As Bourbon Heritage Month marches on, our celebration of all things bourbon continues to march on too. While we’ve been pretty focused on Kentucky this month, it’s time to widen that net and talk about some great bourbon whiskey from outside the Bluegrass State. Yep, it’s time for a non-Kentucky bourbon whiskey blind taste test!

Look, Kentucky still makes about 90 to 95 percent of the world’s bourbon whiskey, depending on who you ask. But the speed at which the bourbon market is growing — state-by-state — is shocking. And while Indiana and Tennessee are well-known bourbon producers right alongside Kentucky, Washington, New York, Texas, Michigan, Maryland, South Carolina, New York, Utah, Ohio, California, and so many more regions are popping off right now and building long-lasting bourbon whiskey heritage in real-time.

That means that a lot of us can look locally to find perfectly good and occasionally amazing bourbon whiskey right next door. Are there some clunkers out there, too? Obviously — that’s why you have us!

To that end, I pulled ten bottles of bourbon whiskey that are not made in Kentucky, had my wife line them up, and then blind-tasted them to find a winner. This wasn’t about recognizing regional variation or local vibes. This was all about the taste. Spoiler alert: All of these whiskeys tasted good. So, I’ve ranked them purely on which pours had the most depth and enjoyable flavor profiles.

Our lineup today is:

• Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 (CA)
• Cedar Ridge Bottled-In-Bond Iowa Bourbon Whiskey (IA)
• Heaven’s Door Aged 10 Years (TN)
• Remus Repeal Reserve VI (IN)
• William Alan Small Batch (SC)
• High West Bourbon (IN & UT)
• Middle West Straight Wheated Whiskey Michelone Reserve (OH)
• Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea Voyage 25 (IN)
• Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Spring 2018 (TN)
• Woodinville Moscatel Finished (WA)

Let’s dive in and find you a great non-Kentucky bourbon whiskey to add to your bar cart (click those price links to see if you can get them in your neck of the woods).

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Cherry pie with plenty of winter spice leads off on the nose with buttery brown sugar, tart red berries, and walnut shells. The palate opens with burnt orange, salted caramel, and more of those tart berries swimming in rich vanilla cream before a hint of spicy warmth arrives. The end leans into brown sugar and winter spice-laced butter with walnut tobacco leaves wrapped in vanilla husks and cedar bark.

This was a lovely place to start. It’s a complex sip with a nice balance of bourbon-y flavor notes.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of grain on the nose with hints of leather, oatmeal cookie dough, raisin, and light brown spices with a hint of butter and wet brown sugar. The palate has a nice body with smooth Cream of Wheat next to vanilla cookies just kissed with cinnamon. The end arrives quickly with a dash of mint chocolate chip next to yellow cornbread with plenty of butter and brown sugar.

This was nice. It’s crafty but well-made.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

There’s a tannic old oakiness on the nose (this is older) with hints of pecan waffles covered in maple syrup with vanilla butter. The taste is pure silk with salted caramel, vanilla cream, black licorice, marzipan, and a hint of cinnamon-pecan ice cream with a dusting of powdery chocolate. The end has a moment of warmth thanks to that cinnamon before lunging toward old porch wicker, cinnamon bark, star anise, pear tobacco, and old leather with a hint of potting soil.

This is certainly the oldest and most complex so far. It’s deep but didn’t grab me by the collar and hold my attention.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a light sense of fresh mint next to fairground caramel apples, boot leather, spiced plum jam, and a touch of sweet cedar bark. The palate leans into salted caramel with eggnog spices and creaminess next to creamed honey and vanilla sheet cake. The end arrives with a rush of woody spice next to candied fruits, cedar bark, and menthol tobacco leaves.

This feels lighter by comparison to the last pour, but only barely on the nose and finish. It’s so good otherwise, that. I can 100 percent forgive any “lightness by comparison.”

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is very crafty in the best way with a bowl full of white grits cut with butter and brown sugar with a hint of burnt orange, dried rose, and fresh mint rounding things out. The palate leans into woody wintery spices before circling back around to those sweet grits, Cherry Coke, ginger juice, and a hint of savory fruit — think pumpkin flesh just touched with cinnamon. The end leans into that fresh savory fruit before hitting on a moment of black peppercorns and cinnamon bark with a lush burnt orange finish.

This is very much in the new style of bourbons that lean into the mashing (extracting sugars from grains with hot water) more so than the fermentation (turning sugar water into beer), distilling (turning beer into spirit), or aging (turning spirit into whiskey). The grains are the star of the show and it’s done really well here.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is pretty thin comparatively with buttered corn, fruity yeast notes, and a nice sense of woody spice. The palate is soft and leans into lush nougat with a vanilla wafer vibe next to creamy honey, nutmeg and clove, and a mild sense of fresh firewood bark. The end has a smooth vanilla base with a hint of salted apple chips and dry straw stacked with very light tobacco.

This was very light. There was plenty there but it just didn’t enthrall or last long.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

A hint of sourdough doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar leads to maple syrup, coconut cream pie, marzipan, and a hint of toffee. The palate dries out toward an almond nutshell before hitting a rum-raisin/Cherry Coke vibe next to woody winter spices on the mid-palate. That spicy warmth fades toward cedar bark, Almond Joy, and spiced cherry tobacco on the finish with a hint more of that warm doughnut from the nose.

This was pretty nice overall. The warmth on the mid-palate was big but not over-powering. Still, I wanted a rock in the glass before I went back in for more.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

There’s a thin, proofed vibe on the nose with fresh honey, mulled wine spices, dark sugars, burnt orange, and a hint of white pepper peeking in. The palate leans into woody cinnamon bark next to ripe orchard fruits wrapped in old tobacco and stacked with old porch wicker. The end leans into the orchard fruit and wood more than the spice with a hint of salted caramel next to pear skins and apple tobacco.

This really needs to be higher proof. There’s a lot going on but it isn’t quite landing for me today.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with rich toffee leading to dark chocolate, tart red berries, malted vanilla milkshake, orange oils, old leather, and a hint of cornbread dripping with maple butter cut with cinnamon. The palate sweetens the tart berries slightly toward cherry root beer with buttery Southern biscuits dipped in honey leading to a vanilla wafer vibe. The end leans into spicy barks and cherry tobacco with a hint of hickory and huckleberry on the dry and robust finish.

This is just good. This also might be the first pour that I was excited to get back into.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

The nose presents as sweet with hints of sweet prunes and dates but runs deep and dark with smoked apricot, five spice, dark chocolate creaminess, and black tea cut with burnt orange. The palate mixes Almond Roca (toffee covered in roasted almonds) with peach pits, vanilla pound cake, poppy seeds, black molasses, rum-raisin, black-tea-soaked dates, and rich Christmas cake spices with candied zests. The end leans into those dark spices and adds a woody edge that leads to dry porch wicker, choco-date tobacco, and cedar bark dipped in toffee.

Well, this is just freakin’ delicious.

Part 2: The Ranking

10. High West Bourbon — Taste 6

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

High West Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced/own-make whiskey blends. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye and low-rye mashes alongside undisclosed whiskeys, some of which are sourced from MGP. Those sourced barrels are mixed with two-year-old barrels from High West before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This being a blend makes sense. It was the lightest sip by far. That said, this was fine. It’s great for cocktails (think of it as a building block).

9. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea Voyage 25 — Taste 8

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This expression is Jefferson’s sourced wheated bourbon from Indiana. The barrels were loaded onto an Ocearch vessel in Savannah, Georgia, and then sailed through the Caribbean, Panama Canal, around the Pacific, into the Indian Ocean, and back along the Pacific Coast, through the Panama Canal again, and back to Savannah — all that rocking around the ocean means more extraction of sugars into the spirit.

Once the barrels were back in Kentucky, they were vatted, proofed, and bottled in very small batches.

Bottom Line:

This was, again, very nice. It was just a little too proofed down for my palate. That did make it very approachable, but I’d really use this to make a killer cocktail with a nautical theme before I’d grab for it as a sipper.

8. Cedar Ridge Bottled-In-Bond Iowa Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This very local whiskey is made with 74 percent corn, 14 percent malted rye, and 12 percent two-row malted barley. After mashing and distilling, the juice is aged for at least four years in Iowa. Once just right, the whiskey is touched with a little water to bring it down to proof and bottled without any fussing. For this 2021 release, only 400 cases were released, but it was the first Cedar Ridge Bottled-in-Bond to make it out of Iowa.

Bottom Line:

This had a nice enough flavor profile and didn’t feel washed out by proofing. It just didn’t really grab my attention beyond feeling like a good cocktail whiskey.

7. Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002 — Taste 1

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

The latest batch of Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast is a four-grain bourbon. The California whiskey was made with 69 percent corn 22 percent rye, five percent malted barley, and a mere four percent wheat. After five years of maturation, 26 barrels were picked for this batch. Those barrels were vatted and the juice was just kissed with pure water from a local Russian River Valley aquifer.

Bottom Line:

This was really pretty nice overall. I think it has a great flavor profile that leans toward classic Kentucky bourbon notes. I can see sipping this over some rocks or building a really solid cocktail with it.

6. Middle West Straight Wheated Whiskey Michelone Reserve — Taste 7

ABV: 62.1%

Average Price: $47

The Whiskey:

This Ohio whiskey is all about grain-to-glass. The juice is made from a mash of sweet yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, dark pumpernickel rye, and Two-Row malted barley. The whiskey spends about four years in oak before it’s bottled as-is at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

This is where things start getting complex and fun. This feels like a solid sipper that’d make one hell of a Sazerac or Manhattan. The only reason it’s not in the top five is that it felt a little warm and not as deeply hewn as the rest of the whiskeys on this list.

5. Remus Repeal Reserve VI — Taste 4

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $99 (available in September)

The Whiskey:

This year’s Remus Reserve is a mix of six to 14-year-old bourbons. Buckle in. The blend is made from two percent from a 2008 bourbon with a 21 percent rye mash, 27 percent from a 2012 bourbon with a 21 percent rye mash, 29 percent from a 2014 bourbon with a 21 percent rye mash, 17 percent from a 2012 bourbon with a 36 percent rye mash bill, and 25 percent from a 2014 bourbon with that same very high rye mash bill. Once vatted, the whiskey is just touched with water for proofing and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This is where the good stuff starts in earnest. This is the lowest of the top five simply because it was the smallest on the palate. There’s still a ton going on (all of it great) but it didn’t quite pop as brightly as the next four.

4. Heaven’s Door Aged 10 Years — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $95

The Whiskey:

This is the first release in the new series from Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Tennessee whiskeys. The juice is a ten-year-old straight bourbon that was made in Tennessee but wasn’t charcoal filtered before or after aging. The sourced barrels were blended and just proofed down before bottling without any other fussing.

Bottom Line:

This was a solid goddamn whiskey. The age sort of betrayed some of the subtler notes on the nose and finish. But if you’re looking for that tannic oakiness, this is going to be your jam.

3. William Alan Small Batch — Taste 5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: Distillery Only

The Whiskey:

This South Carolina bourbon is all about small batching and farm-to-glass experiences. The corn-fueled spirit with a very high malted barley component is aged for four years before it’s re-barreled in new toasted oak barrels for a final three-month rest. Those barrels and then vatted and the whiskey is proofed with local water for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is very crafty but very deep and kind of fun. If you’re getting into that new, grain-forward bourbon style, this is a great bottle to find. You’re just going to need to go to South Carolina to do so.

2. Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Spring 2018 — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This particular whiskey was made back in spring 2018 and released in June 2022. The whiskey is a blend of four mash bills that all feature specialty malts ranging from honey malts to oak-smoked barley to naked oats to chocolate roasted barley to caramel malts and many more. The throughline is yellow corn, bonded warehouse aging, and proofing down to 50 percent ABV.

Bottom Line:

These top two were both stellar pours. I really, truly love this whiskey. It’s complex and fun and rewarding and yet it’s super accessible and easy to drink. It’s a hoot to mix cocktails with and it rules neat or on the rocks.

1. Woodinville Moscatel Finished — Taste 10

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts as Woodinville’s award-winning five-year-old bourbon. That juice is then re-barreled into Moscatel wine casks for a finish maturation period. After nearly a year, the whiskey goes into the bottle having just been touched by water but otherwise as-is.

Bottom Line:

This wins out simply by having more arresting flavor notes and a slightly deeper profile overall. There’s just more going on with this whiskey and it really takes you on a journey. The best part, this one is finally available nationwide, so you can try it without schlepping out to Washington state!

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I stand by the top five as the bottles you want to chase. They all have their own vibes — offering something unique. But they also just taste good and sometimes (all the time, really) that’s enough.

In the end, the top two are the ones you want to stock up on. Buy a case of each. Give a bottle or two as gifts. Make your favorite cocktails with them. Crack them open for parties. You won’t be disappointed, I assure you.

Roger Federer made it official earlier this month that he will be retiring from tennis, with his final appearance coming at the Laver Cup this weekend in London, where he’s played doubles with longtime rival Rafael Nadal for Team Europe, starting with a match on Friday against Americans Jack Sock and Francis Tiafoe.

In the first set, Federer scrambled for a ball outside the court and whipped it back into play by going through the net, which led to some discussion from both teams, Team World captain John McEnroe, and the chair umpire as they tried to figure out what had just happened and whether that was legal or not.

The replay shows how the ball, somehow, snuck its way through the gap between the post and the netting, but under the net cord, in a hole that is literally the size of a tennis ball and nothing more.

After initially being given a winner, it was deemed not to be a legal shot and, instead, was a point for the Americans on Team World. However, that doesn’t really matter because it was unbelievably cool and if they want that not to be legal then maybe they should not have any spot on the net where a ball can fit through.

The Laver Cup is Federer’s farewell to competitive tennis, and it’s fitting that the man who defined a generation of men’s tennis in terms of artistry on the court produces one last moment we’ve never seen before (and may never see again).

Lovers of babies and haters of kale, have we got a fun and fascinating science-based story for you.

A new study posted in Psychological Science shows rare up-close-and-personal photos of babies in the womb making different facial reactions to different food their mothers eat. Previous studies with infants and breastmilk have shown that flavors carry from mother to child through amniotic fluid, but this is the first time unborn babies have been examined.

One hundred pregnant women from the U.K. were given powder with either carrot or kale flavoring or neither flavor. After 20 minutes, 4D ultrasound scans revealed undeniably different—and kind of hilarious—facial reactions. It was very telling which flavor was smile inducing and which one wasn’t.

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As the picture below shows, the carrot flavor induced a smiling “laugh face,” as the study called it.

This look of pleasure could be as a result of a preference for sweetness, which newborns are known to gravitate to as a basic biological drive.

As the study suggests, it could be that this natural instinct develops long before infancy. And for some of us (me) that sweet tooth never really goes away.

Meanwhile, babes who experienced the kale flavoring made disgusted grimaces, or “cry faces.”

Kale wasn’t just a hard sell to the fetuses—one of the other reasons why researchers used capsules instead of raw kale or kale juice was because the mothers couldn’t stand the taste, and had such a negative disposition toward it that scientists feared it would influence their babies.

“I had a number of people in the lab, and I tried to give them a kale juice to drink, and you should have seen the expressions,” Nadja Reissland, co-author of the study and head of the Fetal and Neonatal Research Lab at Durham University, said according to NBC News.

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, I’d say this one just says “yuck” over and over and over.

To be fair, those scowls “might be just the muscle movements which are reacting to a bitter flavor,” Reissland noted, rather than any real showing of emotion, adding that expressions became more complex over time during gestation.

The major takeaway from this study (other than a wholesome giggle) is seeing how early humans can be influenced by flavors. If they are exposed to certain foods early on during pregnancy, they might embrace them and instill better eating habits once they’re born.

“If we can actually get [children] to like green vegetables and to perhaps not like sweets that much, it might help with regard to their weight gain and their weight balance,” Reissland said.

Nearly everyone has at least one vegetable that they absolutely love. However those tend to lean toward the sweeter side like carrots and corn. Rarely do kids—or adults for that matter—go ga-ga for bitter-tasting ones. Brussels sprouts alone are the target of much hate.

If we could learn to welcome a wider variety of veggies into our palette from an early age (in this case, a very early age), maybe as adults we wouldn’t grimace over greens.

Sunflower Bean blazed the stage on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night (September 22), performing their Headful Of Sugar opener “Who Put You Up To This?”

Lead vocalist Julia Cummings had her bass guitar in tow and sang with passion while flanked by guitarist and backup vocalist Nick Kivlen and the band’s drummer Olive Faber. The setting was dark, allowing their instruments and voices to illuminate the intimate space. At the climax of the performance, Cummings lies on top of the piano covered in one hundred dollar bills all while still singing and strumming the bass. The performance closes with all three members abandoning the space while dollar bills fall from the air.

Headful Of Sugar was released in May of this year. The 12-track effort was led by the singles “Who Put You Up To This?,” “Roll The Dice,” “I Don’t Have Control Sometimes,” and “In Flight.” Headful closed an over four-year hiatus for Sunflower Bean since their 2018 album Twentytwo In Blue.

In 2020, the band appeared on “Take No Prisoners” from the original motion picture soundtrack for The Turning alongside Living Things and The Turning.

Check out Sunflower Bean’s performance of “Who Put You Up To This?” on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert above.

Khalid wears his heart on his sleeve, but his new video for “Satellite” shows that the person who has stolen his heart is often some distance away.

The Levi Turner-directed visual could function as a commercial for Sony as it depicts love in the 21st century through PS5s, computer screens, and televisions. The Fort Stewart artist stares into the distance through a window, wondering where his lover is when she isn’t on his mind. Only, she is always on his mind.

“You’re like a satellite that’s crossing through my mind / It always leads me straight, straight, straight to you,” the 24-year-old sings. Notably, he shows off his knack for choreography as he is flanked by backup dancers. The tune is so infectious that a woman roller skating through the street has to stop in her tracks, return to the wall of television screens she passed, and join in on the dance party.

Khalid has shared a few singles this year, namely “Numb,” “Skyline,” and “Last Call.” His last project Scenic Drive (The Tape) was released in December 2021 and featured a star-studded cast of artists such as 6lack, Lucky Daye, JID, Majid Jordan, Ari Lennox, Smino, and more.

Check out Khalid’s futuristic new video for “Satellite” above.

Yesterday was the autumnal equinox or the first actual day of fall if you’re not fancy. While the leaves aren’t falling yet and there are still plenty of corners of the country where it’s blazing hot, the fall vibes are in full swing. Just go to your local grocery store and look at all the Halloween candy everywhere.

With fall really here, it’s time to break out some fall-inspired cocktail recipes, and we’re starting with a fall take on an old fashioned. For this recipe, I’m combing maple, cranberry, and cinnamon with a sharp rye whiskey. This is “fall in a glass” with a nice and spicy edge — thanks to the bitters, cinnamon, and rye — next to a soft sweetness with a tart bright fruitiness — via the maple and cranberry.

You know what? Let’s just get right into it and make a damn good sipping cocktail before the weekend actually hits!

Also Read: The Top Five Cocktail Recipes of the Last Six Months

• Our ‘Perfect Whisky And Coke’ Recipe Uses The Last Brand You’d Expect
• The Hemingway Daiquiri Is A Deeply Refreshing Summer Cocktail — Here’s The (Very Simple) Real Recipe
• The Godfather Is A Simple Scotch Cocktail To Power You Through Winter
• Recipe: The Amaretto Sour Is The Ideal Cocktail To Close Out January
• The Tom Collins Is A Classic Cocktail That’s Perfect For The Hotter Days Ahead

Maple-Cranberry Fall Old Fashioned

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. rye whiskey
• 2 dashes of Barrel Aged Peychaud’s Bitters
• 1 drop of Smoked Cinnamon Bitters
• 1 barspoon of Grade A maple syrup
• 1 barspoon of cranberry syrup
• Orange peel
• Ice

I’m using the new Bourbon Pursuit Rye. It’s a nice blend with a touch of orange, brown spices, and little sour cherry. Overall, it makes for a great cocktail base rye with just that hint of rye spiciness that leans more cinnamon/chili than black pepper. The point is to use a fruit and brown spice-forward rye rather than a peppery or herbal one.

As for the bitters and syrups, you should be able to find them pretty easily. Smoked Cinnamon and Barrel Aged Peychaud’s bitters should be available at any good liquor store. The cranberry syrup (Monin is a solid choice) is also easily found at any decent liquor stop as well. You can get the orange and maple syrup from any grocery store (just make sure to get real Grade A maple syrup and not some “pancake” syrup high-fructose bullshit).

What You’ll Need:

• Rocks glass
• Cocktail mixing jug/glass
• Cocktail strainer
• Barspoon
• Paring knife or fruit peeler

Method:

• Prechill the glass in the freezer.
• Add the whiskey, bitters, and syrups to a glass and stir until combined.
• Add in a handful of ice and then stir until the mixing glass is ice cold to touch (about 20 to 30 seconds).
• Fetch the glass from the freezer and add a large cube. Strain the cocktail into the glass.
• Peel a thumb-sized piece of orange peel and express the oils over the cocktail (gently squeeze the orange side of the rind toward the drink while rolling/folding between your thumbs and index fingers). Rub the peel around the rim and outside of the glass and place it on the large cube. Serve.

Bottom Line:

This really does have some serious fall vibes. The barrel-aged Peychaud’s adds a nice botanical woodiness that leans toward clove and nutmeg while the smoked cinnamon adds fire and a fleeting sense of singed cinnamon bark.

That’s then sweetened by the maple syrup, which adds a smoothness to the whole sip. The cranberry kicks in subtly with a nice tart/sweet counterpoint to the woody botanicals and rye brown spiciness. The orange oils really tie the whole drink together while adding brightness and a deep hint of citrus.

Overall, this really feels like fall flavors in a glass with a nice and spicy whiskey edge that just tastes great. Give it a shot! You won’t be disappointed.

In an effort to rein in the bombastic Alex Jones, who has become increasingly unhinged in court, his attorney advised the InfoWars host to take the day off from testifying on Friday to “lower the temperature.” Jones heeded his lawyer’s counsel, but not before holding yet another impromptu press conference on the courtroom steps where he proceeded to berate reporters and potentially poison the jury box.

The red-faced Jones yelled at reporters that he’s being barred from telling the truth by the court proceedings, which he’s accused of being part of a corporatist media plot against him. In reality, Jones’ own lawyer has prohibited him from revealing his true financial worth. Via The Daily Beast:

“Everything I’m saying here, I’m barred from saying in there,” Jones ranted, calling the proceedings a “show trial” that wouldn’t be out of place in North Korea. (In reality, Bellis prohibited Jones from saying certain things about the financial state of his immensely popular Infowars webcast, since he refused to participate in the discovery process.)

“Basically it would be like a boxing match where one guy has his arms tied behind his back and a gag in his mouth,” Jones claimed, falsely. “So this is totally rigged. It’s an absolute, total fraud.”

The conspiracy theorist ended his rant by encouraging everyone to “do their own research,” specifically at, you guessed it, InfoWars.com.

“They want your free speech. They want your guns. They want your whole world. They want your whole life. But at the end of the day, America is waking up to them and the deep state,” Jones said. “All right, guys—Infowars.com.”

However, the part about doing your own research caused yet another headache for Jones’ attorney inside the courtroom, according to The Daily Beast. The plaintiff’s attorney argued that the jury, who was on recess, may have heard Jones’ rant outside. When the jury returned, the judge instructed them not to listen to Jones.

“You do need to follow my instructions, and I’m very confident that you will,” the judge told the jury before announcing that she will be enacting a “zero tolerance” policy for contempt of court violators. You can probably guess who she was talking about.

(Via The Daily Beast)

After recently moving from primetime television to streaming and ditching the show’s beloved host Tom Bergeron, Dancing With The Stars is now experiencing another roadblock in the form of four new COVID cases on set.

The hit dancing show just premiered its 31st season on Disney+ after spending the last decade and a half shimmying comfortably on ABC. Bachelorette contestant Gabby Windey, TikTok icon Charli D’Amelio, Selma Blair, and Jordan Sparks are among the stars who will debut on the dancefloor this season.

Despite the COVID cases, filming for the series is expected to go on as normal. It seems like the cases were found on the production side of things, so the dancers will be safe to waltz in peace for next week’s episode. A spokesperson for the show released the following statement:

Over the course of five days, there were a total of four Covid positives among more than 300 production employees. All four individuals work in completely different departments that do not have in-person contact with each other, based on our pod system. Contact tracing was immediately conducted. All close contacts were notified and put on an increased testing cadence. No close contact of the four positive production employees has since tested positive. The entire set has been disinfected. As an extra precaution, we asked the majority of employees to work from home.

What would Tom Bergeron say?! Dancing With The Stars airs Mondays on Disney+.

(Via TheWrap)

While rumors of a Migos breakup have been swirling for the better part of 2022, it hasn’t stopped Quavo and Takeoff from announcing their joint, Offset-less, project, Only Built For Infinity Links. After dropping the lead single, “Big Stunna” featuring Birdman last month, the pair have now revealed the entire tracklist for the project which is set to arrive next month.

Along with the already released Birdman collab, featured guests on Only Built For Infinity Links include Youngboy Never Broke Again on “To The Bone,” Summer Walker on “Mixy,” Gucci Mane on “Us vs. Them,” Mustard on “See Bout It,” and even Young Thug and Gunna hop on “Chocolate.”

Check out the album artwork and complete tracklist for Only Built For Infinity Links below.

1. “Two Infinity Links”
2. “Tony Starks”
3. “Hotel Lobby”
4. “Bars Into Captions”
5. “See Bout It” Feat. Mustard
6. “To The Bone” Feat. YoungBoy Never Broke Again
7. “Not Out”
8. “Chocolate” Feat. Young Thug and Gunna
9. “2.30”
10. “Look @ This”
11. “Mixy” Feat. Summer Walker
12. “Messy”
13. “Nothing Changed”
14. “Integration”
15. “Big Stunna” Feat. Birdman
16. “Us Vs. Them” Feat. Gucci Mane
17. “Hell Yeah”
18. “Tools”

Only Built For Infinity Links is due out on 10/07 via Motown Records. Pre-order/save it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Cardi B, Moneybagg Yo, Freddie Gibbs, and more.

As of this Friday (September 23), it is officially hoodie and light jacket season on the east coast. Thankfully, there is plenty of new music to provide a necessary blanket of warmth. It has been a pleasure writing this column and keeping you all hip to what is hot and who is up next. Thank you for tapping in and enjoy this week’s slate of tracks.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending September 23, 2022.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Lucki — Flawless Like Me

Lucki is feeling like he is at his absolute best on his latest album Flawless Like Me. The 24-track effort is loaded with confident flexes and adds Future and Babyface Ray to push forward his infallible attitude.

Cam’ron & A-Trak — U Wasn’t There

Killa! Cam’ron has seen it all in hip-hop, and despite how often many people try to act like it, he is here to remind everyone that U Wasn’t There. This collaborative effort with A-Trak is nine songs long and features his Dipset comrades Jim Jones and Juelz Santana, in addition to Conway The Machine and Mr. Vegas.

Dreamdoll — Life In Plastic 3

Dreamdoll acknowledges the fabricated aspects of life in her new project Life In Plastic 3. The eight-song effort features Lunchmoney Lewis, French Montana, and Capella Grey.

Young Devyn — Baby Goat 2

Young Devyn has her eyes locked in on the future but acknowledges her current stature in her new project Baby Goat 2. The eight-song effort features Capella Grey, Fivio Foreign, and Kenzo B.

Lakeyah — No Pressure (Pt. 2)

Lakeyah is well aware of how daunting being in the music industry can be, yet she stands firm through it all on No Pressure (Pt. 2). The 10-song project has a star-studded cast of features, namely Latto, Lucky Daye, Flo Milli, and Icewear Vezzo.

Dess Dior — Raw

Dess Dior is coming through with unfiltered bars on her new project Raw. She takes on the eight-song effort on her own, but doesn’t need the help on standout records such as “It B*tch Freestyle” and “Rich And Raw.”

Wifisfuneral — 4MonthBingeBeforeRevenge

Wifisfuneral has retribution on his mind on his latest project 4MonthBingeBeforeRevenge. He takes on the 12-track effort alone, capturing the highs and lows of life on records like “Euphoria,” “In Too Deep,” and “Im Mad Lol.”

Young Crazy — Gucci Mane Of VA

Young Crazy has no shortage of confidence, going so far as to liken himself to a trap legend on his new project Gucci Mane Of VA. Crazo takes on the seven-song effort alone, delivering an overwhelming amount of bars on records like “Man Down (Freestyle),” “Suburban Kid,” and the project’s eponymous opener.

Singles/Videos

Kamaiyah — “Comme Des Garcons”

Kamaiyah is talking big money on “Comme Des Garcons.” The mid-tempo jam outlines some of her nefarious activity but also her inability to fall off like everyone else. “Me and you, we got nathin’ in common.”

Icewear Vezzo — “They Can’t FWM”

Icewear Vezzo believes he is in a class of his own, and displays that attitude on “They Can’t FWM.” The Detroit rapper references his jewelry, TikTok, and Nicki Minaj in this boisterous, drum-heavy record. Given his talent, the title may very well be true.

Reason — “Sign Language” Feat. Ice Cold Bishop

Reason and Ice Cold Bishop rap circles around the competition on “Sign Language,” so much so that it may be difficult for their opposition to hear. Thus, it may be more appropriate to have an interpreter explain what is being said on this high-energy record.

Toosii — “Heartaches”

Toosii has never run away from difficult emotions, and offers one of his most somber records in “Heartaches.” He’s fallen for a lady and embraces her regardless of what has happened in her past. What she has been through and overcame does not make her any worse than him or anyone else. What a guy.

Rico Blu — “Template”

Rico Blu makes music for the soul and “Template” is the perfect example of that. “I been makin’ these songs with no caution / Even homies had to tell me not to drop ’em / I will never understand the fragile state that some be in / It’s perspective with these messages I scribble with my pen.” He adds in a warm, soulful vocal sample here to really push forth his message.

OfAllBank$ — “Dad Say”

OfAllBanks$ recently released his project Slugfest and “Dad Say” is one of its most earnest offerings. The video shows him speaking with his father before playing him some of his music. As the track begins, he speaks on how society has caused both him and his father to have anger issues before outlining everything the Black man has to endure in this harsh world. Through it all, Bank$ is committed to succeeding and this vintage-sounding rap track certainly indicates he is well on his way.

Allstar JR — “Run Through It”

Allstar JR drops off a fun track in “Run Through It.” He discusses having the best product available and how his customers finish it fast, references Roddy Ricch records, and his ease in landing women.

Jeleel! — “Deliver!”

Jeleel! showed the world how energetic he can be, doing his best Jeff Hardy impression at a recent show. “Deliver!” follows suit, blending EDM, rock, and hip-hop while he raps about Serge Ibaka and having dimes in his face.

Che Noir — “Wash The Dishes” Feat. Benny The Butcher

Che Noir and Benny The Butcher encourage proper home maintenance on “Wash The Dishes.” The downtempo rap record is loaded with soulful vocal samples and drug bars. It is the ideal pocket for both rappers to get off their hard-hitting lyrics.

Fabolous — “Bach To Bach” Feat. Dave East

Fabolous and Dave East do a less angry, more luxurious Drake impression on “Bach To Bach.” As per usual, Fab flexes his clever wordplay, and Dave East raps furiously about not passing his blunt to anyone else. They do a fun back-and-forth on the chorus and of course reference the “Six God.”

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.