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Jim Beam’s American Stillhouse in Clermont, Kentucky is a cornerstone of Kentucky bourbon and American whiskey in general. The distillery is where the world’s best-selling bourbon is made, Jim Beam. But like the Buffalo Trace Distillery down the road, Jim Beam’s Clermont campus doesn’t only make Jim Beam. Nine brands are pulled from the stills and rickhouses in Clermont.

Today, we’re going to rank all nine brands and call out the one bottle from each brand that’s worth investing your time and money in. We’re not going into the wider world of the Beam Suntory multinational conglomerate just yet. That includes dozens and dozens of brands spread out all over the globe. We’re also not including Maker’s Mark on this list. Although the brand is owned by Beam, it’s still made at their own facility in Loretto, Kentucky. This is all about the Beam juice that’s made in Clermont.

If any of these bottles pique your interest, click on the prices to give them a try yourself. Okay, let’s dig in!

9. Old Crow Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $13 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This is a classic bourbon that became part of Jim Beam about 30-odd years ago. Until then, it was famed for being the drink of choice of President Grant back in the 1870s, which gave it a lot to hang its hat on, as a brand. The juice in the bottle is a year younger than a typical Jim Beam bourbon but still holds up to any other bottle in this price range.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a bit of sweetness on the opening that’s very reminiscent of Beam while leaning into caramel and vanilla. An undercurrent of popcorn draws the sweetness back. The body of the sip is hot and not for the faint of heart while touching on caramel apples, more popcorn, and plenty of that vanilla.

The end is shortish, hot, and has a slight salted and buttered popcorn flourish.

Bottom Line:

The nickname for this bourbon is “rotgut.” Need we say more? (Okay, we will — it’s a mixer and a budget one at that.)

8. Old Grand-Dad — Bonded Old Grand-Dad

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

The juice is made with a mash bill of 27 percent rye, offering a very clear picture of what that grain can bring to bourbon. The whiskey is then aged for at least four years in a bonded warehouse and bottled at 50 percent, which lets a bit more of the aged juice shine in the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of green spice counterpointed by a creamy vanilla pudding with a touch of brown sugar and spices. There’s an orange blossom floral/fruity nature that sharpens to an orange oil cut with Christmas spices, which leads towards more of that vanilla pudding with a touch of oak. The finish leans into the vanilla, green pepper, dark spices, fruit, and oak as a final note of corn arrives to remind you this is bourbon and not rye.

Bottom Line:

This is the most nuanced Old Grand-Dad by far. Still, this is a mixer more than anything else. That being said, no one’s going to stop you from shooting this one with a beer back.

7. Old Overholt — Old Overholt Bonded

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $28

The Whiskey:

This rye hails from the Pennsylvania rye traditions of the early 1800s. The brand was moved to Kentucky almost 200 years later thanks to Beam. The juice in the bottle is a bit of an enigma since Beam doesn’t disclose the mash bill (a rarity for them). It is aged for four years and bottled at 100 proof per bottled-in-bond laws.

Tasting Notes:

This leans a bit more towards a high-rye bourbon than an out-and-out rye whiskey, with hints of vanilla, dry oak, and sweet corn. The taste really leans into the vanilla with a creamy pudding vibe leading towards salted caramel, more dry wood, roasted almonds, and a final spurt of heavy spice with a grassy edge. The finish stays dry and nutty as the spiciness stays more woody than peppery with a green edge to it.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice and fairly unique rye. The thing is, there’s not a lot of depth to any of this, and it really feels like a mixer more than anything else.

6. Legent Bourbon

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky Bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The juice is then blended by whisky blending legend Shinji Fukuyo.

Tasting Notes:

Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose. The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet. The finish is jammy-yet-light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.

Bottom Line:

This is where we break into true workhorse whiskey territory. This is a great cocktail base that also works perfectly well as an on the rocks sipper. It’s deeply flavored while also being soft and accessible to a passive whiskey drinker.

5. Basil Hayden’s — Basil Hayden’s 10 Year Rye

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $78

The Whiskey:

This is Beam’s high-end brand and their high-end rye within that brand. The barrels are the ones that made it to ten years and hit just the right marks of flavor and texture to be batched, proofed down to a very accessible 80 proof, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

The result of the ten years of maturation is a softening of the spicy rye, giving this offering a much richer, more approachable flavor. Before you even take a sip, you’re met with aromas of peppery rye, subtle toasted oak, and lingering vanilla. The sip leads you into a symphony of sweet toffee, rich caramel, and warming rye spice. It’s all finished with a flourish of warming cinnamon and smoky dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

Basil Hayden’s is a great line of whiskey. The one drawback is that all the bottles are only 80 proof or 40 percent ABV. That makes them very easy to drink, but sometimes they can feel a bit shallow.

4. Baker’s — Baker’s Single Barrel Minimum 7 Year

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This is a newish release from Beam’s high-end line. It’s also the first single barrel release from Baker’s, which intends to phase out its small-batch expressions in favor of this bottle. The juice comes from hand-selected barrels from specific spots in the Beam warehouses, with whiskey that’s at least seven years old. In this case, we’re talking an eight-year-and-seven-month-old barrel.

Tasting Notes:

This is so different than the last sip that it’s jarring — in a good way. There’s a big note of holiday spices with a rich and creamy vanilla backbone next to soft leather and a touch of old cellar beams. There’s a whisper of vanilla pound cake next to wet apple tobacco. The taste then veers towards savory herbs with a nod towards rosemary stems and … maybe tarragon and … dill.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty new so it’s hard to judge it against bourbons I’ve been drinking for decades. Still, this is such a funky and delightful departure from the whole Beam vibe that it’s hard not to dig it. This also benefits from being the first release and sparking a lot of anticipation for what’s coming next.

3. Jim Beam — Jim Beam Bonded

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $22

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is Jim Beam’s high watermark when it comes to Kentucky bourbon. The juice is aged in a bottled-in-bond facility for four years where it’s also bottled at 100 proof with no bullshit. This is the standard Beam bourbon mash bill (77 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley) but there’s just something extra happening that makes this expression shine.

Tasting Notes:

This bourbon beckons you in with notes of toasted oak, red cherry, and vanilla. That leads to fresh honey, sweet caramel corn, rich toffee, bold vanilla, crisp apple, more of that red cherry, peppery spice, and a note of fresh mint. With a little water, the dram edges towards bitter dark chocolate with a nice billow of pipe tobacco while holding onto the mint, toffee, and vanilla oakiness.

The end is long, meandering, and full of warmth, fruit, spice, and bourbon goodness.

Bottom Line:

I really wanted to rank this higher (yes, I toyed with number one). It’s absurd how well-rounded this whiskey is at this price point. I’ve tasted bourbons that cost three times as much that are far more muddled or one-note than this. But, the next two bottles really are stellar.

2. Booker’s — Booker’s Rye

ABV: 68.1%

Average Price: $386

The Whiskey:

This limited release from 2016 was Booker’s first rye release from some of the last barrels laid down by Booker Noe back in 2003 before he passed away. Those barrels were racked in Booker’s favorite spot in his favorite warehouse. His son, Fred Noe, kept an eye on the barrels and pulled them in 2016 to be barreled without filtration or cutting with water.

Tasting Notes:

There’s softness on the nose that draws you towards mild doses of fine pepper, crusty rye bread, soft leather tobacco pouches, and a drop of salted caramel. The taste explodes with dark holiday spices, leaning heavily on allspice, cloves, cinnamon, and black licorice. A counterpoint of dried orange peels arrives with a touch of eggnog creaminess as the spices continue to build. As the sip starts to fade, you’re left with a chewed cinnamon stick in the back of your mouth and a spicy tobacco head buzz layered atop a full Kentucky hug of warmth.

Bottom Line:

This 2016 limited release is a bit of a unicorn now. Still, if you can find this one, buy it. It’s something from another time that hits every note true. This is the ultimate sipper where you take your time and just think about it, your life, and the universe itself more deeply with every sip.

1. Knob Creek — Knob Creek 12

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This is classic Beam whiskey with a low-ish rye mash bill of 77 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. The juice is then left alone in the Beam warehouses for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and married to create this higher-proof expression.

Tasting Notes:

You’re greeted with that classic Beam cherry that has dark chocolate and brandy candy depth alongside clear Christmas spices next to a hint of menthol tobacco. The spirit carries on those paths as it layers in buttery and sugary streusel over tart berries with plenty of that spice next to a nice dose of salted caramels covered in a bit of bitter dark chocolate. The finish is spicy and sweet and fades gradually.

Bottom Line:

This Knob Creek hits so many high marks. The most important one being that this is amazingly easy to drink while still having serious depth and nuance. Better still, you can easily get this pretty much anywhere for a reasonable price. There are ten-year-old bourbons out there that cost two or three times as much as this and aren’t quite as refined. That makes this today’s winner overall.

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As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.

If like so many of us you’ve fallen far, far down the TikTok rabbit hole, you’ll be pleased to know the amount of times you hear “like and follow for part 2” is about decrease significantly. Earlier today, TikTok announced the social media and video sharing app is rolling out the ability for all users to create three minute video, tripling it’s current limit. According to the official TikTok blog post announcing the update, the increase is meant to help with “paving the way for even richer storytelling and entertainment on TikTok.”

“Creators are already well-versed in weaving multi-part stories together on TikTok … but we often hear from creators that they’d love just a little more time to bring their cooking demos, elaborate beauty tutorials, educational lesson plans, and comedic sketches to life with TikTok’s creative tools. With longer videos, creators will have the canvas to create new or expanded types of content on TikTok, with the flexibility of a bit more space.”

The major update is one that’s been in the works since late last year, and it’s pretty likely you’ve already stumbled across a few lengthier vids while scrolling though videos by the apps top creators. In TikTok’s announcement, product manager Drew Kirchhoff shared a few of these already-viral TikTok’s that take advantage of the new three-minute time limit. Each video showcased how this increase in time can provide an increased opportunity to help educate viewers, whether it be through safety tips, history lessons, or cooking videos.

As of right now, TikTok didn’t say how longer runtimes will affect its recommendation algorithm. Fingers crossed the app creators don’t follow YouTube’s suit and favor longer videos and viewer retention above all else. If so, we might start to see less of the short, viral clips that made TikTok so special in the first place.

One of the two injured superstars in the Eastern Conference Finals will officially miss Game 5 on Thursday night. The Milwaukee Bucks announced that Giannis Antetokounmpo, who suffered a knee injury in the previous game that prevented him from playing in much of the second half, will not be able to go as the series shifts back to Fiserv Forum.

Antetokounmpo went up and attempted to break up a lob attempt to Clint Capela during the third quarter and came down awkwardly on his left leg. He needed help getting to the locker room, and while he tried to walk back to the bench, Antetokounmpo was eventually shut down with what the team referred to as a hyperextended knee. The Hawks went on to win the game, 110-88, to tie the series up at two games each.

Now, all eyes are on whether Atlanta will also enter the game shorthanded, as Trae Young suffered a bone bruise in his left foot during Game 3 that prevented him from playing on Tuesday night. Reports indicated that Young is going through rehab with an eye on suiting up in Game 5, but as of this writing, there is no word on whether or not he’ll be able to take the floor.

In April 2020, Steven Taylor, an unarmed Black man, was murdered by a white police officer in a Walmart in San Leandro, California. Officer Jason Fletcher was charged with felony manslaughter, and during his pre-trial hearing on Tuesday, the Anti Police-Terror Project came to support Taylor’s family at the courthouse.

The group, which is “building a replicable and sustainable model to end state-sanctioned murder and violence against Black, Brown, and poor people,” arrived with “Justice for Steven Taylor” banners. They were hanging from the walls when police officers interfered. “When they moved the banner to the stairs and again gathered to listen to the hearing, the officers then told them that people ‘could trip,’ despite the fact that no one was walking through the area,” according to Gizmodo. “Burch said the group felt compelled to film because the over-aggressive approach started to feel ‘concerning.’”

The sheriff’s deputy noticed that the interaction was being filmed, so he took out his phone and started playing “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift. “Are we having a dance party now?” policy director James Burch asked. “No, sir,” the cop responded. Another Anti-Police Terror Project member wondered, “Are you playing pop music to drown out the conversation?” He was doing something even more duplicitous, as explained by Verge:

Bystanders have a First Amendment right to record police, but police officers have allegedly tried to exploit copyright law to prevent people from sharing those videos, playing music that could trigger a takedown notice. While playing music in the background of a video isn’t necessarily against YouTube’s rules, it can set off the company’s automatic takedown system.

The officer freely acknowledges, “You can record all you want. I just know it can’t be posted to YouTube.” If YouTube’s “Content ID” system picks up a video using an unauthorized song from, say, the biggest pop star in the world, it will be taken down with a copyright notice. “We’d heard about this phenomenon but no one had captured it on video until now. Now not only do we have a video of a cop doing it, we also have the cop admitting why he was doing it,” the Anti-Police Terror Project wrote on YouTube, where the video (“Cop Plays Taylor Swift to Prevent Video Sharing of Him Harassing Protesters”) is active… for now. It’s also available on Twitter, just in case.

(Via Gizmodo and the Verge)

Electronic artist Dawn Richard is one of those creators who seems to never rest. A former member of Danity Kane, the last decade saw Dawn drop four celebrated albums, appear in several films, guest on other artists’ albums, become a curator at Adult Swim, and open up her own successful vegan food truck in New Orleans, Papa Ted’s. When we entered a new decade, no one would’ve blamed the woman for resting on her laurels.

But we all knew that wasn’t happening, right? This year brought Richard’s latest — and greatest — album to date, Second Line, which rightfully debuted at #1 on the iTunes Electronic charts when it released a few months back. The nocturnal, pulsing rhythms throughout the whole run of Second Line harken back to the early days of techno, house, and the electronic genres that Black producers pioneered in the late ’70s and early ’80s, genres that would go on to define the sound and feel of modern music. In that sense, Second Line is both nostalgic and contemporary, with hints of futurism via the album’s imagery and production that point to where music might be in another five to ten years.

As the pandemic continues to wane, we hit up Dawn for a travel guide. We told her she could pick anyplace to focus on that she wanted and she hit us back with a guide to her five favorite Black-owned art spaces in Los Angeles. Before you jump into the guide, be sure to give Second Line a spin and watch the animated video for “Voodoo (Intermission)” below.

California African American Museum, Los Angeles

The inspiration I get walking into this place moves me. When I want to sketch, I always go there to get inspired. There is so much history in this place; it’s one of the popular Black Museums in Los Angeles. This was the first museum I visited when I moved to LA… I was just blown away.

Another fun visual is the interior design of the museum; I love the way the museum is designed and mapped. The flow feels good. I know most people wouldn’t look at that but I do, lol!

Brockman Gallery, Leimert Park

As soon as you walk into this Gallery you can feel its pulse. It’s small, boutique even. And that’s part of its charm. I’m someone who prefers light crowds and I feel like I can admire the art in such a better way at a gallery like this. Los Angeles can be massive, so finding a small gem that feels like it’s all for you is perfection.

I recommend all creatives check this slice of heaven out.

The Museum of African American Art, Los Angeles

I love the outreach that this museum does for artists in the community. Coming from New Orleans, community outreach was crucial for artists like me who had limited resources. I think the appeal of this museum for me is at any given time you can find local artists being supported or highlighted.

Not many museums showcase local talent like this space.

The Crenshaw Dairy Mart, Los Angeles

A lot of incredible artists can be found here! I try to go on Wednesdays because I find new intriguing artists every time. I like that it was founded by a collective of creatives, which makes it a haven for people like me. You get a sense of local support and community. When I was recording my album Goldenheart, I would come to the Mart for artistic stimulation.

Galerie Lakaye, Los Angeles

I love this space because they celebrate and showcase Haitian, Cuban, and contemporary ethnic art. Fabius, who was born in Port-au-Prince, came to the US when she was eight years old and runs the space along with her partner, Giacomini, a French American sculptor and artist. Being of Haitian decent it was something that felt close to home. Six years ago, I discovered my Haitian culture and have been learning and delving into my heritage ever since.

This modern space shows the best of Haitian art and its artists. I learn new visual stories every time I visit, and feel closer to Haiti artistically when I visit. I grab a cup of coffee and just experience the beauty!

USA Basketball’s has its 12-man roster for the upcoming Summer Olympics all set. While the team lacks a host of traditional big men, the Americans will head into Tokyo with a remarkable amount of firepower on the offensive end of the floor, with guys like Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard among the players that Gregg Popovich will rely upon to give the United States its fourth straight gold medal.

Prior to their participating in the Games, the team will head to Las Vegas for a training camp. As is usually the case, that camp will involve going head-to-head with a Select Team made up largely of NBA youngsters, and on Thursday, USA Basketball announced the 17 players who will help get the Olympic squad ready to go.

“This USA Select Team continues the legacy established by previous Select teams of helping prepare our USA National Team for the Tokyo Olympic Games,” Jerry Colangelo, the director of USA Basketball, said in a statement. “With all the uncertainty of how many of our Olympic Team members will be available for the USA training camp because of the overlap with the NBA Finals, we chose a USA Select Team consisting of many of the top young NBA players and four players who not only own international experience, but who played recently for USA Basketball in important national team qualifying competitions.If we need to add players to fill out our roster for any of our exhibition games, we feel this USA Select Team has an excellent variety of skilled players to choose from.”

The roster features a number of promising youngsters who could make it onto the senior team some day — guys like Edwards, Garland, and Haliburton, among others — and older players (Jenkins, Magette, Mathias, Reynolds) who are being rewarded for the roles they played in either helping the team get through World Cup or AmeriCup qualifiers. The team will be coached by Erik Spoelstra, with Mark Few and Jamahl Mosley serving as his assistants.

Actress, writer, amazing music curator, producer… is there anything Issa Rae can’t do? The visionary creator and star of Insecure has been on an upward trajectory since dropping Awkward Black Girl on YouTube a decade ago and, as is the case with all super successful celebrities, that means it’s time for the Issa Rae footwear drop!

While a good majority of celebrity sneaker collaborations are — gulp — shallow vanity projects, this is Issa Rae we’re talking about. So of course, she’s going to do the thing right. For her first collection with Converse, Rae teamed up with art director, designer, and frequent collaborator Nicky Fulcher to deliver a customizable iteration of the Chuck ’70 that combines Converse’s classic design with Rae’s personal affirmations for an inspiring and eye-catching take on a footwear classic.

“It was all about empowering the next generation to get up and DO what it is they aspire to do,” Rae said in a press release announcing the drop, “So the team took some of my personal affirmations and approaches to life, and put them into the design of the shoe.”

Dubbed the “Issa Rae By You” collection, this collaboration is the latest entry in Converse’s All Stars Program and allows you to customize your very own pair of Chuck ’70s, giving you multiple colorway options, including lavender, beige, white, and even a black pair sporting glow in the dark accents. You also get your choice of high-top, low-top, or platform silhouettes — which you can then customize with Rae’s words of encouragement.

The result is something that fits right into the visual universe of Insecure, so we fully expect to see Lawrence rocking a pair of these next season. The Issa Rae By You collection is live now in North America and Western Europe, check out the collection below and start building your pair at Converse.

With Black Widow‘s dual theatrical and Disney+ release only a week away, stars Scarlett Johansson and Florence Pugh have been making the rounds to promote the film, which has been delayed for over a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The chemistry between the two has been lauded in early reviews and reactions, and based on a new interview, it seems like that bond was evident off-screen as well. In fact, like real-life sisters, Johansson and Pugh dunked on each other so much that one instance made it into the film.

While talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Pugh revealed that she was caught off-guard when the Marvel stunt team approached her about her “pose.” As the team noted, Johansson has a signature pose for Black Widow, which Pugh couldn’t help but make fun of, and just like that, it became canon.

And I was like, “Oh God, I have to think about a pose!?” And they were like, “Yeah, because you know Scarlett’s is this.” And I was like, “I know! Who would actually land like that? That’s ridiculous!” And they were like, “Well, yeah. If she actually landed like that, she would have broken her spine.” And I was like, “You think Scarlett knows this!?” And I remember I was just teasing her for it, and Eric, the writer, was on set and was like, “Yep, that’s going in the script!”

But there’s definitely no hard feelings as Johansson laughed about the anecdote and the fact that she and the stunt team thought the pose was “badass” all of this time. “Our egos just got crushed. Florence crushed them in 15 seconds with that comment, and of course, it made it into the script.”

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)

Despite having false starts directing a fourth Star Trek film and a Doctor Doom movie, Noah Hawley‘s Alien TV series is apparently moving along at FX. In a new interview, Hawley opened up about his plan for the series, which he confirms will not feature Ripley, the fan-favorite character played by Sigourney Weaver.

“She’s one of the great characters of all time, and I think the story has been told pretty perfectly, and I don’t want to mess with it,” Hawley told Vanity Fair. Instead, the series, which he hopes to start shooting next spring, will finally bring the Xenomorphs to Earth and move the franchise outside of its usual setting.

The alien stories are always trapped… Trapped in a prison, trapped in a space ship. I thought it would be interesting to open it up a little bit so that the stakes of “What happens if you can’t contain it?” are more immediate.

However, despite pivoting the franchise towards an Earth infestation, Hawley very much plans to continue Aliens‘ theme of tackling corporate greed and inequality. “The second movie is such an ‘80s movie, but it’s still about grunts. Paul Reiser is middle management at best. So, it is the story of the people you send to do the dirty work.”

Hawley also seems intrigued to explore some of the concepts from the prequel films, Prometheus and Alien: Covenant, which delved more into the topic of artificial intelligence than the original movies. “They’re about humanity trapped between our primordial, parasitic past and our artificial intelligence future — and they’re both trying to kill us,” he said. “Here you have human beings and they can’t go forward and they can’t go back. So I find that really interesting.”

(Via Vanity Fair)

As if BTS hadn’t already blessed us enough with the massive summer jam that is “Butter,”the K-pop crew is gearing up to release another big single very soon. The forthcoming song is called “Permission To Dance,” and was co-written with none other than Ed Sheeran — a promising sign. According to the group’s label, the song has another well-known writer on it too. Johnny McDaid is a member of the one and only Snow Patrol, a Scottish/Northern Irish rock band who have been around since the late ’90s. Apparently, he’s back in the studio working with the band on their next hit, so if we get any “Chasing Cars” vibes, he’s the one responsible (McDaid has written songs with Sheeran before, and incidentally, is in a relationship with Courteney Cox).

“Permission To Dance” was announced as part of a CD release of “Butter” that also includes an instrumental version of both tracks. Slated for release next week, July 9th, the new song will presumably hit streaming services that day. And if that’s not enough BTS for you, don’t worry, there’s always more — the beloved band is officially getting immortalized in “Dynamite”-themed Funko Pop dolls, and a line of miniaturized Funko Pop keychains is also available. The world belongs to BTS, you and I are really just living in it at this point.