The American whiskey world is dominated by names like Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, Wild Turkey, and Maker’s Mark. If you spend any time watching sports, you’re inundated with the likes of Matthew McConaughey and Mila Kunis hawking mega brands. This ubiquity and star power is enough to make a person settle for the well-known names constantly yelled at them any time they walk the liquor aisle.
We don’t subscribe to that kind of thinking. While we’ll gladly pour ourselves a glass of any of the aforementioned whiskey brands, we also like to try new things from time to time. Experiment! Travel the old tastebuds! Mix it up a little!
Bartenders often share our adventurous philosophy. They’re not content with following the crowd. It’s also in their best interest to constantly sample new and unique whiskey brands and expressions. Knowing this, we asked a handful of our favorite bartenders to tell us their favorite under-hyped, smaller whiskey brands in the United States.
Dad’s Hat
Maureen Shannon, head bartender at In the Valley in Philadelphia
Dad’s Hat from Pennsylvania. I have to represent my home state. They make a super solid vermouth-finished whiskey that is great alone or as a cocktail base. The wine influence comes through — with hints of dried fruits, herbs, and spice — before all that good pepper and barrel char slides in.
Rabbit Hole
Franck Savoy, corporate director of food and beverage at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica, California
I was in Boston a few years ago, I entered a hole in the wall bar full of Red Sox fans, and there was such a great ambiance. I wanted a whiskey that I was not used to — something different. I poured me a glass of Rabbit Hole Rye Whiskey. It was just such an experience: cinnamon, licorice, dried fruits, sweet caramel…
Cathead
Todd Johnston, beverage director at Marsh House in Nashville
I really like Cathead, which is a distillery out of Mississippi. Their flagship is vodka but they have recently released a whiskey called Old Soul which is bright, fruit-forward, and easy-drinking which is great for cocktails or however you prefer your whiskey.
Garrison Brothers. They’re making corn whiskey out of Texas and really exploring the impact of different corns, based on harvest season and varietal. Really good whiskey and something different to try.
Laws Whiskey House
Drew Reid, restaurant manager at W Aspen in Aspen, Colorado
AD Laws out of Denver does a pretty incredible job. In my opinion, this is the best distiller in the state. They make whiskey that compares to many others in the country. They also do a great job with marketing and packaging.
Ko’olau Distillery
Jim Lunchick, master mixologist at Merriman’s in Hawaii
We have a young operation here in Hawaii called Ko’olau Distillery that makes a whiskey called “Old Pali Road.” It tastes like the pure young corn whiskey from where I grew up, in Maryland. I eagerly await the day, years from now, when they will be releasing stuff with more age on it, but part of the charm of this stuff is its freshness and purity. Check them out.
Boulder Spirits
Ryan Negley, whiskey fellow at Boulder Spirits in Boulder, Colorado
Absolutely that has to be Boulder Spirits out of Colorado. We focus on American Single Malts, which is a category on fire right now, but the bourbon coming out is so amazing.
Bardstown Bourbon. I got an opportunity to visit their distillery and tried some of their products. They do produce some amazing bourbons and they are blending the traditional whiskey-making with innovative new ideas.
Writer’s Picks:
Westland
Opened in 2010, Seattle’s Westland has worked tirelessly to prove that whiskey doesn’t just need to be made in Kentucky, Texas, or Tennessee. They do this by continuously cranking out high-level, award-winning bottles like Westland Sherry Wood and Westland Peated.
Cedar Ridge
Iowa is known one thing above all else: corn. That’s why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Iowa-based Cedar Ridge would come out with a product literally called Iowa Bourbon that is full of sweet corn from the state (74 percent corn to be exact). The result is an award-winning whiskey with hints of caramel, toffee, cinnamon, and corn sweetness.
It didn’t take long for 17-year-old Memphis rapper NLE Choppa to capture the hearts of a massive — and growing — fan base. Exploding into viral fame in January 2019 with “Shotta Flow,” Bryson Lashun Potts went from being a former high school basketball star and juvenile delinquent to one of the hottest new artists in the game seemingly overnight. Following up the success of “Shotta Flow” with a series of sequel tracks and the equally magnetic “Camelot,” NLE Choppa instantly became an artist to watch.
Keeping his business operations in-house, Choppa tasked his mother with management duties, leading to a partnership with Steve Stoute’s UnitedMasters distribution imprint. Releasing his Cottonwood EP at the top of 2020, Choppa was not only able to keep his ever-important publishing rights through the deal, but also able to develop another deal through Warner Records in 2019. It’s through this second deal that he recently released his debut album, Top Shotta, which collected his viral hits “Camelot,” “Shotta Flow 3,” “Shotta Flow 5,” and “Walk ‘Em Down” with Roddy Ricch, into a twenty-track showcase of his youthful charisma and surprisingly polished flows.
NLE Choppa granted Uproxx the opportunity to pull back the curtain on his sudden rise to fame, giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into his origin, the family-focused business that has helped make him a star, and to ask the question, “Who is NLE Choppa?”
Watch the Who Is NLE Choppa? documentary above.
NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The biggest domino yet has fallen in college athletics’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to multiple media reports, the Big Ten’s presidents have decided to postpone the 2020 college football season. This does not mean an all-out cancelation, however, as the plan is to try and see if it is safe to play in spring.
The news comes via Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, along with Bruce Feldman and Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic. All three mentioned that the decision was made by university presidents with an eye on taking to the field sometime in early 2021.
Sources: Big Ten is announcing that the fall is cancelled. League will attempt to play in the spring.
So far, the postponements have come from smaller conferences — whether they be in the Group of 5 or lower divisions of college athletics — with the occasional university deciding it is not safe to go forward this year. The Big Ten is the first Power 5 conference to pull the plug altogether, although there have been rumblings that the Pac-12 could also decide to take a similar measure.
As for other conferences, there is no word on the exact path forward for the ACC, Big 12, and SEC in light of the Big Ten’s decision. There have been reports that the ACC intends to give it a go this fall, while SEC commissioner Greg Sankey mentioned that he will be paying attention to the moves made by other conferences.
Being a part of the XXL Freshman Class is a yearly honor bestowed on a handful of talented, up-and-coming hip-hop artists. The co-sign spotlights oftentimes overlooked rappers and propels their names into the mainstream. Last year’s Freshman Class boasted artists like DaBaby and Megan Thee Stallion, who have since become household names. This year’s Freshman Class was just unveiled by XXL, and artists on the roster have taken to social media to express their excitement.
Those inducted into the Freshman Class this year include Mulatto, Chika, Jack Harlow, Fivio Foreign, Rod Wave, NLE Choppa. Upon hearing the news, Mulatto gushed over the opportunity, saying it has been a “huge goal” for her to get the XXL recognition.
I been wanting to be a XXL freshman for soooo long this was a huge goal of mine…Every year I’d be tuned in like dang I can’t wait & now it’s finally my turn
Chika, who recently chatted with Snoop Dogg about collaborating on a “Black country song,” had a similar sentiment. The rapper said it was a “win for her whole team.”
Louisville-based rapper Jack Harlow’s career has been steadily rising since he got a co-sign from Justin Bieber earlier this year but being named XXL Freshman was a special moment for him. Harlow recalled buying XXL magazines as a young boy and fantasizing about one day being on the cover. Not only did Harlow get his wish, but he is also the first rapper from Kentucky to be a part of the Freshman Class.
I used to go to the store and buy physical copies of XXL in middle school. I’ve been fantasizing about becoming a Freshman since I was a kid.
To be the first one from Kentucky to make the list means everything to me. Thank you pic.twitter.com/tMBnHGnKTt
The 2020 MTV VMAs are approaching, as the ceremony is set to take place at the end of the month. Organizers have slowly been revealing details leading up to the event, and today, they have expanded the roster of artists who will perform during the show. Joining Doja Cat, BTS, and J Balvin are today’s newly announced additions: The Weeknd, Roddy Ricch, Maluma, and CNCO.
The Weeknd is one of this year’s most-nominated artists, as he’s tied for second place (with Billie Eilish) with six total nominations. “Blinding Lights” is up for Video Of The Year, Best R&B, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing, while The Weeknd himself is up for Artist Of The Year. Roddy Ricch’s “The Box” is up for Song Of The Year and Best Hip-Hop, while Ricch is nominated for Push Best New Artist. Meanwhile, CNCO earned a pair of nominations, while Maluma also has one.
Until recently, MTV was planning on hosting the show at Barclays Center, but it was reported a few days ago that while the show will go on, it won’t happen there.
Find the full list of this year’s nominations here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Joe Rogan isn’t exactly known for having well-reasoned opinions, which gives guests like Bill Burr plenty of opportunity to blast him after the podcast host called people who wear masks “bitches.” When it comes to the weird world of Instagram filters, however, Rogan made a fair point, which is that they promote unrealistic expectations of beauty. Given that he’s Joe Rogan, though, he decided to go over the top and also call filters “satanic,” and he (of course) went viral as a result.
In a caption for a filtered photo of himself, Rogan wrote, “If you wanna know how f*cked we are and how bizarre filters are and how distorted young women’s expectations of beauty are, I present you this picture.” He then accused the internet of “trying to rob you of your happiness” due to these filters seeking to crush “women’s self esteem through pure deception and fuckery.” And here’s the filter that prompted this reaction.
Over 500,000 views and counting, and hey, it’s easy to see why Rogan felt unsettled by seeing this image that looks nothing like him. At least he’s not trashing feminism and describing male supporters of feminism as “weasels.” Yes, this filter was meant to be exaggerated and unrealistic, but people really do filter themselves into oblivion while passing the images off as authentic, and it does mess with self-esteem. Joe Rogan isn’t solving the world’s problems here, of course, but he’s distracted enough to not be trashing masks, so no complaints on that end.
After months of doing episodes of The Late Late Show in his garage, James Corden is back in his usual studio to tape the show. It’s not exactly business as usual, though: Guests still aren’t showing up for in-person interviews. Instead, Corden is still doing video chats with them, but now his guest joins him on stage on a giant TV turned sideways in portrait orientation. Anderson .Paak got this treatment on last night’s episode, and he looked like Zordon from the world’s coolest Power Rangers reboot as he talked about his coronavirus testing.
They discussed a video he posted of himself getting a testing swab in his nose, which he did not handle well. They also chatted about .Paak’s appearance on Price Is Right earlier this year (which was actually filmed in December 2019). The most interesting takeaway from that story came when .Paak noted of that day:
“The only thing is I had a session with Dr. Dre and Kanye West right before, and I had to leave that session early to get to The Price Is Right. I didn’t want to tell them I had to go to The Price Is Right. I was like, ‘Yo, I got this thing I got to do, you know…’ We got the work done, but man, it was the craziest day of my life: That session, going from there to The Price Is Right… it was amazing.”
Elsewhere on the program, .Paak performed “Lockdown” (for which he recently dropped a new remix), so watch that below.
Watch clips from .Paak’s appearance on The Late Late Show above.
Before his current career trajectory of throwing himself off of planes and mountains for the Mission: Impossible movies, Tom Cruise was riding a wave of success as a serious dramatic actor in the ’90s. With hits like Rain Man, A Few Good Men, and Jerry Maguire under his belt, Cruise only wanted to work with the best directors, and he stunned his critics by landing a role in what would be Stanley Kubrick’s final film Eyes Wide Shut.
However, the new biography, Stanley Kubrick: American Filmaker, has revealed that the legendary director originally had a very, very different actor in mind for the lead in Eyes Wide Shut. Namely, Woody Allen. You couldn’t get more opposite of Cruise than that. According to the biography, Kubrick had been trying to adapt the novella Dream Story (which later became Eyes Wide Shut) since the ’70s, and he always envisioned the lead as a more comedic type like Allen or even Steve Martin. That list would expand as Kubrick continued to try the film off the ground. Via Independent:
“In a notebook from the Eighties he listed a series of possible leading men, including Dustin Hoffman, Warren Beatty, Alan Alda, Albert Brooks, Bill Murray, Tom Hanks and Sam Shepherd????’
“Significantly, when Kubrick finally made his version of Dream Story, he cast an actor without a comic bone in his body, the earnest, highly deliberate Tom Cruise. Comedy would have been a weapon for the hero’s self-defence; Kubrick makes him, in the end, defenceless.”
While Eyes Wide Shut became a critical hit and has been recognized as one of The 100 Greatest American Films by the BBC, the erotic psycho-thriller starring Cruise and Nicole Kidman eventually resulted in their shocking divorce in 2001 following widespread rumors that the couple required an “intimacy coach” for the film’s provocative scenes. It was also the beginning of the end for Cruise’s dramatic career as he began leaning into more action fare going into the 2000s, which has slowly snowballed into the actor attempting to launch himself into space.
It’s been a year since Rubi Rose released her empowering single “Big Mouth.” Along her journey since signing to HitCo, she has released a handful of buzzing singles such as “Hit Yo Dance,” “Pretty MF” and more recently, “He In His Feelings.” Nevertheless, “Big Mouth,” which may be her biggest hit to date, is a true-to-life experience of her dealing with big mouth rappers who thought they could bury her confidence and sexual swagger in the sand.
Jokes on them, though. Rubi joined OnlyFans this year and earned $100,000 in one day quieting everyone who had something to say about the way she moves. Even before then, the rapper was always “having thangs.” As the motto goes, “Why spend mine, when I can spend yours?”
The potently, all-powerful energy that Cardi B‘s soon-to-be No. 1 hit single “WAP” featuring Megan Thee Stallion exudes is likely why the hitmaker wanted Rubi in the music video to begin with. In it, the recent Georgia State graduate is poised, dressed in an all-red PVC outfit paired with thigh-high boots and a long ponytail. Besides her stunning looks, she spits with contralto lyricism and fortitude that would be inspiring to any woman seeking to take control of their own narrative. While some men and women hate this type of spirit in women who they feel should act a certain way, Rubi is breaking all the rules and standing tall on her own.
When I pulled up on Rubi at HitCo, she had just finished participating in an interview with Cardi B, Mulatto, Sukihana for Apple Music discussing women in rap ahead of the Grammy Award-winning rap star releasing “WAP.” During our conversation, Rubi talked about her experience of navigating the music industry as a woman, dealing with men, and how she ran it up on OnlyFans for $100,000.
I know you made a hundred racks on OnlyFans in a day and then you gave your mom 50 racks, right?
For my mom’s birthday. She just turned 50 so I gave her 50 bands.
How did that feel?
Good. Very fulfilling, as a daughter, making my mom proud. And just taking stress off of her because I know, who wouldn’t take the money?
Was that your first time being able to do something like that for her?
Last year, I gave her 10 racks right after I got signed but this is the most I’ve done for my mom. It’s a good feeling to be able to do for my mom, and she knows now that I wasn’t just a hoe on Instagram. I was really working towards something.
Did she think that?
Of course. My mom’s African and people would always go back to her and tell her, “Your daughter is on the internet…” Just doing whatever. But now she gets it. She supports the OnlyFans, she understands what I’m doing, how I’m not putting pussy on it. She knows what I’m doing, so she’s in full support of my career.
So, in the beginning it was probably a little difficult. But you were still in school, so did that help?
We were cool, but my mom and I… I don’t know how to say this. Our relationship got better after I got signed. I don’t want to say it was the money, but just the validation of me being signed to a label and the bigger picture. She loved me of course, because I was in school, but we just bumped heads up until the day I got signed.
Are you still in school or have you graduated?
I just graduated, this May.
Congratulations.
Thanks, girl.
How was that during COVID, how did that process go?
It was cool, but not as special because there was no ceremony. We got our gowns and caps. I still haven’t done a shoot yet, but it’s cool. It’s not as big. My whole family from Africa was going to come out. There might’ve been some type of virtual ceremony, but they did mail out the thing with everybody’s names on it though.
You’re from Kentucky, right?
Yeah, Lexington.
Then you moved to the South and you still live there. You still live in Atlanta?
I do currently, yeah.
But you spend some time in LA. So, there’s a big difference between people in the South and L.A. So, how has that adjustment been for you?
I adjust and adapt to the types of people that I’m around. I used to live in Lexington, predominantly Caucasian, Atlanta, predominantly Black, then coming to LA. It’s just, it’s very bougie, exclusive, people are haughty, but it’s cool. L.A. is a whole different vibe and brings something different than Atlanta, but it wasn’t too hard to adjust because I hang around the same people, really.
Did you always want to rap?
Yes, girl. I don’t know, not necessarily rap, just something in music. I thought I could sing, I can’t. I just wanted to do something in the entertainment industry.
For you as a woman, and you’re very beautiful so I know you probably have hella dudes in your DMs, how does dating work for you or the experience for women in the music industry as a whole?
The same way it works for men in rap, but it’s obviously sometimes a struggle. Well not a struggle, because I’m not focused on finding a man, because actually I have man.
Yeah but there’s always just this stigma you have being a sexy girl on the internet, so there’ll be the n****s who are insecure and can’t handle that, then there’s the n****s that love it. But just to be careful because they can still post you, that’s something I have to be careful of, is this exclusive.
People using you for clout, basically.
It is crazy because with guys because you wouldn’t expect it from them. They still be on that weird shit.
They date around and date whoever. People make jokes about some rappers having all these kids and it’s celebrated, but if a girl does that…
Girl is a whore, slut-shamed, all that.
Besides that, just in your career, what kind of struggles have you encountered as a woman?
Just wanting to be taken serious and guys telling you they want to work with you, and then really just are on a whole bait and switch. You’d be on a whole different time. Just being confident in yourself as a woman, just doing what you want to do. It’s just the normal struggles.
I do want to talk more about the OnlyFans. So, just tell me about the day where you were just like, “Fuck it. I’m going to make an OnlyFans.”
So, listen girl. DDG made one first. Right?
Okay.
My n**** made bank off this. He’s big on YouTube, so he teaches people how to monetize on YouTube and make money off of it. He just was telling me, “Just make one. Just see. Just make one.” And he was like, “So what if everybody calls you a ho? You’re already getting called a ho.” And I just, I made one. I put literally a picture I posted on Instagram and my shit just… Honestly, people call me a ho regardless, and I only post shit I’d post on Instagram, literally.
Yeah. I saw one picture where it looked like somebody took a screenshot…
I photoshopped it.
Finessed.
I photoshopped it. Honestly, it’s marketing. I never said I was going to get butt naked on it, so if y’all are paying, if y’all want to subscribe. Some of it is exclusive. They’re not pictures that I’d post on Instagram, but it’s nothing nude. I think girls should be able to do whatever they want to do. I think guys are just mad because they can’t do it and run it up like that.
Yeah, they can’t. Also, I want to talk about you getting the 100,000 dollars. Beyonce said, “The best revenge is your paper” and people were clowning you at one point because of the flight situation. Do you feel like you really shut people up with that?
I think it did something for me. For the record, I did have money before, this was just icing on the cake, but it was cool that the public got to see that I got this much money, because really if you get money, n****s respect you. So many n****s in the industry called me congratulating me and thought that it was just so cool. Honestly getting money is your best revenge, definitely.
Take me back to the day when you had your first conversation with L.A. Reid, before you signed.
I dropped “Big Mouth” on DistroKid. Then literally two days later, I got a call and I came to LA. Then I was sat in that room over there and they replayed “Big Mouth” 30 times and I performed it 30 times. He just said he loved me, and that just made me feel so happy and good about myself, that somebody with that type of record fucks with me that hard, and when he said he believes in me like that.
He’s a legend. So wait, you put the song on and then two days later you got a call?
Literally sis, my life changed in a matter of days.
I do want to talk about your voice because you’re really small, but your rap voice is very-
Deep?
Yeah. So was that like natural for you, or was somebody in the studio coaching you a little bit?
Well, really with “Big Mouth,” it’s just natural, but now I’ve realized people like when I do a deeper tone, so I try to give the people what they want.
What are you working on now?
I’m about to put out an album, hopefully by the end of the next month. I’m just trying to finish all the… I want to put out videos for all of them. But, and then… Sorry. I’ll be releasing a video for my song “He In His Feelings” that I just dropped. Music video’s going to drop next week, so I’m excited. I got a whole project and I’m just happy to start putting out music consistently.
How far along are you in finishing the project?
The project is done. The songs are done. The track list is done. It’s just visuals. Because I think as big as I am with my sound and my voice, I know that my visuals bring a lot and bring the songs to life, so I try to incorporate that with my music.
A quality single malt scotch is always going to set you back more than a well-crafted bourbon. There are a lot of factors at play to create that higher price tag — price differences between corn and barley, malting techniques, international tariffs, etc. — but if you pick the right bottle, the cost can definitely be worth it. Single malt scotch is a refined spirit that still maintains a lot of variation, depending on who’s making it and where their stills and warehouses are located in Scotland.
Scottish single malts are simple only in their base parts: local water, yeast, barley, peat, and wood. From there, the stills (some antique, some new), the way the barley is malted, the quality of the water, the specific woods used to age the expression, how those whiskies are married for the final product, and the all-important abilities of the distiller, noser, and blender each add a little something special. While each whisky region of Scotland (Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland, Islands, and Speyside) tend to have a distinct feel, there are still variations therein. If you love scotch, you really just have to go distillery by distillery and find what grabs you.
To help you start your single malt scotch whisky journey, we’re calling out ten bottles that are worth every penny. We’re keeping these call-outs around the $50-$100 mark — which, admittedly, is steep. But these bottles are also “value picks” — marrying great taste and a heightened whisky experience with a fair price.
Check out our ten single malt scotches worth their $50 to $100 price tags below!
ABV: 40% Distillery: The Glenrothes Distillery, Rothes, UK (Edrington) Average Price:$50
The Whisky:
This Speyside whisky is a standout bottle. The juice was aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks. Due to that process, this is a solid single malt for bourbon fans looking to expand their palates (and whisky knowledge) further afield.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla pods, honey, coconut, and a slight marzipan nose greets you. The bourbon vanilla really pops with a soaked-in-honey vibe as the spice kicks in. The marriage of pepper and cinnamon is counterpointed by a hint of red berries. The woody nature of the dram pops late as a flourish of orange helps close out the sip.
Bottom Line:
This is a great highball base and feels like a whisky that could easily be in the $75 range.
Auchentoshan The Bartender’s Malt
ABV: 47% Distillery: Auchentoshan Distillery, Dalmuir, UK (Beam Suntory) Average Price:$50
The Whisky:
This Lowland whisky is a one-of-a-kind, devised especially by 12 international bartenders who make a living working and drinking the stuff. The juice is a blend of single malts aged in ex-Laphroaig casks, rum casks, red wine barriques, German oak casks, and American oak casks.
Master blender Rachel Barrie assisted the bartenders in selecting casks, some of which were up to 40 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Fresh pipe tobacco dances with a note of milky chocolate, honeycomb, and dried stone fruit. The sip edges towards wildflowers while a sharp fresh ginger spiciness balances an almost croissant level of buttery malt, spiked with vanilla. The warmth from the ginger and sweetness of the honey linger the longest as this dram slowly fades away.
Bottom Line:
This is a great workhorse single malt for cocktails, highballs, and on the rocks.
Talisker Distiller’s Edition
ABV: 45.8% Distillery: Talisker Distillery, Isle of Skye, UK (Diageo) Average Price:$90
The Whisky:
This Island whisky from the Isle of Skye is damn near perfect. The whisky is rendered by the masters at Talisker and then double matured — first in Olorosso sherry casks and then finished in the subtler Amoroso sherry casks.
Tasting Notes:
The sea and smoke meet on this one with a hint of berry. There’s a mild spiciness that leads to a smoked fat feel from an old smoker with a splash of seawater smoothness, mild bitterness, and toffee. The sip doesn’t overstay its welcome and instead beckons you back for more.
Bottom Line:
Worth every penny and then some. Check out our full review here.
Caol Ila Distiller’s Edition
ABV: 43% Distillery: Caol Ila Distillery, Islay, UK (Diageo) Average Price:$90
The Whisky:
Down in Islay, this small whisky operation is one you may not have heard of but will fall in love with on the first sip. Caol Ila is also renowned for its refinement and accessibility compared to the bigger peat-monsters of Islay. This particular dram ebbs into that subtly by aging in Moscatel sherry casks to really smooth the juice out.
Tasting Notes:
Oysters, beach campfire smoke, dry cedar bark, and vanilla custard lead the way. The peat is clearly present but offset by a maple sweetness and a spicy stone fruit jam feel. That stone fruit, smoke, and mild brine all combine on the end with a subtle push towards orange zest and oak with a final rush of minty tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This was love at first sip for me. I’d buy it by the case if I could, and drink it with a single rock all day.
Highland Park Aged 15 Years
ABV: 43% Distillery: Highland Park Distillery, Orkney, UK (Edrington) Average Price:$100
The Whisky:
This one is going to be a little tough to source in all markets, but it’s worth the hunt. The juice is aged in American oak from the Ozarks that is sent to Spain to air dry for two years and then holds Olrosso sherry for a couple of more years before heading to Scotland’s Orkney Islands to age this whisky.
Tasting Notes:
Well oiled leather, fatty nuts, marzipan, and burnt brush greet you. The sip embraces the nuts and smoke as an apple and pear orchard arrives with a cinnamon and honey flourish and plenty of that Ozark, sherry-soaked oak. The sweetness holds as the toasted oak really shines through on the long end.
Bottom Line:
Given the depth of work that goes into the barrels alone, this could cost twice as much, and the taste of this dram matches that.
The Balvenie Aged 14 Years Caribbean Cask
ABV: 43% Distillery: Balvenie Distillery, Dufftown, UK (William Grant & Sons) Average Price:$80
The Whisky:
This is a classic all around. The whisky is aged in former rum casks that The Balvenie uses to age their own blend of West Indies rums. After those rums age, the barrels are emptied and the whisky goes in for its own rest. The results are a much-beloved expression from this Speyside distillery.
Tasting Notes:
This isn’t rum-flavored whisky. It’s more a whisky that reminds the sipper that rum exists and is delicious — by leaning into tropical fruit notes next to orange and creamy vanilla pudding. The fruits, toffee, vanilla, spice, and a mild wisp of smoke all balance perfectly as the sip slowly dissipates through your senses.
Bottom Line:
If this dram doesn’t wow you, we’re not sure what will. It’s also excellent in a highball.
Lagavulin Aged 16 Years
ABV: 43% Distillery: Lagavulin Distillery, Islay, UK (Diageo) Average Price:$100
The Whisky:
This is probably the most “classic” expression on this list and likely one of the most well-known. This whisky is crafted to represent the wonders of deep peatiness associated with Islay whiskies.
Tasting Notes:
The Port Ellen peaty malts are the star of the show but in no way overpower the dram. Creamy vanilla custard sits next to a black tea bitterness with a spice matrix and sweetness pulled from the sherry. It’s malty, smoky, sweet, rich, creamy, spicy, briny, and… just f*cking good.
The finish embraces the peat smoke, spice, and vanilla as it fades at exactly the right speed.
Bottom Line:
If you can find this for less than $100, buy all of it you can. Also, don’t sleep on the illustrious and devilishly simple Smoky Cokey, especially if you have some Jarritos Mexican Cola on hand.
Oban Little Bay
ABV: 43% Distillery: Oban Distillery, Oban, UK (Diageo) Average Price:$75
The Whisky:
While this is technically a Highland whisky, Oban’s location beside the sea sort of bridges it to the Islands and Islay, too.
The tiny distillery is in the heart of the town and this expression is a love letter to that place. The juice is aged in various sized barrels for varying times and with a variation of new and used casks in the mix. The final result is a masterclass in refined whisky.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a fruitiness that welcomes you up top. The sip edges into malts, apple orchards, butterscotch, orange zest, and sharp clove on the tongue. All of that combines to create a sort of spiced apple cake with a buttery crumble as it slowly meanders away while warming you up.
Bottom Line:
A great bargain for a unique expression. Check out our full review here.
Ardbeg Uigeadail
ABV: 54.2% Distillery: Ardbeg Distillery, Islay, UK (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) Average Price:$80
The Whisky:
Ardbeg is the quintessential peaty Islay single malt. Their Uigeadail expression — pronounced “Oog-A-Dal” — is named after the local lake where the distillery pulls its water for making their whisky. The ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casking are classic measures taken to enrich the already deeply flavorful spirit.
Tasting Notes:
Smoky fruits, wildflowers, and Christmas spices dominate up front, with a fleeting sense of banana. The fruit and smoke dominate the palate with hints of spice and oak adding a nice warmth as the leisurely finish slowly ebbs.
Bottom Line:
This is just a solid bottle of booze all around and a great example of a place and style. Also, check out our full review here.
Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
ABV: 46.5% Distillery: The Dalmore Distillery, Alness, UK (Emperador Inc.) Average Price:$100
The Whisky:
This is another expression that puts on a lot of miles while aging. The juice is initially aged in American oak. Then it’s transferred to tawny Port casks from Portugal. Finally, the two are married and bottled when the juice hits the exact right moment.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of light white cake covered in fresh, tart berries and sugar with a rush of orange and clove lurking in the background. The dram then veers into the world of honey, fresh ginger, black pepper, dried fruits, and dark chocolate bitterness. In the end, a sense of roasted nuts and pipe tobacco pop up as the sip fades.
Bottom Line:
This is a great gift or special occasion bottle that’s worth the extra cash. Make sure to add a few drops of water to really open it up.
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