GoneTrending

Costco recently upped their bourbon game pretty dramatically. The big box shop released three new bourbon whiskeys in collaboration with Barton 1792 Distillery, which is one of the Sazerac Company’s most revered distilleries (after Buffalo Trace, of course). While the bourbon for Costco is a sourced bourbon, it is very clear where it comes from. And that distillery also produces some very good and very similar bourbons.

That means only one thing: It’s time for a side-by-side comparison!

For this taste test, I grabbed a bottle of Kirkland Signature Small Batch Barton 1792 Bourbon and tasted next to 1792 Small Batch Bourbon. Technically, these two whiskeys come from the same source/distillery/warehouses and are likely to have some big parallels. That said, the blenders at Barton 1792 surely devised a unique flavor profile for the Kirkland version so as not to step on the toes of their own small batch release (which is how this always goes).

So how different are the two expressions?

That’s the question I aim to answer below. I also want to figure out if it’s worth hitting up Costco for a much cheaper bottle of Barton 1792 instead of just dropping into my local liquor store for a standard 1792 bottle. Let’s dive in!

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 Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
• We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
• All The Double Gold-Winning Straight Bourbons From This Year’s San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1 — 1792 Small Batch

Tasting Notes:

This opens a little woody with cherrywood next to a hint of sour apple that develops into sour mash grains (kind of like walking into a distillery) that are all cut by caramel and vanilla notes with a cherry vibe that goes from sweet to spicy enough to feel like Cherry Coke. Moving onto the palate, there’s a clear “classic” bourbon vibe with rich caramel and smooth vanilla that hits a spicy heat on the mid-palate.

The end hits on a soft vanilla and cherry creaminess with a hint of dry wicker and more of that spicy warmth.

Taste 2 — Kirkland Signature

Tasting Notes:

This is immediately a much sweeter nose with hints of pear and peach candy leading towards a watermelon taffy with mild hints of old leather, dry woody spices, wet oak, sweetgrass, and cherry Starbursts. The palate lets the cherry shine with a good sweetness next to creamy vanilla, caramel, spiced apricot, toffee candies, and a hint of dried sweetgrass. The mid-palate’s sweetness fades away pretty quickly on the light finish while a whisper of slightly spiced cherry tobacco leads back to a hint of that wet oak on the very end.

Part 2: The Ranking

2. Kirkland Signature Small Batch by Barton 1792 Master Distillers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch no. 1124

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $19 (1 liter)

The Whiskey:

This is the entry point to Costco’s new lineup of Kentucky Bourbons (along with a Bottled-in-Bond and Single Barrel release). The whiskey in the bottle is from Sazerac’s Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown with a mash bill of 74 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and eight percent barley. That juice is left to age for four to five years before blending, proofing, and bottling for Costco.

Bottom Line:

This ranks last because it was so much sweeter on the nose and had a lackluster finish — compared to this one other pour. Had I been tasting this against a different bourbon, different notes would have surfaced and created a different experience. But that’s not the point here.

1. 1792 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 46.85%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Barton 1792 Distillery is a no-age-statement release made in “small batches.” The mash is unknown but Sazerac does mention that it’s a “high rye” mash bill, which could be exactly the same as Kirkland Signature Small Batch — or not. The juice is batched from select barrels and then proofed down and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This wasn’t any deeper but it was more nuanced. It also had a much stronger finish, albeit a little warm. But a bold finish is better than a finish that peters out, IMO.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Side-by-side, these are very, very, very similar. Both are classic bourbons with a lot of cherry, vanilla, caramel, oak, and spice. Both are fairly well balanced but you do feel a little let down by the Kirkland bottle’s soft landing.

That said, if you’re mixing cocktails or highballs, 100 percent buy the Kirkland Signature Small Batch. A liter of the 1792 Small Batch would run around $37. The Costco bottle — which is a liter — is $19 (before tax). The taste difference is way too minor to get caught up in it when the price gap is that wide. Yes, there’s a little softer finish on that Kirkland bottle and a tad more depth on the 1792 Small Batch. But in the end, these are extremely close pours.

Look at it this way, Costco has some serious bourbon for a great price right now. Don’t sleep on them — they’re cheap, tasty, and will make killer cocktails or everyday sippers on the rocks. If you don’t have a Costco membership, grab a bottle of 1792 Small Batch. It’s a very solid and classic pour for everyday use. Either way, you can’t lose with these two.

It has been over a decade since one of the all-time great moments in sports debate television history, when Jalen Rose called Skip Bayless “Water Pistol Pete” during an argument on First Take in which Bayless dared bring up what kind of shooter Rose was, leading to Rose burying Bayless by noting he averaged 1.4 points per game as a senior in high school.

It’s a moment that will forever be remembered by those who loathe Bayless, because for once he didn’t have a real retort and could only really muster disgust at Rose bringing that up rather than an actual comeback. In the 10 years since then, Bayless has left for Fox Sports’ Undisputed, where he still will walk himself out into deep waters at times opposite Shannon Sharpe. Bayless’ most recent misstep in the minds of many came on a truly bizarre tweet in which he seemingly critiqued Bronny James not using his left for an incredible dunk in an AAU game in Europe that was the talk of the basketball world here in the dog days of August.

Bayless insisted it wasn’t criticism but just commenting on someone who he says will be a “focal point” of his show going forward — which shouldn’t be a surprise given how much they talk about LeBron. However, as a rising senior in high school, many were displeased that Skip would treat Bronny as he would LeBron in that situation, and among those who saw Skip’s tweet was none other than Rose, who took a hilarious jab at Bayless on Tuesday’s episode of NBA Today, without even mentioning him by name.

It’s pretty great that all Rose has to do is mention the 1.4 points per game and everyone knows who he’s talking about, because that will be a clip that people remember as long as Rose and Bayless are doing television.

It’s that magical time of the year, the one where the latest Madden game hits consoles. Madden NFL 23, the first game in the series since legendary coach and personality John Madden passed away, is slated to come out a little later this week. But good news, friends: While the game isn’t widely available yet, we still have absolutely bonkers clip of something from the game.

Behold this clip from what appears to be an Ultimate Team game where Carson Wentz overthrows Cooper Kupp. The ball lands right into the outstretched arms of Jimmie Ward, who reels it in and runs about 77 yards into the opposing end zone for a touchdown. The catch is that Ward actually runs, if I had to estimate, 200 yards with plenty of showboating and stopping and starting, while the entire Green Bay Packers team is incapable of even laying a finger on him.

For my money, the best moment comes around the 18-second mark, when Ward is right up against the sideline and there are, like, eight opposing players all around him, but somehow, he manages to escape unscathed. Anyway, if you pick up Madden NFL 23 and manage to do something more ridiculous than this, please post it to the internet so we can have fun writing about it.

Kids say the darnedest things, sure. But often they say the wisest things too.

Case in point—this viral video.

Hannah Lewis, a 32-year-old mom and LGBTQ advocate who goes by the name “Lesbimum” on TikTok and Instagram, shared a sweet exchange between her and a young boy after he asked if she had a boyfriend.

Their heartwarming conversation received nearly 2 million likes, and it really offers us all a glimpse into what the world can look like through the eyes of pure acceptance.

When approached with the question, Lewis chose to answer him plainly, rather than “hide who I am.”

---

No, she didn’t have a “boyfriend” and wasn’t interested in dating boys.

“Oh so you want to have a girlfriend,” the boy quipped.

When Lewis responded that, “yeah,” she wanted to have a girlfriend, the boy shared with her that he didn’t “know any girls who have girlfriends.”

Lewis then asked her young friend what he thought about girls being with each other. “And he was like, ‘well does that also mean that boys can have boyfriends?’” she recalled.

@lesbimum I can’t believe it was a whole year ago that this video blew up 🥰 Sometimes kids really do deserve more credit ❤️🏳️‍🌈 #lgbtq #positivity #lgbtqia #gaytiktok #lesbimum ♬ original sound – Lesbimum 🏳️‍🌈

Lewis then answered, “Yes, of course it does.”

His response?

“Wow. Think how many more people can be in love now.”

What a simple, pure and profound thing to say.

“Honestly my heart melted,” Lewis said through tears, adding that “I swear kids are living proof that homophobia is a taught behavior.”

Many folks in the comments echoed Lewis’ sentiment:

“All prejudices are taught. Kids are blank canvases influenced by society, their family, friends, school etc.”

“I’m so glad I’m able to teach my brother and sister so much about different sexualities, races etc. as I have never been taught from my parents.”

“My heart EXPLODED.”

“’Think of how many people can be in love now’ ….. AMAZING VIEW POINT!!!! 🥰”

Whether hate, particularly homophobia, is socially learned or biologically inherited is a long-standing scientific debate. But it’s hard to hear this young boy’s point of view and not think that unconditional love must be the most natural thing there is. It certainly seems like the world would be a happier place if we did.

Jenna Ortega is slowly but surely becoming Gen Z’s Scream Queen. After starring in the stalker-thriller You, she single-handily brought back the Scream franchise from the dead and then starred in A24’s erotic horror thriller X. Now, Ortega is set to star as the equally horrifying Wednesday Addams in Tim Burton’s new Netflix series.

Netflix has released a full family portrait of the Addams Family, featuring the iconic gaggle of creepy family members. Catherine Zeta-Jones and Luis Guzman will portray Morticia and Gomez Adams, while Pugsley will be played by Isaac Ordonez. Christina Ricci will reportedly also make an appearance.

The series will follow Wednesday as a teenager, which some may argue is the scariest age of all. Creators Miles Millar and Alfred Gough says that while she is slightly scary, her family sees her as just another lovable member of The Addams Family. “Wednesday’s not scared of sharks or creepy crawlies or anything, but she’s afraid of emotion,” Gough told Vanity Fair. “Their overt displays of affection drive Wednesday crazy.”

Wednesday is one of Burton’s first official TV show attempts (who remembers the short-lived Beetlejuice series?!) though if there is anything in the world that screams Tim Burton, it’s the creepy and pale supernatural family known as The Addams family. So he probably knows what he’s doing. Burton will direct four of the eight episodes, along with producing. Burton famously pitched to make the 1991 movie adaptation of the family but decided against it.

Wednesday premieres this fall on Netflix.

(Via Vanity Fair)

Psilocybin mushrooms aren’t for everyone, but they’re not exclusively for people who say things like “mind trip” or call a weekend in the woods a “journey” either. Creatives, scientists, the tech industry, wellness experts, regular people just trying to get by, and even chefs have found a variety of benefits in the unique experience that psilocybin can provide. The United States government might still view magic mushrooms as a potentially dangerous substance (the drug has had federal Schedule I designation since 1970, suggesting a high potential for abuse; research-wise it’s actually one of the safest drugs) but magic mushrooms have been used for centuries all over the world both as part of religious ceremonies, for medicine, and, yes, just for fun.

Now, thanks to a spate of recent studies that show the many therapeutic benefits of psilocybin, a shift has begun. America is reexamining the therapeutic potential of these powerful fungi. Just as the world’s top streamer, Netflix, which released both Fantastic Fungi and How to Change Your Mind this year — with both featuring psilocybin extensively and framing its usage in an overwhelmingly positive light.

Similar to cannabis, psilocybin seems to be on a steady march toward federal legalization while being legalized/ decriminalized by cities or states in the meantime. The willingness of governing bodies to reevaluate the old laws is due to the various health benefits the shrooms appear to hold, including the potential to help with depression, addiction, eating disorders, and post-traumatic stress. Those therapeutic effects challenge the Schedule I definition of psilocybin as a substance with “no currently accepted medical use,” and as more studies come to light, there is no doubt that broader legalization is in our near future (multiple states have legalization measures on the ballot for 2022).

So what’s the deal with magic mushrooms? Where can you legally enjoy them? And what resources are available to you if you want to learn more about this deep and rich world? We’re breaking that down in this explainer on all things psilocybin!

How Does It Work & What Does The Science Say?

When psilocybin — a naturally occurring psychoactive hallucinogenic compound — enters the body it turns to psilocin, which then binds to the 5-HT2A receptors in the brain. Those receptors regulate neurotransmitter chemicals related to mood, anxiety, appetite, and more which is why mushrooms might hold promise for people suffering from depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, addiction, and other psychological issues. It’s also what provides the visual altering, sense-enhancing, and intense sense of well-being that is characteristic of the mushroom “hero dose.”

Having said that, psilocybin isn’t for everyone, people who are actively taking SSRIs (though a recent study calls that into question), or who have a family history of psychotic disorders like schizophrenia are not currently advised to take magic mushrooms, especially in heavier doses.

Currently, there are only a few reputable published studies to back up the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin. Because federally psychedelic mushrooms are still illegal, large-scale studies are hard to come by. What’s out there so far is promising, though.

The most extensive studies have been conducted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research and have been subsequently published in reputable scientific and medical journals. One study found that psychedelic treatment with psilocybin helped to relieve depression for up to a month in adults with a long-term history of depression. A follow-up study was conducted to measure the long-term effects which showed even more promise. Researchers found that psilocybin treatment produced large decreases in depression, with participants recording their depression severity as “low” for up to 12 months after initial treatment.

“Psilocybin not only produces significant and immediate effects, it also has a long duration, which suggests that it may be a uniquely useful new treatment for depression,” says Roland R. Griffiths, Ph.D. the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Psychedelic and Consciousness Research in a news release on the study, “Compared to standard antidepressants, which must be taken for long stretches of time, psilocybin has the potential to enduringly relieve the symptoms of depression with one or two treatments.”

That’s huge, and it only scratches the surface of what researchers at Johns Hopkins have found. Since 2014, John Hopkins has conducted studies on psilocybin’s potential to help longtime smokers defeat nicotine addiction, ease the existential anxiety of cancer patients suffering from depression, assist in mitigating dependence and abuse of alcohol, and has called for the reclassification of psilocybin as a Schedule I drug to a Schedule IV drug — the same scheduling enjoyed by legal substances like Xanax, ambient, valium, and soma, to name a few.

In 2021, Johns Hopkins received the first federal grant for psychedelic treatment research in 50 years, which will be a big step in our exploration and understanding of the therapeutic benefits of psilocybin. So how are states reacting?

Where Are Magic Mushrooms Legal?

It’s important to point out that despite the research and the growing acceptance, psychedelic mushrooms are still illegal in the United States… for the most part. A few states have made recent efforts to decriminalize psychedelic mushrooms. Decriminalization is not legalization, so as of now psychedelic mushrooms are in a sort of weird legal limbo. Here is an updating list of the current rules in the decriminalized states.

California:

Since the passage of a 2019 citywide resolution, psychedelic mushrooms have been decriminalized in Oakland, along with other psychedelic plant-based entheogens including iboga, ayahuasca, and mescaline cacti. Santa Cruz followed in 2020 by decriminalizing the possession and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms.

Colorado:

Colorado was the first state to decriminalize magic mushrooms in 2019, though that status only applies to the city of Denver. In 2022 Coloradans will vote on the proposed ballot initiative #58, Access to Natural Medicine, which sets to redefine psychedelic plants and fungi, including DMT, ibogaine, mescaline, and psilocybin, as natural medicine and decriminalize the personal use, possession, growth, and transport for people over the age of 21, statewide.

Massachusettes:

Psilocybin is decriminalized in four municipalities across the state of Massachusettes including Cambridge, Northampton, Easthampton, and Somerville. The commercial sale of psychedelics is still prohibited statewide.

Michigan:

Psychedelic mushrooms enjoy decriminalized status in Ann Arbor and Detroit and voters are currently proposing a similar ballot measure to Colorado’s for 2024. The Michigan Decriminalization of Psilocybin Mushrooms and Other Plants and Fungi initiative is set to appear on the ballot in the 2024 election.

Oregon:

Thanks to the passage of Measure 109 in 2020, Oregon is the first state to not only decriminalize psilocybin but outright legalize it for therapeutic use. The state is working out the kinks but it is set to be the first where you can legally obtain mushrooms from a licensed facility, so long as it’s for therapeutic use.

Washington:

In Seattle, psilocybin is decriminalized. Recently Washington state legislators filed SB 5660, aka the Washington Psilocybin Wellness and Opportunity Act, which will appear on the 2022 ballot and would enable the Department of Health to issue licenses to psilocybin manufacturing facilities, testing labs, service centers, and facilitators.

How To Get A Handle On Dosing

It’s not always easy to get a handle on dosing mushrooms as there are a lot of factors to consider including the species of mushrooms (in the US it’s often psilocybe cubensis, but not always), the strain, your weight, your state of mind, the last time you ate, and the amount you’re consuming at one time. It can all have a considerable effect on the experience. The general consensus is that if it’s your first time, you should start with a low dose, which should bring on feelings of euphoria and may enhance your senses a bit but even a “small dose” can range anywhere between .25 to 1 gram of dried mushrooms. A low dose is not a microdose, so if you’re interested in microdosing mushrooms, you’ll have to go even lower (often .1). Note: Most of the (many) studies on microdosing psilocybin refer to sub-perceptual doses, meaning you don’t consciously feel the effects.

Because there is no scientific consensus on this just yet, we recommend referencing a variety of different dosing guides. Leafly has a great one that underlines what to expect from a low to heavy dose and Sam Woofle put together a pretty comprehensive guide that covers dosing (from micro to heroic) and what sort of environments are most conducive to each dose on his blog Retreat.Guru.

Dosing is a very personal decision and it’s best not to let other people talk you into how little or much you should take. Play it safe and work your way up! A new study published in The Journal of Psychopharmacology and conducted by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College In London found that psilocybin can be safely administered at doses of either 10mg or 25mg (about 1-2 grams of dried mushrooms) with no short or long term detrimental effects in healthy people.

What Resources Are Out There?

So you’ve read the science and you live in (or are visiting) one of the decriminalized states — how do you get your hands on magic mushrooms? For legal purposes… we can’t say, but there are a whole variety of online communities where you can connect with people who know the ins and outs of psilocybin. Sites like the Fungi Academy are incredibly helpful for both casually interested users and would-be amateur mycologists.

Reddit is also helpful (even for amateur growers). Communities like r/Psychonaut and r/Shrooms are great places to share experiences, learn more, and talk about the magic of mushrooms and other psychedelics, as well as learn safety measures and good practices for first-timers. As with any mind-altering substance you’re putting in your body, you’re going to want to do as much research as possible before you attempt to experience the world of psilocybin.

For those ready to embark on more learning on this subject, we wish you well. And have a good trip!

YG‘s Mary J. Blige-sampling new single, “Toxic,” is off to a strong start after dropping on Friday, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t about to help it along with some promotion of his own. YG made the trip to Colors Studios to deliver a smooth performance of his new song for the fan-favorite A COLORS Show. As usual, he’s decked out in bright red, with a paisley-printed jacket setting off his leather pants and unsubtle jewelry collection, choosing a lavender backdrop that highlights his favorite color rather than contrasting it.

The lyrics of “Toxic” find YG contemplating the dissolution of a situationship as his would-be paramour realizes that his attentions come cheaply, no matter how much money he spends. “But she confused, she want titles and I tell her ‘Nah’ / She confused, us together is what she saw / She confused, ’cause I love her so that’s what she thought / She’s confused and that’s ’cause I be in it raw.” In the end, it turns out that the woman YG has lavished with gifts and money is just a sidepiece who has to be content with playing her position.

“Toxic” is the fourth single YG has released this year after “Sign Language,” “Scared Money” featuring J. Cole and Moneybagg Yo, and “Run” with Tyga, 21 Savage, and BIA. It’s thought that these songs will all appear on his upcoming album, I’ve Got Issues, due in September. The album will be YG’s first after completing his five-album deal with Def Jam, although he did re-up on a licensing deal with his old label to make sure he retains ownership of his music.

Watch YG’s A COLORS Show performance of “Toxic” above.

Bay Area rapper Rexx Life Raj dropped one of the most powerful and emotionally stirring hip-hop albums of the year in The Blue Hour. While it presents Raj as the dexterous, creative lyricist that he is, the album largely deals with the trials and tribulations of Raj’s last few years amid the death of both of his parents, who he cared for in their final days. The album is triumphant in Raj’s perseverance at every turn, and he made an appearance on the Sway’s Universe radio show on SiriusXM this week to talk about it and spit one of the most memorable freestyles you’ll hear this year.

Raj gets deep with Sway and co-host Heather B, talking about his loss, the music that came from it, and questioning his faith in the process. The show took multiple callers who talked about their similar experiences with losing loved ones and dealing with cancer as a family. It’s clear that Sway has an affinity for Raj, as he calls The Blue Hour “one of the most important albums to come out of the Bay in a recent while.” He also lauds it for its honesty. Then Sway drops a beat out of nowhere and puts Raj on the spot for a freestyle — although he also calls him a “singer,” which the rapper must’ve taken personally [insert Jordan meme].

The clip above follows the first two minutes of Rexx Life Raj’s flow and presents the moment where he just snapped, rapping: “N****s try to make this sh*t seem hard when it really ain’t / I watched my Momma take her last few breaths, this sh*t is cake / What’s hard when you still got my brother locked in a cage? / A real first diagnosis is cancer in final stage.”

Raj tipped a cap to his days as an offensive lineman for the Boise State Broncos as well, name-checking former QB (and now Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator) Kellen Moore. And then might’ve been the first dude to ever slip in Packers tackle David Bakhtiari’s name in a freestyle: “I pray for positivity and optimism / To turn life lessons into gems that I can drop on n****s / Still giving credit to the ones who never did it hardly / ‘Cause do you get an Aaron Rogers without Bakhtiari?”

Sway flies out of his seat when it ends and you probably will too. Watch the snippet of the freestyle above and check out Rexx Life Raj’s full appearance on Sway’s Universe below.

From the first moment it appeared on screen, Steve Harrington‘s luscious mane has been the stuff of legends and one of the reasons Stranger Things continues to be a pop culture juggernaut. Part of the show’s appeal has been its exacting attention to detail in recreating the look and feel of a small town in the ’80s right down to the wood-paneled walls and, of course, the massive hair.

With four seasons under her belt as the head of Stranger Things hair department, Sarah Hindsgaul has managed a small army of wigs, and now, she’s spilling her secrets for making the Netflix show look like it was plucked directly out of the Reagan years. In a new interview with Mashable, Hindsgaul walks through her process, which includes an extensive collection of wigs that still has to be shared with actors because, again, there’s a whole lot of ’80s hair to get on-screen.

However, when it comes to Steve, actor Joe Keery is one of the few actors who’s not sporting a rug, but he is subjected to a feline grooming trick to unlock his righteous look:

“We put products in [his hair] and then you squeeze like a cat.” Hindsgaul demonstrated by kneading her hand just like a cat paw. “I get all the texture into it and dry it hard into his hair so we get that wave texture. Otherwise, it gets really straight.”

“The cat paw” became a shorthand term on set. Hindsgaul said that if someone other than her was working on Keery’s hair, she’d just ask them to do “the cat paw” and they’d understand. So the secret to Steve’s glorious hair isn’t just four puffs of the Farrah Fawcett spray, as Steve tells Dustin in Season 2. It’s also cats.

On top of sharing the secret to Steve’s legendary hair, Hindsgaul also revealed that while Keery is one of the few actors who doesn’t wear a wig, he does have extensions in the back. Our apologies if your whole world seems like a lie right now.

(Via Mashable)

It would take roughly five days to watch every episode of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul and the oft-forgotten (but pretty good!) El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie. Who needs bathroom breaks and other television shows when you’ve got Walter and Saul and Kim and Huell and Todd and especially Lalo to keep you company? It’s maybe the most accurate way to determine the “best” season of the combined shows, but if you don’t have a work week to re-watch the Breaking Saul (Better Call Bad?) saga because you’re too busy deciding which of your two copies of Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium to plop into the DVD player, Rotten Tomatoes has done the dirty work for you.

Of the 11 combined seasons of Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, two have a 100 percent “Fresh” rating: seasons three and four of Breaking Bad. They both have the same number of reviews under “Critic Ratings” with 35 (user ratings should always be ignored), so for all intents and purposes, they’re tied for the best season.

Of course, this comes with the usual caveat of Rotten Tomatoes scores are reductive, a positive review can get a green splat, a negative review can get a red tomato, etc. That being said, Breaking Bad was, I believe, at its peak in those seasons, so you’ll find no complaints here. Three other seasons have a near-perfect 99 percent “Fresh” rating: seasons four, five, and six (which includes the series finale) of Better Call Saul. In last place, so to speak? The first season of Breaking Bad with 86 percent. Still pretty good!

Here’s the full ranking:

1. Breaking Bad season 3 / Breaking Bad season 4 (100 percent)
2. Better Call Saul season 4 / Better Call Saul season 5 / Better Call Saul season 6 (99 percent)
3. Better Call Saul season 3 (98 percent)
4. Breaking Bad season 2 / Breaking Bad season 5 / Better Call Saul season 1 / Better Call Saul season 2 (97 percent)
5. El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (92 percent)
6. Breaking Bad season 1

(Via Rotten Tomatoes)