It’s the most wonderful time of the year and is there any better way to spend it than curled up in a cozy sweater with some great company and a fantastic game? If so, we here at Uproxx Edge can’t think of one. However, what we can think of are the oh-so-many games we recommend you try out while you’re staying indoors and keeping warm.
In today’s episode of Uproxx Recon, AJ and I are playing Santa Claus and making a list of fantastic games that we think will help every type of player fall in love with gaming — and don’t worry, we already checked it twice. First up, we talk about games you can play even if you don’t own a console or PC: mobile games! While they might have started off pretty simplistic, mobile games are so much more than match-threes and micro-transactions. From deck builders like Magic the Gathering to emotional indies like Florence, there are countless games worth playing on the smallest and most portable device you most likely already own.
And speaking of worth, in our next segment we talk a bit about value and just what that means when it comes to gaming. While it can be argued that massive, open-world games like The Witcher 3, Persona 5, and Ghost of Tsushima are great values purely by the amount of hours you can pour into them, we also take into account the games that move us and keep us coming back for more, like Inside and Hades. We also reminisce about couch co-op games and just how meaningful games are when shared with others. Whether it’s It Takes Two, Portal, Mario 3D Land, or your favorite party game (Mario Kart, anyone?), these are the games that bring us together and are definitely a staple of the holiday season.
Last but not least, we also list off some of the games still coming out this year that we can’t wait to play. With new Pokemon, Halo, Battlefield, and plenty of artsy indies such as Solar Ash right around the corner, 2021 is shaping up to be an incredible year for gaming. Be sure to let us know what game you are most excited about in the comments and stay warm!
It can be daunting to change careers, especially during a pandemic, but Atlanta artist Talecia Tucker is finding her way through that transition just fine.
After high school, the Georgia native went from studying fashion to putting that knowledge to work while establishing Pretty Major, a unisex clothing brand. In 2018, however, a new passion flared, with Tucker taking an interest in photography and the idea that they could pursue that professionally.
Tucker went to grad school to sharpen their skills, but unfortunately, the pandemic got in the way, causing her to leave the program she had enrolled in. Tucker isn’t stuck at a crossroads, though; they’re combining their two primary talents, leaning on the belief that her background in fashion can give her an edge when it comes to photography.
“I like pops of color,” Tucker says, “so even when I’m photographing, I’m thinking about colors and the moods that are associated with color. It’s the same with my fashion.”
Regardless of the medium, for Tucker, it’s all about forging connections while making work that represents their community and intersections of their identity.
“I’m an artist first, and being an artist, I like to connect to other people through my art, whether that be through a lens, through fashion, or through zine-making,” Tucker says. “I think what gives me a unique perspective is wanting that connection and that being a through-line in all my work.”
As any artist will attest to, rejection is part of the process, but Tucker isn’t letting it slow them down.
“I face rejection when I’m seeking funding, whether it be through grants or trying to find investors for my company,” Tucker says. “I’ve also been able to retain my artistic voice through it all. It’s set me back in some ways, but in other ways, it has helped out.”
When facing setbacks, Tucker finds both support and inspiration from her mother.
“My mom is my biggest inspiration,” she admits. “She has gone through a lot more trauma, and she’s still able to be a positive person and to encourage me to go after my dreams. In those moments when I’m feeling down or encounter a setback, I think my mom is my biggest supporter and I don’t want to let her down in those moments.”
When it comes time to emerge from those moments, Tucker finds a way to focus. “I don’t want to discount the fact that it does knock me down,” Tucker says, “but I always think back to the big picture: That one setback, one ‘no,’ one rejection letter, is not going to stop my vision. Even if I get down, I have to pick myself back up and look at the big picture.”
The Weeknd is in a collaborative mood right now. In October, he linked up with Swedish House Mafia for “Moth To A Flame” and just a few days ago, he and Post Malone dropped “One Right Now.” Now, he has yet another joint effort on the way, and this time, he teaming up with a familiar face in Rosalía, who he recruited for a remix of “Blinding Lights” in late 2020. This time, the two are meeting up on “La Fama,” a new song that’s set for release this Thursday, November 11.
A brief trailer for the song’s video was shared today, and in it, Rosalía sings and dances in a club while The Weeknd looks on and the pair eventually capture each other’s attention. Furthermore, Danny Trejo makes an appearance in the clip, playing the role of an MC of sorts and introducing Rosalía by exclaiming, “So get ready for some heat: La Fama!”
As for the song itself, it has a Latin-influenced beat and sees The Weeknd singing in Spanish, as he did on Maluma’s “Hawái” remix that was released almost exactly a year ago today.
Check out the trailer for The Weeknd and Rosalía’s upcoming “La Fama” video above.
In space, no one can hear you flush — because the toilet isn’t working.
The team aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Endeavor, composed of mission commander Shane Kimbrough, pilot Megan McArthur, and mission specialists Akihiko Hoshide and Thomas Pesquet, have been chilling at the International Space Station since April. That’s a long time. The good news is that they’re scheduled to return to Earth on Monday night, but (here’s the bad news) “all of that is dependent on the weather,” NPR reports. For those poor astronauts, it can’t be soon enough: the toilet aboard the ship is broken, so the crew will have to wear diapers when they, ahem, splash down. Not ideal.
In this weekend’s press conference, McArthur confirmed that the toilets on board Dragon Endeavor are broken. “Of course that’s sub-optimal, but we’re prepared to manage,” she said with a smile. “Space flight is full of lots of little challenges, this is just one more that we’ll encounter and take care of in our mission.”
The lengthy mission has been a successful one — the crew grew green chiles and enjoyed the “best space tacos yet” — but I’m sorry, all I can think about is the bathroom aboard the multi-billion dollar spaceship with an “Out of Order” sign, like the world’s (universe’s?) most expensive 7-Eleven. Apparently, space toilets are a frequent nuisance: “An alarm went off on SpaceX’s all-tourist flight earlier this year, signaling a problem with the onboard waste management system.”
This explains why we never see the bathrooms aboard the Enterprise. Picard is wearing a diaper.
Growing up, the kinds of toys you play with can make all the difference. When I was a child, I always felt like the way I looked was wrong because there were no dolls, cartoon characters, or actresses that looked like me. Thankfully, things are changing. Bigger companies like Mattel are now producing dolls in different shapes, genders, and skin tones.
But gaps in the market still exist, especially for kids with special needs, physical disabilities, and skin disorders. That’s where Amy Jandrisevits comes in. With her A Doll Like Me line, Amy makes it her personal mission to make custom dolls for kids who typically don’t see themselves on store shelves. For some of these children, seeing themselves in human likeness is life-changing.
Photo courtesy of Amy Jandrisevits
As a former pediatric oncology social worker, Amy used play therapy in order to help children adjust to situations that felt out of their control. This was difficult to do when none of the dolls she had access to looked like the children she worked with.
“Play therapy is how kids work through all of that, and dolls are an integral part of the process,” Amy says. “For someone who doesn’t have the privilege of seeing him or herself in the places that matter, a doll that looks like them can be so validating.”
Amy’s childhood love of dolls combined with her passion for social work have allowed her to turn her A Doll Like Me campaign into a nonprofit, something she never could have imagined. She’s sure that her 8-year-old self would be thrilled at the thought of using dolls to change a narrative for so many children.
Photo courtesy of Amy Jandrisevits
“I am a doll-maker who feels that every child, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, medical issue, or body type, should look into the sweet face of a doll and see their own,” she writes on the GoFundMe page for her project. “I talk a lot about changing the narrative, changing who we see and how we see them. Imagine what representation and inclusion look like from a child’s perspective. When they see themselves in the places that matter, that becomes an inclusive message, and that is what shapes a child’s self-concept. Diversity and representation in dolls can be a game changer for children.”
Amy is doing her part to make sure every child – ones with limb differences, albinism, cancer, birthmarks, scars, burns – feels valued. Her goal is to normalize, represent, and validate, and at a very basic level, to offer something that is soft and cuddly and provides comfort when a child needs it most.
Photo courtesy of Amy Jandrisevits
To date, Amy has made over 450 dolls and every single story is as heartwarming as the next. Dolls are typically requested by parents or caregivers, but in recent years, Amy has received requests from doctors and teachers, because they realize the therapeutic value in play. And thanks to its nonprofit status and donations from GoFundMe, not one family has had to pay for their own doll.
“Sometimes I know that the child who is about to receive the doll is living on borrowed time and when he or she dies, this is going to be even more important for their family.”
Amy says that she never takes this doll-making opportunity for granted and she often uses her platform to talk about what inclusion and representation look like for a child. She believes that it is her personal obligation to advocate for the children that she is privileged to know.
“We all bring a skillset to the table and we need to understand that sometimes small gestures impact other people in ways we cannot begin to fathom. We have a multitude of reasons to NOT do something – ‘I’m too busy, broke, old, young, sick, afraid’ – but there are even more reasons why we CAN, and should, do something.”
Photo courtesy of Amy Jandrisevits
Donate to Amy’s GoFundMe and help a child see themselves as they are through a hand-crafted doll.
Helping someone in need is as easy as a click away. Check out our fundraising toolkit and start a GoFundMe that gives back to your community.
It’s been a huge year for Duckwrth. The LA-based R&B punk did an NPR Tiny Desk Concert in April before his latest project, SG8, dropped in September. Then, just as he was wrapping up a sold out US tour, he was announced as the direct support act for Billie Eilish’s massive 2022 tour. Pat yourself on the back, sir.
Now Duckwrth has just dropped the visual for “No Chill” (off of SG8), filmed on the streets of Paris during Fashion Week. A designer himself, he dances through the Tuileries and sips espresso in the clip, while donning a pair of fringe pants that he personally designed for Levi’s. “In the haze of couture and Parisian energy, I felt like this would be the perfect landscape for an easy listening song with a simple message: celebrate life,” he said in a statement. “As it goes ‘My God, tell the models / Keep the bottles on ice’ !”
Watch the video for “No Chill” above. Check out Duckwrth’s upcoming European tour dates and support slots for Billie Eilish below.
01/20/2022 — Dublin, Ireland @ The Academy
01/21/2022 — Glasgow, UK @ SWG3 Warehouse
01/23/2022 — London, UK @ Scala
01/24/2022 — Brussels, Belgium @ Orangerie Botanique
01/25/2022 — Paris, France @ Petit Bain
01/26/2022 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso Tolhuistuin
01/27/2022 — Berlin, Germany @ Gretchen
03/08/2022 — Birmingham, AL @ Legacy Arena*
03/09/2022 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena*
03/11/2022 — Louisville, KY @ Yum! Center*
03/12/2022 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena*
03/14/2022 — Chicago, IL @ United Center*
03/15/2022 — St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Center*
03/16/2022 — Omaha, NE @ CHI Health Center*
03/19/2022 — Denver, CO @ Ball Arena*
03/21/2022 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Vivint Arena*
03/24/2022 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena*
03/25/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena*
03/26/2022 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena*
03/29/2022 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center*
03/30/2022 — Sacramento, CA @ Golden 1 Center*
04/01/2022 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena*
04/02/2022 — Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena*
04/03/2022 — Phoenix, AZ @ Gila River Arena*
04/06/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum*
In just a few short years, Billie Eilish has gone from an ocean-eyed dancer with a dream to one of the most influential artists of her generation. Her professional and personal lives work in tandem, showcasing a young woman who has successfully cemented her place as a full-fledged icon —all by disrupting the stereotypical idea of what it takes to be one.
Thanks to a catalogue boasting unique soundscapes, vivid storytelling, and unparalleled self-assurance, the not yet 20-year-old — with the help of her brother and producer/collaborator Finneas — has reconfigured the music scene as we know it. From her sound to her image, Billie’s rejection of the ordinary is what has made her an extraordinary emerging cultural force.
Eilish’s ascension to the scene’s throne began atypically. After uploading her debut single “Ocean Eyes” to the website Soundcloud at age 14 — a strikingly different route into the pop scene, but a similar one into the rap game — she became one to watch. In hindsight, this technique was entirely befitting and benefitting of an artist who is consistently revered for going against the grain.
Perhaps what makes Eilish’s reign over the industry so impressive is the rather unorthodox creation and presentation of her work, which illustrates her derision for convention. Billie set herself apart thanks to tunes carrying a sinister, twisted energy, a far cry from the bubblegum-flavored pop sonics booming from speakers at the start of the 21st century.
She encapsulates the brooding teenage stereotype through morose imagery and unexpected production inspiration in her first two lauded efforts: the electropop-soaked 2017 EP Don’t Smile At Me and her horrorcore-tinged Grammy-winning debut album, 2019’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? The content in these bodies of work highlight topics from heartbreak to drug abuse, and her songs — which pull inspo from a variety of genres — are accompanied by audible accoutrements like heavy breathing and the slurping of saliva.
Her latest album, 2021’s Happier Than Ever, ditches the sinister for something slightly more sophisticated. However, her personal musings regarding the ins and outs of fame and growing up are triumphant — likely a byproduct of her generation’s ability to be more open, aware and vulnerable than the age groups preceding theirs. “I thought that I was special, you made me feel like it was my fault,” she coos on the acoustic ballad “Your Power,” which pertains to “[witnessing] or [experiencing]” abuse of all sorts. “You were the devil, lost your appeal…”
The way she crafts her compositions and album visuals similarly display her antithetical artistic approach. Rather than being hampered by typical label interference, Billie became famous for her DIY way of making her hits. (All components of her songs are created alongside her brother in their childhood home’s recording studio.) Her music videos, often self-conceptualized and occassionally self-directed, inspire shock and awe from a visual standpoint, but still urge deeper contemplation of her message. The eerie “All The Good Girls Go To Hell” forces viewers to think about climate change and the follies of men, while her inky black tears in the haunting “When The Party’s Over” video is symbolic of mourning the end of a relationship.
“From the start, Eilish’s appeal has relied on combining her taste for the radical with her strong sense of the classical,” wrote The New York Times in 2020. “All this reflects an entertainer’s conscious strategy to inspire titillated repulsion in audiences—to seduce and ensnare fans the way a horror auteur does…But it also connects to [Eilish’s] tendencies toward melancholy and depression, which [she] says songwriting helps her to navigate and, ideally, helps listeners relate to her music that much more profoundly.”
Much like in her career, Eilish isn’t defined by her fashion choices, which subvert typical femininity and the notion of what a pop star looks like aesthetically. Outside from the typical teenage act of changing her hair color often, Billie regularly sports baggy, oversized clothing, which she dons in order to place a focus on her art rather than her appearance. However, after debuting a sultry look for the cover of British Vogue in 2021, detractors quickly had something to say about her provocative look.
Most young women in the public eye believe a more “grown-up” look is an obligation. However, Billie made the decision to wait to dress “adult” until she was comfortable, without making any radical changes to her sound or persona. Her choice to dress up or dress down speaks to the chameleonic nature of her essence—the same essence that made her a star in the first place.
The many levels of Billie Eilish’s consciousness and expression have emboldened not only her generation, but fans of all ages. There have been a handful of artists in the last few years that seem to loosely follow Billie’s blueprint through the creation of atmospheric, experimental bedroom pop, or poignant yet punchy compositions detailing nuanced perspectives of the world. However, she continues to drive in her own lane, and it appears that the industry is poised to follow her lead wherever she goes.
“The weirdness of Billie Eilish’s music, and the apparent improbability of her success, are marketing hooks that have helped pull her star upward,” veteran journalist Ann Powers wrote of Eilish in 2019. “She’s become a role model for kids who don’t fit… and that’s why Eilish’s appeal works within the mainstream, rather than opposing it.”
Eilish’s refusal to conform and her ability to challenge the norms of sound, genre, and femininity make her not just a staple in contemporary pop, but a young legend whose importance should reverberate for years to come.
By the time Stranger Things 4 premieres on Netflix, it will have been a whopping three years since the third season first started streaming, so needless to say, fans are starving for any little tidbit about what’s next for the Hawkins crew. Well, they’re in luck because over the weekend, Netflix dropped a new trailer for Season 4, and it’s jam-packed with little clues on where the story is heading next.
Netflix
Most notably, Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) has moved to California with the Byers family: Joyce (Winona Ryder), Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Will (Noah Schnapp) who has significantly grown. That kid sprang up thanks to the pandemic putting a significant delay between seasons. Also, it looks like he’s still doing creepy drawings from his time in the Upside Down, but hey, art is like therapy. Or a telepathic connection to another dimension. Either one!
Netflix
More importantly, Eleven has been diligently writing to Mike (Finn Wolfhard) who’s on his way to California for spring break, and clearly, it’s not going to be a normal teenage experience.
Netflix
As the trailer kicks into overdrive, we see government agents, an underground facility that look eerily like the one from Season 3 where another Upside Down portal resided, and explosions. Were they caused by Eleven’s mind? Maybe!
Netflix
Joyce also receives a Russian doll in the mail, which is almost certainly tied to Chief Hopper (David Harbour) getting teleported to Russia where he’s now bald, freezing, and definitely not becoming the Red Guardian. David Harbour wants you to chill with that talk.
Netflix
On top of the new trailer, Netflix also released a tease for the Season 4 episode titles, and a release window, which may not go over so hot. It appears Stranger Things 4 will not debut until Summer 2022. Hate to be the bearer of bad news!
The 7-4 Cleveland Cavaliers find themselves sixth in the Eastern Conference and are riding a four-game winning streak. For the foreseeable future, though, they’ll have to build upon this hot start without the services of fourth-year guard Collin Sexton. The Cavs announced Monday that Sexton suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee and there is no immediate timetable on a return, while more testing awaits him.
Sexton seemingly injured his knee midway through Cleveland’s victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday evening. He initially played through it, but did not take to the court following halftime. Averaging 16.0 points per game, Sexton is the team’s leading scorer and the one most prone to electric bucket-getting flurries. His absence will thrust greater responsibilities onto the quartet of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Ricky Rubio to replace his scoring. When Lauri Markkanen leaves health and safety protocols, he, too, will likely be tasked with an uptick in scoring duties.
The Cavs had largely limited their guard rotation to Sexton, Garland and Rubio thus far, so this development could create an opportunity for Kevin Pangos, or even Dylan Windler to slide up a position and assume more minutes. The first opportunity to see how this all plays out comes Wednesday, when Cleveland returns home to face the Washington Wizards following a two-game road trip.
We talk a lot about bourbon whiskey on UPROXX. We’re also the first to admit that sometimes the names getting loved can feel repetitive. We all like certain whiskeys more than others and those whiskeys tend to get a lot of love from us. Personally, when it comes to bourbon, I tend to go on and on about Wild Turkey, Michter’s, Balcones, Peerless, Jack Daniel’s, and the many, many products from Beam, Heaven Hill, and Buffalo Trace to name only a few.
But there’s so much more out there and, luckily, I get to try a lot of other bourbons too. Today it’s high time to give them some shine.
For this exercise, I’m calling out 20 bourbons that I’ll readily admit I don’t talk about enough. That’s not to say I’ve never called out one of these bottles. But they’ve each fallen through the cracks one too many times. Let’s flip that.
This expression dropped last year and has been garnering a lot of attention. The mash is made from 64 percent corn, 21 percent malted barley, and 15 percent Abruzzi Heritage Rye that Todd Leopold grew for his malting house at the distillery in Denver. That mash ran through a classic pot still before it was barreled and left to rest for five years.
Tasting Notes:
The floral and spicy nature of that Abruzzi rye really comes out on the nose with a touch of candied apples, Quick powder, and the faintest hint of sourdough rye with a light smear of salted butter. The taste leans into stewed pears with nutmeg and clove spices leading the way as Almond Roca and green peppercorns jostle for space on your palate. The end mellows out as that spice fades towards an eggnog vibe with a creamy vanilla underbelly and a final touch of that floral rye and hint of pear.
Bottom Line:
Todd Leopold — the brand’s master distiller — is a gentle genius. He’s a big teddy bear of a man. He’s also one of those whiskey makers that see beyond the stills, fermenters, yeasts, and grains and sees the process and product of whiskey kind of like Neo in The Matrix. And that’s what comes through in his expressions.
This really is special stuff that deserves far more of our/my attention.
While this whiskey is a blend of sourced juice, it really shines as a classic bourbon from a new brand. The juice in the bottles is a blend of bourbons from California, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana that are four to 12 years old. The final blend means the whiskey is made with 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and only four percent barley.
Tasting Notes:
Again, this is a classic bourbon. The nose opens with a build of vanilla pods next to caramel, a touch of oak, and a thin line of fresh maple syrup. The palate has a pecan pie vibe with the maple syrup turning into Caro syrup as the oak gets a little toasty with rich buttery toffee and a dollop of creamy vanilla pudding. The rye comes in late with a mild pepperiness and a slight savory fruit vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is a cool-looking bottle that celebrates one of the tallest redwood trees in California. It’s also a classic through and through. You can’t go wrong with having a bottle of this around for mixing into cocktails or sipping on the rocks.
This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The juice on the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak which was air-dried for three years before charring and filling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with this rich and meaty plum presence next to a hint of buttery toffee and creamy vanilla with a touch of wood lurking in the background. The palate goes full crème brûlée with sticky burnt sugar over the top and a slight touch of allspice and nutmeg next to a dark cacao powder dryness with a touch of smoke salt and light, dry cedar. The mid-palate leans back into the dark stone fruit and sweetness as it only slightly dries out.
Bottom Line:
While I tend to go on and on about Michter’s, I also tend to forget they have other labels outside of the core line. This year’s Bomberger’s (and pretty much every previous release) is one of those under-the-radar bourbons that always wows. Yes, this can get lost in the mix when talking about Michter’s, and bourbon in general, but it’s also one of the finest whiskeys out there.
This craft whiskey from Colorado takes the idea of wheated bourbon to the very edge of its limits. The mash bill carries a whopping 45 percent wheat, pushing this very close to being a wheated whiskey. The juice is then aged for an undisclosed amount of years before it’s batched and cut down to proof with that soft Rocky Mountain spring water Colorado is known for.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in by a big bowl of vanilla ice cream drizzled with salted caramel sauce next to a very faint hint of dried florals. The palate builds on that ice cream, creating a sundae with crushed almonds, creamy toffee brittle, and a hint of eggnog spice. The end is medium-length with a touch of that buttery sweetness carrying the sip to a warm end.
Bottom Line:
We’re already back in Colorado! This craft whiskey is pretty delightful. But it being crafty means that it’s harder to find than your average bottle. Still, this is a really winning wheated bourbon that stands up with the big dogs from Buffalo Trace, Beam, and Heaven Hill.
This tiny and new distillery was founded in West Louisville by brothers Victor, Chris, and Bryson Yarbrough. The distillery is the first African-American-owned brand working in the state. For now, this bottle is contract-distilled (distilled at a big distillery based on their own recipe/concept) in Indiana from a mash bill of 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four percent malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with dried roses, marzipan, and creamy eggnog on the nose with a hint of apple and corn. That apple drives the taste with more orchard fruit (think pears) as the nutmeg really spikes and the marzipan takes on a rosewater vibe next to a very distant flutter of pepper spice in the background. The finish sweetens with a spoonful of fresh and floral honey as those orchard fruits affix to a mildly spicy and vanilla-forward tobacco leaf.
Bottom Line:
While this is still pretty young, it has some serious potential. Now that the brothers are actually distilling in Kentucky, it’ll be interesting to see what comes next for this upstart bourbon.
Paul Sutton is a new bourbon from an old family recipe. I know, we’ve all heard it before. The new whiskey is not a blend of sourced bourbons. The brand took the time to release its own contract distilled juice. The bourbon mash bill has a touch of rye in it and it aged for up to five years in medium char barrels. It’s then proofed with that famously soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this has a distinct barnyard funk tied to wet bales of straw that leads to a salted caramel sweetness with a twinge of a pine box full of cherry pits. The taste veers away from most of that towards sweet corn cakes with a touch of vanilla cream and eggnog spice. A Caro syrup-soaked pecan sweetness and nuttiness drive the mid-palate towards a cherry tobacco finish with a hint of dark cacao powder.
Bottom Line:
This really is a nice-drinking whiskey. It works wonders in your favorite bourbon cocktail while also standing up to a glass full of rocks as a sipper.
This small-batch bourbon from Willett Distillery hits a lot of high marks. The brand keeps their cards pretty close to their chest when it comes to mash bills (they use four for their various bourbons), barrel ages, and so forth. This whiskey used to carry an age statement of 15 years but that was dropped due to demand. What we do know is that after aging, the small-batched bourbon goes into the bottle unfussed with and close to barrel proof.
Tasting Notes:
Maply syrup-covered walnuts greet you with a sense of dark dried fruit and a hint of rose water. The taste holds onto those notes while adding in an almost sherried plummy depth with a whisper of caramel apple and orange oils. The vanilla and oak kick in with a rich depth and well-rounded lightness to the sip as it fades slowly away.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bottles that are very high-end yet is both findable and relatively affordable. It’s sleek and refined. It’s also one of the best “on the rocks” bourbons on this list.
This whiskey, distilled at Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, is kind of like a Tennessee whiskey made in Kentucky. The juice has a pretty standard mash bill corn, rye, and barley. But, once the spirit comes off the stills it’s filtered through charcoal, just like Tennessee whiskey, before it’s filled into the barrels.
That whiskey is then batched, proofed down with limestone water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This also leans very classic bourbon with hints of corn on the cob with melty salted butter next to hints of soft leather pouches filled with roasted peanut shells, a touch of caramel, and a vanilla/chocolate ice cream vibe. The palate keeps things super easy as that rich vanilla ice cream leads towards holiday spices, tart green apples, and a freshly baked cornbread bespeckled with dried chili flakes and black pepper. The finish is soft and fast with that spice leading back towards a leather tobacco chew.
Bottom Line:
This list could have been just all the Lux Row bourbons we’ve been sleeping on. However, this new 2021 release hits high marks for being a damn-near-perfect workhorse whiskey. It’s a solid mixer that you can easily drink on the rocks or take as a shot with a beer back. You can’t beat that price either.
This is a fascinating and unique bottle from Diageo. The core of this whiskey is orphan barrels from Diageo’s Stitzel-Weller distillery (which is now dedicated to the brand). Those last barrels from the iconic distillery — that once made Old Fitzgerald back in the day — are blended with sourced whiskeys from unnamed distilleries. The blend is then proofed and bottled with no age statement.
Tasting Notes:
This is a nuanced bourbon with hints of dried apricot, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, and a slight whisper of banana pulling you in. The palate veers more towards the dried stone fruits and raisins, as a counterpoint of juicy pear leads towards hints of soft oak next to touches of grain. The end leans into the warming spices with a Christmas edge, with the oak and fruits fading out slowly.
Bottom Line:
You’re starting to see this more and more on shelves and it’s easy to see why (well, beyond a company as huge as Diageo pushing it hard). This really is a tasty bourbon that’s easy to drink while being just bespoke enough to feel special. It’s one of those whiskeys that falls under the radar for being a mix-and-match of bourbons but 100 percent delivers with an end product that shines.
This four-grain Kentucky bourbon is made with 70 percent corn, ten percent malted wheat, ten percent honey malted barley, and ten percent malted barley. That spirit is then aged for three years in toasted and charred barrels before it’s batched from 15 barrels, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This has a lot of apple cobbler on the nose with sweet and bright stewed apples, plenty of dark brown spices, brown sugar, buttery pastry cobbles, and a touch of honey sweetness. The honey becomes creamy and spiked with orange zest as the malt shines through as a digestive cookie with a hint of fresh mint and more of that honey with a flake of salt. The finish brings about that spice again with a little more of a peppery edge this time as the fade slowly falls off, leaving you with a creamy vanilla tobacco feeling.
Bottom Line:
This truly small-batch whiskey really is a fine example of what this craft distillery can achieve. This is a super easy, well-rounded, and tasty all-around whiskey.
This year’s drop from Stephen Beam’s Yellowstone line is a mix of seven-year-old and 15-year-old bourbons. The 15-year barrels are high-quality bourbons hand-selected by Beam. The seven-year barrels were finished by Beam in Amarone red wine casks before this batch was put together, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a balance of dark stewed fruits — think holiday cake spices with dates, prunes, figs, and raisins — next to this bright burst of bright red berries with a slight tartness and powdered sugar sweetness swimming in vanilla cream with mild hints of old leather, dark cacao powder, and toffee lurking in the background. The palate really embraces that vanilla cream base while the berries go full dark and sweet cherry with more of that buttery toffee, dark cacao, and meaty fig adding a dark depth to the sip. The finish builds on the sweet and dark fruits of the mid-palate towards an end that’s full of bright cherry tobacco and small lines of cedar plank that’s lightly singed on the edges.
Bottom Line:
Stephen Beam — who’s descended from both the Beams and Dants of Kentucky bourbon — brings some serious heritage to these whiskeys from Limestone Distillery. This release is quickly climbing the ranks as what might be one of our favorite releases of the year.
This limited release from a couple of months ago is a blend of heavy-hitting bourbons. The lion’s share, 68 percent, is derived from an eleven-year-old Kentucky bourbon that’s made with 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. That’s batched with 16 percent from a 17-year-old Tennessee whiskey that’s made with 84 percent corn, eight percent rye, and eight percent malted barley. The final 16 percent is a seven-year Indian bourbon made with 75 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and four perfect malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
The age comes through with a big medley of dark cherries sitting in a big cedar bowl with a dark leather jacket imbued with decades of cigarette smoke and perfume next to a hint of dark chocolate orange balls. That orange and dark chocolate drive the taste as the dark cherry becomes brandy-soaked and the cedar feels more like an old cigar humidor full of cigars laced with vanilla, orange, cherry, and chocolate individually, creating a bigger whole on the palate. The finish takes its time as the tobacco spice and fruit slowly fade out, leaving you with a dry woody note and a touch of sweet and buttery toffee.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company could also take up a few slots on this list. The massive and brand new distillery is changing the game in soucing, contract distilling, and tourism right now and will be on a lot of whiskey drinkers’ minds for years to come.
There are a lot of great, interesting independent craft distillers out there. Hell, this list could also be just that. However, Chicago’s KOVAL does stand out from the crowd for us. Their bourbon has a unique mash bill of only corn and millet. The spirit then spends four years in the barrel before it’s proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The nose has a classic bourbon opening with plenty of vanilla, caramel, and oak. A distinct whiff of smoke arrives (think more of old brisket smokers than a campfire) while tart apples covered in caramel mix with a bright berry burst and dustings of spice and brown sugar. The sip has a velvet body that really embraces the bitterness of charred oak staves with an almost Graham cracker maltiness lurking in there.
Bottom Line:
KOVAL is doing so many interesting things with unique mash bills. This millet-fueled bourbon only scratches the surface of the craft brand’s unique expressions. That being said, this is a great place to start with this crafty distillery.
This bourbon is kind of like Kentucky in a bottle — it’s all about Derby horses and the state’s own spirit. The juice is sourced from a set of 19 barrels from the center of an unnamed warehouse. Those barrels are small batched after 14 long years of resting and the whiskey is proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
This sip draws you in with a silken balance of cherry and vanilla cream that’s shockingly light. The taste builds on that foundation by adding in soft notes of cedar and cinnamon sticks next to a hint of dark chocolate with a whisper of pancake syrup sweetness. The end marries the cherry and vanilla into a cherry bespeckled ice cream, with hints of those woody cinnamon sticks and dark chocolate peeking in on the velvet finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bottles that seems needlessly expensive for a sourced whiskey. But all of those feels melt away once you taste what’s actually in these bottles. It’s just really tasty bourbon that feels unique yet familiar.
Sazerac’s Early Times spent decades as the best-selling bourbon in the world. Their Bottled-in-Bond is a throwback to that heady era in the early to mid-1900s when bourbon was king of the booze scene. Then this whiskey nearly died in the 1970s and 80s when bourbon took a massive hit in sales. This particular expression was reintroduced in 2017 as a limited release.
It was such a huge hit so it turned into a standard release.
Tasting Notes:
The low-rye and longer aging create a dram where the orange oils, pancake syrup, and holiday spices mingle on the soft nose. The palate luxuriates in this rich and creamy vanilla next to a mildly spicy tobacco leaf and another hit of those orange oils. The end adds in a slight allspice pepperiness with more of that creamy vanilla, tobacco, and a final hint of buttery brown sugar syrup.
Bottom Line:
This adds a great choice to Sazerac’s low-end bourbons, which tend to be a little rough (looking at you, Ancient Age and Benchmark). This is a really solid bottled-in-bond that stands up to Evan Williams, Beam, and even Dickel.
These releases from New Riff will vary from location to location as they’re largely reserved for retailers. The juice in the bottle is New Riff’s standard bourbon mash of 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye, and five percent malted barley. The spirit is aged for four years before they’re bottled individually without cutting or filtration.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on these tends to be soft, kind of like freshly baked rye bread, with notes of eggnog spices, slick vanilla flan, thin caramel sauce, and hints of spicy orange zest. The palate amps everything up as the orange peel becomes candied and attaches to a moist holiday cake, dried cranberry and cherry, more dark spice, a touch of nuttiness, and plenty of that vanilla. The end takes its time as the whole thing comes together like a rich and boozy fruit cake as little notes of leather and tobacco spice keep things interesting on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
We should probably be talking about New Riff more, in general. There’s always something interesting from them on the shelf and the prices are always pretty accessible for the high-quality of the whiskey in the bottle.
Pinhook’s contract distilled bourbon is all about refinement. The expression is made from 100 barrels that are matured for 34 months before being small-batched by Pinhook’s Master Taster Sean Josephs. The juice is barely touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water to take the edge off.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a lemon curd vibe with a buttered bread — nearly croissant — feel next to a mild dose of spiced fruits. The taste is toffee sweet but is countered by a powdered dark chocolate bitterness, marzipan smoothness, and plenty of that creamy citrus. The sip ends quietly and fades quickly, leaving you with a nice touch of lemon oils next to dark chocolate powder and a hint of spicy stewed oranges.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those releases that’s been growing on me year after year. Pinhook is creating some truly fascinating and tasty whiskeys right now, and that makes me pretty excited for what’s coming next.
This craft whiskey from Kentucky is made with a mash bill of 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye, and five percent malted barley. The barrels have aged a minimum of six years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Butterscotch leads the nose on this sip as ginger snaps mingle with rich and sharp toffee candies next to a touch of vanilla, pepper, and cherry lurk underneath everything. The taste really amps up the creaminess of the vanilla and the butteriness of the toffee, as a slight marzipan flourish arrives with a thin layer of freshly cracked black pepper and salted black licorice. That pepper marries to the ginger as the heat levels off and fades out leading towards a finish with more of the vanilla and dry wood than anything else.
Bottom Line:
This is a very sippable whiskey started by Afghanistan War vets. The crew has just broken ground on a new distillery which means we’re sure to see more very soon from this brand.
This whiskey marries Napa Valley winemaking to Ohio Valley whiskey. Winemaker Dave Phinney sources four-year-old bourbons from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana and brings those to Napa. Once there, the bourbon is filled into Cabernet barrels for final maturation. Finally, the bourbon is cut with pure spring water from California’s Alexander Valley before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Those barrels come through with a note of a dry lumber yard next to caramel apples, butterscotch candy wrappers, and a sliver of vanilla bean. That vanilla drives the palate and comes creamy and thick as apples stewed in eggnog spices kick in with a slight woody maple syrup sweetness and sweet red grapes. That sweet note drives the mid-palate towards a finish that warms with the holiday spices and almost hot apple cider next to a vanilla cookie with a dusting of maple brown sugar.
Bottom Line:
This is a cool bottle and a cool concept. While this isn’t the only bourbon getting finished in wine barrels in Napa, it’s certainly one of the most accessible. Bonus points for serving this at parties next to the brand’s similarly-designed wine bottles.
This Texas whiskey is planning on being fully and truly from Texas very soon. For now, the juice is primarily sourced from MGP of Indiana. Oak & Eden ships those barrels down to Texas where they blend their whiskey and then add the oak spire to recreate a sort of double-barrel finish in the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a Red Hots cinnamon-sweet opening, with plenty of oak, hints of caramel, and a slight touch of woody vanilla and pine. The extra oak creates a dry mouthfeel with a continued spicy/sweet edge that’s welcoming, while hints of orchard fruits mingle with butterscotch and a hint of bitterness. The finish is fairly short, dry, oaky, and resurfaces the Red Hots note for a warming end.
Bottom Line:
This feels a little gimmicky, sure. Still, the concept does make sense (the idea that oak staves in the bottle would continually shape the final dram) and the expression delivers as a nice sipper on the rocks or solid cocktail base. In the end, this is a cool concept and Oak & Eden is putting a big list of expressions that play with unique finishings and Texas vibes.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
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