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Constantly controversial rapper Tekashi 69, also known as 6ix9ine, has been in a lot of trouble as of late over aggravated battery, refusing to play a show after being paid, an NFT scam, an unpaid security bill, and his involvement in a 2018 armed robbery. Last year, he had to postpone shows because of “court matters.” He’s currently dealing with the robbery, in which he and members of the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods allegedly ambushed Seketha Wonzer and Kevin Dozier in Manhattan. 69 didn’t participate in the actual robbery but filmed it from a nearby vehicle. Now he’s claiming that he’s “struggling to make ends meet,” and will go “bankrupt” if he doesn’t win this case.

Per court documents obtained by Complex, 69 stated, “Right now, I am struggling to make ends meet. I do not know if I will ever command the kind of advances I was paid before my arrest, and my career stalled.” He continued: “I did receive large advances under the recording artist and merchandising agreements prior to my arrest. However, I do not receive any royalties under those agreements either since my royalty accounts remain unrecouped.”

“It will surely bankrupt me in a way from which I will never recover to the permanent detriment and hardship of the family members who rely upon me,” he added in the documents.

There’s no whisky in the world that’s more popular than Johnnie Walker. Full stop. Its global sales trounce every other brand, even international best-seller Jack Daniel’s. That means that there are a lot of Johnnie Walker out there. But it also means that the brand often gets dismissed as too big to take seriously by whisk(e)y “fans.”

That’s a shame, as Johnnie Walker puts out some absolute bangers in their core line, which represent (and in some cases define) the best of what modern blended whisky and blended malts can be. Yes, I’m serious.

Johnnie Walker releases seven expressions in their core line. Those whiskies are a mix of “blended whiskey” — a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from all over Scotland — and “blended malts” — a blend of single malts, mostly from the Diageo stable of distilleries around Scotland. Taking it a little further, these whiskies range from mixing whisky (Johnnie Red and Black) to some of the most sought-after blended malts, aka Johnnie Walker Blue.

To parse which ones are actually worth your time and money, I’m throwing them all into a blind taste test. To round out the numbers, I’ve also added in the Jane Walker Edition of Johnnie Walker Black. It’s a unique take on the classic expression that’s limited for now but sure to be a mainstay in coming years.

Today’s Lineup:

• Johnnie Walker Blue Label
• Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve
• Johnnie Walker Red Label
• The Jane Walker Edition
• Johnnie Walker Double Black
• Johnnie Walker Black Label
• Johnnie Walker 18
• Johnnie Walker Green Label

Let’s get tasting and ranking!

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

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

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.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Leather and honeyed oats mingle with sultanas and spicy malts on the nose. The taste pops with tropical fruits (almost papaya) with a rich vanilla cream throughline. The mid-palate hits a fruity-honey note that leads to a hint of soft oak and mild earthy peat.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This is much thinner from the jump with an echo of leather, “sweet” citrus, and lightly smoked wood. There’s a touch of black pepper on the palate next to orchard fruits and “smoke.” The end just disappears, leaving you with mineral water and wet ash.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mix of raisins, old peaches, and leather on the nose with a hint of dried cherry and creamed honey. The palate leans into apple pie filling with rich creamy vanilla sauce and milk chocolate. The finish arrives with a bushel of dry wicker cane, warming malts with a hint of winter spice, and a final rush of dry dark chocolate powder.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This opens with cherrywood smoke next to dried apricots and cloves that are countered by a raw banana bread batter. The taste balances vanilla creaminess with ripe and tart apples next to smoked prunes and smoked cherry. Those cherries lead to a soft and wet oak counterpointed by dry chunks of peat and old leather-bound books.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Watery leather opens the nose with hints of sweet raisins, vanilla pods, and spiced malts. The palate bounces between vanilla pudding and mulled wine spices with apricot jam and smoked applewood rounding things out. The finish is short and hits on light, sweet, and earthy smoke but ends fairly thin.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Applewood and buttery toffee draw you in on the nose with nice notes of fresh and ripe fruit, worn jacket leather, and soft malts just touched with winter spices. Caramel leads the palate toward rich marzipan, vanilla pudding, and freshly peeled tangerines. Sweet yet dark cacao drives the mid-palate toward the softest line of sweet smoke just touched with dry chili spice and that applewood.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Cedar boxes full of sweet fruits lead the nose toward black peppercorns and vanilla pods with an underlayer of sweet green grass. That soft cedar leads the taste with support from grilled tropical fruits, dried roses, spiced malts, and chewy apple tobacco. The mid-palate sweetens with a honeycomb vibe as earthy smoke, singed cedar bark, dark cacao nibs, dry reeds, and an echo of sea spray round out the finish.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Johnnie Walker Red Label — Taste 3

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $26

The Whisky:

Johnnie Walker’s entry point expression is also the best-selling scotch expression on the planet. The juice is a blend from Diageo’s deep stable of distilleries around Scotland that’s specifically designed to be mixed and not taken straight.

Bottom Line:

It was immediately evident that this was Red Label. It was so indistinct and thin. I really can’t even see using this for mixing if I’m being honest, making this last place by a lot.

7. Johnnie Walker Black Label — Taste 6

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Whisky:

This is Johnnie’s signature blend that’s dialed in to be a sipper with a few rocks thrown in. The blend leans into the peaty seaside distilleries with 30 plus whiskies from powerhouses like Lagavulin, Talisker, and Cardhu.

Bottom Line:

“Just fine” was my note on this one. It’s mediocre and not really all that memorable. I’d likely bury this in a whisky and coke or ginger and move on with my day.

6. Johnnie Walker Double Black — Taste 5

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $46

The Whisky:

This is basically Johnnie Black, a slightly peaty blend, that’s been casked again in deeply charred oak. The idea is to maximize that peat and amp up the Islay and Island smokiness of the final dram.

Bottom Line:

This felt like a really solid mixing whisky, especially for highballs. I can see this standing up and bringing something to a cocktail, easily. It’s not that engaging on its own but not terrible by any stretch either.

5. The Jane Walker Edition — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Whisky:

Master Blender Emma Walker created this blend with Cardhu — a Speyside distillery — at its core. Cardhu was famously founded and run by another female pioneer in whisky, Elizabeth Cumming, back in the 1800s. The juice is a blend of malts that aged at least ten years from the Diageo stable of Scotch single malts.

Bottom Line:

This felt like a great on-the-rocks pour or highball whisky. It was the best of the Black Labels but didn’t quite break through to the depth of the more refined bottles on this list.

4. Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve — Taste 2

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $80

The Whisky:

This no-age-statement blend leans into that signature Walker marriage of Highland and Speyside whiskies with a small dose of Western Scottish juice for good measure. The lion’s share of the whisky involved in this gilded bottle is Clynelish, a Highland whisky that adds a modicum of peat to the mix.

Bottom Line:

This feels like a bit of a cheat to call “middle of the road.” This is a damn near-perfect pour of blended whisky. From here on out, I’m splitting hairs. But for this one, it felt like it was more suited to a nice (or the perfect) highball than an awesome neat pour that’ll take you on a journey.

3. Johnnie Walker Green Label — Taste 8

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $65

The Whisky:

This whisky was actually taken off the market in 2012 and people lost their shit. Diageo came to its senses and brought it back by 2016. The juice is a blend of single malts only, making it a “pure malt” and not a “blended scotch whisky” (that blends malt and grain whiskies). The juice primarily comes from Speyside, Highland, Lowland, and Island malts with a focus on a minimum of 15-year-old Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.

Bottom Line:

This is a regular pour in my house, but as a highball mixer or on the rocks “everyday” whisky. It’s just so damn refined for a great price. That hint of sea spray helps this truly stand out from all the fruit and honey but it doesn’t quite elevate it to “holy shit” heights. It’s just really freakin’ good and easy to drink without being challenging — and that’s why it’s not the best of the best when it comes to Johnnie Walker.

2. Johnnie Walker Blue Label — Taste 1

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $230

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 just … cool. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special.

Bottom Line:

This was the first taste and set the bar almost impossibly high from the jump. But today it was beaten, thanks to the 18’s slighty greater depth that leaned into fattier flavor notes of buttery toffee and just that little bit more going on in the glass.

That’s not to say this isn’t a stellar whisky. It 100 percent is. This is a whisky that’ll get you hooked on Johnnie Walker for life. It’s deeply hewn, nostalgic, and pure velvet in the glass.

1. Johnnie Walker 18 — Taste 7

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $90

The Whisky:

This blend used to be called Johnnie Walker Platinum, which was also aged for 18 years. You might still see some of those bottles on shelves where scotch sells slowly. This is the same juice, which is comprised of 18 whiskies all of which are a minimum of 18 years old. The primary distilleries in the bottle are Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk.

Bottom Line:

I had to look at the ABVs on this bottle about five times to check if this was really only 40 percent ABV. This is so well built that you don’t feel that water at all. It’s all flavor and nuance from top to bottom with a slow dance between nutty, citrus, bitter, and the silkiest smoke in the game. This felt next level in a way that was both interesting and kind of exciting. I wanted more of this right away.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I can’t say I’m surprised by this outcome. I love Johnnie Green and it broke into my top three. I guess I likely would have put money on Blue winning out. But that 18 is a dark horse that could not be denied today. And not for nothing, it’s half the price of Johnnie Blue. So there’s that.

Overall, I’d skip the Red and Black entirely if you’re interested in getting into the world of Scotch whisky. I’d start with Gold or Green Label and then move on to 18 and Blue if you dig those first two (and have the cash to spend). Double Black and Jane Walker Edition are perfectly good whiskies, but I really can’t see using them outside of a highball setting, which is fine. At the same time, there are tons of blended malts that are fine for highballs out there, so maybe experiment rather than opting for either of those.

If all you take from this is the following: “Hey, you, track down a bottle of 18!” That’s a solid outcome. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

Season two of HBO’s Euphoria was reportedly a “hellish” ordeal, but star Sydney Sweeney wants to set the record straight about one story that she claims has been blown out of proportion.

In a January 2022 interview with the Independent, the Emmy-worthy actress said, “There are moments where Cassie was supposed to be shirtless and I would tell [creator Sam Levinson], ‘I don’t really think that’s necessary here.’ He was like, ‘OK, we don’t need it’. I’ve never felt like Sam has pushed it on me or was trying to get a nude scene into an HBO show. When I didn’t want to do it, he didn’t make me.”

That quote led to headlines about Sweeney asking and/or demanding that her nude scenes be cut from the show, but that’s not the case. “I never asked him to cut any scenes,” she told Teen Vogue. “It got twisted and turned and it became its own beast, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ It was more how respectful Sam is and how incredible of a director he is, that he would never make me do something I didn’t feel comfortable with.”

Sweeney continued, “I think it’s important to the storyline and the character. There’s a purpose to what that character is going through. That’s the character. We all get naked in real life. We show this character’s life and what they’re going through. Cassie’s body is a different form of communication for her.”

This headline about Sweeney being cooler than everyone else, though? Absolutely true.

(Via Teen Vogue)

It seems like everybody has an opinion on pizza toppings, which is perfectly fine because people generally have different taste buds and enjoy different things. But one thing that society seems to fight about all the time is whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. Even Peppa Pig states that pineapple pizza is “illegal” (though they don’t mention ham on pizza because….you know). Most recently, the characters from the post-apocalyptic zombie drama The Walking Dead addressed the pressing topic. You would think they would be focused on other things, like zombies, but, hey, the show is in its eleventh season, and they need to get creative.

While Ezekiel, played by Khary Payton, prepares to go under before major surgery, he is comforted by Carol (played by the iconic Melissa McBride) and Jerry (Cooper Andrews) who says they will have pizza when he wakes up. Before Ezekiel finally drifts off, he says the controversial take: “No… no pineapple. I’m serious, Jerry. Pineapple on pizza makes no sense.”

The statement was then supported by The Walking Dead showrunner Angela Kang, who told Entertainment Weekly that the culinary concoction was “disgusting” and the show stands behind its very debatable meal. “I didn’t write that line, but I was like, I thoroughly agree. It’s an abomination. Why mix these two things? I don’t understand it. So wrong.”

Here’s the thing: most people don’t know how to properly make pineapple pizza. They put the pineapple on before it cooks, which dries it out, and makes it gross. You have to use fresh pineapple, and it needs to be grilled on its own, separately from the pizza. Combine with ham, the acidity perfectly balances out with the saltiness of ham and cheese. You’re welcome!!! And if you don’t like it, to each their own. At least it’s not licorice.

The recent HBO Max Harry Potter reunion special did its best to pretend that J.K. Rowling isn’t an elephant in the room. That is to say, the author of the book saga (and who has had her fingers all up in the adaptations therein) periodically issues her controversial remarks about trans people. This practice has led to a multitude of public rifts, including when Rowling deleted praise for Stephen King after he tweeted, “Trans women are women.” In addition, actors who have appeared in Rowling adaptations (Potter star Daniel Radcliffe and Fantastic Beasts actor Eddie Redmayne) have defended those targeted by the author. As well, Emma Watson, who famously played Hermione Granger, followed suit with a statement of support for trans people.

Fast forward a few years, and Emma presented (over the weekend) at the BAFTAs, where (via a video clip posted by The Independent), Rebel Wilson welcomed Watson to the stage while alluding to Harry Potter and declaring, “She calls herself a feminist, but we all know she’s a witch.”

Watson stepped up to the mic and began like this: “I’m here for all the witches.”

Naturally, this sentence is causing a stir on social media with some people celebrating Watson’s remarks and others complaining about too much wokeness. That’s to be expected, and Emma did not follow up on her remarks. She has, however, recently owned up to her own blindspots in supporting marginalized communities. In 2020, Emma also tweeted, “Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren’t who they say they are.”

Emma later added, “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.”

To that end, Emma didn’t directly mention J.K.’s attacks on the trans community, but this appears to be a reference and another distancing from the author. There’s been no response or acknowledgement (of this moment) from Rowling’s camp thus far.

Last week saw the end of Encanto mainstay “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, as Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” surpassed it to claim the No. 1 spot for the first time. Now, on the new chart dated March 19, Glass Animals are once again at the summit as “Heat Waves” is No. 1 for a second week.

“Heat Waves” is a big one for UK music’s presence on the US charts: It’s the first song by a British group to top the Hot 100 for multiple weeks since Spice Girls’ “Wannabe” did for four weeks in February and March 1997. Coldplay has come close to doing it a couple times, as “Viva La Vida” and “My Universe” were No. 1 for a week each in 2008 and 2021, respectively.

The band’s Dave Bayley previously told Uproxx of the song, “With ‘Heat Waves,’ it was coming to terms with the fact that it’s OK to understand, appreciate, and know that you’re missing someone — that it’s actually probably quite healthy. That you should let yourself do that, you shouldn’t try to bury it the whole time. It’s kind of like a eureka, euphoric moment. Or it can be.”

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

The Ben Roethlisberger era in Pittsburgh came to a rather unceremonious end last season, as the Steelers went 9-7-1 (arguably in spite of their veteran QB) before getting blasted in the first round of the playoffs by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Despite knowing Roethlisberger’s time was coming to a close, the Steelers had not set themselves up with a quarterback of the future in recent years, as Mason Rudolph’s time as a spot starter showed he was not likely to be the short- or long-term answer at the position. As such, they were rumored to be in the mix for a number of the top quarterbacks on the trade and free agent market, and after Aaron Rodgers returned to Green Bay and Russell Wilson ended up in Denver, they chose to shift their attention to a younger quarterback.

On Monday, word broke from Mike Garafolo and Jeremy Fowler that Mitch Trubisky, the former No. 2 overall pick of the Bears and most recently the backup for Josh Allen in Buffalo, was headed to Pittsburgh on a two-year deal with the expectation of starting for the Steelers.

Trubisky’s time in Chicago was uneven at best, as he struggled with consistency and found himself benched for a stretch in 2020 in favor of Nick Foles. All reports out of Buffalo were that he had come in ready to learn from Josh Allen and had taken strides, but there’s no real way to know whether there was real improvement until he gets back under center for a team. The Steelers are willing to take that risk, banking on his talent and recognizing that they’re in a position to take a swing on a guy like Trubisky on a short-term deal that gives them the flexibility to move on quickly if he falters — and allows them to shift focus elsewhere in this year’s NFL Draft that is short on high level quarterbacks.

While Kanye West has been repeatedly throwing shade at Pete Davidson, the comedian has decided to literally leave the Earth, which is honestly understandable. The Saturday Night Live comedian is joining the crew on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin flight to space, which is set to launch on March 23rd.

Rumors of the space flight began circling earlier this month when a source told Page Six that Davidson had met with Bezos and was “excited” about the idea. This will be Blue Origin’s 20th mission to space, and Davidson will be alongside five other humans who likely shelled out close to a million dollars. Perhaps it isn’t a coincidence that SNL aired what was basically an Amazon Go commercial disguised as a sketch.

Davidson has been a very pubic target of Kanye West lately, after being seen out and about with West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian. Davidson has been referring to Kardashian as his girlfriend as of late, which makes West, uh, not happy and very violent. Kardashian was officially granted a divorce earlier this month, and she has dropped the “West” from her social media pages. Obviously, Kanye isn’t happy.

Most recently, screenshots of Davidson’s texts with West were released, which showed the comedian trying to reason with the rapper and meet in person to talk. It doesn’t seem to have worked. Anyway, have fun in space, Pete!

Look, it’s unfair to judge a random scene from a movie or TV show without context. For instance, Mad Men is one of the greatest shows of all-time, but if the Lane Pryce and Pete Campbell fight was the first scene you saw, well, you would still probably think Mad Men rules. But you would also be confused. It’s everything that leads up to the fight that makes it great (that, and Jared Harris’ delivery of “grimy little pimp”).

Maybe everything that leads up to the viral sex scene in Netflix‘s Brand New Cherry Flavor is great, too. I’ll admit that I haven’t watched the limited series about a filmmaker in the 1990s (played by Rosa Salazar) who moves to Los Angeles and, following an encounter with a shady male producer, hires a witch (Catherine Keener) to hex him. But without context, it’s weird as heck, although I imagine that’s true even with context.

Decider reports that “Brand New Cherry Flavor is currently getting a boost from [TikTok], as users challenge each other to record their ‘blind reactions’ to one of the series’ strangest scenes.” The scene, which is also all over Twitter, happens at the 35 minute mark of the show’s fourth episode, “Tadpole Smoothie.” I won’t describe it (that would spoil the, um, fun?), but fair warning, it’s NSFW and involves a hand and a wound.

Enjoy!

(Via Decider)

The release of Chicago rapper Lil Durk’s seventh studio album 7220 was no casual affair. He released a slew of dates for his spring tour; he engaged in as many collaborations as possible, including 50 Cent’s “Power Powder Respect,” Cordae’s “Chronicles,” Gucci Mane’s “Rumors,” and 2 Chainz’s “Lost Kings”; he challenged Kanye by announcing that the record would drop the same day as his (both albums ended up being delayed).

7220, which was finally released a few days ago, was reported to have earned an estimated 120,000 to 130,000 total album-equivalent units in its opening week. To celebrate his success, he took to Twitter to flex: “My label gave me 40million let’s talk bout it.”

When he announced 7220 in November 2021, he promised it would contain “anthems and no skips.” It follows last year’s joint project Voice Of The Heroes with Lil Baby, as well as a string of well-received features with artists such as Latto, Moneybagg Yo, Nardo Wick, Polo G, Pooh Shiesty, Tee Grizzley, and more. After the rapper challenged Kanye in February, fans speculated that Durk had acquired a feature from Pete Davidson for his album to antagonize Kanye, and Durk had to take to Instagram to shut down the rumors, stating: “Plus Ye want to do a album together.”

7220 is out now via Alamo/OTF.