For those not well versed in moose facts, the shedding of antlers is normally a fairly lengthy process. It happens only once a year after mating season and usually consists of a moose losing one antler at a time.
It’s incredibly rare for a bull moose to lose both at the same time—and even more rare that someone would actually catch it on film.
That’s why shed hunter (yes, that’s a real term) and woodsman Derek Burgoyne calls his footage of the phenomenon a “one-in-a-million” shot.
According to The Guardian, Burgoyne was flying his drone through a remote patch of forest in Canada when he spotted three moose in a clearing. His drone followed one of the bulls, who began doing the wobbly little shake thing that signals these antlers are going bye-bye.
Burgoyne knew he had to keep his camera on the moment—but he had no idea that he’d hit the jackpot.
Watch below:
It’s hard to tell which is more fun to watch— the super rare moment in nature or Burgoyne’s pure passion for his hobby.
“I shook a little bit. It was an adrenaline rush for sure,“ he told CBC News, sharing that he has previously found hundreds of shed antlers in his life.
Antler hunting has become a hot and profitable pastime over the past few years, although Burgoyne affirms that his shed hunting ambitions are born from a desire for well-being, not monetary gain.
“I enjoy being in the woods. It’s great exercise and it’s fun tracking the moose through the winter and looking for their sheds in the spring. Each one you find feels like the first one. It never gets old,” he told The Guardian.
Well Derek Burgoyne, thank you for doing what you love. Thanks to your passion, we too can share this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Here’s to good moose news!
In “Honeymoon States,” the latest episode in an eventful season of Succession, Frank discovers that the recently-deceased Logan left a will in his private safe. “It has a list of wishes in the event of Logan’s death,” he explains to Gerri, including that Kendall take over as CEO. Unless he crossed out the name? It’s unclear. A lot of the paper is unclear, actually, but Succession fans on Reddit have done their best to transcribe the will.
The following is a record of additions and clarifications to be added to my official letter of wishes in the… of my passing:
I have … this record to provide my executor and family with information they will need after my death. It includes financial and personal information that will be needed to settle certain affairs … performances and suggestions for arrangements that must be made. I hope this record will help make a difficult time easier for my family.
It is my preference that the title and role of CEO should be bestowed upon my son, Kendall Logan Roy.
Regarding my funeral arrangements: my funeral and burial are to take place in accordance with the … practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
My preferred hymns:
Amazing Grace, Abide With Me, Here I Am, Lord, I Watch the Sunrise Lighting the Sky, The Lord’s My Shepard (Psalm 23)
I wish to be buried with the attached copy of my sister Rose’s photograph placed in … of my wife, Marcia in my right hand … pocket.
I would like to change the epitaph on my headstone …
“Truthful lips, endure forever, the lying tongue lasts only a moment.” Proverbs 12:19.
Leave my head of security, Colin Stiles, my Rolex Daytona Lapis …
Regarding personal assets, include the following: I advise that … should remain in a secured facility indefinitely, and … family … unnecessary financial complications … collection of Impressionism paintings and … Switzerland.
Sincerely yours, Logan Roy.
Congratulations to Colin. He lost a friend, but gained a $3 million watch.
There are four addendums at the bottom of the paper, three of which are tough to decipher. The fourth: “Greg?” Remember when everyone thought Greg was going to become the new head of Waystar Royco? The innocent who gets corrupted by capitalism? That’s still in play — but a funnier scenario would be Logan writing Greg’s name in his will to remind himself that Brightstar Adventure Park needs a mascot, and he knows just the guy for the job.
Last month, a bunch of unreleased Ariana Grande songs leaked online, with one Reddit poster noting the tunes, of which there are “more than 18,” come “from basically every era” of her career. Now, Grande has addressed the leak in a new R.E.M. Beauty video.
In the clip, she applies various makeup products and answers fan questions. At one point, Grande says, “You guys have heard every bad song and bullsh*t demo that I’ve ever made. Hilarious. It’s impossible to keep things from you. You gotta take some swings and misses.” Later, at the end of the video, Grande was asked, “Any secrets soon to come?” She responded, “Hmm… no secrets. I’m all out of secrets. You’ve stolen all my unreleased music, it’s horrible [laughs].”
“You’ve stolen all my unreleased music it’s horrible” —Ariana in a new video for r.e.m. beauty x ulta pic.twitter.com/7JOnmictcN
Elsewhere in the video, she noted of how things are going in general, “Life is beautiful and surreal and I’m learning so much, and I’m growing so much right now, and I’m working my ass off, and I’m enjoying and savoring every moment of it as much as I possibly can. So yeah, very grateful.”
She also offered an update on her pet pig Piggy Smallz, saying, “Piggy is with the twins [dancers Brian and Scott Nicholson] right now, staying with my siblings while I am away, and she is being taken such good care of, and she is happy, healthy, and thriving. Brian makes her the most beautiful dinners and they’re taking such good care of her. She’s very happy. I miss her a lot. Unfortunately, she couldn’t make the flight. She was busy, she couldn’t get on the plane to London. She had a lot of meetings that day.”
Dexter Fletcher had quite a streak going, making movies and television about real, actual people. There was Eddie the Eagle about an Olympic ski jumper. Then came Bohemian Rhapsody, where Bryan Singer is officially credited as director, but Fletcher is the one who came in and righted the ship. Then came the Elton John biopic Rocketman. Then Fletcher helmed the The Offer, about Al Ruddy’s experience producing The Godfather. His latest film, Ghosted, starring Chris Evans and Ana de Armas, contains no actual depictions of famous people. Which, when Fletcher thinks about it, yeah, it is a little liberating.
In Ghosted Chris Evans plays Cole, a man who just isn’t lucky with the ladies (Evans should probably win an Oscar for this portrayal). He meets Sadie (de Armas) and things are going well, until one day she stops replying and Cole does the thing he’s warned by everyone not to do: keep texting. He finds out she’s in London on business and decides it would be a good idea to fly there and surprise her. The surprise winds up being Sadie’s a spy and now Cole’s been also been targeted as a spy and his life is very much in danger. Ghosted is the kind of movie that in the ’90s would play in theaters and be a huge hit, but now lives on streamers. In this case, Apple+.
Speaking of The Offer, a couple of interesting things have happened since we last spoke to Fletcher. First, it turns out Al Pacino did watch The Offer and shared his opinion with Fletcher, and now Fletcher is sharing that exchange with us. And second, Al Ruddy, who produced The Godfather (played by Miles Teller in the series), went on to produce The Cannonball Run. I joked Fletcher should make a series about the making of that movie, to which he tells us that, yes, Al Ruddy wants Dexter Fletcher to make a straight-up reboot of The Cannonball Run. Honestly, this sounds like a great idea.
You finally made a movie that doesn’t involve real-life famous people.
Oh yeah, I know. It’s a departure for me. I know. It was difficult. I was like, who are these people? What on earth? What do you mean they’re not real? Very confusing.
Eddie the Eagle and then Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocket Man and The Offer … did it feel a little more freewheeling not to have to worry about a phone call from the actual people?
That’s true. I mean, yeah, you are not as restricted, I suppose. Not that I was massively restricted in those other films.
But it’s not the fact you did movies about actual people, it’s just you did so many in a row.
No, you’re right. And that wasn’t an intentional move. It was just how things were playing out. And I suppose I just, yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t even think about it like that. The Offer was 50 years ago…
Yeah, but a lot of them are still around. Those are still phone calls.
Yeah, they are still about. But in answer to your question, you’re right. But this was a lot of fun in terms of the, I suppose, you call it fantasy, but it’s not a fantasy film as such. But the element of fiction rather.
In a perfect world, would you have wanted people to come in to this thinking it was a full romantic comedy?
Yeah, I would I think, if I’m honest. Because we worked so hard at creating that meet cute kind of movie opening. And it gives the film a kind of authenticity, that relationship. I really wanted people to buy into, oh yeah, they’d be great together these two. And it’s a debate that we have with the marketing department. And they’re like, no, with streaming, the general consensus or the perceived way of thinking is you want to let people know what they’re going to get. So when they go, great, they know what they’re turning on for and the ride that they’re into. And I’m loathe to talk about many aspects of it. There are people in it as well that people get very excited about.
Okay, you brought that up. I’m not going to say who they are. But how did you get all those people? Obviously, Chris Evans has worked with a good number of them. So does he make calls? Do you make a call?
Yeah, Chris makes calls or I just say this person’s really interesting to me, I’d love to work with him, would you ask him? And they go, well, I’ll ask him. And they say, oh, he said yes. Right. Fantastic. Great.
I’m assuming Chris Evans liked playing a loser. Because in real life he’s really funny. I’ve interviewed him a couple of times before, and he was so funny I’m pretty sure I’m banned from talking to him now because it’s been over 10 years.
“He’s funny, man. He’s a funny dude.” That’s what they said to me about him. I was like, I’m interested in that. Because I agree, I think he’s really funny. But even his earlier work, if you go way back when, he’s funny.
Oh yeah. Not Another Teen Movie, even back that far, he’s hilarious in that.
He’s hilarious in it. I agree. And I even mentioned to him. And he went, “Really?” I was like, “I really fucking liked you in that movie when I saw it.”
Okay, I have an idea for you for a project. I’m going to see what you think of this.
Okay. All right.
The Offer 2 – The Cannonball Run. You can use Miles Teller again as Al Ruddy. He has to build the cast for The Cannonball Run.
Burt Reynolds! I’ve got to find the Dom DeLuise, right?
Yeah, and Roger Moore basically playing James Bond.
Roger Moore playing James Bond. Yeah, of course. There’s that. Yeah, that’s quite a cast you’d have to find there. Yeah, I’m up for it. Al Ruddy would definitely be up for it.
I have no doubt he’d like some more movies made about him.
He’s already asked me, “Hey, would you want to remake The Cannonball Run?”
Wait, he’s asked you just to remake the movie?
Yeah.
I’ve actually thought about this. The problem is you would need someone on a Tom Cruise level of fame like Burt Reynolds was then. But those people don’t do movies like The Cannonball Run anymore.
You’d need Brad Pitt and Margot Robbie.
Yeah, and George Clooney.
Leonardo DiCaprio, Clooney, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, there’s a whole raft of people that you really need.
If you got all the people you just mentioned, I think people would show up to see that movie.
If anyone got all of those people I just mentioned, they’d show up…
Yeah, but then put them behind some cool cars. Yeah, I think we’re talking now.
No-brainer.
Were you happy with the reaction to The Offer? Because I feel like critics were mixed, but once people saw it, people really liked it. Everyone I know who has actually just sat down and watched it couldn’t stop watching it.
Yeah. Look, I mean, I get, it’s a really big thing to take on. It’s not The Offer you’re taking on, it’s The Godfather. You’re just trying to dance around the edge of something that’s so seminal for so many reasons.
When I spoke to you for The Offer, you said you hadn’t heard from anyone from the cast. So you mentioned you’ve known Al Pacino for a while. Now that it’s aired and it’s been out for a while, have you heard from anyone?
Well, I see Al Ruddy a lot. I know Al Ruddy, he’s lovely. And I spent more time with Pacino…
But did Al Pacino watch it?
Pacino did, yeah, and he likes it.
He comes off pretty well in that. He comes off as a serious actor who is hesitant to do it.
Yeah, Pacino’s good. He goes, “That’s what it was like.” He goes, “It’s like watching at home, it’s like watching my memories,” he said to me at one point. I mean, obviously, it’s 50 years ago, and we’re basing it on retold stories that have been retold a million times. But there’s something about it for him that I think captured the spirit of what was going on there for him. And each of their experience and memories of it are really personal. How Al Pacino talks about it is very different from how Al Ruddy speaks about it.
I bet.
Yeah, exactly. But they love recounting the stories. And it brings up stuff in their memory and they go, oh fuck, yeah. And there was this guy and that thing happened. And then this woman came and did this. There’s all these sort of things it starts kicking off with them. So it’s a really good thing. Look, he’s really pleased with it. I don’t know about Coppola… I haven’t had a chance to speak to him. That would be the big one. But he’s rather busy in Atlanta I think by all accounts.
Yeah, he’s got his own movie he’s making.
He doesn’t need fanboying around him. But yeah. It’s the nice thing about Rocket Man, you meet certain people who were involved with Elton over his career and they go, yeah, you really found a moment there that I enjoyed. So that’s a real boost.
Keanu Reeves is not one to phone it in, as the kids say. In every role he takes, he gives the performance of a lifetime, whether it be as a depressed action figure in Toy Story 4 or in real life kissing his girlfriend with his eyes open. It’s not weird when he does it! Even when the actor was tricked into starring as a serial killer, he pulled it off without complaining (but never spoke of the movie again). So it’s no surprise that people want to see this man on the big screen. A lot of people, actually!
The latest installment in the John Wick franchise has already beaten John Wick Chapter 3 at the global box office, raking in $349.7 million since hitting screens just over a month ago. For reference, Chapter 3 managed to secure a measly $329 million at the box office back in 2019.
Unfortunately, John Wick couldn’t use his martial arts skills to take down Mario and Co., who dominated the box office once again last week and is inching closer to that $700 million mark. As the saying goes, no matter how hard you try, no matter how many dinosaurs you might throw at him, Chris Pratt will never fail.
There is only one logical next step here, which is to add Reeves to the cast of the eventual Super Mario Bros Movie sequel. But who would he play? Obviously, that would be Cappy, Mario’s hat when it gets possessed by a helpful little ghost. The Academy won’t even be able to wait to give him an Oscar then.
A year after Doja Cat joked about getting a tattoo to troll fans with an epic thirst trap, she debuted the real things at the Grammys this year. She offered a closeup look at another one on Instagram over the weekend, but not everyone was feeling it, prompting Doja to give an impromptu art history lesson when fans associated it with Satanism.
As noted by Vibe, some fans perceived the tattoos as “demonic,” with one writing, “Used to love you but you clearly sold your soul to the devil. Unfollow.” In a later post, Doja shared more reference photos of images from 15th-century artist Fortunio Licenti, the inspiration for her tattoo, along with an explanation from the Public Domain Review’s Instagram detailing his influences and motives. “Your fear is not my problem,” Doja wrote.
Doja has been active on social media lately, calling out fans who criticize her new, short-haired look and attention-grabbing cosmetic statements. ” I make hit after hit after hit and you all want me to look f*ckable for you so that you can go home and jerk your c*cks all day long while you live in your mothers basement,” she wrote on Twitter. “Go f*ck yourselves.”
On the music side, Doja’s verse on the remix of SZA’s “Kill Bill” has drawn praise for its fiery, focused approach to the sort of hardcore rap Doja grew up listening to.
After being publicly humiliated in his attempt to take control of the special land agreement where Disney World sits in Florida — and trashed by returning CEO Bob Iger — pudding cup enthusiast Ron DeSantis is pursuing a new avenue to punish the entertainment giant for opposing his “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Confirming reports that he’s now focused on the land next to Disney, DeSantis revealed during a press conference on Monday that he’s exploring all kinds of options of what the state could put on the land. Options like, let’s say, a prison perhaps because why not go full Lex Luthor in your all-out war against a cartoon mouse?
DeSantis openly speculating about what the state could build next to Walt Disney World:
“And so, you know, it’s like, okay, kids, I mean, people have said, you know, maybe, maybe have another, maybe create a state park, maybe try to do more amusement parks.”
“Someone even said, like, maybe you need another state prison,” DeSantis added. “Who knows? I mean, I just think that the possibilities are endless.”
While all of this might seem diabolical, DeSantis also admitted that he didn’t even realize the state controlled the nearby land until just recently.
“So if you look at this whole special district, well, Disney Corporation obviously owns a lot of it, but the district owns other land,” DeSantis told a crowd of reporters. “And you know, quite frankly, I wasn’t even thinking about that land.”
Of course, it remains to be seen how voters will respond to a governor who’s willing to sabotage the largest employer in his state and kneecap a significant portion of the state economy while he’s at it. America just had a vindictive president, do we really want to go through that again?
There’s a lot of great Scotch whisky on the shelves these days. You have so many opportunities to try peated and unpeated malt, special oak cask finishes, cask strength offerings, blended this and that, and limited releases that it can all feel dizzying. Today, I’m going to help you cut through all the crap and call out the absolute best Scotch whisky — single malt, blended, or otherwise — at every single price point from $20 all the way up to $500.
For this list of Scotch whiskies, I’ve taken the number one whisky bottle from every one of my “best price point” Scotch whisky articles this year. That gives you 15 scotches to choose from. These whiskies really do range from simple mixers to some of the most sought-after and beloved (and awarded) whiskies in the world. In short, there might be a whisky on this list that becomes your “forever whisky.”
Since this is by price point, I’m not ranking these whiskies. The ranking is inherent in the price. As much as I love, say, the Glenmorangie 10-year, there’s no point in pretending it’d beat out Ardbeg 19 or The GlenDronach 21. One is made for making highballs and the other two are world-class sippers that transcend any category.
Lastly, this list gets into rare whisky that’s highly allocated (released only in specific markets to specific retailers, restaurants, and bars). Prices are going to vary depending on your region and what’s available there. Thems just the breaks, folks. Let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
The whisky in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80-proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background.
Palate: The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins.
Finish: The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is the closest you’re going to get to a sipper at this price point. You can pour this over a big glass of rocks and it’ll be pretty tasty (a truly solid “B” whisky). But you really want to mix this into whisky-forward cocktails or highballs more than anything else.
$30-$40 — Glenmorangie The Original Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
The Glenmorangie is a classic Highlands single malt. The juice is created on the tallest stills in Scotland, which allows more spirit creation along the way as it’s boiled. The whisky then spends ten years mellowing in ex-bourbon barrels. Finally, the whiskey is vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with soft grains next to a rush of dried fruits and supple leather with a floral hint that leans toward dry hibiscus and fresh woodruff.
Palate: The palate is gentle with hints of wet malts next to powdered dark spices, fresh honeycombs, and a thin line of vanilla oils just touched with orange zest and maybe a twinge of grapefruit.
Finish: The end arrives with a soft honeyed sweetness that feels like it’s drizzled over an orange cake with a hint of malted cracker graininess next to an echo of old apple chips.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid single malt that really does shine on its own. Yes, you can mix a mean cocktail with it, but you can also 100% enjoy this over a rock or two and feel like you’re drinking a really good simple Scotch whisky.
$40-$50 — Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 14 Years
Glenmorangie’s 14-Year expression spends 10 years resting in used American oak casks. Those barrels are vatted and the whisky is re-barreled into Quinta Ruban port wine casks from Portugal for another four years of mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of burnt orange layered into dark chocolate and then melted over a singed marshmallow with a hint of malted vanilla cookie tying it all together.
Palate: That dark chocolate drives the palate with a hint of waxiness and woody winter spice next to whole black peppercorns, fresh tangerine, and a whisper of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Finish: The dark chocolate, woody spice, bright orange, and sharp spearmint all collide on the finish with a sense of soft malted sweetness and faint old oak staves.
Bottom Line:
Delicious. It’s perfect neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite whisky cocktail. This is an exceptional whisky at this price point.
$50-$60 — Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ten Years Old
This is Ardbeg’s signature bottle and a true gateway to the peaty style of single malt scotches. The real highlight of this expression is the peat smokiness filtered through sherry casking. The phenol count tends to be on the higher end with this expression, so you’ll know you’re drinking a smoky whisky from the first nose. But it won’t absolutely floor you.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic Ardbeg with hints of BBQ smoker ash full of fat, tart red berries, lemon pepper, and a touch of creamy dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead while layering in sea-salt brined pork fat, hints of bourbon vanilla, and an echo of Nutella.
Finish: The finish has that deep salted black licorice vibe leading to a slow fade through the peppery smoked fat, charcoal ash, chocolate nuttiness, and finally smoked red berries with a sweet/tart edge.
Bottom Line:
This is bold and fun whisky that’s wonderful served over a single large rock in a big ol’ rocks glass. That said, it also works nicely in a cocktail (think citrus and honey or even Coke). But if you want to get the full thrust of the Islay peatiness with that seaside smoker vibe, then stick with the big cube of ice.
$60-$70 — Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background.
Palate: The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness.
Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a whisky that’s so much greater than its equally great parts. This is one of the best blended malt whiskies you’ll ever find, full stop. It shines as a cocktail base and slaps as a simple everyday sipper. You can’t lose.
$70-$80 — Oban West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch, in general, to have on hand. The whisky is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea. The whisky barrels are then blended and proofed by Oban’s tiny distillery team (only seven people work there) before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus, salt, and a whisper of briny peat smoke open this one up on the nose as this sense of dry orchard fruits at the end of fall mingle with soft honey drizzled over spiced malted crackers with a hint of smoked orange saltwater taffy lurking in the background.
Palate: That smoked citrus carries on as a foundation for mild winter spices as a note of honeycomb, hints of fresh pears, and plummy dried fruits with a fatty nuttiness mingle on the palate.
Finish: The oaky spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet at the end with a slight malty sweetness, old pear, and the faintest whisper of dried seaweed.
Bottom Line:
This is flawless whisky. It’s perfectly suited to neat or on the rocks sipping while also being a killer cocktail base. You cannot go wrong with this bottle.
$80-$90 — Cragganmore Distillers Edition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. The whisky is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into American oak casks that held port for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin next to savory (almost oily) herb branches and leaves.
Palate: The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe while this medley of caraway, fresh fennel, and sweet cardamom dance together on your palate.
Finish: The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.
Bottom Line:
There’s something about the funky green herbal and orchard notes of this whiskey that keeps calling me back for more. It’s unique but nostalgic. It’s like silk but still full of surprises. It also truly blooms with some water added, leading you through herb gardens, fruit orchards, and creameries on a sunny day.
$90-$100 — Lagavulin Single Islay Malt Whisky Aged 16 Years
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the mash is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin Distillery. The whisky then spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose.
Palate: The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality.
Finish: The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect balance of approachable peated whisky and deep Islay flavors that are welcoming to all. Yes, this has deep peated vibes, but those are subtly layered into a bigger idea of this whisky’s orchard notes, creamy sweetness, and honeyed bitterness with a soft briny aura. It all just works, which makes this an essential advanced whisky to have on your bar cart. Plus, you need this around to make Smoky Cokeys — so don’t skip this one.
$100-$125 — Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky The Distillers Edition
The 2022 Distillers Edition is a classic Talisker that’s aged by the sea and finished for six months in Amoroso sherry casks. The whisky was distilled in 2012 and bottled at 10 years old. It was then finished in another Amoroso sherry cask, making it “double cask” matured.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep on this whisky with mild hints of beachside campfire smoke whispering in the background as hints of red fruit, wet driftwood, and green peppercorns draw you in.
Palate: The palate embraces the red berries with a slight tartness next to the sweetness as the peat remains dry and distant and tied to the brine of the sea with an almost oyster liquor softness.
Finish: The finish lingers for just the right amount of time as sweet berries and dry peat lead towards soft dark cacao powder with a tiny note of vanilla and one last spray from the sea.
Bottom Line:
This is as close to a perfect whisky as you can get at this price point. It’s sophisticated, dynamic, and delectable.
$125-$150 — Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 16 Years
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:
Nose: 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.
Palate: The taste has a faint vanilla edge next to velvety honey, sharp spice, old leather-bound books, and a touch of bruised apricot.
Finish: The end is very long, holds onto the spice and fruit, and leaves you with a sense of creamy vanilla honey.
Bottom Line:
This is an expressive whisky that’s also very pointed. It’s clear-cut and bold at the same time. If you’re looking to really get into Scotch single malt, this is a must-try step in the right direction.
$150-$200 — Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years
This is a classic single malt that also happens to hold the title of “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” from the World Whiskies Awards. The iconic whisky is rendered in Talisker’s bespoke stills and then spends nearly two decades resting in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels, like most of the true classic single malts.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has a light yet clear sense of ripe plums, orange oils, buttery toffee, and an almost sour apple next to a distant whiff of briny campfire smoke from one beach over.
Palate: The orange oils remain on the palate as eggnog spices peek in gently, with hints of that butter toffee driving a rich silkiness.
Finish: The smoke remains in the distance as the spices warm your senses and the meaty fruit takes the edge off on the slow and satisfying fade.
Bottom Line:
The general consensus is that this is the “Best Single Malt Whisky in the World” and I have absolutely no desire to argue with that. This is my house pour. It should be yours too. It’s cliched but I have to say it — if you buy one bottle on this list, this should be it.
$200-$250 — Caol Ila Aged 25 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
This is the first official Caol Ila 25 Year that was bottled with a good dose of proofing water (previous 25-year limited editions were bottled at cask strength). This whisky is made from Caol Ila’s famed briny peated malts. The whisky spent 25 years mellowing right next to the sea on Islay until a few barrels were just right.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoked vanilla pods and salted black licorice lead on the nose with a sense of burnt toffee, burnt stout, and the darkest of chocolate cut with oyster liqueur, beach rocks, and a fleeting (almost inexplicable) sense of freshly mown lawn.
Palate: The palate is luxuriously silken with a soft salted toffee next to a whisper of bourbon caramel next to old leather pouches that held spiced pear tobacco and old maritime ropes with a touch more of that oyster brine.
Finish: The end has a balanced and subtle spiced maltiness that then leans toward the vanilla, toffee, and licorice candy sweetness with a hint of plum and apricot next to a soft summer sea breeze carrying a sense of blooming wildflowers.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the truly great whiskies in the world. It is perfect. It is delicious. It should be on your bar cart if you consider yourself a whisky connoisseur and have the means.
$250-$300 — The GlenDronach Parliament Aged 21 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Don’t let the name fool you. The “parliament” in this case is the collective noun for rooks — a type of European crow that nests above the distillery. That dark essence is rendered in the whisky through 21 long years of maturation in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks exclusively.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lot going on with this nose, starting with blackberry brambles hanging heavy with ripe fruit leading towards a well-spiced oatmeal cookie, soft marzipan cut with hints of orange zest, a light sense of dark chocolate with a creamy edge, and soft vanilla cookies sprinkled with mint and lavender.
Palate: A sticky toffee pudding sweetness arrives (heavy on the black tea-soaked dates and nutmeg with a well-salted toffee drizzle) with flourishes of bitter dark chocolate notes and a sharp holiday spice matrix that leans into bark and berry botanicals with a dash of sweet nutmeg.
Finish: The end is very long and very velvety with hints of dark fruits, winter spice barks, soft marzipan, and a fleeting sense of a wildflower orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is a perfect whisky. No faults. It’s just delicious.
$300-$400 — Ardbeg Traigh Bhan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 19 Years Old
This is Ardbeg’s yearly release of special batches of 19-year-old peaty malt. The whisky is Ardbeg’s signature, heavily peated whisky that’s bottled during a “haar.” That’s a thick and briny foggy morning on Islay, which imparts that x-factor into the whisky before it goes into the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A soft smokiness comes from smoldering lime leaves that lead to a hint of sour cream bespeckled with fennel seeds and wrapped up in cold-smoked salmon with a hint of pine resin and black tea in the background of the nose.
Palate: The palate has this soft and sweet hint of grilled pineapple that works the taste toward salted dark chocolate fudge, orange zest, and dried lavender with a whisper of wet granite and sea-soaked charcoal.
Finish: The end has a slight sweet ash vibe that’s more fruity than peaty with a sense of seawater-soaked wood smoldering away and roasting some marshmallows.
Bottom Line:
Ardbeg hit a pinnacle with their 19-year Traigh Bhan yearly limited release. It’s a masterpiece of peated audaciousness and one of the best peated malts from Islay, full stop.
$400-$500 — Springbank Aged 18 Years Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Springbank 18 is a 50/50 single malt blend of whiskies that mellowed in both bourbon and sherry casks. The 18-year-old barrels are masterfully vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose feels like it’s viscous with hints of thick golden syrup next to a slight earthiness, floral honey, meaty dates, and ginger cake with caramel icing.
Palate: The palate meanders through salted black licorice and walnut shells as smoked maple syrup leads to a mid-palate full of ripe and sweet red berries with a hint of the bramble underneath.
Finish: The finish becomes creamy like a malted chocolate milkshake with pencil shavings and wet BBQ charcoal on the back end.
Bottom Line:
This is funky perfection. It’s familiar yet new. It’s deep yet understandable. It’s really just that good. It’s also a pretty insane show-off bottle to have on your bar cart given the rarity of these bottles.
Keeping up with new music can be exhausting, even impossible. From the weekly album releases to standalone singles dropping on a daily basis, the amount of music is so vast it’s easy for something to slip through the cracks. Even following along with the Uproxx recommendations on a daily basis can be a lot to ask, so every Monday we’re offering up this rundown of the best new music this week.
This week saw Ice Spice and SZA both come through with big-time collaborations. Yeah, it was a great week for new music. Check out the highlights below.
Back in 2020, Ice Spice joked that Nicki Minaj had followed her on Twitter. Two years and change later, it actually happened. Things escalated quickly from there, as last week, Minaj joined Spice on a remix of “Princess Diana,” a thumping number that was accompanied by a twerk-filled video.
SZA — “Kill Bill” Feat. Doja Cat
SZA has one of the year’s biggest albums with SOS, and her single “Kill Bill” is also a massive success, so far peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. But speaking of high-profile collaborations, she breathed new life into the song last week by recruiting Doja Cat for a remix. The track starts with the newness right away, as Doja opens the track with a fresh verse that builds on the song’s themes of revenge.
Dominic Fike — “Dancing In The Courthouse”
After getting a season of Euphoria under his belt, Dominic Fike pivoted back to music last week with “Dancing In The Courthouse.” The single is a warm and breezy number, propelled by a relaxed rhythm and vibe that’s going to be perfect for lazy summer afternoons in the coming months.
Post Malone — “Chemical”
Posty just delivered one of the first big surprises of Coachella 2023’s opening weekend by popping up during Bad Bunny’s set. Before that, though, he dropped “Chemical,” his first single of the year, a pop- and rock-leaning tune with a propulsive rhythm on which he confronts his vices and struggles.
Angel Olsen — “Forever Means”
Not long after last year’s Big Time, Angel Olsen is coming back with a new collection of music, an EP dubbed Forever Means. The title track came out last week and the song, as Uproxx’s Danielle Chelosky notes, “possesses the endearing twang of her last LP, as well as the intimate, vulnerable ambiance.”
The National — “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend” Feat. Phoebe Bridgers
The National and Phoebe Bridgers have become friends in recent years, but they have an opposite sort of relationship with their inner workings on “Your Mind Is Not Your Friend,” the latest from The National on which Bridgers features. It’s a melancholic, piano-driven number on which Matt Berninger sings, “Don’t you understand? / Your mind is not your friend again / It takes you by the hand / And leaves you nowhere.”
Daniel Caesar — “Valentina” Feat. Rick Ross
Caesar is only days removed from the release of Never Enough but he already bounced back with a deluxe edition of the album. The expanded version includes a new collaboration with Rick Ross on “Valentina,” a sultry number that builds upon its initially brief runtime by adding some punch with Ross’ new verse.
Kelly Clarkson — “Mine”
Excluding a 2021 Christmas album, the last full-length we got from Kelly Clarkson was 2017’s Meaning Of Life. Now, though, the talk show host and singing competition judge is getting back in the saddle with Chemistry, which is set to land this summer. It’s gearing up to be a personal album that addresses her divorce, as she sings on “Mine,” “You know I question every motive, everything you say / Thought with you maybe my heart wasn’t meant to break / Can’t believe I let you in, I can’t believe I stayed / As long as I stayed, yeah.”
Lauren Spencer-Smith, Gayle, and Em Beihold — “Fantasy”
Gayle had a massive 2021 and 2022 with “ABCDEFU” and the subsequent A Study Of The Human Experience EPs. The personality she infuses in her music played a major role there and it’s also clearly present in “Fantasy,” a big and bold new song in collaboration with Lauren Spencer-Smith and Em Beihold.
Metallica — “Sleepwalk My Life Away”
Metallica had a huge 2022 thanks to a “Master Of Puppets” needle drop in Stranger Things. Now, they’re also making an impact in 2023 with a new album, 72 Seasons. The band has been at it since the ’80s and while they’re very much veterans, they don’t yet come across as old, as there are still plenty of punishing riffs and strong songwriting on the new LP, their 11th.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
“The UK artist gained popularity over a decade ago but took an extended hiatus after his music was leaked online. In 2019, the artist returned to drop his music in an official capacity. Because Jai Paul isn’t used to performing in front of a crowd, much less to a crowd of thousands at one of the biggest festivals in the world, it was clear he had some understandable nerves.
Unlike seasoned performers like Blackpink or Charli XCX, Jai Paul didn’t address the crowd during his set or try to hype up the audience. Instead, he walked out on stage and launched straight into the music. Even still, his dance-y beats and impressive falsetto vocals were enough to win over the crowd as he played fan-favorite tracks like ‘Jasmine,’ ‘BTSTU,’ and ‘Str8 Outta Mumbai.’”
Check out Paul’s full setlist below, courtesy of setlist.fm.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
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—Ariana in a new video for r.e.m. beauty x ulta 
