So far, Elon Musk’s tenure at Twitter has been marked by chaos, ineptitude, and worrying anti-journalist behavior, but under its next CEO, the vibe should be decidedly more chill. That is, of course, only if users who voted on a recent poll have their pick for the next person to run the platform. Snoop Dogg, who previously joked about buying Twitter after Elon initially balked on his own offer before being forced to follow through by a lawsuit issued by Twitter, ran a poll on his own feed asking fans, “Should I run Twitter?”
After a little of 2.5 million votes and with 6 hours left of the poll, the answer appears to be a resounding “yes” — although it’s possible that most users just think anyone would be better than Musk, whose antics have lost him his “world’s richest person” status and look like they might actually be the death of the platform he spent $44 billion on. Snoop, of course, will probably be way too busy getting his Broadus Foods cereal, children’s educational programming, and pet products businesses off the ground, but you never know. If nothing else, at least he knows how to use the app and doesn’t seem interested in using it to spread right-wing conspiracy theories, so that would be an improvement in itself.
Every year, Mariah Carey decides when it’s time for holiday music season to begin. It’s kinda true, but hey, no matter what the Billboard Hot 100 chart tells us, it’s not all about Mariah Carey at Christmastime (right?) There is in fact other new holiday music from artists who have never had children with Nick Cannon (shocking!) and many of them you’ll actually want to listen to. So check out our picks for the best new holiday music from the 2022 season below (And we promise, there’s only one Wham! cover in the mix)
The Linda Lindas – “Groovy Xmas”
Is there anything these kids can’t do? Teenage punks The Linda Lindas were inspired by holiday songs from some of their classic punk faves like Alice Bag, Redd Kross, and Shonen Knife, and “Groovy Xmas” definitely doesn’t take itself seriously. They hop around generational yuletide pop culture references from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, to PSL’s and yes, even Mariah Carey for a song that does its best to assure that the holidays are fun. (They even played it on Kimmel!)
Phoebe Bridgers – “So Much Wine”
Another year and another wonderful holiday cover to benefit a nonprofit by Phoebe Bridgers. This time, Bridgers takes on “So Much Wine” by alt-country duo The Handsome Family and is donating proceeds to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. It’s a sad song about having a loved one with a drinking problem, and trying your best to talk some sense into them around holiday time. A gentle acoustic guitar nestles up to a violin, and if that whistling sounds familiar, it’s because Andrew Bird joins Bridgers on this one.
David Byrne – “Fat Man’s Comin’”
After more than 50 years in the business, this is somehow the former Talking Heads leader’s first-ever holiday song. The horns sound like the opening to a sinister holiday villain flick. And Byrne said he had a different type of…err…villain, in mind for this one. “I wouldn’t call it a Christmas song, as the visitation of Santa (formerly known as St. Nicholas, who mainly did punishing) seems to have evolved to be a more secular consumer moment than a religious or spiritual affair.” Funny enough, Byrne actually wrote this song around the time when he was working with St. Vincent on Love This Giant, but thought it wasn’t right for that project (even though horns feel very much of that era.) The song is also a benefit for Byrne’s mental health-focused non-profit publication, Reasons To Be Cheerful.
Kurt Vile – “Must Be Santa”
It’s a Vile family Christmas! Kurt Vile was joined by his two young daughters for this cover of Bob Dylan’s cover (you following along?) of “Must Be Santa.” Gone is Dylan’s punk party accordion and in its place is a balmy, upbeat synth with the wee Viles joining pops on the hook.
Tkay Maidza – “Nights In December”
On “Nights In December,” the Zimbabwe-born, Aussie electro rapper shoots to recreate the feeling of wintertime in New York City (see: beautiful, but cold as heck!) The best part about this one is how it doesn’t really sound much like your typical holiday song, as much as an uptempo love song about capturing a year-end moment. She does it well.
Los Bitchos – “Los Chrismos”
The London instrumental foursome’s new internationally-inspired holiday tune is a blend of South American cumbia with Turkish psych and wavy Dick Dale-style guitars. And while it’s a largely lyricless tune (besides a “Christmas time! Sexy times!” chant), it feels decidedly of the holiday period; like what Santa might be playing in his sleigh as he races to deliver presents around the world.
Kadhja Bonet – “California Holiday”
Part of the new California Holiday EP of mostly covers that Bonet calls “a modern take on the typical magical Christmas story,” the title track represents the elegant singer’s first original holiday tune. This represents a milestone for her, as Bonet’s never been much of a fan of the holidays until recently. But with its warm strings, retro soul drums, and choral backing vocals, “California Holiday” shows that she’s very much on the other side of the Ebenezer Scrooge transformation.
Future Islands – “Last Christmas”
We promised you a Wham! cover and now you’ve got it. And look, there are once again a lot of covers of “Last Christmas” this year, but it’s Future Islands’ spin that does it best this time around. Maybe it’s because they don’t try to mess with George Michael timeless formula too much? Because it truly sounds like the soundtrack to an ’80s teen holiday movie. But perhaps it’s because Samuel T. Herring is one of the most engaging singers on the planet. And it’s not just an homage to the classic, it’s one that’s very much in the shape of the original.
Sam Smith – “Night Before Christmas”
Sam Smith can do no wrong. The LGBTQ+ icon just melted hearts with their subtle-but-powerful lyric tweak to “Stay With Me” at a Respect For Marriage Act celebratory performance on the wintery White House lawn. Now on this original holiday tune, Smith sings over a lush guitar and peaceful organ about a romantic evening in a fireplace-warmed living room. “Night Before Christmas” is also a part of Smith’s ongoing The Holly And The Ivy holiday compilation series, so we can expect more gems like this for years to come.
Remi Wolf – “Winter Wonderland”
Remi Wolf actually put out two holiday singles this year. But since we’ve already filled our quota of covers of Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” it’s her take on “Winter Wonderland” that we’ll highlight here. Wolf is clearly having a grand ol’ time on this classic, letting her vocal punctuations fly in elated space as she turns your speakers into a very cool holiday cabaret.
Emily King – “This Year”
If there were a theme to King’s new year-end tune, it’d be “treat yo-self!” The indie pop singer says that she, “…Wrote ‘This Year’ last New Year’s Eve after realizing I’d spent most of my time vying for the attention of someone who couldn’t love me back.” It celebrates getting comfortable with yourself and unapologetically thinking about your psyche first and foremost. It has a killer bridge as King sings, “This year gonna hit my stride, I’m livin in my best life, this year.”
The first song of Grohl & Kurstin’s yearly “The Hanukkah Sessions” for 2022 sees them being led by Apatow in a cover of Blood, Sweat & Tears’ 1968 flower child jam, “Spinning Wheel.” This was a live performance that took place at a full-on The Hanukkah Sessions event in Los Angeles earlier this month that’ll yield collabs with Beck, Pink, Karen O, and others for each of Hanukkah’s eight nights. Apatow was a gregarious vocalist, coming across like the beloved Krusty the Klown kicking off a holiday special. It’s a swell way to once again begin the delightful annual series.
Greeensleeves – “This Could Be Christmas (Slow)”
Back for its second year, Slow Xmas is a holiday comp produced by Blank Check with Griffin and David podcast producer Ben Hosley, where the prompt for the compilation had one demand: “Gotta be slow.” The artists take a range of interpretations on those directions: From Electric Santa’s krampus-slowcore “We Three Slow Kings,” or a very slowed-down Christmas tale by 99% Invisible podcast host Roman Mars, “A Slow Visit From St. Nicholas.” But it’s Greeensleeves’ “This Could Be Christmas” that drives slowly without feeling altered. A buzzing synth and heartbeat-like thump make the song feel like snuggling on a couch with a mulled wine in hand after a big meal.
Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Jean Smart is one of those actors that we, as a society, do not appreciate enough, even though she gets plenty of appreciation. It’s just not enough appreciation. She mentions ahead her goal as an actor was not to be pigeonholed – especially after the success of Designing Women – and it seems fair to say she’s avoided that. Objectively, Watchmen and The Brady Bunch Movie are very different things.
Now she stars in Babylon, Damien Chazelle’s new film about 1920s era Hollywood featuring an ensemble cast that whips us from debauched party to debauched party, and the casualties the industry takes along the way. It is quite a statement movie from Chazelle. And Smart has the key scene when Elinor St. John, a tabloid reporter, has a long, emotional scene with Brad Pitt’s Jack Conrad – explaining to him that, as movies transitioned from silent to sound, he’s not going to be the star he was. Basically, his time is up. It’s the backbone of the entire film and sticks out even more in contrast to the wiz, bam, pow pace of the rest of the film. And none of this is lost on Smart. In fact, when she read the script she took the role because of this scene, then assumed it would be cut because, as she explains, that’s usually what happens to an actor’s favorite scene.
What’s great about talking to Smart is she just seems to love acting and has the same enthusiasm for talking about Babylon and Watchmen (she has a thank you to Sigourney Weaver for turning down her role) as she does the aforementioned The Brady Bunch Movie or her first ever television series called Teachers Only, which co-starred Lynn Redgrave, Tim Reid, and Norman Fell. And, yes, all of these things get brought up, including a The Brady Bunch Movie scene that didn’t make the final movie she really wish had.
So … Elinor St. John?
Yes?
I assume there’s someone historically you are basing her on. But I’m also wondering if there is someone in your career that picked on you. Like, “That person would never give me a good review, and this is who I’m thinking of when I play this character.”
Oh, gosh. To the latter, no. Luckily, no. I did research a bit on a woman named Elinor Glynn, who was one of the very first female screenplay writers. She wrote a screenplay for Clara Bow. She coined the phrase “it girl.” She wrote very racy novels back at the time, in the day, and moved to Hollywood from England, because she wanted to be part of this crazy new business. But again, no. I mean, the part was so beautifully written, that I just basically based it on what was on the page, which was just Damien’s beautiful writing.
To be fair, I’ve never really read a bad word about you, so I can’t imagine there’s someone out there just giving you the business nonstop.
[Laughs] Isn’t that annoying?
Even back to Designing Women, which I watched when I was 12 years old. I’m originally from Missouri, and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason obviously is royalty there. So you don’t grow up in Missouri without watching her stuff.
Yes!
But I don’t remember anyone saying a bad word about you or that show. And I think that’s continued throughout your career.
Well, I think that’s good! I value my reputation, so I hope it’s still good. I feel very fortunate to do what I do, and to be given the chance to do what I do. That’s the thing about being an actor, that can be extremely frustrating. And I’ve seen it so much with friends of mine, who were extraordinarily talented but never really got the opportunity to show it. Unlike other art forms in this industry, as an actor, you have to be just invited to do what you want to do. You can’t just go off and act in a vacuum. You have to be given permission to do the thing that you so desperately love to do, unlike a writer or a songwriter, or a painter, who can do it all day long if they want.
Speaking of being invited, how did this one work? Does Damien come to you?
I don’t know. I mean, I should ask him. I had not met Damien, I was a fan, certainly. And my agent called me and said, “You’ve been offered this part,” and I said, “Wow, cool. Let me read it.”
There’s a scene that really stands out with you and Brad Pitt where you explain to him his time as a star is over. That scene feels like the emotional core of what this whole movie is about.
I mean, Damien really crystallizes the idea of the movie in that scene. It’s a long scene, for a film, and I was so terrified that they would cut some of it. Because again, as an actor, invariably, the scene which motivated you to take the movie is usually the scene that gets cut. It was an extraordinary piece of writing. Again, like you say, it’s a speech that no actor ever wants to hear or even think that it’s even the truth. But the thing that’s strange about it, compared to maybe other businesses where you’re told, well, you’re just past your prime, or you’re no longer relevant, is that with acting, it’s something that’s intangible. You can’t really put your finger on why an audience will find somebody interesting and somebody else not. Or they’ll change their feeling about them, or something.
“It’s nothing, really. It’s not you, it’s not your voice, and it’s certainly not anything I wrote about you. It’s just the way it is. It’s just not your time anymore.” That’s terrifying to an actor. [Laughs] One thing good about being an actor, though, is they will always need old actors. So that’s good.
You mentioned it being a longer scene, but it’s also in a movie with so much going on, then this scene just takes its time, and it makes it even stand out more.
No, completely, completely. And I always say, when people talk about how much they love that scene, I say, well, part of it is Damien’s brilliance. Because he paces the movie in such a way, that when there’s a scene like that, that are very still, and more quiet, and that the audience suddenly, it pulls their attention. So I give credit to that, too.
Has anyone said anything like that to you? Because they would have been wrong, obviously.
Actually, no. I’ve been very lucky that way. I mean, seriously, as much as I loved acting, I don’t know how much perseverance I would have had if, in the beginning, right in college, and right out of college, I hadn’t gotten a lot of positive reinforcement. If I had just run up against a wall all the time, I wonder how long I would have kept just plugging away at it? I don’t know.
I had to look this up because I remember when I was a little kid you were on a show I watched, it was called Teachers Only.
[Laughs] Oh gosh…
That cast is pretty stacked and it probably feels like something that might be a success, and then it gets canceled.
Right. Well, that was my first time, really doing anything on camera. So it was just kind of fun. When it ended, I was like, Oh, well, I guess that happens. I didn’t know anything. That’s what brought me out to LA from New York, that show. I was immediately offered another series, which didn’t last very long. And then I did another one, which didn’t last very long. I did one on HBO, which went for a season, and then I did another one that didn’t last too long. Then I did Designing Women, which I did for five years.
You said you got so much positive reinforcement. Those were five things in a row that didn’t last before you got Designing Women. That has to take perseverance to keep going.
But I was really never out of work.
Oh, I see.
Yeah, and people told me, they thought I was good. I mean, I was offered other things that I didn’t necessarily want to do, but even before I started making money, I’ve tried to be very choosy about what I did. And I think that has paid off. And I’ve always tried to be very versatile. I never wanted to be pigeonholed as one kind of character or another, or get typecast. The first job I got offered after I left Designing Women was to play Aileen Wuornos, America’s first female serial killer.
Oh wow.
And I thought, “Why did they think of me for that part?”
That’s the same person Charlize Theron played? Is that right?
She did it as a feature later. Yeah, it was a network film. I would love to have had a chance to do it as a feature, without sponsors and sensors and things. That would have been nice. But it was so opposite of my character in Designing Women. I said, “Why did you think of me for this part?” And he said, “I wanted her to be sympathetic.”
Well, you’ve done a really good job of not being pigeonholed. You succeeded. Watchmen is very different than The Brady Bunch Movie. These are very different things.
I loved Watchman.
Can I ask you about The Brady Bunch Movie? I do have one thing I want to ask you about that.
Of course! Brady sandwich!
It was on TV the other day and I re-watched it. It’s such a statement on early ’70s culture, but now it also works as a statement on mid-’90s culture.
Yes, that was so much fun. And I loved working with Michael McKean. I’ve actually played his wife or girlfriend a few times. He’s so great. There was a scene there in that movie that they cut, and I thought, why would you cut that scene? Because it summed up the Bradys and their neighbors.
The Dittmeyers.
Yeah, the Dittmeyers! Because it was a scene where it showed both our driveways, and there was a little hedge that separated our two driveways? And the greenery, the hedge on the Bradys’ side was bright green, and the hedge outside of the driveway was dead. Then it showed both husbands leaving for work, and of course, the Bradys kiss each other. And she hands him his briefcase, and he goes off in his car. Mr. Dittmeyer comes out, and then he goes back in, yells something to me, and I heave his briefcase at him and he walks into his car. And I thought, that was so perfect, it was so hilarious. I don’t know why they didn’t leave it in, because it was a very short little bit. I don’t know why they would have cut it.
You mentioned Watchmen. I’m sure this isn’t a surprise, but people still talk about that show. You knew that before doing it, right? That this is something that’s going to last for a bit.
Watchmen was such an extraordinary experience, and I was so shocked and humbled to not have known that piece of our history. You know what I mean? My father was a history teacher, and taught U.S. history, and I thought, “How did I not know?” Astonishing.
Like I said, I grew up in Missouri. Guess what? They didn’t teach us that in school, and we were one state over.
No, isn’t that incredible? Well, it was a matter of shame, I’m sure, too, for a while. It was very last minute. And I meant to thank at some point, publicly. So I have to thank Sigourney Weaver for turning the part down. Yes, that was a really fun character. I loved that character.
In what was one of the most riveting games in some years, Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in a final match against France with a narrow victory of 4-3 after a winning penalty kick. The win gives Argentina its third title and solidifies Lionel Messi as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But after the win, as cameras scanned the celebrations enjoyed by the Argentina team, an unexpected-yet-familiar face made an appearance on the pitch and was snubbed by soccer’s greatest star in one of the most cringe-worthy moments committed to film since Elon Musk joined Chappelle on stage and got booed.
Salt Bae, the living meme who became famous for… distributing salt in a funny way (simpler times) can be seen from several angles trying to get Messi’s attention and share some of the World Cup spotlight only to be snubbed like George Costanza hitting on a beautiful woman. And Messi wasn’t the only person Salt Bae tried to steal the limelight from, he hammed it up in front of several other cameras with players who became noticeably uncomfortable with all the desperate clout chasing and even touched the trophy with his hands, which is against the rules.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that people on Twitter have been roasting Salt Bae all morning. Here are some of the best responses from the internet.
A collection of Salt Bae trying for clout with these players. So painful to watch. Like forcing himself between 2 players and trying to take the trophy away while players try to maintain professionalism, but their faces can be clearly read they are annoyed pic.twitter.com/BbChdBEK3M
Fcking absurd. Who let Saltbae out on the pitch? Saw a bunch of photos of him HOLDING the World Cup trophy, and even a picture of him biting on a medal. Atleast Messi knew not to give that guy trying to make THEIR moment about HIM any attention. Desperately grabbing Messi https://t.co/CJzyHZXFespic.twitter.com/25K4i1k0Ge
Todo mal con Catar ayer: además del batín de Messi, ¿qué coño pintaba Salt Bae en medio de la celebración? Intentando quitarle la copa a Lisandro, mirad la cara de incredulidad del jugador.
Salt Bae making an absolute dose of himself at the World Cup just made me cringe my intestines inside out. When are ppl gonna wise up to this grifting, food spiv.
I’d love to hear FIFA’s explanation of why this celebrity chef gets access onto the pitch at a World Cup final for selfies with Messi etc pic.twitter.com/YcUxj4zpbm
Now in its third year of existence, Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin’s annual “The Hanukkah Sessions” will be supercharged for 2022. The Hanukkah celebration, which sees the Foo Fighters drummer and the band’s faithful producer releasing eight nights of songs to celebrate each night of Hanukkah, features an illustrious cast of guests this year including Pink, Tenacious D, Beck, Karen O, and Judd Apatow. Apatow was actually the host of The Hanukkah Sessions live event at Los Angeles’ Largo at The Coronet (a benefit for the Anti-Defamation League) and 2022’s songs are all live sessions from that show.
So as Hanukkah officially got underway on the night of Sunday, December 18, Grohl and Kurstin released the first song in The Hanukkah Sessions 2022 series, and it features their gregarious host, Judd Apatow, singing Blood, Sweat & Tears’ 1968 tune “Spinning Wheel.”
“A little blood and plenty of schvitz went into this year’s Hanukkah Sessions– but the only tears you’ll be shedding will be tears of nachas when you hear Judd Apatow sing “Spinning Wheel” by Blood, Sweat & (No) Tears!,” Grohl and Kurstin wrote on the Foo Fighters YouTube page, where The Hanukkah Sessions songs get posted each night until Sunday, December 25.
A scruffy-looking Apatow (or as one commenter described him, “Like a dad in a record shop on a Tuesday night”) stood in front of Grohl and Kurstin and sang a cheerful rendition of the late-’60s tune. It was a swell way to kick off the yearly tradition, and as it came to a close, Apatow turned to Grohl and said, “Dave, I know you do five-hour concerts but that’s all I could do. I need a month off.”
Watch Grohl, Kurstin, and Apatow perform “Spinning Wheel” above and stay tuned for seven more songs from The Hanukkah Sessions 2022.
In what was truly the end of an era, Meek Mill deactivated his Twitter account over the weekend, heading for greener pastures elsewhere on the internet. However, unlike many who ditched the Bird App recently over new owner Elon Musk’s prolific bumbling, Meek had his own reasons for leaving. After over a decade of interactions that were doubtlessly as frustrating for him as they were hilarious for everyone else, Meek decided to give up on the platform, explaining his rationale and detailing his future plans in one last tweet, which was captured for posterity by 2cool2blog.
“Ima deactivate Twitter forever and go to a new social where it’s more good vibes based off building, creating and motivation,” he explained. “Whoever run my sh*t turn this off forever … ima takeover my YouTube account to replace me interacting with supports! Too many bots and weird people.”
The announcement was met — as usual — with a variety of mixed reactions. Some lamented the loss of an account that provided a great deal of amusement due to Meek’s seeming obliviousness. Others rejoiced that he finally freed himself of one of his big distractions, hoping that he’d get back to making music without undermining himself with off-the-wall observations that distracted from his day job.
Be mad we been on his tail … can’t speak foolishness and expect no one to Dona at just because you are a celebrity… don’t run we will find you on YouTube as well @meekmillhttps://t.co/P6mYjJUiol
Obviously, Meek Mill and Twitter have had a special relationship. Like many blog-era rappers, he was able to use the platform to grow his following, and while he battled the state of Pennsylvania for his freedom, it was a source of support. However, he’s also gotten himself in trouble on there; his beef with Drake started over his “Twitter fingers” and it seemed as though every couple of weeks brought another awkwardly-worded musing that got him torched by users. Hopefully, he’ll have better luck wherever he ends up next, but then again, that depends largely on him.
Lil Baby has been on top of the world since releasing his Mount Rushmore-themedIt’s OnlyMe, his third No. 1 album, in October. After Lionel Messi cemented his “GOAT” status by leading Argentina to an instant-classic victory over France in the 2022 men’s World Cup final on Sunday, December 18, Lil Baby and FIFA dropped a video to remind everyone greatness isn’t only reserved for Baby and Messi.
Lil Baby’s “The World Is Yours To Take” with Tears For Fears, dubbed the Budweiser Anthem of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and included on the tournament’s official soundtrack, initially released in September. The accompanying four-minute video finds Baby rapping in the desert, overlooking the endless landscape, spliced with scenes of the World Cup and people enjoying a Budweiser on a beach.
“I think it’s about that time, it’s getting closer,” Baby raps as he jaunts into an empty stadium and tournament highlights start playing. “Whole lotta fingers crossed, a lot of hopin’ / Wishin’ for the best, preparin’ for the worst too / Got out here and bust my ass, I had to work, too.”
“I’m excited to make history with Budweiser and close out the 2022 FIFA World Cup with this unforgettable video,” Lil Baby said in a statement, per Variety. “Working with Director X and the amazing people from around the globe, we’re celebrating what it means to bring the world together and inspire people to chase those dreams.”
Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the centerpieces of the Utah Jazz for five years, but by the end of their time together there were countless reports of friction between them.
This offseason, the Jazz started anew, trading Gobert to Minnesota and Mitchell to Cleveland, giving all parties a fresh start and a chance to try something else. While Gobert’s start with the Wolves has been a bit rocky, Mitchell and the Cavs, and the new-look Jazz are exceeding expectations. Utah is stunningly 17-15 on the season when it seemed like tanking was inevitable, while the Cavs are 20-11, good for third in the East, just two games back of the Bucks and Celtics.
For Mitchell, he’s clearly enjoying himself in his new home, and recently spoke with Marc Spears of Andscape about how everything ended in Utah and his start in Cleveland. Among the topics was his relationship with Gobert, where he once again reiterated that he doesn’t hate Rudy, but explained why the two just didn’t work on the basketball court.
Honestly, basketball just didn’t work. We live in such a world where it has to be really negative. Basketball just didn’t work. We didn’t see eye to eye. We wanted to both win, but we wanted to do it two different ways. It didn’t work. But as far as him and I go as people, I don’t hate him, and he doesn’t hate me. I wouldn’t say we’re the best of friends, but we’re not at the point where it’s like, I can’t stand him.
[When I see him], I’m going to give him a hug and be happy to see him. And I wish him the best. There’s no hatred. There’s no ill will towards any of that. Basketball just didn’t work out. It happens. Our [relationship] just happened to be a little more out there than anybody else’s. But honestly, it really started with COVID. Everything we did up to that point was under microscope to the point where we were getting evaluated on how many times we threw the ball [to each other].
And that’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of it. And it just didn’t work. I wish it did. I wish we went farther. We had the opportunity, but we didn’t. And we’re both in different spots now. But I want to wish him the best and I know he feels the same way.
Overall, they approached the game of basketball differently and when the Jazz failed with both making little sacrifices, that’s they type of thing that further drives the two apart and makes them more entrenched in their beliefs. Now, they’ll get a chance to prove themselves separate from one another, and for now that’s going better for Mitchell which is probably why he can look back less than a year removed with a more positive outlook.
Dan Harmon wishes he could forget about his Hallmark movie experience.
The Rick and Morty and Community creator had himself a full-blown meltdown over the channel’s Sister Swap series. “There are two Hallmark movies called Sister Swap. One is called Sister Swap: Christmas in the City, the other is Sister Swap: Hometown Holiday,” Harmon wrote on Instagram. “So we thought oh cool it’s a franchise and there’s a sequel, which Sister Swap do we watch first? Well HERE’S THE THING. Both Sister Swaps are released in 2021. They are not sequels. Both Sister Swaps are the same story, about sisters – played by real life sisters, who have to swap… cities.”
The sisters and the cities “AND THE MOVIES” are “indistinguishable,” Harmon added. “It’s not like one is a hillbilly and the other is a millionaire, that doesn’t matter, we don’t go to Hallmark for conflict.” (Unless you’re Candace Cameron Bure.) He continued:
We found an article called “how to watch the Sister Swap movies” and got so excited and then it turned out to be instructions on how to find Hallmark on your streaming service. I can’t keep talking about this, we just started watching, I can’t spend all night posting about it. We keep going back and forth between the movies. The same conversations are happening in each one but there’s no “Rashomon” or “Peep Show” angle, the dialogue in each version is identical but the scenes are cut differently because I assume they just had different editors. In one of the movies, one of the sisters has a full flashback about her relationship with the other sister. In the other sister’s movie, you don’t get a different version of the same flashback. You just don’t get a f*cking flashback in that one. In both of the movies, they spend 1 minute trying on hats but in ONE of the movies, they also try on glasses. We’re freaking out and I can’t keep typing about it I will come back later I f*cking love Christmas though
Harmon is a man of his word: he wrote another long Instagram post about the Sister Swaps. Here’s an excerpt: “I LOVE THIS F*CKING MOVIE(S) F*CK YOU CHRISTOPHER NOLAN.” You can read both below. Happy holidays to everyone but the sisters.
While bourbon, rye, and Scotch whiskies tend to dominate the conversation, well… everywhere on earth, there’s a whole wide world of whisk(e)y out there, folks. As whiskey culture continues to grow unabated, so too does the amount of whiskey hitting shelves from every corner of the world. Today, it’s not that hard to find Danish, Peruvian, Australian, Indian, and Israeli whiskies on the shelf next to classic Irish, Canadian, and Japanese whisky brands. There’s a smorgasbord of options these days.
All of this is to say, it’s time for our Best International Whiskeys of 2022 list! We’re going global, baby!
The beauty of getting into world whiskeys is the sheer variety of flavors, techniques, and styles out there. Peruvian distillers are working with heritage Amazonian corn; Australian distillers are pushing the boundaries of where malt can go; Irish distillers are completely reshaping everything we know about the styles hewn on the Emerald Isle. It’s a really exciting time to be drinking whiskey from places outside of the U.S. and Scotland.
So for this list, I pulled 30 world whiskeys from the long list of international whiskeys I was lucky enough to taste this year. Having judged multiple spirits competitions, lapped whiskey shows, and traveled far and wide to taste whiskey, I can assure you that the whiskeys below are some of the best, especially if you’re looking for something new and unique in a bottle of brown sauce.
Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This Indian malt (a mix of Indian and U.K. grains) is fermented, distilled, and aged in the tropical climes of Goa not far from an idyllic beach. The mellowed whisky is finished in a trio of barrels, ex-bourbon, ex-brandy, and ex-Oloroso casks that held peated whisky previously. Those finishing barrels are batched to build Paul John’s classic “Christmas Edition” flavor profile with a touch of local water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rush of dry holiday spice — cinnamon bark, star anise, clove, nutmeg — next to apple pie filling, stewed peaches with a hint of garam masala and dried chili, and an underlying bed of dark chocolate sauce. The palate has a soft peatiness that’s more like dry moss than ash with an orange dark chocolate bitter/sweetness vibe next to more of that chili pepper that gives way to fruit cake and toffee. The end leans into Nutella with a dash more of those woody winter spices.
Bottom Line:
This really does feel like Christmas in a glass and is a prime example of the excellent blending work that the Paul John team does in Goa.
This barley-based whiskey is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon and sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Those whiskeys are then blended and proofed down with local water.
Tasting Notes:
Wildflowers and honey mingle with cedar, milk chocolate, and a clove/allspice vibe on the nose. The taste softly moves from spicy holiday cake toward dried fruits and green peppercorns. The mid-palate sweetens with a buttery toffee next to spicy stewed apples that feels like sticky apple tobacco before fading out.
Bottom Line:
There are a lot of Busker bottles on the shelf these days, but this Pot Still expression always draws you back in a classic Irish sipper that’s perfect for a lot of rocks and a dash or two of bitters.
28. Morris Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrels
This whisky from Down Under is made with 100% locally grown malted barley in the mash. The juice is aged in Muscat wine barrels from local wineries for three years. Those barrels are then batched and proofed down with pure local water from the nearby Snowy Mountains.
Tasting Notes:
This opens fairly tannic with a sense of burnt leaves and very dried dates, raisins, and prunes next to blackstrap molasses, darkly roasted espresso beans covered in dark AF chocolate, and a hint of salted caramel smoothness under it all. The palate leans into dark caramel malts with plenty of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, and nutshell next to soft vanilla chewing tobacco. The end is malty and kind of tannic with a burnt orange next to very dried prunes.
Bottom Line:
This is a deeply flavored malt that feels very classic while adding that easy-drinking feel with a complete lack of pretension.
This Israeli peated malt is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Islay peated malt casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Those barrels are vatted and then proofed down with local water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice sense of light orchard fruits next to sea salt malts with a slight caramel vibe and some fresh lemon oils with a dash of black pepper. The palate has a mild brininess with a hint of vanilla pudding, gingerbread, and more of that bright lemon. The end brings it all together with a lemon cake vibe with smoked sugar icing and a dash of vanilla and winter spice.
Bottom Line:
This was a nice and easy surprise with a good citrus throughline and worth seeking out if you’re looking for a mild and new peaty whisky to try.
26. BEARFACE Canadian Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak
This single-grain whisky from the northern Ontario wilderness is all about the aging process. The juice spends seven years resting in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into both old French oak and toasted Hungarian oak for a final maturation. That whisky is then blended and cut down with natural spring water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens a little “oaky” but then leans into rich marzipan with a bright and almost piney honey next to soft vanilla and a hint of tart-dried fruits. The palate moves towards a savory note with melon and saffron-stewed pears mingling with creamy balsamic vinegar (the thick and sweet kind), apricot jam with cinnamon, and a hint of scone. The end has a bit of spice to it — more nutmeg and cardamon — alongside orange peels, brown sugar syrup, and a light vanilla wafer.
Bottom Line:
This feels old and fresh at the same time, it’s a great magic trick of blending to find that balance successfully. More importantly, this feels new and different from a lot of the whiskies out there, especially from Canada.
The new Slainte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend starts off with classic barrels of grain whiskey aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Those barrels are batched and then the whiskey is re-barreled into new ex-bourbon casks for a final maturation before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Minor notes of black pepper and soft lemon oils mixed with vanilla and a hint of banana bread on the nose with a touch of green grass. The palate leans into a buttery brioche with orange marmalade, almonds, and vanilla next to a hint of oak and floral honey. The end is light and quick with a sense of dried honey wafers next to a final touch of that black pepper from the nose.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Irish whiskey for mixing cocktails at a pretty solid price point. It also works on the rocks in a pinch as an easy, everyday sipper.
24. Indri Single Malt Indian Whisky Trini, The Three Wood
This whisky starts off with Six-Row malted barley grown in Rajasthan. The whisky is then filled into three types of casks, ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and ex-sherry casks, and left to rest through extreme temperature shifts from season to season, ranging from 120+F in the summer to freezing in the winter. That, in turn, allows for a lot of expansion and contraction of the wood, which lets the spirit have more direct contact and rest with/from the wood.
Tasting Notes:
The nose greets you with a hint of Earl Grey next to rich toffee with a nice sense of apricot jam with a line of cinnamon and clove next to creamed honey and a touch of tangerine rinds and passion fruit-infused malts. The palate opens with a sweet oakiness next to vanilla pods before a hint of bruised peach arrives and slowly boils down to fresh mango, seared pineapple, and a hint of pomelo pith. The end dries out toward rummy macerated peaches and mango with a hint of dried banana leaves and warm brown spices.
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry point into Indian whisky that has a deep and woody malted vibe that leans into a beautiful fruitiness that feels local and vibrant.
This version of Lot No. 40 is made from 100% Canadian rye grains. It’s twice distilled and then rests in low-char American oak for a few years. Before it’s blended, the whiskey is re-barreled into heavily-charred oak for a final rest. Once it hits just the right spot, it’s batched, lightly proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a complex nose full of dried sweetgrass, cinnamon toast, clove-studded orange skins, rich salted caramel, and vanilla beans soaked in cherry liqueur. The palate leans into a fatty dark chocolate fudge with spiced apple cider, sweet and rich cherry syrup, apple fritters with a powdered sugar frosting, and a hint of vanilla tobacco with a woody edge. The finish layers some dark cherry syrup into that vanilla tobacco and adds a mild spiciness thanks to the cinnamon and orange.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Canadian whisky and should dispel any negative connotation one may still carry about the juice from up North.
Egan’s Conviction is a new ten-year release from the fan-favorite bottler. The whiskey in that black bottle is a blend of ten-year-old single malt and single grain whiskeys. Those barrels and vatted and re-filled into XO Cognac casks for a final rest before bottling without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a nice mix of old leather, dried almonds, dried apricot, and floral honey on the nose. The palate moves from that toward rich marzipan touched with orange oil, vanilla sauce, a light wet graininess, and a mix of ginger and lemon zest. The end builds on those sharper notes and lets the spiciness of the ginger peak before fading through more honey and apricot on a lush end.
Bottom Line:
This is a quintessential Irish whiskey from nose to finish that beckons you back again and again. It also makes a mean whiskey sour thanks to that honey and soft citrus with a mild nuttiness.
21. Spirit Thief Distilling Co. Future Black Single Malt Whisky
Back in Australia, this whisky is all about the blend. The juice is made from 13 barrels that range from ex-wine casks to various oaks from all over the world. Those barrels are hand-selected for their unique flavor profile and vatted and then bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a faint sense of dark cherries next to blackberry jam on a scone with whipped butter, and a pinch of salt with some prunes and dates lurking around next to a bundle of winter spices. The palate opens soft and creamy with a dark berry pie before hitting a high note of sharp spices and ABVs. That heat drops off toward a mix of raisins, prunes, and figs with a generous dusting of sharp cinnamon, anise, clove, and a little sassafras all wrapped up in cedar bark and tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This delicate whisky is unique, sure, but it’s the deep and precise flavor profile that’s truly arresting.
Amrut is the original Indian single malt and this expression highlights the bridge between Scottish whisky heritage and Indian whisky ingenuity. The mash is hewn from both Indian unpeated malts and Scottish peated malts. That spirit is them aged outside of Bangalore until the barrels hit the right spot for blending with a drop or two of local water and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is like putting your nose into a big bowl of stewed fruits — mango, peach, blood orange — that has big woody chunks of spices — cinnamon, clove, anise, cardamom — floating in it with a hint of wet Earl Grey tea leaves and this flutter of briny smudged seaweed. The palate leans into that blood orange with a robust cinnamon bark and black pepper bite next to lush malty brioche. The end has a spiced stewed mango tobacco vibe that’s wrapped up in very distant echoes of peated seaweed and old oyster shells.
Bottom Line:
This feels like the perfect bottle to give someone to really get into Indian whiskies once and for all.
This whisky is made at the Kyoto Whisky Distillery. The actual juice is a blend of single malt and single grain whiskies made on-site and also sourced from all over the world (which is common in Japanese whisky). The throughline is that those whiskies were aged in American oak. Those barrels were vatted and that whisky was re-filled into ex-bourbon barrels for a final maturation before a final vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
That bourbon vanilla comes through on the nose with a hint of lemon pudding, soft malted caramel, a drop of orange oil, and underlying layers of nearly tannic oak staves. The palate opens with an orange/vanilla pudding that leads to a warm sense of spiced malts before a hint of prune and raisin kick in. The finish has a mild dry flower note with a whisper of tangerines and honey before that almost bitter oak kicks back in.
Bottom Line:
This is really quite good. Drink it. Neat, on the rocks, in a highball, in a cocktail — it doesn’t matter!
18. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Biodynamic Luna 1.1
This whiskey is made from 100% organic and sustainable farms in Ireland. The barley comes from three small farms that utilize “biodynamic” farming practices which take organic to the next level by integrating agriculture with animals and humans to create as natural a product as possible. The juice made from that barley is loaded into 500 barrels and left to rest for years before blending and bottling with a touch of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Butterscotch and barley cakes lead the way on the nose with a hint of persimmon and orange rinds next to green grass, wildflowers, pear stems, and soft red cherries. The palate stews those cherries and counters them with sour currants before a sense of nougat-filled brioche comes into play with marzipan, grape must, and white pepper adding deeper layers. The end has this whisper of an old cooking pan that’s been seasoned for decades, red peppercorns, more marzipan, and a soft fresh floral honey with a hint of those stewed cherries in vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
Waterford is one of the most exciting whiskey brands to follow right now (Irish whiskey or not) thanks to truly blazing a new path in terroir-driven whiskey-making.
17. Clonakilty Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey Batch no. 035
This fan-favorite whiskey just released its latest batch. The whiskey in this one is a nine-year-old Irish grain whiskey blended with a classic Irish single malt. The whiskey was then proofed down slightly and re-loaded into Port casks from the famed Douro Valley. Those barrels were stored next to the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland until they were just right.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with bright fruit — orange, lime, and lemon zest next to peach skins and juicy apricots — next to light notes of brown spices, raisins, and lightly sweetened oak staves with a hint of must. The palate leans into the stone fruit with a stewed vibe next to dried red chili flakes, cinnamon, cardamom, and a hint of orange chocolate with whispers of lemon-lime soda. The end leans into the dark spices on the finish with a plummy vibe, a hint more of that soft oak, and a final dash of peppercorn.
Bottom Line:
This nails both being a stellar Irish whiskey and having a well-rounded real feeling port cask finish.
This new take on the double-charred, barrel-aged whiskey above (Black Barrel) amps up the ABVs, allowing a lot more character to shine through in the actual bottle. The difference is that the barrels chosen for this expression were perfect at 100 proof instead of 80.
Tasting Notes:
That bitter char comes through on the nose with a subtle espresso bean oiliness next to almost burnt buttery toffee and a touch of walnut. The palate builds on that nuttiness to the point of a walnut cake full of Karo syrup, plenty of dark holiday spices, and a touch of vanilla pudding. The end really amps that vanilla up to the point that you’re almost chewing on vanilla tobacco while the wood comes in with a dry cigar box vibe next to ground winter spices, more nuttiness, and a hint of dry straw in an old fruit orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is a great release from Jameson and the perfect cocktail or sipping Irish whiskey for any Irish whiskey fan.
This single malt whiskey starts off by getting triple distilled. It’s then aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The batched whiskey is then transferred to port pipes for a final nine-month rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This starts out with a spicy red berry jam next to a whiff of marzipan laced with bourbon vanilla, a hint of old leather, apple cores, and a light Christmas cake spice on the nose. That almond creates a smooth foundation with more of that spicy red jam alongside an apple/honeyed sweetness and velvet mouthfeel while those wintry spices meld with the malts to create a berry-cinnamon tobacco profile. The end of this one is long-ish as the spice, jammy fruit, and almond paste slowly fade out, leaving you warmed with a sense of malts and dark fruit.
Bottom Line:
While there are older and fancier Bushmills products out there, this really is the sweet spot for their Single Malt lineup and a must-have for any fan of the brand.
14. Don Michael Black Whiskey Andean Black Corn Whiskey Single Barrel
This Peruvian whiskey is made from a unique mash of 60% Andean Black corn, 30% malted wheat, and 10% malted barley. After fermentation and distillation, the juice is barreled in new American oak barrels (just like bourbon). After a few years, that whiskey is bottled with a touch of Andean spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Earthy and dark corn comes through on the nose almost like a burnt corn tortilla with a hint of smolder to it next to dates and raisins with a hint of vanilla pudding, sour cherry, and dried apricot meatiness. The palate leans into the earthiness with a hint of burnt cinnamon bark next to old vanilla pods, hard raisins, dried figs, and cornmeal mixed with sweet black potting soil and wrapped in a rum-raisin tobacco leaf. The end rolls through a matrix of sharp cinnamon bark, clove berries, star anise, and cardamon pods before hitting a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean next to a whisper of salted caramel and mild nutshell.
Bottom Line:
This is so funky and fresh that’s hard not to fall for, especially if you’re looking for a corn-fueled whiskey not tied to the stringent rules of bourbon.
13. Alberta Premium 2022 Limited Edition Cask Strength Rye
This year’s Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye is made exclusively with classic Canadian Prairie rye grains grown locally in Alberta. Glacial spring water from the Rocky Mountains is in the mix and new white oak barrel aging. Once those barrels hit just the right spot, they’re batched and bottled with no proofing at all.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a bold sense of buttery and dark toffee on the nose with rich and oily vanilla pods, dark blackberry jam, mulled wine spices (star anise, allspice, clove, cinnamon), brandy-soaked raisins and dates, dry Earl Grey tea leaves, and a hint of dark cacao nibs. The palate builds on that with tart black currants dipped in salted dark chocolate next to a hint of espresso cream, and caraway-encrusted sourdough rye bread (the real stuff from Central Europe, not the bullshit rye you get in the Americas) that leads to a huge cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate. The end rounds off that cinnamon Hot Tamale spiciness with a sweet sense of vanilla white cake bespeckled with dried cranberries and shredded blackberry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty much the best Canadian whisky (released under a Canadian label) that money can buy. Period.
This Danish whisky takes some local rye as a launching point and a Manhattan cocktail as inspiration. The whiskey is made from locally grown and in-house malted rye (70%) and malted barley (30%). Once distilled, that juice rests for a few years in oak before it’s re-barreled into ex-vermouth casks for a final touch of flavor.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a mix of orchard fruits — ripe tart apples and sweet plums especially — next to burnt orange zest, cinnamon bark, and a hint of salted caramel underneath it all. The palate leans into vermouth botanicals with hints of anise and clove next to more of that woody cinnamon before a sense of dates and prunes mellow toward sultanas and maybe some dried cranberries. The mid-palate peaks around some sharp black peppercorns before descending toward more orange zest and a hint of dried red chili pepper-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
While this is clearly the perfect whiskey for making Manhattans, it’s also a great on the rocks sipper with a crystal clear flavor profile.
11. Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Kentucky Oak Edition
This is classic Redbreast tripled distiller single pot still whiskey (made with a mash of malted and unmalted barley). The juice settles for several years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then re-filled into brand new air-dried American oak barrels from the Taylor Farm in Kentucky. After four months, the whiskey is blended and barely proofed before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of almost sweet cedar next to marzipan and old leather with a hint of sour cherry and tart apple skins rounding out the nose. The palate starts with a foundational layer of vanilla sauce and builds layers of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, and sharp cloves toward dried figs and prunes with a brandy-soaked oak vibe and some stewed cherries. The end is nice and buttery toffee with another note of vanilla before the woody spices lead to apple tobacco stuffed in an old cedar box on the slow finish.
Bottom Line:
Redbreast continues to bring the heat as one of the best Irish whiskey producers on the planet with this Kentucky collaboration.
10. Cask Strength Four Walls Irish Whiskey “The Better Brown” Single Barrel Aged 15 Years — Taste 8
This whiskey is bottled from one ex-bourbon barrel of 15-year-old Irish whiskey. The single malt whiskey was chosen to celebrate the 15 years It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been on the air. After a few select single barrels were chosen, the whiskey was bottled at cask strength and yielded only 755 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a hint of rose next to sticky toffee pudding made with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and black-tea-soaked dates with a hint of marzipan, rum-soaked raisins, apple skins, and thick and dark Nutella rounding things out. The palate opens with a burst of floral honey-soaked apple chips with rich and creamy vanilla sauce with a dash of poppy seed next to Christmas cake just dashed with bright brandy and full of nuts and candied fruit. The mid-palate leans into the warmth of the wintry spices as creamy vanilla and soft spiced nut cake leans toward a finish full of old soft leather gloves, a dusting of dark cacao powder, and a whisper of dry menthol tobacco in an old pine box.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys you pull out for the holidays, birthdays, or any special celebration you have in life. It’s a special one, folks.
9. Starward Vitalis 15th Anniversary Limited Release Single Malt Australian Whisky
This brand-new limited edition whisky from Australia’s biggest brand celebrates the 15th anniversary of the distillery. The whisky in this bottle commemorates the brand’s finishing program that made it famous. The whisky was blended from six different barrel types, focusing on tawny port, rum, bourbon, and Apera barrels between 11 and four years old.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with rich, buttery toffee candy next to rum raisins, salted dark chocolate bars, grilled pineapple, bruised apricots, and tangerine skins. The palate leans into the raisin vibe with black-tea-soaked dates, stewed prunes, and mashed dried apricot next to tart red currants with a hint of mango skin and savory papaya. That’s all countered by a mid-palate full of toasted coffee beans and creamy mocha latte notes next to a hint of dark and warm spiciness on the back of the finish with a dash of tart berry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a phenomenal whisky and will have you taking the juice from Australia very seriously after the first sip.
The latest release from Mitchell & Son’s beloved “Spot” line of whiskeys is a nine-year-old blend of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The whiskey is finished in Port casks and Bordeaux wine casks for the final blend/maturation.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is super lush with hints of kiwi skins next to the woody core of a pineapple, soft vanilla oils, stewed apples, and a little bit of holiday spice mix. The palate is creamy yet light with a sharp sense of cloves and allspice next to a tropical fruit salad with a touch of black pepper, more of that super soft vanilla, a smear of Nutella, and a twinge of sour sherry-soaked oak. The end simmers all that tropical fruit down with the spices to create a sweet, tart, spicy, vanilla-laden jammy feel with a line of spiced malts lurking underneath it all.
Bottom Line:
The Spot line of whiskeys has always been the whiskey lovers’ whiskey but this edition truly takes the nuance and beauty of the brand to a new level.
This year’s Hibiki Blossom Harmony picks up from last year’s vibe. The grain whiskies — from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries — were aged until near perfection and then vatted and re-filled into Sakura casks (local cherry) until they reached total perfection for proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real sense of cherry blossoms on the nose (perhaps not surprisingly) that speaks to the tree more than the bloom with a sense of soft honey suckle and bruised stone fruit that leads to a whisper of green olive brine. The palate is the epitome of lush with a soft and perfectly ripe pear next to cherry bark that’s somehow creamy and sweet thanks to a sense of too-expensive acacia honey. The end has a mochi feel that’s tied to the cherry wood and orchard florals with a long lingering sense of old bamboo steamers just kissed with sweet cereal grains and fresh honey countered by a fleeting sense of spiced orange tobacco braided with old cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a love-at-first-nose pour of whisky — or not. Love it or hate it, it’s a hell of a pour with serious depth.
Midleton’s Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman crafts this yearly limited release from the rarest and best .single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys. This year’s expression was a blend of whiskeys aged between 12 and 33 years in lightly charred ex-bourbon barrels. Once batched, that whiskey was proofed with local water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a dark candied fruitiness with bright notes of orange rind countered by winter spices, eggnog creaminess, and a sense of a hazelnut mocha latte spiked with clove and cinnamon and drizzled with rich and salty toffee. The palate has an apple orchard vibe that gives way to malted oat cracked cut with rum raisin and walnut with a flourish of floral honey and crème brûlée. The luxurious end leans into the malted grainy cookies with a touch of spice and a final rush of stewed apples drizzled in honey and toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is lush and so soft and easy to drink that it’s almost unbelievable.
5. FUJI Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Aged 30 Years
This whisky is made just seven miles from the base of Mt Fuji. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of whiskies made in a “Canadian grain whisky style.” The whiskies for this release were aged in used American oak for at least 30 years with some of the barrels in the blend hitting 40 years old. Then Master Blender Jota Tanaka selects the barrels that hit the exact right notes and meticulously blends this whisky with a touch of local mountain spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of marzipan and nutty berry cobbler with a hint of orchard fruits, mulled wine, dark chocolate touched with very light spice, and a sweet and soft brown sugar vibe. The palate opens with an old honey pot next to dark nut clusters with a pecan/dark chocolate/raisin vibe over malted cookies dipped in black currant compote and dusted with soft and powdery white pepper. The end is lush and silky with a slight sense of wet reeds and cedar bark braided with faint tobacco kissed with dried red berries and soft toffee.
Bottom Line:
There were only 100 bottles of this released in the U.S. in 2022. That makes it fleeting. But if you can find one, you’ll be in for a real treat.
This single malt is all about marrying Japanese whisky with Spanish oak. The malts are aged exclusively in oak from Northern Spain. After the flavor profile hits the exact right depth, the barrels are vatted and proofed with a dash of water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a medley of sultanas, dates, prunes, dried cranberries, and maybe some candied grape before veering toward a big umami note that’s halfway between a sun-dried tomato and a dash of powdered mushroom. The palate opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spices, black tea-soaked dates, and almost creamy toffee next to orange oils and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans. The end takes on a buttery vibe as creamy dark chocolate attaches to those espresso beans and a final hint of orange sneaks in late.
Bottom Line:
This is the most approachable of the 2022 Limited Edition Yamzakis. It’s a true crowd-pleaser that has almost immeasurable depth if you’re willing to give it the time.
3. Teeling Whiskey Single Malt Aged 32 Years Purple Muscat
This whiskey was distilled all the way back in 1990. 28 years later the whiskey was re-barreled into one cask from Portugal, a Purple Muscat French oak cask, and left alone for another four years (a very long time for a finishing barrel). Finally, 2022 was the year and the cask was drained and 238 bottles of this elixir were sent out into the world as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a fleeting sense of dark chocolate malts next to black cherries tossed in smoked salt, walnut cake with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, and tart red berries swimming in a cream cut with vanilla pods. The palate dried out those cherries and adds in some meaty prunes, dates, and figs next to old cellar beams with an echo of prosciutto fat somewhere deep in that body of the palate. The end leans into woody mulled wine spices and rich creamed honey with a touch of buttery milk chocolate with a nutty edge and slight tobacco burn.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent Irish whiskey and, this year, second to none.
This is a combination of Suntory’s Hakushu and Yamazaki with Chita, a corn-based whisky. Those spirits then spend 21 long years resting American, European, and Japanese oak. Each barrel is carefully selected and blended with precision to create the ultimate expression of Suntory’s stable of whiskies.
Tasting Notes:
This draws you in with supple white summer flowers next to soft green grass underneath pear and peach trees with notes of sandalwood, green tea touched with mint and rock candy, and a whisper of old cellar beams with cobwebs. White chocolate leads on the palate as orange blossoms, alder bark, cherry-infused cedar planks, passionfruit, and dried-out honey chips mingle to create a round and soft mouthfeel. The mid-palate is fruity-sweet and gives way to a hint of nutmeg with maybe a hint of plum and vanilla lurking in the background. The finish is almost salty with a touch of wax paper, white pepper, and those summery white flowers before notes of a very soft cedar plank settle across your senses.
Bottom Line:
This is another perfect whisky but not quite as interesting as the next pour.
This is one of the most sought-after whiskies from Yamazaki. The juice spends over 12 years maturing in Mizunara casks only — this isn’t some whisky that’s “finished” in old Mizurana casks for a few months. After over a decade of mellowing, the casks are hand-picked for their excellence, vatted, and just proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of winter spice that meanders from woody cinnamon bark toward cloves, allspice, anise, cardamon, and even some soft nutmeg before light yet. creamy vanilla custard leads to a thin whisper of sandalwood and lavender. The palate hints at agarwood with a dash of old potpourri next to sweet cinnamon and allspice in a slightly sour mulled wine with a bit of brown sugar lurking in the background. The end leans into the woodiness of the spices with a bit more floral incense burning beneath it all.
Bottom Line:
This was the Yamazaki to add to your bar cart this year. It’s also a great example of what all those “Mizunara cask finished” whiskies are really chasing (but often never quite catching). It’s just perfect and one of the all-around best pours I had all year.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
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