It’s that time of the year again: December is here and publications (including Uproxx) have begun rolling out their picks for the best albums of the year. That means it’s also time for another annual installment of the Indiecasties, an episode of Indiecast where hosts Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen honor their favorite (and most overrated) albums of the year. This year’s categories are: Most annoying Music Writer Twitter story, “Why Isn’t This On Your List” Award: Consensus Album That is Truly Overrated, The “Hey, I Actually Like The Album!” Award For Artist You Came To Like This Year, Biggest Disappointment, and Most 2022 Album of 2022.
To kick off the episode, Indiecast discusses the most talked-about event in music this week: Spotify Wrapped. While Apple Music users feel particularly excluded, the ethics of Spotify also come into question. It’s no secret that Spotify rips off artists but does scolding Spotify users help the cause in the long run?
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 117 here or below and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. You can submit questions for Steve and Ian at [email protected], and make sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter for all the latest news. We also recently launched a visualizer for our favorite Indiecast moments. Check those out here.
It’s always a little risky to go up to celebrities in public. On the one hand, they might be happy to meet a fan and snap a silly photo that may or may not go viral. On the other hand, they are human, and might not always be in the mood to chat. It can really go either way, depending on the celebrity. What you absolutely don’t want to do is go up to a celebrity and positively insist they are someone else, because not only is it rude, but it might cause them to have a personal identity crisis.
Unfortunately, Trevor Noah fell victim to a fan encounter horror story when a man insisted that he was actually The Weeknd. While they are both similarly stylish and good at dancing, they are not the same person, though one fan could not understand that when he ran into Noah at a basketball game.
The (former) host of The Daily Show recalled the story on a recent appearance on Today, “This guy comes up to me in the stands, and he’s with his wife, and he said, ‘Hey man, can I get a picture?’ And I was like, ‘Oh, yeah, um, okay.’”
The man then asked to confirm that Noah is in fact The Weeknd, which he is not. “I said, ‘No, I’m not The Weekend.’ And he’s like, ‘No, you’re The Weeknd.’ I said, ‘I’m not The Weekend, sir. So, we don’t need to take this picture, then.’” The man then accused Noah of lying about his identity, which is not something you normally want to do when asking for a favor.
The fan then walked away, though Noah said he heard him “confidently” telling his wife, “He’s lying. I know The Weeknd when I see him. I know it’s him.” The guy must not really know The Weeknd, then.
Comedian @Trevornoah is talking to @hodakotb about his upcoming Netflix comedy special “I Wish You Would,” the reason for his departure from “The Daily Show,” and even shares a hilarious experience in which he was mistaken for The Weeknd. pic.twitter.com/nHaisHLFQi
Despite the awkward encounter, Noah finally laughed it off, “I should have said, ‘I am The Weeknd and screw you, I’m not going to take a picture.’” To be fair, Noah has dressed up as The Weeknd for Halloween, so maybe the fan was just really into his Halloween costume.
The holiday season is a good time for doing two things: setting intentions for the new year and shopping. Right now sales are aplenty and if you’re looking for a way to treat your loved ones (or yourself for that matter), how about helping them towards a healthier, more well-balanced life? Sure, the saying is correct that money can’t outright buy you health… but it can certainly help snag a few items that will keep you on a path to longevity.
Below, we have a list of great gear for anyone looking to level up their everyday wellness — both mental and physical. As always, everything you see featured has been road-tested by the crew here at Uproxx and given our stamp of approval. Enjoy!
SMRTFT NÜOBELL ADJUSTABLE DUMBBELLS | 50 LBS
Courtesy
Price: $595
The Company Line:
The SMRTFT adjustable dumbbells are the most innovative offerings of their kind on the market. They feature the convenience of all-in-one adjustable pieces that can range between 5-50 pounds depending on the setting. They have superior durability thanks to their machined steel-weight plates. Complete with a knurled handle and pancake-style disks, they feel like a heavy-duty barbell that you would find at most commercial weightlifting gyms.
Why You Need It:
Dumbbells of an adjustable nature became quite the commodity over the last few years as everyone started to build their home gyms. Not only are they space savers for people who don’t want to make room for a whole dumbbell rack, but they are also cost-efficient, given the fewer materials needed. These are great options, well-made, and sleek-looking for those who want a sharper aesthetic in the workspace.
Since you may be stuck in the house due to the frigid temperatures, this brings the gym to you.
This premium heart rate strap transmits real-time heart rate data over ANT+ connectivity and Bluetooth technology, giving you more options to train indoors, outdoors, or even online. With it, you’ll be able to consistently receive accurate heart rate on your Garmin device, in online training apps such as Strava, or even the compatible fitness equipment in your favorite class at the gym. So however you like to train, you’ll get the accurate, real-time heart rate you need to take your performance to the next level.
Why You Need It:
Back in the day, G.I. Joe said, “Knowing is half the battle.” That could also apply to personal health information, which for many years was available only to doctors and their offices. Now, in this ever-growing world of fitness tech, that information has become democratized. One of the most helpful pieces of data is your heart rate when performing different activities. Garmin has become an industry leader in these kinds of products, and this piece is a comfortable option for anyone.
SKLZ Grip Strength Trainer is adjustable from 20 pounds to 90 pounds of resistance, helping to increase finger, hand, wrist, and forearm strength. The tool also makes a great tool for rehabilitation, circulation, and stress relief. The curved design and anti-slip handle provide a secure grip, making it comfortable during workouts. The compact size and shape make it easy to take and use anywhere at home or on the road.
Why You Need It:
The majority of upper body training all begins with the hands, and the ability to hold weight. Grip strength is seriously undertrained in most workouts, and few know how to train it in an effective manner. For anyone trying to do their first pull-up or perhaps hoping to audition for American Ninja Warrior, here is one way to start the journey. Not only that, but it’s easy to keep at the desk or have in the travel bag so you can get strong while you kill time. It’s also a great way to deal with tension or stress during a busy work day.
Putting on Normatec is like sitting down for the best leg massage of your life. Developed by doctors, they are proven to help with lymphatic drainage and decrease the pain or soreness from a long day in the gym or outside of it. Normatec’s compression therapy increases circulation and helps you maintain your full range of motion, leaving your fresh and limber. The Normatec 3 is the latest evolution of their iconic series, which has become well-known amongst experts and professional athletes.
Why You Need It:
Getting regular massages is out of the realm of possibility for many of us, because of the time and money required. The beauty of these boots is that after a long day you can strap them on for a full hour of recovery while you watch your favorite show or eat dinner, without any further effort on your part. Few realize how much punishment their legs can go through throughout the day, and relief from these boots will become a welcome ritual.
The future of massage is wall-mounted. Meet the Vertiball from Symbodi. In a world of high-priced recovery devices that scream innovation, this is a simple, practical, useful device for the rest of us with a reasonable price point. The item is extremely portable and mounts to any available smooth surface. Tense muscles are unpredictable, so you should be able to alleviate the pain anytime and anywhere. Simply lean on Vertiball or Vertiroller with your body weight to easily relieve muscle knots and tension. You control how much pressure to apply.
Why You Need It:
People in the health and wellness world are familiar with the practice of using lacrosse balls to massage specific areas of tension in your muscles. The team at Symbodi has leveled up that practice by creating a unique instrument that allows the user to target spots that are troubling them with their own body weight. The ability to mount it and access your back or any other area that is usually out of reach is a game changer. There are a number of world-class athletes who use the piece to both activate and soothe muscle groups.
Ross Edgley has spent decades perfecting the principles and practice of extreme fitness to achieve the impossible. Following a career-threatening injury in 2018, Ross was forced to reassess his training and take the next steps in a lifelong journey of redefining what the human body is capable of. In Blueprint, Ross shares the cutting-edge training program that empowered him to rebuild his body from surgery and a doctor’s gloomy prognosis in just 365 days to complete a world record swim. The book applies the exact same principles that enabled Ross to complete extreme feats such as the World’s Longest Sea Swim, World’s Longest Rope Climb, World’s Heaviest Triathlon, and World’s Strongest Marathon.
Featuring almost 30 tailored workouts for different phases of training, packed with digestible sports science to help you optimize your workouts, and interspersed with Ross’ own daring adventures across the world, Blueprint is the ultimate guide to optimizing your time and training to make the impossible possible.
Why You Need It:
Far too much time and energy are already spent online. Those looking for the latest and greatest insights could spend days on the Internet without finding the information that this book possesses. Not only that, but it is a great way to exercise your mind and put less strain on your eyes from the screen. For a coach, there isn’t much better out there than Ross Edgley, who has accomplished nearly-impossible physical feats over and over again.
BOB, aka the Body Opponent Bag, was the first-ever mannequin training bag for martial arts. So, what is it that makes a Body Opponent bag so special? BOB gives you a realistic human torso shape for a striking surface. Since you are training to fight against a human (presumably) this shape allows you to train with a higher level of accuracy than a regular heavy bag or punching bag.
Can you imagine always having a training partner readily available? Someone who won’t flinch away from the toughest punches and kicks? That’s what it’s like to have BOB in your home or gym.
Why You Need It:
Thanks to fight promoters like UFC, One Championship, DAZN, and others, combat sports have become one of the more popular watches in the world. Because of that interest, more people are training mixed martial arts and boxing than ever. BOB is one of the most iconic pieces of gym equipment ever, and one of the reasons is how practical it is. Less permanent than hanging a heavy bag, the BOB can be easily wheeled around anywhere from storage to the garage. On top of being a great piece to workout with, it is priceless for anyone training boxing, muay thai, taekwondo, or any other fighting style.
The ultimate all-in-one fitness solution for everyone, The Home2 Suspension Trainer is a full gym experience powered by your body weight, from all levels and goals. The unique design is able to recreate every move that you would hope to perform in a gym or studio and powers them through your own body weight.
Adaptable for all fitness levels, the Suspension Trainer meets you where you are, just change the angle to change your resistance level.
The Company Line:
Founded by a former Navy SEAL, the TRX system is as advertised: one of the most complete bodyweight training options available. Great to use at home, or anywhere in the world that travel takes you, it packs easily into the mesh bag it is packaged with. The kinds of movements required to pull off exercises with this equipment force you to focus on control and mobility. These are crucial factors in staying limber for longer and becoming stronger at a greater range of motion.
Core is for anyone who could use some support in developing a consistent meditation habit. The package includes a trainer and 12 months of content including breath training and soundscapes, updated daily. The Core instrument pulses alongside your meditation sessions, with vibrations guiding you through your breath, or serving as a gentle reminder to help focus your attention. During each meditation, the Core’s ECG biosensors measure your heart and nervous system.
Why You Need It:
Beginning the practice of regular meditation does not come easy to many in this age of attention deficit. Learning how to quiet your mind or focus on one singular thing for any amount of time can seem virtually impossible. That’s why this device can be helpful for those looking to start their journey to some sort of inner peace. For some, there are great instructors around who can help kick off that routine, but for everyone else this piece can help drive concentration to the task at hand, using vibration and sound.
Unleash your inner savage with the TacTec Trainer Weight Vest that we designed specifically for training. Constructed from tough 600D polyester, our TacTec Trainer Weight Vest holds 5.11 and Rogue weight plates and the 5.11 TacTec Weight Plate Sandbag. Adjustable yoke shoulder straps with breathable mesh padding and breathable mesh body pads help you push your limits and keep you cool. The adjustable stretch cummerbund keeps the weight vest secure, while the pockets allow you to stash and access accessories. Internal retention straps hold the weight plates securely in place.
Why You Need It:
This piece of gear is perfect for anyone looking to take their bodyweight training to the next level. The real deal, the unit is useable as a modular combat vest for law enforcement and first responders in the field of duty, in addition to the fitness applications highlighted here. The pouches accommodate two plates, with the ability to add up to 40 pounds of additional weight. The fit is superior to other vests on the market in terms of comfortability and the oversized airflow panels make it very breathable, which is a saving grace during sweaty sessions outdoors.
Bad Bunny is continuing to break records in 2022. Yesterday (December 1), Billboardrevealed that the Puerto Rican superstar was the top touring artist of the year. That marked the first time that a Latin artist has taken that title, which is based on concert ticket sales.
On Billboard‘s Boxscore recap, Bad Bunny finished the year at No. 1 on the year-end Top Tours chart. Along with being the first Latin artist to reach the summit, he is also the first act that doesn’t perform in English to do. Bad Bunny pulled ahead of Ed Sheeran and Elton John with a total touring gross of $373.5 million. That data was pulled from 65 concerts and 1.8 million tickets sold.
Bad Bunny also became the first artist to have two separate tours gross over $100 million each during a given year. In February, he toured arenas across the US with El Último Tour del Mundo 2022. That was his first post-pandemic tour in support of his albums YHLQMDLG and El Último Tour del Mundo. In August, he moved to stadiums with the World’s Hottest Tour. Bad Bunny sold out concerts across the US once again and now, his tour in support of his Un Verano Sin Ti LP is visiting Latin America.
Metro Boomin’s new album, Heroes & Villains, is out now and already garnering enthusiastic responses from fans. And while the music, which features such collaborators as ASAP Rocky, Don Toliver, Future, Gunna, John Legend, Takeoff, The Weeknd, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, and Young Thug, is rightfully receiving most of the attention, Metro’s commitment to the concept of the title also shines through. The intro, which features John Legend, is punctuated by a sample of the very embodiment of the hero/villain dichotomy: The Boys‘ Homelander, who masquerades as the former while acting very much like the latter.
In the show (and the comic book series it’s based on), Homelander is a patriotic-themed, corporate hero in the vein of Captain America and Superman (his most immediate analogs), but like both of those institutions, he’s actually corrupt, selfish, and vain. The sampled speech in question comes from the second episode of the third season, long after Homelander has gone “mask off” with his closest associates. In it, he declares himself superior to the common person (physically if not morally) and rails against “cancel culture,” because of course he does.
Fans were very much here for the sample, praising Metro for hitting that nail right on the head (unfortunately, any message that he may have had gets muddled, since the very next song features Chris Brown, Black music’s own Homelander if ever there was one). Clearing the speech must have cost a fortune, but then again, that’s probably why it’s on the intro — the track most likely to rack up enough streams to make that fee worth it in the end. Check out some of the fans’ responses below.
Metro Boomin putting a Homelander clip on the intro to Hero’s and Villians then transitioning it to Future is the hardest thing I’ve heard in the last 3 years
I just want to point out that Metro Boomin, John Legend, A$AP Rocky, Antony Starr as Homelander and Morgan fucking Freeman were on a single song. Incredible. Magnificent. One of my favorite things ever
Correction: Paddington 2 deserves to be considered the greatest film of all-time, but it was left off the prestigious Sight and Sound list entirely. Instead, the long-running poll, as voted on by “1,639 participating critics, programmers, curators, archivists, and academics,” named Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles the greatest film ever. The 1975 drama, from director Chantal Akerman, follows a widow (Delphine Seyrig) over the course of three days as she does monotonous chores around the house; she also has sex with male clients to provide for her and her son.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles is the first film directed by a woman to top the list. In the 2012 edition, only two films from female filmmakers made the top 100; there are now 11, including Céline Sciamma’s stunning Portrait of a Lady on Fire at #30. If you want to watch Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, you can do so on Criterion, as well as Amazon Prime Video and Vudu.
Here’s the top 10:
1. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)
2. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
3. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
4. Tokyo Story (Ozu Yasujiro, 1953)
5. In the Mood for Love Wong Kar-wai, 2001)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
7. Beau travail (Claire Denis, 1998)
8. Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001)
9. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)
10. Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1951)
Drew Brees‘ lengthy NFL career came to an end back in March of 2021. While he tried to move into the world of broadcasting, Brees left NBC Sports after a year in an effort to pursue other opportunities. On Friday, we learned that one of those opportunities was an ad campaign with a sportsbook that involved him pretending to get hit by lightning.
This video started to makes its way around Twitter on Friday morning, and appeared to show Brees on the set of a commercial. While he was getting mic’d up, there was a big bolt of lightning, and the implication is that it hit Brees and caused him to have a very bad time.
Estrella de la @NFL@drewbrees fue impactado por un relámpago en el Catatumbo mientras grabábamos un comercial al sur del lago de Maracaibo. Pasó hace unas horas. Más información en breve… pic.twitter.com/b8PQdRpdtN
It doesn’t look real, but hey, crazier things have happened. People started to wonder if Brees was, you know, dead, but Katherine Terrell of ESPN texted Brees in an effort to figure out what was going on. Surprise: It was an ad.
I just texted Drew Brees. He said he’s good and that he did not get struck by lightning.
For further proof that this is not real, here is a video that PointsBet posted shortly after the original video started going viral. It involves Brees sitting in an ambulance in a PointsBet jersey. Brees claims he is in Venezuela in “the most active hotspot for lightning strikes in the world,” which leads to the ad read about free lightning bets this weekend.
Time to let you in on a little fun we’ve had with @drewbrees guys. He’s alive and well and “buzzing” for a weekend of free bets. Keep your eyes on our channels all weekend for bet drops for US vs. Netherlands, College Football and NFL. pic.twitter.com/vhnLm5S0Cw
At this point, BIBI is like Beyoncé in the sense she’s been releasing a music video to almost every track off her first studio album, Lowlife Princess: Noir. (Though it isn’t all at once like Yoncé‘s self-titled album in 2013, BIBI’s still feeding her fans, the BIBItans, very well.)
In a new video released today at midnight (December 2), the South Korean R&B soloist goes monotone in a black-and-white utopian music video for her song “철학보다 무서운건 비비의 총알 (Blade).” Penned by BIBI herself with the production help from THE NEED, the electronic hip-hop song is a metaphor for words being like weapons that can be sharp as a blade. “What’s scarier than a razor-sharp way of speaking or attitude? / I am the blade, I’m that weapon,” BIBI sings at the end of the second verse.
“Blade” is the second track off of BIBI’s first studio album Lowlife Princess: Noir. Prior to this week’s video release, BIBI dropped a music video for her song “JOTTO” last week, and for her lead single “BIBI Vengeance” the week prior. So far she has released a total of six music videos, including pre-release videos to “Animal Farm,” “Sweet Sorrow of Mother,” and “Motospeed 24.”
Lowlife Princess: Noir was released last month on November 18, under Feel Ghood Music in partnership with 88Rising Records, with a tracklist containing 12 songs.
At the moment, BIBI is set to perform at 88Rising’s Head In The Clouds in Jakarta, Indonesia this weekend, December 3rd and 4th.
BIBI is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Pushing back The Pink Tape‘s release date seems to be paying off for Lil Uzi Vert. The rapper shared that they needed to find a new creative direction for the project so that, in their words, “it wouldn’t suck.” That search landed the Philadelphia native an irresistible new single, “Just Wanna Rock.”
The track produced by Synthetic has quickly become one of TikTok’s most used sounds. Rooted in Jersey club music, the song has fueled several dance battles online and in-person — most recently at the Wells Fargo Center. In a viral clip, a fan attending a Philadelphia 76ers game at the arena captured an epic dance battle soundtracked by the song.
Two fans bust out their best choreography to win over the crowd which included a lot of hip rocking, swift footwork, and tutting. We consider the lighthearted showdown to be a draw.
Based on the high energy shown by their hometown crowd, Lil Uzi Vert won’t have much to worry about when they hit the road. Uzi announced in October, that in addition to a new album fans will have the catch them live in a supporting headline tour.
Lil Uzi Vert is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s rye whiskey time! There’s something about the fruity, herbaceous, and funky whiskey made with a majority of rye grain that just feels wintry. Maybe it’s the adjacency to spiced holiday cakes or maybe it’s the darker fruit vibes that come with the whiskey that makes it feel like a good pour to have right about now. Or maybe it’s that rye whiskey always makes the best Manhattan cocktail and winter is definitely classic Manhattan season.
For this round of blind tasting, I’ve grabbed eight rye whiskeys that just dropped. These bottles are either brand-new, never-before-seen expressions, or this season’s newest batch. All of these were released over the last days and weeks, which makes them so new that some of these bottles haven’t even hit shelves outside of the distillery yet (they’ll go wide soon enough).
When it comes to ranking these brand-new rye whiskeys, the taste is what matters most. I’m giving you my professional tasting notes and then looking at what runs the deepest with the best overall flavor profile. Sometimes it’s that easy. The issue was — minor spoiler alert — that these rye whiskeys were all pretty goddamn tasty. They really broke into two categories: “really good” and “great.”
The lineup today is as follows:
Templeton Rye Stout Cask Finish
Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks
There’s a mix of cherry candy and dried chili pepper on the nose next to a hint of creamy dark chocolate and maybe a hint of marmalade and dried apricot. The palate has a lushness that’s accentuated by chocolate-dipped black cherry next to Amaretto-spiked mocha lattes and a hint of dark red chili next to old vanilla pods. The end leans into the bitter espresso with a dark chocolate vibe countered by vanilla tobacco, rum raisin, dried figs, and a hint of winter spice.
This is really nice. It feels very “stout” orientated with all that coffee and chocolate but still has a nice fruitiness with a serious chili pepper spiciness.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a spiced plum jam feel to the nose with a hint of dried nasturtiums and a dash of old boot leather and dry cedar bark. The palate dips some dried sour cherries into salted dark chocolate with a hint of rye bread crusts just kissed with caraway and fennel leading to a mild line of apple cores and stems. The end has a soft mix of vanilla fruit cake with plenty of cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon next to raisins, dates, and prunes with a hint of chili pepper warmth.
This feels super wintry with all that dried fruit and winter spice layered with vegetal spice and dry woody barks. It’s really good and complex is what I’m getting at.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Hints of old leather and burnt citrus drive the nose toward fresh honey and vanilla cake with a hint of old oak and cellar funk. The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a dash of burnt orange and leathery spice before some ABVs start buzzing on the tongue. The end has a nice layer of orange and clove tobacco with a hint of old oak and vanilla honey cookies.
This was pretty nice overall. It was a little high on the ABVs but it didn’t blow out the palate entirely.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a mix of salted black licorice, cherry root beer, and mint chocolate chip next to old porch wicker and boot leather. The palate has a nice balance of cinnamon candy with dark milk chocolate just kissed with dried chili flakes and woody allspice before a hint of black cherry tobacco kicks in. That tobacco vibe continues on the finish as the allspice, sweet cinnamon, and cherry counter a slight sense of whole black peppercorns.
Again, this was really nice overall. It didn’t jump out at me but it’s still solid and well-rounded.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a light pine resin vibe on the nose with a bushel of dried savory green herbs — think sage, thyme, rosemary, tarragon — next to old leather and dried sour cherries tossed in kosher salt. The palate has a note of that pine with a soft orange rind next to a spiced winter cake with dried fruit, walnuts, and wintry spices. The end is slightly warm thanks to high ABVs with a sense of those salted cherries and pine resin leading to a dry finish.
This was interesting. I feel like I need to spend more time with this to plumb its deeper nuances.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This nose is outstanding with a sense of dark and spicy fruit cake full of dried figs, dates, and prunes next to cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove with a dash of candied citrus and tart blackcurrant with this whisper of fresh dill and mint lurking in the background with a spiced apple cider vibe. The palate has a pecan waffle and maple syrup feel next to black tea and malted chocolate shakes with a hint of rye bread crust, caraway, and vanilla beans. The end leans into the fruit cake spices with a woody edge before rum-raisin, spice apple tobacco, and old cedar boards round things out.
This is a great rye whiskey.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Woody winter spices — clove, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon — lead on the nose with a hint of creamy toffee and vanilla cake that’s countered by chili spices and a pinch of cumin, almost like a garam masala. The palate has a thick buttery caramel sweetness with a sharp chili pepper fresh spiciness next to stewed apples and pears with sultanas, woody winter spice, and cut with a hint of clove brandy. The end has a leathery vibe with a buttery apple crumble tobacco vibe with a hint of old cedar bark and spiced barks rolled up with burnt orange and dried tart cherry.
This is excellent as well.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Oatcakes and vanilla wafers mingle with raisins, bushels of apples, and gingerbread with a hint of honey and I want to say mango skins. The palate leans into the soft and powdered winter spices with a soft orange citrus note that leads to apple nut oatmeal with plenty of fresh honey and raisin next to spicy apple cider and ginger snaps. The end has a maltiness that’s followed by sweet winter spices, honey, and nuttiness.
This is clearly a rye blended with a very soft and fruity whiskey. It’s very tasty though.
The latest release from Irish-American whiskey brand Keeper’s Heart blends Irish grain and pot still whiskeys with American rye whiskey (all aged over four years). Unlike the previous releases from the brand, this expression ramps up the rye whiskey and ABVs with a higher proof and only a touch of water in the final blend.
Bottom Line:
This wasn’t a bad whiskey at all. It was pretty goddamn tasty truth be told. It was the lightest whiskey on this panel though and that’s the only reason it’s ranked last. Taste-wise, this is a winner, especially if you’re looking for an orchard fruit and honey-nut-forward dram.
7. Old Ezra Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years — Taste 3
This brand-new rye whiskey from Old Ezra, which usually focuses on bourbons, is a seven-year-old rye blend. The whiskey is a batch of barrels from a 51% rye whiskey and a classic 95% rye that aged for seven long years before bottling at full proof with charcoal filtration.
Bottom Line:
This was another good whiskey. The citrus was nice and bright and added to the overall rye vibe. It’s only a little lower today because it was a tad one note.
6. FEW Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled In Bond — Taste 4
This brand-new rye from Illinois’ FEW Spirits is a follow-up to last year’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon from the brand. The whiskey is made from a mash of 70% rye, 20% corn, and 10% malted barley. That hot juice is then mellowed in both standard 53-gallon barrels and smaller 30-gallon barrels for about four years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This felt classic and standard. It really felt like the perfect cocktail rye that also works as a sipper on the rocks when you’re looking for an easy drinking experience on a weekday evening.
Named for one of the world’s most famous trees, this whiskey is all about finding the funky forest in the flavor profile of a brand-new rye whiskey. The blend was created by the awesome team at Barrell Craft Spirits to accentuate woodier notes before it was bottled at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This was dank and kind of funky, which is a lot of fun. That pine resin dankness was bold though, which pushed this a little bit down the ranks today. Still, this is unique and inviting, so don’t skip it.
4. Woodinville Straight 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Port Casks — Taste 2
Following in the footsteps of Woodinville’s beloved Port Cask Finished Bourbon, this year’s Woodinville 2022 Harvest Season selection is a 100% Washington rye whiskey finish in Ruby Port Casks for four months of additional mellowing. Finally, those barrels are batched, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the “great stuff” mentioned above. This is just really good whiskey with a nice and deep flavor profile that’s also a bit convivial and fun. I can see sipping this over some rocks but it really feels like the perfect Manhattan base.
This year’s brand-new Stout Cask Finish from Templeton out in Iowa is a classic 95/5 rye/malted barley whiskey. Those barrels are vatted and re-barreled into chocolate coffee stout casks for an additional three months before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This came out of nowhere to nearly win the whole panel. It was so well-made and deeply flavored with a nice change of pace. There was no rye funkiness, but the stout vibes more than made up for it. I’d definitely use this in cocktails first but can see it working perfectly well as a sipper over some rocks.
2. Blue Run Emerald Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Winter Batch — Taste 7
The latest release from Blue Run is their second rye release, Emerald Rye. The whiskey is contract distilled at Castle & Key in Frankfort, Kentucky. The limited run yielded only 189 barrels that were expertly blended and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious whiskey. It works wonders neat with enough depth to really dig into. The overall vibe was easygoing and fun with a sense of rye that leans into orchard fruits and woody spices in just the right balance.
This is a brand new line from Sagamore Spirit out in Maryland. The very first Creator’s Cask is a blend of a high-rye whiskey single barrel selected by social media whiskey influencers WhiskyNomad, TheBrewBrotha, TheEducatedBarFly, and ThatOneDudeRyan that’s batched lower-rye whiskey to create this one-of-a-kind whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This was delicious. It’s deep, fun, and fresh. This is definitely worth getting your hands on for winter sipping and Manhattan-making.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Overall, this was a great panel of whiskeys. I can recommend all of them. Scroll through those tasting notes and find one that speaks to you.
That said, the Sagamore Spirit Creator’s Cask Rye or Blue Run really are the ones you want to spend your hard-earned money on. They’re both truly exemplary bottles of whiskey you might never see again.
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