GoneTrending

You can spend a lot of money building a whisk(e)y collection. Unicorn bourbons, long-aged scotches, hard-to-find-ryes, and finely-crafted Japanese whiskies all cost a pretty penny. If you want any of these expensive bottles to be the centerpiece of your liquor shelf, your wallet is sure to take a serious hit. But before you spend a month’s salary on a bottle of whiskey, it’s worthwhile to remember that all spirits, at their core, were distilled, aged, and bottled to be imbibed.

Meaning that you’re supposed to drink the stuff. So it has to be at least affordable enough for you to not stress over. Because god knows a little less stress is the whole point of this pastime in the first place.

That’s why we love the “value” conversation in whiskey so much. You know, expressions that outkick their coverage and punch above their weight class. Bottles that taste better than their prices dictate.

The 10 bottles below ring up at under $60 but we could see all of them costing a fair bit more. We’ve added our usual tasting notes for each, plus given examples of the pricier expressions they resemble. If you decide to pick up any of these, know that you’re getting a great bang for your buck — which leaves you with a good reason for a celebratory drink.

Old Forester 1920 (Bourbon Whiskey)

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $46.99

The Story:

This “prohibition style” whiskey was made to pay tribute to the history of Old Forester — one of only six distilleries to be granted permits to continuing making bourbon during prohibition for “medicinal purposes.” It’s 115 proof, rich, bold, and perfect for sipping slowly over ice.

Tasting Notes:

Take a whiff and your nose will be greeted with hints of maple syrup, toasted marshmallows, dried cherries, and subtle spicy rye. On the sip you’ll find notes of charred oak, buttery caramel, nutty sweetness, and more peppery rye. The finish is long, warming, and ends with a nice mix of sweet chocolate and creamy butterscotch.

Bottom Line:

For a well-balanced, 115 proof bourbon, under $50 is outlandish. This is a must-have whiskey for your liquor cabinet.

Tastes Like: George T. Stagg ($100 retail)

Ardbeg Wee Beastie (Peated Whisky)

ABV: 47.4%

Average Price: $46.99

The Story:

Smoky, peated whisky isn’t for everyone. It’s definitely an acquired taste. If you’re a fan, you can spend a crazy amount of money buying up Islay single malts. But if you want a great bottle at a reasonable price, look no further than Ardbeg Wee Beastie. Aged for five years in ex-bourbon and oloroso sherry butts, it’s smoky, velvety smooth, and tastes way more expensive than it is.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll get hints of toasted vanilla beans, subtle coffee, and a nice herbal fragrance. The palate features delicate flavors of creamy chocolate, sweet caramel, and smoked bacon. At the ends of your sip, you’ll find a long, warming finish with a final flourish of pleasing wood smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is Ardbeg’s youngest whisky and that’s partly why it’s so cheap. It doesn’t taste that young though — which is a good thing for you and your wallet.

Tastes Like: Lagavulin 16 ($80)

Mars Shinshu Iwai Tradition (Japanese Whisky)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $44.99

The Story:

The Japanese whisky market is dominated by names like Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Nikka. But you’d be remised if you didn’t give Mars Shinshu a try. The distillery sits at the highest elevation of any in Japan — up in the rarefied air of 2,600 feet, in the Japanese Alps.

The brand’s Iwai Tradition expression is filled with all the oaky, caramel, and vanilla flavors Japanese whisky fans crave for much less than the bigger brands.

Tasting Notes:

Even though this is a Japanese Whisky, the nose is all Scotland — subtly smoky, sweet with sherry fragrance, and featuring a nice bit of charred oak. The first sip is loaded with sweet treacle, clover honey, spicy cinnamon, and just a hint of cracked black pepper. Savor the final moments as dried cherries, caramel, and just a hint of smoke fade out slowly.

Bottom Line:

Sure, you can buy a bottle of one of the more well-known brands and be completely happy. Or you can buy a few bottles of Mars Shinshu Iwai Tradition and be happy for much longer.

Tastes Like: Hakushu 12 ($299)

West Cork Bourbon Cask (Irish Whiskey)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $25.99

The Story:

There are a lot of high-quality Irish whiskeys on the market. Some are overly expensive and others are a true bargain. West Cork Bourbon Cask falls in the latter group. This highly regarded whiskey is a blend of grain (75%) and malt (25%) whiskeys that’s matured in ex-bourbon casks.

The result is an extremely well-rounded, complex whiskey that’s so cheap you won’t believe it.

Tasting Notes:

Spend a moment enjoying the aromas and you’ll find hints of apple cinnamon, caramel, and subtle pepper. On the palate, you’ll get candied orange peels, rich malts, sweet vanilla, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long, lingering, and ends with a nice bit of pleasing heat underpinned by butterscotch.

Bottom Line:

You can hate this for being a blend of grain and malt whiskeys or you can take a sip and realize that it’s delicious and stop caring so much. Also, it’s super cheap.

Tastes Like: Redbreast 12 ($60)

Glenfarclas 10 (Single Malt Scotch Whisky)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $49.99

The Story:

Glenfarclas 10 is one of the best beginner bottles on the market. It’s so good that you’ll keep drinking it even after expanding your whisky palate. More well-rounded and complex than most 10-year-old single malts, Glenfarclas 10 is a perfect mix of honey sweetness and subtle smoke.

Tasting Notes:

Take time to give this dram a proper nosing and you’ll enjoy aromas of sugar cookies, sherry, and just a hint of woodsmoke. On the palate, expect flavors of dried cherries, buttery caramel, and a kiss of smoky peat. It all ends with pleasing, lingering smoke and a punch of sweet cream.

Bottom Line:

Glenfarclas 10 is touted as an aperitif and is best suited to be sipped slowly as a palate cleanser and digestive aid before a big meal. It’s a lot tastier than a Tums, that’s for damn sure.

Tastes Like: Aberlour A’Bunadh ($115)

Sazerac Straight Rye (Rye Whiskey)

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $17.99

The Story:

When it comes to whiskey, rye is full of bargain bottles. But if you’re looking for a reasonably-priced offering that truly tastes way better than its price tag, turn your attention to Sazerac Straight Rye. Aged for six years, it’s crafted to pay homage to the traditions and history of rye in 1800s New Orleans.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll be greeted by aromas of licorice, cracked black pepper, and sweet cream. Take a sip and be transported to a world of candied orange peel, buttery caramel, baking spices, and toasted vanilla beans. The finish is long, lingering, mellow, and ends with a final note of peppery rye.

Bottom Line:

This award-winning rye whiskey could be much more expensive than it is. Just don’t tell the folks at Sazerac that until we can all buy a few bottles.

Tastes Like: WhistlePig 10 ($75)

George Dickel No. 12 (Tennessee Whiskey)

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $20.99

The Story:

George Dickel isn’t talked about all too much around here, but it deserves its flowers today. The company makes high-quality whiskies and its No. 12 is an excellent example of that. This 90-proof blend is made up of whiskeys of various ages selected for their smooth, bold flavor.

Tasting Notes:

The nose features herbal, oaky, and subtly-spicy-meets-creamy-vanilla flavors. On the palate, you’ll be greeted with flavors of charred barrels, buttery caramel, nutty sweetness, and cinnamon. It’s all finished with a long, dry ending with hints of smoke and treacle.

Bottom Line:

George Dickel No. 12 will remind you that there’s a lot more to Tennessee whiskey than just the distillery in Lynchburg.

Tastes Like: Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel ($50)

Lot 40 (Canadian Whisky)

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $33.99

The Story:

Lot 40 is one of the most highly regarded Canadian whiskies for a reason. This award-winning rye whiskey is made in small batches using a mash bill of 100% un-malted rye. The result is a spicy, bold, highly sippable whiskey perfect for winter drinking.

Tasting Notes:

Take a moment to breathe in the aromas from this whisky and you’ll find notes of charred oak, treacle, and a nice hit of peppery rye. The sip brings the swirling flavors of sweet cinnamon sugar, butterscotch, buttery caramel, and cracked black pepper. The finish is medium in length, full of pleasing heat, and ends with a final note of peppery spice.

Bottom Line:

Canada doesn’t always get the love it deserves in the whiskey world. But buy a bottle of Lot 40 and your ideas of what the country has to offer will be expanded quickly.

Tastes Like: Lock Stock & Barrel 16-Year-Old Rye ($150)

Balcones Texas Single Malt (American Single Malt Whiskey)

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $57.99

The Story:

Over the past decade, Texas has become less than the wild west of whiskey and more of the new frontier. Balcones is leading the charge with high-quality offerings like its Texas Single Malt. This whiskey is made using contemporary techniques to create a classic single malt while staying local with Texas-sourced ingredients.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is all about clover honey, dried orange peels, and creamy vanilla. On the palate, you’ll be immersed in notes of buttery biscuits, dried fruits, sweet caramel, and a nice hint of cinnamon spice. The last sip is lingering, warm, and ends with a 1-2 punch of charred oak and toasted vanilla beans.

Bottom Line:

If you already enjoy single malt Scotch, it’s time to try American single malt whiskey. And Balcones is one of the best.

Tastes Like: Westward American Single Malt ($80)

Chivas Regal 18 (Blended Scotch Whisky)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $54.99

The Story:

Many people look down on blended Scotch whiskies. But even though single malt is king, many high-quality blended whiskies deserve your attention. One is Chivas Regal 18, a splendid mix of whiskies that are all a minimum of 18 years old.

Tasting Notes:

On the nose, you’ll find aromas of sticky toffee pudding, sweet cinnamon, and creamy vanilla. The palate is complex — the brand claims that you can taste over 85 flavors. We taste candied orange peels, buttery caramel, bitter dark chocolate, and just a wisp of wood smoke. The finish is long, sweet, and ends with a nice hint of sugary vanilla.

Bottom Line:

For the price, there are few blended Scotch whiskies better than Chivas Regal 18. Sip it, mix with, savor it.

Tastes Like: Johnnie Walker Blue Label ($200)

In 2020, Los Angeles saw two of its icons, one from sports and one from music, taken away far too young as the deaths of Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle shook the city and beyond. For many, those two were inspirations, not just for what they did as an athlete and artist but for the work they put in to get there and how they shared their gifts with the community.

LeBron James, like many in the NBA, was hit hard by both losses, and he’s been vocal about the influence of both men on him. Bryant and LeBron were competitors first and later friends, with James taking the mantle as the Lakers top star and leaned on Bryant for guidance, while Hussle’s work as an artist and activist had lasting impacts on James as well. On Wednesday night, James posted to Instagram to show off a new painting in his house of Kobe and Nipsey, saying they’ll be “wit me every single day when walking my hallways.”

It’s a pretty tremendous piece, done by Lindsay Dawn Studios, and it’s clear how much James was impacted by both men, wanting to make sure to carry on their legacies as he embarks on his own journey to becoming an L.A. legend himself.

Bobby Shmurda has spent over six years in prison after he accepted a plea deal for conspiracy to commit murder and weapons possession. He’s been locked up with Rowdy Rebel and the other members of tghe GS9 squad since 2014. Despite being scheduled for a release in December 2021, reports arrived last year revealing Bobby could be released on parole as early as December 2020. He was later denied an early release. While Bobby’s sentence continued, Rowdy was freed and quickly began his comeback as he recently returned with the single “Jesse Owens” alongside Nav. Days after the song dropped, Rowdy returned with good news regarding Bobby.

In a post to Instagram, Rowdy revealed that Bobby will be freed from prison in less than a week. “SIX DAYS LEFT,” he said. “Then all the joy gone wash away the pain, I promise you brother.” The news reflects a recent report from Complex, which shared documents that claimed Bobby was being considered for an early release. Pending a behavior review by the prison’s staff’s Time Allowance Committee, the rapper could receive a conditional release that would allow him to leave his current incarceration next week, on February 23, 2021.

Bobby’s parole for a December release was denied due to past violations that included allegedly possessing a shank, fighting, and drug possession, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

For the first time in quite awhile fans of Nintendo were given a chance to be excited! A Nintendo Direct took place on Wednesday and with it came some new games, quite a few ports, and as quite a few people mentioned on Twitter, more anime swords.

These Directs are always exciting because it’s a chance to see some new trailers for upcoming games and they’re always delivered in a really digestible format. Nintendo has done a great job skipping the bland trade show aspects of reveal events like E3 and gotten straight to the part that people care about most. The video games.

This Direct itself was largely fine. There weren’t any earth shattering unveilings, but it featured a lot of fun smaller titles and cult favorites that we can look forward to. Considering how long it’s been since the last Direct we can call this one a success. Not amazing, not awful, but fun. Let’s get to the biggest news to emerge from Wednesday’s event.

New Smash Bros character: Pyra/Mythra

If you are someone that has somehow never played Super Smash Bros. before then the reaction to this unveiling may have seemed a little odd. There wasn’t as much excitement as you would expect for a character from a cult favorite like Xenoblade. There was even some outrage over it and not just fans upset that their favorite character wasn’t chosen for the roster. Pyra/Mythra, characters from Xenoblade 2, look like anime characters and they use a sword. Something that, at this point, is a joke among fans of the Smash Bros. series because the roster is full of them.

As a fan of Xenoblade, it was exciting to see the series get some more representation beyond Shulk. That said, hopefully, future additions to the ever-growing roster of fighters will show more variety. It seems like fans are starting to get tired of the more repetitive selections.

Ports!

One unfortunate aspect of the Switch is it rarely seems to get non-party titles first. Many games will typically come out for the PC, Xbox, or PlayStation first and if it performs well then it will be ported to the Switch later on. We saw this a couple of times in the Direct with both Outer Wilds and Fall Guys getting ports to the Switch. Outer Wilds is a phenomenal game that everyone should play and Fall Guys is the perfect Switch title so these both make perfect sense to get ports.

https://www.youtube.com/c/nintendo/videos

Fall Guys has fallen off in popularity since it took the world by storm over the summer, but with a port to Switch, we might see a revitalization of the wacky game show-like Battle Royale.

Mario Golf

MARIO GOLF MARIO GOLF MARIO GOLF MARIO GOLF MARIO GOLF!

Mario Golf is ridiculously fun and one of the best Mario sports titles. Whether you’re a golf fan, Mario fan, or both you are going to have a great time with Mario Golf.

Star Wars

Not much to say about this one other than it’s a Star Wars game and coming out on the Switch and mobile. It’s supposed to be a competitive style game so that could be fun. Let’s just hope there aren’t too many microtransactions.

Miitopia

Miitopia is another port, but this time for a game that came out on the 3DS back in 2017. This is one of those games that is perfectly Nintendo. It’s goofy, involves Mii’s, and is a fun way to take your friends on an adventure. Although without a street pass feature it’ll be interesting to see how the game utilizes Mii’s.

No More Heroes 3

No More Heroes is a cult favorite that you would never expect to be a Nintendo title. These games are typically very bloody, rather crude, and have absurdly wacky humor. They’re also really fun and a really good time for anyone that gives them a chance. The first two games came out on the Wii so it will be interesting to see how it fares a decade later.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, not Breath of the Wild

A lot of fans were expecting to see Breath of the Wild 2 in this slot, but instead, they ended up with a remaster of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. This would be fine if it wasn’t one of the most divisive games in the franchise and they hadn’t kept referencing Breath of the Wild in the presentation.

Project TRIANGLE STRATEGY

This game was really interesting. It had the art style of Octopath Traveler, but they haven’t given us a title yet. It features branching story paths and decisions that can impact them drastically. It’s very clearly inspired by Final Fantasy: Tactics which is a franchise that fans have been begging to come back for years. While this isn’t an official Tactics game it does appear to be a spiritual successor. The next best thing. It even has a demo for everyone to try.

Splatoon 3

The bookend of the show, Splatoon 3 was a bit of a surprise to see as Splatoon 2 came out for the Switch back in 2017 and still has a decently active multiplayer community. Although, what was interesting about this trailer is they put a pretty heavy emphasis on the beginning shots of the main character traveling through the desert and finding a bus to take them to what we assume is Inkopolis. One aspect of Splatoon that doesn’t get enough credit is the single player modes actually being fairly interesting. It will be exciting to see what they do in the latest title.

On this week’s Blind Whiskey Taste Test we’re diving deep into single malt Scotch whiskies. Specifically, 12-year-old expressions.

Why that age? Because 12-year-old single malt whisky is an excellent entry-point into the wider and often much older world of single malt scotches. They’re accessible but not bottom shelf. And they’re quite often incredibly tasty — with diverse flavors depending on where they’re from and how they’re barrelled.

For this tasting, I was given eight pours of 12-year-old single malt whiskies. I blind tasted them and ranked them from least to most favorite. While most of these whiskies showed great nuance, in the end, there was one that really rose above the rest.

Let’s dive in!

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a subtle spice next to sweet, almost toffee malts with a touch of honey. There’s some nice dried fruit next to a mild nuttiness. This is definitely a sherry cask finish. A touch of spicy orange and dark chocolate comes in late as those sweet malts linger.

Taste 2:

Tasting Notes:

Honey, dried fruit, light malts, and a touch of vanilla … hello, Aberfeldy! That honey drives the taste towards more light malt. On a second nosing, a hint of fresh raw beef comes through that leads back towards the dried fruits and honey.

Taste 3:

Tasting Notes:

This is very enticing, with hints of very soft wood next to berries steeped in honey with a light vanilla edge. The taste dips into a slight black pepper with a note of brie rinds or, maybe, a cheese cellar. The end is slow and leaves you with a nice, warm buzzing in your senses and a real sense of velvet roundness.

Taste 4:

Tasting Notes:

This is very interesting. It’s creamy like a vanilla pudding with a bright pear orchard and some mild toffee. That leads towards a very easy and soft woodiness with a touch of candied pear and more vanilla cream. This is good stuff.

Taste 5:

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mix of Band-Aids next to chocolate and, almost… sandalwood? The taste holds onto that Band-Aid aspect as chocolate oranges and slightly bitter citrus pith arrives with a touch of earthy peat that’s more like cold ashes than smoke.

Taste 6:

Tasting Notes:

Woah! Fennel! That leads to some dried fruits and fresh apples on the nose. The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, figs, pear candies, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe. This is amazingly easy to drink, full of sweet fruits, and has just the right touches of oak, vanilla, and savory greens.

Taste 7:

Tasting Notes:

This is a malty sip with touches of lemon pudding next to a hint of tart apple. There are notes of orange rinds still studded with cloves next to a touch of honey and vanilla. But overall, this is very… well… standard.

Taste 8:

Tasting Notes:

First of all, it’s crazy that this is a 12-year-old whisky and still this light!

The nose has an old beach campfire vibe that’s followed by hints of Band-Aids still fresh and in the pack. There’s a light fruitiness that leads towards a little sea spray saltiness. There’s more earthy peat than billows of smoke (Hi there, Lagavulin). The end is light and easy, leaving me with a buzzing on my tongue.

Part 2: The Ranking

8) Balblair 12 (Taste 7)

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $70

The Whisky:

This entry-point single malt from the Highlands is an easy drinker. The juice is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon casks and “double fired” or charred used American oak barrels. The results are touched with a little water to bring it down to proof and then bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was a perfectly nice pour of whisky. There were no rough edges and it hit every mark exactly. There was just not that … special something to make it stand out in this crowd.

Still, I’d 100 percent enjoy this on the rocks or in a highball without question.

7) BenRiach The Smoky Twelve (Taste 5)

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $72

The Whisky:

The base is a mix of unpeated and peated malted barley. Those juices are then mellowed for at least 12 years in a combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-Marsala wine casks. The results are then blended by whisky icon Dr. Rachel Barrie into this arresting whisky.

Bottom Line:

This really is a great entry point to peated whiskies if you’re afraid of the peat and smoke monsters from Islay. The core tenets of peaty whisky are in play — those Band-Aids, for instance — but it’s way more earthy than smoky. Still, it wasn’t the best peated whisky of the day.

6) Lagavulin 12 Rare By Nature 2020 (Taste 8)

ABV: 56.4%

Average Price: $250

The Whisky:

This is last year’s Rare By Nature special release. The juice was aged exclusively in refill American oak and blended to dial in those Islay flavors. The whisky is then bottled at cask strength with no extra fussing.

Bottom Line:

Okay, the lightness in both the body and color of this whisky for an expression that’s both 12-years-old and cask strength (meaning no water was used) is kind of wild. You don’t even need water or a rock to cool it down, it’s that smooth. Still, the peat just wasn’t doing it for me today with all that Band-Aid in the sip.

5) Aberfeldy 12 (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $45

The Whisky:

This Highland malt is the cornerstone of the much-beloved Dewar’s Blended Scotch. This whisky is a very accessible single malt that spends 12 years resting before it’s married and proofed with that soft Highland water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was nice today. It wasn’t quite as welcoming and smooth as the first taste, but it really hit the spot as a subtle sipper with a good honey/fruit edge.

4) Glenmorangie The Lasanta Sherry Cask Finish (Taste 1)

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $55

The Whisky:

The 12-year-old expression from Glenmorangie spends most of those years maturing in old bourbon casks. The juice is then transferred to Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez Sherry casks for a final maturation. It’s then proofed with Highland water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This tasted like really goddamn good whisky. A little water or a rock would be well suited to this dram. Though, as I think about it, I really want to use it in a Manhattan.

3) Glenkinchie 2020 Distiller’s Edition (Taste 3)

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $85

The Whisky:

This limited edition expression from last year’s Diageo Distiller’s Editions is expertly crafted whisky. The juice has a finishing maturation in a specially made barrel which is constructed from used and new American oak that’s then filled with Amontillado sherry for a month. Once that fortified wine is dumped, the whisky goes in for its final maturation.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those whiskies that just works. And that made it hard to place the top thre. That old Scottish cheese cellar vibe really sang to me in this tasting. I’m definitely coming back to this whisky as a cheese pairing dram.

2) Glenfiddich 12 (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $50

The Whisky:

This is an entry whisky not only to Speyside but to single malts in general. The juice is aged in a combination of used American and European oak before it’s married, rested, proofed with Speyside’s iconic water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

I was shocked that this was Glenfiddich. I rarely ever order this because I see it everywhere. But this was just so well-rounded and accessible. I’m definitely going to start using this more in highballs and cocktails and the odd pour every now and then.

1) Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition 2020 (Taste 6)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $85

The Whisky:

Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.

Bottom Line:

Nothing really came close to the nuance, accessibility, and just … niceness of this dram. I was thinking about all that fruit and softwood and that fennel nose for a while after this tasting. A wonderful sip.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

The Cragganmore really blew me away. It’s so easy to drink with zero off-putting edges.

That being said, I did dig the two peated whiskies but they just weren’t as inviting as the sweet malts today. Now that it’s been a while since I drank these, I’m gravitating back to the Balblair as a highball mixer, the Aberfeldy as a good end-of-the-day dram, and that bloody Glenfiddich. That was the biggest surprise. I don’t know if I simply forgot I liked it or how easy-drinking it is?

Regardless, that stuff really stood out today as a solid sipper.

With the COVID-19 health and safety protocols in place this season, there are no longer postgame scrums in locker rooms or even postgame press conferences at the podium. As has been the case for most every aspect of business over the last year, they are instead conducted via Zoom with the players and coaches at a seat with a monitor in front of them and questions asked by reporters, sometimes from elsewhere in the arena and sometimes from home.

On Wednesday night, as Doc Rivers answered questions from the virtually assembled Philly media one of our very own Dime contributors, Jackson Frank who covers the Sixers for Liberty Ballers, began his question but was interrupted by Doc, who had an important question to ask of his own: “Are you in bed right now?”

The “Jesus Christ, Jackson” from Doc at the end of the clip has just maximum disappointed dad energy, and the entire Zoom breaking into laughter was great. It’s certainly not the first time a reporter has handled postgame interviews from bed, but it’s the rare occasion where they’ve been called out for it.

As a capital J Journalist, I had to reach out to my colleague to get his side of the story and, sadly, the man tried to deflect with semantics.

“I was laying ON my bed, not IN my bed, to be clear,” Frank told me, in his defense. He would continue to explain why this happened, noting he was not at his apartment but instead at his parents, where a bedroom without a desk was the only option.

“I’m visiting my parents and my mom was cooking dinner. They live in an apartment, so I don’t have a workspace anywhere,” Frank said. It’s a perfectly valid and reasonable explanation, but it won’t stop this from being an exceptionally funny moment.

Meek Mill has been involved in a fair amount of controversy over the past few months. From multiple interactions with Tekashi 69 and being extremely cheap to a group of kids to getting into arguments on Clubhouse and holding a packed-out show in Houston, the rapper has repeatedly found himself on the wrong side of headlines. He’s at it again, this time thanks to something he said on an upcoming collaboration with Lil Baby.

A snippet of the untitled song made its way onto social media on Wednesday and people are furious with him for the way he rapped about the late Kobe Bryant. “I’ll go out with my choppa it’ll be another Kobe,” Meek raps on the song. The line was seen as highly insensitive, being as it’s been just over a year since Kobe tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas. Upon hearing the line, people took to Twitter to condemn Meek for the line.

It was just days ago that Meek engaged in a parking lot altercation with Tekashi 69 after a Miami club event. Shortly after, he previewed a new diss track for Tekashi on Instagram.

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

Since the weekend, Texas and neighboring states have succumbed to a freak winter storm, bringing snow and the coldest temperatures in decades, if not longer. Millions haven’t had power in days; almost two dozen have died. And yet the Republican response to the disaster has been downright surreal. It was the fault of the Green New Deal — which hasn’t been voted on, let alone enacted — said Governor Greg Abbott and Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert. And then there’s former Governor Rick Perry, who had an even more deranged response.

“Texans would be without electricity for longer than three days to keep the federal government out of their business,” Perry was quoted saying in a blog post from House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, as per The Houston Chronicle. “Try not to let whatever the crisis of the day is take your eye off of having a resilient grid that keeps America safe personally, economically, and strategically.”

Translation: It’s more important to stop the purported spread of socialism than to help people who are freezing. Socialism has been a popular bugaboo among conservative circles in recent years, as the oft-inhumane actions of the Trump administration forced people to see the inequalities in American life more clearly than before.

Will falling back on typical right-wing fearmongering work on people who’ve been forced to take sleeping bags out of mothballs just to stay warm at night? Only time will tell. But for now, many on social media took Perry — one of the most gaffe-prone presidential candidates in recent American history — to the woodshed.

In the meantime, all the best to Texas and neighboring states dealing with a most unusual weather catastrophe.

(Via Houston Chronicle)

Last Updated: February 17th

Hulu is more than just a place to catch network TV’s next-day airs. The streaming platform has ramped up its original content, going all-in on thoughtful and entertaining storytelling with its line-up of TV shows. There’s a genre for everyone here — dystopian sci-fi, family drama, fantasy-themed horror, etc. — so there’s really no excuse not to add at least one of these shows to your watchlist.

Related: The Best TV Shows On Hulu Right Now

1. The Handmaid’s Tale

3 seasons, 36 episodes | IMDb: 8.5/10

Based on the Margaret Atwood novel of the same name, Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future run by a fundamentalist government renamed Gilead. The fertility rate has bottomed out, women have been deprived of their rights, and the men have turned them into reproductive vessels. This future, however, is so recently removed from the present that the misery of the women — forced to be submissive through electroshock and other forms of torture — is compounded by haunting memories of their most recent past. Top-lined by the exceptional performance of Elizabeth Moss, the series also boasts strong supporting turns from Yvonne Strahovski, Samira Wiley, Joseph Fiennes, and Alexis Bledel, whose character attempts to rebel against the autocratic government and suffers excruciating consequences. It’s a harrowing series, often so bleak that it’s difficult to watch, but in our current political climate, the themes of The Handmaid’s Tale resonate loudly, and the second season is even darker and more powerful.

2. Normal People

1 season, 12 episodes | IMDb: 8.5/10

3. Castle Rock

2 seasons, 20 episodes | IMDb: 7.7/10

Stephen King experienced a bit of a renaissance this year, at least on TV, but out of all of the adaptations from different streaming platforms, Hulu’s Castle Rock felt like the most realized, and most terrifying, of the lot. The show, which stars Sissy Spacek, Andre Holland, and Bill Skarsgard, follows the story of Henry (Holland) a death row attorney summoned home after a young man is found imprisoned beneath Shawshank prison. Henry’s got a murky past too, one that involves the unsolved murder of his father –- an event he has no memory of — and the strange happenings around town intensify as The Kid (Skarsgard) is set free and must figure out how he’s connected to Henry, his family, and the history of the town. It’s equal parts brilliant and terrifying, all you could ask for in a King adaptation. The show’s second run feels just as compelling, with Lizzy Caplan stepping into the orthopedic shoes of nurse Annie Wilkes, before her Misery days. She still troubled and causing trouble for the town of Castle Rock while trying to keep to the shadows with her daughter played by Eighth Grade’s Elsie Fisher.

4. Casual

4 seasons, 44 episodes | IMDb: 7.5/10

Michaela Watkins stars as Valerie, a forty-something Mom whose husband just left her for a grad student in one of his classes (it’s a cliche for a reason). She and her daughter move in with her layabout brother, Alex (Tommy Dewey), an independently wealthy co-creator of a dating website. Alex is caddish but intensely likable, especially once viewers realize that his womanizing is a pretense, that he’s simply too afraid to reveal his true self for fear of rejection. Like Transparent, with which Casual shares some DNA, there’s an organic, improvised feel to the series, which alternates between funny and heartbreaking as it seeks to find the humor in the devastation of loss and the awkward challenges of finding someone new. It’s a tremendously good show that only gets better in its later seasons.

5. The Act

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 8/10

Patricia Arquette and Joey King star in this painfully measured series that follows the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. Gypsy Rose was a young woman living with her mother, Dee Dee, in a small town in Missouri when police found her mother murdered in their home, and Gypsy nowhere to be found. The mystery surrounding the case soon spiraled into a story about the complicated bonds between mother and daughter, chronicling one woman’s descent into madness. Dee Dee suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a condition that caused her to fake many of Gypsy’s “illnesses” — from cancer to brain damage. When Gypsy finally realized the truth, she concocted a plan so outrageous and heinous, it had to be given the TV treatment.

6. PEN15

2 seasons, 17 episodes | IMDb: 7.9/10

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle write, direct, and star in this cringe-worthy coming-of-age comedy about two preteens entering the 7th grade. The twist here is that both Erskine and Konkle, actresses in their 30s, play their middle-school-aged characters alongside actual 13-year-olds, elevating their comedy about awkward firsts and embarrassing pubescent mishaps to new heights. The show is full of humor while also covering some relatable, real-life issues that normally don’t make it to the small screen.

7. Ramy

2 seasons, 20 episodes | IMDb: 8.1/10

Comedian Ramy Youssef stars in this semi-autobiographical dramedy, playing a version of himself, a character named Ramy Hassan. Ramy navigates life growing up in New Jersey while straddling the line between the millennial generation he’s a part of and the Muslim community he belongs to. He wrestles with the constraints of his religion and his upbringing, while searching for meaning in more modern pursuits — drinking, partying, and hooking up. It’s heartwarming, eye-opening, and never takes itself too seriously.

8. Letterkenny

9 seasons, 61 episodes | IMDb: 8.6/10

You’ve probably found yourself asking, “What the hell is Letterkenny?” That question has probably come after yet another friend/co-worker/stranger on the street has stopped you to demand you watch the Hulu original. Well, here’s the answer: Letterkenny is a snappy comedy about a group of small-town folk just trying to get by. It mainly centers on two bros, Wayne and Darryl, and the schemes they come up with to make a buck, have a good time, and stir up their boring old town.

9. Catch 22

1 season, 6 episodes | IMDb: 7.8/10

George Clooney, Kyle Chandler, and Christopher Abbott star in this re-telling of Joseph Heller’s classic novel. Abbot plays young recruit, Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force bombardier in World War II. Yossarian hopes to dodge having to serve in combat after the military ups the number of missions required before one’s service can be considered complete. He’s forced to face off against a truly sadistic colonel while fighting for his life on the front line. It’s ridiculous that Abbott isn’t a bigger name than he is, but he leads this farcical troupe with A-list swagger, and Chandler is surprisingly wonderful playing against his normal, lovable-dad typecasting.

10. Veronica Mars

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 8.3/10

The cult teen drama returns after a years-long hiatus and a successful Kickstarter-funded film to re-open the case. This time, Veronica (Kristen Bell) is investigating a catastrophic bombing of a popular spring break destination for college kids: Neptune, her hometown. She’s also struggling to balance her career and her tumultuous relationship with Logan (Jason Dohring) while pushing her ailing father to come clean about his health issues. This season, which is intended to be a continuance — so you should definitely check out Rob Thomas’ original work, also available on Hulu — marks a return to the show’s noir crime roots, and it’s so much better for it.

11. The Looming Tower

1 season, 10 episodes | IMDb: 8/10

This historical drama starring Jeff Daniels and Peter Sarsgaard charts the build-up to 9/11 as seen through the eyes of agents in both the FBI and CIA. Daniels plays John O’Neill, the chief of the New York FBI’s Counterterrorism Center in the 1990s, who is convinced that a terrorist attack on the U.S. is imminent. He butts heads with Martin Schmidt (Sarsgaard), the CIA head of counterterrorism, who believes his agency is better equipped to deal with the threat of Al Qaeda and keeps valuable intel from the FBI. The action in this comes from watching Daniels and Sarsgaard, two incredibly talented actors, go head-to-head, chewing up every scene they’re in and obviously having fun doing it.

12. Shrill

2 seasons, 14 episodes | IMDb: 7.4/10

SNL breakout Aidy Bryant headlines this comedy series based on the best-selling book by Lindy West. Bryant plays Annie, a young writer living on the West Coast who struggles with body image issues, a floundering career as a journalist, and a family health crisis. Over the course of six episodes, she manages a toxic relationship with her sometimes-hookup, confronts an abusive boss, and takes on internet trolls, all while learning how to love her size. Bryant shines here and though there’s not as much in-your-face comedy from her as SNL fans might be used to, her quiet, reserved style better serves the story, which is a refreshing one.

13. Runaways

3 seasons, 33 episodes | IMDb: 7.1/10

Adapted by Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage from Adrian Alphona and Brian K. Vaughan’s Marvel comic, Runaways is a slick, briskly paced teen soap featuring high school students discovering and coming to terms with their burgeoning superpowers. Runaways finds that happy space between the heaviness of Marvel’s Netflix dramas and the more lightweight nature of their network series (Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter). It’s a potent combination of compelling mystery and coming of age tale. The teen characters here are fantastic as they grapple with their own powers while investigating the dark history of their parents. Runaways takes a lot of cues from Schwartz and Savage’s The O.C. and Gossip Girl, respectively, although the series is not half as interesting when it’s exploring the conspiracy surrounding the parent characters, who are essentially the series’ supervillains. That storytelling deficit, however, is more than made up for by the existence of a dinosaur!

14. Future Man

3 seasons, 34 episodes | IMDb: 7.8/10

From creators Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir and executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (the team behind Sausage Party), Future Man is basically a mash-up of The Last Starfighter, Back to the Future, and The Terminator. Josh Hutcherson stars as Josh Futterman, a loser-ish janitor at a science lab who becomes the first person ever to finish a nearly impossible-to-beat video game. The game, it turns out, is a training application sent back from the future to find humanity’s savior. Characters from the video game recruit Josh to travel back into the past to kill the head of the science lab (Keith David) where Josh works in the present to prevent his boss from developing a cure for herpes that somehow ends up wiping out humanity in the future. There’s a lot to unpack in its premise, but once Future Man gets to its feet and finds its heart, the character evolves into more than mouthpieces for quick-fire pop-culture riffs. Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings) is fantastic as a fast-talking badass with an arsenic-laced “rathole” and a fondness for hand-to-hand combat. It’s Preacher’s Derek Wilson, however, who proves to be the scene stealer. He’s basically Firefly’s Jayne Cobb plus an obsession with ’80s pop culture, cooking, and two-hit wonder Corey Hart, who also makes a cameo appearance. It’s a fast-paced, filthy, and hilarious homage to time-travel movies that boasts a hysterical hatred for James Cameron, who is the target of a lot of the series’ best jokes. What Future Man lacks in substance, it more than makes up for in laughs and season two of the series doubles down on that philosophy, thrusting characters in even more bizarre situations and tighter spandex costumes.

15. Harlots

3 seasons, 22 episodes | IMDb: 7.7/10

Written and directed by women (Moira Buffini and Coky Giedroyc, respectively), Harlots is set in 1763 England where one in every five women is a prostitute. The story concerns two competing brothels operated by Lydia Quigley (Lesley Manville) and Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton), the latter of whom reluctantly pimps out her two daughters, one of whom is a popular courtesan (Downton Abbey’s Jessica Brown Findlay) and another whose maidenhead is being auctioned off at a hefty price. There’s plenty of sex in Harlots, as one might expect from a series about competing brothels, but it’s not a sexy show. It’s more of a serious family drama about hardscrabble women using the only card they have in their 18th-century deck in an effort to maintain some sense of control over their lives. There’s power in sex, but as Harlots reveals, it only gets them so far. The series is a thoughtful costume drama that can be bleak at times (the corpse of a prostitute is used as a gruesome prop in the ongoing war between the brothels), but there are moments of crackling wit and a few stand-out performances, particularly that of Samantha Morton. Unfortunately, as the series’ first season progresses, it loses some of its momentum as it gets bogged down in its more soapy elements.

16. 11.22.63

1 seasons, 8 episodes | IMDb: 8.2/10

Produced by J.J. Abrams and created by Bridget Carpenter (a writer on Parenthood, Friday Night Lights), 11.22.63 is adapted from a Stephen King novel and stars James Franco as newly divorced high school teacher, Jake Epping, who finds a portal that takes him back to October 1960. There, Jake decides to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, though doing so will upend the life he has made for himself. It’s an exhilarating premise, and it’s nearly impossible not to get hooked by the pilot. Unfortunately, once Epping finds himself in the 1960s, the series drops many of the time-travel elements and settles into a more conventional — and often tiresome — conspiracy thriller. Franco is solid in the lead role, but the series is derailed by its devotion to the source material. It’s not one of King’s best books, and while it does provide viewers with a satisfying, heartfelt pay-off, the slow pace makes the journey more of a chore than the destination ultimately warrants.

17. Chance

2 seasons, 20 episodes | IMDb: 7.7/10

Based on the Kem Nunn novel of the same name, Chance stars Hugh Laurie as a forensic neuropsychiatrist, Dr. Eldon Chance. Chance — who is going through a divorce — becomes romantically involved with a patient named Lucy (Greta Lee). Pulled into her troubled life, Chance finds himself embroiled in a dispute between the femme fatale and her abusive husband, a violently jealous police officer who has his sights set on Chance. It’s a moody, psychological noir with heavy doses of intrigue and mystery, but the pacing here suggest that it would have been better told in half the number of episodes. The series too often drifts and seems more preoccupied with mood setting than telling a story. Hugh Laurie’s compelling performance keeps it afloat, while Ethan Suplee — who plays a street-smart assistant in an antique shop — steals every scene he’s in, delivering occasional bursts of violence to stir viewers awake.

18. The Path

3 seasons, 36 episodes | IMDb: 7.3/10

Set in upstate New York, The Path concerns members of a fictional spiritual moment (or cult) called Meyerism. The series primarily revolves around Eddie Lane (Aaron Paul), who has a revelation while on a retreat that leads him to question his faith. Eddie, however, won’t confess his doubts to his devout wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan), who believes her husband is hiding an affair from her. Things are further complicated by Cal (Hugh Dancy), the charismatic and corrupt leader of the Meyerist Movement, whose ambitions are often at odds with the more altruistic motives of the movement. While featuring strong performances from its leads, The Path is an achingly slow burn that doesn’t catch fire until near the end of the first season only to fizzle out again when the second season kicks off. There’s a fascinating story being told on The Path, but it’s not currently one that warrants 10 episodes a season, and the series often labors to spread its thin story across a canvass that is too large. The magical realist elements of the series only exacerbate its problems. It’s not a bad show thanks to the strong efforts of its leads, but it is one that struggles to figure out what it wants to say. Unfortunately, it got the ax after three seasons.

19. High Fidelity

1 season, 10 episodes | IMDb: 7.5/10

Zoe Kravitz produces and stars in this departure from Nick Hornby’s beloved 1995 novel, playing a young record store owner who fights against the gentrification of her Brooklyn neighborhood while replaying a string of failed relationships to the tune of indie hits. The story feels like a more mellow version of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag, and the soundtrack is fire.

20. Devs

1 season, 6 episodes | IMDb: 8/10

The brains behind sci-fi thrillers like Ex Machina and Annihilation gives us another mind-bending drama, this time for the small screen. Devs focuses on a young software engineer named Lily Chan who begins digging into a secret division of the cutting-edge tech company she works for in Silicon Valley because, get this, they probably murdered her boyfriend.

21. Woke

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 6.2/10
New Girl’s Lamorne Morris stars in this imaginative comedy series about a Black cartoonist on the rise who suddenly has his eyes opened to the injustice and inequality surrounding him. Morris plays Keef, a talented artist keeping things light with his work — which is set to go mainstream — until a violent run-in with the police leaves him questioning his reality. It’s timely for sure, taking an inventive approach to the Black Lives Matter moment, but there’s still plenty of humor to keep it all grounded.

22. The Great

1 season, 10 episodes | IMDb: 8.1/10

Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult star in this period dramedy that riffs heavily off the vibe of Yorgos Lanthimos’ Oscar-nominated flick, The Favourite. Hoult has a hell of a lot of fun playing a sadistic sociopath who just so happens to be the Emperor of Russia. Fanning is his hopeful bride-to-be who comes to the palace looking for love and ends up launching a coup and a plot to murder her new husband. It’s a deliciously fun show filled with absurd characters and too many memeable quotes to count.

Add To Hulu Watchlist

23. Little Fires Everywhere

1 season, 8 episodes | IMDb: 7.8/10

Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington turn in riveting performances in this Emmy-nominated drama. The show, based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 bestseller, follows Witherspoon’s character, the matriarch of the picture-perfect Richardson clan, as she desperately tries to hold onto her idyllic life. Enter Washington, a mother of a young girl, who exposes the family’s secrets and upends their small community.

24. Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi

1 season, 10 episodes | IMDb: 8.3/10

Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi takes her culinary TV talents to the next level in this hybrid travel/cooking show that introduces audiences to the rich, culturally diverse cuisine being created right here in the states. Lakshmi travels across the country, learning about indigenous and immigrant communities and taste-testing the delicious, inventive food they’re cooking. She’s also breaking down barriers and disrupting societal norms, but the food porn is just so good, most people probably won’t realize they’re learning something while they watch her snack on El Paso burritos and indigenous fry bread.

25. Dollface

1 season, 10 episodes | IMDb: 7.3/10

Kat Dennings stars in this dramedy about a young woman named Jules, who returns to single life after her long-term boyfriend dumps her. After being coupled for so long, Jules resorts to using her imagination to literally (and metaphorically) re-enter the world of female friendships and the dating pool.

Recent Changes Through February 2021
Added: Normal People
Removed: The Wrong Mans

Lil Nas X’s rise to fame was a quick and momentous one, with one major record-breaker: “Old Town Road,” his break-out, spent 19 consecutive weeks atop the singles chart. The track would later become the most-certified song in music history, going 14x Platinum. But getting there wasn’t easy. In a series of TikTok videos, Lil Nas reflected on his rise to fame and what his life has been like post-“Old Town Road.”

In a series of four videos entitled “Life Story,” Lil Nas X opened up about his battle with depression and other struggles. “In 2017 I became the first [in] my family to get into college,” the video’s caption read. “During college I was depressed, had no friends and…. my grandmother passed. I started going to the doctor a lot in fear that I would die soon… hypochondria. In May 2018, I started making music.” He then moved in with his sister and dropped his first mixtape, Nasarati, in June 2018. However, things would soon take a turn.

“My sister kicked me out, my brother who was helping me left to the military, & my songs were no longer doing good,” he revealed. In the next two videos, he discussed releasing “Old Town Road” and having to find his own ways to promote the song due to financial struggles. He also spoke about signing to Columbia Records, working with Bill Ray Cyrus, coming out as gay, and making enough money to move into his first apartment and put his mom in rehab. Despite the improvements, he admitted that some additional hardships pushed him to the edge, making him contemplate suicide.

“I got news that my mom wasn’t doing so well in rehab with her addiction,” he wrote . “Also me and my boyfriend broke up. During this time old town road was still killing it while I was… spiraling. I found myself in a hotel room contemplating ending it all. But I didn’t.”

You can watch the TikTok videos above.