Celebrity-backed whiskies are popping up like Shake Shacks, but don’t write them off. Matt Berical of Fatherly rounds up five of his faves, including Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Tennessee Bourbon ($44*) and Matthew McConaughey’s Wild Turkey Longbranch ($40).
Virginia Black American Whiskey ($35), from Drake, also makes an appearance. “While the bottle design looks more like a cologne you’d get from a bathroom attendant and not a bartender, the whiskey inside is pleasantly accessible,” Berical says of the Canadian rap star’s effort. “Notes of vanilla, caramel, and apple give way to a slightly spicy finish.”
Mulholland drive
Given that we once saw the Celtic punk legends perform with the late Joe Strummer subbing for dissolute lead singer Shane MacGowan, we’re intrigued by The Pogues Irish Whiskey ($30), which Berical calls bright and balanced, “rich with notes of lemon peel, pepper, and chocolate.” And partly because he made (language and spoiler alert) one of the craziest TV scenes ever shot, we’re down for Walton Goggins’ California-finished Mulholland American Whiskey($29). The skinny: “It’s a young dram with tasty notes of caramel, fruit, cinnamon and a whiff of spice.” Just keep it away from this guy.
*All prices in U.S. dollars