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Spoiler alert for this blind tasting: 20-plus-year-old Scotch whisky is pretty amazing. I tasted eight bottles of single malt — both peated and unpeated — in the 20 to 26-year range and every single one was great. “Great” might even be underselling our baseline here. There were a lot of “wow!” and “holy shit!” and “that’s amazing!” moments in this blind tasting.

That means that this ranking is very, well… loose. I could not choose between several of these bottles and ended up with a lot of ties. It was just too hard to put one amazing whisky over another one when every single one of these drams presented something unique — deep in flavor and rich in technique.

Seriously, they were all delicious. I tried my best.

Our lineup today is:

• Ardbeg 25
• BenRiach 21
• Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23
• GlenDronach 21
• Oban 21, 2018 Edition
• Lagavulin 26, Special Edtion 2021
• Royal Brackla 21
• Talisker 25

In the end, the eight bottles of single malt Scotch whisky below are all stellar. Try them. They’ll advance your palate while providing a great whisky-tasting experience. Click on those prices to track down a few bottles for yourself!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of 2021

• The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2021, Ranked
• A Blind Ranking Of Affordable Blended Scotch Whiskies
• Our Favorite Scotch Whisky At Every Price Point From $30 To $500
• We Blind Tested Blended Scotches In The $40 Range And A Clear Winner Emerged
• The Best Bottles Of Scotch Whisky Between $50-$60

Part 1: The Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bitter lemon note that draws you towards smoked toffees, creamy vanilla, a dusting of cold ash, and … peppermint candy on the nose. The sip is very earthy (almost potting soil) with a fatty smoked bacon vibe, a touch of sour cream on a dirty baked potato — baked in a campfire — that all turns on the mid-palate towards honey tobacco with a spiced finish and a dash more of that ash.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Smoked apricot opens this one up on the nose with a sweetness that leads towards salted plums with a hint of spice and malt. The taste delves into a honeyed sweetness spiked with spicy stewed apples, old and wet oak, roasted almonds, and a big tobacco chew. That all tappers off, leaving you with a rich apple candy finish.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

This burst forth with an apple orchard in full bloom, day-old brioche, and a sweet yet tart lemon curd on the nose. The palate is all vanilla cookies with pear candy, white grapes, and singed potpourri leading toward a mid-palate of honey. That honey circles back towards the pear with a slight core and stem feel as the finish slowly fades back through all that honey and orchard fruit for the softest landing possible.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Berry brambles open this one up with a focus on the stems, leaves, and the soil beneath those bushes as a spicy raisin oatmeal cookie arrives to balance out the nose. The taste revels in orange oils, creamy vanilla pudding, and black-tea-soaked dates. A dark cacao vibe takes over the mid-palate and leads towards a holiday spice mix with a stewed plum and cedar touch on the finish.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

There’s a candy wax paper note that nosedives into Douglas Fir bark from a stack of firewood with some of the black dirt from the forest floor smashed into the crevices of that bark as butter caramel malts counterpoint that earthiness and ends up at a fruit chew, kind of like an apple Starburst, on the nose. The palate leans into a hazelnut-heavy Nutella with a touch of toasted coconut mingling with sweet cedar planks. A dark cacao tobacco leaf arrives late and takes on a warming holiday spice mix that leads towards a hot stripe of orange saltwater taffy dipped in ocean water.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Freshly unrolled Ace bandages invite you in through the nose as figs wrapped in nori lead toward a rush of fresh white rope and a slight whisper of outboard motor smoke. The palate presents meaty smoked dates next to the oil from a sardine can with a clear rush of fresh red chili peppers. The mid-palate mellows out considerably with a cold forest mushroom next to smoldering cedar branches and a final note of green bell pepper that just rings as sweet.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Light vanilla pudding with a big dollop of berry compote welcomes you on the nose as this vibrant white grape bursts forth. The taste meanders from spicy dark chocolate towards a malty Black Forest cake as stewed cherries, light cream, and a lot of dark chocolate shavings come together. The finish embraces the chocolate until that bright white grape comes back to bring about a nice end.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with fresh beeswax candles next to unfiltered apple cider, dried roses, and a wisp of campfire smoke from a mile or so down a rocky and rainy beach. Sea salt combines with old cellars full of cobwebs as wet moss, wisteria in full bloom, and orange tobacco mingles on the palate. The mid-palate dries out with some cedar bark as singed rose pedals lead towards singed orange peels with this tiny echo of dark red cherry on the very backend of the finish.

Part 2: The Ranking

6. BenRiach The Twenty One Four Cask Matured — Taste 2

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $300

The Whisky:

This newly-released whisky from BenRiach is a combination of peated and unpeated malts. The whiskies are then aged for 21 years in ex-bourbon barrels, ex-sherry casks, virgin oak casks, and former Bordeaux red wine casks. Those are then blended after their two-decade rest and proofed with that soft Speyside water.

Bottom Line:

This is a beautiful whisky. The only reason this bottle landed here is that it was the only one that didn’t blow my socks off.

5. Ardbeg 25 — Taste 1

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $880

The Whisky:

The newest expression from Ardbeg also happens to be their oldest expression (in the core line). The whisky is the epitome of peat on Islay. What makes this expression so special and extremely rare is that it was distilled and casked when Ardbeg was on its knees as a company, in the early 1990s. They simply weren’t making that much whisky back then and there’s hardly any of it left.

This is a one-and-likely-gone whisky.

Bottom Line:

Goddamn, this is just delicious. It’s so delicious that I don’t think I can say I don’t dig big peaty Islay malts anymore — because I love this.

4. Glenfiddich Grand Cru 23 — Taste 3

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $290

The Whisky:

It’s all in the name of this yearly special release from Glenfiddich. The whisky matures for over 23 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then filled into French Cuvée casks that held Champagne. That whisky is then cut down to proof and bottled just in time for the holiday season.

Bottom Line:

This was damn near perfect. It was so (almost unbelievably) soft that I felt I might have been missing something deeper. But that’s me looking for something to rank these by and, in no way, an indication of the quality at play in this stellar whisky.

(tie) 3. The GlenDronach Parliament Aged 21 Years — Taste 4

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $262

The Whisky:

Don’t let the name fool you. The “parliament” in this case is the collective noun for rooks — a type of European crow that nests above the distillery. That dark essence is rendered in the whisky through 21 long years of maturation in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks exclusively.

Bottom Line:

This could have been number one had my mood been different, or if I had done this tasting in the morning instead of after lunch, or, or, or… This whisky is impossible to find faults with. It just didn’t blow my mind today the way it has on other days.

(tie) 3. Royal Brackla 21 — Taste 7

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $218

The Whisky:

This whisky is the oldest aged statement from the Last Great Malts from John Dewar & Sons line. The juice is distilled slowly before it spends 21 long years maturing Olorosso sherry casks where it’s left untouched. The barrels are vatted when they’re just right, proofed with soft Speyside water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those bottles that’s deceptively subtle but deeply satisfying. It’s also one of those bottles where you ask yourself, “where have you been all my life?”

(tie) 2. Lagavulin Aged 26 Years, The Lion’s Jewel — Taste 6

ABV: 44.2%

Average Price: $2,220

The Whisky:

This is a very rare and unique expression. First, it’s the first 26-year-old Lagavulin release. Next, there are only 7,500 of these bottles in existence. Lastly, the whisky was built from a combination of first-fill Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry casks. Those barrels were married after over two decades of mellowing and bottled at a very accessible cask strength of 44.2 percent.

Bottom Line:

I wrote in my notebook, “Fuck, this is amazing.” For years, I thought I wasn’t an Islay whisky drinker and, honestly, I could drink this for the rest of my life and not complain.

(tie) 2. Talisker 25 — Taste 8

ABV: 45.8%

Average Price: $398

The Whisky:

This whisky is a marriage of American bourbon barrels, Spanish sherry casks, and Talisker’s seaside location. The whiskies in this single malt spend a minimum of 25 years resting in old bourbon and sherry barrels a few short steps from the sea in the Isle of Skye. Talisker’s tiny warehouse feels a bit like an old pirate ship that’s seen too many sea battles and that aura is imbued into every barrel as it matures.

Bottom Line:

This was the last taste and I would have kept tasting whisky this good for hours, happily. While this is the perfect single malt, it didn’t quite take me on a journey as the number one pick did. Still, I’m pouring one of these tonight and taking a minute to sit next to the tree after everyone is in bed to just let it all soak in.

1. Oban 21, 2018 Edition — Taste 5

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $589

The Whisky:

This whisky from 2018 is much-sought-after. The classic juice from the tiny Oban Distillery spends 21 years resting in a combination of used European oak barrels in Oban’s small warehouse nestled between a black rock cliff and the lapping of the sea. The juice is then married and bottled at cask strength, capturing all the nuances and uniqueness of Oban in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

This was like going home again. I was a teenager splitting firewood with my father in the backyard. I could smell the splinters of fir and bark. Then, we were walking along the cold stony beaches of the Pacific Northwest looking for agates as the gulls guffawed and pranced along the shoreline. It nearly brought a tear to my eye.

This whisky transports me. It’s pretty much a perfect experience.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

I’m going to stop saying that I don’t really dig peaty whisky in 2022. I clearly love some of them. That doesn’t mean I love the sweet malts any less. It’s more that these days I continually reach for subtly peated malts. And those whiskies clearly dominated this ranking.

In the end, when the whisky is this good, you end up looking for a transformative and maybe even emotion-inducing experience. My winner might not technically be any better than any whisky on this list, but it took me somewhere. It touched my soul.

That’s what it’s all about when you’re sipping these high-end drams — what truly sings to you? The Oban 21 from 2018 sang to me today.

The odds are this isn’t the first time I’ve mentioned this, but I get the impression interviews take their toll on Keanu Reeves. It feels like there’s a focus he wants to maintain, but this focus takes a lot of energy. (And, to be fair, if he did like doing them, that would be unusual.) But the thing about Keanu Reeves is he’s always as nice and pleasant as anyone could be under these strange circumstances. For someone who has, literally, probably done somewhere in the ballpark of 1000 interviews in his career, he still kind of acts like someone who is doing one for the first time. Those initial moments of trying to figure out what my angle will be, then deciding, okay, this guy seems normal enough I guess, then easing up a bit and trying to give actual thoughtful answers.

(Now I know I’ve mentioned this before. But as an example, at Sundance in 2015, I had just finished interviewing Eli Roth for the film Knock Knock. Out of nowhere, Keanu Reeves, who had just finished his own set of interviews, pulled up a chair next to me at this big circular table, gave me a polite nod, then promptly put his head down and went to sleep.)

It’s been 18 years since the last Matrix movie and there have been some changes. The Neo/Thomas Anderson we find in The Matrix Resurrections isn’t quite the one we’ve seen in the past movies. Which makes sense since, you know, this character (spoiler if you haven’t seen the third movie, The Matrix Revolutions) died in the previous film. Another change is, this time, Lana Wachowski is directing solo, as opposed to the directing team with Lilly Wachowski, who is sitting this one out. And there are a lot of meta-references in this movie to sequels and reboots – and a direct line aimed squarely at Warner Bros. themselves, which Reeves, as he says ahead, even found shocking.

Ahead, Reeves gives us his interpretation of what makes this Neo maybe a little different than in the previous versions, and why this movie itself is turning the whole idea of the first movies on its head. Also, Reeves delves into the idea that, maybe, The Matrix movies themselves have helped make the idea that we live in a simulation more mainstream. (At least to the point, now, a lot of people will say, “yeah, maybe,” instead of completely dismissing the idea.) And we talk a bit about the far right-wing and groups like QAnon co-opting the term “red pill.” Lilly Wachowski has already made it clear what she thinks. Reeves, in all earnestness, doesn’t feel comfortable telling people what to think but also makes it clear what those original Matrix movies represent.

It’s pretty wild you’re in a new Matrix after all this time. I remember everyone being excited for The Phantom Menace, then that first movie came out of nowhere and changed everything. And here you go again…

We are. Did you see the film?

I did see the film.

I mean, how did you like it?

It’s a different Neo. That was kind of surprising. I’ll admit, I was kind of overwhelmed a little bit the first time seeing you and Carrie-Anne Moss on screen together as these characters again, if that makes sense.

Yeah, no, I kind of share that sentiment. It was really something. It was wonderful to work with Carrie-Anne again. It was wonderful. I love the love that Thomas Anderson has for Trinity. It feels really good. And to fight for, to be with – and so that was actually probably one of the highlights of doing the film.

Do you agree it’s kind of a different Neo, right? Obviously, in the first one Thomas Anderson is pretty confused at what’s going on, but in this one…

“Doubting Thomas.” He’s still doubting Thomas. It’s just an older, more experienced doubting Thomas.

He is, but it’s a different kind of confusion. Because he sort of remembers what happened before, but now it’s like everything’s different again. And he doesn’t seem as confident at times, especially in the first half.

No, absolutely. I mean, I would pitch that Resurrections is a kind of dynamic inverse of the trilogy.

What do you mean by that?

[Laughs] Just that.

Okay.

Where in the trilogy Trinity’s trying to support and wake up Thomas Anderson, now Thomas Anderson is in that position and role for Trinity.

True, but he has to kind of go through his own stuff first.

And where he’s supposed to be the one that’s going to be the… I don’t want to give too much away.

Right.

But the relationship is different. It’s inverse.

Okay, I see.

Yeah. Or maybe the opposite? Inverse-opposite? I don’t know. Okay, sorry. Go ahead!

I saw where you mentioned you were talking with a younger person, maybe it was a friend’s kid, and you were explaining the plot of The Matrix to them and they were like, “Why would your character want to know this? Who cares if it’s real or not?”

Oh, value of reality. Yes. They didn’t care if it was real or not.

That’s fascinating, and it made me think about it more. The idea that we are living in a simulation has become a lot more mainstream since the first Matrix movies came out. If someone says it now I’m like, “Yeah, maybe.” And I wonder, do you think The Matrix movies showed a visual representation of that, where that really pushed that theory forward?

Ah, wow. So are you getting into the idea of, that it was presented, which helped promote the idea and advancement of the idea that was presented?

Well, people like visualized things, and a visualization of you waking up in a pod…

Like the Star Trek communicator for the phone?

You know what? That’s a really good example.

Absolutely. For sure. But I think also, I think that the films, and Resurrections, too… I think they can, for me, I think it could also be a tool, or a mechanic, to help us understand the world that we’re in.

Because a lot of people don’t think it’s nuts anymore. The attitude shifted to, yeah, it’s possible. Most people are just more open to the idea.

Literally, yeah, it’s a Matrix. Yeah. I mean, infinity is enjoying really a wonderful popularity. Multiple, infinity, infinity plus one. I mean, they’re old ideas, that there are multiverses.

I have a kind of a heavy question, but I’ve been wanting to know your opinion of this for a while about groups like QAnon co-opting “red pill.” Lilly Wachowski has spoken out that’s it’s an allegory for being transgender. But it’s still such a bummer that they have co-opted that. And I’ve been curious what you think of that, because that’s not what those movies were about, the way they’re using it.

Yeah, I don’t know… I’m not super familiar with it, in terms of QAnon, and red pills, and appropriation. But yeah, I mean, the idea of the mechanic of it is you take this pill and you’re able to be able to see the nature of reality. So escaping a simulation of a reality. So I could see how that’s appropriate for a lot of perspectives. I mean, I think, just hold onto the idea that it came from The Matrix.

I warned you that it was a little heavy, but I have been wanting to hear what you thought about that, if they’re using your movie to promote stuff I’m fairly certain you don’t agree with…

Yeah, but it’s also part, I mean, I’m not going to speak to whether I agree or not agree or anything. I want people to be able to say, and do, and be. I don’t want to…

Well, to clarify, not the idea of “everyone agreeing.” I was talking about more the white nationalist stuff that they’re using. I’m fairly confident you are not a fan of that. You’ve been kind of outspoken about that.

Yeah. Yes. I mean, the films kind of promote the idea of cooperation, compassion. So I’m all on board for that.

There are a lot of meta-references to sequels and franchises in this movie. Did you have to help talk Lana into doing this movie? Because that line, “Our parent company Warner Bros. is going to make this with or without us, so we might as well be involved.” It’s hard not to hear that and go, “Wait a second.” Did you have to like, “Come on, let’s do this”?

[Laughs] No, no. When I saw that line in the script, I was like, “Really? You would do that?”

Right.

She’s like, “Yes.” And I thought it was cool. She’s brave. And it’s interesting that that’s even… It’s nuts! It’s strange. But I thought it was very funny, and true.

It got a big laugh.

Yeah. It’s funny and true, so…

Right, if you two say no they’re going to do something anyway.

Yeah. And you know, if a system can’t take being played for humor, or be laughed at, then that system is generally not very healthy or tyrannical. Just to say that. But anyway.

So last time I spoke to you was for John Wick 3. And at the end, I don’t even remember what happened, we got off on Parenthood, and you couldn’t remember your character’s name, Tod Higgins. And you made me look it up.

Oh, Tod.

I bring this up because over the pandemic a lot of people have re-watched Parenthood and I’ve heard from a lot of people happy that you’ve recently discussed Tod. People love Tod Higgins.

He’s a good spirit.

He is a good spirit. “Did I win?” Still, one of the funniest lines in movie history.

[Laughs] “Did I win?” He’s a thoughtful, good spirit.

‘The Matrix Resurrections’ opens in theaters and streams via HBO Max on Christmas Day. You can contact Mike Ryan directly on Twitter.

In 2021, the fast food gods delivered diners a cavalcade of new cheeseburgers and chicken sandwiches to choose from. Some were delicious, some were bad, and some gave it a major swing and a miss but we ate them anyway. Now we’re here to collect them all into one super list that separates the good food from the trash.

Yes friends, this is a ranking of the best new chicken sandwiches and cheeseburgers to hit the fast food universe in 2021. We even included a few we haven’t had the chance to officially review yet. Most of the sandwiches on this list are available for a limited time but a few have earned permanent menu status. We were sure to include the availability of each selection — so that you don’t make a fool of yourself at the drive-thru.

So.. would you rather eat a Hot Cheeto dusted cheeseburger or a honey-sauce smothered chicken sandwich? Let us break it down for you, because sometimes a concept can make the mouth water only for the final result to be straight-up gag-inducing. And we don’t want that! It’s the end of the year, we’re under enough stress as it is!

Let’s eat.

12. Naked Chicken Chalupa

The Sandwich:

Is it a sandwich though? Seriously what the f*ck is this thing? We can’t decide if we should consider this a sort of freakish taco or a freakish chicken sandwich, but what I can very easily decide on is that I don’t like it.

It’s not horrible but never has an item of food made me feel so stupid and confused. Figuring out what this thing is is more interesting than eating it! The Chicken Chalupa features a flattened chicken patty loaded up with lettuce, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, and avocado ranch as if it were a taco shell. The shell features a black pepper-forward flavor that pairs nicely with the refreshing qualities of the avocado ranch, but for the most part, this sandwich leaves me feeling like it’s missing something.

Load it up with ground beef and maybe you’ve got something, but as it stands, Taco Bell needs to take this one back to the lab.

Availability:

Apparently, they have taken it back to the lab, the Chicken Chalupa is not currently on the always shifting Taco Bell menu. Let’s keep it that way.

The Bottom Line:

Skip it once Taco Bell inevitably brings it back.

Find your nearest Taco Bell here.

11. McDonald’s Spicy Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich

The Sandwich:

McDonald’s started off the year with high hopes by dropping three new chicken sandwiches, the best of which, the Spicy Deluxe Crispy Chicken Sandwich, isn’t even worth eating. I know it sounds overly harsh, but you should never order a chicken sandwich from McDonald’s. Never.

This sandwich is nothing more than a waste of money, the chicken patty is a dry and flavorless mess, the tomatoes are equally flavorless, and the shredded lettuce is straight up off-putting. The only thing going for this sandwich is that spicy pepper sauce, which has a nice cayenne kick to it and a strong cracked pepper flavor. If McDonald’s would serve this sauce as a dip for their fries, they’d have something, but as a sandwich, this is bottom-of-the-barrel stuff.

Availability:

McDonald’s unveiled three new chicken sandwiches this year, you’ve never heard about them because they’re that bad.

The Bottom Line:

McDonald’s still hasn’t figured out how to make a damn chicken sandwich. Skip this.

Find your nearest McDonald’s here.

10. Carl’s Jr Sourdough Star

The Sandwich:

The Sourdough Star is the best sourdough burger on the fast food market, it’s a shame that it took until this year for Carl’s Jr to create it. The burger features a charbroiled beef patty topped with American cheese, bacon, Thousand Island, and gently grilled onions over a bed of lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

I can’t for the life of me figure out why Carl’s Jr decided on putting Thousand Island and mayo, but a simple alteration is all it takes to make this burger shine (ditch whatever sauce you like less). I love the mouthfeel of this thing, the bacon and sourdough bun add a pleasing crunch to it. I only wish it had more cheese and leaned more into its patty melt inspiration.

Availability:

Unfortunately, this sandwich was only available for a limited time and that window has closed. We await its triumphant return!

The Bottom Line:

Carl’s Jr can’t decide whether or not it wants to keep sourdough bread on the menu (Hardee’s features sourdough as a permanent menu staple) so us on the West Coast are going to have to wait until they bring this burger back as a promotional item.

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.

9. Panda Express Orange Chicken Sandwich

The Sandwich:

Panda Express attempted to make a chicken sandwich this year that piggybacks off of the brand’s popular Orange Chicken sauce. Let that sink in for a second. Panda Express. Made. A. Chicken. Sandwich. We wouldn’t have believed it if we didn’t eat it ourselves.

For the full rundown, definitely hit my review, but ultimately the issue with this sandwich is not its concept, it’s the execution. The sandwich was previewed to a select few food writers in California and comes straight from Panda Express’ Innovation Kitchen in Pasadena.

The flavors are actually pretty on point, the sandwich features cabbage and pickles in a spicy aioli which pairs nicely with Panda’s deliciously spicy and sweet orange sauce served and it comes served on a delicious and sweet King’s Hawaiian roll. The chicken itself needs work. This is just a bad chicken patty, it’s dry, flakey and flavorless, relying completely on the toppings to deliver the flavor. I like that the chicken is battered in the same corn-starch-based breading as Panda’s Orange Chicken as it absorbs the sauce nicely, but it’s clear Panda needs to work on this on a bit before it hits restaurants nationwide.

Availability:

The Orange Chicken sandwich was only available for a limited time this fall at Panda Express’ Innovation Kitchen, but hopefully, we see a nationwide rollout this coming year.

The Bottom Line:

It still needs a few tweaks, but if Panda Express figures out a way to produce a better chicken filet, they’ve got a real contender here in the great fried chicken sandwich wars.

Find your nearest Panda Express here.

8. Wendy’s Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger

The Sandwich:

This year Wendy’s unveiled a few new burgers to their lineup but none have caught our attention quite like the Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger. In fact, it’s probably the best addition to the menu since the mighty Baconator. Featuring your choice of one, two, or, brace yourself, three quarter-pound fresh beef patties topped with Applewood smoked bacon, a double serving of American cheese, and fried onions slathered with a Bourbon-based sauce that is actually made with real bourbon and bacon, this burger is bursting with sweet and savory flavors that really complement and play off one another deliciously.

The sauce is smokey and sweet, it’s a bit like a complex barbecue sauce but it leans heavier on those smokey flavors and has a much thinner consistency. Using real bacon to make this sauce was a smart move, as this burger isn’t plagued with that off-putting liquid smoke flavor of lesser efforts.

Availability:

The Bourbon Bacon Cheeseburger is a permanent menu item at Wendy’s both nationwide and in Canada.

The Bottom Line:

A great pub-inspired burger topped with a bourbon and bacon-based sauce that delivers on the flavor. This burger is a must-pick-up on your next Wendy’s trip.

Find your nearest Wendy’s here.

7. Burger King Spicy Ch’King Sandwich

The Sandwich:

Burger King, more than any other fast food brand, consistently ranks near the bottom or at the very bottom of our fast food rankings, so to see the brand’s latest chicken sandwich revamp, The Ch’King Sandwich, in the middle of the list is actually quite an improvement in our books.

Go BK, we’ve been rooting for you even though it seems like we’re rooting against you.

The Spicy Ch’King isn’t good enough to make you forget about the Popeyes chicken sandwich, hell it still has a bit of a way to go before it can compare to Chick-fil-A or Wendy’s sandwiches, but its a step in the right direction. The best sandwich of Burger King’s new range of chicken sandwiches is the Spicy Ch’King which features a hand-breaded chicken breast filet topped with crinkle-cut pickles, the saddest, palest lettuce you’ll ever see, tomato, a savory sauce on the top and bottom bun, and a delicious spicy glaze covering the chicken filet.

The sandwich’s weakest points are the accouterments, the lettuce and tomato are virtually flavorless, and that soft potato bun isn’t going to be anything your taste buds want to remember, but the chicken itself is top-notch. It has a distinct black pepper and garlic powder flavor that is complimented beautifully by the sweet and spicy sauce.

Availability:

The Spicy Ch’King chicken sandwich is a permanent menu item at Burger Kings nationwide.

The Bottom Line:

If you’re skeptical about a chicken sandwich from Burger King because everything from Burger King is, well, pretty awful, this sandwich will surprise you. It’s not something worth ordering if a Popeyes, Wendy’s, or Chick-fil-A are nearby, but if you’re stuck in an airport for longer than you want to be? Eating the Spicy Ch’King isn’t a bad way to spend your time.

The award for the stupidest sandwich name definitely goes to the Ch’King.

Find your nearest Burger King here.

6. Carl’s Jr Hot Honey Chicken

The Sandwich:

Sorry, Burger King, the Ch’King was good but Carl’s Jr’s Hot Honey chicken sandwich has you beat! Two strips of bacon sit atop a nutty slice of Swiss cheese and Carl’s Jr’s hand-breaded chicken breast filet before being smothered in a heavily sweetened Hot Honey sauce.

Take the word “hot” with a grain of salt here, this leans much more on the sweet side and only features a gentle lingering heat that you’ll barely notice between bites. You don’t miss the heat though, the combination of bacon, Swiss, and the sweet sauce gives this sandwich a sort of breakfast vibe with an almost maple flavor to it. It’s the only chicken sandwich on this list that feels fitting for breakfast.

Availability:

The Hot Honey Chicken sandwich is now a permanent menu item at Carl’s Jrs nationwide.

The Bottom Line:

The closest thing you’re going to get to the experience of eating chicken and waffles from a drive-thru.

Find your nearest Carl’s Jr. here.

5. Wiz Khalifa HotBox Blazed OG Cheetos Burger

The Sandwich:

Yes, your eyes are correct, that is Hot Cheeto dust you’re looking at. I get it, Hot Cheeto dust on a burger seems like the ultimate fast food gimmick but this burger really works. Also, it’s part of Wiz Khalifa’s stoner-pleasing HotBox meal, so when you think about the fact that the majority of people ordering this burger are stoned, it all starts to make sense.

This burger features a thick and juicy salted beef patty cooked to a medium-well state and topped with American cheese, fried tater tots, lettuce, tomato, Thrill Sauce (which is just 1000 Islands), and of course, Hot Cheeto Dust. The dust provides a nice perceptible level of heat to the whole sandwich, you don’t taste it so much as you feel the heat it brings to each bite.

I wouldn’t describe it as spicy, but it creates this mouthwatering effect that pulls you in. Although this is a virtual kitchen concept, the meat sourcing is fantastic (at least in Los Angeles) and I would put the quality of this patty in the same camp as something from Shake Shack or Fat Burger.

Availability:

The OG Cheetos Burger (and the rest of the Wiz Khalifa menu) is available now for delivery-only in Miami, Columbus, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, and Houston. Hit up the website to get your order started.

The Bottom Line:

It looks gimmicky as hell but trust us, it’s worth the purchase. It argues for the existence of Hot Cheeto dust as a culinary ingredient.

See if HotBox is available in your city here.

4. Church’s Texas Cut Bacon Spicy Chicken Sandwich

The Sandwich:

This year Church’s made a serious attempt at swiping at Popeyes — the current GOAT in the fast food chicken sandwich space — and they came damn near close to coming up with a better sandwich. The Texas-Cut Bacon Spicy Chicken Sandwich features a juicy and tender fried breast filet that is breaded in Church’s craggy sauce-absorbing batter and topped with layers of crispy thick-cut bacon served on two brioche buns slathered in spicy mayo sauce.

Each bite provides a great balance of crunch, heat, smokiness, and a slight tinge of sweetness. It’s easily one of the best chicken sandwiches you can hope you order at a fast food restaurant and if Popeyes didn’t exist, the internet would be rightly obsessed with this contender for the best chicken sandwich ever.

To take it to the next level insert the fried jalapeño popper that Church’s serves alongside this sandwich. It’ll add an extra dose of heat as well as some gooey cheesy goodness to the experience.

Availability:

The Texas-Cut Bacon Spicy Chicken Sandwich is only available until December 26th. Once it leaves the menu you can still order the sandwich, but you won’t get any delicious and smokey bacon.

The Bottom Line:

It comes damn near close to being the best fried chicken sandwich in the fast food universe, but Popeyes still holds an edge over this one thanks to their delicious flaky breading.

Find your nearest Church’s here.

3. Smash Burger Double Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger

The Sandwich:

This burger took the number one spot in our ranking for the Best Decadent Fast Food Cheeseburgers because it’s… well, the most decadent fast food burger we’ve ever eaten. Sweet tender smoked brisket is sandwiched between two salty ground beef patties and smokey bacon, topped with ultra-thick cut pickle chips, BBQ sauce, and cheddar cheese. It’s the sort of burger that makes it hard for you to breathe after you’ve finished it.

Be warned, it’s not the best brisket you’ll ever taste as it definitely leans on the drier side, but it’s hard to find a burger that delivers more flavor per bite than this one. Each bite of this burger will fill your mouth with all sorts of smokey and salty flavors with the right amount of sour tang from the pickles to counterbalance it all. It’s remarkably harmonious even though it looks like a car accident.

Availability:

The Double Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger is a permanent menu item at all Smash Burger’s nationwide.

The Bottom Line:

For all the true meat maniacs out there. The Smoked Bacon Brisket Burger allows you to triple up on meat, and if you need more you can always make it a double.

Find your nearest Smash Burger here.

2. Popeyes — Megan Thee Stallion Hottie Chicken Sandwich

The Sandwich:

How do you improve upon perfection? Apparently, by calling Megan Thee Stallion. I’m not sure how involved Megan actually is in the creation of this new iteration of Popeyes’ deservedly beloved chicken sandwich — they approved her as a franchise restaurant owner at the very least — and honestly, I don’t really care because it tastes so damn delicious.

This sandwich differs from Popeyes OG by smothering it in Megan’s Hottie Sauce, which gives it a sort of sweet and sour flavor. The sauce is made from aged cayenne pepper, sugar, and honey and helps to further elevate the subtly sweet notes of Popeyes’ sandwich.

Each bite will greet you with tangy sweetness and leave you with some lingering heat on the palate. It makes the sandwich a bit more decadent than it comes stock, but in the best way imaginable. This is definitely worth heading to Popeyes over ASAP.

Availability:

Available at all Popeyes restaurants nationwide while supplies last!

The Bottom Line:

Somehow better than Popeyes already amazing internet-breaking chicken sandwich.

Find your nearest Popeyes here.

1. Shake Shack Black Truffle Burger

The Sandwich:

As good as our number two selection on this list is — and it really is good, go order that now — if I think about the new fast food menu item I’ve come back to the most frequently this year, and the one I’ve enjoyed eating the most, I have to give that honor to Shake Shack’s super gourmet Black Truffle Burger. This sandwich truly delivers, you’ve got fast food’s best-tasting beef patty topped with a grip of fried shallots — which are superior to fried onions every day of the week — above perfectly melted gruyere cheese and an umami-flavor bomb of a sauce made from real organic black truffles, what more could you hope for?

The result is a journey of flavors and pleasing mouthfeels that taste greater than the sum of its parts (and I should know, I’ve eaten Shake Shack’s meat patty by itself) taking you through flavors of sweetness counterbalanced by salt, butter, and umami richness, with a crunchy mouthfeel to wrap it all together. It’s fast food at its finest.

Availability:

The Black Truffle Burger is available until January 10th at all Shake Shack restaurants nationwide.

The Bottom Line:

Shake Shack has always set itself apart from other fast-casual chains by bringing Michelin-quality ingredients to the world of fast food, but the Black Truffle Burger is the first menu item that truly delivers on that concept. It’s a must-order.

Find your nearest Shake Shack here.

The shorthanded Brooklyn Nets beat the Toronto Raptors in the Barclays Center on Tuesday night, 131-129. With a number of players either injured or in the league’s health and safety protocols, the Nets leaned heavily on Kevin Durant, who played all 48 minutes and had a monster night: 34 points on 12-for-29 shooting, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, and a block.

It was the latest in what has been an MVP-caliber campaign for Durant, and in the aftermath, it caught the attention of one of sports’ most highly-compensated takesmen, Skip Bayless. As he is wont to do, Bayless tweeted after the game, praising the man who he believes is “the best player on the planet” while simultaneously doing that thing where he calls out LeBron James.

Now, Bayless has made a career out of (among other things) trolling James despite the fact that James is basically universally viewed as one of the five or so greatest basketball players to ever live, so this is nothing unusual. But it did catch Durant’s attention, so he decided to quote tweet it with a very simple message.

Durant continues to be the NBA’s best poster. Anyway, congrats to the fine folks at Undisputed on the segment they will absolutely have about this tweet.

Things were a bit awkward on Fox News Tuesday. The day before, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot made public some frantic texts numerous network hosts had sent then-chief of staff Mark Meadows. In them, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Brian Kilmeade sounded a lot more concerned about what was happening than they would later. What’s more, they were sure then-president Donald Trump could stop them. But when Hannity was confronted about them by one of his frequent guests, it didn’t go well.

That guest was Geraldo Rivera, the longtime Trump pal who had a change of heart after he tried to overturn a free and fair election. Since then, he’s been the voice of reason on shows usually stacked with dittoheads, like Dan Bongino or Charlie Kirk. Earlier on his show, Hannity had tried to spin the texts as no big deal, claiming that what he said in those texts was the “exact same thing” he’d said “that night on Jan. 6 and well beyond Jan. 6.” (Note: Hannity has repeatedly downplayed the severity of the day’s events.)

The day after the texts were revealed, Hannity suddenly remembered how awful the Capitol siege was. But Rivera went a step further.” This was a riot that was unleashed, incited, and inspired by the president of the United States, which targeted the heart of American democracy,” Rivera said.

He was, of course, shouted down, with Hannity claiming Trump had spoken “peacefully” before a portion of the crowd violently invaded the Capitol building. So Rivera pleaded with him for some sanity.

“I beg you, Sean, to remember the frame of mind you were in when you wrote that text on January 6,” Rivera charged. And when Laura did. And when Brian did. And when Don Jr. did! Remember that concern you had. Remember the frustration you had at our beloved 45th president.”

He was again shouted down, and eventually fellow guest Dan Bongino lat him have it, too. “The backstabbing of the president you’re engaging in is really disgusting!” he told him.

Hannity took a far more different tone when he fired off that now notorious text. “Can he make a statement? Ask people to leave the Capitol,” he wrote. Ingraham was much more flustered in her message, writing, “This is hurting all of us. He is destroying his legacy.”

(Via Raw Story)

Steph Curry became the NBA’s all-time leading three-point shooter on Tuesday night during the Golden State Warriors’ 105-96 win over the New York Knicks. During the game’s first quarter, Curry knocked down a pair of triples to give him 2,974 in his prolific career, which moved him ahead of Ray Allen and into sole possession of first place on the list.

Because the game took place at Madison Square Garden, well-documented Knicks fan Spike Lee was in attendance to experience history, and it seemed like he had a pretty good time … well, until the Warriors started making it clear the home team wasn’t going to win.

Anyway! After the game, Curry spent some time talking with the TNT crew, and a really excellent moment occurred when Allen and Reggie Miller — who had the record until Allen broke it in 2011 — presented Curry with jerseys. But while the interview was happening, just off camera, Lee did his best to get a picture of Curry, and man, did he go all-out to get the exact angle that he wanted.

Lee is one of the most creative people of the last 50 years, so there is certainly something good that is going to come from this. At the very least, the effort he put into this deserves a good end product.

They were dubbed the “Bonnie and Clyde of the MAGA World.” Dustin Stockton and Jennifer Lynn Lawrence had been figures of the “Big Lie” movement during the thick of it. They helped organize rallies, even having their fingers in Steve Bannon’s fraudulent “We Build the Wall” gang, who swindled Trump supporters out of their hard-earned cash. And then they decided to sing like canaries. A new Rolling Stone interview details their disillusionment with the former president, and on Tuesday night, one of them even did the unthinkable: They went on CNN.

Stockton appeared with his lawyer on Anderson Cooper’s show, where he pulled no punches. He and Lawrence had already detailed about how get gout of dodge on Jan. 6 when they realized it was about to turn south. But he elaborated upon why he’d come to believe that it was “really important to get to the bottom of what happened” that fateful day.

The committee impressed him, for one thing, with the “seriousness” with which they’d treated other people who came forward. He also said the “Big Lie,” coupled with the continued downplaying of the Capitol siege, had “torn our country apart.”

“If there’s ever been a time for us to come together as a country and kind of have a truth and reconciliation moment, I think this calls for it,” Stockton told Cooper.

Stockton agreed that there was “definitely a sense of betrayal” with Trump. “This was somebody we sacrificed for, we invested our lives and our time. In a lot of ways, the warning signs were there. We saw other people coming forward from his inner circle. Essentially he abandons people when the going gets tough for people.”

He did correct some records. He claims Paul Gosar, the Republican representative who was recently punished for posting an anime video of him murdering colleague Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, didn’t actually offer him a pardon.

Asked who was to blame for the events, Stockton said the perpetrators have to take responsibility for their actions. “But the buck’s gotta stop at Presdient Trump,” he added. “He knew better, and there’s no excuse for him sending people down into that situation without having the logistics, the security, the stage and sound systems to control the crowd.” Stockton believed that had their been more organization, things may not have gone haywire. But Trump certainly didn’t help when they did. “The fact that he delayed for so long responding, I think, really speaks ill of what his intentions were and what he was doing.”

Cooper also asked Stockton about the damning text messages numerous Fox News stars, among them Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, had sent Mark Meadows that day, begging him to tell Trump to condemn the attacks. Since then, they’ve been called out for privately believing in the severity of what was happening that day even as they spread lies about it, such as blaming antifa and later downplaying it.

“They were doing the right thing as things happened, and yet they’ve continued to mischaracterize it afterwards,” Stockton said. “Those text messages make it clear they knew the violence was unacceptable, that it needed to be condemned in the most serious possible way. And yet they continue to downplay it and underplay it.”

Cardi B and her husband Offset have certainly had their ups and downs, but things have been smooth sailing for quite some time now. Back in September, Cardi gave birth to their second child, a baby boy, and a month later, Offset celebrated his wife’s 29th birthday by purchasing a home for her in her family’s homeland of the Dominican Republic. Now, Cardi is returning some love for her husband’s 30th birthday today.

“Happy birthday to my huuuuusband, best friend and babydaaadddyyy,” Cardi wrote on Instagram. “I love you so much and I’m so proud of you. We have overcome so much together. I love the man that you’re becoming and I love the father that you are. Thank you for always being there for me, for being a great confidant and advisor and for never allowing me to sell myself short. I’m so lucky to have you as a partner raising our beautiful kids.”

She continued, “You have soo many projects and businesses that you are managing and leading yet you have helped me so much in this journey wit our two babies. May life keep blessing you and you continue to thrive. I’m so excited for the world to see what you got coming. I love you!! We turning up tonight and next week for your party.”

Cardi shared the message with a carousel of images of her and Offset together as well as pictures and videos of him with their daughter Kulture and their newborn baby boy.

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

A bass guitar that Paul McCartney used while on tour with The Wings has worked its way into the record books. At a recent auction, the Yamaha BB-1200 McCartney once owned broke the world record for the most expensive bass after it was sold for $496,100 (£374,905). It breaks the previous record that was set by The Rolling Stones‘ Bill Wyman’s 1969 Fender Mustang bass, which was sold for $384,000 (£290,190) last year. The auction was organized by U2’s The Edge and producer Bob Ezrin for their charity Music Rising, which aims to “benefit musicians in the Gulf South” after the “devastation the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought on musicians and musical communities.”

McCartney’s bass was not the only record-breaking item sold at the auction. Eddie Vedder’s Lake Placid Blue Fender Telecaster, which he once destroyed during a show, broke the record for the most expensive smashed guitar after it sold for $266,200 (£201,168). The likes of Elton John, Pearl Jam, Rush, Tom Morello, Joan Jett, Bruce Springsteen, Lou Reed, Kings Of Leon, Johnny Marr, Green Day, Radiohead, and Arcade Fire’s Win Butler also donated instruments to the auction. In total, $2 million (£1.5 million) was raised.

McCartney recently joined Foo Fighters at October’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame to play The Beatles classic “Get Back” at the induction ceremony.

You can watch a video of McCartney using the record-breaking bass guitar above.

Jim Jordan sure likes to humiliate himself. He regularly tweets nonsense that only gets him dragged. He throws hissy fits during hearings he doesn’t like. He even does it on the floor of the House of Representatives. He did so again on Tuesday, when he tried to defend Mark Meadows, the former White House chief of staff who the Jan. 6 committee — which almost featured Jordan, improbably — voted to hold him in contempt of Congress. His rant was plagued with falsehoods, and one of his fellow Republicans made sure to patiently call him out on his BS.

After taking the podium, Jordan laid into Democrats, accusing them of preventing Republicans of serving on the Jan. 6 committee, as well as trying to end the filibuster, make D.C. a state, and “pack the courts.” (All three of those things they haven’t been able to do, thanks in part to…other Democrats.) He also claimed they were trying to “destroy executive privilege,” the excuse Trump and his cronies have been erroneously leaning on, even though it only protects sitting presidents.

And he wept some tears for Mark Meadows, “my friend.” He claimed it was “as wrong as it gets” to hold him in contempt, and that the real reason for doing was his colleagues’ “lust for power, your lust to get your opponent is so intense you don’t care.”

It was classic Jordan, an avalanche of factually dubious claims and spittle. And Liz Cheney wasn’t having it.

The longtime Republican, who was demoted from certain key positions by her own colleagues (including Jim Jordan) after she refused to parrot Trump’s voter fraud lies, patiently dismantled Jordan’s nonsense.

Cheney stood up to address “some of the charges that my colleague from Ohio just made, which are flat false.” She then went through them one by one. She pointed out that Meadows refused to show up for a deposition on a day that he himself chose. She also pointed out that he “refused to show up to address non-privileged questions,” i.e., matters that fall outside what anyone would claim as protected by “executive privilege.”

“So my colleague from Ohio can talk as much as he’d like about executive privilege, about George Washington and the extent of which it’s crucial for the survival of the Republic, with which I agree,” Cheney allowed. “But we are talking about testimony about non-privileged material.”

Cheney also pointed out that there was once upon a time that “we all on this side of the aisle used to be in agreement about what had happened on Jan. 6.” She read aloud a statement Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy made on Jan. 13, a week after the Capitol siege, in which he directly blamed Trump for the riot and said he should have put the kibosh on it immediately, which he did not.

“Unfortunately, Mr. McCarthy’s position changed on this issue,” Cheney said. “Mr. McCarthy then worked against, voted against the resolution that would have created a bipartisan commission to investigate these matters. And he withdrew his nominees to this committee. Let me say it again: He withdrew his nominees to this committee.”

She concluded by saying, “This committee is engaged in critical investigative and legislative activity, for which there is no greater purpose in terms of Congress’ responsibility — no matter what my colleague on the other side may claim in terms of Mr. Meadows.”

In any case, perhaps Jordan’s meltdown over Meadows maybe going to a jail was mere projection. After all, the committee may be calling him up sometime soon.