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The 2022 Grammy Awards, which took place on April 3, was more of a glitzy affair compared to last year’s ceremony. It could be due to the ease of COVID-19 restrictions on events or that it was held in Las Vegas, but the night was intent on highlighting memorable performances and unexpected wins.

Gen Z took over the MGM Grand Garden Arena’s stage, with artists like Lil Nas X, Billie Eilish, BTS, and Olivia Rodrigo showing why they’re at the top of their generation’s class. But the night belonged to The Late Show bandleader and jazz musician Jon Batiste, the most nominated artist of 2022 with 11 nods. The Oscar and Golden Globe winner took home five awards, including the most coveted (and the most surprising moment of the night) Album of the Year for We Are.

Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic also stole the show, with their Sin City-approved “777” performance and victory in all four of their categories, including Record and Song Of The Year for 2021’s “Leave The Door Open” smash.

It was also a historical night for Kanye West’s Donda (despite being barred from performing). The controversial rapper’s wins — Best Melodic Rap Performance for “Hurricane” featuring The Weeknd and Best Rap Song for “Jail” with Jay-Z — brought him to a total of 24, tying him with Jay-Z for the most Grammy Awards won by a rapper. Other notable wins were Olivia Rodrigo with Best New Artist, Jazmine Sullivan’s Heaux Tales for Best R&B Album, and Doja Cat hilariously running from the bathroom to accept Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for “Kiss Me More” alongside SZA.

With all the top prizes for 2022 out the way, there’s now room for even more of music’s key players — from Adele to yes, more Silk Sonic — to take lead at the 2023 Grammys.

Check out our picks below for how major album releases within the general Sept. 1, 2021-Sept. 30, 2022 eligibility period (and ones we’re still holding out on) could win on music’s biggest night next year.

Summer Walker, Still Over It

Summer Walker has yet to receive a Grammy nomination, but the critical acclaim that surrounded last November’s Still Over It may be the key she needs to earn well-deserved recognition. The singer’s sophomore effort is more of an open diary than an album, as Walker painfully recalls a rocky relationship with former flame, producer London On Da Track. The lyrics are raw and beautifully written, showcasing Walker’s growing relatability — which can possibly lead to Best R&B Performance nominations for the SZA-assisted “No Love” as well as Best R&B Album.

Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic

“In the industry, we call that a clean sweep!“ Silk Sonic’s Anderson .Paak jokingly boasted as he and Bruno Mars picked up their Record Of The Year Grammy for “Leave The Door Open.” The major wins for the R&B super duo will surely continue at next year’s ceremony, thanks to the long-delayed An Evening With Silk Sonic. Released last November, the nine-track set features plenty of gems that can live up to the winning streak of “Leave The Door Open,” from the viral “Smokin Out The Window” to “Put On A Smile” that’s co-written by fellow Grammy King, Babyface. With the odds in their favor, Silk Sonic should begin prepping their Album Of The Year win speech.

Taylor Swift, Red (Taylor’s Version)

Taylor Swift’s Evermore may have lost Album Of The Year to Jon Batiste this year, but the pop star can be given a second chance in 2023 thanks to the virality of Red (Taylor’s Version). Released last November, it is a re-recording of Swift’s 2012 Red. The diehard fan-favorite marked a sonic turning point for the artist, where she began to experiment with other sounds outside of her country base. The re-recorded version showcases Swift’s vocal growth since the original’s release, but it’s most beloved for the chart-topping 10-minute unabridged version of “All Too Well,” which has a strong chance of securing Record and Song Of The Year slots along with the country and pop categories.

Adele, 30

Adele has been a Grammy darling since taking home the gramophones for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (“Chasing Pavements”) following 2008’s 21 debut album. After gathering a collective 15 wins and taking a six-year hiatus, the singer returned with last November’s 30. From filing for divorce to explaining love to her son to finding new, carefree lust, the album reveals even more layers of her personal life (and some of her strongest vocals to date). 30’s lead single “Easy On Me” is a major contender for Record and Song Of The Year, while the playful “Oh My God” may receive a nod for Best Pop Solo Performance. And of course, the album itself has a high chance for Album Of The Year. Adele’s been long missed from the ceremony, and 2023’s showing can likely be her reigning comeback.

Kanye West, Donda 2

West’s record-setting night at the 2022 Grammys could ultimately be broken in 2023 — by his own self. Donda 2, released in February as the sequel to last August’s Donda, sparked conversations about artists’ streaming rights as it was exclusively released on the Stem Player. Despite its mixed reviews and ineligibility to be charted on the Billboard 200 due to the Stem Player rights, the album may still receive a Best Rap Album recognition at next year’s ceremony.

Harry Styles, Harry’s House

Harry Styles became more of a critics’ favorite with the 2019 release of his sophomore album Fine Line, which earned two Grammy nominations and won Best Pop Solo Performance for “Watermelon Sugar.” The artist recently announced the anticipated follow-up, Harry’s House, set for a May 20 release. If the critical acclaim surrounding the zippy lead single “As It Was” is any indication, then Styles will earn a handful of nominations.

Post Malone, Twelve Carat Toothache

Post Malone confirmed with Billboard earlier this year the “imminent” release of his next album, Twelve Carat Toothache. There’s not much to gauge about the follow-up to 2019’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, but the artist has a growing track record of being recognized in the Big Four categories despite lacking any wins. In 2019, Hollywood’s Bleeding was nominated for Album Of The Year while “Circles” earned nods for Record and Song Of The Year. 2023 could be the year that Malone finally takes a gramophone home.

Florence & The Machine, Dance Fever

Florence & The Machine has received six nominations throughout their career, including Best New Artist in 2011. The indie rock band’s fifth album Dance Fever, the follow-up to 2018’s High As Hope, is set for a May 13 release. With co-production from Grammy favorite Jack Antonoff (who has six wins including this year’s Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical) and Glass Animals’ Dave Bayley, there’s a stronger chance for a win in the pop and rock categories come 2023.

Cardi B, TBA

Cardi B has brought the fun to the Grammy Awards since she first attended and performed “Finesse” alongside Bruno Mars in 2018. She ended up taking her first (and only one to date) gramophone the following year, winning Best Rap Album for her Invasion Of Privacy debut. The cheeky rapper has since been living her best life as a mother and businesswoman, dropping viral hits like “WAP” and this year’s Grammy-nominated “Up” in the interim. She’s also guested on Normani’s “Wild Side,” Lizzo’s “Rumors,” and Summer Walker’s “No Love” remix as she continues to build momentum for her long-awaited sophomore follow-up, which should be on the Grammys’ radar.

Kendrick Lamar, TBA

Following the 2017 release of his Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning album Damn., Kendrick Lamar became a bit of a musical recluse. But last August, he reassured fans he was working on his fifth and final album under TDE with a statement posted on Oklama.com: “As I produce my final TDE album, I feel joy to have been a part of such a cultural imprint after 17 years.” The wait for Lamar’s next project doesn’t seem to be long, as he’s since guested on tracks for the likes of Beyoncé and Baby Keem, and performed during the Super Bowl LVI halftime show. The rapper currently has 14 Grammy awards to his name, and if he drops new music during the eligibility period, it’ll prove the wait was worth it.

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

Harry Styles has enjoyed a terrific solo career since leaving One Direction, as his two solo albums so far, his self-titled debut and 2019’s Fine Line, both topped the charts in the US. He also earned himself a No. 1 single with “Watermelon Sugar” in 2020. As of today, he now has two chart-topping singles: On the new Billboard Hot 100 chart dated April 16, Styles’ recent Harry’s House single “As It Was” debuts in the No. 1 spot, ending the five-week run Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves” just had on top.

This debut wasn’t a surprise, as “As It Was” broke was such a hit that it broke multiple streaming records. Over three months into the year, “As It Was” is the first 2022 single to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100. This No. 1 comes thanks in part to the biggest streaming week tallied in 2022 so far with 43.8 million streams, along with 27.2 million radio airplay audience impressions and 10,300 downloads sold.

This latest achievement makes Styles the first member of One Direction to have multiple No. 1 songs on the Hot 100, breaking his tie with Zarn, whose “Pillowtalk” was No. 1 during its debut week in 2016. One Direction is also now the first group with two members to have solo songs debut on top of the Hot 100.

Sean Penn’s been on quite a trip lately, literally. He recently (and bluntly) opened up to Sean Hannity (about not trusting the Fox News host one bit) before they had a civilized discussion on Ukraine. The Oscar winning actor (who had vowed vowed to “smelt” his Academy Awards, should President Volodymyr Zelensky not virtually appear, and he did not) recently met with Zelensky during Penn’s filming of a documentary. The timing of that meeting meant that Penn was in the country during Russia’s invasion. He did flee to Poland while largely traveling on foot, and now, the Gaslit star has opened up about how he mulled over joining the Ukraine resistance.

The 61-year-old actor went there in spirit, at least, and he discussed (with the new quarterly Hollywood Authentic magazine) how absurd he felt while considering, “I’m now thinking about taking up arms against Russia?” No smelting followup materialized, but via Variety, Penn says that the post-invasion process had him even considering taking up arms without body armor for the below rationale:

“The only possible reason for me staying in Ukraine longer last time would’ve been for me to be holding a rifle, probably without body armour, because as a foreigner, you would want to give that body armour to one of the civilian fighters who doesn’t have it or to a fighter with more skills than I have, or to a younger man or woman who could fight for longer or whatever. So, where I am in life is short of doing that, but if you’ve been in Ukraine [fighting] has to cross your mind. And you kind of think what century is this?”

It’s quite a discussion. Penn also revealed how he had begun conversing with Zelensky, years ago, and the documentary was at least partially meant to chart his rise from the lead role in Servant of the People (in which he played an everyman who accidentally became president) to actual Ukrainian president. Obviously, the project took a turn, and Penn says that he intends to one day travel back to Ukraine, “But I’m not an idiot, I am not certain what I can offer.” He added, “I don’t spend a lot of time texting the president or his staff while they’re under siege and their people are being murdered.”

That’s sobering stuff for sure, and you can read the full interview at Hollywood Authentic.

(Via Hollywood Authentic & Variety)

Pusha T is gearing up to release his fourth studio album, It’s Almost Dry, in the coming weeks and to help promote the new project, he sat down for an hour-long interview with radio personality Charlamagne The God to discuss his new music, fatherhood, and a variety of other topics. In the course of the conversation, Pusha explained why he thinks It’s Almost Dry will be an “untouchable” body of work, crediting the album’s producers: Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

“I had the best of both worlds in regard to production,” he muses. “In regard to two people who actually understand who I am and they like two different things from me.” Of course, Pharrell Williams was one of Pusha’s earliest supporters, signing Pusha’s group Clipse to his Star Trak Records imprint in the early 2000s, where the duo released three albums before splitting in 2010. It was then that Pusha signed to Kanye’s label G.O.O.D. Music, where he released three albums, including the critically acclaimed 2018 album Daytona, two mixtapes, and an EP.

“Just from that aspect,” Push continues, “I feel like this body of work is untouchable because it doesn’t lean too heavily on either side. It’s like you get the whole spectrum — probably my most well-rounded body of work.” That contrast has been most clearly visible in the two singles Push has released from the album: the Kanye West-featuring “Diet Coke,” which was produced by longtime West ally 88 Keys, and the Jay-Z-featuring “Neck And Wrist,” produced by Pharrell. Both singles have certainly heightened the hype surrounding his upcoming release, even though he hasn’t announced a release date yet.

You can watch the full interview with Charlamagne above.

The Sacramento Kings missed the postseason for the 16th consecutive season this year, finishing 12th in the West at 30-52, four games out of the final play-in tournament position.

It was a season of changes in Sacramento, as Luke Walton was fired after a 6-11 start to the season and Alvin Gentry was elevated to interim head coach. At the deadline, the Kings made a fairly stunning move by trading Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield to Indiana for Domantas Sabonis, but even that shakeup failed to kickstart a real push for a play-in spot and they eventually fell to lottery position once again. If there is good news for the Kings it is that they seem to have some stability in the form of Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox as their guard-big duo long-term, but now it’s incumbent on them to figure out how to build a playoff team around those two in a crowded Western Conference.

Part of that will be on the front office to piece together a cohesive roster, but it will also be the job of a new head coach to fit the puzzle pieces together and get the most out of the Fox-Sabonis duo, as it was widely reported on Monday that Gentry was not being retained.

That’s not a huge surprise, but it does raise the question of who will take over for a Kings organization that doesn’t exactly carry the best reputation. The next coach will be the 12th head coach or interim head coach since they last made the playoffs in 2006, and per Marc Stein and Adrian Wojnarowski they will make a run at a number of former NBA head coaches.

As of this moment, the only competition on the coaching market are the Los Angeles Lakers, who don’t seem to have much overlap in their candidate pool, so the Kings ought to have a pretty good chance at getting one of their lead candidates.

Larry David’s long-running comedy (not that one) Curb Your Enthusiasm just aired its eleventh season last year, and it seems like another season is in the works. The series has been on air since 2000, taking frequent breaks in-between seasons in true HBO series fashion.

At an Emmy panel for Curb, David confirmed there would be another season–though he didn’t specify when.

The series follows a fictionalized version of David and his frequent misadventures that often become uncomfortable situations, with many of the scenes ad-libbed. The show also stars Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Ted Danson, and Richard Lewis. Season 11 just wrapped up in December, and David normally takes long breaks in between seasons, so it’s likely the next season won’t be for a few years. For reference, the break between seasons eight and nine was six years.

Earlier this year, David was supposed to release a documentary about his life and works, though the doc was pulled just days before its intended HBO release. Some fans were also confused after the comedian appeared in an ad for crypto during the Super Bowl, but it’s likely that David doesn’t really understand what crypto even is. On the other hand, being an ad for crypto is not as bad as Hines’ husband RFK jr. who just keeps saying horrible things. You can’t win them all.

If David Simon makes something for HBO, whether it’s one of the greatest television shows of all-time (The Wire) or a miniseries where Oscar Isaac has a mustache (Show Me a Hero), it’s worth watching. His creative collaboration with the network continues with We Own the City, Simon’s first series set in Baltimore since The Wire.

We Own the City “chronicles the rise and fall of the Baltimore Police Department’s Gun Trace Task Force and the corruption and moral collapse that befell an American city in which the policies of drug prohibition and mass arrest were championed at the expense of actual police work,” according to HBO. The six-episode limited series is directed by King Richard‘s Reinaldo Marcus Green, while Simon worked on the scripts with George Pelecanos, William F. Zorzi, and Ed Burns, all of whom also wrote for The Wire.

You can watch the trailer starring Jon Bernthal (there’s going to be a lot of confused Blue Lives Matter folks seeing their beloved Punisher as a crooked cop) above. Here’s more:

In the 2000s, the Baltimore Police Department struggled to respond to crime with meaningful police work, giving itself over to mass arrest and drug warring instead. We Own the City shows how the department’s desperate reliance on statistics over substance eventually led to the inability of department officials to supervise the Gun Trace Task Force and the further inability of the department to discipline rogue police. At the time of the GTTF scandal in 2017, though there were numerous indications of corruption within several plainclothes units going back almost a decade, Baltimore police commanders held to the belief that any street unit that could bring in guns and drugs consistently had to be championed and protected. We Own the City depicts the inevitable corruption of a unit given this carte blanche.

We Own the City, which also stars Wunmi Mosaku, Jamie Hector, and Josh Charles, debuts on Monday, April 25.

Ed Sheeran is fresh off a major legal win as his years-long copyright battle over “Shape Of You” has come to an end in his favor. This comes after Sheeran settled a copyright claim over “Photograph” in 2017, now Sheeran says that since then, he has filmed “every single” one of his songwriting sessions to prevent future plagiarism accusations.

In a recent interview with BBC2’s Newsnight, Sheeran said:

“I started doing it from ‘Photograph,’ started filming every single session for my stuff, so I would film every single session for my album, because I’d be like, ‘I don’t want to have this situation happen again.’ So now I just film everything. Everything’s on film and we’ve had claims come through on songs and we go, ‘Well, here’s the footage and you watch, and you’ll see that there’s nothing there’

I mean, there’s the George Harrison quote where he says he’s scared to touch the piano because he might be touching someone else’s note, and there’s definitely a feeling of that in the studio sometimes. I personally think the best feeling in the world, the best feeling, is the euphoria around the first idea of writing a great song, like the first spark where you go, ‘Oh this is special, we can’t spoil this, this is amazing.’ But that feeling has now turned into, ‘Oh wait, let’s stand back for a minute. Have we touched anything?’ You know? You find yourself, in the moment, second-guessing yourself.”

Watch the interview clip below.

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

The question I’m asking today is if an average bottle of bourbon (and remember that an “average bourbon” is really quite solid) could ever live up to a true-blue unicorn/expensive bourbon. Is a $500 bottle of bourbon really that much better than a $50 one? How much better can it even be, honestly?

The best way for me to test this is to actually line up some bottles in a blind tasting to see if I can find the unicorn while also seeing how they stand up next to each other. Because let’s face it, prices in bourbon are a fickle beast. Bottes that have an MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) of maybe $69, $99, or $129 can sell for hundreds and even thousands of dollars on the aftermarket. Weller and Pappy are among the bottles that are notorious for this kind of secondary price hike. Then there are the bottles that actually have an MSRP in the hundreds and thousands of dollars. Yes, there are bottles of bourbon whiskey that hit shelves with a price tag that’s around $300 to $500 from the manufacturer. (Those prices often get inflated on the secondary market too, but let’s stay on track here.)

For the blind tasting below, I’m pulling ten new bourbons released in late 2021 and early 2022 and seeing how they stack up. I’m adding in the extra ripple to see if any of them can topple one killer bottle, Barrell Craft Spirits’ Gold Label Bourbon — which actually has an MSRP of $500. For the most part, I’m including bourbons in the $40 to $60 range with a few limited/allocated releases that get that big secondary price hike thrown in for good measure.

Our lineup today is:

• Elvis Tiger Man Tennessee Whiskey
• I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Finish Bourbon
• Frey Ranch Small Batch Bourbon Batch #5
• Broken Barrel Cask Strength
• Brother’s Bond
• New Riff Red Turkey Wheated Bourbon
• Barrell Gold Label Bourbon
• Larceny Barrel Proof A122
• Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Spring 2022
• Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast

While I knew which bottles were in this lineup, I didn’t pour these. That means I had no idea the order. Let’s dive in and see if an actual $500 bourbon really does stand out.

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

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• 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
• The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

The nose is really light with hints of “oak” next to sweet corn kernels, a twinge of apple, and light orange citrus. The palate is a little woody with a touch of maple syrup over vanilla pudding with a slight Granny Smith apple tartness. The mid-palate thins out dramatically before dark cherry and a hint of caramel lead to a very sweet and watery end.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose is buttery with notes of caramel and vanilla cream next to sweet cherry and a meaty dried apricot. That ripe cherry drives the palate toward almost tart berries with a salted caramel sauce, soft oak, and hint of mulled wine spices. The spices peak with cinnamon and nutmeg next to very mild yet chewy cherry tobacco that’s just touched with vanilla oils and orange zest, which brings about a mellow yet complex finish.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Fruity cherry gummies mingle with raw sourdough bread dough, vanilla beans, dry firewood, and burnt brown sugars on the nose. The taste has a very crafty corn chip vibe that leads to tart cranberry, more of that vanilla, and a cinnamon-spiced oatmeal raisin cookie. This all coalesces on the finish with the spice, oats, tart red fruit, and vanilla playing second fiddle to the dry firewood and slightly spiced tobacco end.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Dark chocolate powder opens the nose up to fresh raspberry, vanilla husks, buttery toffee, and those candy orange wedges with the sugar coating. The palate leans into the berries as oatmeal cookies dipped in Earl Grey tea lead to almond shells and dark earthy soil. The mid-palate re-sweetens with a vanilla shortbread that ends up at an eggnog creaminess and spiciness next to a very mild and dry cornmeal finish with a hint of dark chocolate pipe tobacco.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens up with apple cider cut with caramel next to a hint of oak and vanilla with this echo of marzipan in the background. That marzipan becomes a bit more prominent on the palate as apples dipped in caramel lead to a lightly spiced vanilla tobacco vibe. The finish arrives pretty quickly with a slight wateriness before the apple, caramel, and almond all fade out.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Crunchy sourdough crust rests next to cherry pie filling on the nose of this one with bursts of orange zest (and maybe some grapefruit pith) and a nice and soft sweet cedar and old leather. Stewed cherry with plenty of cinnamon leads the way on the palate as more old leather, wintry spices, and a sweetgrass note round things out. The mid-palate sweetness leads to black cherry tobacco with a nice chew as wet granite leads to red grape skins on the finish.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of wet oak staves (think rained on barrels) next to freshly pressed sugar cane juice, damp, almost still unharvested cherry tobacco leaves, the seeds from a vanilla pod, rainwater, stringy cedar bark, and fresh apricot next to Bing cherry.

Yeah, this is massively different even on the nose due to the notes being so specific. The palate pretty much confirms, instantly, that this is a whole different class of bourbon.

Dark cherry leads to candied ginger on the opening of the taste as orange marmalade mingles with toasted sourdough, sticky yet subtle fir resin, and creamy key lime pie filling with just a hint of the butter in the crust of that pie. The mid-palate leans into the sugar in that pie filling as the cherry kicks back in with a sliver of tartness next to overripe peaches, dried hibiscus, mild anise, allspice berries, sassafras, and dried cacao nibs. The finish gently steps through a field full of orange blossoms as that cacao dries out more, leaving you with dried choco-cherry tobacco that’s been inside of a cedar box that’s wrapped in decades-old leather.

I mean, come the f*ck on. This is outstanding. Levels beyond anything we’ve had on deck in the previous six tastes.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with old, almost dusty cedar beams next to river rock, a crackling fire, brown butter melting into a pancake (though kind of raw batter more than cooked) with plenty of maple syrup, and this walnut/orange/vanilla tobacco vibe. This is also a very good whiskey already. Almonds roasted in that maple syrup and dusted with big flakes of salt lead to bold Christmas spices on the palate as notes of figs, prunes, and dates create a sticky toffee pudding feel. The sweetness on the mid-palate abates as the spices really start to amp up — think Red Hots cinnamon, anise, red peppercorns, and fresh ginger — as dry sweetgrass and drier cherry tobacco counters everything. The end is pretty hot, but it still leaves you with a clear sense of dry cedar, sweetgrass, and tobacco next to all that spice with a nice underbelly of hazelnut and dark chocolate.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Cherry tree bark, dried roses pressed in an old bible, and almost musty vanilla oil lead the way on the nose as wet cedar and old leather play back up with a whisper of singed orange peel. Another killer whiskey is in hand — the nuance is amazing. The palate opens with lush and creamy vanilla sauce dusted with a matrix of winter spices (nutmeg, clove, anise, cinnamon, allspice), almost smoldering cherrywood, and sticky, classic pipe tobacco with a rich chew. The mid-palate pivots with a dried cherry covered in dark yet milky chocolate with hints of brandy-soaked dates, a hint more of that winter spice mix, and subtle, mildly woody cherry tobacco on the backend of the finish.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Raspberries and cinnamon sticks mingle with freshly cracked walnuts, browned butter, and a hint of orange zest on the nose. The palate leans into that bright orange zest as salted caramel is cut with a hint of unbaked buttermilk biscuits, an inkling of orchard wood, and plenty of wintry spice. The finish marries a lot of that toward an oatmeal cookie with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, raisins, and vanilla next to soft pine and a hint of walnut-laden tobacco leaves.

Part 2: The Ranking

10. Elvis Tiger Man Tennessee Whiskey — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Grain & Barrel Spirits is a sourced Tennessee whiskey, likely Dickel. The mash bill is 80 percent corn, ten percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. The juice is aged for two years before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was fine for what it is — an 80 proof mixing whiskey for Coke or ginger ale. There was nothing that really stood out though, and you’d never, in a million years, confuse this for a high-end whiskey.

9. Brothers Bond Bourbon — Taste 5

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This celebrity whiskey comes from Vampire Diaries actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. The juice is from an “undisclosed” source but from Indiana (gotta be MGP, obviously). The mash bill is a four-grain recipe of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley that’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time before proofing it all down to 80 proof and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This might be ninth, but it’s miles ahead of the tenth entry. That said, this is clearly a cocktail whiskey, and that’s fine.

8. Frey Ranch Small Batch Bourbon Batch #5 — Taste 3

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

Frey Ranch is all about the farm behind the whiskey. In this case, that’s a 165+-year-old farm in the Sierra Nevada basin near Lake Tahoe. The grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling all happen on-site at Frey Ranch.

Bottom Line:

This, again, felt like a perfectly suitable mixing bourbon. It was complex enough to stand up to any cocktail while having just enough panache to be a nice pour over plenty of ice.

7. Broken Barrel Cask Strength — Taste 4

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $48

The Whiskey:

This whiskey, from Owensboro Distilling Co., is all about the finish. The whiskey is finished in casks with staves from ex-bourbon, sherry, and French oak barrels. Once that whiskey hits the right point, it’s vatted and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was “nice.” Well, that’s what I wrote in my notes anyway. Still, we’re squarely in the middle of the road here.

6. I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Finish — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This Diageo whiskey is a sourced Kentucky bourbon that’s aged at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery for four years. The whiskey is then finished in red wine barrels from California before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was pretty nice overall. I’d still lean towards this being more of a cocktail base than a sipper (this will make one hell of an old fashioned). That said, this would be perfectly fine over some rocks too, though it’s not going to taste amazing.

5. New Riff Red Turkey Wheated Bourbon — Taste 6

ABV: 50%

Average Price: Limited Availability ($50 MSRP)

The Whiskey:

This release from craft whiskey darling, New Riff, is all about the heritage grains. The whiskey uses a 19th-century grain, Red Turkey Wheat, to create a unique whiskey. The juice is aged for five years at New Riff’s warehouse before it’s vatted, proofed ever so slightly, and bottled as-is.

Bottom Line:

Now we’re getting somewhere. This truly felt like the first bourbon of the flight that had a unique POV. It wasn’t mind-blowing but it was distinct. This is an easy choice as a sipper on the rocks or a killer Manhattan base.

4. Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast Bottled-in-Bond — Taste 10

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This California whiskey is a four-grain bourbon with a mash bill of 69 percent corn, 22 percent rye, five percent malted barley, and four percent wheat. That juice spends five years mellowing in oak before only 26 barrels are small-batched and proofed down for bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is the biggest surprise on the whole list. This is pretty damn good. It’s not a top-three whiskey by any stretch but it is nuanced and easy-sipping whiskey with a lot of character. This is easily a nice slow sipping bourbon either neat or on the rocks. I can also see this making a killer Manhattan or Sazerac.

3. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch No. A122 — Taste 8

ABV: 62.2%

Average Price: $86

The Whiskey:

Larceny is made from a mash bill of 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, and 12 percent malted barley, which is Heaven Hill’s wheated bourbon standard mash. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of six to eight-year-old barrels that are vatted and bottled at cask strength as-is. It’s as easy as that, folks.

Bottom Line:

Goddamn, this really stood out as a great whiskey. The only reason it’s not ranked higher is that the heat on the finish was a little over dialed. It kind of washed out the profile for a moment before the finish recovered. Still, this was a complex and delicious sip of whiskey worth seeking out and adding to any bar cart.

2. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 17-Year Spring 2022 Edition — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $185 (MSRP)

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was distilled and laid down in barrels back in 2004. The barrels were vatted after 17 years and proofed down to the bottled-in-bond standard of 100 proof and then bottled in the iconic Old Fitz decanter for a Spring 2022 release.

Bottom Line:

While I’d like to say that this was close, I didn’t have to think about what was number for more than a split second. Still, this was just outstanding in every way. It just didn’t quite have the unique depth of the Barrell Gold Label. This felt like the most beautiful classic whiskey but still just classic.

1. Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label Bourbon — Taste 7

ABV: 56.77%

Average Price: $621 ($500 MSRP)

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a blend of Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky bourbons. Each barrel in that blend is a minimum of 16 years old. The barrels were specifically chosen for their cherry, nutty, high-proof, and chocolate profiles. Half of those barrels were then finished in new American oak for a final touch of maturation before vatting and bottling as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was so clearly in a different class it wasn’t even funny. While the Old Fitz and Larceny are world-class sips, they just didn’t quite reach the heights of this one (refinement, specificity, and beauty are hard to deny in a stellar whiskey). When it comes to the other seven sips on this list, forget about it.

They didn’t even feel like they were in the same dimension as this. Sorry friends, I know how much we all love the “whiskey pro fooled by a $10 bottle” story but… not happening here. This is too good to play in the B league. Or even the A league. This dram is for the whiskey Olympics only.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

No, cheaper bourbon does not compare to the unicorn stuff. Even something as unique and allocated as Old Fitz really didn’t come that close to Barrell Gold Label.

The key lesson here is that when a brand releases something with an actual MSRP in the hundreds of dollars, there’s usually a pretty good goddamn reason for it. No one wants to kill their rep by overpricing a bottle. Barrell found unicorn barrels of whiskey in three states, shipped them to Louisville, and then tinkered with them to create something even bigger, better, and more unique. That’s talent and value that’s undeniable. If you have the money, I say it’s worth your hard-earned dollars.

$500 for a 750ml bottle? Well, I don’t keep your books. I can say that it’s worth it to me for that special Christmas, birthday, or New Year’s Eve pour. That said, if I wasn’t quite as passionate, I might just buy five $100 bottles of Stellum Black first. Or ten $50 bottles of Rare Breed. Or… You get the point.

In the end, if you ever come across Barrell Gold Label, pay for a pour, enjoy, and come to your own conclusions. Then, if you have the cash, buy a bottle for the vault and forget about it for a while.

A new era of Lizzo began late last year with the unveiling of her first single in two years, “Rumors.” Last month, Lizzo announced on Instagram that her follow-up to 2019’s chart-topping Cuz I Love You was finally finished. It was clear from the caption that she’s happy with the material and excited to share it with the world.

She’s so stoked about her new music, in fact, that she can’t help but give us glimpses of it. On The Late Late Show a couple of weeks ago, she previewed an unreleased track titled “About Damn Time.” Corden pulled out a vinyl record with a simple sleeve that said, “TOP SECRET Lizzo New Music 2022.” He then popped the record on a portable turntable and played about 30 seconds.

Now, she’s back with a brief clip of the ’70s-inspired song again, this time on Instagram with a fierce video that shows off a lot of skin while she walks onto a plane. Her caption reads: “SONG OF THE SUMMER DROPPING 4/14.” Fans in the comment praise her confidence — both in herself and her body as well as in her forthcoming music. Considering the success of her last album, she has every reason to believe these new songs will take over the world.

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