Flavored bourbon (and flavored booze in general) gets a bad wrap from purists. There’s nothing “elevated” about adding sugar-centric flavorings to a premium product. But year-after-year, flavored bourbons, vodkas, and rums end up grabbing a lot of shelf space at the liquor store. That tells you at least two things: 1) someone is buying the stuff, and 2) someone, somewhere is trying to make it better.

While flavored whiskey may feel like a newish invention, it’s been getting bottled as long as we’ve been distilling spirits. Hundreds of years ago, adding fruit and spices to booze was essential to making the stuff drinkable. Then, as we figured out barreling, adding fruits and spices fell off and became more niche. In the modern era, all the major distillers and a vast majority of craft distillers produce a line of flavored products — if for no other reason than to appease drinkers seeking them out.

There’s a lot to like about the ten bottles of flavored bourbons and whiskeys below. For the most part, these are expressions that were cut with an actual product like fresh blackberries or real coffee. We did, you’ll notice, leave off Fireball. While that’s probably the best-known flavored whiskey out there, we’re going to focus on some smaller labels, less-known bottles, and lean away from high fructose corn syrup. For our Fireball review, see here.

Wild Turkey Spiced

ABV: 43%
Distillery: Wild Turkey Distilling Co., Lawrenceburg, KY (Campari Group)
Average Price: $22.99

The Whiskey:

Instead of Fireball, try this. Wild Turkey Spiced is 43 percent Wild Turkey bourbon mellowed with Caribbean spices. The whole idea of this expression is to lean towards a well-spiced dark rum in bourbon form.

Tasting Notes:

If you like Wild Turkey but want a little touch of spice and sweet added, this is for you. This dram opens up with a clear sense of bourbon vanilla, caramel, and oak. The spice is present and carries through with nods to cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and a clear rye pepperiness. The sweet edge leans more syrupy than bourbon-y.

Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $34.99

The Whiskey:

This expression is a nod to master distiller Booker Noe. While Noe helped create bourbon as we know it today, he also loved to make maple syrup and smoke meat. The standard Knob Creek bourbon is cut with “natural” smoked maple flavors that lean into the “smoke” aspects of that.

Tasting Notes:

It’s no surprise that it’s smoke that greets you. Those hints of maple and hickory head towards an earthiness that’s offset by oily vanilla and syrupy maple. The classic bourbon caramel feel comes in late with that syrup sweetness as the smoke lingers like the embers of a dying campfire late at night.

Leopold Bros. Rocky Mountain Blackberry Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Leopold Bros. Distillery, Denver, CO
Average Price: $34.99

The Whiskey:

This small Rocky Mountain distiller does some magical stuff in the flavored booze category. Their sour mash of rye and corn whiskey is cut with fresh blackberry juice from the Rockies. The whiskey then goes into ex-bourbon barrels for final aging with the juice, creating a dark, moody dram.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a citrus rush next to a clear sense of berries and oak upfront. The blackberry brings about a sunny sweetness and earthiness that mingles with notes of dried fruits, vanilla, and caramel as the oak carries on through the palate. The berry and oak merrily continue towards the long, sweet, and warming finish.

Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 35%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $17.30

The Whiskey:

Jim Beam’s Apple blends classic Jim Beam Kentucky straight bourbon with an apple liqueur. The result is a bridge between bourbon and applejack or apple brandy with the essence of green apples front and center.

Tasting Notes:

Green tart apples greet you. There’s a sense of Jim Beam with clear notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak that’s amped up by the crack of a ripe green apple. The oak and bourbon notes lurk in the background as the apple’s sweetness brings about a quick finish.

Virgil Kaine Ginger Infused Bourbon

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Low Country Co., North Charleston, South Carolina
Average Price: $30.99

The Whiskey:

This is another great example of what real spice in bourbon can do. This expression has a base of Virgil Kane’s high-rye whiskey that’s infused with locally grown yellow Hawaiian ginger. The end result is something you didn’t know you needed in your life… but you definitely do.

Tasting Notes:

Naturally, ginger comes through heavily. There’s a sense of fresh ginger juice cut with spicy bourbon. The vanilla, oak, and florals are present but take a backseat to the ginger. There’s a mild fruity sweetness that marries the ginger sharpness — leading towards a long and spicy end.

Old Forester Mint Julep Bourbon Cocktail

ABV: 30%
Distillery: Brown-Forman Distillery, Shively, KY
Average Price: $24.99

The Whiskey:

Old Forester hit the jackpot with this expression. It’s a base of standard Old Forester bourbon cut with sugar and mint to a lower ABV. This is a cocktail in a bottle. Old Forester markets this as a “10-second cocktail” that you simply pour over ice, add fresh mint sprigs to, and enjoy. It’s hard to argue with that efficiency.

Tasting Notes:

Mint is dominating — though there’s still a sense of Old Forester bourbon with notes of vanilla and oak. Those notes carry on through the sip but are fully overshadowed by the real sense of bright mint and bar syrup sweetness on the palate. The expression is never cloyingly sweet though and the sense of sipping a bourbon-based cocktail carries through to the end.

FEW Cold Cut Bourbon

ABV: 46.5%
Distillery: FEW Spirits, Evanston, IL
Average Price: $49.99

The Whiskey:

This one-off release recently won an award for being the best-flavored whiskey in the world. Small batch bourbon is cut down to cask strength by using cold brew coffee mixed with the cutting water. That coffee adds a fascinating depth to the sip that embodies both bourbon and coffee.

Tasting Notes:

Coffee comes through with a nice balance from the oaky spice of the bourbon. The whole sip is underpinned by vanilla, espresso bitterness, caramel, and oak. The sip leans more towards the warmth of the bourbon as it fades away from the bitter coffee notes heading into the finish.

Bird Dog Jalapeno Honey Flavored Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Western Spirits, Bowling Green, KY (Sourced)
Average Price: $17.90

The Whiskey:

Bird Dog has a deep roaster of flavored whiskeys. This whiskey starts off as a Kentucky bourbon with a touch of rye and malted barley in the mash bill. After it’s matured, jalapeno and honey are folded into the expression. It sounds a little wild because… it is. Still, this whiskey consistently wins gold medals.

Tasting Notes:

Honey and citrus create a foundation for a sharp green pepper sense. That honey carries on as bourbon vanilla and oak kick in with a mild yet clear chili pepper spice. The heat builds with the honey and oak towards a sharp and long end that lets the chili linger.

Evan Williams Cherry

ABV: 35%
Distillery: Heaven Hills, Bardstown, KY
Average Price: $14.52

The Whiskey:

This expression uses classic Evan Williams Kentucky bourbon in the base. The ABVs are lowered (a bit) and then it’s cut with maraschino cherry “flavor.” That mix of bourbon, cherry, and sweetness make this a solid candidate for and old fashioned base.

Tasting Notes:

You’re met with big notes of cherry next to bourbon vanilla with a nutty flourish. Caramel and the sweet side of the maraschino cherries take over and the oak, vanilla, caramel, and nuttiness take a backseat but remain in play. The sip edges away from the sweet and into a warm, fruity final note.

Rebel Yell Root Beer Whiskey

ABV: 45.3%
Distillery: Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, KY
Average Price: $17.99

The Whiskey:

Let’s end back on the spicier side of things. After all, root beer is just a spicy soda. This combines Rebel Yell’s wheated straight bourbon with root beer spices.

Tasting Notes:

The creaminess of the root beer and bourbon vanilla mingle upfront. Those notes carry on as the spiciness of the sip kicks in with a nice cut of caramel and oak. The cream soda nature of the sip balances with the spicy warmth of the bourbon for a sharp and satisfying end.

Most of us are participating in video conference calls in some capacity right now, and Zoom has become a staple software for everyone. But whether you use Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, Microsoft Teams, or other video calling tool, one thing is universal—the diversity of clear video conference personalities.

A video posted by Reddit user VidGuy14 is making the rounds and making people laugh as they recognize themselves in one or more of the shots. Are you The One Who Just Woke Up? Or perhaps The Drinker or The Walker or The Busy One? (For the record, I was like “Eh, not me,” until he got to The One in Front of a Window. Oh.)

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Watch and decide:

There are a few folks missing from the video that deserve a callout, I think. The One Who Always Forgets to Mute. The One Who Keeps Talking Without Unmuting. The One Who Clearly Hasn’t Showered in Days. The Constant Snacker. The One Wearing Gaming Headphones. The One With the Bad Internet Connection.

So many ‘Zoom’ers. What a time to be alive.

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The feud between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun continues. The Lover singer has had a longstanding dispute with her former manager Braun and Big Machine Records, which holds the rights to her first six albums and that squabble has seemingly escalated yet again. Swift posted a long-ish message to her Instagram Story earlier today, addressing a planned live album taken from recordings from 2008 scheduled for release tonight/tomorrow at midnight.

In the message, Swift thanks her fans for bringing the planned release to her attention and rebuked Big Machine for applying some legal trickery to the recording to circumvent the terms of her deal. According to Taylor, “This recording is from a 2008 radio show performance I did when I was 18. Big Machine has listed the date as a 2017 release but they’re actually releasing it tonight at midnight.”

Swift asserts that “this release is not approved me,” and accuses Braun, Big Machine, and Big Machine’s financial backers of trying to avoid paying her fairly for the recording — to the tune of $330 million. She calls the move “just another case of shameless greed in the time of coronavirus. So tasteless, but very transparent.”

Swift has previously called the ongoing quarrel with her old label “manipulative bullying,” accusing Braun of preventing her from playing her old songs live while Big Machine’s representatives insist that they have never made any such claims. The tiff has gotten so bad that Taylor even announced plans to re-record her old songs just so that should would own the masters.

All jokes have a life cycle. The bigger and more immediately far reaching the joke, the longer the time between when every single person in the world was screaming it at once and when you couldn’t bear to hear it again. When big jokes hit peak saturation they go dormant and when they come back it’s usually quietly, in an off-handed way between friends or almost as a joke of the memory of that joke.

What no big joke in recent history has been through is a pandemic, which is kind of why Budweiser bringing back “Wassup?” right now via a pretend phone call between Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Candace Parker is like one giant, quiet, and surprisingly tender inside joke.

The spot opens with Wade checking his hair and beard in whatever amalgamation of video calling app he’s using, the kind of frantic last minute gesture we all make in that situation. In the other small screen the initials “CB” pop up. When Chris Bosh materializes Wade lets slip an elated grin that is returned by Bosh.

“Hey!” Wade calls, now he is sort of acting.

“Yo, my guy,” Bosh grins, doing an ad lib salute off the tip of his nose, “wassup man?”

“Wassup with you?” Wade asks.

“Nothin’,” Bosh shrugs, “Just rewatchin’ some games, havin’ a bud.” He is affecting exactly enough of a gentle cowboy here.

“I’m always rewatching old games,” Wade says, before another screen pops up and a woman with a cartoon head of a goat appears, surprising them both.

“Wassup!” It says. For a second, it’s a little scary! But then a smiling Candace Parker is revealed.

Bosh grabs his forehead in total surprise! “It’s the goat!” He says.

“What chu doin’, girl?” Wade asks.

Parker shrugs, “Nothin’. Gave up on cooking,” she sighs, “living off of snacks,” she lifts a single chip, “havin’ a bud.”

Everyone is nodding and here comes another floating square indicating a new caller. It’s DJ D-Nice! Everyone is dancing in their chairs. Wade is the least convincing, Bosh is moving his entire body so much out of frame that his head can’t quite stay in his small window. Parker actually looks cool. D-Nice mutes them all. A chorus of protest from all three until Parker asks Wade the question he must get most in life, where is Gabrielle Union? For how loud Wade calls for her you would think she were several floors away, but she appears, almost instantly, in a denim jumpsuit and sprawls over the back of the couch with the one word you have been dying to hear this whole time —

“WAAASSSSSSUP?”

Like the first laugh after an uncomfortable silence, the biggest first yawn of your day, the magic word releases them and soon all four are shouting it, mouths open, tongues out, eyes shut, D-Nice has even taken them off mute to join in. It lasts for a full ten seconds and as everyone recovers, catching their breath, Wade turns suddenly serious.

Watching, you understand it’s the concept of the ad before it’s gotten there, but you got kind of lost in their going off script for the big WASSSSSAAAAAAPPPP reveal that Wade saying, “For real though, what’s up with everybody?” in a tone of concern and Union following up with, “You guys staying safe?” rings the kind of “Oh yeah” bell everyone is experiencing at all different points in their days, these days. Flip-flopping between feeling okay, feeling isolated, not knowing if those feelings are worth sharing if if they’ll pass.

Bosh, bless him, goes all in for the monologue that eventually fades the video out to the sign-off messaging, that “Checking in, that’s wassup.”

The Wassup joke has reached a completely new kind of zenith, an affectionate echo, the joke of a joke that might make people more comfortable and less inclined to admit they aren’t feeling great reach out and talk about it. If it takes a beer joke to get some people calling their friends and family to talk a little more right now, or encourages them to contact the help line Budweiser has set up with the Salvation Army, it’s really not the worst way to do it. Checking in is wassup, take it from fresh out of Inside The Actors Studio Chris Bosh.

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Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s announcement that the state would start lifting restrictions on some businesses this Friday has been met with criticism by medical authorities, President Trump, and some business owners. Pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page is in that last group, and in an interview with Anderson Cooper, he explained why he won’t reopen his gym tomorrow.

DDP acknowledged that he’s “in a much better position than a lot of people” because his business has an online and DVD component and isn’t just the DDP Yoga Performance Center in Smyrna, Georgia. He explained that he won’t immediately reopen the gym because “For me, I’m going to err on the side of caution because first of all, I’m 64, so I definitely don’t want to be out there working with people and putting my hands on people or anything, so I’m going to apply what I’ve been doing since this first all hit the fan.”

Page explained that “For me, I have to see something change. Right now there’s been no vaccine. There’s been no cure. We don’t really know where it’s going to go.” This arguably makes DDP pro wrestling’s equal and opposite coronavirus reaction to that of Hulk Hogan.

He added that he thinks businesses will have to adapt to the changing environment, comparing the situation to Netflix changing the movie rental industry and the creation of TSA. “I believe the gym business is going to have to change the way they do business moving forward,” Page said, “and I know for sure when I open at some point I will definitely be changing the way I do things.”

The NFL Draft begins tonight, and as such we’re winding through the last of our big boards, this time looking at an interesting linebacker group.

At the top is Isaiah Simmons, an absolute freak that can play about four different positions on defense, all very well, and is nominally a linebacker but is better referred to as a football player. From there you have some potential first-round middle linebackers, decent depth for Day 2, and some Wild Cards that could jump up boards or be steals on Day 3.

Tier 1

Isaiah Simmons: There are rumors that Simmons may be on the slide in the top 10 due to a run on offensive tackles at the top of the draft and movement for QBs as well. Don’t overthink this, GMs. Take the 6’4, 238 pound swiss army knife that can play anywhere from rush backer to safety and runs a 4.39 40 and has a 39 inch vertical.

He’s not just an Underwear Olympics gold medalist, he’s insanely productive. He had 102 tackles, 16 TFLs, 8 sacks, 3 interceptions, and 7 pass breakups last season for Clemson.

Take. Him.

Tier 2

Kenneth Murray: The Oklahoma standout was the glue that held the Sooner defense together. He flies to the football, can cover the field side to side, and loves attacking downhill. He’s been highly productive and while there are some questions of strength when blockers get to him at the second level, he figures to be an immediate starter for someone in the middle next season and rack up tackles.

Patrick Queen: Hi, Bill here, this is my first write-up on this one and before I begin, take Isaiah Simmons. Anyway! Patrick Queen is one heck of a football player. A brain of a defense, Queen is the type of guy whose football IQ, ability to read plays, and athleticism makes him a potential centerpiece as a Mike linebacker. Not the most physically imposing linebacker at 6’ and 229 pounds, but he threw down a 4.5 40 at the combine, which comes through in his film. His tackling will decide if he’s a Pro Bowl-level player or just a consistently good player, but a team is going to look very smart for drafting him.

Tier 3

Malik Harrison: Brings the physicality you want out of a Mike linebacker. Harrison saw the field during all four years in Columbus and got a little better each year, culminating in a senior campaign where he recorded 75 tackles, 16.5(!!) of which were for loss. A dude you want on the field against the run, Harrison is a tough, physical, downhill linebacker who tackles reliably. Questions exist about how he will fare against the pass, but there’s a lot to like here.

Jordyn Brooks: Here’s a project, but a potentially fun one. Drafting defensive players from Texas Tech is normally — sorry, Red Raiders fans — a terrible idea, but Brooks is capable of doing a whole lot on the field. He’s an alert, quick, and aggressive linebacker who wraps dudes up when he tackles them. He needs plenty of refinement, especially in coverage, but the physical profile and football IQ in a 6’, 240 pound frame could very much be worth it.

Troy Dye: Dye was really productive at Oregon and some analysts love him and think he could be a Day 2 pick, while others see him going early Day 3. The question on him isn’t what he did with the Ducks but projecting his slimmer frame to the NFL and wondering if he’s strong enough to be as productive at that level. I think he’s got ample talent and motor to be a stick, as he’s always been productive and has the benefit of being a solid cover man on pass downs.

Wild Cards

Willie Gay Jr.: One of the most talented linebackers in this class, one some would argue belongs with or even above the guys in Tier 2. However, he’s had some discipline issues that will shuffle him down some boards, but it wouldn’t be an absolute stunner if he got his name called Thursday night or early in Round 2. If a team feels they’ve got an understanding of who he is through the interview process, he’s got incredible talent and athleticism (his Combine performance was jaw-dropping).

Markus Bailey: Here’s the guy who teams will want in their franchise if they can get past legitimate injury concerns — he suffered two ACL injuries as a freshman and redshirt senior. Bailey isn’t a stellar athlete, but he’s a very, very smart linebacker who plays hard as hell and isn’t afraid of any challenge. Will bet on him, at the bare minimum, being a very good special teams player for a long time.

Shaq Quarterman: All Quarterman did at Miami was hit people very hard and he did this an awful lot. He’s not the best athlete or the biggest guy, but he loves to fly around the football field and lay the lumber. There’s always room on my team for a guy like that, and he could be a Day 3 pickup that someone loves.

Akeem Davis-Gaither: The App State product put up terrific numbers in Boone and, like some of the other guys on this list, the questions for him aren’t about production but about his size and strength going to the next level. His tape is too good for him to not have some team fall in love with him and could be a late Day 2 selection as an outside backer with pass rush skills.

Evan Weaver: He’s probably a two-down linebacker. Due to his athleticism, passing downs will always be a bit of a problem for him. But my god, it is stupid how good he is at seeing what is happening, reacting, and tackling ballcarriers. The 6’2, 237 pound linebacker recorded — not a typo — 336 tackles during his final two years at California. Sees and attacks as well as anyone in this class. He’s fun.

Khaleke Hudson: Hilarious strength, as evidenced by his LB-high 30 reps on the bench at 5’11 and 224 pounds. Had a monster sophomore year at Michigan — 77 tackles, 16 TFLs, 7.5 sacks, two picks — but never really got better. Mostly on here because he seems primed to have a long career as a special teams ace, but I would be surprised if he never does anything in the league.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Desus And Mero: This week’s quarantine edition features illustrious guests Issa Rae and Jay Ellis from HBO’s Insecure.

Conan: Kaley Cuoco’s around to represent DC Universe’s new Harley Quinn season.

The House of Flowers: Season 3 (Netflix) — Dark secrets and crimes still abound in soap-operatic fashion with Paulina in prison, Elina in the hospital, and Diego working on his relationship with Julian. Friendship and family still remain a challenge.

Katy Keene (CW, 8:00 p.m.) — Katy’s finally not distracted by her job and is dealing, instead, with accusations surrounding Gloria. Meanwhile, Josie and the new Pussycats are at each other’s throats.

Superstore (NBC 8:00 p.m.) — A 21st birthday party brings trouble for Mateo and Cheyenne while Glenn’s playing matchmaker to semi-disastrous ends.

In The Dark (CW, 9:00 p.m.) — A cover-up is at hand when it comes to the new “business” of the Guiding Hope team, and Dean’s working on a new mission with Nia confronting an unexpected development.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (NBC, 8:30 p.m.) — A blackout seems like the perfect mini-crisis for Brooklyn, considering what the world’s dealing with right now.

Will & Grace (NBC, 9:00 p.m.) — The revival winds down with two episodes, including a packed-up apartment, Grace about to give birth, Karen taking on NYC landmarks, and a half-hour wind-down of the series’ greatest moments.

Better Things (FX, 10:00 p.m.) — Frankie gets Batceñera from Sam, and naturally, things are more complicated than they need to be.

Siren (Freeform, 10:00 p.m.) — Confrontation abounds with Ted and Helen while Ben’s dealing with strange side effects, and Maddie and Robb deal with a gruesome finding.

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert: Claire Danes, Mandy Patinkin, Ina Garten

Jimmy Kimmel Live: Arnold Schwarzenegger

The Late Late Show With James Corden: Hugh Jackman

Like all of us, Saturday Night Live is just trying to make the best of quarantine life. Earlier in the month, the show took a bold leap by attempting its first “At Home” episode, which, on top of a socially-distanced assortment of sketches, featured a monologue from Tom Hanks, a musical performance from Chris Martin, and surprise cameos from celebrities trapped indoors.

SNL notably didn’t return the next week, because God only knows how difficult these episodes are to arrange, but according to a new Twitter video, a second “At Home” episode is arriving this Saturday.

You can watch the new promo spot below:

Like the first episode, SNL is playing things very close to its chest. There’s no official word on musical guests or who will be delivering the opening monologue, but that just adds to the spontaneity of the episodes as castmembers are forced to come up with apartment-bound material while everyone works remotely. We’ve all been on a Zoom call. Now imagine trying to turn one into an elaborate comedy sketch.

Remarkably, SNL still managed to deliver some impressive sketches under the unusual conditions. Its maiden voyage into “At Home” comedy featured riffs on Tiger King star Carole Baskin, Pete Davidson’s version of a Drake video, a struggling Twitch streamer, and a look at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles coping with middle age. Curb Your Enthusiam‘s Larry David also popped in to reprise his classic Bernie Sanders impression, and Alec Baldwin was also back as Donald Trump to check in on the quarantined SNL proceedings.

With two weeks to prepare, it’ll be interesting (and hopefully entertaining) to see what rabbits the SNL crew can pull out of its hat this Saturday, and how long the show will keep the “At Home” comedy coming as America debates on when to reopen.