Spoiler alert: Although the news you’re about to read is not all that surprising, please stop reading if you have not finished theObi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney Plus. If you have not finished watching Obi-Wan Kenobi and continue to read this, well, you were warned. And also, there are other things to be mad at right now.
At the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series finale (for now at least), the Force Ghost of fallen Jedi Qui Gon Jinn appears in the Tatooine desert to lead his former Padawan. For this brief appearance. Liam Neeson returned to the Star Wars franchise for the first time since 1999’s The Phantom Menace.
Neeson spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and in typical Neeson fashion, very briefly explained why he decided to return to the role after over two decades.
“I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and I wanted to show my respect for George [Lucas] and that mythical world that he created. Plus, Ewan [McGregor] is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.”
So, Neeson returned to Star Wars to play a ghost with a few lines because he did not want anyone else, such as another actor with visual effects, playing Qui-Gon. So, Liam Neeson didn’t want to get Mark Hamill-ed. Fair enough. He also probably got paid a lot of money.
The Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday as one of five teams without a 2022 Draft pick, having dealt all of theirs away in various trades over the past couple of years.
However, that didn’t stop them from hosting draft workouts and evaluating prospects in the second round range, as they planned on trying to buy their way into the second round, as there are always teams with multiple picks ready to accept cash considerations for them. On Thursday afternoon, the Lakers found just such a team, as the Orlando Magic are sending L.A. the 35th overall pick for a future second and cash, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Los Angeles Lakers acquired Orlando’s pick at No. 35 for a future second-round pick and cash, sources tell ESPN.
The 35th pick is pretty high up there, and it should allow the Lakers to target a strong player in the draft, particularly if someone finds themselves slipping out of the first round. The Magic already had the 32nd pick (as well as No. 1 overall), so it’s not a shock that they’d move off of their other second rounder for cash and a future pick. The Lakers will certainly be hoping to land a player who can contribute immediately — at least in the regular season rotation — as they are in desperate need of filling out their roster with minimum players (veteran and rookie alike), and the 35th pick is a good place to try and find one of those.
Taika Waititi stopped by The Late Show on Wednesday night to deliver the most important Marvel movie news to date: Chris Hemsworth‘s butt will not be censored in Thor: Love and Thunder. As shown in the film’s second trailer, Russell Crowe’s Zeus accidentally disrobes Thor, leaving the God of Thunder standing fully naked in front of an entire arena. However, in the trailer, Hemsworth’s super-jacked cheeks are blurred out. Waititi promises that will not be the case in the final product.
“In the movie, it’s not pixelated, though,” Waititi told host Stephen Colbert. “You get the full Hems’ Worth. The full worthiness!”
The Love and Thunder director went on to explain how the world deserves the end result of Hemsworth’s insane fitness regime, plus Waititi just likes putting naked butts in movies. Via AV Club:
“With Chris, he’s worked so hard on that,” Waititi continues. “It’s so many squats! It’d be depriving humanity if I didn’t show that.”
The Oscar-winning director already surprised audiences with a shot of the Hulk’s pea-green posterior in his previous Marvel outing, 2017’s Thor: Ragnarok.
“Some may say it’s an obsession, I just say it’s art,” he concludes.
Of course, with Hemsworth angling for a cameo in Deadpool 3, this may not be the last Marvel fans see of his godly rear. Unless the Rated-R movie goes in a different direction, in which case, firefighters should probably be standing by to hose off theatergoers.
Thor: Love and Thunder will bring the butt thunder to theaters on July 8.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish movies available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
What we have on our hands with this is a collection of new stunts and some behind-the-scenes of old stunts all featuring the sweet and chaotic boys from Jackass. You love that stuff. Don’t you dare overthink it. Turn your brain off and let the madness wash over you. Watch it on Netflix.
10. (tie) On the Count of Three (VOD)
ANNAPURNA
Jerrod Carmichael is having a moment, garnering all the praise for his revealing and powerful HBO special (Rothaniel, watch it again!), a great turn as SNL host, and now, for the release of his festival fave narrative directorial debut, On The Count Of Three. But, of course, you knew Carmichael was a force from his previous specials and The Carmichael Show. You’re just happy to see everyone else catch up and, with this film, get the chance to see Carmichael flex his dramatic muscles opposite Christopher Abbott as two friends trying to get the most out of the last moments before they execute each other as a part of a suicide pact. Track it down on your VOD service of choice.
No one knows who really asked for this reboot starring Andy Garcia in Steve Martin’s shoes. Does this movie somehow involved literal shoes, as in the first movie? You’ll need to tune in and find out as Garcia’s character yanks everyone’s chain like he’s the real Bridezilla. If anyone can get him under control, it’s Gloria Estefan’s matriarch, and this is good, wholesome fun, people. Watch it on HBO Max.
Look elsewhere for a meditative self-exploration of a comic inching toward the end of his life. Norm Macdonald just wants to tell jokes, delivering a very Norm set in a very non-Norm setting (recorded at home with no audience due to COVID) with urgency. David Letterman puts it perfectly in the loose conversation that follows with him, Conan O’Brien, Dave Chappelle, Adam Sandler, Molly Shannon, and David Spade, saying it’s not stand up, but something different. But it’s still something worth seeing for Norm’s swan song and also the aforementioned conversation, which brings a level of closure to fans who get to hear a few great Norm stories and some thoughts on what made him so unique. Watch it on Netflix.
Ambulance has everything you could want in an action movie: frenetic pacing, adrenaline-soaked chase scenes, Michael Bay doing everything at once, hot explosive nonsense, Jake Gyllenhaal as a villainous psychopath with crazy eyes, an ambulance, etc. It’s basically perfect, if this is the type of thing you’re looking for, which you probably are on a Friday or Saturday night. Make some popcorn or order a pizza and get in there. Watch it on Peacock.
Friends and colleagues of the late comedian and Full House star get together for one last tribute, this one probably full of sweet memories and filthy jokes. Which feels right. Watch it on Netflix.
Everybody clap your hands for Cha Cha Real Smooth, the second feature from writer and director Cooper Raiff. He also stars in the comedy-drama as a recent college graduate with an aimless life until he finds a job (bar/bat mitzvah “party starter”) and friends (a suburban mom played by Dakota Johnson and her autistic teenage daughter). It sounds like Indie Movie Trope Overload, but Cha Cha Real Smooth is a real charmer, with a heartfelt performance from Johnson. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Bowen Yang may be the best talent to emerge from Saturday Night Live in years – a fact underscored by the recent departure of comedy greats like Kate McKinnon and Aidy Bryant – but he’s not the only reason this sweet and silly gay romcom works. A BIG reason, sure, but not the only one. There’s also Margaret Cho playing a loopy lesbian house mom, a setting that allows a group of Queer misfits to find a sense of belonging amidst MDMA hazes and pulse-pounding raves, and a central love story that borrows from the period romance wellspring of one Jane Austen. It’s a booze-infused Pride & Prejudice in short swim trunks for the gays and the theys, but the fact that it works so damn well is also proof that the romcom genre should be welcoming more Queer and minority romantic leads into its ranks. Watch it on Hulu.
Adam Sandler plays a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who discovers a raw but promising player in Spain. Hijinks ensue. Kind of. It’s more of a dramedy than, say, Jack & Jill, but it’s still Sandler doing his thing. Basketball fans will no doubt be just as interested in the action as they will be picking out all the cameos by NBA stars. It looks like a good time. Watch it on Netflix.
3. Jerry and Marge Go Large (Paramount Plus)
PARAMOUNT PLUS
Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening play a married couple who discover a loophole in the state lottery and use it to win millions and millions of dollars. There should be more movies like this. Hundreds of them, probably. But this is a good start. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson, and Kaley Cuoco team up for a comedy about mistaken identity and assassins and probably a few other things, but mostly those. The fuller description looks like this: A loser from Pennsylvania wakes up on vacation and is somehow assumed to be a world-famous contract killer. Hijinks, presumably, ensue. Watch it on Netflix.
1. Beavis and Butt-Head Do The Universe (Paramount Plus)
PARAMOUNT
Beavis and Butt-head debuted on MTV something like 30 years ago and is still, somehow, against truly staggering odds, still going strong, with this movie sending them to the cosmos and other projects in the works down the line, too. It’s good news, to be sure, but please do imagine telling someone from like 1997 that these two would still be around in 2022 and would be going to space. It would be almost as shocking as the thing where time travel was apparently invented. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
Each week our staff of film and TV experts surveys the entertainment landscape to select the ten best new/newish shows available for you to stream at home. We put a lot of thought into our selections, and our debates on what to include and what not to include can sometimes get a little heated and feelings may get hurt, but so be it, this is an important service for you, our readers. With that said, here are our selections for this week.
Two important things are worth noting here. The first is that this show, a fun dramedy starring Rose Byrne that takes a spandex-tight look at the 1980s aerobics era and the types of people who made it a whole thing, is returning for a second season. The second thing is that this new season adds Murray Bartlett to the cast, which, as anyone who watched him devolve into an amphetamine-snorting lunatic on The White Lotus can attest, is a wonderful development. Good news all around. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
What we have here is an alternate history situation, one where the space race of the 1960s didn’t end, thanks in large part to Russia beating America to a handful of important achievements. The show is now in season three, so there’s plenty for you to dive into if you want, which you probably should, in part due to a bunch of space cowboys doing cool space cowboy things, and in part because all your television-obsessed friends won’t stop talking about it. Win-win. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
Remember American Vandal? Man, it would be great if you did. That show was incredible, both in its zeitgeist-capturing first season and in its less-viral second season. Go back and watch both of them again some time. You deserve it. Or, maybe, watch Players, the new series from the American Vandal team that was scooped up by Paramount. This one focuses on gamers and gaming and esports and the teams and competitions that have turned into big-money enterprises. You deserve this, too. Watch it on Paramount Plus.
The notorious Jeffs are getting it done, first with Jeff Daniels portraying a complicated lawman in Showtime’s American Rust and now with Jeff Bridges portraying an ex-CIA operative (Dan Chase, what a name) who’s forced into (wait for it) one last job in this adaptation of Thomas Perry’s bestselling thriller novel. John Lithgow plays the impetus, a government agent, who’s really pissing off Bridges’ character, and it’s on. All of Dan’s skills are back, so watch out, naysayers. Watch it on FX/Hulu.
This show brings us the perfect actress, Iman Vallani, for the leading gig of portraying Kamala Khan. She takes us on a fun-filled revamp of her character’s comic character, and this show is a roaring ball of glee that will help to set up The Marvels, which will not only include Kamala and Carol but also Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Paris) from WandaVision. The MCU’s lightening up again, and we love to see it. Watch it on Disney Plus.
Jeremy Allen White can’t leave Chicago, it seems. The Shameless actor’s now portraying a too-intense, former fine-dining chef who ends up back home and attempting to helm a sandwich shop for his family. There’s an emotional reason for this, and the actual realities of running this business turn into a cluster. In the midst of it all, there’s a sense of humanity in how this show portrays relationships, while White’s character (Carmy) transforms his own sense of self and learns to find a second family. Watch it on Hulu.
The long-awaited fourth season of Stranger Things is, in a word, epic. And that’s not because of its cinematic run times. Well, not entirely. It’s true you’ll essentially be watching seven movies, not episodes, but those are packed with all of the 80s nostalgia, Dungeons and Dragons references, demonic possessions, prison breaks, rink parties, and secret government experiments you could ask for. Hawkins is in more danger than ever and with Eleven powerless, there’s no superhero in sight — unless you count Erica Sinclair, which obviously you should. But the joy of this season is watching the rest of these weirdos and misfits band together to save each other … and themselves. Watch it on Netflix.
One of the biggest problems with television these days is that there are not enough shows that star Maya Rudolph. That’s why it is nice to have Loot, an Apple series that stars Rudolph as a billionaire who learns how the rest of the world lives. It’s a good start. Maya Rudolph is the best. Watch it on Apple TV Plus.
By order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, we demand you watch the final season of Netflix’s historical crime drama. Why? Because Cillian Murphy has never been better. Because we’re building up to a second World War. Because there are Fascists with tiny mustaches and Prohibition’s over and familial blood feuds are wreaking havoc across two continents and gypsy curses are being broken and Tom Hardy is back (doing his unintelligible mumbling thing while writing an original opera) and … well, you get it right? Watch it on Netflix.
The robots are back. Kind of. Maybe. HBO’s always mindbending Wild West robotic uprising show is back, once again, after a long break. You might want to dig back through previous seasons before diving in again, though. Or at least scan through some summaries. The show is a lot, for good and occasionally messy, but it always delivers on its promise of robot-human violence, which has to count for something. Watch it on HBO Max.
It’s a sublime return for the misfit superhero family. As they are crushed to learn, the Sparrow Academy now aims to be front and center, and the O.G. Hargreeves siblings must adjust to this strange new timeline where their common Bad Dad Reginald’s other kiddos exist. Oh, and there’s another rift in the universe, which actually leads Elliot Page’s Viktor to unite with a character who acted fully like an enemy last season. Gerard Way’s comic book series keeps on giving good adaptation, and hopefully, there will be more dancing to go with yet another apocalypse. Watch it on Netflix.
Finally, The Boys. Are. Back. And so is Homelander, although he is most decidedly not okay after the events of the Season 2 finale, so plenty more increasingly sadistic behavior will soon arrive on that end. He’s got competition in the “hero of heroes” department, though, because Jensen Ackles climbs aboard as Soldier Boy (a profane Captain America knockoff), who’s definitely all up in the “Herogasm” episode, which you should sit down before watching. And expect the show to actually transcend those exploding heads, the whale collision, and Homelander’s self-pleasuring scene atop a skyscraper. In other words, clear you calendar for these weekly decadent delights. Watch it on Amazon Prime.
One of the many important things we learned fromThor: Ragnarok is that adding The Incredible Hulk to something can make it better, especially if Hulk’s presence is played for comedy. I think about this a lot. Too much, most normal people would probably say. Luckily, for me if not anyone else, I have a job where that kind of counts as work. I can send my editor a message out of nowhere that reads something like “hey can I write a thing about other movie franchises it would be fun to plop The Incredible Hulk into?” and he will, for some reason, say yes, and then here we are. It’s an interesting system.
So, below, please find an incomplete list of movie franchises I think could be improved by adding The Incredible Hulk, maybe just a little. A few notes before we get into it, though:
I say “an incomplete list” because the truth is that almost all of the movies ever made could use a dollop of strategically deployed Hulk
It is still my position that the best use of Hulk is a standalone movie where he’s just trying to find himself while on vacation in Hawaii, drinking mai tais and mingling a bit
I am serious about this
Here we go.
The Fast & Furious Movies
Universal
The Fast & Furious movies already kind of added Hulk once before when they introduced The Rock as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five, which I mean mostly as a compliment to everyone involved. But that… didn’t work out, long term, for reasons that are well-documented, occasionally by me. Just cutting through the bullcrap and adding the actual Hulk is helpful here for a few important reasons:
I would like it
Everyone else is already in the movies
I want to see Hulk stuffed behind the wheel of a tiny neon Honda
I want to see Dominic Toretto and Hulk growl through a conversation
No losers here.
Mamma Mia
Hulk singing “Dancing Queen” by ABBA
Just really getting after it
Picture that
I’m serious, picture it, get a full visual in your head right now
Now add Cher
This is a good idea
Paddington
WARNER BROS.
Hulk and Paddington teaming up to solve a mystery, maybe involving a theatrical villain played by Tom Hardy. The two of them roaming;p London on the hunt for clues. Paddington riding around on Hulk’s shoulder. Hulk and Paddington encountering a locked door and Hulk smashing through a wall to get in and Paddington saying “oh dear.” Hulk absolutely destroying entire trays of marmalade sandwiches.
Find a flaw in any of this.
Top Gun
There are two factors at play here and I consider them equally important.
The first is that I want to see Tom Cruise interact with Hulk. I want to see it a lot, so bad, for a whole movie. I want to see Hulk get mad and heave a whole airplane off the deck of an aircraft carrier into the ocean and then I want to see Tom Cruise smirk and say “What did we say about using our words, buddy?” I want to see them sing at a bar together to woo a nice lady. I want to see them walk into an angry superior’s office in their white uniforms and I want to see Hulk’s uniform struggle mightily to contain his massive torso.
The second thing is that I want to see Hulk stuffed into the cockpit of a fighter jet. I know a already made the “let Hulk sing” case in the Mamma Mia section and the “stuff Hulk into a small form of transportation” case in the Fast & Furious section, but in my defense, I really like thinking about those things.
Rocky/Creed
MGM
Okay, I need you to picture something again. Start with Rocky giving Adonis a big pep talk in a locker room, the kind Rocky has given and received a bunch of times now, about heart and desire and overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles. Then get a good visual of Adonis’ face as he strides toward the ring, the determination and drive written all over it after a full movie’s worth of backstory explained why this particular fight was important and needed to happen. We cut to a shot of Phylicia Rashad in the crowd, equal parts proud and worried. The bells start playing and the famous Rocky music begins to swell…
And then the fight starts and Hulk punches him so hard that he flies into the upper deck like a cartoon. Probably not great for the movie or franchise, I guess. But still, pretty funny.
Sex and the City
CARRIE: I just don’t know what to here. How do I choose between the two of them?
MIRANDA: You need to focus on your career.
CHARLOTTE: Oh stop. Which one makes your heart flutter? That’s the real question.
SAMANTHA: Who says you have to choose?
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: [sipping a cosmo out of a 55-gallon drum] HULK THINK MR. BIG NOT ACTUALLY THAT BIG.
Scream
Dimension Films
[phone rings]
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: HELLO?
SCREAM MURDERER: [doing the voice] Do you like scary mov-… hold on. Who is this?
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: THIS HULK.
SCREAM MURDERER: Where is Sydney?
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: SHE IN BATHROOM.
SCREAM MURDERER: I’ll… uh… call back.
THE INCREDIBLE HULK: OKAY.
Indiana Jones
Hulk and Harrison Ford racing toward a museum run by Nazis who are trying to use a collection of relics to create an all-powerful weapon that will wipe out their enemies in a single strike.
Hulk is in the sidecar of a two-person motorcycle, weighing the whole thing down and putting it in constant peril of tipping over.
The Matrix
warner bros.
Hulk in a full-length leather trench coat and sunglasses.
That’s actually all I have for this one.
Just that one mental image.
Still.
I think it plays.
The Ocean’s Movies
I don’t know, man. I just want to see Hulk take part in a heist, maybe in a tuxedo, maybe with George Clooney. I can’t decide if I’d prefer to see him try to sneak around and just be terrible at it or if I’d rather see him try to wear a disguise that doesn’t fool anyone, but either way, I do want to see it. I also want to see him lose at slots and get angry and bop the machine so hard with his massive fists that it starts spitting out coins and causes chaos on the casino floor.
The American single malt whiskey category is booming right now. It’s still nowhere near as huge as Scotch single malt whisky, as historic and prestigious a liquor designation that exists, but American single malts (ASM) are beginning to grab the world’s attention — through amazing releases by distillers who truly care about the history and authenticity of single malt. What better time than right now to pit some ASM whiskeys against some hard-core classic Scotch single malts?
For this blind tasting, I grabbed four modern classic American single malt whiskeys and four stone-cold classics from Scotland to see how they stacked up. I’m not looking for one region to dominate the other per se, I’m more looking at how they compare on the nose and on the palate, and which one is the best of the pours in front of me. I guess I also want to see which ASM whiskeys will break into the top four and which Scotch whiskies will fall into the bottom four too.
Our lineup today is:
Glenmorangie The Original 10-Year
Speyburn 15
Lost Lantern St. George Spirits California Single Malt Whiskey
Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction
Glenrothes 18
Balcones Texas Single Malt Whisky
The Balvenie 12 Double Oak
Westland American Single Malt Whiskey
Let’s get tasting!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
The nose opens with soft grains next to a rush of dried fruits and supple leather with a floral hint that leans toward dry hibiscus and fresh woodruff. The palate is gentle with hints of wet malts next to powdered dark spices, fresh honeycombs, and a thin line of vanilla oils just touched with orange zest and maybe a twinge of grapefruit.
This is complex yet so smooth and inviting. This is a great pour to start with and likely something made by Dr. Bill Lumsden (if you know, you know).
Taste 2
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Interesting. This opens with a pinch of Kosher salt next to dried grass husks with soft leather and a hint of carambola on the nose. The palate sweetens toward a pear candy with a touch of passionfruit tartness next to grapefruit oils, nutmeg and allspice, and honey candies. The finish rides that bright and fresh fruit toward a soft landing in a pillow of malts and subtle winter spices filtered through a vanilla cake.
This is pretty f*cking outstanding.
Taste 3
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Woah… This is a massive 180 with a nose that’s dominated by lemon candy, bitter lemon soda, fresh sawdust, and a pre-mixed Bellini. The palate really leans into the lemon candy with a counterpoint of … I want to say white asparagus. A hodgepodge of red licorice ropes and mixed melon balls draw out the finish with a fruity sweet/savory vibe.
I don’t know if I love this or hate it with the fire of a million suns. Time will tell.
Taste 4
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a clear sense of dark cacao nibs with a waxy vibe from off the tree next to classic Almond Roca candies (very Pacific Northwest) and a nice counterbalance of tart berries that range from fresh raspberry to sour cherry. The palate starts off with a creamy mocha latte with nice layers of vanilla beans, nutmeg, cinnamon candy, and marzipan. The mid-palate moves away from the sweetness toward dry wicker with a soft and supple maltiness that’s part spiced malt and part soft cacao powder.
This was unique and had a point of view. It’s also super easy to drink. I can see this ranking pretty damn high.
Taste 5
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a mix of toasted malts with a touch of pear candy next to small lines of winter spice, dry straw, and a hint of mint tobacco. The palate sweetens with the malts before veering into crème brûlée with a little cinnamon sharpness and sweetness before leaning back on the savory fruit, think figs. The end is full of rock candy and a dash of dried oak staves.
This was very much “fine” and “interesting” and all of that. But … we’ll see.
Taste 6
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
You can smell the high ABVs on the nose with a good dose of pecan waffles, maple, and sharp sarsaparilla. The palate is creamy but hits on some serious warmth with those ABVs promised on the nose as pear candy mixes with fresh ginger and a pile of pecan shells next to a hint of floral Earl Grey. The finish leans into the dryness of the nutshell and tea while hinting at the maple and sarsaparilla from the nose.
This definitely needed a single rock to calm it down. I’m guessing there are a ton of flavor notes just waiting for you to find after it blooms with that touch of water.
Taste 7
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
This opens with floral honey next to a vanilla wafer, apple blossoms, and a hint of summer wildflowers. The palate is a nice mix of classic maltiness with a twinge of spice next to honey and Scotch broom. The end is honeyed and spiced with nutmeg, clove, and allspice with a soft landing in sweet malts that hint at tobacco.
This was really nice but felt like more of a great cocktail base than a classic sipper.
Taste 8
Zach Johnston
Tasting Notes:
Candied lemon rinds and creamy vanilla lead to a soft sense of mocha lattes and Earl Grey on the nose with a very distant hint of something umami in there (maybe a mushroom powder?). The palate is pretty sweet with candied malts, more of that mocha creaminess, and a hint of black bananas. The end is a mix of Almond Joy and ripe cherry with a thin landing with hints of banana bread and milk chocolate.
This felt a little less distinct than it could have been. It was a tad muted.
Part 2: The Ranking
Zach Johnston
8. Lost Lantern St. George Spirits California Single Malt Whiskey — Taste 3
St. George — in Alameda, California — is technically America’s first (modern) craft distillery, founded all the way back in 1982. The juice in the bottle is a single barrel release of only 215 bottles. The whisky is made with 100 percent malted barley that’s aged for a mere three and ten months in new American oak. The single barrel that Lost Lantern picked was then bottled as-is with no filtration, cutting with water, or fussing.
This Seattle whiskey is made with five types of barley from Washington state: Munich, Extra Special, Brown, Pale Chocolate, and Washington Select Pale malts. Those malts are all processed locally and then mixed with classic Belgian ale yeasts for fermentation. The distillate is then triple-barreled in new American oak, Cooper’s Reserve new American oak, and first-fill ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, those barrels are blended, proofed down, and bottled as-is.
Bottom Line:
This felt like it got a little lost on the palate while the water/proofing washed out the end a tad bit. It’s not bad at all, it’s just not that astounding when stacked up against these particular whiskeys either.
This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was good stuff. But, let’s be real, this is great for awesome cocktails way more than sipping. Sure, it’d be great on the rocks, but I’m looking for “wow” and not “yeah, that’s fine.”
This whisky is made with a lot of care. The juice is 100% malted barley imported from Scotland, specifically Scottish Golden Promise Malted Barley. The spirit then ages in a combination of barrels ranging from new and used American, French, and Hungarian oak. After a few years under the hot Waco sun, the barrels are vatted and bottled as-is with no fussing besides a touch of local water.
Bottom Line:
This was very much in the “hey, that’s nice!” section of the panel. I like it, but it needed some ice to really dig into it.
This Speyside whisky is often crowned the “Best Speyside” whisky at spirits competitions. The juice in the bottle is a high portion of first-fill sherry casks, all of which spent 18 long years mellowing in The Glenrothes warehouses. Those barrels are then vatted and proofed down with local water before bottling without any coloring added.
Bottom Line:
Interesting. The oldest and most expensive whisky ended up right in the middle. This was pretty good stuff but didn’t wow me. I think a little water would have changed that. It feels like this needs a lot of time (and some water) to let it really bloom in the glass.
The Glenmorangie is a classic Highlands single malt. The juice is created on the tallest stills in Scotland, which allows more spirit creation along the way as it’s boiled. The whisky then spends ten years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This might be my favorite dram today. It’s so accessible and easy to drink. The only reason it’s in third and not first is that it wasn’t all that complex. It’s a very straightforward (and perfectly made) sweet single malt. There are no bells or whistles or “wow” moments. Sometimes you don’t need any of that, and that’s where this whisky shines.
2. Westward Whiskey American Single Malt — Taste 4
Portland’s Westward Whiskey has its roots in Pacific Northwest craft brewing culture (like most craft distilleries in the PNW). This juice is emblematic of how important the first step of whiskey is — the fermented mash that is basically beer — to the whiskey-making process. The whiskey spends a few years aging in new American oak, like bourbon, before tiny batches of five or six barrels are used to create this expression.
Bottom Line:
This was a contender! As I mentioned above, this has a point of view and stuck to it. It’s complex and still fun. It’s deep but light. It’s balanced. This is good stuff. And had my mood been a little different, this might have been number one.
Also, holy shit! An American single malt almost beat out the Scotch competition…
Speyburn is an old-school Speyside whisky that was huge in the time of Queen Victoria and still wins award after award to this day. That long-lasting quality is due to slow whisky making just off the River Spey, where everything moves a little slower from the fermentation to the stills to the aging. The juice spends 15 years aging in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling without any filtration.
Bottom Line:
This was funky and interesting while still feeling extremely comforting and accessible. It’s a great balance to pull off, and helped this pour land in the number one spot pretty easily.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Zach Johnston
Well, there you go — American single malts can stand up to classic Scotch whisky. …Not always, but enough that they matter. Of course, these blind tastings are only small sample groups. I’ll do these, again and again, to see if more American single malts can muster the strength to beat out their progenitors from across the pond. Maybe I’ll grab some peated ASM whiskeys next time and see how those stack up against huge names from Islay and Skye…
In the end, that Westward bottle was the star of the show. It was so distinct while still feeling fresh and fun to drink. The Speyburn was on the same page. Fresh, fun, a little funky, but ultimately nourishing to the soul. Those two bottles are the real winners today.
As Deadline detailed on Thursday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos confirmed that ads are coming, but the company just isn’t sure how it will roll them out just yet. There’s the option of starting an in-house ad company, of course, or partnering with other firms to make ads a reality between episodes of The Circle.
The streamer said in April that it would offer a cheaper, ad-supported tier to customers after suffering blows to subscriber numbers and its stock. It has reportedly met with Google, NBCUniversal and Roku to discuss potential ad-sales and marketing partnerships.
…
The plan, he revealed, is to create “a pretty easy entry to the market, which we’ll build on and iterate to make Netflix a destination for users. What we’ll do first is not representative of what the product will be ultimately. Start light, keep it simple and iterate fast.”
He remained agnostic on whether the streamer would then move to owning its own advertising arm. “If it becomes so important [that] we want to have control over it, we might,” he said.
In theory, this ad-supported tier would not impact anyone with an existing Netflix subscription. But anyone who has used a streaming service in recent years knows how ad creep works, so it’s unlikely many people outside of Netflix are viewing this as particularly good news. There’s some interesting inside baseball to parse in the Deadline piece about how many kinds of “content” Netflix believes it offers (20) and how they believe there’s significant “room to grow” in the streaming space. But the bare-bones assessment here is that Netflix continues to get more expensive, or will require ads to watch it for cheaper, all while the company continues to get smaller.
The news comes on the same day The Hollywood Reporter detailed another round of layoffs at Netflix as the streamer continues to trim back its in-house production staff. The 300 jobs reportedly cut follows a layoff round of about half that in May of this year.
“Both Ted and I regret not seeing our slowing revenue growth earlier so we could have ensured a more gradual readjustment or the business,” read a note sent to staff on Thursday from Netflix co-chiefs Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos.
About 216 staffers impacted were in the United States and Canadian region, 30 employees were cut in Asia-Pacific countries, 53 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 17 in Latin America, the memo stated.
Ads are clearly seen as a viable revenue stream for Netflix these days, but the news will likely do little to keep subscribers happy, many of whom opted for cord-cutting platforms with the express intent of enjoying commercial-free content.
Jay Williams was the No. 2 overall pick of the Chicago Bulls out of Duke in the 2002 NBA Draft, but saw his career come to an end in 2003 when he suffered severe injuries from a motorcycle crash that also violated the terms of his contract with the Bulls, becoming one of the all-time cautionary tales to young athletes in the process.
On Thursday morning, Williams, now the host of ESPN’s drive-time radio show with Max Kellerman and Keyshawn Johnson, was discussing Kyrie Irving’s situation and the fear that the Nets and other teams have that he might retire at some point or sit out games again. Williams noted that if he was Irving, he wouldn’t sign a contract that had a trigger for a minimum number of games because what happens if you get hurt on the court and can’t play.
At that point, Kellerman jumped in with an absolutely wild one-liner directed at Williams that had everyone on set — including Jay — rolling.
“If it was Jay and they didn’t guarantee the final two years, he’d get on his motorcycle and drive away! He’d be outta there!”
If there were ever a doubt of how much Max and Jay like each other, this should confirm they’re pretty close because this isn’t a joke you can just throw out there if you aren’t boys and get that kind of reaction. That was the low point of Jay’s life and Max is out here dropping zingers about it on live radio — I must say, Jay did set himself up for it, I just don’t think anyone expected Max to go for it. It’s good that Jay can laugh about it now and salute to Max for providing the one-liner of the year on sports radio.
“Thoughts and prayers” may do f**k-all to prevent mass shootings, but Kyrsten Sinema is tired of hearing them mocked. On Tuesday, as Mediaite reports, the senior senator from Arizona addressed her fellow lawmakers from the Senate floor ahead of a vote to discuss the details of a bipartisan bill that would create more “red flag laws,” allowing firearms to be taken away from people who have indicated a tendency to hurt themselves or others.
While Sinema was one of the key negotiators in creating this bill, she also wanted to make it clear that she’s tired of hearing her fellow elected officials mock each other in the wake of mass tragedies like the recent shootings in Uvalde, Texas, and Buffalo, New York. As Sinema explained:
Elected officials have made a habit of insulting one another for offering thoughts and prayers, for blaming violence on strictly mental illness or video games or particular kinds of weapons or any cause that didn’t align with and confirm their own predetermined beliefs.
Casting blame and trading political barbs and attacks became the path of least resistance. But the communities across our country who’ve experienced senseless violence than Washington politics as usual.
Sinema’s right: those communities do deserve better—but clichéd “thoughts and prayers” are still the lazy person’s way of dealing with America’s gun problem and a way to offer faux outrage without the willingness to do anything about it. Bipartisan bills like the one she helped to create, however, are a welcome first step.
Simena: “Elected officials have made a habit of insulting one another for offering thoughts & prayers, for blaming violence on strictly mental illness, or video games, or particular kinds of weapons, or any cause that didn’t align with & confirm their own predetermined beliefs” pic.twitter.com/rBOOURtMBb
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