100% on their Vermont farm (most of their whiskey is sourced otherwise). The juice is made from corn and rye — 51% Dent corn and 49% Remington and Rifle rye — grown on the farm. The mash is made with their own well water and yeast and then distilled. Finally, the hot spirit rests for just over four years before single bottle bottling with a touch of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Heavy lemon notes lead the nose with a sweet grain porridge vibe next to sweet cinnamon, almost burnt toast, and a touch of vanilla woodiness.
Palate: The heavy sweet porridge is cut with fresh orange zest and lemon oils with a spoon of white sugar and tiny pinches of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.
Finish: The end leans into the woodiness of those spices with a soft Cream Of Wheat finish next to more of that lemon and orange zest.
Bottom Line:
This is heavily crafty — all that sweet porridge and lemon — but it kind of works. There’s a balance here that draws you in and keeps your attention. That said, this is really a bottle for WhistlePig fans more than anything else. If you’re a big fan of huge crafty bourbon notes (all that sweet graininess), then you’re going to like this too.
11. Garrison Brothers Single Barrel Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This single barrel expression is all about highlighting the craft distillery’s grain-to-glass process. The juice is made from a mash of 74% local white corn, 15% estate-grown soft red winter wheat, and 11% Canadian malted barley. That spirit is then rested for three to five years, or until the barrel is just right to be proofed and bottled with no other fussing whatsoever.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There are going to be clear notes of cedar, cherry, old leather, vanilla, caramel corn, and sour apples on the nose with a light sense of sweet white grits.
Palate: The palate should edge towards that sweet cherry with a counterpoint of dry cedar next to Red Hots, angel food cake, more apple, and a touch of spicy tobacco leaf.
Finish: The end is long and warming with spicy cinnamon, white sugar cubes, and a cedar box full of tobacco with a fleeting sense of white grits cut with creamy butter and fresh and floral honey.
Bottom Line:
This is perfectly balanced between a deeply aged bourbon and a crafty grain-forward whiskey. The spice accents the sweet corn mush well and brings about equilibrium to the pour. Plus, if you’re already in Texas, this is a no-brainer addition to your bar cart. If you’re not, it’s worth seeking out to see how far Texas whiskey has come in the past decade.
10. Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This North Carolina bourbon is starting to make some serious waves. This very limited batch of single-barrel bourbon is made from wheated bourbon mash bill with 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley. The hot juice was left for around four years before the barrel was hand-pocked and bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of orange blossoms and an apple orchard with a hint of pear and plum next to walnut shells, old honey bottles, and rich vanilla sauce with a hint of poppy seed.
Palate: The palate has a touch of dark chocolate powder sweetness that melds with walnuts and honey to make a cluster before the brown spice kicks in with sharp cinnamon and a touch of root beer.
Finish: The end leaves the spice and warmth behind for smooth vanilla walnut cake with a hint of apple-honey tobacco wrapped up with old cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is just good. It also tends to rack up awards because of that. It will be hard to find outside of the main bourbon markets (and North Carolina), but I’d argue it’s worth the effort to find. This is quality bourbon with a deep richness.
9. Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This whiskey from Kentucky Peerless is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another new oak barrel for a final maturation to let the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as-is, allowing all that beautiful bourbon and oak aging to shine brightly.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge.
Palate: The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather.
Finish: That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.
Bottom Line:
This has a great balance of fresh and classic. If you’re looking for a great craft whiskey that still feels nostalgic, this is the bottle to get right now.
8. Calumet Farm Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 14 Years Old
This bourbon is kind of like Kentucky in a bottle — it’s all about Derby horses and the state’s own spirit. The whiskey is sourced from a set of 19 barrels from the center of an unnamed warehouse. Those barrels are small batched after 14 long years of resting and the whiskey is proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This sip draws you in with a silken balance of cherry and vanilla cream that’s shockingly light.
Palate: The taste builds on that foundation by adding soft notes of cedar and cinnamon sticks next to a hint of dark chocolate with a whisper of pancake syrup sweetness.
Finish: The end marries the cherry and vanilla into cherry-bespeckled ice cream with hints of those woody cinnamon sticks and dark chocolate peeking in on the velvet finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a quintessential “behind-the-glass” bourbon buy from Kentucky. It’s very bespoke and always delivers. Having this on your bar cart really amps up that whiskey nerd status.
This Colorado whiskey is made from a mix of local corn, malted wheat, malted rye, and beech-smoked malted barley. As per 291’s classic aging methods, the whiskey is aged for about two years with aspen wood staves in the barrel to accelerate the aging process. Finally, this is batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a whole fruit basket of fruitiness with stone fruit really shining through — think apricots and peaches — next to old tart apples, cinnamon sticks, toffees dusted with crushed almonds, and a murmur of chamomile tea.
Palate: The palate has a crafty graininess that’s akin to oatmeal cookie dough with a hint of nuttiness, brown sugar, cinnamon, and something slightly floral but woody.
Finish: The end brings the apricot back as a spicy jam with a little vanilla creaminess and tannic florals.
Bottom Line:
This is another crafty bourbon that really balances the new graininess with the iconic bourbon notes well. There’s also a great stone fruit vibe that takes this bourbon beyond the ordinary to something truly special. Moreover, if you’re a fan of Billie Eilish, this is a must-have.
6. Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen Straight Bourbon Whiskey
This started out as a limited release and caught on like wildfire, making it a standard release since 2021. The whiskey is a very small selection of hand-picked 13-year-old barrels (likely MGP) that are proofed with limestone water from the Rosendale Mines in New York, marrying the Ohio Valley to New York.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is pure apple crumble on the nose with plenty of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, brown sugar, brown butter, and almost tart stewed apples next to old leather belts and a touch of salted caramel drizzled vanilla ice cream.
Palate: The palate takes the apple a step back towards dry Granny Smith apple peels and cores as dry wicker furniture mixes with the cream from the top of an espresso pull.
Finish: Toffee sweetness arrives on the mid-palate as the bitterness from the coffee turns toward dark chocolate with the wicker and leather making a return while the stewed apple filling layers into a chewy tobacco leaf on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great fruity bourbon that has a nice buttery sweet depth. All the classic bourbon notes are present but go deeper than your average bourbon flavor profile, making this a great addition to any collection. It’s also a great sipper.
5. I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 15 Years
I.W. Harper has a long history with a new feel. The booze is made at Heaven Hill’s New Bernheim Distillery but aged at Diageo’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery — a classic contract distilling partnership. The juice spends 15 years mellowing before it’s married and proofed down to a very approachable 86 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of almost fresh off-the-stalk sweet corn and bright berries on the nose with hints of orange zest, oily vanilla, and cedar.
Palate: The palate leads with the cedar towards tobacco spiciness, more of that concentrated vanilla, and a very mild whisper of minty dark chocolate nibs.
Finish: The finish takes its time and starts with the dry cedar, passes through that spicy tobacco buzz, and ends up with a sweet vanilla/caramel softness.
Bottom Line:
This is the most straightforward whiskey on the list. There are no bells or whistles. This is just good bourbon with a clear and concise profile. Sometimes that’s all you need.
This year’s new Batch Proof from Woodford Reserve’s Master’s Collection leans into high ABVs straight from the barrel. The whiskey is hewn from a few barrels that worked wonders at their barrel proof. Those barrels were batched and then bottled at the ABVs they evened out to meet.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A whisper of old grains and chocolate powder mingle on the nose with creamy vanilla ice cream cut with winter spices (especially allspice and cola berries) as a touch of dry orchard fruit sneaks in late.
Palate: The palate marries the dried fruit with the spices as an apple tobacco vibe arrives and counters a very creamy vanilla feel with a dash more of those chocolate malts.
Finish: The end leans into the chocolate malts as sour spiced red wine with a sweet edge leads to soft and worn leather.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Master’s Collection release from Woodford. There’s a serious depth that goes beyond just classic Woodford throughout the flavor profile. If you’re a fan of Woodford and want something that takes that whiskey up to 11, then this should be your next buy.
3. Heaven’s Door Redbreast Master Blender’s Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Irish Whiskey Casks
This whiskey is a collaboration between Heaven’s Door Master Blender Ryan Perry and Redbreast’s legendary Master Blender Billy Leighton. The whiskey in the bottle is Heaven Door’s low-rye 10-year-old Tennessee bourbon. They take that whiskey and fill it into Redbreast whiskey casks that had previously aged Irish whiskey for 12 years. After 15 months of final maturation, those barrels are vatted and slightly proofed down with soft Tennessee spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with this medley of marzipan, soft leather, prunes and dates, Gala apples, a hint of cedar, and a whisper of ripe red cherry. There’s this body of nutmeg that leads towards a light vanilla pound cake full of candied and dried fruits with a soft Niederegger marzipan center.
Palate: That then draws towards subtle pops of orange oils, floral honey, walnuts in buttery brown sugar syrup, and this mild touch of spiced apple tobacco leaf.
Finish: The end lasts for just the right amount of time and leaves you with a walnut shell dryness, soft warmth, and slight tobacco chew buzz that all circles back towards a raisin sherry sweetness and a final morsel of that vanilla pound cake.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious whiskey with a great finish that truly helps the bourbon sing. The Irish whiskey finish aside, this is vivid bourbon that takes you on a journey and just keeps going. Plus, any Bob Dylan fan should have this bottle on their bar cart.
2. Nashville Barrel Company Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel 6 Years Old UPROXX January 2023 Barrel
The barrel was chosen and bottled at the tail end of 2022 on a visit to Nashville Barrel Company. The whiskey in the bottle is a 6-year-and-two-month-old bourbon from MGP of Indiana. The high rye mash bourbon (75/21/4 corn/rye/malted barley) aged for five years in Indiana before moving to Nashville for an additional 14 months of resting. The bourbon went in the bottle at cask strength straight from the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with toffee, mild leather, orchard barks, blood orange, soft sweet grains, cinnamon sticks, cherry tobacco, plum, and a whisper of old pine accented by a touch of thyme.
Palate: The taste meanders through salted caramel, dates, cinnamon bark, cardamon pods, clove buds, and soft vanilla cake before leaning slowly into a spiced warmth.
Finish: The end arrives with sweet and chewy pipe tobacco, orange bitters, rock candy, and very light yet creamy cacao lushness next to hazelnut Manner Neapolitan Wafers and dry oak.
Bottom Line:
I picked this barrel so I can assure you that you’re getting a great bourbon in this bottle. That aside, if you’re looking for a deeply classic and comforting bourbon experience with a little pep, then this is the bottle for you.
This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak which was air-dried for three years before charring and filling. The Kentucky bourbon was then bottled in an extremely small batch that only yielded 2005 bottles this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet mashed grains — thinks a bowl of Cream of Wheat — mix with sticky toffee pudding, old leather, old cellar beams, and sweet cinnamon with a hint of burnt orange and dark chocolate next to eggnog with a flake of salt.
Palate: The palate is super creamy with a crème brûlée feel that leads to soft winter spices, dry cedar, and orange chocolates with a hint of marzipan in the background.
Finish: The end has a creamed honey vibe next to figs and prunes with fresh chewing tobacco and salted dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is often called “secret Michter’s” and that’s apt. Semantics aside, this is a killer bottle of whiskey. It’s going to be harder to find, but it’s worth it just to add to your whiskey journey. Once you try it, this might end up being your new go-to.
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