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Let’s be honest here for a minute.

There are tough conversations that are just plain ol’ uncomfortable for parents to have with their children. Some parents would rather deflect difficult questions or give a very made-up, childlike answer. For example, a parent might tell a child babies come from storks or they give them out at the hospital, just to avoid the topic of sex.

The thought is usually that the child is too young to know actual information about the difficult topic, so in a fit of panic, the parent makes something up. But as a licensed therapist with a degree in child development, I can tell you kids typically only ask questions they’re ready to hear the answer to. In fact, they’re really good at letting you know when you over-explain because they’ll either change the subject or become obviously disinterested.

Actress Kristen Bell made headlines recently for her approach to discussing difficult topics with her children. She’s honest with her kids, even about their father’s addiction and recovery. Bell appeared in the magazine Real Simple and explained that there’s nothing off the table to discuss with her two daughters, Delta, 8, and Lincoln, 9 1/2.

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“I know it’s shocking, but I talk to my kids about drugs, and the fact that their daddy is an addict and he’s in recovery, and we talk about sex,” she says. “There are all these ‘hard topics’ that don’t have to be if you give the person on the other end your vulnerability and a little bit of credit,” Bell told Real Simple. Being completely honest with children can be shocking to some parents, Bell noted in the interview.

Certainly, complete honesty comes with the caveat of delivering the information in an age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate way. But why do parents shy away from honesty when it comes to talking to kids about hard topics? Well, in my experience, it’s often because it makes the parent uncomfortable or they’re so worried about getting it wrong that they put off answering, thus creating anxiety-inducing anticipation.

Parents don’t want to accidentally mess up their kids and they also don’t want to expose them to things they don’t think they’re ready for. And sometimes things pop up unexpectedly that parents simply don’t have a choice about when it comes to having hard conversations.

“There are many things that children don’t yet understand, and exposing them to complex topics early on can help both their emotional and intellectual development,” Alicia Robins from the Institute for Childhood Preparedness wrote. Being truthful also helps encourage children to be open and honest in return because there’s been a reciprocal exchange of information and feelings from an early age.

A 2022 study of Indigenous families found that being honest with children created more resilience, quality relationships and overall life satisfaction. But when looking at parents who practiced less open communication, including lying, children were less likely to be resilient and had an increased risk of trauma symptoms in adolescence.

While experts aren’t saying you should tell your children all the nitty gritty details of topics, they are saying that age-appropriate honesty is best, even when the topics are hard.

Sometimes you listen to a song and have no idea whether you just experienced complete stupidity or utter genius. “Teenie Weenie Beanie” is one of those songs.

The song is about, you guessed it, tiny beanie hats, which might not seem like a bop at first. But when sung by two expert goofballs, Paul Rudd and Jimmy Fallon, it becomes far too silly not to love.

Plus, they managed to find 12 words that rhymed with “beanie.” Even Dr. Seuss would be impressed.

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Fans who watched couldn’t deny that it was an instant earworm. Here’s a taste of what people are saying:

“Weirdest bop of the century. I can’t stop watching and smiling. Thanks Rudd and Jimmy.”

“Great!! Now THAT’S going to be stuck in my head for the next week!! LMAO!”

“Pure joy! My face hurts from smiling so hard. Here I go to watch again!”

“I literally was like oh no at the end, cause i know for the rest of the day, ‘its a teenie weenie beanie’ is gonna play in my head over and over again.”

Just take a listen and try not to get this stuck in our head, I dare you.

You’re welcome. Go ahead and watch it six more times. You know you want to.

There has long been a fascination with and romanticism of the American West. From your grandpa’s favorite John Wayne films to the current obsession over Paramount’s Yellowstone series (and its multiple spinoffs) – the lifestyle is one few get to actually experience but many love to fantasize about.

Following the Yellowstone season 5 premiere grabbing the title of the highest viewership ratings of any scripted television show in all of 2022, there is now a phenomenon that’s been dubbed “The Yellowstone Effect” — creating a boom for all western-inspired, well, anything. From country music, western television, and film, to even think pieces attempting to understand why city dwellers who have never saddled up are suddenly wearing cowboy hats.

And travel isn’t immune — it’s also seen surging interest in the West, arguably due to the fictional exploits at the Dutton Ranch. Frequently dubbed a “Cowboy-cation” on TikTok, the trend towards Western travel at guest and dude ranches is hotter than ever. And luckily there are plenty of options in the mountain west. But you don’t have to wait until warmer weather to experience an authentic dude ranch, my personal favorite – C Lazy U Ranch in Granby Colorado – is just as picturesque in the winter months.

Here is what you need to know before you go cosplay as a Dutton:

WHY IT’S AWESOME:

C Lazy U has been a working guest ranch for over 100 years. The all-inclusive, luxury dude ranch is family owned with a team that works tirelessly to give guests the rustic western experience they’re after without sacrificing service or luxury. The large property is immaculate and home to 180 horses and world-class wranglers.

With activities for adults and kids (and, importantly, separate adult-only and children-only activities) the ranch is the perfect place to get away. After the East Troublesome Fire destroyed the historic barn and some of the ranch facilities, C Lazy U has rebounded and continues to provide exceptional experiences for guests while continuing to rebuild and improve.

IN-HOUSE FOOD AND DRINK:

The ranch is all-inclusive, with meals served in the lodge. There are hours you can drop in for breakfast and lunch, while dinner has a set menu and time. I loved sitting with other guests for dinner each night, learning about them while enjoying incredible food and wine. The menu changes seasonally but is grounded in traditional Western fare – decadent beef, tender bison, and fresh trout with creative sides.

There are also snacks and drinks available throughout the day. I loved warming up with some cocoa in the lodge after exploring during the day and by the fire at night.

AMENITIES:

• Nightly bed turn down
• Cabins with fireplaces with wood and fire starters restocked daily
• Valet parking
• Photographer on site (seasonally)
• Reusable water bottles
• Shuttle service
• Game room
• Summer and winter boot rental
• Fishing rods available
• Tennis rackets and balls available
• Cross country skis available
• Snowshoes available
• Ice skates available
• Western style bar
• Hot tub
• Seasonal pool

ROOM TYPES:

There are several options for luxurious cabins during your stay at C Lazy U. There are 38 different options for accommodations, ranging from one to three-bedroom cabins and even a 3,600-square-foot, four-bedroom lodge for larger groups. I loved my in-room fireplace, large bathroom with soaking tub, and porch with mountain views that felt secluded while being within walking distance to the lodge and all amenities.

Explore room options here.

BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A 15-MINUTE WALK:

There is no shortage of activities on the ranch – even in the winter. From horseback riding through the snow, to ice hockey, to cross-country skiing – you can be as active or relaxed as you choose.

My inner horse girl was completely in awe during the fairytale-like winter horseback ride. There are two trail rides offered on the property each day during the winter season, each lasting about an hour and a half. The 8,500-acre ranch is home to 180 horses and experienced world-class wranglers ready to guide you through some of the most incredible Rocky Mountain vistas you will ever see.

BEST THING TO DO WITHIN A $20 CAB RIDE:

While you could opt to leave the ranch to ski at nearby Winter Park Resort or Ski Granby Ranch (and the ranch concierge can set you up with shuttles, lift tickets, etc.) – I wouldn’t personally want to spend any time off the idyllic 8,500-acre property. The greatest benefit of an all-inclusive, to me, is that you get to stay in one place and let others figure out any logistics for you. And with so many activities at the ranch – you can fill your days very easily.

In the winter months, there are daily trail rides, ice hockey, hot tubs, snow tubing, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, trap shooting, and even sleigh rides all available. In the warmer months, you can opt for more riding, fly fishing, archery, hatchet throwing, mountain biking, tennis, a ropes course, zip line, yoga, hiking – even beehive tours – and that’s not even an exhaustive list.

In either season, be sure to get outside in the morning or evening for the daily “Jingle” to watch the 180 horses run into the pasture then back in the morning to prepare for trail rides.

BED GAME:

I stayed in the Spring Cabin during my weekend at C Lazy U Ranch. A duplex-style cabin with large rooms on either side with a large bathroom, sitting area, fireplace, and – in my case – two beds. As the cabin is generally booked all in one, the side I had seemed to be set up as another room for a family with two beds and a pullout couch. I did push the two together upon arrival creating a larger place to relax but would have preferred a king or queen at the outset.

The mattress and linens were all up to the high standards the ranch holds itself to. I loved cozying up in the plush robe and starting a fire while enjoying a glass of wine in bed at night.

Rating: 7/10

SEXINESS RATING:

I think this one really depends on how innately sexy a dude ranch is to you. For some people (like me and the over 14.3 billion viewers of the “cowboy” TikTok hashtag) there is almost nothing as sexy as waking up on a ranch surrounded by professional wranglers. And even if you don’t have a weird obsession with anyone in a cowboy hat, the ranch has intentionally added in some sleek and adult elements. From the bar in the lodge to the hot tubs by the fire and the seasonal spa over the river – the ranch is rustic yet sleek.

Rating: 7/10

THE VIEWS AND PHOTO SPOTS:

C Lazy U is nestled into the Rocky Mountains with incredible views in all directions – you really can’t go wrong. I personally loved the views from the trail ride around the property and cross-country skiing. Borrow some snow shoes in the winter months to explore the trail system or take an ATV ride to the top of a bluff for some trap shooting and incredible mountain views.

Rating: 8/10

BEST SEASON TO VISIT:

I’ve only visited in the winter and can say that as someone who honestly abhors winter, I loved it. I completely and unequivocally recommend a winter stay, however nonintuitive it might seem. While I do want to visit during the warmer months (if only to experience the seasonal spa on the river) winter was like a dream. With fewer guests, different activities, and – to be totally honest – fewer families with young children, it was everything I hoped for.

Fall, winter, and spring also have lower rates and fewer requirements for minimum stays, making a visit during those times slightly more economical.

IF I HAD TO COMPLAIN ABOUT ONE THING:

During my obsessive internet research before visiting, I fell in love with the photos I found of the Lazy You Spa. With tents arranged on Willow Creek (and some massage tents situated over the creek with glass floors) I wanted nothing more than to have a massage and relax in a copper tub with the sounds of the creek in my ears. Unfortunately, it is of course only open seasonally so I wasn’t able to experience it on my last visit. While there are alternate locations for spa services in the winter, it doesn’t compare to the unique vibes of the Lazy You location.

Book Here:

All-inclusive rates start at $525 per person in fall/winter/spring and start at $713 per person in the summer season. Minimum stays are required and vary depending on the season.

INSTAGRAM IMAGES TAKEN AT C LAZY U RANCH:

The last time I wrote at length about De La Soul was on the 30th anniversary of their groundbreaking debut album, 3 Feet High And Rising. I fully expected to write about them again, especially with their catalog coming to streaming for the first time, but not so soon and definitely not like this.

On Sunday, February 12, Dave Jolicoeur, aka Trugoy The Dove, aka Plug Two, passed away at the age of 54. He’d had a number of public struggles with his health in recent years, including a battle with congestive heart failure in 2018, and a hospitalization in 2020.

The news was devastating to hip-hop as a whole, with an outpouring of grief coming from a plethora of the genre’s most prominent stars, including frequent collaborator Common. Social media was deluged in tribute posts from Dave’s fellow Native Tongues, as well as rappers, producers, and music business veterans.

The timing of his death felt like an especially cruel irony. Just days before, De La Soul had been pivotal in the Grammys’ 50 Years Of Hip-Hop tribute, and in just over two weeks, De La Soul’s catalog would be available for the first time to generations of rap fans who’d always heard about their influence but perhaps had yet to experience the trio’s pioneering music for themselves.

I was one of those who lived it in real time; although I was too young to really appreciate the stylistic experimentation of 3 Feet High, De La Soul Is Dead, and Buhloone MIndstate, my teen years were informed — actually almost wholly consumed — by De La’s latter output. In fact, the first rap CD I bought with my own money from my first summer job was Stakes Is High, the group’s 1996 diatribe against the ongoing commercialization (read: selling out) of hip-hop.

Stakes Is High was a huge part of the reason I spent my high school years sneering down my nose at my peers for bumping “mainstream,” radio-friendly rap (I know, I know, but at least I grew out of it, right?). It was the album that introduced the world to Mos Def — now known as Yasiin Bey — and contributed greatly to the rise of the legend of J Dilla, who was known then as Jay Dee.

It was also the album that developed my appreciation for Trugoy’s lyrical talents. “Itzsoweezee (Hot)” was the album’s second single, and Dave is the only group member to rap on it — it’s also the first De La Soul record I remember memorizing from top to bottom. It was never a huge hit, but it wound up informing the way I came to perceive rap.

It’s also emblematic of his style as a whole; breezy but cerebral, freewheeling but precise. When I say that no one in hip-hop has ever rapped like Trugoy — before or since — I need you to know that it’s one of the few inarguable statements I’ve ever written on this site. Despite the somewhat grumpy outlook of the beloved album, Dave refused to be as staid as rap peers who felt the same way, infusing his rhymes with the sort of humor that underpins De La’s longevity compared to those peers who fell by the wayside.

“See them Cubans don’t care what y’all n****s do,” he rhymed, undercutting the rising wave of studio gangsterism he saw infiltrating hip-hop. “Colombians ain’t never ran with your crew / Why you acting all spicy and shiesty? The only Italians you knew was icees.” Sure, rap may have been inundated with phony mobsters who rhymed scenes straight out of New Jack City, but all Dave could do was laugh at them.

On future De La standouts, Trugoy showed his versatility, from the languid party rhymes of “Oooh.” to the body-positive come-ons of “Baby Phat.” He never lost his edge, though; on “Rock Co.Kane Flow” from the group’s 2004 album The Grind Date (the last they’d record until 2016 as record label disputes waylaid their continued output), he closes the punishing posse cut with a defiant dismissal of any insinuation that the crew had aged out of relevance:

The elements are airborne, I smell the success
(Yo let’s cookie cut the shit and get the gingerbread, man)
Sacrifice mics and push drugs to these rappers
Puff ponies ’til I turn blue in the lips
Sipping broads like 7-Up (ahh) so refreshing
I finger pop these verses like first dates
The birthdate’s September 2-1, 1-9, 6-8
Too old to rhyme, too bad, too late

Trugoy, and his rhyme partners Posdnuos and Maceo, were unafraid to age in what many have long considered a young man’s game. From opening the doors of hip-hop to hippies and iconoclasts to challenging the status quo, he was always unafraid to zig where others zagged, standing in opposition to complacency and intertia in favor of surprise and reinvention.

On March 3, the world will finally be able to revisit De La’s catalog and appreciate the efforts Dave made toward constant progression. It’s tragic that he won’t be here to enjoy being celebrated, but one thing that we can be sure of is that he would only have continued to extend, to reach, to strive for that elusive sense of originality and joy that made hip-hop such a global force to begin with. Although he’s gone, at the very least, his musical legacy will live on to inspire future generations to do the same.

The Super Bowl featured a bit of controversy towards the end of the game. On a third-and-8 from deep in Philadelphia territory, Patrick Mahomes threw an incomplete pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster, which looked like it was going to set up a Chiefs field goal and give the Eagles the ball with plenty of time left. But instead, the referees called a defensive holding on James Bradberry that gave Kansas City a fresh set of downs, the chance to burn the clock, and ultimately, a game-winning field goal with eight seconds left.

Bradberry said after the game that it was the right call, but it sparked a debate about whether or not that specific call should have been made in that specific moment. And on Valentine’s Day, Smith-Schuster thought it would be fun to get a joke off at Bradberry’s expense by tweeting out a card with his face on it that read “I’ll hold you when it matters most.”

This did not sit well with Eagles receiver AJ Brown, who decided to defend his teammate by saying that, while the Chiefs deserved to win, Patrick Mahomes “resurrected your career on your 1 year deal” before referring to Smith-Schuster as “Tik-Tok boy.”

Smith-Schuster replied pretty quickly, and while he said good game to his fellow pass catcher, there was a little twisting of the knife before that.

Given the vast amount of lunatic theories Marjorie Taylor Greene has put out into the world — yes, Jewish space lasers included — it’s sometimes hard to believe that she has been in congress for just over two years now. But she’ll no doubt be remembered for decades, if not centuries, to come. On Monday night, Seth Meyers offered further proof why that will likely be the case during his “A Closer Look” segment.

The topic? The various unidentified flying objects that Joe Biden keeps shooting out of the skies — and what the hell they are in the first place. Because no one seems to know, or at least doesn’t want to say. While Meyers seemed slightly concerned that the head of NORAD, “the military organization that protects American and Canadian skies, specifically would not rule out aliens when directly asked” about the UFOs that keep popping up, he’s even more worried about Greene’s angry take on the matter. (Yes, the same Greene who tried to carry a white balloon into Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, because she is a toddler.)

“The lack of concrete information has left a vacuum for conspiracy nuts to run wild,” Meyers said. “For example, over the weekend, Earth’s Marjorie Taylor Greene listed off a bunch of insane hypotheticals for what could have been inside the Chinese spy balloon. And recounted yelling at military officials during a congressional briefing about it.”

Among Greene’s suggestions about what might have been in that balloon? “A bioweapon, like COVID.” (Wait, she believes COVID is real now?) Other possibilities? “It could have contained a nuclear bomb, an EMP attack, or hypersonic missiles.” Which is all well and good. But Marge’s real problem seemed to be that Biden didn’t want to shoot the balloon down before “gathering intelligence” and/or assessing the potential risk to human lives, which Greene just doesn’t get.

“Yeah! The balloon could have contained a nuclear bomb,” Meyers agreed, mockingly. “Which is why you should have shot a missile at it. Everyone knows that’s how you safely disarm a nuclear weapon directly above a densely populated area.”

You can watch Meyers’ full assessment of our UFO situation above, or go straight to the Greene bits right around the 12:50 mark.

There are only a few days left before our lives are collectively changed forever when Cocaine Bear hits theaters next week. If you need a quick refresher, Cocaine Bear is not the R-rated, mid-life crisis Paddington sequel, but instead tells the very real story of a bear who ingested too much cocaine (any cocaine for a bear is too much, by the way) after it fell out of a plane.

In order to get everyone in the Cocaine Bear spirit, there is now a fun little 8-bit game called Cocaine Bear: The Rise Of Pablo Escobear (really) which you can play as your own cocaine bear and eat as many people as possible. In order to gain speed you must consume the red bag, presumably filled with drugs, and catch the ambulance for some fancy bonus points which do nothing. There is actually no way to lose this game, it seems, as the bear just pummels anything in his way, which is realistic. But there are multiple levels.

As for the movie that inspired the game that is inspired by the real-life story, it will feature an ensemble cast consisting of Keri Russell, O’Shea Jackson, Jr., Christian Convery-Jennings, Alden Ehrenreich, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Brooklynn Prince, Margo Martindale, and Ray Liotta in one of his last on-screen roles. Cocaine Bear gets his own billing, though.

You can test your Cocaine Bear skills here before the movie hits theaters on February 24th. You probably can’t beat my score, and if you do, don’t tell me.

You Season 4 is a very different, ennui-filled beast than the seasons of yesteryear. There’s a lack of stalking on behalf of Joe Goldberg (who’s now “Professor” Jonathan Moore), and there’s some lewdness from other characters, but Penn Badgley doesn’t participate nearly as much in carnal-type acting this season. That was fully intentional, as Badgley recently revealed on his Podcrushed podcast. He simply asked showrunner Sara Gamble if he could skip (most of) the sexy stuff, and Netflix was good with it.

The former Gossip Girl star revealed that he felt uncomfortable being intimate as part of his job due to his marriage (to Domino Kirke), and from there, Badgley has further elaborated to Variety about how he has always disliked sex scenes, which he calls “disturbing” and more. In fact, Penn felt that it’s so “important” to value “fidelity” in his marriage that he nearly turned down the show in the first place:

Badgley spoke carefully describing his discomfort with sex scenes, “having done a fair amount of them in my career.”

“It’s not a place where I’ve blurred lines,” he says. “There’s almost nothing I could say with more consecration. That aspect of Hollywood has always been very disturbing to me — and that aspect of the job, that mercurial boundary — has always been something that I actually don’t want to play with at all.” He’s also now older than his romantic interests on the show. “Didn’t used to be the case,” he says.

One can easily see how Badgley might have felt extra icky about the sex scenes so far in You, given that most of them also involve a power differential which is not fantastic. There’s one scene in particular in Season 3 (a forced couple-swapping scene) that felt very uncomfortable for all involved, and that felt palpable. Perhaps I’m reading into this too much, but when I watched the scene, I thought, “He really looks upset here, and not simply as Joe Goldberg.”

However, Badgley has always been somewhat outspoken regarding his feelings about how You is received. He attempted to point out to rabid Twitter followers that they should not lust over his serial killer character. As well, he recently declared that the recent fascination with Jeffrey Dahmer does land “on the shoulders of Netflix,” although Badgley also believes that the show’s fans could do some inward gazing. That’s an ongoing conversation for another day, of course, since True Crime and Crime Dramas are all the rage on streaming.

(Via Variety)

Piers Morgan and failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake got in a tiff after the British anchor questioned her ongoing insistence to act like Donald Trump and falsely claim that her election was stolen.

“There’s been no independent corroboration that there was anything fraudulent about this election. In fact, it’s pretty clear that you lost to Katie Hobbs,” Morgan said, which sent Lake on a tirade about how she knows she really won. Via Mediaite:

“There’s a mountain of hard evidence. And when we presented it in our trial, the other side didn’t even dispute the evidence. They didn’t,” Lake insisted.

“We can’t continue to run elections this way. And we know that we won and we’re going to continue to fight this in a court of law,” Lake said. “And it’s really rich that you’re sitting across the pond acting like you know what happened on election day.”

However, Morgan pushed back and chastised both Lake and Trump for not accepting their losses and damaging the future of democracy.

“All I know from my lofty place here in London, and I admit I wasn’t in Arizona, all I know is all the official fact-checking entities that have looked into all the claims do not conclude that you did anything other than lose that election,” Morgan said, which prompted Lake to start spewing conspiracy theories about… Facebook?

“Piers, did you just fall off the turnip truck?” Lake said. “We know about the fact checkers and we’ve seen them. This has all been revealed. Half of them are leftists working for Facebook. Let’s be real. Okay?”

This went back and forth until Lake ultimately said “I frankly don’t give a damn what you think about it” and announced she was going to take her fight all the way to the Supreme Court. This puts us all in a tricky spot. On one hand, she’s still denying the election results, which is bad. On the other hand, she did get to swear at Piers Morgan on television, which is always appreciated. Let’s sleep on it and circle back.

(Via Mediaite)

American whiskey is a broad category of booze that stretches beyond “bourbon” and “rye” whiskeys but also sometimes incorporates markers of those two categories. Basically, “American whiskeys” are all the whiskeys that legally cannot be called “bourbon” or “rye” on the label. That means that American whiskey can… kind of be anything from blended bourbon and ryes in one batch, malt and bourbon and/or rye blends in another batch, or just a blend of whiskeys that don’t fall into a neat and tidy category besides being made in the good ol’ U.S. of A.

That makes it a wide and confusing genre to navigate.

Below, I’m blind-tasting some new American whiskeys that just hit shelves alongside a few from last year that I want to retry (or give another chance). American whiskeys often feature huge swings in flavor profile, so tasting them blind will level the playing field and allow me to look at the taste and depth alone.

That makes our lineup today the following bottles:

• Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof Batch: A223
• Proof And Wood Extraordinary American Blended Whiskey Vertigo
• Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey
• Chattanooga Whiskey Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks Tennessee High Malt
• Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2nd Edition Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey Aged 20 Years
• Whiskey War Double Double Oaked
• Mulholland American Whiskey
• Rare Character The Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Single Barrel

Some of these are so new that you might not even be able to find them yet. Others are pretty rare, so don’t be surprised if they’re not available in your region. All of them were pretty damn good with one glaring exception so let’s dig in and rank some whiskeys!

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• Blind Soda Taste Test: Can Any Cherry Soda Beat Cherry Coke?
• The 30 Best Bourbon Whiskeys For Fall, Blind Tasted & Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of a freshly baked loaf of whole wheat bread on the nose with a slight sweetness, toasted oats, soft dry nuts, dried fruits, and a layer of honey accented by a thin line of clove.

Palate: That honey and clove come out further on the palate as creamy spiced malt with a hint of choco caramel mingles with dark winter spices and a small note of vanilla.

Finish: The end sweetens with the caramel and honey as spiced dark chocolate counters on the hot finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a nice place to start. It starts off subtly but ends boldly with a ton of high-proof heat.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Old cupboards full of winter spices mix with a sense of butterscotch candies and old vanilla pods on the nose.

Palate: There’s a mild sweetness on the palate that leans into dry grains or very dry sweetgrass next to a nutty chocolate vibe with a hint more of that musty spice from the nose.

Finish: The end has a moment of rye green herbaceousness that leans back into dry sweetgrass, butterscotch, and old Nutella with a winter spice underbelly.

Initial Thoughts:

This was fine but felt like the musty oldness was a late-idea addition and not a smooth layer of the whole blend.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of toffee and vanilla cake on the nose with a dash of woody winter spices and a light whisper of smudged sweetgrass.

Palate: The palate leans into the smoldering grassiness while warm dark spices add a sharpness before stewed pears mingle with clove and cinnamon bark.

Finish: The finish opens with vanilla pods and a whisper of old leather and tobacco on the warm and buzzing finish.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty good and deeply layered. Overall, this didn’t excite me as much as make me think, “yeah, that’s well-made whiskey” and little else.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sweet red tart berry vibe on the nose that leads to blackstrap molasses with a spiced cherry cough drop vibe next to a hint of sweet brown bread.

Palate: That red fruit drives the palate toward salted caramel and old oak that’s been soaked in cherry brandy with a fleeting sense of a savory green herb garden lurking beneath it all.

Finish: There’s a sense of malted cookies dipped in honey and blackberry juice next to softly spiced dark chocolate flaked with salt.

Initial Thoughts:

This was just plain delicious. It’s deeply flavored with a nice balance of tart, sweet, and savory with a hint of bitterness.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

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

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

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

Initial Thoughts:

This was interesting and tasted really good. That said, I don’t know if I love it or am a bit “that’s fine” about it.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sweet sense of salted caramel on the nose with dried chili pepper, old wet leather sheets, and a hint of burnt orange rinds over cider-soaked cinnamon bark.

Palate: The palate hits that burnt orange and caramel note harder as minor keys of winter spice, fruit cake, and rum raisin darken the taste.

Finish: The end has a sense of pitchy firewood and sweet oak next to smudging sage and spearmint-chocolate tobacco just dusted with lemon pepper from the 90s.

Initial Thoughts:

I dig this too. It’s a little bourbon-y with its sweetness but not overly so.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Corn on the cob and vanilla dominate the nose with a hint of fresh bay leaf leading to a faint hint of umami and savory melon.

Palate: The taste veers into soft vanilla as a line of woody maple syrup leads to a little ethanol and maybe some sourdough bread crusts with a hint of fennel.

Finish: The end is short and kind of blank with the vanilla and spice giving way to that herbal note.

Initial Thoughts:

This is very thin and funky in all the wrong ways.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This whiskey opens with a nose full of sharp chili spices soaked in apple cider and cherry liquor with a sense of old leather saddles, rich and sweet porridge, coconut cookies with dark chocolate chips, and a sense of old straw in a damp cellar.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of soft vanilla wafers next to a complex mix of apple wood, blanched almonds, peach pits, pear cores, mango skins, wet grass, and … this whiskey just keeps going.

Finish: The long finish is completely devoid of any ABV burn and instead relishes in malted vanilla wafers, woody white peaches, red apples, wet deck timbers, and a hint of soft winter spice cake with a touch of walnut and blood orange.

Initial Thoughts:

This is on a whole other level than everything else on this panel. This is deep, enchanting, and kind of challenging in the best way imaginable. Delicious!

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Mulholland American Whiskey — Taste 7

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from cinematographer Matthew Alper and actor Walton Goggins is a real outlier. The blend is an Indiana whiskey with a mash bill of 94% corn, 4% rye, and 2% malted barley. That whiskey is aged in Kentucky before it’s sent to California for blending, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

Pass.

7. Proof And Wood Extraordinary American Blended Whiskey Vertigo 2021 — Taste 2

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

This blend is a mix of American rye, bourbon, and American light whiskey (aged in uncharred oak) from MGP of Indiana. The whiskeys were distilled in 1992, 2008, 2023, and 2015 and only yielded 1,000 once batched.

Bottom Line:

This was fine. I can see building a cocktail with it but not all that much else.

6. Whiskey War Double Double Oaked — Taste 6

ABV: 56.75%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This Ohio whiskey is hewn from a rye-heavy mash bill. That spicy juice is then rested in new American oak for a spell before being vatted and re-barreled into another brand-new American oak barrel, all adding up to five years of mellowing. Those barrels are then batched and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty good and a huge jump up in quality on this list. I’d like to play around with citrus-forward cocktails and funky fizzy water highballs with this one. But I can also see this working as an easy-going sipper when I don’t want to think about it.

5. Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 66.25%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This Michigan whiskey is 100% wheat whiskey. The grains are 100% organic and grown locally around Michigan. The whiskey then ages for an undisclosed about of time before it’s blended into a final product that looks to Irish whiskey for inspiration.

Bottom Line:

This is another big step up from the bottom spot. Still, this feels like I should be making cocktails with it more than anything else.

4. Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof Batch: A223 — Taste 1

ABV: 59.4%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Heaven Hill is their famous wheated whiskey at barrel proof. The mash of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley is fermented and distilled and then left for seven to nine years in open-air warehouses. Once batched, the whiskey goes into the bottle without any filtering or proofing.

Bottom Line:

This was really nice but the end was a little too hot. It needed a big ice cube to calm it down. That aside, there’s a lot to enjoy here.

3. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2nd Edition Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey Aged 20 Years — Taste 5

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $289

The Whiskey:

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

Bottom Line:

This was so interesting and fresh with a deep flavor profile. I want to dig in further with water to find those deeper flavor notes buried in the whiskey.

2. Chattanooga Whiskey Straight Malt Whiskey Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Casks Tennessee High Malt — Taste 4

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made from bourbon mash bills with a high level of specialty malt, especially toasted, roasted, and caramel malts made by Riverbend Malt House in Asheville, North Carolina. Those barrels spent four years resting before batching and re-barreling into Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Silver Oak Cellars out in Sonoma County, California. After a final 18 months of resting in those red wine barrels, the whiskey is batched, just kissed with water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was delicious. There was so much more going on and it all felt right. This also felt like it’d make a killer cocktail base for a whiskey-forward concoction.

1. Rare Character The Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey Single Barrel — Taste 8

ABV: 67.5%

Average Price: $199

The Whiskey:

This new whiskey from the Rare Character team out in Kentucky is a single barrel that’s like finding a golden needle in a haystack. The single barrel was distilled back in February 2011 with a mash of bill of 65% malted barley and 35% corn. That barrel was left alone until December 2022 when the Rare Character team bottled it completely as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was miles ahead of the rest. It is just much deeper, interesting, and tastier. This is great whiskey. And maybe most importantly, the high proof left your mouth softly buzzing and not burning with heat. It’s a crucial difference and the sign of something expertly made.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

You can full-out skip the Mulholland Whiskey. It’s just not getting any better at the moment. Numbers 7 through 5 were perfectly fine whiskeys but not overtly distinct. 5 through 2 were really nice. But that Rare Character was just on a different plane of existence.

If you can find a Rare Character Kentucky Malt, get it. Hell, buy the whole case. It’s that good.