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“Small Batch” bourbon still has a lot of shine to it in 2022. Small batch bourbons tend to be the first step away from the regular gateway bottles into a wider, more cultivated world of bourbon connoisseurship. Think Jim Beam White Label shooters graduating to Knob Creek Small Batch Aged 9 Years in a rocks glass. Those are the same bourbons from the same distillery, but from different barrels with different flavor profiles, and one is twice the price.

It’s important to point out that while “small batch” is on a lot of bottles, it is simply a marketing term. There are no laws stipulating what can be legally called a “small batch,” and the definition varies a lot from brand to brand. I can tell you for a fact that some “small batch” bourbons have more barrels in them than a standard Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 release (which is made in 375 barrel batches). True, some small batches are only three, five, or 10 barrels per release, but that’s pretty rare. Sometimes “small batch” is literally true, and sometimes it’s more of an aspiration.

Anyway, since “small batch” is still such an important designation, I decided to “double-blind” taste 12 classics, new, and crafty small batch bourbons from my shelf. I enlisted my wife to grab any bourbon bottle with “small batch” or “batch no.” on the label and number them in Glencairn glasses for me.

Our lineup today is:

• Knob Creek Small Batch Aged 9 Years
• Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon 95 Proof
• Kentucky Peerless Small Batch Bourbon
• Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon Batch no. 129
• Paul Sutton Small Batch Bourbon
• Garrison Brothers Small Batch Texas Bourbon
• Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon
• Booker’s “Bardstown Batch”
• Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
• Four Roses Small Batch Select
• Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Very Small Batch
• Bib & Tucker Small Batch Tennessee Bourbon Aged 6 Years

Let’s dive in!

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

• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Okay, here’s the problem with being a pro judge/taster and doing this shit double-blind. I know this is Knob Creek from the second I take a whiff. There’s cherry Coke, cinnamon sticks, kettle corn, pecan waffles, lush vanilla, nutmeg, orange zest, and a hint of leather. It’s a pure classic. That orange zest and winter spice combine for a warm mid-palate with a cherry bark vibe. The finish is warm doughnuts with a cinnamon glaze next to bright Bing cherries dropping in an orchard.

Since I know this is Beam, I’m now curious to see what’ll beat it today. I know I have some bangers on my shelf. Let’s see how they do.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Wow, this is another classic on the nose with big notes of dark cherry, rich cacao, raw biscuits, and wintery spice next to vanilla beans and a hint of caramel. The palate largely delivers on that nose, which is a little bit of a letdown, but also layers in some dark cacao and espresso beans with clove/cinnamon/allspice spicy warmth. The end is cherry tobacco dipped in lush eggnog and packed into a cedar box.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This is wildly different with a soft yet sweet nose full of blackberry pie filling, old boot leather, Almond Roca candies, and a moist yet rich pipe tobacco just kissed with apple/vanilla. That vanilla turns into a silky cream on the palate as espresso beans covered in creamy dark chocolate give way to dry cedar bark braids, a touch of pine pitch, and freshly ground nutmeg. That woody mid-point builds a light Kentucky Hug of warmth as the finish dives into sugar pies with a berry compote drizzle, eggnog ice cream, and winter spices leading to old wicker porch furniture on the very back end.

No “pancake batter” or “waffles” or “raw biscuits” on the nose means this isn’t a sour mash. That makes this Peerless — one of the only sweet mash small batches on my shelf right now. Plus, it’s not funky enough to be a Wilderness Trail. This is now the pour to beat.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

This is fascinating on the nose with a mix of spicy chocolate-laced tobacco stuffed in a cedar box next to packets of taco seasoning with a hint of wet yellow masa lurking in the background. The taste goes on a separate journey toward cherry Coke, damp straw bales, vanilla pudding powder, and dried chili-infused dark chocolates with a flake of salt and dry oak. The end is part vanilla and toffee and part singed marshmallow with that cherry attaching itself to the spicy tobacco.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This is like opening a barn door to a cow stall on the nose, I’m not kidding. It’s pure barnyard funk nest to sour cherry and a touch of a pine box. The taste veers into sweet cornbread with notes of chocolate-covered cherries and caramel balancing things out. The end is pecan pie with more of that cherry/chocolate vibe with a hint of spicy warmth.

This was jarring.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Wet cornmeal and oats (hello, Garrison Brothers) lead to worn leather, caramel apples from the state fair, and a hint of cinnamon toast on the nose. Those wet grains drive the palate toward buttery shortbread with plenty of vanilla and lemon oils with a hint of orange oils, cinnamon, and old oak. The mid-palate goes full vanilla sheet cake with lemon frosting as woody spices add a nice heat alongside salted caramel drizzled over apple pie with a whisper of sweet campfire smoke lurking on the back end.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Okay, here we go. The nose opens with this mix of salted caramel doughnuts next to bruised peaches with a sense of bespoke cream soda laced with dark cherry and a thin echo of singed marshmallows. The palate has a creamy texture — kind of like those peaches swimming in vanilla-laced heavy cream — that gives way to a matrix of winter spices with a slight peppery edge. The mid-palate amps up the cinnamon and clove as the peach stews down with those spices and a hint of maple syrup before toffee tobacco kicks in with a hint of charred cedar planks on the finish.

I mean, this is very clearly Michter’s and delicious. I’m not sure it beats Peerless right now though.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Another “classic” bourbon on the nose with big notes of old cherry leather, vanilla tobacco pipe tobacco, chewy caramel candies, and Sioux City Sasparilla straight out of the glass bottle. That sweetness is short-lived as the palate bursts with ABVs — read: heat — with Red Hot cinnamon, clove berries, anise, and allspice all mixing before soft and lush marzipan calms things down. Chili-infused dark chocolate keeps things hot on the back end as wet cedar and dark cherry tobacco round out the taste.

This was good but pretty goddamn hot on the mid-palate.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Wow, this is thin compared to the last dram — feels unfair to taste this right away after that high-proof monster.

Anyway, there are notes of pecans and raw pancake batter on the nose with a hint of leather and cinnamon. The palate is all apple pie and vanilla ice cream with a touch more cinnamon and cherry Necco Wafers but ultimately kind of washed out. The finish amps things up with cherry multi-vitamins and chocolate milk powder and a hint more of that leather for the nose.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

This nose is enticing with a mix of dark berries and cloves with a yeasty doughnut filled with dark fruit and covered in powdered sugar next to a thin line of berry brambles — stems, thorns, dirt, leaves, and all. The palate is lush with a balance of berry pie filling next to winter spices, mincemeat pies, nutshells, and brandy butter vanilla sauce. The finish arrives with a rush of fresh mint next to wet oak, blackberry Hostess Pies, and nutmeg-heavy eggnog next to a final note of that berry bramble dirt.

This is a contender! It’s also very clearly Four Roses with all of that dark berry, spice, and earthiness.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

Thin on the nose, this opens with classic notes of caramel, vanilla, and leather with a hint of oak and cherry. That thinness continues on the palate (thanks, low ABVs) while stewed apples, buttery toffee, nutmeg, and a hint of walnut mingle. The finish stays in the “classic” lane with mild notes of caramel and vanilla countered by apple pie and oakiness.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

Raw leather and wet cedar mix with vanilla cream and a sense of black licorice protein powder. The palate leans into ginger spiciness with yellow masa and cinnamon-heavy apple cider rounding things out. The finish is light and has a black Necco Wafer vibe next to winter spices and apple tobacco warmth on the end.

Part 2: The Ranking

12. Paul Sutton Small Batch Bourbon — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

Paul Sutton is a new bourbon from an old family recipe. I know, we’ve all heard it before. The new whiskey is not a blend of sourced bourbons. The brand took the time to release its contract distilled whiskey. The bourbon mash bill has a touch of rye in it and it aged for up to five years in medium char barrels.

Bottom Line:

That barnyard funk was just too much to get past today. Had it layered into something on the palate, it would have worked. But here we are.

11. Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey — Taste 9

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is built from a batch of barrels that are a minimum of seven years old. Nearest’s master blender, Victoria Eady-Butler, builds the blend according to classic flavor notes first put into Tennessee whiskey by her ancestor, Nearest Green, back in the 1800s.

Bottom Line:

I want this at barrel proof. Uncle Nearest 1854 is at least at 100 proof, which is a big step up.

10. Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Very Small Batch Bourbon — Taste 11

ABV: 41.5%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

This is a sourced bourbon from around Kentucky. The age, mash, and vital details are undisclosed. What we do know is that the team at Jefferson’s spends a lot of time tinkering with their barrels to create accessible and affordable bourbons.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that falls down thanks to all that proofing water. It’s just washed out. At least here, though, there’s still a decent depth on the palate.

9. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Tennessee Bourbon Aged 6 Years — Taste 12

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

Bib & Tucker pulls barrels of Tennessee whiskey from an old and quiet valley in the state. They then blend those barrels to meet their brand’s flavor notes. While they are distilling their own whiskey now, this is still all about the blending of those barrels in small batches.

Bottom Line:

That Tennessee whiskey vitamin note is there but not the star of the show. Still, this is fine. Their 10-year expression is the one to go for though.

8. Broken Barrel Small Batch Bourbon — Taste 2

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

This Kentucky whiskey is made under contract at Owensboro Distilling Co. The mash is 70% corn, 21% rye, and nine percent malted barley. Those barrels then have oak staves put in them for a final maturation. The “Oak Bill” by Broken Barrel is 40% French oak, 40% ex-bourbon, and 20% sherry cask staves. That whiskey is then blended and bottled after proofing.

Bottom Line:

This was amongst the “that’s fine” run on this tasting. It didn’t jump out at me until I saw the reveal and the price. This is pretty good stuff for around $30.

7. Garrison Brothers Small Batch Texas Bourbon — Taste 6

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

Garrison Brothers is a true grain-to-glass experience from Hye, Texas. The juice is a wheated bourbon made with local, Texas grains. That spirit is then aged under the beating heat of a hot Texas sun before the barrels are small-batched (with only 55 barrels per batch), proofed with local water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This always surprises me with that bold and wet/grainy nose. It’s so distinct. Still, this feels very entry-level every time. And that’s fine because that’s what it is. That’s also why it’s in the middle of this ranking.

6. Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon Aged 9 Years — Taste 1

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $36

The Whiskey:

This entry-point to Jim Beam’s small batch Knob Creek is a nine-year-old classic. The juice is a low-rye mash that’s aged in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses for a minimum of nine years. The whiskey is then vatted and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.

Bottom Line:

I knew this was Knob Creek. It was also the perfect middle-of-the-road pour today. It was classic and refined but nothing more. Still, I’d order this at a bar and be pretty satisfied and not have to rob a bank to pay my bar tab. Those are big wins these days.

5. Smooth Ambler Old Scout Batch no. 129 — Taste 4

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $41

The Whiskey:

Old Scout is MGP’s classic high rye bourbon — 60% corn, 36% rye, and four percent malt barley — that’s aged for five years. The juice is batched in small quantities and proofed down with West Virginia’s Appalachian water.

Bottom Line:

I dig this unique bourbon. The only reason it ranks a little lower is that the Tex-Mex vibe feels more like a one-off I’d break out on taco night instead of an everyday sipper.

4. Booker’s “Bardstown Batch” — Taste 8

ABV: 62.75%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

The whiskey in the bottle is the classic Jim Beam low-rye mash bill. The barrels were aged for exactly six years and five months before the juice went into the bottle untouched at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

Had this been poured over a single rock, it might have won. That mid-palate tastes like burning. Once you get past that, there’s so much going on and it’s all good.

3. Four Roses Small Batch Select — Taste 10

ABV: 52%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This expression uses six of Four Rose’s 10 whiskeys in their small-batching process. The idea is to blend both high and low-rye bourbons with yeast strains that highlight “delicate fruit,” “slight spice,” and “herbal notes.” The whiskeys tend to spend at least six years in the barrel before blending and proofing with just a touch of Kentucky’s soft limestone water.

Bottom Line:

There were only three bourbons that stood out today and this was one of them. I went back and forth on these three with the ranking for a few minutes. I ended up putting this in third simply because it was just interesting and lush. The next one is interesting and lush but also classic and takes you on more of a journey.

2. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon — Taste 7

ABV: 45.7%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Michter’s really means the phrase “small batch” here. The tank they use to marry their hand-selected eight-year-old bourbons can only hold 20 barrels, so that’s how many go into each small-batch bottling. The blended juice is then proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is a quintessential bourbon at this point. This was in the “one” slot a few times before it ended up at two. Mostly, that’s due to the way Peerless really stood out as something special against a lot of sour mash. That said, this might as well be tied for first.

1. Peerless Small Batch Bourbon — Taste 3

ABV: 54.65%

Average Price: $86

The Whiskey:

Kentucky Peerless Distilling takes its time for a true grain-to-glass experience. Their Single Barrel Bourbon is crafted with a fairly low-rye mash bill and fermented with a sweet mash as opposed to a sour mash (that means they use 100% new grains, water, and yeast with each new batch instead of holding some of the mash over to start the next one like a sourdough starter, hence the name). The barrels are then hand-selected for their taste and bottled completely un-messed with.

Bottom Line:

Sweet mash wins the day! This felt new and fresh while still having a deeply nostalgic and comforting flavor profile. It was just good in all ways.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I feel like Peerless and Michter’s at one and two, respectively, are like two sides of the same coin. One side is classic and well-worn while the other side is fresh and shining yet both are still very alluring. That Four Roses really stood out though. I’m still on the fence about ranking it higher.

There was a pretty big gap between three and four and then nine and 10. For me, I’d buy anything between nine and four as a mixing bourbon or just something to have on the table at a party for the guests. I have no ill-will towards any of them. They make sense, taste good, and are perfectly fine. They’re just not outstanding like three, two, and one. Each of the top three is a world-class sipper that also works wonders as the foundation of a great cocktail.

Amber Heard is “heartbroken” about the jury’s decision to find her guilty of defamation against ex-husband Johnny Depp, she wrote in a statement following the verdict’s announcement. “The disappointment I feel today is beyond words. I’m heartbroken that the mountain of evidence still was not enough to stand up to the disproportionate power, influence, and sway of my ex-husband,” she wrote.

Heard is “even more disappointed with what this verdict means for other women.” She called it a “setback” and that it “sets back the clock to a time when a woman who spoke up and spoke out could be publicly shamed and humiliated. It sets back the idea that violence against women is to be taken seriously.” The actress continued:

I believe Johnny’s attorneys succeeded in getting the jury to overlook the key issue of Freedom of Speech and ignore evidence that was so conclusive that we won in the UK. I’m sad I lost this case. But I am sadder still that I seem to have lost a right I thought I had as an American — to speak freely and openly.

Depp was awarded $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages in his defamation suit (which attracted more viewers online than the Better Call Saul midseason finale), while Heard will receive $2 million in compensatory damages.

You can read her statement below:

Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals. It’s the culmination of the team taking two full years to reload after their last appearance in the Finals in 2019, and for Curry, this presents the best chance he’s had to earn the first NBA Finals MVP award of his decorated career.

There’s been a lot of discussion about Curry’s legacy and how winning that will impact it, because basketball cannot be about the game itself and has to be about this sort of stuff, instead. Anyway, let’s go to First Take, where the topic of how Curry impacted the game was broached on Wednesday morning. It took quite the turn when Stephen A. Smith decided to make the argument that Michael Jordan actually really hurt the game of basketball by making it more about individuals than teams.

“It’s not Steph Curry’s fault because Steph Curry can shoot,” Smith said. “Steph Curry, people say he changed the game — no, no, he elevated it to a point where it was acceptable because you’re looking for somebody to produce somewhere close in the vicinity of what he does, and what Klay Thompson does to a slightly lesser degree.”

Smith went on to argue that the person who changed basketball in such a way that Curry could come along and elevate it was Mike D’Antoni, who ushered in the era of shooting threes and layups. Then, he decided to bring up Jordan and make the case for why “he’s responsible, as much as anybody, for changing the game for the worse.”

While Smith made clear he does not mean to disrespect the best player of all time, he does believe Jordan’s greatness came at a cost.

“He was so phenomenal that the NBA marketed the individual, the audience gravitated toward the individual, and the game became a bit more individualized, because people wanted to be like Mike,” Smith said.

He brought up the two players who were viewed as the faces of the game just before Jordan — Larry Bird and Magic Johnson — and said that while they were great individuals, they were cogs in a machine where all the players around them were elevated.

“You were thinking team until Jordan elevated it to another level, and from Jordan, then you had the Kobes and the Vince Carters and others that came along thereafter, and the individualization of the sport, particularly because of the money that came with it, became more of a focal point,” Smith said. “So I would tell you Mike D’Antoni in terms of the three-point shooting and making sure to maintain the pace, letting people score so you don’t disrupt the pace, and then Jordan with the individuality, even though obviously he was a team player and the Chicago Bulls were a great team. The marketing of individual. Those two components is what made the game what it is today.”

It was unsurprising to see Jack Harlow at the 2022 Kentucky Derby back on May 7, given that he’s a proud Louisville native and his new album, Come Home The Kids Miss You, has a song called “Churchill Downs,” named after the famous venue where the storied horse race has been held for nearly 150 years now (this year’s race was the 148th). He and Drake (who features on the song) made some noise at the event, whether it was Harlow getting carried around, Harlow trying to match Drake’s bets, or Drake crashing a Harlow interview.

It turns out that while the pair was there, they also shot a video for their collaboration, which was shared today. Along with B-roll of race attendees, the event atmosphere, and running horses, the video is mostly clips of Harlow and Drake rapping at the camera and otherwise enjoying the event. The clip actually also includes a bit of footage of Harlow in a baseball bat factory, presumably that of Louisville Slugger (or at least at a different factory but in reference/homage to the esteemed bat brand).

Watch the “Churchill Downs” video above.

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Juno earned Elliot Page an Oscar nomination, but it wasn’t an all-together fun experience for the actor. “When Juno was at the height of its popularity, during awards-season time, I was closeted, dressed in heels, and the whole look — I wasn’t okay, and I didn’t know how to talk about that with anyone,” he wrote in a cover story for Esquire.

Page can’t single out a “worst day” before his “life-saving” transition, but “when Juno was blowing up — this sounds strange to people, and I get that people don’t understand. ‘Oh, f*ck you, you’re famous, and you have money, and you had to wear a dress, boo-hoo.’ I don’t not understand that reaction. But that’s mixed with: I wish people would understand that that sh*t literally did almost kill me.” He continued:

“So I said I wanted to wear a suit, and Fox Searchlight was basically like, ‘No, you need to wear a dress.’ And they took me in a big rush to one of those fancy stores on Bloor Street. They had me wear a dress, and… that was that. And then all the Juno press, all the photo shoots — Michael Cera was in slacks and sneakers. I look back at the photos, and I’m like…?”

Page also shared his “biggest joy” since coming out. “What have I learned from transitioning? I can’t overstate the biggest joy, which is really seeing yourself,” he said. “I know I look different to others, but to me I’m just starting to look like myself. It’s indescribable, because I’m just like, there I am. And thank God. Here I am. So the greatest joy is just being able to feel present, literally, just to be present.”

Page will soon appear in The Umbrella Academy season 3, which premieres on June 22.

(Via Esquire)

After nearly two months of dominating headlines, the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial prepared to announce its verdict on Wednesday afternoon, and within minutes, it had already racked up more live viewers than the season finales of Abbott Elementary and Better Call Saul. (Technically, Better Call Saul‘s was a mid-season finale, but you get the gist.)

At the time of this writing, over 3 million viewers were streaming the courtroom proceedings on YouTube alone, which again, are the kind of numbers that TV networks would consider a huge win. And that’s not even counting live feed on Twitter and Court TV who saw a massive boom in viewership, which the relaunched network likened to the O.J. Simpson trial.

The Depp vs. Heard trial has been highly contentious thanks to legions of online Depp fans (and some celebrities) defending the actor against Heard’s accusations of domestic violence. Those accusations stood up during a libel suit in British court where Depp failed to successfully sue The Sun for calling him a “wife beater.” However, an American jury has ruled against Heard and issued a verdict that she defamed Depp with malice. It was a stunning verdict considering Depp’s celebrity status, which often significantly raises the bar in proving defamation. As of this writing, Heard will be forced to pay her ex-husband $15 million instead of the proposed $50 million that he was seeking.

In short, now might be a good time to stay off social media. Maybe take a little break.

One of the rising trends in pop music has been the explosion in the popularity of international music in America, especially Nigerian Afropop (also known by the confusing moniker “Afrobeats” or by Burna Boy‘s chosen appellative, “Afrofusion”). But as international music becomes more mainstream stateside, one barrier still remains in bridging the gap between America and the world — namely, the language barrier. Thanks to stars singing in their native languages of Spanish, Korean, and three or four Nigerian dialects, being a music fan is starting to mean becoming a polyglot.

Fortunately, Nigerian star Ckay is more than willing to help his growing US audience learn his favorite Igbo phrases. He recently stopped by the Uproxx Studios in LA to help give us a “Pidgin English for Dummies” lesson on TikTok with the help of Uproxx’s own Cherise Johnson. Check out the video below, where Ckay explains “nwantiti” — as in, his hit song “Love Nwantiti” — “mezebu,” and “wahala.” He even shows us how to use them in a sentence, mixing English and Igbo for some useful phrases that can help unlock the infectious grooves of Afropop with a little more context for those of us who didn’t grow up on jollof and moi moi.

Ckay is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

After six weeks of testimony (which aired on Court TV for the masses) and days of deliberations, the U.S.-based Depp v. Heard trial has come to a verdict. This case, of course, follows the U.K-based counterpart that didn’t go well for Depp in 2020. He had sued for libel against The Sun, and that bid only led the court to shut down Depp’s team and rule that the tabloid’s “wife beater” term about the Pirates of the Caribbean star was “substantially true.”

The U.S. trial, revolving around Depp’s $50 million defamation claim and Heard’s $100 million counterclaim, turned into even more of a circus (despite its triggering subject matter of abuse) with tales of “human fecal matter” and stories of peeing in hallways plus harrowing testimony about death threats and strangeness about money demands. In the end, though, the jury of “peers” made the call, which turned out much better for Depp.

In a unanimous jury verdict, the relevant statement of Heard’s Washington Post online op-ed produced a “yes” for several questions, including the following: (1) Did Depp prove all the elements of defamation? (2) Was the statement made or published by Heard? (3) Was the statement about Depp? (4) Was Depp defamed? (5) Did Depp prove that the statement was made with clear and convincing malice?

Just FYI (and for comparison’s sake), Amber received $7 million from Johnny in her divorce settlement. On Wednesday, the jury declared that Depp’s entitled to $10 million in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages, as revealed in this clip.

On Heard’s counterclaim, the jury awarded her $2 million in compensatory damages and $0 in punitive damages.

Amber released a statement via Twitter, where she described herself as “disappointed” and “heartbroken” over the verdict.

Following this verdict, the project will now go into documentary mode, so this story obviously isn’t over, but even though Johnny Depp technically won this trial, the biggest winner happens to be Court TV.

(Via Variety)

As one of MSNBC’s most prominent news anchors, Chris Hayes is typically the consummate professional. But even he couldn’t keep a straight face on Tuesday night when reporting on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s latest attack on the English language, in which the Gazpacho Queen referred to a petri dish as a “peach tree dish.”

In introducing the clip of Greene speaking to her followers, Hayes wasn’t really even sure how to describe her. Because while she is indeed a Republican congresswoman, Hayes noted that “she has no committee assignments, after having them all stripped. And so she really doesn’t do anything for her constituency. She certainly doesn’t, like, write laws”—which is something for which we can all be grateful.

What she does do, Hayes noted, is maintain a very active life on social media. Over the weekend, Hayes explained:

[Greene] had a livestream on her Facebook page and it was the usual mix of bizarre and offensive conspiracy theories on everything from the monkeypox virus to the LGBTQ community. And while everything she said is, of course, bonkers, she managed a bit of a Triple Lindy in this one with an assault on reality, science, and the English language all at once.

Of course, Hayes was talking about Greene’s insistence that the government (which, remember, she is a part of) is attempting to surveil us at all times. And is monitoring what we eat, and making sure it’s good for us. According to Greene, if you try to eat a hamburger versus the “fake meat” that Bill Gates is growing in a “peach tree dish… you’ll probably get a little zap inside your body and that’s saying, ‘No, no—don’t eat a real cheeseburger! You need to eat the fake meat! The fake burger. From Bill Gates.” She then stated that they also want to know when you’re going to the bathroom “and if your bowel movements are on time and consistent.”

When the camera cut back to Hayes, he couldn’t even look at it as he was laughing so hard. And admitted that about 10 percent of him “thinks it’s a bit, like she’s doing it on purpose? I don’t know.”

Hayes assured his viewers that none of what Greene was suggesting was true. “Gates is not working to build a global surveillance to track when you use the bathroom and zap you for eating meat. But it is very funny that a sitting member of Congress doesn’t know what a petri dish is.”

You can watch the full clip above.

In detailing the music he makes as the leader of Bruce Lee Band, Mike Park uses the descriptor “anti-facist.” To Park, the term isn’t just a leftist buzzword — it’s a core part of his identity as a musician. Since their inception in the mid ’90s, politics have always been at the heart of Bruce Lee Band, which is comprised of Park along with fellow musicians Jeff Rosenstock, Dan Potthast, and Kevin Higuchi. Take their two previous releases for example, last year’s Division In The Heartland and 2019’s Rental!! Eviction!!, both provide commentary on the perils global capitalism while embracing humor and frenetic punk rock energy.

Bruce Lee Band’s newest LP One Step Forward. Two Steps Back. takes a similar approach. The album is filled with danceable, horn-heavy ska filled with witty refrains that capture the band’s political ethos. Songs like “The Right Time” take aim at politicians who argue about when the “right time” is to protest injustices while others like the shout-y “I Hate This!” speaks to the relatable feeling of exhaustion at the state of the world.

To celebrate the release of One Step Forward. Two Steps Back., Mike Park sat down with Uproxx to discuss musical influences and surprising punks with his breakdancing skills in our latest Q&A.

What are four words you would use to describe your music?

Burritos, friends, anti-fascist.

It’s 2050 and the world hasn’t ended and people are still listening to your music. How would you like it to be remembered?

I’ll be 82 and still running Asian Man Records out of my mom’s garage who will be 125 in 2050. Is it possible? F*ck yeah! If I’m still churning out music at that age I’d love for people to look back fondly on the catalog of songs I’ve written. With the sense of where I was in my life at the time of the recording. I think each record I’ve made signifies my mental state as much as my creative state.

What’s your favorite city in the world to perform?

That’s tough to choose, but if I had to pick one I’d have to say Tokyo. It’s a surreal feeling of being in a non-English speaking country and seeing/hearing people sing your songs back to you. It’s also one of the most wild and crazy cities. It’s like being in Disneyland and the euphoric feeling of being high without being high. Almost like an out of body experience.

Who’s the person who has most inspired your work, and why?

Another tough one! HA! I don’t think it’s possible to pin down one person. Since I’ve been making music for over 35 years, there’s been too many influences that have pushed me one way or another. But for sake of continuity, I’ll go with Angelo Moore. Lead vocalist of the band Fishbone. The band was my everything in high school. The overt politics of the band was my first foray into the idea that music can be a way to share ideas that weren’t just mindless love songs.

Where did you eat the best meal of your life?

My mom’s house. She is the master chef. My favorite dish is a mung bean pancake called Bindaetteok (빈대떡). I dream of this dish.

What album do you know every word to?

Oingo Boingo’s Only A Lad

What was the best concert you’ve ever attended?

Fishbone at the Filmore in San Francisco in 1988. Just pure electricity. Angelo Moore crowd surfing to the back of the club, climbing up to the balcony, jumping off the balcony and somehow in one swooping wave was back on stage singing the chorus in perfect time.

What is the best outfit for performing and why?

I love wearing a vintage suit. Preferably ’60s, but even early ’70s will work. It makes me look and feel classy, but at the same time going apesh*t in a suit just looks awesome. At least in my opinion.

Who’s your favorite person to follow on Twitter and/or Instagram?

My favorite twitter personality is @nihilist_arbys who without my knowledge is my friend Brendan Kelly from the Lawrence Arms. It’s bizarre, perverse, angry, funny, and inappropriate all at the same time. My Instagram go to is @alfredyankovic because it’s Weird Al whom I think is probably the most loved person in the world. Whom has a bad thing to say about Weird Al? NOBODY!

What’s your most frequently played song in the van on tour?

“Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA” by DEVO

What’s the last thing you Googled?

Weather in Los Angeles.

What album makes for the perfect gift?

Operation Ivy’s Energy. Even if you don’t like punk, the lyrics are unbelievably strong, especially when you consider Jesse Michaels was 17 when he wrote the words.

Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever crashed while on tour?

In Derby England, we stayed in the loft of the club we performed and there were mounds of dirt that had somehow grown in different places throughout the place. The severity of said dirt was just the start of it. I went and bought garbage bags to line the floor of where I slept because it was so dirty.

What’s the story behind your first or favorite tattoo?

I’m 52 years old and have no tattoos. Never had a desire to get one and never will.

What artists keep you from flipping the channel on the radio?

I love ’80s stations, but in particular anything categorized as new wave at the time like Duran Duran, The Cure, Talking Heads, The Police, Soft Cell, etc..

What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?

I’ve met some extremely kind people in my life and I’m blessed to have friends that are basically my family. But the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me is my wife Monica agreeing to marry me. To put up with insanity and anxiety and constant craziness. Ask any of my exes and they know what she has to deal with, but she loves me unconditionally.

What’s one piece of advice you’d go back in time to give to your 18-year-old self?

Don’t go to college. Just start touring right away.

What’s the last show you went to?

Small Crush at the bottom of the hill in San Francisco. It was Nov of 2021. It’s the only show I’ve seen since the pandemic started.

What movie can you not resist watching when it’s on TV?

Planes, Trains, And Automobiles

What’s one of your hidden talents?

I can pop and lock pretty good. I posted a video of me popping and a lot of the punks were like WOAH! Didn’t see this one happening.

One Step Forward. Two Steps Back. is out now via Asian Man Records. Get it here.