Look at God! In what feels like divine intervention, rapper GloRilla‘s major-label debut is slated to be released on November 11. If the numbers align for CMG’s First Lady, the Memphis native will torpedo into superstardom.
The 9-track EP, Anyways, Life’s Great… will feature hit song “Tomorrow 2” with Cardi B and “Blessed” alongside seven unnamed tracks. The cryptic tracklist uploaded to Apple Music has forced the GloRidaz to perform detective work in her comment section. Leading fans to speculate whether or not rappers G Herbo, Monaleo, and Sally Sossa will be making an appearance as they were some of the first to engage with the post.
The EP’s cover art shared to Instagram features a young GloRilla before the fame — following in the trend of countless critically acclaimed rap albums. So far, the rapper has kept it tight-lipped about the project, only sharing on Twitter, “y’all It’s this one song on da EP that I know y’all gone throw so much ass to.”
Y’all It’s this one song on da Ep that I know y’all gone throw so much assss to
After taking home the Breakthrough Artist Of The Year award this year’s BET ceremony, the bar has been set for GloRilla. She undoubtedly has a few hits to her name including “FNF (Let’s Go)” and “Tomorrow 2,” but can she deliver a strong full project?
Anyways, Life’s Great… is out 11/11 via CMG/Interscope Records. Pre-save it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The midterm elections are less than 100 hours away, and one of the most closely watched races is the fight for Arizona’s gubernatorial seat, which has basically come down to Democrat Katie Hobbs versus super ultra-MAGA election denier Republican Kari Lake. At the moment, FiveThirtyEight shows that Lake is leading her opponent by 2.5 points, which has many people, including Seth Meyers, a little nervous.
“Historically, midterms just tend to go very badly for the party in power, and the polls currently suggest that may yet again be the case this year,” Meyers said on Thursday night, before noting that “the main thing holding Republicans back it seems is that they’ve nominated some spectacularly sh*tty candidates.” The Late Night host pointed specifically to Herschel Walker, who has basically been a lesson in everything NOT to do when running for office, and New Jersey resident Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is somehow running for office in Pennsylvania, even though it doesn’t seem as if he could point to the state on a map.
But it’s candidates like Lake who Meyers finds particularly worrisome. And terrifying! Describing Lake as “creepier than one of those Boston Dynamics robots” and having the “vibe of a realtor who insists on putting her face on all of her ‘for sale’ signs,” Meyers also can’t deny that Lake “is much slicker than most of the other weirdos the Republicans have nominated this year. Even if her beliefs are just as looney, she’s a longtime local television personality in the Phoenix area, so a lot of people know her. She even knows how to light herself when she does interviews for her home.”
But, to Meyers, there’s something off about just how perfectly comported Lake is during every appearance and interview — so much so that he wonders if she’s not just a more annoying Jar Jar Binks:
Lake looks so polished, she might be CGI. If she weren’t running for governor in Arizona, I’d think she was a character from one of those ‘90s video games who gives you your mission… That’s how you know someone’s a little too slick. I’ve been on TV for 20 years, and when I started doing at-home shows for the first time, I was so pale I looked like Jared Kushner’s ghost.
NBC
Meyers isn’t the only person who is worried that Arizona governors might be swayed by Lake’s natural on-air presence. As the host explained, Barack Obama traveled to Arizona earlier this week and made a point to remind people that just because you know a person from TV doesn’t mean they would make a great politician — or that they have your best interest in mind.
Obama conceded that Lake “is good in front of the camera because she’s been doing it a long time.” But also reminded the audience that “If we hadn’t just elected someone whose main qualification was being on TV, you could see maybe giving it a shot. What’s the worst that could happen? Well now we know!”
As Warner Bros. Discovery continues to restructure its content rollout for the foreseeable future, the execs are looking to find the next big thing that everyone will want to shell out their money on. But for WB, that means going back to the content that made them an industry titan in the first place: big, over-the-top franchises!
Now that Disney has Marvel (and Star Wars, and parts of Fox and Hulu…the list goes on and will likely be going on forever) WB Discovery is turning its focus to what really matters: movie universes that are constantly expanding.
In the Warner Bros. Discovery Q3 earnings call on Thursday, the newly appointed CEO David Zaslav confirmed that the company is going to try to relive that early 2000s golden era when Lord of The Rings and Harry Potter dominated the screens. “We’re going to have a real focus on franchises,” Zaslav explained. “We haven’t had a Superman movie in 13 years. We haven’t done a Harry Potter movie in 15 years. The DC movies and the Harry Potter movies provided a lot of the profits of Warner Bros. Motion Pictures over the last 25 years,” he continues, seemingly forgetting that a new Harry Potter movie, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets Of Dumbledore arrived in theaters a little over six months ago. But hey, it’s been a crazy year! He might have forgotten about that movie, or maybe he just wants to forget about it, considering all of the various problems and controversies surrounding that franchise. Anyway!
The CEO continued, “So a focus on the franchise — one of the big advantages that we have, House of the Dragon is an example of that, Game of Thrones, taking advantage of Sex and the City, Lord of the Rings — we still have the right to do Lord of the Rings movies. What are the movies that have brands that are understood and loved everywhere in the world?” Technically those rights belong to a separate company, though Warner Bros has a deal with them for any future films (sorry to Amazon).
Zaslav continued that he would like to encourage families to leave their dinner table and instead sit in a dark room in silence while watching these big-budget movies together for the low low price of whatever movie theaters are costing these days. “A focus on the big movies that are loved, that are tentpoled, that people are going to leave early from dinner to go to see — and we have a lot of them. Batman, Superman, Aquaman.”
Then, Zaslav brought up the J.K. Rowling of it all. Throughout her controversial takes, WB has stood by her, probably so that they could be free to make more HP movies when the time comes. It seems like the time has come. According to Zaslav, “If we can do something with J.K. [Rowling] on HarryPotter going forward, Lord of the Rings, what are we doing with Game of Thrones? What are we doing with a lot of the big franchises that we have? We’re focused on franchises.”
The focus on franchises makes sense, but in order to do that, they would need to make up a lot of their lost revenue from this year, and it might be tricky. Hey, there is always time for another Scooby Doo live-action movie. James Gunn must have another idea rattling around his brain somewhere!
It’s hard to imagine what constitutes a “wild” time at a golf club that has been raided by dozens of federal agents in the early hours of the morning, but that’s exactly the adjective people are using to describe Donald Trump’s Halloween party at Mar-a-Lago. Maybe it means there were two kinds of Jello salad?
While the details of the menu were not discussed, sources told Page Six that a good time was had by all the evening of October 31, when the disgraced former president hosted a costume party in which he dressed as a disgraced former president who is currently at the center of several criminal investigations that could see him trading in his signature navy suit for an orange one of the jump variety. But he’s a free man now, and damn did he celebrate.
Trump celebrating Halloween at Mar-a-Lago. He gave out classified documents to trick-or-treaters. pic.twitter.com/x2Vh0Yt8yR
A source told Page Six that Broadway show tune-loving Trump “played DJ from his dinner table with his iPad,” where the sweet mix of jams included lots of ‘80s tunes to get the old farts’ hearts pumping plus… songs from The Phantom of the Opera — and very loudly. So loudly, in fact, that Page Six reported “some elderly guests [were] privately grousing.”
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Halloween party without at least one slutty nurse in attendance, nor would it be a Donald J. Trump event if the former POTUS didn’t break out his awkward fist pump “dance” to the Village People’s “YMCA.” Fortunately, we non-guests got a glimpse at both.
As Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appear to be heading for a showdown in the GOP primary, the two have been reportedly engaged in a “quiet war” that could get real ugly real quick. In a new report covering the behind-the-scenes battles fought by the two camps, including wooing a former DeSantis aide over to Team Trump, an anonymous Trump advisor claims the former president is going to play a predictable card: Attacking Casey DeSantis just like he did to Ted Cruz’s wife.
Obviously, this would be a low blow by itself, but Casey is also recovering from a bout with the cancer. She does, however, play a prominent role in her husband’s campaign and basically acts like the “campaign manager, the political director, and the chief of staff.” That reportedly leaves her wide open in Trump’s book. Via The Daily Beast:
“Trump’s going to end up doing to DeSantis and his wife what he did to Cruz and his wife,” the Trump adviser said, referring to how Trump attacked Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) wife during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.
Responding to these claims, Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington said theories that Trump would attack DeSantis’ wife were “total bullshit.”
While it seems unlikely that DeSantis would allow attacks against his wife to go unanswered, the Florida governor has already showed signs that he may already be cowering to Trump. Republican insiders recently revealed to Vanity Fair that DeSantis may not run against Trump. Instead, DeSantis will reportedly wait until the 2028 election where he can “walk into the presidency” but “without pissing off Trump or Florida.”
New York City in the early aughts became a hotbed for indie artists when bands like The Strokes, Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and more suddenly ignited a new era of indie rock. On this week’s Indiecast episode, hosts Steven Hyden and Ian Cohen revisit that nostalgia-inducing era by sharing their thoughts on the new Meet Me In The Bathroom documentary, which uncovers footage from the ’00s NYC music scene. Plus, they review a new album by another early aughts band, Phoenix, who just dropped their first LP in five years, Alpha Zulu.
When it comes to music news this week, the biggest story comes from… Taco Bell? The fast food chain tapped Turnstile to use one of their songs in a commercial, prompting Steven and Ian to wonder if Taco Bell handing out cash to indie bands can mend the touring industry. Plus, Indiecast talks Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover and whether or not they’ll decide to shell out $8 a month to keep their verification.
In this week’s Recommendation Corner, Ian shouts out the Canadian band Arm’s Length and their new album Never Before Seen, Never Again Found, which hearkens back to peak 2013-era Tumblr. Meanwhile, Steven recommends Bob Dylan’s Philosophy Of Modern Song, which is the musician’s first book of new writing since 2004.
New episodes of Indiecast drop every Friday. Listen to Episode 113 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.
Thalia is getting back into the groove with her new music video for “Psycho B**ch.” In the disco-influenced video that was released today (November 4), the Mexican pop icon nods to iconic moments in her career while dancing into the future.
Thalia has over 30 years of hits that have helped push Mexican and Latin culture into the global spotlight. “Psycho B**ch” is her first taste of new music this year. With her comeback single, she wanted to make an empowering statement.
“This track is happy, uplifting, and very spicy,” Thalia told Uproxx. “To me, [Psycho B**ch] means someone who is out there, someone who does whatever they want, and they’re honest, and they’re real. It’s like embracing being a ‘Psycho B**ch.’”
In the fierce dance track, Thalia sings about a man who is driving her wild. He is in for a surprise when he sees how loca she can really get. In the sassy lyrics, Thalia references her classic songs from the nineties “Sudor” and “Saliva.” She brings the disco sound of the song to life in the dazzling video. When Thalia is not straddling a giant disco ball, she is grooving with her dancers who are dressed like the character from her 1995 video “Gracias a Dios.”
“Back then in [the ‘Gracias a Dios] video, that character, that Thalia who is singing that song was a little psycho,” Thalia said. “It’s validating that I always was and I always will be a little psycho b**ch. We want to applaud that history.”
“Psycho B**ch” will be leading to more new music from Thalia. She was recently spotted with Mexican pop star Kenia Os, so there could be a collaboration from them coming soon.
“She’s adorable!” Thalia said. “I love her! She’s super nice. We’re always chatting. Being in touch with new generations is so exciting. So invigorating. They have so many things to teach me and I think I have something to teach them.”
Thalia will host the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards alongside Anitta, Luis Fonsi, and Laura Pausini on November 17. In 2019, she was honored with the President’s Award from the Latin Recording Academy.
Taylor Swift just released her new album Midnights along with music movies and tour dates that she described as “a journey through the musical eras of my career.” She’s back today with the announcement of even more tour dates.
“UM. Looks like I’ll get to see more of your beautiful faces than previously expected… we’re adding 8 shows to the tour,” she wrote on Twitter. The new dates include the following cities: Tampa, FL; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA; Foxborough, MA; East Rutherford, NJ; Seattle, WA; Santa Clara, CA; Los Angeles, CA.
Another month of K-pop releases are about to fall down like leaves this November. Though it seems like it’s not as jam packed as October, November still has a solid lineup of K-pop acts, varying from the second, third, and fourth generation, returning to the music scene.
However, as South Korea is currently in their period of mourning following the tragic crowd crush in Itaewon last weekend, some entertainment companies followed suit by either delaying or cancelling releases, concerts, and events set for the first week of November. (The period of morning ends on Saturday, November 5.)
Though there are probably a good amount of releases that have yet to be announced (just like BTS member Jin‘s last month), here is some of the new music we are looking forward to this month.
Nature — THE 3rd MINI ALBUM [NATURE WORLD: CODE W]
Originally scheduled to release on November 2, Nature and n.CH Entertainment pushed back the girl group’s release to November 6 at 6 p.m. KST. This marks the septet’s third EP and will include their lead single “LIMBO! (넘어와).”
HIGHLIGHT — THE 4TH MINI ALBUM [AFTER SUNSET]
The second generation boy group returns with a sophisticated pop sound compared to their past releases. Releasing their fourth EP as HIGHLIGHT, the quartet presents [AFTER SUNSET] and their title track “Alone” on November 7.
AleXa — Girls Gone Vogue
After winning the nation over on NBC’s American Song Contest earlier this year with “Wonderland,” K-Pop’s cyberpunk queen AleXa makes her returns during her birthday month with her EP Girls Gone Vogue. The EP is set to drop on November 11 with its lead single “Back In Vogue.”
Xdinary Heroes — 2nd Mini Album: Overload
Initially set to release on November 4, the JYP Entertainment rock band is now set to make their first comeback on November 11 with their first EP Overload. The EP will consist of seven tracks that include “Zzz..,” “LUNATIC,” “Crack In The Mirror,” “Ghost,” “X-MAS” and the lead single “Hair Cut” as well as its instrumental counterpart.
VeriVery – 3rd Single Album [Liminality – EP.LOVE]
Fresh off their US tour last month, K-pop boy group VeriVery will release their third single album on November 14 with the lead single “Tap Tap.” Though the group’s release date wasn’t affected by the period of mourning, Jellyfish Entertainment postponed all promotions leading towards the release date until November 7.
Set to drop on all streaming platforms on November 15, Victon’s eighth EP Choice will consist of five tracks including the lead single “Virus.” This would mark the group’s first comeback as a five-member group after the departure of member Chan.
B.I. — Love Or Loved Part.1
Following his viral hit “BTBT” over the summer, the Korean soloist returns with a new EP that was first announced in April. Described as a “global album project,” one can only anticipate the type of music the EP will entail after the slew of collaborations B.I. worked on this year.
BIBI — Lowlife Princess: Noir
With three pre-release tracks out — “Animal Farm,” “Sorrow of the Mother,” “Motospeed 24” — BIBI is set to drop her long-awaited debut album on November 18. Following the success of her radio hits “The Weekend” and “Best Lover,” the Korean R&B princess continues to partner with 88rising to present a grandiose album that maximizes BIBI’s ability as a well-rounded artist in the industry.
RM — Solo Album (TBA)
With little to no information provided except for a confirmation and release date from HYBE, there is no doubt BTS’ very own leader RM has one of the most sought after releases of November. His solo album (TBA) comes after the solo releases of member J-Hope and Jin this year. But one thing’s for sure: November 25 is RM Day. Not Black Friday.
Kara — 15TH ANNIVERSARY ALBUM “MOVE AGAIN”
One of the pioneering girl groups of second generation K-pop reunites for their 15th anniversary with a full-length album offering to fans worldwide. This marks KARA’s first release since 2015 with their seventh EP In Love. Members Nicole and Jiyoung, who departed from the group in 2014, will join Gyuri, Seungyeon, and Youngji for this special album for Kamilia worldwide.
Chen – Last Sequence
Originally slated for a Halloween release (October 31), SM Entertainment artists and EXO member Chen has yet to confirm the new date for his newest EP Last Scene. However, prior to its release, SM Entertainment unveiled a music video teaser to the song featuring Squid Game actor Park Hae Soo.
Initially set to release on November 1, Apink’s very own Jung Eunji unleashes a five track “remake” album. The album consists of Eunji’s rendition of classic tracks from legendary Korean artists like Cho Yong-pil, YB, Kim Young-hwan, and more.
It’s a new day and that means there are new whiskeys on the shelf. Rye whiskey is bourbon’s funky cousin with notes that dip into florals, herbs, and sharp spices while still holding onto that American new-oak aging vibe with plenty of vanilla, cherry, and caramel notes (amongst hundreds of others). Today, I’m taking eight new rye whiskeys — some are brand-new releases, some are 2022 batches of classics — and tasting them blind to find the best rye whiskey for you to buy this November.
This is a really straightforward blind tasting. I’m looking for quality above all else (even price). What tastes the best? What has the most depth? What do I actually want to drink after this tasting? Sometimes it doesn’t need to be any harder than answering those questions.
Our lineup today is:
Nashville Barrel Company Hand Selected Straight Rye Whiskey Cask Strength Batch One “Dads Drinking Bourbon”
Kiamichi A Willett & Followill Family Collaboration Aged 8 Years
Sazerac 18 Years Old (BTAC 2022)
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Bespoken Spirits Rye Whiskey
Oak & Eden Charred Oak Rye & Spire
291 M Colorado Rye Whiskey Finished with Aspen Wood Staves and Maple Syrup Barrels
There’s a soft, cherry-froward nose with hints of old boot leather, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, and black tea leaves with a hint of star anise and clove soaked in a hot toddy. The palate is thick and juicy with cherry vanilla spiced holiday cake — heavy on the dark cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg — with a hint of orange creamsicle that fades towards a singed herbaceous note almost like burnt caraway or coriander seeds. The end packs on the warmth with a spicy tobacco buzz full of dark cherry and woody winter spices.
This is a great place to start. I really liked the depth of this one, especially with the shift from spicy to almost botanical on the mid-palate.
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Subtle notes of old glove leather kissed with years of menthol cigarette smoke mingle with a spicy cherry-cinnamon cake frosted with creamed walnuts and vanilla with a brandy butter with a whisper of tannic old oak staves that has a twinge of waxy cacao nib. The palate soaks some dried figs in spiced honey with an Earl Grey vibe accentuating a bitter salted dark chocolate, rummy minced meat pies, and wet brown sugar cut with dried ancho chili flakes. The end leans into the spice with a Hot Tamales cinnamon candy sweet/spicy sensation next to a lush mouthfeel.
This is delicious. I want to call the tasting right here, pack in the rest of the Glencairns, and just call it a day.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a bitter burnt orange aura on the nose with lemon-poppy seed muffins, new leather, dark molasses sweetness, and plenty of orchard tree bark with a hint of singed sensations next to old tobacco leaves braided with old wicker canes. The palate leans into that dark molasses with layers of dusty cumin, hot red chili pepper flakes, and coriander-encrusted rye bread with a hint of woody maple syrup over cinnamon-apple fritters. The end goes slightly savory with fresh bay leaf next to wild sage and a hint of dry sweetgrass followed by a plush cherry/vanilla woodiness.
This is another winner. It didn’t quite hit the same heights as the last sip in grandeur, but it’s damn close.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This has a lighter nose but it’s still full of dark orchard fruits, soft vanilla pods, old oak staves with a hint of old barrel house funk, and a mix of spicy orange rind next to freshly cracked black pepper and sharp cinnamon powder. The palate leans into the cinnamon and layers it into chewy and buzzy tobacco with hints of vanilla sweetness, cherry bark woodiness, and sharp fancy root beer vibes. The end pings on that old musty rickhouse one more time as a humidor full of vanilla, cherry, and cinnamon-spiced tobacco fades towards a rich and buttery toffee with a hint of rye fennel on the very backend.
This was the most accessible sip so far. This was quintessential Kentucky rye (cherry, toffee, vanilla heavy) that was truly easy to drink from top to bottom.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Drip coffee and caramel come through on a tannic nose with a touch of brown spice and vanilla. The palate has a touch of celery salt that leads to caraway and rye bread vibes next to plenty of dark citrus and stone fruit with a hint of soft creamy honey. The end has a soft and very fruity finish with a hint of black pepper and cinnamon sticks.
This was fine.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose is leathery and full of old vanilla, tannic bitter coffee notes, and general spiciness. The palate offers lush vanilla with more of that tannic nature followed by black pepper and chili pepper next to green dill and maybe some fresh mint. The end has a mild medicinal tone that leads back to the pepperiness and vanilla underbelly.
Eh, this wasn’t for me. It’s very all over the place and somehow light and listless.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
There’s a good sense of maple syrup on the nose with blueberry pancakes, fig jam, and toffee candies next to cinnamon sugar and a hint of burnt orange layered into caramel sauce. The palate has a French toast vibe with plenty of custardy lusciousness and nutmeg leading to dark chocolate and powdered sugar with a slight woody winter spice warmth. The end turns into a cinnamon bomb that’s kind of like taking a whole box of Hot Tamales to the face and chasing it with maple-syrup-soaked French toast and spiced apple cider.
I can’t decide if I love this or not. It’s very sweet and feels way more like a bourbon than a rye. Still, there’s nothing at fault here. I just might not have enough of a sweet tooth today to fully enjoy it.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a soft leatheriness that’s embued with dry chamomile tea, burnt orange, dark cherry bark, and old cinnamon sticks that spent too much time in mulled wine with a hint of sour cherry and tart apple. The palate amps up the tea leaf vibe with lush Earl Grey next to dark chocolate-covered espresso beans flaked with salt and maybe some dried nasturtiums that build out the spices toward a spiced winter cake. Those baked winter spices lead back to a soft creamy espresso dusted with nutmeg and dark chocolate powder and layered into a spiced tobacco leaf rolled with cedar bark.
This is Indiana rye sent down to Texas where it’s bottled with a charred American oak spire to add a little something extra. The whiskey is MGP’s classic 95/5 (rye/malted barley) four-ish-year-old juice that ends up in a lot of bottles like this.
Bottom Line:
This was the lightest and most forgettable bottle on the panel today. It’s a pretty easy skip for me.
Yet again, we’re dealing with MGP’s 95/5 rye (like above). In this case, the whiskey is bottled in California.
Bottom Line:
This wasn’t bad by any stretch. There was a nice fruitiness. That said, this was the lightest whiskey of the bunch and one I’d be more inclined to mix with than sip.
6. 291 M Colorado Rye Whiskey Finished with Aspen Wood Staves and Maple Syrup Barrels — Taste 7
291 out in Colorado is an award darling distillery and a crowd-pleaser as well. This whiskey is made with shorter aging in new American white oak with treated Aspen staves in that barrel to accelerate the maturation process. That whiskey is then transferred to old 291 barrels that were used to age maple syrup in Wisconsin for Lincoln County Reserve Maple Syrup. Finally, those barrels were batched and bottled at cask strength as-is.
Bottom Line:
The remaining six whiskeys are all stellar. This was a little lower on the rankings today due to its audacious sweetness and breakfast diner vibes. I think I’m going to break this one out for brunch cocktails.
This brand-new whiskey from cult-favorite Redwood Empire out in Sonoma, California, takes their tried and true method of blending California, Indiana, and Kentucky whiskeys to the next level. The blend ended up being a lightly wheated rye with a mash bill of 94% rye, five percent malted barley, and a mere one percent wheat. The barrels were all a minimum of four years old (with some reaching past six years) when batched and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This felt classic through and through. I really want to make a killer Manhattan with this whiskey.
This hand-selected single-barrel expression hits on some pretty big classic rye notes with Kentucky bourbon vibes underneath it all. The juice is selected from the center cuts of the third through fifth floors of the Wild Turkey rickhouses. There’s no chill filtering and the expression is only slightly touched by water before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This had a light and fruity nature that just worked. It was also familiar and really easygoing. This is definitely what I’m going to reach for when making Sazeracs or rye sours this fall, but it also works wonders as a simple sipper.
This whiskey started its journey back in 2003 and 2004 when the original juice was distilled with Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota barley. The hot juice was loaded into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and left to rest in warehouses K, M, and P on the second, third, and fourth floors. Overly nearly two decades, an average of 74% of the juice was lost to the angels before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
Now, we’re into the pure delicious part of the ranking. This was a little on the woody side, but that’s just me grasping for anything to rank these amazing whiskeys.
2. Nashville Barrel Company Hand Selected Straight Rye Whiskey Cask Strength Batch One “Dads Drinking Bourbon” — Taste 1
This whiskey is made from an extremely small batch of Indiana rye with a mash of 95/5 (rye/malted barley). The handful of barrels in the mix was around six years old when blended by the team at Nashville Barrel Company. Beyond that, this was bottled as-is with zero fussing.
Bottom Line:
This is luxurious and enticing rye. It’s just delicious.
1. Kiamichi A Willett & Followill Family Collaboration Aged 8 Years — Taste 2
This whiskey is the second in a series of collaborations between Kings of Leon and Willett Distillery. The whiskey is a six-barrel small-batch blend of Willett’s low-rye mash bill. The hot juice was loaded into ISC oak barrels that were cured for nine months before getting a semi-high char. The band hand-selected the barrels themselves and the team at Willett made sure the rest was done exactly right.
Bottom Line:
Goddamn, this is f*cking good whiskey. It’s so well-balanced and nuanced while still maintaining a completely accessible and even welcoming flavor profile. This is the stuff to chase down.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
The rub on rankings like this is “access.” Some of these are going to be pretty hard to find if you’re not in certain markets. That’s just the way things are. To that end, I’d highly recommend the Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Rye if you can’t find the others. You should be able to find that pretty much coast to coast and all stops in between. It’s affordable — while still feeling special — and truly a great drinking whiskey.
The rest of the top six are all worth the hunt and I wish you luck in seeking them out, trying them, and falling in love with their fantastic flavor notes.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
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.
(@GloTheofficial) October 29, 2022
GROUP PHOTO #2 (LIMBO ver.)
