South By Southwest returned to Austin, Texas this month with a 10-day conference and festival encompassing all the latest in culture, film, music, and technology. The festival, which had to be canceled in 2020 due to the rise of COVID-19, was held virtually in 2021, while this year’s event, which ran from March 11 to 20, saw the return to a live format for the first time in three years.
Uproxx’s Paul L. Carter was on the ground to capture the musical festivities, as well as the premiere of the black comedy Nicolas Cage vehicle The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent, which sees the cult favorite actor playing a heightened version of himself alongside Pedro Pascal as a superfan who pays him $1 million to appear at his birthday party.
Meanwhile, musical artists included Uproxx coverage mainstays like Jason Isbell, Pussy Riot, and Weyes Blood, as well as indie stars such as Particle Kid, Self Esteem, Charley Crockett, Surfbort, Sasami, Kaina, and Sunflower Bean, some of whom performed at Willie Nelson’s annual Luck Reunion mini-festival.
According to Austin 360, attendance at SXSW 2022 was “pretty close” to 2019’s numbers, exceeding the festival organizers’ expectations. The festival featured 1,500 showcasing artists — a small number than 2019’s roster of over 2,000, but impressive nonetheless.
For the average whisk(e)y drinker, that might be the reaction when learning a bottle of whisky cost around $150. It’s a lot and we’re not going to pretend that it’s not. We’re also not going to pretend that spending $150 or so on a bottle of Scotch whisky is anywhere near the high-end. On this price point journey through Scotch whisky, we haven’t even cracked into the 20-year-old bottles yet, much less the very rare stuff.
Scotch is just a lot more expensive and expansive than casual drinkers realize. But for us, that’s all part of the fun.
For this list of ten great Scotch whiskies between $125 and $150, I pulled bottles from my own tasting notes and ranked them. Look at it this way, I like each bottle on this list a little more than last. That’s my personal taste. Still, we’re starting off with number ten setting a very high bar when it comes to a flavor profile — that means these are all bangers. I also made sure to include peated and unpeated malt to give you a chance to pick and choose what you might dig.
Let’s get into it.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
This release from 2021 is the second Nick Offerman collaboration with Lagavulin. This is an eleven-year-old single malt that’s then finished in Guinness stout casks for a four-month final maturation. That whisky is then cut down to 92 proof with Lagavulin’s own Islay spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The briny, peated malts come through on the nose with hints of black coffee beans, slightly waxy cacao nibs, and a hint of creamy mint-chocolate ice cream. The palate is one part beach campfire from a mile down the beach and one part Milk Duds and drip coffee with hints of vanilla and pine resin lurking in the background. The finish leans into the dark cacao with a smoky edge (smoked dark chocolate?) while the wood stays dry and resinous and the briny peat gently supports the bitter yet creamy mocha espresso and mild malts.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty nice but a little bit of a departure from classic Lagavulin. That said, if you vibe on the whole Offerman persona, Guinness, and lightly peated whisky, then this is definitely going to be your jam.
This is classic, old-school whisky making from the Isle of Arran (right next to Islay). The juice is aged in a mix of sherry casks for 18 years before it’s vatted, proofed, and bottled without filtration or any other fussing.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice mix of maple syrup with blueberries that almost feels like blueberry pancakes with a mug of cinnamon-spiked apple cider to wash it down. The palate holds onto that warmth with spicy grilled peaches dripping in more syrup with notes of orange zest brightening things up. That’s paired with a touch of wet oak. The end really holds onto the cooked peaches, spice, and orange as it fades out fairly slowly towards a mild yet dry tobacco chewiness.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskies that makes you say “ahhhh…” when you take the first sip. It’s fruity with a nice spicy balance that works really well over some rocks. It also makes a great Manhattan.
This Viking whisky from high up in the Orkneys takes barreling one step further. Their 18-year expression is matured in casks made from American and European oak specifically for Highland. Those bespoke vessels are sent to Jerez, Spain to age sherry for three years. The same barrels are then sent back to Orkney to age this whisky for 18 years.
Tasting Notes:
This really feels like a classic scotch at every step. You’re greeted with notes of marzipan, dark berries, honey, and light lines of smoke on the nose. Those notes hold on as buttery toffee arrives with a dark chocolate counterpoint, leading towards ripe red cherries and floral honey. The end embraces distant billows of sweet smoke with a dry and earthy undertow on the slow, sweet, and berry-filled fade.
Bottom Line:
We’re already getting into splitting hairs territory with this ranking. This is really spectacular with a damn near-perfect balance of sweeter fruits and mild smokiness that might just hook you on peated malt. You’ll want to add a little water to let it bloom in the glass.
This whisky from Jura (also right next to Islay) is a fairly new expression from the old-school distillery. The juice is matured for 18 years in ex-bourbon casks. It’s then vatted and finished in Premier Grand Cru Classé Bordeaux barrels for a finishing touch. As a final touch, it’s proofed down with spring water to a very sippable 88 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a mix of cinnamon, clove, pineapple, and citrus on the nose that reminds you of a tropical cocktail you can’t quite put your finger on. The bourbon comes through with a rich vanilla underbelly, supporting very distant sprays from the sea next to dried red berries covered in bitter dark chocolate. The end holds onto the bitter, edging towards coffee beans while the fruit gets drier with a final briny note arriving late.
Bottom Line:
If you’re a bourbon drinker, you will find some continuity in this whisky’s flavor profile, which will help you fall in love with it. Overall, this is a really solid sipper that also shines in any simple whisky cocktail.
This release is a masterclass in finishing a whisky. The juice is first aged for 18 years in refill bourbon and sherry casks. Then the whisky is transferred to first-fill red wine casks from Pauillac, Bordeaux. The whisky is then proofed with the soft water from a local, gold-flecked river to a very accessible 86 proof.
Tasting Notes:
That beautiful creamy honey and vanilla of Aberfeldy greets you with notes of blackberries, soft cedar, and a hint of marzipan and rose water. The palate creates this bowl of vanilla sauce poured over ripe red berries (blackberry and raspberry especially) that are drizzled with fresh honey next to soft and dry cedar leading to dry grass. The end embraces the fruit and takes on a fermented apricot (not quite a schnapps) vibe, as the honeyed sweetness and nuttiness slowly fade out.
Bottom Line:
This is quintessential whisky and a prime example of “the good stuff.” It’s so easy drinking while still offering interesting and deeply hewn flavors. You cannot go wrong pouring a dram of this and taking your time with it.
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.
Tasting Notes:
This is like a fresh herb garden with dill and fennel leading the way on the nose next to fresh bushels of green apples and soft and supple vanilla. The palate has a savory fruit note that’s part fig and part squash next to fancy pear candies and an orchard in full bloom. The finish marries those florals, orchard fruits, and vanilla and then circles back around to a bundle of fresh, green, sharp, and slightly savory herbs.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most unique whiskies on the list, which is why it’s right in the middle. I love it for all that green apple and savory herbal brightness. Others might not. Either way, pour this over a single rock and enjoy something unique and very tasty.
This year’s Talisker sticks with the classic age statement of 8-years while leaning into the smokier side of the Island whisky. The build on this expression is a marrying of the “Smokiest Reserves” from the Talisker warehouse. That juice is vatted and bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
You get this medley of smoked fruits on the nose — think smoked plum and apricot — that leads towards a rush of sea spray, iodine, and nori that braces your senses for this billow of wet forest and granite on fire like a mountain overlooking the ocean that’s been set ablaze. The palate calms down only slightly with a pink sea salt that’s been accented with dried roses while that smoke puffs through your sense with a green pepper spiciness and an almost sweet, wet fir tree bark with an earthy edge that almost feels like damp black dirt. That earthiness imparts a soft peatiness to the malt on the end with a slight tobacco chewiness followed by a final kick of spicy smoke.
Bottom Line:
This bottle has been growing on me over the last six months. It’s so complex and, well, deep. I find something new in the nose and palate every time I dive back in, and that makes this a must-have whisky.
The Balvenie continually hits it out of the park with their lineup. This expression spends 17 years maturing in old American oak before it’s transferred to old sherry casks for about a year more of maturation. The results are then proofed with that soft Speyside water and bottled in the brand’s iconic stubby bottle.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with a clear sense of Granny Smith apple peels that are still fresh, next to oily vanilla, fresh honey, and a slight touch of cedar. The taste indulges in the vanilla, creating a creaminess, while a deep Christmas cake vibe of dried and candied fruits, almonds, dark spice, and orange arrives. The end is long and luxurious with more of that spicy, nutty, and fruity holiday cake dancing through your senses on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This whisky feels like it needs to be enjoyed next to an open fireplace with your dog curled up at your feet. It’s dark and spicy with a velvet texture that feels like it never ends, and you don’t want it to. Add a rock or a few drops of water to really open it up in the glass.
This tiny and iconic Dufftown distillery is the whisky aficionado’s distillery. The whisky in this bottle is distilled almost three times (2.81 times to be exact) through various types of pot stills. The juice is then aged for 16 years in sherry casks before it’s, vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
You’re met with a bowl full of stewed plums with anise, clove, and cinnamon in the mix, next to a slight sense of dry moss. The taste has a faint vanilla edge next to velvety honey, sharp spice, old leather-bound books, and a touch of bruised apricot. The end is very long, holds onto the spice and fruit, and leaves you with a sense of creamy vanilla honey.
Bottom Line:
Mortlach tends to almost universally be perfect with every expression they release. Their whisky is well-rounded, unique, yet still 100 percent accessible. The flavor profile is smaller but so distinct and dialed. It’s a hell of a dram that deserves your focus as you drink it.
Oban’s location on the Scottish coast, next to both the Inner Hebrides and Highlands, allows it to harness the best of both regions when making its whisky. This year’s 12-year release is built on the backs of both ex-bourbon casks and refill bourbon casks, allowing the stronger notes of those new bourbon casks to get a light mellowing from the refill wood. The results are bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Briny — that’s the draw here. The nose has this mellow mix of spicy nori crackers that lead towards an old wooden cutting board that’s slick with olive juice, fish oils, salt, and black pepper that you then take a heel of bread to mop up while a slight note of smoked haddock or cod lingers on the very backend. On the palate, a burst of citrus oils arrives to cut through all that umami, oil, and brine as a light malty fruitiness adds a little tart and sweet to the mix, with a sense of cedar chips soaked in mild chili oil driving a sense of warmth. The finish lets that spice build towards a dry pepperiness thanks to the wood as the fruit ties itself to a very mild tobacco leaf and another note of that smoked fish sneaks in on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfect pour of scotch. You get the warmth of Scottish botany next to the depth of the murky seas. It’s complex, sure. But it’s also somehow comforting and familiar (especially for my Pacific Northwest palate). In the end, it’s rare and worth tracking down, as this one isn’t ever coming back.
There’s no disputing the appeal of the IPA. While the lager is by far the most consumed beer in the world (by far), it’s difficult to argue the hold the IPA has on the craft beer world. With various styles, including the West Coast IPA, New England IPA, milkshake IPA, and various other types and offshoots, this hoppy, piney, sometimes (in the case of West Coast IPAs) aggressively bitter, sometimes fruity, juicy, and hazy (in the case of New England IPAs) beer style has a place on every craft brewery’s menu from Anchorage to St. Augustine.
But with so many to choose from, it can seem daunting to pick just one.
When trying to help pick the right IPA for a guest, Heather Buelna, head bartender at Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay in San Diego, first asks a few questions about their palate. “It largely depends on the context clues I am getting from the guest,” Buelna explains. “If they are new to IPAs and that is what is leading to their indecision, I always steer them to beers like Stone IPA. It’s not overly aggressive with its hops and has such a nice, light balance of flavors — so it feels like a safe choice.”
Since all drinkers are different, we asked a handful of notable bartenders to tell us the one IPA they always suggest for indecisive drinkers. Keep reading to see all of their picks.
War Pigs Foggy Haze
War Pigs
Charles Bement, sommelier and beverage director of B. Hospitality in Chicago
War Pigs is an off-shoot of 3 Floyds Brewing, a staple in pale ale production. Though my first recommendation for pale ale would be 3 Floyd’s Zombie Dust American pale ale, which I think is the quintessential pale ale and offers something for everyone. War Pigs contains a lot of the juiciness that pale ale fans enjoy while having just a little more bitter punch to it that is more unique to IPA drinkers. War Pigs IPA is very smooth and clean on the palate too.
Revolution Anti Hero is always a solid choice. It has a crisp hop flavor that is great for people who aren’t sure what they want. It also pairs nicely with a wide variety of food. This is the one hoppy and balanced beer I always steer drinkers towards.
Founders All Day IPA
Founders
Andrew Guerin, bartender at Bourbon O Bar in New Orleans
Founders All Day IPA is an easy-drinking session IPA. The characteristics of an IPA are all there, but they come in softer. It’s a great IPA for those new to the style, or the regular IPA drinker just needing something to quench their thirst.
If the guest seems a bit more adventurous and seems to know that they enjoy the IPA style, I will lead them toward a great local selection, the Modern Times Orderville Hazy. This is a hop-forward beer, which some might find overpowering. But, to an IPA drinker, the unique combination of light and dark hops really creates a complex and aromatic beer drinking experience. If they seem up for it, I am happy to lead the way there.
My go-to is Elysian’s Space Dust IPA because, honestly, it’s just a genuinely easy to access IPA for those looking to jump in. Sitting at 73 IBU, this refreshing IPA offers notes of citrus and mango while still having a solid dry finish. It’s hard to beat.
Lagunitas Daytime IPA is a winner. You can have one while you make up your mind. It’s so hoppy and refreshing. It’s only four percent ABV and low in calories so it doesn’t fill you up before you make up your mind. Plus, it’s a fairly flavorful, easy-drinking beer. You’ll probably just order another one.
Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing
Sierra Nevada
Lily Van Duyn, food and beverage manager at The Vinoy Renaissance in St. Petersburg, Florida
Sierra Nevada’s Hazy Little Thing IPA is always my go-to. Dry-hopped and less filtered, this IPA has a fruit-forward flavor that is both refreshing and subtle. It’s juicy, hazy, and delicious. There’s a reason it always tops list for best hazy IPAs.
Black Hammer Justin Case
Black Hammer
Mariza Sabino, general manager at Dirty Habit in San Francisco
ABV: 5%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Hands down, a session IPA. They’re nice and light, the hops aren’t overpowering, and it’s approachable in cool and warm weather. We’ve been pouring Black Hammer’s Justin Case Coconut Session IPA. It’s not too hoppy, but just enough so you know it’s an IPA. It has a lower ABV so they’re easy to throw back while you’re hanging out with friends.
Wendlandt Mexi Hazy IPA
Wendlandt
Stephen Ohalloran, bar manager at Camino Riviera in San Diego
ABV: 6.3%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Wendlandt Mexi Hazy IPA is not quite as bitter as West Coast IPA and is easy to drink with fruity flavors. It’s also not as dry as some IPA options out there. It’s a very well-balanced and complex IPA.
Harland India Pale Whale is my personal favorite. It’s not too heavy or over-hopped. It’s just a classic West Coast IPA that’s delicious and refreshing.
Tree House Green IPA
Tree House
Subhash Sankar, head mixologist at Alaia Belize in San Pedro Town, Belize
ABV: 7.6%
Average Price: Limited Availability
Why This Beer?
Tree House Green IPA is my pick. This Double IPA is created with a massive kettle charge of Australian and American hops. It opens in the glass with huge notes of ripe pineapple. There’s a nice smoothness to this beer with fresh-cut pineapple stewed in pineapple juice and topped with candied pineapple. The malt backbone is chewy and substantial while the bitterness is dangerously smooth. Then there’s even more fruity notes of pineapple, mango, and assorted tropical fruit.
An easy IPA to recommend to people who can’t make up their minds is Stone IPA. Not only is this beer well known, but it’s also well balanced with notes of pear and honey which makes it an easy favorite for many people. It’s one of the best-rated beers on the market for a reason.
Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine
Lawson’s Finest
Samantha Seltzer, beverage and service manager at Royal Boucherie in Philadelphia
Lawson’s Sip of Sunshine from Vermont has ripe tropical fruit and honey malt finish. One sip always brings me straight to my happy place. Vermont is making some great hazy beers, and Sip of Sunshine is one of the best.
Jackie O’s Who Cooks For You
Jackie O’s
Annie Pierce, bartender and co-owner of Law Bird Bar in Columbus, Ohio
Jackie O’s Who Cooks For You is my pick. It’s a hazy pale that’s perfectly balanced. It’s big enough for IPA drinkers but not too heavy that it fills you up. It ticks all the boxes for indecisive IPA drinkers.
I can’t imagine worse torture than being stuck in a locked-in state caused by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a disease of the nervous system where nerve cells slowly break down, causing muscles to weaken throughout the body.
Patients who survive through the weakening process eventually reach a locked-in state where even though their brain still functions, they are completely paralyzed with their eyes mostly closed.
In this state, the person is unable to communicate. People with ALS typically live two to five years after being diagnosed and usually die from paralysis of the respiratory diaphragm.
However, life may get a little better for people with ALS after a new development that has allowed a man to form sentences using only his brain waves. Researchers at the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering in Geneva, Switzerland, developed a brain electrode that they implanted into a 36-year-old man in a locked-in state that has allowed him to communicate.
“Ours is the first study to achieve communication by someone who has no remaining voluntary movement and hence for whom the BCI is now the sole means of communication,” said Dr. Jonas Zimmermann, a senior neuroscientist at the Wyss Center.
“This study answers a long-standing question about whether people with complete locked-in syndrome – who have lost all voluntary muscle control, including movement of the eyes or mouth – also lose the ability of their brain to generate commands for communication,” Zimmermann added.
After three months of unsuccessful attempts, the patient was able to spell “yes” or “no” and to form sentences through a speller program.
One of his first requests was to be put in an elevated position when there are guests in the room. He also was able to ask for one thing he probably needed more than anything at that point, a beer. He had to be dying for a beer. He also asked for the band Tool to be played “loud.”
The electrodes allowed him to interact with his 4-year-old child, who he was able to call “my cool son.” He also asked for specific foods to be put into his feeding tube. “For food, I want to have curry with potato then Bolognese and potato soup,” he said.
This was the first time that brain electrodes were even implanted into a locked-in patient and researchers had no idea if they would work.
Completely locked-in man uses brain-computer interface to communicate. Today, Wyss Center COO, Olivier Coquoz, discussed the teamu2019s new Nature Communications paper on @RTScqfd. Listen back to the interview here: https://pages.rts.ch/la-1ere/programmes/cqfd/24-03-2022#12927261u00a0u2026 #neuroscience #BCIhttps://wysscenter.ch/updates/completely-locked-in-man-uses-brain-computer-interface-to-communicateu00a0u2026
The scientists behind the groundbreaking technology are now seeking funding to provide similar implants for other people with ALS. “This is an important step for people living with ALS who are being cared for outside the hospital environment,” said George Kouvas, chief technology officer at the Wyss Center.
It’s stories like this that remind us that we should never take for granted the ability to communicate our basic needs. Let’s hope that the man with ALS will be able to drink as many beers as he likes and to be able to rock out to Tool as loud as possible for the rest of his days.
Parents can sometimes struggle with the responsibility of keeping little people that depend on them alive, healthy and respectful, while also trying to maintain some semblance of a life outside of their kids. Keeping a house running, the lights on and maintaining relationships can result in balls being dropped due to sheer overwhelm. Care tasks like laundry, sweeping, mopping and even showering can end up getting sidelined. Care tasks are simply things that mean caring for one’s self or one’s space, otherwise known as cleaning or activities of daily living. The goal, no matter what you call it, is taking care of yourself.
K.C. Davis, a licensed professional counselor and mom, is known on TikTok for her approach to care tasks by taking the morality and shame out of completing or not completing these tasks. Davis’ catchphrase is “it’s morally neutral” when explaining that homes don’t need to be immaculate to show you care about your space, they just need to be functional.
Let’s take a moment to face an unfortunate fact that still perseveres in our modern society. The brunt of household tasks and family management is handled by the default parent, and in many households, that default parent is the mother. This is also known as invisible labor as it involves tasks that are expected to be completed, typically go unnoticed when they are completed, but are shockingly evident when they go undone.
Davis makes caring for your home, self and children less of a moral duty that can make you feel like a failure and more like things that engender feelings of empowerment. She encourages the default parent to even the load by having open communication with their partner on what they need to feel supported.
Davis also spends time explaining tips and tricks that help her get things done, like setting a visual timer. We get to witness how she utilizes this timer in her everyday life through her videos showing how she “resets her space.” In the majority of her videos she encourages people to think of the functionality of their space and making it work for them.
Reply to @imhailey000 #strugglecare #mentalhealth #ADHD #cleantok #homecare #messismorallyneutral
According to Davis, functionality is key when it comes to care tasks, and she’s prepared with the tools for transforming a space from chaotic to functional. The focus of her videos is never on cleanliness, which can rub some folks the wrong way (as evidenced by her comment section). Her goal is to give primary caregivers and even single people the permission and empowerment to know that they deserve a functional space, and that care tasks are morally neutral.
In her book, “How to Keep House While Drowning,” Davis explains how to be gentle with yourself while also caring for yourself and your home in a way that works best for you. Her gentle approach to care tasks is what keeps people coming back. It’s the validation that we all need.
It seems like there’s an annual conversation regarding the NFL’s overtime rules and whether or not they should change. This year, the conversation came after the high-scoring AFC playoff game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills in which Buffalo’s offense did not get to touch the ball in overtime because Kansas City scored a touchdown on its first possession.
The immediate aftermath of the game featured a huge debate about whether or not this was fair, but no matter what, it does seem like there’s a window for the NFL to do something. And according to Kevin Seifert of ESPN, there is a chance — albeit not a great one — something happens in the coming weeks. Rich McKay, the chairman of the league’s competition committee, says there’s “a lot of momentum” to change the NFL’s overtime rules when the owners come together to meet next week, with a pair of options coming under the microscope.
At the moment, two proposals are under consideration. The Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles have proposed making it mandatory for each team to have an overtime possession before moving to sudden death. The Tennessee Titans, meanwhile, proposed a tweak that would implement mandatory possession for each team unless the team that has the first possession scores a touchdown and converts a successful 2-point attempt.
The bad news for those who want the OT rules to change is that McKay has some reservations about one of these getting the green light, telling ESPN that “I think my history on this rule tells me that 24 votes is not easy to get. But I do think the statistics absolutely warrant an examination of whether overtime rules need to be further modified.”
BTS and Snoop Dogg have been linked to each other for quite some time… well, sort of. Back in 2014, when BTS was just beginning their world domination, the track “Hip Hop Phile” singled out Snoop as an inspiration. BTS’s RM starts reeling off the albums that made him “love” hip-hop and spits the lyric, “And of course the classic Illmaticand Doggystyle!” Now, in a full-circle moment eight years later, Snoop Dogg confirmed that he and the K-Pop supergroup are indeed set to collaborate on a track.
“The BTS experience you keep talking about. I’m going to let them tell you about it. It’s official like a referee with a whistle,” he told the A.V. Club on the red carpet for the premiere of his and Kelly Clarkson’s American Song Contest. “I make good music. They make good music. And we end up doing this. This is what it’s always about, bringing our worlds together.”
In January, Snoop said on a Clubhouse chat hosted by the Mogul Talk podcast that BTS had reached out to him about possibly collaborating, but he wasn’t all that familiar with them yet. He explained that his nephew illuminated him to the finer points of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, and then likened them to the “Asian New Edition. ”
So there you have it, the D-O-Double-G and the Bangtan Boys will be together on a track soon enough. Stay tuned.
After wowing audiences with its wild second season, the HBO original series Euphoria has become such a huge hit that Maude Apatow, who plays Lexi on the show, has become a bigger name than her father, acclaimed comedy director Judd Apatow. At least with the show’s audience, anyway, and the elder Apatow is perfectly fine with it. In fact, he says that’s the plan.
While sitting down with The Last Laugh podcast, the Knocked Up director recalled his first experience with seeing Maude’s fame eclipse his own on social media. Via The Daily Beast:
“I went online and I looked at my Twitter feed and I saw that my name was trending and the first tweet was something like ‘Judd Apatow is Maude’s dad?!’” the legendary comedy director tells me in this preview from next week’s 150th episode of The Last Laugh podcast. “And then someone else was like, ‘Who the fuck is Judd Apatow?’ And then someone else was like, ‘He’s a director!’ And then that person said, ‘Well, I don’t know every nerdy indie director.’ And then someone else was like, ‘He’s not an indie director. He did Knocked Up!’”
Of course, like any proud parent, Apatow couldn’t be more thrilled of Maude’s work on Euphoria, which he self-deprecatingly jokes is directed better than anything he’s ever put out.
“You’re supposed to surpass your parents,” Apatow said. “You want to be the better version. So that’s already happened and I’m very excited for her.”
Dipping sauces are a quick and easy way to elevate the often one-note flavors of McDonald’s fries and McNuggets (that one note typically being salt) to a level one might call “almost complex.” Okay, maybe “almost complex” is still be too strong a phrase, but our point is that McDonald’s dipping sauces make their food significantly better — which begs the question, which of McDonald’s dips and condiments tastes the best?
This is probably an actual question you’ve asked yourself in the drive-through — considering McDonald’s offers one to two free dipping sauces with your meal but chargers for extra sauce, thus forcing you to pick a team. Are you all about the Tangy BBQ? Are you a Ranch person? Have you even bothered to try the full lineup?
With the weekend approaching, we decided to find out which sauce tastes the best by taste testing all of them on the two best McDonald’s foods to dip — French fries and McNuggets.
Dane Rivera
Currently, McDonald’s has the following dips and condiments:
Ketchup
Mustard
Spicy Buffalo
Sweet n’ Sour
Hot Mustard
Ranch
Tangy BBQ
…And, beginning March 31st for a limited time and while supplies last…
The legendary Szechuan Sauce.
Pro tip: If you order all of these sauces in one go, as I did, whoever is working will be sure to remind you that you’re paying for each of these sauces (helpful!). They will also treat you like a weirdo who is somehow trying to prank them (less helpful!). Anyway, let’s dip, starting with the worst of the sauces…
8. Tangy BBQ
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
I’m sorry if you’re team Tangy BBQ but this is legitimately the worst, let me emphasize, the worst, barbecue sauce I’ve ever tasted in my life. It hardly even tastes like BBQ sauce, you would only classify it as such because of the color — which looks more like slightly dark ketchup than your typical BBQ. The sauce goes very heavy on the vinegar notes with a sweet tomato-forward flavor.
There are no traces of smoke here, it’s sugary sweet and bright with a tangy almost sour after taste. Truly the weirdest BBQ sauce ever.
Fries Or Nuggets?
Neither, this sauce tastes equally bad on the nuggets and fries. Once the saltiness of the chicken and fries meets this overly tangy and sweet sauce, the sour flavors come to the forefront causing a wince-inducing experience.
7. Mustard Packet
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
Mustard is a wonderful condiment, it’s packed with all sorts of complex, earthy flavors, McDonald’s mustard though doesn’t quite… cut the mustard. Sorry, but really, this mustard doesn’t have the complexity of a good blend — it’s a little bit blunt and bitter, with a vinegar dominant flavor. It pairs nicely with beef but as a dip for fries or nuggets, it’s useless.
Fries Or Nuggets?
Fries. Mustard on nuggets just doesn’t really work, the bitter flavors of yellow mustard don’t do anything to elevate the salty flavor and crispy texture of the McNugget. On fries, they’re enjoyable enough, but they’re nobody’s first choice. You’re much better off blending the ketchup and mustard together if you go the fry route.
6. Ranch
Dane Rivera
Like McDonald’s Tangy BBQ, the flavor of McDonald’s Ranch comes across as tasting cheap, more an approximation of ranch dressing than actual ranch dressing. It’s very sour-forward, with a sort of powdered sour cream and onion flavor with a loose milky consistency. It’s sour in flavor and smell, very off-putting.
Fries Or Nuggets?
You’re going to want to dip fries in Ranch, not the nuggets. The salty slightly sweet flavor of McDonald’s crispy french fries pairs better with the sour cream and onion flavor of this ranch dressing, on chicken it takes on an almost stomach-turning flavor.
5. Ketchup
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
As far as I can tell, McDonald’s has its own proprietary ketchup — that’s pretty dope, but it tastes almost exactly like Heinz. I know this because I also did a ketchup ranking not too far back, so I’m pretty zeroed in on the nuances of the different brands, and this has that same bright and slightly sweet flavor that Heinz has. It’s kind of hard to hate on ketchup, so the biggest insult we can give to the condiment is saying it’s mid-tier, which it is.
Nothing wrong with that though!
Fries Or Nuggets?
Ketchup tastes equally great on both! I like it a bit more for fries, I find the sweet bright tomato flavors pair nicely with the saltiness of McDonald’s fries, whereas on the chicken all it achieves is adding some moistness to the crispy mouthfeel.
4. Hot Mustard
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
Take “hot” with a grain of salt here because McDonald’s Hot Mustard sauce isn’t hot at all. There is a spice to it, but it’s spicy in the way garlic is spicy, not chili peppers. The flavor here is a bit blunt, and heavily vinegar-forward before settling into an intense sweet garlic flavor. It’s similar to McDonald’s mustard packets but with more interesting flavors that hit your taste buds in small waves.
I’ll never understand why McDonald’s ditched its delicious Honey Mustard sauce, which was both sweeter and spicier than this sauce.
Fries Or Nuggets?
It pairs much better with the nuggets than the fries. The salt of the fries muddies the sweet flavors of this sauce. On the nuggets, the white pepper and garlic flavor of the McNugget batter becomes emphasized by the slightly earthy flavor of this sauce.
3. Sweet N’ Sour
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
McDonald’s Sweet N’ Sour sauce attempts to capture the flavor of sweet ‘n sour dishes of takeout Chinese restaurants, and it almost gets there. As you may have noticed by now, a lot of McDonald’s sauces rely on sugar to deliver most of their flavor, and this sauce is no different. The word “sour” may be in the name, but make no mistake, there is nothing sour about this sauce — it’s corn syrup sweet. That said, it also has an interesting fruity component to it which adds a lot of depth. It tastes like apricot and plum with a brown sugar after taste that makes it incredibly addictive to dip into.
Fries Or Nuggets?
Nuggets are the play with this sauce. The way the sweet fruit and brown sugar flavors pair with the crispy light batter of the McNuggets tastes like a fast food version of sweet and sour chicken.
2. Spicy Buffalo
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
McDonald’s has sadly discontinued its Mighty Hot Sauce so for fans of spicy sauces, the Spicy Buffalo is all we have. The good news is that unlike McDonald’s Ranch and BBQ sauce, this actually tastes like it’s supposed to taste. The Spicy Buffalo has a cayenne pepper forward flavor with garlic and onion notes that settle into a pronounced lingering sizzle on the palate. It’s a great sauce, and if it weren’t for the legendary Szechuan, it would’ve taken the number one spot easily.
Fries Or Nuggets
C’mon, this is buffalo sauce we’re talking about here, you have to eat this on the McNuggets. When the cayenne dominant notes mix with the crispy salty flavor of the McNugget batter, you’ve got one of the best boneless wings in fast food. Grab a nugget, dip it in sauce, and then sandwich it between a small stack of fries. You’ll get your hands dirty, but you’ll have a crispy, salty, spicy treat that comes across better than any McDonald’s chicken sandwich so far.
1. Szechuan Sauce
Dane Rivera
Tasting Notes:
We have to give the number one spot to McDonald’s Szechuan Sauce. Maybe it’s just the novelty of having something new, but this sauce is just tasting the best to me right now. The sauce will be available for a limited time while supplies last (something McDonald’s anticipates will be “a few days”) beginning March 31st but McDonald’s sent me over a small box of five that I will be now guarding with my life.
Ever since Szechuan Sauce (which was released to coincide with Disney’s Mulan in 1998) was mentioned in an episode of Rick and Morty, it’s gone on to enjoy legendary status amongst McDonald’s fans. And here’s the truth: It delivers!
Like all of McDonald’s sauces, the Szechuan is dominated by sweet notes. It’s not in the least bit spicy or hot, flavors most commonly associated with sauces from the Sichuan province of China. Instead, the sauce leans more on brown sugar ginger flavors, almost Teriyaki-like with a smokey after taste. The island of Japan is about 2000 miles away from the province of Sichuan, but… good try McDonald’s!
Aside from not really delivering on the expected heat, this sauce is pretty damn tasty with a sweet soy sauce flavor (not sure there is actual soy sauce in it though) that balances salty and sweet notes perfectly with a sweet smokey finish.
I can’t figure out why McDonald’s makes delicious sauces like the Szechuan, Mighty Hot, and Honey Mustard limited when they are leagues better than the stock sauces, but here we are, living in an age of artificial scarcity for the sake of hype. Rarely is that hype justified, and if you approach this sauce with a bunch of hype and anticipation, we’re telling you straight up that you’re going to be disappointed.
It’s good, but it’s not that good. At the end of the day it’s a just sugar-loaded sauce, which McDonald’s has many of.
Fries Or Nuggets?
It’s equally great on fries and nuggets and for that reason, we’re putting it just above the Spicy Buffalo. The sweet brown sugar and slightly smokey sauce pairs perfectly with the crispy mouthfeel of the chicken, and its subtle vinegary notes play nicely with the salty fries, offering some of that smokiness that the BBQ sauce is sorely missing.
Get it while you can, but if you miss it, just make your own: sugar, a splash of vinegar, corn starch, a splash of apple cider vinegar, ginger, garlic, and sesame seed oil. Half the ingredients, double the flavor.
In celebration of her infectiously danceable new single with Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie” Megan Thee Stallion has linked up with Goldbelly for a special pie collaboration that attempts to capture the spirit of the song. Megan’s H-Town Hottie Pie is inspired by the rapper’s hometown of Houston and goes big on the sweets — featuring a pecan pie loaded up with a combination of shredded coconut, pretzels, butterscotch chips, and gooey brown sugar with a golden glaze over the top.
According to the branding, it promises to taste like your “favorite bakery took a trip down the candy aisle” and it’s very much that. Literally, we’re talking about the “sweetest pie” your money can buy.
Sidenote: We’re eternally thankful Megan take the line “Wanna put his Nutty Buddy in my Fudge Round” too literally with this dessert. Sexual innuendo completely aside, Nutty Buddys and Fudge Rounds are some pretty bottom-tier snacks, so if this was a giant Nutty Fudge Round pie we would’ve had to pass. I’m sorry to the Little Debbie fans out there, you all have bad taste.
Anyway, the H-Town Hottie Pie is currently available for a limited time on Goldbelly for a price of $59. Before you drop that kind of cash on a gold spray-painted pecan pie, you’re probably going to want to know if it’s any good — so let’s eat!
Before we dive into the pie we have to talk about the packaging and presentation, because this is a Gold Belly product, after all. The pie ships frozen in a small box with bubble wrap and is stable at room temperature for a full week, or a full month if you re-freeze it. By the time I received and opened up the pie, it was fully thawed and ready to eat.
That’s great if you live in an apartment with an indoor mailing room like I do, but if you’re getting this delivered to your doorstep and live in a warmer climate, I could see heat damaging the consistency of your pie, which is made of mostly gooey sugar, not exactly the biggest resistor to melt-age.
Dane Rivera
The pie itself is housed in a special promotional box featuring Megan holding a sprinkled donut with her hair made-up to look like whipped cream. The photo matches some of Megan’s recent promotional material, namely her Apple Music profile photo, but I think it’s an odd choice to decorate this pecan pie with so much whipped cream donut imagery when none of that has to do with the pie.
But hey, we’re not here to talk about the conceptual consistency, we’re here to talk about the pie.
Dane Rivera
The pie itself looks like — and I say this with all due respect to both Ms. Stallion and Goldbelly — what I imagine C-3P0’s shit would look like if he was a robot capable of using the bathroom. Spray-painted food is a trend that no one asked for and people keep giving us. Stop. I think I speak for everyone when I say that eating spray-painted food, no matter how much you say ‘its edible!’ will always feel wrong.
When it comes to cutting into this pie we’re going to suggest you use a hammer and chisel because it’s incredibly hard to get a knife through this thing. So unless you’re totally fine with eating an ugly, uneven slice, don’t approach this pie as you would any other pie.
Dane Rivera
The brown sugar/corn syrup substance that sticks all this candied snack food together does a good job of binding the ingredients together, but it makes it hard to get through easily. It’s messy, is the point — most pecan pies are.
Once I finally bit into the pie though, all my criticisms melted away into a pool of sweet ecstasy. This pie is tooth-achingly sweet, brown sugar dominates the flavor with sweet and moist shredded coconut flavor on the aftertaste, mingling with subtly salty notes. While it relies on salted pretzels to act as a counterbalance to the sweetness, it leans much more comfortably on the sweet side of the flavor spectrum.
It’s a pleasure to eat bite after bite, but if you really want to kick it up a notch you’ll throw it in the microwave. A few seconds of heat took the already pleasant experience of eating this pie to the next level. Instead of receiving the flavors in sweet and salty waves, they melded together into a more harmonious whole. The warmed-up pie had a great texture and mouthfeel, courtesy of the combination of sugar, nuts, and shredded coconut, and an even better flavor that tasted like pecan pie reimagined by munchie-seeking stoners.
I still wish it wasn’t spray-painted fucking gold though.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet, salty, nutty, and then sweet again. Once warmed up and topped with your favorite ice cream, you’re in for one of the sweetest pies you’re bound to eat all year. And a pretty damn delicious one.
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