There are certain clothing categories that are harder to shop for than others. For example, finding the perfect-fitting jeans or bra is infinitely harder than, say, shopping for a T-shirt. Underwear is another one of those categories—finding the right combination of fit, material, seam stitching, and cut can prove to be quite the task. While underwear shopping is extremely personal based on your unique preferences, it can be made much easier by identifying the style that you like best—whether that be thong, tanga, classic bikini, or cheeky.

If cheeky is your cut of choice, this story is for you. Cheeky underwear features a narrower cut of fabric across the back than a classic bikini but more coverage than a thong. It’s a playful, fun cut that still offers moderate coverage, making it one of my personal favorite styles.

So I took one for the team and scoured the internet searching for the best cheeky underwear and happily accumulated quite the list. Based on a mix of customer reviews, product descriptions, and brand reputations, below are the 30 best pairs of cheeky underwear on the internet. 

Next: I Have a Solid Collection of Lingerie—These 6 Brands Are My Go-Tos

Well, we are finally in the midst of winter, which means it’s time to acquaint ourselves with a new set of trends for the season. Corduroy is one trend that is making its way back around the fashion circuit. While corduroy has technically never been “out of style,” it hasn’t been seen as a wardrobe staple in quite some time. According to fashion people, though, it’s time we stop sleeping on corduroy—specifically, corduroy pants. Corduroy is an easy way to add texture to an otherwise simple look. Plus, it’s cozy and durable. What more could you want for winter? As with any pants, fit is key, so make sure to check out our tips for how to find the best pants for a curvy body and our tailoring guide.

Don’t expect to see only corduroy pants, though. Fashion people have recently been styling the fabric in modern, fresh ways, which is helping to shed the retro reputation it carries. Along with pants, it seems like corduroy jackets are also having a moment this season. Hailey Bieber, Alexa Chung, and Katie Holmes have been spotted out in a brown corduroy blazer from Khaite’s fall 2022 collection on numerous occasions.

Textured fabrics may seem daunting to style at first, but there are so many ways to incorporate corduroy into your looks, no matter the season. Scroll on for six ways to style this sleeper trend, from winter ensembles to outfits to transition into spring too. 

Next: Michelle Obama Wore the Denim Trend Everyone’s Replacing Skinny Jeans With

Nail polish is one of my all-time favorite things. I’ve been known to match my nail color to my mood, my outfit, you name it. One thing about many nail polishes that bothers me, however, is that many of them are not sustainable. 

Enter Ela + Mila, an eco-friendly nail polish brand that also has every color under the sun. Named after one of the founder’s twin daughters, this brand has slowly been gaining momentum in the nail space.

While you’ve probably heard of seven-free or ten-free nail polishes, Ella + Mila is a whopping 17-free, meaning that all the polishes contain no acetone, animal-derived ingredients, bisphenol-a, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, gluten, glycol ether of series e, nonylphenol ethoxylate, parabens, phthalates, styrene, sulfate, toluene, triphenyl phosphate, or xylene. If chemical-free nail polish is important to you, this brand is well worth your attention. Keep reading for the ten best colors Ella + Mila has to offer. 

Next, This Is the Best Nail Polish Brand to Use If You Have Kids—Here’s Why

Full electrification is in Bentley’s imminent future. The luxury British marque and world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder engines aims to be an all-electric brand by 2030, with the first Bentley EV set for a 2025 arrival. In the meantime, the crew in Crewe is taking a small step into its electrified future with their first Flying Spur Hybrid. 

On first inspection, it’s difficult to tell this Flying Spur is anything out of the norm for Bentley’s lineup. The lines of the body are gorgeous and elegant, the car feels heavy and well-built. As a passenger, the ultra-luxe interior remains quintessentially Bentley in its opulent offerings: massaging seats, rear touchscreen controls and incredible materials to wrap occupants in thoughtful comfort. 

The Odyssean Edition test driven for this article does include some exterior understatements like natural hues to the paintwork and trim that’s painted instead of chromed. These subtle touches are especially notable when compared to Bentley’s normally bolder offerings like the Bentayga, Continental and especially the unique Batur. 

Getting behind the driver’s seat is where the difference of the hybrid comes into full view. The hybrid engine works in several ways, each manually chosen by the driver. There’s a true hybrid mode, in which the electric motor supports the combustion engine to deliver better gas efficiency and almost 500 miles to the tank; a full-electric mode that’s entirely dependent on the electric motors and shuts off the combustion engine; and a completely non-electric (aka Sport) mode, in which the car relies solely on the gas engine and actively recharges the electric battery. 

My experience in the hybrid mode—the mode I imagine most people who buy this car will favor—went beyond my expectations in terms of efficiency for a Bentley. Taking the car on a road trip from NYC, I watched as miles per gallon increased noticeably when switching over to hybrid mode. One downside to the efficiency is that this V6 feels underpowered and on the sluggish side off the line when moving the sedan’s heft.

Switching over to Sport and turning off the electric motor mitigated this issue. Not a surprising outcome because this change functionally turns the Flying Spur Hybrid into a regular Flying Spur. The engine growled pleasantly on the switch and the familiar acceleration returned though, again, this is still a V6 car and that’s a far cry from the performance of Bentley’s signature W12 engine.

Perhaps the most interesting mode in the Flying Spur Hybrid—definitely the one I was most excited to experience—was full electric. Keeping in mind the fact that Bentley still has a long way to go in their transition to full electrification in 2030, I was focused on the prospect of seeing what they’d already accomplished and how much they’d leveraged from their parent company, Volkswagen, who have already realized some of their electric ambitions in the ID4 and the VW Buzz van. 

Sadly, for Bentley, this was a let down and the road to EVs currently feels longer than I expected. The Flying Spur’s full electric range was a paltry 30 miles and speed caps out at 87 mph (compared to 177 mph when using gas.) I was told these specs before getting in the driver seat but I just wasn’t ready for how limiting they felt. Even in a local setting, 30 miles is a range I’d expect from an electric scooter, not a super-lux car. Driving hard in the aggressive stop-and-go traffic of NYC knocked it down even more. 

Did the Flying Spur Hybrid still perform admirably in these conditions? Of course it did…just not for long before I had to flip back to Sport mode to start juicing up the electric motors. Was I pleased that EV-mode limited top speed to 87 mph when I finally broke free of NYC traffic and hit the highways, allowing Priuses and Teslas to pass me? Hell no. 

On the brighter side, regardless of which mode I was in, the Flying Spur handled beautifully and was a pleasure to drive, especially for such a large car. Steering was tight and suspension was stiff enough to not feel like a boat. Even the night vision HUD came in handy as I tightly wound around the twists and turns of upstate NY’s mountains after dark. Bentley undoubtedly knows how to make cars that are engaging to drive and that pedigree is certainly coming through, even as they find their footing with hybrids and EVs. 

Perhaps that’s why I found this watered down approach to hybridization off-putting. Bentley puts their century-long expertise into every element of their cars. I’ve seen how they do it and it’s honestly breathtaking. So it’s shocking to see them come off as amateurish in, well, anything. For the English car maker, this uncharacteristically timid approach to the brave new world of electrification just doesn’t reconcile with everything else they do. 

For now, I’ll remain hopeful for Bentley’s EV future. I’ll keep in mind that Bentley’s factory overhaul to facilitate EV production is still being constructed. I’ll remember that, even though 2025 will be here in a blink, Bentley announced their first EV will be “sporty” and not a 17-foot-long Flying Spur sedan that’s uncompromising in its luxury. I’ll tell myself that, at $271,000, the Flying Spur Hybrid will probably make a wonderful addition to someone’s Bentley collection, seeing as it’s the first of its kind and growing pains in the auto world are historically fascinating. 

Oddly, after this outing in the Flying Spur Hybrid, my expectations might be even higher for what’s next. In fact, the moment I get the chance to drive another Bentley Hybrid or EV I’ll jump at it, because I know that this is just the first small step for a company that doesn’t miss often, and their commitment to electric is all-encompassing. The best is surely yet to come and I cannot wait to see it. 

As we wrap up our five-part Best In American Whiskey extravaganza, we arrive at the most important category in all American whiskey: bourbon. A drink so generous it inspired Southern genius and raconteur Mark Twain to utter, “Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” True that, Mr. Twain. 

Although the market for America’s original spirit might not be as absurdly torrid as its single malt cousins across the pond, many bourbons are entering that elite auction level in both quality and corresponding price tags—eclipsing global ultra-luxe spirits like scotch, cognac and rum. While we’ll mention a few of these unicorns, we’d be fools not to showcase the many terrific bourbons under $100 offering plenty of the vanilla, honey and brown sugar notes that make bourbon beloved the world over.

And don’t miss our round-ups of most innovative American whiskeys, best new ryes, top Tennessee and American single malts and best “second finish” whiskeys.

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection ‘17-Year-Old Barrel Proof’ Bourbon

The Bardstown distillery’s new ultra-premium Heaven Hill Heritage Collection’s inaugural edition boasts an extraordinary blend containing at its youngest bourbon aged 17-years (it’s actually 28% 20-year-old, 44% 19-year-old and 28% 17-year-old barrels) pulled from their Deatsville, Glencoe, Schenley and Bardstown rickhouses.

But this Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2022 is just the beginning. Every spring this annual highly-limited release will blossom like Dutch tulips across the bourbon landscape, highlighting some of Heaven Hill’s oldest whiskeys—each year singling out one of the six traditional mashbills they produce (Heaven Hill being the only heritage distillery to produce this range). For 2022 Heaven Hill shows off its 78% corn/10% rye/12% malted barley mashbill, bottled at barrel proof (59/1% ABV).

Making some of the best brown in America since 1935, expect nothing short of excellence—Heaven Hill Heritage Collection offers whiffs of caramel, oak and leather with a luscious viscosity and dark amber color, coating your mouth with notes of tobacco and dark cherry. Simply superb. The handsome, heavy laser-etched decanter they sent us to enjoy this spirit barely does the juice justice. $1,200

George T. Stagg ‘Antique Collection 2022’ Bourbon

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One of Buffalo Trace’s incredibly coveted Antique Collection was featured in our Rye chapter. We selected the Thomas H. Handy bottle over the 18-year-old Sazerac because age alone does not equal superiority or quality (although to be clear, the Sazerac was lovely). Given the quality of Buffalo Trace’s renowned distilling magic, their excellence in woods and coopering, the extravagance of the age statements and the potency of their un-proofed final juices, one could easily argue every single bottle in the BTAC should make these lists—but we’ll select our favorite instead. And this year we lean towards the 2002 George T. Stagg expression. 

George T. Stagg made headlines last year as Buffalo Trace’s team—lead by Master Blender Drew Mayville—didn’t think their 14-year old barrels were up to snuff (Quality tests administered range from turbidity checks to gas chromatography, but the human palate remains the ultimate decider.) So this year’s George T. Stagg return is welcomed like a sailor at home port. Boasting its highest proof since 2016 (69.4% ABV), robust notes of vanilla bean, toasted pecan and nougat with a viscous mouthfeel, this George T. Stagg 15-Year-Old really benefits from a couple drops of water to open her up—revealing deeper flavors of oak, tobacco and even cherry pie. $1,200

Nelson Brothers ‘Reserve’ Bourbon 

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The Brothers Nelson—Andy and Charlie—relaunched their great-great-great grandfather Charles Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery (Tennessee’s largest pre-Prohibition distillery) after a most fateful discovery in 2006. The boys took off running with the excellent Belle Meade line of bourbon sourced from Indiana’s MGP (a blend of differing high rye mash bills averaging in age from 6-8 years). But this year they launch their own eponymous line of whiskey distilled in their newly constructed Green Brier Distillery in Nashville, beginning with twin high-rye offerings: Nelson Brothers Classic Bourbon and Nelson Brothers Reserve Bourbon. 

Both aged in new, charred American oak barrels, the Classic Bourbon comes bottled at 93.3 proof and is tailored to be as approachable as possible (SRP $37). Meanwhile their Reserve Bourbon adds bigger, bolder elements and flavors to a similarly balanced profile, thanks to the handpicking of choice, well-aged barrels that are blended into an exceptional expression. The Reserve Bourbon packs more punch at 107.8 proof. $60

Booker’s Batch 2022-02 ‘The Lumberyard Batch’ Bourbon

The mythology of the Jim Beam label is among the most celebrated in the American whiskey lore. The names are held in renown. 

The legendary Booker Noe (grandson of the eponymous Beam) continued a 200-year-old family tradition, where for Christmas every year they would select the best honey barrels from the center-cut of the rick house and bottle the juice for family and closest friends—always uncut and unfiltered, straight from the barrel. In 1988 he allowed a 1,000-case release of this pure bourbon and dubbed it “Booker’s Batch.” A Jim Beam label was born. 

Ever since Booker’s son Fred continued this tradition, using the same ‘uncut and unfiltered’ standard. Now coming is the label’s second offering for 2022: Booker’s Batch 2022-02, “The Lumberyard Batch.” The name comes from the job Booker held before entering the family business of moonshine/distillation. 

Of course there’s much more to the story. After a failed matriculation at the University of Kentucky, Booker bailed and hitch-hiked across America looking to eventually join the Air Force. When his mom found out, she panicked and begged him to come back and work at the local lumberyard with his Uncle Jere. Built like an ox and famously hard-working, Booker’s work ethic eventually earned him a job at the family distillery—where he proceeded to work nearly every position, eventually becoming the 6th Generation Master Distiller (Booker’s grandson, Freddie, was recently named Jim Beam’s Official 8th Generation Master Distiller). 

Aged for 7 years, 1 month and 7 days, Booker’s Batch 2022-02 boasts a beautiful deep amber hue redolent with vanilla in both the nose and palate. It packs a wallop at 124.8 proof, so make sure you drop some water in your dram or a couple rocks. $200

Wyoming Whiskey ‘10 Year Anniversary Edition’ Straight Bourbon 

Wyoming Whiskey scripts a fitting love letter to two things: Wyoming and whiskey. Based in the booming metropolis of Kirby (population: 90), Wyoming Whiskey uses non-GMO corn, winter wheat, winter rye and barley all grown in the Bighorn Basin by farmer Brent Raegeth, as well as fresh water sourced from a local limestone aquifer that hasn’t seen the light of day in over six millennia. They are proud to note that “every drop of this bourbon is 100% Wyoming.”  

At the beginning of December Master Distiller Steve Nally and Master Blender Nancy Fraley released a very special bottle to celebrate a full decade of whiskey making in the Cowboy State: Wyoming Whiskey 10 Year Anniversary Edition Straight Bourbon. For the special occasion Nally and Fraley together handpicked 20 barrels filled in 2011 (68% Corn / 20% Rye / 12% Malted Barley) whose profiles would create something worthy of the Aluminum Anniversary—in this case think sweet and big like marshmallows, cornbread and candied yams. The oldest juice ever released by Wyoming Whiskey, “10 Year Anniversary Edition” Straight Bourbon Whiskey is bottled at 51.7% ABV. $200

Elijah Craig ‘Barrel Proof A122’ Bourbon

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For the first release of 2022 Elijah Craig celebrates a full decade of its Barrel Proof expressions. Famed for its 12-year old age statements and non-chill filtration, Elijah Craig’s A122 varietal checks in at a hefty 60.4% ABV (120.8-proof) and delivers with the consistency Heaven Hill’s prestige label is known for.  Elijah Craig has taken home a battery of awards (Whiskey Advocate’s “2017 Whiskey of the Year,” “Best Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years of Older” at SFWSC 2017, Double Gold at the 2020 IP Awards, etc.), over the years, and while there were several great bottles this year our favorite was the A122. You may have to pay slightly over its SRP of $60. $90

Barrell Craft Spirits ‘Cask Strength Batch 033’ Bourbon

The crew over at Barrell Craft are among the most prolific arbiters of great whiskey, releasing a volley of the highest quality bourbons and ryes every year—among them the new Gray Label portfolio, Seagrass range and a slew of single barrels, cask strength and uniquely finished expressions.

Our favorite in 2022 of their Cask Strength series is Batch 033, a rich and complex marriage of several straight whiskeys—blending high-rye and high-corn bourbon barrels aged between 5-9 years, all distilled and aged in Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee. Naturally, Barrell Craft Bourbon Batch 033 comes bottled at cask strength, 58.3% ABV (116.6 proof). While a wallop, Batch 033 still drinks surprisingly smooth, with notes of applesauce, candied grapefruit and champagne, with a finish of elderflower and taffy. $79.99

Four Roses ‘Small Batch 2022’ Bourbon

Four Roses Small Batch features four unique bourbons (aged minimum of 4 years) blended by Four Roses Master Distiller Brent Elliot to create one of the best heritage Kentucky straight bourbons available—spicy and rich with fruity aromas and hints of caramel and oak. Four Roses Small Batch is always a favorite, and for its the 15th edition Four Roses’ “Small Batch 2022” features a quartet of different hand-selected batches (aged 14 to 20 years) representing four of the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky distillery’s 10 distinct bourbon recipes.

For 2022 Master Distiller Brent Elliot chose a 14 year-old OESF Bourbon recipe, a 14 year-old OESV, a 15 year-old OESK and a 20 year-old OBSV. Only 14,100 hand-numbered bottles of the 2022 Four Roses Small Batch will be sold in the USA with a SRP of $180—but knowing the market, you’ll be lucky if you even find it for double that price. $700

WhistlePig ‘PiggyBack 100-Proof’ Bourbon

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WhistlePig launched in 2007 with a mission to elevate Rye Whiskey into a new stratosphere of respect, which it has steadily accomplished via its superb Boss Hog annual release and a quality core portfolio. The fact that the Vermont farm is now the #1 ultra-premium rye producer in America and arguably spearheading a category that is exploding from bodegas to bar shelves, means they’ve accomplished their goals. So what’s next? Why bourbon, of course—what WhistlePig Whiskey Blender Meghan Ireland described to us as “the yin to our yang, exploring the softer and sweeter side of whiskey.”

As they did with their PiggyBack 100% Rye, WhistlePig PiggyBack 100-Proof Bourbon Whiskey starts with a super-high corn mash bill, complemented with a dash of rye as an homage to WhistlePig’s roots. It is then aged for 6 years in Char #3 barrels, meaning that WhistlePig PiggyBack 100-Proof Bourbon offers a longer age, higher proof and bolder grain profile than most traditional bourbons. $40

Knob Creek ‘18 Year Old’ Bourbon

Three decades ago the legendary Booker Noe—grandson of Jim Beam—released the Small Batch Bourbon Collection, forever changing the American whiskey landscape. Booker’s prescience cannot be overstated as the global whiskey industry in the 80s was languishing precariously on the cliff of insolvency, yet the 6th Generation Master Distiller still believed in crafting and bottling the finest whiskey he could. So in 1992 The Small Batch Bourbon Collection was born with Bourbon Quadruplets: Booker’s, Baker’s 7-Year Old Single Barrel, Knob Creek 9-Year Old and Basil Hayden.

To celebrate the 30th Anniversary of this amazing collection Jim Beam released some heaters, including this Knob Creek 18 Year Old. The very limited production is the oldest Knob Creek expression ever released, aged twice as long as its flagship bourbon. The pre-prohibition style bourbon that Booker created in 1992 spends even more time in their Kentucky rickhouses soaking in Knob Creek’s maximum charred American Oak barrels, earning long notes of caramelized oak, sweet vanilla and brown sugar—not to mention a luxurious deep auburn hue. Bottled at 100-proof, Knob Creek 18 Year Old has a SRP of $170, but could quite likely fetch quite a bit more in the open market. $380

Blue Run Spirits ‘Reflection I’ Kentucky Straight Bourbon

While they’ve made their name on LTO expressions like their debut 13-year old bourbon, Blue Run is looking to create some standards in their portfolio. “Reflection I” is available across the US, the Kentucky Straight Bourbon contract distilled by Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge specifically for Blue Run.

The small batch whiskey was distilled by Rutledge at the above Castle & Key Distillery in 2018, and only 200 barrels were selected for “Reflection I” — a combination of medium and deep char-level barrels, aged in both Frankfort and Bardstown, Kentucky, and then bottled at 47.5% ABV (95-proof). “Reflection I” is a terrific daily sipper, an affordable entry level door into Blue Run’s world of crafting and sourcing superb bourbons and ryes. $88

E. H. Taylor, Jr. ‘Chris Stapleton Single Barrel Bottled in Bond’ Bourbon

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This year Buffalo Trace teamed up once again with country superstar Chris Stapleton to both celebrate Bott`led in Bond Act Day and raise money for Stapleton’s Outlaw State of Kind charitable fund. In honor of the 125th passing of the Bottled in Bond Act The Grammy Award Winner hand-picked the single barrel of E. H. Taylor, Jr.—this particular liquid gold poured into an American oak barrel on June 3, 2009. This is the second year for the partnership between E. H. Taylor, Jr. and Stapleton’s charitable fund, to which all proceeds go. For fans of Buffalo Trace or Chris Stapleton, this Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a no brainer as the value of the unique bottle is sure to skyrocket. $200

15 Stars ‘7 & 15 Year Old Private Stock’ Bourbon

15 Stars is so proudly Kentuckian that founders Rick and Ricky Johnson put it all in the name—their moniker nodding to Kentucky being the 15th state to join the union, and therefore the 15th star on the American flag. The father and son team’s debut effort was a 14-year old bourbon dubbed Timeless Reserve, and with their second fine aged bourbon they hope to lower the barrier of entry with a cheaper price point. So the Johnsons blended a younger (but still quite mature) 7-year old bourbon into their halo offering, proofing down to 107 and cutting price in half (from $280 to $140). 

Despite adding a younger whiskey and proofing down, 15 Stars 7 & 15 Year Old Private Stock Bourbon still preserves the ideal high-age bourbon notes, with a nose of cinnamon and maple adding to signature flavor notes of caramel, vanilla and stone fruit. Unsurprisingly it’s picked up many awards in its short lifetime, including a John Barleycorn Gold, SIP Awards Platinum and Double Platinum at the Ascot Awards. $140

Hardin’s Creek ‘Jacob’s Well’ Bourbon

One of the pillar families of American whiskey royalty has announced not only a brand new expression, but an entirely original new ongoing label. This summer at a private event Jim Beam Master Distiller and world renowned Master Raconteur Fred Noe announced two things: First, that his son, 8th Generation Beam Family Distiller Freddie Noe, would take over as Master Distiller when the legendary Fred retires—much like Fred took the reins when his pops Booker retired. 

Secondly the elder Noe unveiled Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey—an ongoing annual series of LTO releases featuring some of the rarest and most unique whiskes in the Jim Beam rickhouses. Colonel James B. Beam features a very young blend of 2-year-old whiskes, whereas Jacob’s Well blends two ultra-aged bourbons. With beautiful color and mouthfeel, the latter earns its hefty price tag with rich notes of caramel, oak and hints of peach and apricot.

Both of Hardin’s Creek offerings come bottled at 54% ABV, neither to be seen again once they’ve sold out. Jacob’s Well with a $150 SRP and Colonel James B. Beam for $80. $230

Castle and Key ‘Small Batch Wheated Bourbon Batch #1’

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Castle and Key has been releasing some truly superb whiskey, like last year’s mouthwatering Slow Hands Single Barrel Rye. Now the Frankfurt, Kentucky team release their first wheated bourbon since restoring the former Old Taylor Distillery in 2014, offering two expressions: Batch #1 (50% ABV) and Batch #2 (49% ABV), each for $60. Castle and Key Small Batch Wheated Bourbon Batch #1 smells of caramel and sugar cookies, with matching flavors of shortbread and allspice. Only about 11,000 bottles of each will be sold. $65

Parker’s Heritage Collection 2022 Bourbon

Heaven Hill’s annual Parker’s Heritage Collection remains one of the distillery’s most anticipated releases every year, and 2022 is no different. For Parker’s 16th edition Heaven Hill starts with dual variations of their traditional Bourbon mashbill (78% corn / 10% rye / 12% malted barley)—the first being a 13-year-old produced in December 2008 (aged on the 5th-7th floors of Rickhouse Q) which was then re-barreled into new American white oak with a level 3 char and aged for an additional 4 weeks. 

This double-barreled whiskey was then blended into an older 15-year-old Bourbon produced in January 2007 (aged on the 2nd & 5th floors of Rickhouse II)—two-thirds of the whiskey being the former, with one-third the latter. Parker’s Heritage Collection 2022 is a deliciously rich bourbon, deep in color and rich in mouthfeel with rolling notes of butterscotch, chocolate and oak. 

Named after Heaven Hill’s late Master Distiller Parker Beam who died of ALS, all proceeds from each bottle in the Heritage Collection will go to the ALS Association. If you can find Parker’s Heritage Collection 2022 Bourbon for the SRP of $175 snatch it up quick. $900

Booker’s Batch 2022-02, ‘Kentucky Tea Batch’ Bourbon

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The 3rd outing in Booker’s 2022 season lands with “Kentucky Tea Batch.” The label, known for its always straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered manifesto, creates this homage to Booker’s favorite drink: a 1-part bourbon / 4-parts water concoction Booker would sip at every dinner. The name derives from Booker’s preference to flavor his water with bourbon in place of tea leaves, as is the custom with southern sweet tea. Apparently he thought it complimented food perfectly, especially country ham and fish. Notably this batch, with its sweet vanilla notes and aroma, would certainly work well with the former. 

The barrels for Booker’s Batch 2022-02, “Kentucky Tea Batch” were handpicked by Jim Beam’s 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe, all aged exactly 7 years, 4 months and 14 days in Kentucky in new American Oak. The famously uncut “Kentucky Tea Batch” comes bottled hot at 126.5 proof. $200

Woodinville ‘Cask Strength’ Straight Bourbon 

One of Woodinville’s most difficult-to-source bottles every year is their Straight Bourbon Cask Strength, because it’s normally sold only at their distillery in Quincy, Washington. The only other way to try the Woodinville juice straight and undiluted is if you purchase a Woodinville Whiskey private barrel. But this year they collaborated with K&L Wines for a “Cask Strength” bottle—this one a signature 6-year bourbon (Cask #7039) bottled straight and uncut like Ol’ Dirty Bastard at 57% ABV (113.96 proof). $70

Rising Italian watchmaker Unimatic is sending the Italian Army-approved U1 dive watch on a cold-weather stealth mission.

Created in collaboration with collector-founded brand Revolution Watch and luxury goods retailer The Rake, the limited-edition U1 GMT “Arctic Fox” blends into austere wintry landscapes with a nearly white-out scheme inspired by the sly polar predator.

The matte white dial features markers in Super-Luminova C1 White, all enclosed in a 40 millimeter steel case coated in white stonewash Cerakote, a ceramic material used to give a protective sheen to everything from firearms to engine exteriors.

Matching phantom ladder hands, a reverse lollipop second hand and the 24-hour hand display the time, while a double-domed anti-reflective sapphire crystal ensures readability in even the most reflective snowy conditions.

Timing accuracy is guaranteed by the Swiss-made automatic calibre ETA 2893-2 movement with a 42-hour power reserve. In case of a polar plunge, the 8 millimeter crown and gaskets are rated for a whopping 1,000 feet of water resistance.

The stealthy strap is made of “extra white” thermoplastic polyurethane, but a gray camouflage, jacquard-weave nylon strap with a Cerakote buckle is also included for more stylish occasions.

The Unimatic x Revolution x The Rake U1 GMT “Arctic Fox” sold out of all initial 150 examples for $1,620 each in 24 hours, but you can join a wait list for a potential second run here.

“Epic experiences, bold hotels, the hottest destinations”—luxury hospitality leader Marriott International has been busy rebranding some of the top properties in its W Hotels portfolio as W Escapes, and adding some cool new spots to the collection, which includes Aspen, Bali, Barcelona, and Punta de Mita, Mexico (among others).

And the latest and coolest is the new W Costa Navarino, the first-ever W Hotel in Greece. Situated between the Ionian Sea and the Peloponnese mountains in Messinia, Costa Navarino is one of the most unspoiled landscapes in the Mediterranean. And the beachfront W Costa Navarino, set on 32 acres with 1,500 feet of shoreline overlooking the historic Bay of Navarino, is its new jewel in the crown.

Olive groves, some with trees that are hundreds of years old, are interspersed with stone and wood structures, some with planted roofs, designed to evoke both a traditional Greek coastal village and a more contemporary beachside aesthetic, which harmoniously blends into the picture-perfect landscape and emphasizes the ocean views.

In landscaping the property, thousands of olive trees were repositioned rather than removed to ensure the integrity of the pristine environment that the region is known for. The stone comes from local quarries, the timber from local mills, and other elements are drawn from the surrounding area so that nothing seems incongruous or out of place; and the overall effect is one of unspoiled natural beauty.

The adults-only resort is meant to be “a place that fosters creativity, individuality, and freedom of expression,” and eco-consciousness pervades every aspect of the property.

“From upcycling materials to a bioclimatic design, W Costa Navarino features sophisticated architecture that leans into the broader sustainability efforts” or Costa Navarino, says Benoit Racle, Vice President of Brand Management, W Hotels Worldwide.

The goal, Racle says, is to “present international travelers and local tastemakers an opportunity to capture the energy of Mediterranean culture [with] world-class dining and immersive programming promising an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind experience,” be it at the beach, in the spa, or one of the impeccably executed bars and restaurants. 

With architectural design led by renowned Greek architects Tombazis and Associates, set off by the lush indigenous landscaping, the ethos is one of timeless, tranquil luxury and the serenity of being by the sea. And the first thing one sees when arriving at the property is a custom-made, giant W logo or “totem,” “crafted with reclaimed wood collected from old fishing boats” as a nod to Costa Navarino’s maritime heritage.

“Infused with the unexpected, thoughtful design elements of W Hotels,” the interior design across the resort, including the public areas and the central culinary courtyard called Platía, a playful spin on the traditional Greek food market, was led by “London-based, globally focused” studio MKV Design, who brought a sense of European sophistication to the project while keeping it firmly rooted in local aesthetics.

The stunning architectural design of the hotel’s beach club Parelía was created by Tombazis and Associates and Athens-based K-Studio, with the latter also leading interiors at Parelía. The interior design at the seaside / poolside, sunset restaurant and bar, called Between, meanwhile was created by Interior Design Laboratorium as the ideal venue for cocktails and light bites, accompanied by live DJ sets and a cocktail menu focused on seasonality and simplicity.

All guestroom, suite and villa interiors are designed to “celebrate the heritage of Greek artisans with a palette of neutral tones [and] occasional with pops of color,” along with “modern yet refined interpretations of traditional craftsmanship,” can be seen in the lighting, flooring,” numerous referenced to time-honored Greek basket weavers, and even leather chairs that “offer a contemporary interpretation of regional saddle-makers’ art.”

The accommodation options at W Costa Navarino include swim-up rooms, adjoining rooms with a pool you can share with friends or family, high-end suites with private rooftop pools, and three bedroom villas with private beachfront pools as well, all designed to make every guest feel like a VIP. Service is excellent and totally competent without ever being intrusive.

“From the thoughtfully refined and locally inspired design, with a strong focus on art, to diverse and energetic programming, W Costa Navarino is ready to make a mark in the Mediterranean hospitality scene,” says W Costa Navarino’s General Manager Nassos Papazoglou. There are, simply put, no bad rooms or any public spaces that were overlooked or not given a carefully considered personality.

Designed to “relax and re-energize the body and mind,” the resort’s signature W Away Spa offers a variety of therapeutic treatments, including personalized massages that rival any five-star spa in Europe, while the fully equipped Fit gym features a heated 80-ft. lap pool of its own. There’s also a program of workout classes and wellness experiences designed for any fitness level, including beach boot camp, yoga sessions, meditation practice and Pilates.  

All with epic views to enjoy, W Costa Navarino is home to a number of curated culinary options. The sophisticated W Lounge, located off the lobby one floor above the infinity pool level, offers a “globally inspired menu alongside a range of palate cleansing spritzers, aperitifs and locally inspired, eco-conscious cocktails,” and it’s the perfect spot to take in the awe-inspiring sunsets.

The property’s beach club, Parelía, is set to be the new social hot spot of W Costa Navarino. It serves contemporary Greek Mediterranean cuisine, “focusing on delectable sharing dishes accompanied by unexpected cocktail collisions.”

With DJs playing a mix of genres alternating with live music throughout the day, Parelía “naturally evolves from a casual beach mood for swimming and unwinding, to a high-energy venue for late night fun, dancing and partying by the sea.”

The opening of the W Costa Navarino marks the next chapter in the evolution of one of the Mediterranean’s most desirable destinations. The Costa Navarino enclave, which has its own film festival and which has attracted the likes of A-listers including Willem Dafoe, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Brunello Cucinelli, now comprises five distinct sites featuring five-star luxury hotels, world-class private residences, and a total of four signature golf courses.

Navarino Dunes, the first to be established, is home to The Romanos, a Luxury Collection Resort, and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, as well the luxury private properties Costa Navarino Residences. Navarino Waterfront is home to the new W Costa Navarino. Next up, Navarino Agora is scheduled to open in 2023, while Navarino Bay is set to welcome the Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino in 2023. 

The fourth and penultimate chapter in Maxim’s annual Best In New American Whiskey guide is very straightforward: Innovation. Today’s list tips a dram to all those distilleries searching for flavor profiles outside normal convention, applying different processes, ingredients, blends, barrels and more to achieve something both remarkable and unique.

Check out 2022’s previous selections for Best Ryes , Best Second Barrel Finishes and Best Tennessee and American Single Malt Whiskeys.

Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey 2022

When Michter’s released their US*1 Toasted Barrel Bourbon back in 2014, it was the first toasted barrel American whiskey of any kind. Then in 2019 the Kentucky label introduced a spin, offering a Sour Mash version for that year only. Now three years later they return to the same Sour Mash well with 2022 Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey. 

Considering it starts with fully matured barrels of its US*1 Sour Mash Whiskey—judged “Whisky of the Year” in 2019 by The Whisky Exchange, the first ever American whiskey to win the award—you can expect greatness even before they transfer the whiskey into second aging barrels, which are toasted precisely to Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson’s exacting standards. 

“The 2022 Toasted Sour Mash release takes the Sour Mash expression and enhances it by adding notes of smoked honey and gingersnap cookies accentuated by toasted oak, all while honoring the sweet and spicy balance of our US*1 Sour Mash,” notes Wilson. Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Sour Mash Whiskey 2022 comes bottled at 86 proof with a $100 SRP, of course with anything Michters you’ll be lucky to find it at that price. $250

Dragon’s Milk ‘Beer Barrel’ Bourbon

As Mitch Hedberg once so poignantly observed: “My belt holds up my pants and my belt loops hold up my belt. Who’s the real hero?” Really makes you think, don’t it?

The same sort of pretzel logic can be applied to the work of New Holland Brewing’s Dragon’s Milk portfolio. Their original Dragon’s Milk Stout was a potent (11% ABV) beer born aging in ex-bourbon barrels, and it grew in acclaim so quickly that Dragon’s Milk is the #1 stout by volume brewed in America. Employing full Hedbergian logic, the folks at Michigan’s largest craft brewery and distillery then looked at those bourbon-and-now-stout-soaked barrels and had an epiphany: Why not second age their bourbon in that very same wood? Consider it done. 

Dragon’s Milk Beer Barrel Bourbon adds to New Holland’s expanding bourbon brand. Starting off with their Origin Small Batch Bourbon—a high-barley mash bill straight bourbon, distilled in small batches (always 100 barrels or less) with a near century-old prohibition-era pot still, aged for 5 years in char 3 oak barrels and bottled at 95 proof—they then add a second aging in those very same barrels that aged their Dragon’s Milk Stout. Expect rich notes of malt, bottled at 80 proof. $30

Rabbit Hole ‘Nevallier’ Founder’s Collection 

Rabbit Hole quickly ascended in the bourbon world by taking a diligent approach to quality and following the imagination of Founder and Whiskey Maker Kaveh Zamanian. Among its core portfolio (Boxergrail Rye being a personal favorite) Rabbit Hole’s annual Founder’s Collection takes their superb bourbon and employs a creative twist. This year, Nevallier does so by adding a full year of second finishing in new French Oak barrels crafted from wood sourced in the Nevers and Allier forests. Hence the “Nevallier” portmanteau.  

“Innovation for Rabbit Hole is multi-faceted. It is as much a matter of our process and our commitment to doing things the right way as it is a matter of our bringing originality and one-of-a-kind spirits to the bourbon space,”  Kaveh Zamanian tells Maxim. “Just as we did with our previous Founder’s Collection release where we took our time to source the Mizunara, we did the same for Nevallier.”

The quality of their fourth Founder’s Collection comes through immediately, as does the “intricate dance of tobacco, vanilla, fig, blackcurrant, spice and cinnamon [which] culminate to a long and dramatic finish sparked by intense spice and floral notes,” Zamanian told us. He points to the relationship Rabbit Hole has established with France’s Leroy Cooperage, and how the details in their barrels really come through in the liquid.

As with the previous Mizunara Founder’s Collection, Rabbit Hole “Nevallier” comes beautifully packaged in a magnetically sealed wood box, ready for happy consumption (and display). $1,500

Wolves ‘White Label’ Batch 1 Rye + Hop-Flavored Whiskey

We’ve been lauding the work of California-based label Wolves since our very first Best Of American Whiskey back in 2019. Founded by two giants in the streetwear game—Los Angeles label Undefeated’s James Bond and Jon Buscemi, founder of numerous luxury projects like Gourmet, Buscemi and black-truffle hot sauce Truff—it’s clear these guys know how to market. But it’s the quality of their whiskey which has their online quick-strike drops selling out in under an hour. For 2022 Bond, Buscemi and CEO Jeremy Joseph unleashed their Wolves for the first time outside of their website to select markets.

Unlike most whiskeys that distill a grain mash, fifth-generation Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic distills finished beers to create his particular alchemy (it’s why the TTB requires Wolves label their whiskey “Hop Flavored” on the bottle). Karakasevic distills a stout beer (aged for 9 years in used French Oak) and a California pale ale (aged for 7 years in used French Oak) in his ancient alembic still, then blends in two different ryes to balance the spice into the hops, dark chocolate, vanilla beans and lemon peel of the twin beer whiskeys.

Credit the cognac-style alembic for the big bodies and opulent mouthfeel of Karakasevic’s whiskeys—apparently he sleeps in four hour shifts over a 10-day period crafting each small batch, as Karakasevic alone trusts himself to make each “heart of hearts” cut. Truly delicious juice with very unique pleasure points. $140

Arcane Distilling ‘Alpha’ Whiskey

This one’s a unique venture worthy of discussion. Arcane Distilling aims to make a more sustainable whiskey by employing high-pressure vacuum distilling vs. the traditional copper/fire still, using 15% less grain and 30% less water than traditional whiskey. Moreover Arcane start with a finished craft beer—a triple IPA creating a super hoppy whiskey experience—thick with the scent of Cascade and Mosaic hops. Other top-tier whiskeys like Wolves start with finished craft beer, but Arcane’s Alpha Whiskey is the first we know of to use vacuum distillation, which they describe as such:

“Because so many of the aromas and flavors of beer are delicate and volatile, traditional distillation would all but destroy them when boiling beer to evaporate the alcohol,” explains Distiller Phil Morgan, noting how under vacuum alcohol evaporates at a significantly lower temperature. “Arcane’s custom-designed vacuum still operates at room temperature, allowing the system to preserve and collect those volatile aroma and flavor compounds.”

Alpha whiskey is proudly made in Brooklyn and bottled at 41.5% ABV. $46  

Keeper’s Heart ‘Irish and Bourbon’

Minneapolis’ The O’Shaughnessy Distilling Company have launched a series of whiskeys under the Keeper’s Heart umbrella that aim to unite the twin great whiskey nations of Ireland and America. Under the watchful eye of legendary Master Distiller Brian Nation, known for his work shepherding Jameson, Keeper’s Heart aims for a highly smooth profile.

Their “Irish and Bourbon” expression, a followup to their inaugural Irish and Rye whiskey affair, blends three distinct whiskeys to make its magic. The first two are an Irish grain whiskey (maize and malt) and a triple-distilled pot-still Irish barley whiskey, both distilled at Dundalk’s Great Northern Distillery and aged over four years in refill bourbon barrels. The third is a sweet bourbon (76% corn) aged four years in virgin American oak, sourced from MGP. 

Although exact proportions are kept hush, “Irish and Bourbon” (46% ABV) intertwines the sweetness of bourbon with the earthy spices of the single Irish pot still whiskey and the delicate butterscotch sweetness from the Irish grain whiskey for a unique American x Irish Keeper’s Heart experience. $36

Sunday’s Finest ‘Gold Fashioned’ Old Fashioned RTD

We’re normally not ones to promote ready-to-drink (RTD) concoctions—there’s a lot of crap out there. From cheap malt beverages to premade cocktails using swill spirits, there’s an abundance to avoid in the space. Sunday’s Finest and award-winning bartender and Apologue spirits producer Robert Haynes look to somewhat right that ship with their aptly named Gold Fashioned—what they’re labeling as the “world’s first luxury ready-to-drink cocktail.” It’s not the first of course, we’ve tasted a few before, but we’ll co-sign on the quality of Haynes’ offering. 

The former bar manager at Chicago cocktail bar The Violet Hour produces his Gold Fashioned at Thornton Distilling outside of Chicago, using only the best ingredients. Haynes starts with twin aged Kentucky straight bourbons—15-year and 9-year—from a “notable” Bardstown distillery, then blends in a 6-year rye from MGP. Lastly comes a homemade 140-gallon batch of bitters using only the finest ingredients: Tahitian vanilla beans; saffron from Herat, Afghanistan; Ecuadorian cacao; orange peel from Seville, Spain; and gentian from the French alps. Lastly comes the sweet stuff—pure Malawian Demerara sugar simple syrup.

Don’t throw away The Gold Fashioned gold-leaf purple box. Inside you’ll find a tiny 2-milliliter spray bottle filled with the Spanish peel mist you’re supposed to spray your glass with to give it the perfect sweet orange citrus zest. With a cost of $150/750ml bottle, that comes out to about $12.50/2 oz cocktail. Not a bad price to eliminate labor, effort and the range of ingredients when you’re on the go. $135

Few Spirits x BRMC Motor Oil Whiskey 

Chicago’s Few Spirits made a name for themselves in the Midwest not only crafting great whiskeys, but also teaming up with some titans of the rock world for highly limited releases. You might remember their super exclusive bottle with Alice In Chains, conceived when, after a long night of imbibing tequila with AIC’s legendary guitarist Jerry Cantrell, Few Founder and Master Distiller Paul Hletko and Cantrell decided to collab on a whiskey aged in tequila casks, calling it All Secrets Known. Before that came Brainville Rye Whiskey with The Flaming Lips.   

For 2022 Hletko and Co team up with another great band, San Francisco’s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, to honor the 21st anniversary of the band’s seminal debut album B.R.M.C.—an early 2000s sonic gem. Motor Oil, as their new whiskey is dubbed, marries a trio of Few’s browns: bourbon finished in rum barrels; bourbon finished in vermouth wood; and a mesquite-smoked wheat whiskey. Expect grassy and sweet notes from the rum barrel; herbaceous, bitter and vegetal notes from the vermouth, and of course bold mesquite from the heavy smoke for this one. Few Spirits x BRMC Motor Oil Whiskey comes bottled at a high-octane 101-proof (50.5% ABV). $60

Proof and Wood ‘Seasons 2021’ Whiskey

Dave Schmier’s latest venture in the spirits world Proof and Wood just released their latest blend of rare whiskeys: Seasons 2021. It was supposed to be released last year, but given the current cluster of supply chain issues Seasons 2021 just saw the light of day this year—with only 1,000 bottles packaged in a gift box for $200. 

The limited edition bottle begins with an extra aged Tennessee Bourbon from 2003 that has evolved over 72 seasons in the barrel. Then Schmier blends in a 2007 American Light Whiskey and 2015 Bourbon (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley), both distilled in Indiana. Lastly comes a 2013 Kentucky 99% Corn Whiskey. The latter’s and the bourbon’s sweetness are intended to counterpoint the mustiness of the aged Tennessee Bourbon, while the American Light Whiskey adds spice, cinnamon and fruity notes to the algorithm. 

“These four 18 year-old barrels had amazing savory deep flavors and spicy cinnamon and cigar notes, but was certainly leaning towards the edge of being overly woody,” explains Schmier of his Seasons 2021. “While it was tempting to bottle them as single barrels, ultimately blending these ancient barrels with some younger and sweeter whiskeys created a whiskey that is better than the sum of its parts.”

As Proof and Wood source and bottle their American whiskeys, their name comes from the two aspects they have control over via aging. As such Proof and Wood was bestowed with the “American Icons of Whiskey 2022—Independent Bottler” award by American Whiskey Magazine. $190

Russell’s Reserve ‘Single Rickhouse Series: Camp Nelson C’ Bourbon

Elevating the concept of “single barrel” to the next level, Russell’s Reserve is now not only sharing single barrels but also highlighting and labeling the exact rickhouse and location on their Lawrenceburg campus where the whiskey was aged. Fittingly for their inaugural edition Wild Turkey’s renown Master Distiller Eddie Russell chose warehouse Camp Nelson C, long sought after by the nerdiest of whiskey enthusiasts for its unique aging properties. Apparently the seven-story wood and tin structure’s airy design and location on top of a hill by the Kentucky River lend Camp C an ideal bourbon climate. 

The fact that Wild Turkey’s beloved rickhouse—built in 1946—was razed last year only makes this small batch bourbon release all the more coveted. Perfect for the inaugural limited edition annual release. Russell’s Reserve Bourbon Single Rickhouse Series: Camp Nelson C was sourced from 72 barrels hand-picked from the center cut of Camp Nelson C’s third and fourth floors, and will retail for $250 (112.4 proof). $595

Old Elk ‘Master’s Blend Series Double Wheat’ Whiskey 

So much good whiskey is spilling from the snowy peaks of Colorado you have to question if it’s become the Kentucky of the Rockies. Distillery 291, Stranahan’s, Laws, Blackhat…the list goes on and on. You can now add Fort Collins’ Old Elk to the list. Only founded in 2013 Old Elk Bourbon made a brilliant move by bringing Master Distiller Greg Metze and his four-plus decades of experience (including 38 years in Lawrenceburg, Indiana’s MGP) into the fold. Now they’re rewarding him with a Master’s Blend Series of limited edition releases. 

Their Master’s Blend Series Double Wheat combines two of Old Elk’s most awarded wheated whiskeys: Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey (71.5% Wheat / 25% Corn / 3.5% Barley) + Old Elk Straight Wheated Bourbon. The bourbon is aged 6 years, the wheat whiskey aged between 6-8. Blended together, the marriage creates a beautiful, creamy whiskey, combining the smoothness of a wheated whiskey with indulgent layers of a sweet honey rum cake. $80

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep ‘Unforgotten’ Whiskey

The holidays are that wonderful time of the year when Wild Turkey blesses the whiskey world with the latest addition in their halo “Master’s Keep” series. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Unforgotten harkens back to a fortuitous mistake made well over a decade ago. In 2010 a crew worker accidentally contaminated a barrel of valuable mature bourbon with a batch of young rye, but the resulting juice turned out to be so delicious Wild Turkey released the alchemy as an LTO under the “Forgiven” label. 

Now Master Distiller Eddie Russell returns to the generous Forgiven well, except this time he’s opting for much more mature versions of each whiskey—blending a 13-year-old bourbon with ryes aged 8 and 9 years. The marriage is then matured for a second time in rye casks stashed in Wild Turkey’s pre-prohibition Rickhouse B—the favorite of Eddie’s father and former Wild Turkey Master Distiller Jimmy Russell.

The extra-aged, high proof (52.5% ABV) Forgiven variation features a similar but evolved flavor profile, the aged ryes adding notes of honey, black pepper and baking spice to the mature bourbon’s themes of caramel, figs and oak earned from 13 years in wood. $500

Frey Ranch ‘Quad Malt’ Bourbon Whiskey

In a very short while Frey Ranch Distillery established themselves as leaders in the grain-to-glass movement, as 100% of all the ingredients used in their whiskeys were grown, harvested, milled, distilled and malted on their Fallon, Nevada family farm. Now they’re releasing two new expressions in their experimental “Malted Grain Series,” both with 100% malted grains. 

Using the same mash bill as in their flagship four-grain Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Quad Malt Bourbon Whiskey changes things up by malting each of the four grains—not just the barley. The bourbon is aged precisely for 5 years and 10 months, and then bottled at 90 proof. And 100% Malted Corn Bourbon similarly malts 100% of its grain—this one being the farm’s famous heirloom corn that is a cornerstone of Co-Founder Colby Frey’s bourbons. It too is aged for exactly 5 years and 10 months, except 100% Malted Corn Bourbon is bottled with a bit more punch at 110 proof.  

“Malt is a crucial ingredient in most whiskeys, though traditionally it’s only 10-15 percent of the mash bill,” explains Colby. “We wanted to find out what would happen if we malted all the grains for these new releases, and we’re thrilled with the complex flavor profiles that were developed as a result.” They consider these distillery-only releases as a thank to their rabid supporters. $45

Jefferson’s ‘Ocean Aged at Sea’ New York Limited Edition

While we’ve always enjoyed the story behind Jefferson’s Ocean expression—stashed in the Ocearch research ship, crossing the equator twice while hitting 25 ports on 5 different continents—we of course wondered how much affect these transatlantic journeys would actually have on the given spirit. Then Jeffersons were kind enough to supply us with both the Oceans and the clean-source Kentucky bourbon that Oceans began with, yet never experienced the same journey. 

The results were surprising, as indeed the months of temperature swings, profound climate changes and violent at-sea-sloshing of wood and whiskey were impactful in the finished product. It’s one of the reasons why Jefferson’s Ocean isn’t just a great story, it’s a great whiskey. 

Now for Fall 2022 Jefferson’s reveals the latest in their Ocean Family series: Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea New York Limited Edition—essentially the OG Jefferson’s Ocean bourbon simply cut to 98-proof using the famed New York water credited with crafting superior bagels, pizza crust and whiskey like Widow Jane’s. The soft, salty water streaming in from the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains help mold Jefferson’s traditional caramel and cinnamon bourbon notes with hints of nutmeg, creme brulee and yes, even a slightly salty finish. 

For the latest in Jefferson’s Ocean family, “Ocean Aged at Sea” New York traversed the North Sea, Europe, the Atlantic Seaboard and even the Panama Canal. Favored at NYC on-premise accounts, you can still find Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea New York Limited Edition for $99 across the USA. $100

Redemption ‘Sur Lee’ Straight Rye Whiskey

This one gets extra stars for its creativity, as the crew from Redemption opted to incorporate the rare French sur lie winemaking process into whiskey. In French, the lie are the dead yeast cells that come as a byproduct of fermentation, and can also include skins, seeds and stems. So sur lie means the wine is allowed to stay in contact with its lees during the aging process. 

As the wine ages the lees further decompose, releasing sugars and proteins that affect a wine’s profile, with certain unique aromas, notes and even mouthfeel signature to the sur lie style. Well Redemption has taken those same processes and used them in whiskey, claiming they are the first to do so. Redemption Sur Lee Straight Rye Whiskey starts with Redemption’s pre-Prohibition 95% rye mash bill, but then adds some of the jetsam “whiskey lees” into the barrels while it ages. 

As with wines the barrels are then periodically rotated to keep the lees interacting with the whiskey, adding nutting notes of nutmeg and almond. Perhaps where its felt most is in mouthfeel, however, as the chemical interaction pleasantly softens Redemption’s profile. Redemption “Sur Lee” Straight Rye comes bottled at 47% (94 proof) with a $60 SRP. $55

Rabbit Hole ‘Raceking’ Founder’s Collection

This one’s a full flavor bomb, the type of whiskey you pour in your glass when you want to substitute a dessert to finish your day. The third bottle in the Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection series, Raceking initially came out last year and is making a repeat for late 2022. The explosion of flavor comes from its recipe: a five-grain mashbill (70% Corn / 13% Rye / 10% Malted Rye / 4% Chocolate Malted Wheat / 3% Chocolate Malted Barley), featuring chocolate malted wheat sourced from Germany and chocolate malted barley from the UK, the juice all aged in founder Kaveh Zamanian’s signature wood-fired, toasted and charred new American Oak barrels. 

The concept behind Raceking’s unique mash bill is to explore how malting organically expands the spectrum of flavors in whiskey, obviously focusing on the cacao hues; Zamanian then insists on cask strength to really bring out the influence of these double chocolate-malted grains. Other strong notes of hazelnut, tobacco and brown sugar round things out. Only 1,335 bottles of Raceking Founder’s Collection 2022 will be bottled, packaged in a sturdy linen-lined, sequentially-numbered and gold embossed burnt orange box for $395. $800

WhistlePig SmokeStock Rye

America’s #1 ultra-premium Rye Whiskey distiller teams up with the crew at Traeger Grills for their latest LTO collab: WhistlePig SmokeStock Wood Fired Whiskey.

The Vermont luxury rye specialists age their brown in American Oak No. 3 char barrels, and then proceed to slow smoke the whiskey two times to really infuse the savory smoke from a solid campfire session: first with Traeger’s all-natural Apple BBQ wood, then again during the proofing process. Imagined as the ultimate flavor combo to celebrate this summer’s pool party scene, and hopefully taken deep into football tailgate season. If it’s not clear, WhistlePig SmokeStock’s powerful flavor mashup—from the rye to the deep smoke—is all about the BBQ. Note its 43% ABV (86 proof). $70

Broken Barrel Whiskey ‘Little Oak’ Rye

Broken Barrel Whiskey founder Seth Benhaim deeply believes in the maxim that the barrel is the greatest influence on a spirit’s final flavor profile, no matter how much care you invest in distilling, copper usage, and ingredients. So he elevates the concept to the next level by putting their barrels into their whiskey. Meaning Broken Barrel take staves from used barrels and dump them into the whiskey as it ages to see how these affect the final flavor. 

Broken Barrel now feature a quartet of bottles for their Core Range: Heresy Rye (2019 SFWSC Gold Medal winner) plus a trio of bourbons: Small Batch, California Oak and Cask Strength. Third-generation Master Distiller Jacob Call distills his spirit at the historic Owensboro Distilling Co., and then Benhaim uses his trademark “Oak Bill”— essentially a recipe of staves he throws in the barrels—to dial in flavors. For instance for his 2020 SFWSC Gold Medal winning California Oak the “Chief Barrel Breaker” dumps Central Coast Cabernet casks into his bourbon.

One of the best LTOs is dubbed Little Oak. It starts with Broken Barrel’s Heresy Rye, whose mashbill (95% Rye / 5% Malted Barley) is complimented by Benhaim’s “Oak Bill” (40% ex-bourbon / 40% French oak / 20% Sherry staves) for 2-3 years of aging at their HQ in downtown Los Angeles. What separates Little Oak is a second re-barreling for 10 months in a 15-gallon barrel to further age and imbue the rye whiskey with robust oak character and flavors up front and center. $48

Saxtons River ‘Sapling Vermont Maple’ Rye

Saxtons River Distillery does things a bit differently. When they make a Maple Rye they don’t add a second aging in barrels that previously held maple syrup, as many labels do. Instead the Vermont-based distillers take pure maple syrup “tapped fresh from Vermont trees” and blend it directly into their small batch hand-crafted rye. The result is a whiskey with the extra sweetness of real maple syrup, radiating all its unique and delicious flavor notes.

Founder Christian Stromberg proudly claims to utilize his Lithuanian heritage and family traditions in the making of his spirits (bourbon, rye and gin), although as an engineer he’s innovated a vacuum distilling process (perhaps similar to Arcane’s) that adds to Saxtons Distillery’s unique profiles. 

Beyond his Sapling Vermont Maple Rye they offer a Maple Bourbon and a Double Barrel Bourbon, which blends the Maple Bourbon with straight American Bourbon to create a higher proof, more whiskey-leaning bourbon with just a hint of maple syrup goodness. A second maturation in American oak delivers Sapling Double Barrel Bourbon a balanced, smooth, maple bourbon made for sipping. $45

Follow Contributing Spirits Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

Political events in D.C. don’t usually draw a crowd of well-dressed celebrities, but tonight certainly seemed to be the exception. The White House hosted a state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron’s official visit and it proved to be the ultimate convergence of Hollywood and the Hill. 

Anna Wintour wore a vintage Chanel look from 1983, which came complete with built-in necklaces, belts, and bracelets. Interestingly, Wintour seems to have broken her own fashion rule. Amy Odell was quick to reference Wintour’s interview from 2019 in which she had some choice words about everyone’s favorite color: “Don’t wear all black,” Wintour had said. “It seems too gloomy as if one’s going to a funeral.” While the embellishments on the black gown certainly livened things up, it’s highly unusual to see Wintour in anything but colorful prints, so this was a rare sighting indeed. Scroll down to see her outfit and what other celebrities wore to the event. 

Next, Margot Robbie wore a hair bow on the red carpet so I found an $8 Amazon dupe. 

By now, you’ve probably surmised that we test-drive a lot of beauty products here at Who What Wear HQ. From nail polish and makeup to hair and skincare, we’re eyebrow-deep in all things new, exciting, and wish list–worthy. That said, due to the number of products we come in contact with, we’ve also transformed into the nitpickiest of beauty consumers. Within seconds, we can tell if a new hair oil is too heavy, and we’re quick to ignore a serum that yields disappointing results.

The good news? We’re far more often impressed than unimpressed after trying out a new product, and usually, we simply can’t wait to spread the word to all of our fellow beauty lovers (also known as you!). Therefore, we’ve decided gushing over our latest fave products should become a monthly ritual, and every 30 days or so, you can expect a full report detailing the highlighters, hair wands, and overnight skincare saviors we’ve quickly fallen head over heels for.

For the most part, we’ll be covering buzzworthy launches, as those typically take up most of the action atop our product-filled desks, but we won’t dismiss new-to-us products, either. Sometimes, our best discoveries are found on a friend’s vanity or on someone’s face at the bar (true story). Ahead are the best beauty products we tried in November! Grab your game face and wallet—you’ll be needing both.

Next: FYI—9 Genius Tips I Learned From Studying Hailey Bieber’s Makeup Routine