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Phil Mickelson is perhaps the biggest name leaving the PGA Tour to participate in LIV Golf, the golf tour funded by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Mickelson had previously stirred up controversy for comments he made earlier this year about the people behind the tour, as he called them “scary motherf*ckers to get involved with” and brought up incidents like the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi before saying he would consider joining the tour because it afforded “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

Mickelson came under fire for the comments and left the public eye for a bit, as he released a statement in the aftermath of the controversy (which led to him losing some sponsorships) in which he very notably did not say he was ending his flirtation with LIV golf. And this week, Lefty announced that he would, indeed, join the nascent golf tour. On Tuesday, Mickelson popped back up to participate in the tour’s first draft — you can read how those work here — and wore … this.

Now, listen, plenty of folks have pulled off an all-black fit before, but few have ever looked more like an embattled minister of a megachurch accused of embezzling hundreds of millions of dollars while they did it, is all. Anyway, pictures of Mickelson’s outfit and general demeanor hit Twitter and immediately led to him getting roasted.

Modern life is complicated and pulls at you from a million different directions. Sometimes it feels impossible to succeed in one area without letting something else slip. But what if there was actually something you could do about it? What if there was a way to help your brain function at maximum capacity every day to get more done in less time and have more time to enjoy the life you’ve worked so hard to build? If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, you need to take a look at a cognitive support supplement called TruBrain.

TruBrain makes nootropics supplements that help regular everyday people be the best possible versions of themselves. One of the company’s founders, Chris Thompson, was a former executive at Unilever. He spent a lot of time figuring out how to get ahead in his career without sacrificing a fulfilling personal life. And eventually, he had something of an epiphany.

“I concluded that the only way to get ahead and actually enjoy life simultaneously,” Thompson says, “was to be more productive in a shorter amount of time. To have more impact in fewer hours. And this meant finding a way to break through mental blocks and fuel your creative output.”

Eventually, Thompson left Unilever and teamed up with Dr. Andrew Hill, a UCLA-trained neuroscientist, to form TruBrain, a company specializing in nootropics supplements that boost mental clarity, concentration, and creativity.

TruBrain Is High Tech Fuel For Your Brain

TruBrain is a 1oz drink designed to create the biological conditions necessary for peak cognition. At the heart of this drink is a blend of nootropic compounds that increases blood flow to the brain, delivering more oxygen and glucose to help the brain build new neural connections. These new neural connections can, in turn, lead to enhanced verbal fluency, focus, memory, and learning.

Initially, there was only one TruBrain brain food formula. However, no two brains, and no two lifestyles, are exactly alike. So eventually, the company adjusted the formula to suit different needs.

Today TruBrain drinks come in five different formulas that can be used individually or mixed and matched to achieve different results.

• TruBrain Sleep contains nootropics, 5-HTP, hemp oil, and melatonin to support deep restorative sleep.

• TruBrain Mellow contains nootropicsfull-spectrum hemp oil, vitamins, and minerals that naturally regular stress and anxiety.

• TruBrain Mushrooms contains nootropics, lion’s mane, rhodiola, guayusa, rosehip, and four types of superfood mushrooms that support memory, attention, and cognitive health.

• TruBrain Medium contains nootropics, noopept, l-theanine, and l-carnitine that boost brain function without caffeine.

• TruBrain Strong, the original TruBrain formula, contains everything in TruBrain Medium plus caffeine to combat procrastination and help you achieve peak mental output.

• Last but certainly not least, TruBrain Extra Strong contains the maximum dose of high octane nootropics for an immediate jolt of mental clarity and productivity.

The best way to figure out which TruBrain formula is right for you is to try them all. That’s why TruBrain offers a 10 Drink Trial Pack for just $29. Once you go through that and figure out what you like, you can create custom orders.

Good For Your Brain AND The Planet

Another really cool thing about TruBrain is its commitment to sustainability. Nobody wants to improve cognition if it means dumping a bunch of plastic into lakes, rivers, and oceans. So unlike other nutritional products that are packaged in plastic, all of the packaging for TruBrain is made from recycled paper, which is itself fully recyclable. On top of that, the concentrated 1oz size of TruBrain drinks significantly reduces the shipping materials and fossil fuels needed to deliver the products to your door.

When you get your boost from TruBrain drinks, you can rest easy knowing that this company keeps 100,000 pounds of plastics out of the ocean, uses 3,000 fewer packing boxes, and almost five fewer transport trucks per order.

Are you looking for a healthier, eco-friendly alternative to coffee and energy drinks? TruBrain’s brain fuel drinks were created by people who actually care about improving lives. So order your TruBrain 10 Drink Trial Pack today and experience the power of enhanced cognition for yourself.

Have you ever thought, “Man, I sure wish someone would just hand me a check or at least some stock in a successful company”? The way rent, gas and everything (gestures broadly at the entire economy) is going right now, an unexpected windfall would be helpful to most people, but especially to high schoolers heading off to college or beginning their journeys as young adults.

That’s exactly what happened to the graduating class of Snellville, Georgia’s Brookwood High School. The co-founder of Airbnb (and former graduate of Brookwood High), Joe Gebbia, surprised the graduating class of 2022 with shares in his company. Each graduate will receive 22 shares of Airbnb stock. Obviously the kids can’t immediately spend the stocks, though if they wanted to sell them for college supplies instead of hanging on to them and watching their value grow they could, I guess.

Gebbia graduated from the school in 2000 and announced during his speech the gift he had for all 890 graduating seniors. The gift amounts to around $2,428.80 per graduate, which is certainly more than most receive in a graduation card. In total the co-founder gifted the students more than $2 million in Airbnb stock. It wouldn’t be surprising if the newly graduated teens have no idea what to do with their new stock given that most high schools don’t really go over investing and stock market rules.

u201cJoe Gebbia just announced heu2019s giving each and every Brookwood grad 22 shares of @Airbnb stock! Thatu2019s 890 lucky Broncos! Thank you, @jgebbia! Press #00 and carry on!u201d

— Buster Connects (@Buster Connects)
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William Smith, who was a recipient of the generous gift, told the Gwinnett Daily Post that he may ask his grandfather, who is well-versed on the stock market, what to do with his shares as he’s still trying to figure out what to do with the stock. Smith told the paper, “Everybody right now is still amazed and in shock that he gave such a generous gift to us. People haven’t really thought long term. People are just like, ‘Wow, he came back and was just so generous.’ Talk about not forgetting your roots.”

This isn’t the first time the co-founder has given back to his old high school. Last November, he donated $700,000 to the school to create and fund the Joe Gebbia Visual Arts Endowment. The money will also create immersive resources for student athletes that attend Brookwood High.

u201cI took this photo not knowing what was coming next. @jgebbia announcing he was giving 22 shares of @Airbnb stock to every member of the Brookwood High School Class of 2022. My daughter and I will never forget this kindness or this keynote speech. Thank you!u201d

— Bishop Jack Lumanog (@Bishop Jack Lumanog)
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The new high school graduates had no idea they’d be leaving school with shares in a global company and getting an opportunity to start building a stock portfolio. Hopefully this boost will be just what they need to head into adulthood with the potential for more financial security.

It’s my job to find the best whiskeys in the world and tell you about them. I know, it’s ridiculous. Part of that job is to tasting (not drinking) a ton of Scotch whisky, but finding them is about more than just blindly pulling bottles off the shelf at my local liquor store.

One way to parse it all is to look at what everyone else is buying. To that end, I pulled the 25 best-selling Scotch whiskies from ReserveBar to get some insight.

Today I’ll be ranking all 25 of those whiskies according to my tasting notes. This is mostly because ReserveBar doesn’t rank their best-selling bottles. It’s also to give you an insight into what American whisky drinkers are actually buying when they’re looking for the “good stuff” — ReserveBar generally has one of the highest-end selections on the internet.

Before we dive in, be warned, American whisky drinkers seem to love The Macallan. The bougie brand makes up nine (!) of the 25 entries. Look, I dig the stuff — to an extent — and am lucky enough to get to try the whole line every year. But, folks, there’s so much more out there than The Macallan, which is a very “entry-point” whisky (albeit very investable on the high end). Now that that’s off my chest, let’s dive in.

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
• The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $50, Ranked
• Every Scotch Whisky Brand From Diageo’s Massive Portfolio, Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Scotch Whiskies, Ranked

25. The Macallan A Night On Earth: In Scotland

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $600

The Whisky:

This very limited The Macallan release combines a trio of barrels from the warehouses. The juice is rendered from The Macallan’s sherry seasoned American oak, European oak, and ex-bourbon casks. Those barrels are vatted and then proofed all the way down to 40 percent before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This has those classic The Macallan notes of vanilla, honey, and citrus on the nose but they’re very muted. The palate is fairly muddled as well with almond and chocolate fading toward lemon oil and light vanilla cookies. The finish hits a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon with woody vanilla before petering out into all of that proofing water.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those releases where you think “what were they thinking?” It’s just so washed out compared to pretty much any other The Macallan, especially the heavy-hitting masterpieces from the distillery further down on this very list.

24. The Macallan 12 Double Oak

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $82

The Whisky:

Where many scotches spend time in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks or some combination therein, this expression spends all 12 years of its maturation just in sherry casks. The barrels are imported from Jerez, Spain, and hand-selected for their excellence to mature this much-beloved whisky.

Tasting Notes:

Apple cider with a cut of cinnamon and clove in the juice greets you with a clear sense of vanilla, nuts, and plums on the nose. On the taste, those plums turn into prunes as orange peels mingle with sweet oak and a hint of tobacco spice. The end is long, full of that sherry, dried fruit, and sweetness, and returns back to the chewy tobacco spice.

Bottom Line:

This is a good place to actually start with The Macallan. This expression is the epitome of “entry-point” Scotch whisky. It’s easy-going and very base level with no rough edges or objectionable characteristics.

23. The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 12 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $70

The Whisky:

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.

Tasting Notes:

Soft and floral honey mix with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak. The palate meanders through light touches of marzipan with a hint of cinnamon and fields of plum trees with a whisper of tree bark and leather lurking in the background. The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is another great “entry-point” into the world of unpeated Scotch whisky. That said, this is more of a cocktail whisky that’s just fine as a sipper on the rocks.

22. The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $102

The Whisky:

Yes, Scotch whisky has celebrity white label brands too. This one comes from Outlander star Sam Heughan. The juice is under wraps so there’s not much more to say.

Tasting Notes:

Lemon drops and Almond Joys drive the nose with a hint of honey, bourbon vanilla, and dried apricot. That apricot gets leathery on the palate as the malts arrive with plenty of honey and cinnamon-forward spice next to a hint of eggnog nutmeg. The finish is concise with a little cinnamon, honey, and almond rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is meant as a sipping blended whisky. It’s good for that, but I’d pour it over some rocks.

21. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Aged 14 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $83

The Whisky:

The Balvenie is renowned for doing everything in-house from grain to glass and for being the distillery that spearheaded the whole “finishing whisky in a different cask” movement. In this case, the juice spends 14 years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is then batched and transferred to barrels that The Balvenie used to aged their own blend of West Indies rum.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a welcoming rush of buttery toffee up top with hints of brown spices, bright red berries, and a touch of sweet malts. The palate brings around creamy vanilla dotted with those sweet and slightly tart red berries next to a very soft and sweet oakiness. The finish is medium-length and full of soft wood, vanilla cream, and a touch of that spice.

Bottom Line:

This is an easy sipper, especially with a rock or two. It’s also a nice cocktail base for a simple whisky cocktail like an old fashioned or Manhattan (Rob Roy).

20. The Macallan 15 Double Cask

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $173

The Whisky:

This whisky utilizes the “double” barrel maturation that’s become very commonplace in Scotch whisky. The juice spends 15 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before the barrels are blended and vatted, proofed, and finally bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Raisins and dates drive the nose towards bourbon vanilla, lemon oils, and a touch of butterscotch with apple blossoms and dark cacao nibs lurking under it all. The palate largely delivered on the nose with the addition of lightly spiced malts with a cinnamon/clove vibe. The spice, apple, and lemon combine to make an apple compote note near the end with a soft honeyed finish.

Bottom Line:

This is another “that’s fine” pour. For me, it falls down as it doesn’t really build much off the nose. It’s really nice but a little one-note.

19. The Macallan Harmony Collection: Rich Cacao

ABV: 44%

Average Price: $340

The Whisky:

The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan went to Spain to create this expression. The whisky is built from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks to highlight cacao notes that formed in the whisky through maturation. Those barrels are then vatted and proofed down before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a nice line of almost sour dark cacao on the nose that leads to freshly peeled and blanched almonds with cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and creamy dark chocolate-covered plums. The palate leans into the chocolate as well with a Lava cake vibe next to chocolate-covered raisins, fresh raspberry in chocolate sauce, and a hint of chocolate bars with peanuts. The finish lets some spice sneak in with a hint of zesty orange and dried chili pepper next to a honeyed sweetness.

Bottom Line:

This is made for pairing with chocolate. It’s great for that. Otherwise, it’s a little sweet for me.

18. The Macallan Classic Cut

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $150

The Whisky:

This expression from The Macallan changes things up a bit in maturation. The whisky is made from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels from America (instead of the standard European ones from Spain) that are seasoned in Spain for The Macallan. That whisky is then vatted and proofed before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a hint of apple candy next to sharp and fresh ginger with hints of floral honey and bourbon vanilla acting as support on the nose. The palate turns that ginger into gingerbread with plenty of cinnamon and brown sugar next to a dash of orange oils. The finish layers the vanilla and gingerbread over stewed plums and a whisper of spicy/malty tobacco leaf.

Bottom Line:

I actually dig this one. It’s a very drinkable whisky neat or on the rock.

17. Aberfeldy 18 Limited Edition French Wine Cask Finish

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $144

The Whisky:

This release is a master class in finishing whisky. The juice is first aged for 18 years in refill bourbon and sherry casks. Then the whisky is transferred to first-fill Côte Rôtie casks from France. The whisky is then proofed with the soft water from a local, gold-flecked river to a very accessible 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

That beautiful creamy honey and vanilla of Aberfeldy greets you with notes of blackberries, soft cedar, and a hint of marzipan and rose water. The palate creates this bowl of vanilla sauce poured over ripe red berries (blackberry and raspberry especially) that are drizzled with fresh honey next to soft and dry cedar leading to dry grass. The end embraces the fruit and takes on a fermented apricot (not quite a schnapps) vibe, as the honeyed sweetness and nuttiness slowly fade out.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty goddamn good whisky. That just goes to show how deep we’re about to go on this list if this is 17th.

16. The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years

ABV: 47.6%

Average Price: $300

The Whisky:

This masterfully crafted expression from The Balvenie takes some serious time. The whisky is initially aged for 21 years in ex-bourbon casks. That whisky is then transferred to small port pipes, which held port in Portugal for 30 long years. That’s a long, long time, creating some very rare and well-seasoned oak. The effect is singular and distinct.

Tasting Notes:

You’re pulled in by a gentle sense of ripe yet soft peaches next to wet rose petals and a small billow of cherry tobacco smoke from a pipe. The palate, again, is gentle and carries notes of red, sweet, and tart berries, stewed plums, and tiny moments of velvety and buttery pain au chocolat. The finish holds onto that chocolate as it slowly meanders through your senses, leaving you with dark fruits, a whisper more of that cherry tobacco, and a pure silk mouthfeel.

Bottom Line:

This is a great whisky for a bourbon lover. There’s a serious bridge in the flavor profile with some serious depth at play. It helps that it’s straight-up delicious, whether you like bourbon or not.

15. The Macallan 18 Sherry Oak

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $350

The Whisky:

This single malt from Scotland’s famed and stunning Highlands is matured for 18 long years in two separate cask programs. Part of the juice rests in American oak casks that were sent to Spain to hold sherry for a spell before they’re sent up to Scotland to hold this whisky. The other casks are European oak that also held sherry in Spain before their trip to the Highlands. Each wood brings a unique character to the mix that helps this single malt really shine. Finally, those barrels are married and cut down to proof with local water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There are very delicate notes of American oak on the nose with hints of dry vanilla, orange oils, and buttery toffee next to the finer European sherry woodiness, with candied fruit and a touch of eggnog spices, especially clove and nutmeg. The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a cut of raw ginger spice, golden sultanas, more orange, and a touch of salted caramel with a pure silk texture. The mid-palate hones those spice notes towards a mildly dry wood with the candied and dried fruit bringing a sweetness and velvet texture. The very end has a candied orange peel bitterness and sweetness that sits with you for a while, reminding you to go back for another sip sooner rather than later.

Bottom Line:

Yeah, I like this too. It’s one of those drams where you say, “ah, that’s what all the fuss is about.”

14. Lagavulin 11-Year Offerman Edition Finished in Guinness Casks

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $133

The Whisky:

This release from 2021 is the second Nick Offerman collaboration with Lagavulin. This is an 11-year-old single malt that’s then finished in Guinness stout casks for a four-month final maturation. That whisky is then cut down to 92 proof with Lagavulin’s own Islay spring water.

Tasting Notes:

The briny, peated malts come through on the nose with hints of black coffee beans, slightly waxy cacao nibs, and a hint of creamy mint-chocolate ice cream. The palate is one part beach campfire from a mile down the beach and one part Milk Duds and drip coffee with hints of vanilla and pine resin lurking in the background. The finish leans into the dark cacao with a smoky edge (smoked dark chocolate?) while the wood stays dry and resinous and the briny peat gently supports the bitter yet creamy mocha espresso and mild malts.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t my favorite Lagavulin or stout cask-finished whisky. But it is a pretty good one. I’d give it a solid B+. Pour it over some ice, and then STFU and just enjoy it.

13. The Glenlivet 18

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $148

The Whisky:

This unpeated single malt is a classic. The whisky ages first in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks for 18 years before a lot of proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a rush of burnt tropical fruits drizzled with cinnamon syrup and a touch of almond, white pepper, and vanilla. The palate builds on that with orange and lemon oils next to a mix of winter spices — cinnamon, clove, anise — before a leathery vanilla pod kicks in. The finish dries out with almond shells and hard raisins before the vanilla attaches to a spicy tobacco leaf on the slow fade.

Bottom Line:

This isn’t overpowering, it’s only 40% ABV. But it isn’t washed out either. This is just an easy-drinking sweet whisky, and sometimes that’s enough.

12. Glenmorangie Signet

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $240

The Whisky:

This Glenmorangie expression — from the famed Dr. Bill Lumsden — is a prime example of something truly special. The juice is a mix of single malts with estate-grown malts and “chocolate malts” (meaning they were roasted until dark and chocolate-y). The hot juice then went into new American oak (not ex-bourbon) for varying amounts of time. While there’s no age statement, there are barrels up to 40 years old in this mix.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with a note of dried apricots with a hint of clove, leading towards a very light dark orange chocolate. The chocolate amps up the bitterness, reaching espresso bean levels as some eggnog spice kicks in with a silky mouthfeel and a touch of wet tobacco. The end brings about a flourish of bright citrus zest that dries everything out, leaving you with a lingering end and a final note of earthy dried mushrooms.

Bottom Line:

This has a great balance of familiar and funky. It’s very easy drinking but takes you on a journey. Like I said above, we’re into the really good stuff now.

11. Highland Park 18

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $148

The Whisky:

This Viking whisky from high up in the Orkneys takes barreling one step further. Their 18-year expression is matured in casks made from American and European oak specifically for Highland. Those bespoke vessels are sent to Jerez, Spain to age sherry for three years. The same barrels are then sent back to Orkney to age this whisky for 18 years.

Tasting Notes:

This really feels like a classic scotch at every step. You’re greeted with notes of marzipan, dark berries, honey, and light lines of smoke on the nose. Those notes hold on as buttery toffee arrives with a dark chocolate counterpoint, leading towards ripe red cherries and floral honey. The end embraces distant billows of sweet smoke with a dry and earthy undertow on the slow, sweet, and berry-filled fade.

Bottom Line:

This is all about balance. The balance between soft smoke and dark berries and cacao is deliciously in step. Pour this over a single rock and you’ll be set.

10. Oban 14

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $120

The Whisky:

This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch to have on hand. The juice is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea.

Tasting Notes:

Citrus, salt, and a billow of peat smoke open this one up in classic fashion on the nose. That citrus carries on as a foundation for mild spices on the palate as a note of honey, hints of pears, and plummy dried fruits mingle on the tongue. The oak spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet on the end with a slight malty sweetness as the sip fades.

Bottom Line:

Oban 14 is a great introduction to the tiny seaside brand. It’s easy-going, like the distillery and town. But it also has a serious depth that’s very rewarding once you dive in.

9. The Macallan No.6

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $5,024

The Whisky:

This ultra-rare The Macallan is from only five casks. The whisky is a combination of American and European sherry-seasoned casks that held whisky that felt like the Highland countryside around the distillery.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a deep profile of black-tea-soaked dates in a sticky toffee pudding with dark cinnamon and soft nutmeg next to a salted caramel sauce, chocolate-covered raisins, vanilla cream, and a hint of candied ginger. The palate layers meaty figs and sharp orange zest into the mix with more black tea and a hint of florals next to creamed honey, marzipan, and smooth apple sauce with a touch of cinnamon heat. The finish is lush and hits on that creamy vanilla and sticky toffee pudding vibe while slowly fading away with an echo of old cedar planks wrapped in suede at the very end.

Bottom Line:

While this is probably not worth $5k if you’re not an investor, it’s one hell of a pour to get at a high-end whisky bar. It’s truly a delicious sip.

8. The Macallan Estate

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $424

The Whisky:

This ups the ante by using barley from the Easter Elchies Estate around The Macallan distillery, making a single estate whisky. The spirit from that hyper-local mash is aged for an undisclosed amount of time in undisclosed barrels but you can bet there’s some sherry and bourbon involved.

Tasting Notes:

Woody cinnamon sticks rubbed with orange zest pop on the nose as a thick banana bread batter with walnuts, nutmeg, and plenty of butter leads to a smidge of lemon oil and maybe some river rock. The palate has plenty of woodiness from that cinnamon and adds in a touch of clove and allspice before savory figs and meaty prunes lead to a mix of raisins, nuts, and candied orange peels. The finish is pure silk with layers of orange cake, cinnamon frosting, and fig jam culminating in a rush of soft woody spices on the back end.

Bottom Line:

This is another whisky that’s probably better for investors than anything else.

7. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Limited Edition Year of the Tiger

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $299

The Whisky:

This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s cooler than Brad Pitt wearing work boots and aviators on his motorcycle. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special. Then, that juice is bottled in a special, hand-painted bottle to celebrate 2022’s Chinese New Year, or Year of the Tiger.

Tasting Notes:

Soft malts and dried fruits lead the way on the nose with meaty plums, soft and worn leather, winter spice, and dry fireplace smoke balancing it out. The palate leans into orange oils and marzipan with a splash of rose water. The mid-palate has a nice, floral honey sweetness that leads to a finish full of bitter dark chocolate, lightly smoked malts, dried fruits, and dry-roasted nuts all with a pure silk mouth feel.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the most beloved blended malts in the world for a reason. Yes, it’s that good, lives up to the hype, and is worth the price. That’s especially true given the beauty of the bottle’s artwork.

6. Lagavulin 16

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $123

The Whisky:

This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at the famed and beloved Lagavulin Distillery. Finally, the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before being blended and proofed with spring water from a creek just outside the distillery walls.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.

Bottom Line:

This is my personal favorite Lagavulin because it’s just so damn easy drinking for a pretty hefty-peated Islay whisky. It’s so much more

5. The Macallan Sherry Oak 25

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $2,900

The Whisky:

This is a high water mark for The Macallan. The whisky is made from sherry casks that are at least 25 years old. That whisky is vatted, proofed, and then bottled.

Tasting Notes:

This is very The Macallan on the nose with equal measures of cinnamon and honey next to orange spice, hints of candied ginger, grapefruit pith, and a dash of waxy cacao nibs. The palate dials down on those notes while adding in dried berries, prunes, dates, figs, dark brandied cherries, and plenty of wintry spice next to lush vanilla, soft shortbread, and a hint of singed cedar bark. The finish combines the dried fruits and spices into a rich and moist Christmas cake with a touch of that smoldering cedar lurking in the background.

Bottom Line:

This is great but that price, ouch. Look, buy a pour at your favorite whisky bar and then go from there.

4. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Pittyvaich

ABV: 43.8%

Average Price: $629

The Whisky:

This release comes from a line of whiskies drawn from shuttered distilleries. In this case, the juice is a blend of whiskies primarily from Pittyvaich, which closed in 1993, layered with barrels from Port Dundas and Carsebridge. The rest of the blend is made up of barrels from open distilleries, Mannochmore, Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Strathmill, and Royal Lochnagar. All of those are put together and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This whisky is shockingly fresh on the nose with ripe and tart apples next to earthy honeycomb, dry sticks of cinnamon, and a flourish of wildflowers. The palate starts to boil everything down, creating a sweet and spicy apple pie filling with a mincemeat pie crust and sugar frosting that gives way to soft toffee with a flake of salt and a hint of apricot leather. The finish is pure velvet with a cinnamon vanilla cream next to a soft apple compote on a soft scone with a hint of woody pear stems and sweet malt on the backend.

Bottom Line:

This is a spectacular whisky that also happens to be extremely rare. If you do find one, buy two. One to drink and one to save in the vault.

3. The Dalmore 25

ABV: 42%

Average Price: $1,500

The Whisky:

Like many whiskies on this list, this is all about the casks. This whisky spends around 25 years aging in ex-bourbon casks and Tawny Port pipes and casks, some of which held Matusalem oloroso sherry for 30 years before they got to The Dalmore. Those barrels are married and then the juice is proofed down before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a hint of lychee next to grilled papaya before veering more traditional with sticky toffee pudding, Earl Grey tea, salted toffee sauce, and a good dusting of dried orange blossoms. The palate amps up the vanilla to the point of rich and oily pods being squeezed in your hands as waxy cacao nibs mingle with soft wintry spices and a plum pudding with plenty of dark stone fruit. The finish takes on a slight maple syrup vibe before hitting a soft cedar bark braided with a single leaf of ginger-infused tobacco.

Bottom Line:

I know, the 25-year-old whisky is delicious? Shocking!

2. Johnnie Walker King George V

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $618

The Whisky:

This blend from Johnnie Walker is a celebratory Blue Label variant. Part of what you’re paying for is the extinct Port Ellen distillery juice in the bottle. Another part is that all the whiskies in the blend are from distilleries that were running when King George V reigned in the U.K., between 1910 and 1936. Then, of course, there’s the bespoke flint glass decanter that has its own serial number (don’t throw it away!).

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a delicate dance between honeyed almonds dusted with coarse salt, dark chocolate just kissed with vanilla and an orange-honey sweet smokiness. The taste builds on that orange-honey vibe with a touch of rose water and marzipan as the dark chocolate sharpens its bitterness and the smoke moves far into the background. The end is like pure velvet with a bright fresh rose note next to the final slow fade of smoked oranges and almonds.

Bottom Line:

This is another killer from Johnnie Walker. It’s expensive but also makes a great centerpiece for any collection.

1. Ardbeg 25

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $1,450

The Whisky:

This expression from Ardbeg also happens to be their oldest expression (as of their current lineup). The whisky is the epitome of peat on Islay. What makes this expression so special and extremely rare is that it was distilled and casked when Ardbeg was on its knees as a company, in the early 1990s. They simply weren’t making that much whisky back then and there’s hardly any of it left. That makes this a one-and-gone whisky with only 278 bottles, 90 of which were sent to the U.S.

Tasting Notes:

Heavy cream, smoked toffee, lemon pith, and ashes from last night’s campfire open this one up on the nose before veering toward soft sea-filled air, a touch of muddy bog, and old shovel handles from a well-worked farm. On the palate, there’s this deep sense of potting soil that’s still in the plastic from the garden shop next to uncooked smoked bacon rashers with plenty of black pepper and a slightly sour edge leading back to that heavy cream and smoked toffee by the mid-palate. Finally, hefty/spicy packed tobacco chewiness brings about a full-on head buzz — it’s a wild sensation.

Bottom Line:

This is the one expensive whisky on this list I would not hesitate to drink for a single second. It’s delightfully creamy and soft with a deep flavor profile that, I think, defines the beauty of Ardbeg.

There is no one remotely like the one born Madonna Louise Ciccone, which is a shame because they need someone to play her in a biopic about her wild career — directed, no less, by Madge herself. But as per Variety, the impossible may have happened: An offer has reportedly gone out to two-time Emmy-winning Ozark stand-out Julia Garner.

The search has been a rigorous one, with over a dozen frontrunners. Names that have been floated include Florence Pugh and Odessa Young, Euphoria’s Alexa Demie, and singers like Bebe Rexha and Sky Ferreira. But producers — and presumably Madonna herself — seem to be taken with Garner, whose credits include the movies Grandma and The Assistant, plus the shows The Americans and the recent Inventing Anna.

Of course, they could have gone with Evan Rachel Wood, but she already did just that in another forthcoming biopic, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.

It’s not entirely unusual for the people to star in biopics about their lives. Howard Stern, 50 Cent, Muhammad Ali, Jackie Robinson, and Eminem have all done just that. It’s much more rare for a subject to helm it as well. The closest to that appears to be Richard Pyror directing himself in the thinly-veiled semi-autobiography Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life is Calling.

Back in 2007, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story seemed to kill the corny musical biopic dead. Turns out it just put it in a coma. The genre has been back with a vengeance for a few years now, with Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, Respect, and this summer’s Elvis bringing it back, bigger and louder than ever. Now it’s Madonna’s turn, with one of the best parts of Ozark probably long for the ride.

(Via Variety)

Cola is the quintessential carbonated drink. It’s the flavor that comes to mind when you say the words “soda” or “pop” (depending on where you live) — like pepperoni to “pizza” or chocolate chip to “cookies.” Featuring a crisp and refreshing combination of vanilla, cinnamon, citrus, and nutmeg notes with a caffeine kick and a subtle bite, when done right cola can be super addicting. (Note: the actual kola nut is rarely used in the states, though it’s not fully banned, like the “root” from root beer).

If cola is your soda flavor of choice, you most definitely have a favorite. And, to be real, that favorite is probably informed by what you grew up on. It’s a drink that just seems to lend itself to sense memory and a cursory check of food twitter shows that people rarely break their allegiances once they’re formed. I’m the exception. I grew up on RC Cola — the most common alternative to Pepsi and Coca-Cola — but somewhere along the lines I shifted and Coke is my current go-to. There’s just something about its sharp bite that I find almost problematically addicting.

It’s so bad that when I hear “We have Pepsi” after I’ve ordered my Coke, I usually just opt for water. Which, to be honest, worried both me and my editor. Could I even be a fair judge when my Coke love calibrated my cola palate? In order to get an honest answer, we decided I’d rank every cola I could find in a blind taste test.

The Lineup

For our blind taste test we rounded 17 different colas, including all of the big grocery store brands, a few artisan selections, and every iteration of plain-flavored Coca-Cola on the market. Here is our class:

• Afri Cola
• Boylan Cane Cola
• Coca-Cola
• Coca Cola Zero
• Colombiana La Nuestra
• Diet Coke
• Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola
• Inca Kola
• Jarritos Mexican Cola
• Mexican Coca-Cola
• Moxie
• Olipop Vintage Cola
• Pepsi
• Royal Crown Cola
• Sprecher Puma Kola
• Shasta Cola
• Virgil’s Zero Sugar Cola

PART I: The Tasting

Taste 1:

Highly botanic with a strong and powerful bite. This is definitely one of the artisan brands, herbaceous notes dominate this cola, with strong hits of nutmeg and citrus oils. A really strong start.

Taste 2:

After the herbaceous journey of Taste 1, this one comes across as flat and boring. It’s scentless and it doesn’t have that characteristic bite that cola has, it’s much smoother and has an off-putting quality to it. I know all soda is sugar water, but this one makes that a little too obvious.

Taste 3:

Intense sugary top notes with almost no fizz. It’s also very light in color, which makes it a little less appetizing — like soda made watery from melted ice. This one sticks to the teeth in this really off-putting way, I’m guessing this is one of the diet varieties.

Taste 4:

A dark rich color with a highly herbal scent. It has a candy-like sweetness, like one of those gummy colas but it takes a left turn and ends in a very interesting bitter, almost leathery, aftertaste. I like this one a lot, it’s not going to replace Coca-Cola for me but it’s definitely something worth revisiting.

Taste 5:

Hints of cinnamon and vanilla over a citrus oil body with a sharp bite on the backend. I know this flavor well, if this isn’t Coca-Cola Classic, it’s one of the Coke iterations.

Taste 6:

A bit of a giveaway here, I know this is Inca Kola because it’s the only cola with a gold color. Well, gold is what they say, it’s more like I-just-ate-a-b-vitamin-and-now-my-pee-is-fluorescent yellow. This stuff is called cola but.. is it? It sort of has a bubblegum flavor to it with a tropical banana quality.

Not a fan. Also, it doesn’t feel like it belongs here.

Taste 7:

Sweet initial taste with a nice bitter bite on the backend. Hints of vanilla and cinnamon dominate the flavor and the body provides a nice fizz. My guess is Pepsi.

From my notes: “This feels the closest to Coca-Cola but I can tell it’s not.”

Taste 8:

This one is really strange. It’s highly sweet on the palate but the flavors disappear quickly. It has a soft and… round quality to it. Not bad but it leaves you wanting.

Taste 9:

Highly gassy with a citrus rind and cinnamon flavor. This one is definitely made with cane sugar, it sticks to your teeth in a way where you can actually feel the decay happening in real-time. Maybe that’s just because I’m nine sodas in, but this one tastes like it will make your dentist hate you.

It’s good but doesn’t have enough of a bite for me.

Taste 10:

By far the best, cinnamon, vanilla, and citrus mingle in perfect balance and unlike the other tastes, this one has a strong burn from the second it hits your tongue all the way to the aftertaste.

From my notes: “This must be Coca-Cola Classic because it just tastes right to me.”

Taste 11:

A rush of sugar, this one is the sweetest I’ve tasted so far. Unfortunately, those characteristic cola notes have a hard time cutting through all the sweetness, and it’s not nearly fizzy enough to provide an adequate bite.

It’s not bad, but it’s far from my favorite.

Taste 12:

Awful. Wince-inducingly bad. This is truly foul, aside from having absolutely no fizz whatsoever, it has this really bitter herbal flavor and a dirty-tasting blunt aftertaste. Is there sugar in this thing?

Taste 13:

Very herbal with notes of cinnamon, vanilla, and a bitter citrus bite. It’s a bit too sweet on the backend, which muddles the bite, but otherwise very good. Top five for sure.

Taste 14:

This one tastes strangely familiar. It has a well-balanced flavor but isn’t nearly fizzy enough. Maybe this one is Pepsi, I’ve definitely had it before.

Taste 15:

What the fuck is this? It has an almost rust color to it and the same bubblegum smell to it as Inca Cola. Is there another strain of colas that I had no idea about? What’s with all this tropical cola?

That said, this one isn’t nearly as off-putting as Inca Cola. It’s more balanced with a subtler bubblegum flavor and hints of vanilla.

Taste 16:

This is definitely one of the more artisan brands but… I don’t like it. It has no bite and instead leaves you with a dirty bitter flavor that lingers between sips. You can sort of taste how it’s cola, but it goes a little too hard on those citrus peel notes.

Taste 17:

Very sweet, but in a noticeably different way than the other tastings. It’s hard to put my finger on it, but I can say with confidence that this isn’t high fructose syrup or cane sugar sweetened. This is an almost floral quality to the sweetness which is joined by notes of vanilla. It’s got a great flavor, but it’s not really my thing.

PART II: The Ranking

17. Olipop Vintage Cola (Taste 12)

Price: $2.49

The fact that this cola dubs itself a “Sparkling Tonic” should be the first red flag, followed by the “supports digestive health” claim on the can. This is some sort of health cola with only two grams of sugar. I get it, it’s marketed toward people who love soda but know that drinking it is bad for their health, in other words, adults. But… just drink club soda if that’s the case. This is a waste of two grams of sugar.

The Bottom Line:

A healthy cola with a truly awful taste.

16. Inca Kola (Taste 6)

Price:. $11.98 (Cans, buy at a Mexican market for half the price)

I’m sure this soda has its fans but if you’re all about the flavors of cola, don’t let your curiosity get the best of you. This isn’t cola, at least not how you know it. If you do however want bubblegum and banana-flavored soda, give this a try.

The Bottom Line:

It’s not really cola.

15. Afri Cola (Taste 16)

Price: $3.25

Afri Cola is a German-based soda brand that was first introduced in the 1930s. The drink was pretty successful in its home country but was soon surpassed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi in the 1980s. It’s easy to see why, this has all the same flavor notes we’ve come to expect from cola but in a much different ratio.

The Bottom Line:

The cola flavors you love in a different ratio. Leans heavily on those citrus oil notes.

14. Virgil’s — Zero Sugar Cola (Taste 2)

Price: $5.29 (6-Pack)

At some point in the last few years, Virgil’s ditched their cola formula and now only sells this sugar-free version. The zero sugar version is sweetened with a proprietary blend of stevia, monk fruit, and erythritol. From what I remember, this tastes pretty much identical to the sugar version, which is to say, unremarkable.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re staying away from sugar this gets the job done, but it lacks that satisfying bite.

13. Colombiana La Nuestra (Taste 15)

Price:: $16.99 (Buy for much cheaper at your local Mexican market)

Colombiana La Nuestra showed me that there is another strain of colas from south of the border that favor tropical notes over the darker citrus oil and cinnamon-tinged colas that we know here in the states. I think the flavor is distinctively different enough to deserve its own separate flavor, but hey, it’s called cola, so we’re ranking it.

Colombiana La Nuestra hails from Colombia and has an interesting rust color I’ve never seen in another soda.

The Bottom Line:

The best tropical cola your money can buy. Not as sickly sweet as Inca Kola.

12. Shasta Cola (Taste 11)

Price: $26.25 (Pack of 24)

Shasta Cola is the budget buy, it’s cheaper than Pepsi, Coke, and RC Cola, and sometimes comes in rare triple liter bottles. It has all the right cola notes in a pretty good balance, but because it’s not fizzy enough and a bit too sweet — so we have to rank it twelfth.

The Bottom Line:

Not fizzy enough and way too sweet, but it delivers on that cola bite.

11. Pepsi (Taste 3)

Price: $2.89

I thought a couple of different tastings might’ve been Pepsi and I was wrong on both occasions. It’s hard to believe Pepsi is as popular as it is when it tastes this mediocre. It tastes flat with no bite with an emphasis on vanilla notes and a sickly sweet aftertaste. It’s cola, but it tastes like it’s missing something.

The Bottom Line:

Pepsi comes across as flat Coke with a weak bite. Still, I’m surprised it fell this low. Could I have bought a bad batch? Pepsi heads: Is it better canned?

10. Coca-Cola Zero (Taste 14)

Price: $6.28 (12 Pack)

I was surprised by Coca-Cola Zero. Until this tasting I had never tried it before, it has the flavor of Coca-Cola Classic but doesn’t provide the same bite. I’m just not sure why this and Diet Coke exist.

The Bottom Line:

Coca-Cola Classic without the bite. Which might be a deal-breaker for you.

9. Sprecher Puma Kola (Taste 17)

Price: $1.99

Hailing from a brewery in Wisconsin, Sprecher Puma Kola is sweetened with honey, which explains those floral notes I was picking up in the blind taste. I like this one a lot, it’s complex and distinct, but the floral quality is a bit distracting from the bite, which is what I come to cola for.

The Bottom Line:

An interesting alternative to the big brands but there are more interesting-tasting artisan brands out there.

8. Diet Coke (Taste 8)

Price: $10.18 (24 Pack)

I’ve spent so much of my life bad-mouthing Diet Coke, but I have e to admit that when tasted blind I didn’t even notice it was sugar-free. I think when you drink a whole can of this stuff it comes off as chemical tasting but in small bursts it came across as a true cola.

The Bottom Line:

A passable substitute for the real thing.

7. Royal Crown Cola (Taste 7)

Price: $24.99 (15-Pack)

In the blind taste test, I knew that I had tasted this one before, but I falsely assumed it was Pepsi. I rarely have RC Cola, when I do I’m usually visiting my mom who still swears by the stuff. It’s great, fizzy, sweet, but lacking a bit of bite.

The brand was first introduced in 1905 as a budget version of Coca-Cola. It’s lasted this long so they must be doing something right.

The Bottom Line:

If Coca-Cola is sold out, grab RC over Pepsi every time.

6. Moxie (Taste 4)

Price: $39.97 (24 Pack)

Is Moxie even cola? I’m not entirely sure. Moxie was first introduced in 1884 and like most early American sodas came with dubious health claims attached. Moxie was marketed as a “nerve food” that promised to strengthen the nervous system, geared specifically towards athletes. Its flavor comes from the gentian root, which is the root of a flower. I guess this makes it more in line with a root beer than cola, but in flavor, it leans much closer to a cola.

The Bottom Line:

It’s probably not a cola, but it has that same bite that we can’t get enough of.

5. Jarritos Mexican Cola (Taste 9)

Price: $1.25

Of all the flavors Jarritos makes, Mexican Cola is the brand’s weakest. Having said that, it’s still very good. What it lacks in bite it makes up for in gassy fizziness. This one is cane sugar-sweetened and highly addictive, but it’s a little hard to drink this and not wish you were sipping on a more traditional Jarritos flavor like Mandarin.

The Bottom Line:

Delicious and a great tasting but cheap alternative to the big brands. But if you’re going Jarritos, go with one of the brand’s other flavors over this.

4. Boylan Cane Cola (Taste 13)

Price: $38.25 (12 Pack)

Boylan Bottle Co claims this Cane Cola is made from orange, lemon, and lime oils, I’m not really tasting any of the lemon and lime, but this definitely has a zesty quality to it with a nice herbal journey of flavors. I like it a lot, it tastes like an artisan version of Coca-Cola, but it’s missing a strong bite. And that holds it back.

The Bottom Line:

Flavorful and complex but lacking bite.

3. Coca-Cola Classic (Taste 5)

Price: $5.89 (12 Pack)

In truth, it’s a toss-up between Coca-Cola Classic and our next entry for second and third place — I’m only putting this one third for variety’s sake. Coca-Cola Classic is, well classic, but it came across as a bit unremarkable in the blind. It was still a clear and easy favorite, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly unsatisfied like it wasn’t… Coke enough.

This will all make more sense when we get to my number one choice.

The Bottom Line:

It’s the GOAT, but a better version exists. Consider this tied for second.

2. Fentiman’s Curiosity Cola (Taste 1)

Price: $19.30 (4 Pack)

The reason I gave Fentiman’s the second-place spot over Coca-Cola Classic is because I think this brand deserves to be on the radar of every person who rides hard for team Coke. This has an equivalent bite but leans heavier on the cinnamon notes, giving this a distinctively different flavor that really could be your new favorite. The ingredients list shows that the drink is sweetened with beet sugar and pear concentrate, with some ginger root extract thrown in there which helps to give it an herbaceous quality that Coke just doesn’t have.

This is the “discovery” of the blind test for me. A brand I’ll certainly go back to.

The Bottom Line:

Highly herbal with that sharp bite that Coke fans love. It’s the best artisan cola I’ve ever had. By a mile.

1. Mexican Coca-Cola (Taste 10)

Price: $34.50 (12 Pack)

If you thought Mexican Coca-Cola was just Coca-Cola Classic in a taller bottle with “Hecho en Mexico” printed on the side, you couldn’t be more wrong. This features the same recipe as Coca-Cola Classic with one key difference — it’s made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. This puts it more along the lines of the Coca-Cola people knew and loved before the disastrous launch of New Coke in the ’80s. When Coca-Cola finally killed New Coke and brought Coca-Cola back under the name “Coca-Cola Classic” they tweaked the OG formula with the high fructose corn syrup flavored version because it was cheaper to produce.

That cane sugar makes all the difference, it imparts an earthy and floral sweetness to the already familiar blend of cinnamon, citrus oil, and vanilla and supplies a more intense bite that hits the moment it touches your palate.

The Bottom Line:

This just tastes more like Coca-Cola than what Coca-Cola Classic tastes like. It’s Coca-Cola in its most pure form. Blissfully bite-y and a clear winner.

On Tuesday, two weeks after the tragic gun massacre in Uvalde, Texas, Matthew McConaughey — native of the small southwestern city — came to D.C. to make a speech. The actor was one of the first celebrity responses to the mass shooting, and he followed that up with an op-ed for USA Today. Now he was in the White House press room, further elaborating on how to thread the needle between protecting people from gun violence while also not enraging gun rights advocates (and those offering dodgy solutions). And he did such a good job that at least a couple Fox News reporters seemed moved.

As per Mediaite, when McConaughey’s speech, which ran 20 minutes, was over, the response wasn’t kneejerk rejection. Indeed, both John Roberts and Brett Baier (and maybe even Sandra Smith) couldn’t find that much fault with it.

Smith herself seemed to marvel that “someone from Hollywood” would make a call to “restore our family values in the wake of that mass shooting at the elementary school in Texas.”

Roberts, meanwhile, called it an “impassioned plea,” as well as “the best presentation we have seen from that podium in an awfully long time.” He was a bit skeptical about a compromise between Republican and Democratic lawmakers, noting that while the idea is to make “laws that save lives but don’t infringe on second amendment rights,” such a thing is “difficult.”

But Baier — who had booked McConaughey on Fox News that evening — was a bit more optimistic:

You know, his specifics are, it seems like, a compromised position and I think there are a lot of Americans who get, can get around raising the age to 21 for AR-15. I think there are a lot of Americans who can get around a four-day waiting period to make sure that, you know, somebody just does not get it in the passion of the moment and does something. I think red flag laws raise other red flags that we have seen in other places, maybe that gets worked out. But there are compromised positions here and I think Capitol Hill is working on this.

Of course, these are just initial reactions. Surely when Fox News hits the primetime hours, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Laura Ingraham will have their say.

In the meantime, you can watch McConaughey’s full speech in the video above.

(Via Mediaite)

If you weren’t an avid IPA drinker and someone asked you to describe the beer’s flavor, you’d probably say “bitter.” And… maybe not much else. But while that makes sense for those unacquainted with IPAs, we think that’s a fairly narrow look at this complex, flavorful beer style.

Sure, we agree that many IPAs (especially some West Coast IPAs) border on aggressively and sometimes uncomfortably hoppy, dank notes, there are others that feature more nuanced flavors as well. We’re talking about bright floral hints, grassy notes, fresh hay, tropical fruits, and our favorite vibrant, sweet, and sometimes tart citrus flavors. Especially grapefruit, lemon, lime, and tangerine.

Don’t get us wrong, we can throw down an in-your-face bitterly hopped banger with the best of them. But we prefer our IPAs to be more balanced and drinkable, especially in summer.

In order to find the best IPAs for fans of bold, tart citrus flavors, we went to the pros. We asked a few well-known craft beer experts, brewers, and beer professionals to reveal their favorite IPAs for fans of citrus. Keep reading to see their picks!

Rockford HopLust

David Ringler, director of happiness at Cedar Springs Brewing Company in Cedar Springs, Wisconsin

ABV: 7.1%

Average Price: $11.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I’m a huge fan of Rockford Brewing Company’s HopLust IPA. They’re a past Great American Beer Fest Brewery of the Year and they hit a home run with this beer. It has a hearty backbone and a blend of big citrus and pine bitterness that begs the next sip.

Trillium Farnsworth Street

Thomas Reese, brewer at Ghost Harbor Brewing Co. in Elizabeth City, North Carolina

ABV: 7.2%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Farnsworth Street from Trillium Brewing in Boston. What flavors make it great? This beer blew me away and really opened my mind to the possibilities of where IPA can go as a style. Bursting with flavors of pineapple, cantaloupe, and mango. Smooth, full-bodied with restrained bitterness lends an orange creamsicle character.

It’s my all-time favorite beer.

Kane High Head

Kevin Beachem, head brewer at Taproot Brewing Company in Newport, Rhode Island

ABV: 6.6%

Average Price: $12.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

I’ll have to be biased and rep my old brewery on this one and say Kane Head High. They were the brewery that got me into drinking beer, and I was fortunate enough to work for them for over three years in both the taproom and production side. Their IPAs were just an awesome riff on your classic west coast IPAs but with an east coast twist.

Head High is their flagship and just bursts with flavors of pine resin, Cara orange, ruby red grapefruit and has a nice lingering hop bitterness that keeps you wanting more. It was the IPA that got me into IPAs. We delve more into the juicy New England style IPAs but would love to do more west coast inspired beers like this one down the road.

City Barrel Rad AF

Eric Martens, founder and owner at Border Brewing Company in Kansas City, Missouri

ABV: 6.4%

Average Price: $17 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

There are so many great options for citrus-forward IPAs, but one of my favorites has become Rad AFfrom City Barrel Brewing in Kansas City. It’s a hazy IPA that is light, easy-drinking but still packs a huge citrus-bursting hop character that makes it very enjoyable to drink.

Community Beer Citra Slice

Hector Cavazos, owner and head brewer at Rebel Toad Brewery in Corpus Christi, Texas

ABV: 7%

Average Price: $10 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Community Beer Citra Slice. It tastes like lemon and orange peel. This bold, bright, vibrant, 7% ABV IPA is brewed with Citra hops to give it an authentically citrus flavor. It’s only heightened by the addition of lemon and orange peel.

It’s definitely a citrus bomb of an IPA.

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed

Kevin Smolar, production and quality lab manager at Sun King Brewery in Indianapolis

ABV: 6.4%

Average Price: $10.50 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

Deschutes Fresh Squeezed IPA. The first time I had this beer it took a lot of convincing for me to believe there wasn’t actually fruit added to it. It has such bright pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, and passionfruit flavors that I crushed the first beer and immediately ordered a second. I’ll always reach for one of these when I have the opportunity.

Lagunitas IPA

Kyle Park, director of marketing at Neshaminy Creek Brewing Co. in Croydon, Pennsylvania

ABV: 6.2%

Average Price: $9.99 for a six-pack

Why This Beer?

I tend to gravitate towards the classics and Lagunitas IPA checks all the boxes for classic IPAs with bold citrus flavors. They load it up with all the classic ‘C’ hops and continue to show the rest of us what an IPA can and should be. What could be better?

Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai

Chris Elliott, chief brewing officer at Wild Leap Brew Co. in LaGrange, Georgia

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $10.99 for a four-pack

Why This Beer?

I feel like I have hundreds of favorite IPAs, but one classic regional IPA that is citrusy and juicy, with traditional IPA bitterness and a unique oak character is White Oak Jai Alai by Cigar City. This was a beer that I used to chase the beer truck for when Cigar City was first available. I really love the combo of wood and hops and this one never disappoints.

North Park Hop Fu!

Douglas Hasker, head brewer at Puesto Cerveceria in San Diego

ABV: 7.5%

Average Price: $19.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Hop Fu! from North Park Beer Co. The 2022 World Beer Cup Gold Medal winning IPA, Hop Fu! is bursting with bright orange and grapefruit zest underpinned by a solid malt foundation that is anything but a second thought. An old-school West Coast IPA at heart, everything about this IPA is bold and flavorful while remaining eminently drinkable.

Civil Society Fresh

Marshall Hendrickson co-founder and head of operations at Veza Sur Brewing Co. in Miami

ABV: 6.2%

Average Price: $16.99 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans

Why This Beer?

Civil Society Fresh. It is packed with all of the amazing citrus fruit flavors for IPA lovers. Even before your first sip, the aroma hits you hard with full grapefruit, lemon, and lime aromas. This beer is truly one of my favorites, so delicious.

The Fermentorium Juice Packets

Chris Wittemann, area sales at Specher Brewing Company in Glendale, Wisconsin

ABV: 6.6%

Average Price: Limited Availability

Why This Beer?

Juice Packets IPA by The Fermentorium). Every brewery and beer drinker is overly familiar with the Citra hop. Every brewery makes a Citra IPA, juicy IPA, or something similar featuring the Citra hop. What really distinguishes a good IPA is if you can use the hops to create a balanced beer. The citrusy flavors of Juice packets is top notch and brings out a nice piney flavor compliments of the double dry-hopping.

Bob Saget always had many sides. To some, he was the patient dad on Full House and amiable host of America’s Funniest Home Videos. To others, he was also one of the filthiest stand-ups on the circuit. After his sudden passing in early January, at only 65, tributes poured in, some of them appropriately blue. We also learned he’d become more reflective, particularly about death, dying, and the afterlife, with age.

Now we have further proof of that. As per People, an unreleased episode of the podcast This Day with Radio Rahim, recorded eight months before his death, will be made available on Luminary, broken into three parts and released over the week. In the first part, Saget can be heard delving deep into how he’d come to think about mortality a lot over the years, and how the death of loved ones helped him “grow.”

“I’m proud of myself because I’m onto a new thing,” Saget explained. “At 65, I’m different than I was. We’re all rethinking what we said 20 years ago, 10 years ago, four years ago. I’m not even rethinking it, I just don’t have the same way of doing humor or conversation.

“I guess therapy, having three kids, watching people pass away in the past few years, mortality, all that stuff has fortunately changed me,” he added. “My kids tell me, ‘Dad, you’re different. It’s so nice to watch you grow.’”

Saget also discussed how he’d been surrounded by death growing up — how his father wound up outliving all his siblings, and how he even helped write a funeral speech one late night when he was only nine. That wound up driving him into the arts, first by obtaining a 16mm camera, all in an attempt to help him cope. Later in life, he lost both his sisters, including one to the disease Scleroderma. He wound up helping make a TV movie about the disease and spent the next three decades doing benefits and raising money for a foundation that researches it.

“It’s one of my life’s works because my sister died at 47,” Saget said. “That’s the best part about being an only child, man. You don’t have to worry about losing a sibling.”

The first part of the episode is now available on Luminary. The other two will be released throughout the week. The star-studded A Tribute to Bob Saget will be released on Netflix on June 10.

(Via People)

Ever since being arrested last month on charges of racketeering, Young Thug has received plenty of support from the rap community — even from unexpected sources, like YFN Lucci‘s lawyer, who called the RICO case against Thug “racist.” The latest of Thug’s peers to weigh in on the ongoing case is The Game. The Compton rapper appeared on Complex with Speedy Morman where he discussed a number of topics, including the case against Young Thug and YSL Records and the use of lyrics as evidence in it.

“I think it’s bullsh*t,” he said, with no equivocation. “Because when Sylvester Stallone plays Rambo, and he’s shooting up motherf*ckers, get in trouble in real life, they not gon’ bring up Rambo 1 through 5, and be like, ‘You’ve been violent your whole career.’ It’s entertainment. And these days, a lot of rappers are cappin’ in their music — I’m not saying that Gunna and Thug are — … but there needs to be a law passed where they cannot use rappers’ “entertainment” lyrics in a court case.”

There’s good news for him on that front; the state of New York is getting nearer to passing a law limiting the use of lyrics in criminal trials — and others, from Jay-Z to Bobby Shmurda, support its adoption nationwide.

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