Latest news with #Barbados
Forbes
15 hours ago
- General
- Forbes
6 Whiskies To Enjoy In Late Spring
Jameson Caribbean Beats, a 21 year old Irish whiskey aged entirely in rum seasoned casks. Over the past few weeks I have tasted through a range of whiskies, looking for bottles that stand out at all price points. These selections offer a mix of freshness, complexity and approachability. Some lean toward lighter styles with citrus and floral notes, while others bring a bit more depth without feeling too rich for the season. Each one shows balance and character in its own way, and they should work well whether enjoyed neat or with a little water or ice. The Jameson Remixed Caribbean Beats is a fun release, but this 21-year-old Irish whiskey brings plenty of sophistication with it. A blend of single pot still and single grain whiskeys, it was aged entirely in rum-seasoned casks, initially from Barbados, but finished in Selección de Maestros Havana Club casks to give a layered and complex profile. This expression, part of the Jameson Anthology series, builds on a 2001 rum cask trial and reflects Jameson's interest in innovation through cask experimentation while maintaining its signature smoothness. The result is a whiskey that highlights rich influences of brown sugar, tropical fruit, and spice, bridging Irish distilling tradition with the flavors of the Caribbean. With just 2,900 bottles released, it's a highly collectable whiskey and a reminder of the creativity and dynamism to be found in the Irish whiskey scene. Copenhagen whisky Nights still grow cold in the Spring, and the occasional fireside pour isn't unthinkable. From Scandinavia comes an expression of organic Danish barley in Hungarian oak. The Raw Edition from Copenhagen Distillery is a clear statement of intent, avoiding ornamentation and putting instead process and material at the forefront. Unfiltered and uncoloured, it is bottled at cask strength and offers a transparent view into the distillery's minimal intervention and maximum expression philosophy. Made from organic malt and matured in a mix of virgin oak and refill casks, it delivers a profile that is bold and grain-driven. The fifth edition in the RAW series opens with aromas of malted barley, heather honey, and ripe stone fruit. On the palate, it reveals layers of molasses, coconut, vanilla, white pepper, and cloves. The finish is dry, driven by oak tannins, with a gentle bitterness reminiscent of green almonds. There's a rawness, as the name suggests, with toasted cereal, green wood, and a peppery edge that speaks more to texture than sweetness. It's not polished in the traditional sense, but that's part of its appeal. It invites discussion rather than consensus and feels more like a snapshot of a work in progress than a final statement. For those interested in the direction of Nordic whisky, it's a compelling and honest example. Also makes a good Nordic Old Fashioned. Cutty Sark highball We're in ice and soda territory here. Cutty Sark blended Scotch whisky, with its light body and citrus-forward profile, is tailor-made for springtime highballs. Bright, breezy, and refreshingly uncomplicated, it brings just enough malt richness to anchor a drink without overwhelming it. Its subtle vanilla and green apple notes pair beautifully with sparkling water and a twist of lemon, evoking crisp air and longer afternoons. Unlike weightier blends built for fireside sipping, Cutty Sark thrives in the daylight. A heritage brand, yet an easygoing pour for picnics, patios, or the first day warm enough to leave a jacket behind. The 4th and final edition of the Malting Season series Benriach Malting Season Fourth Edition marks the final chapter in a series that pays tribute to the distillery's historic floor maltings, a core part of its identity since 1898. Crafted entirely from concerto barley malted by hand on-site, this 10-year-old single malt is the oldest and most complex in the series, and the first to carry an age statement. It was matured in a small batch of 27 first-fill bourbon barrels and 4 oloroso sherry butts, combining traditional Speyside richness with layered depth. Notes of crème caramel, baked peach, almond biscotti, and cinnamon-poached apple reflect both the cask influence and the character of the malt itself. The continuation of floor malting through Benriach's years of dormancy helped preserve this artisanal technique, now rare in Scotch whisky production. With this release, Master Blender Rachel Barrie closes the Malting Season series by capturing the silky texture and nuanced sweetness that only traditional methods and patient maturation can produce. It's both a celebration of a fading craft and a testament to Benriach's commitment to heritage-driven innovation. The Signature Single Malt Release from The Lakes Distillery The Lakes Distillery Signature represents a defining moment for English whisky - a culmination of over a decade of focused experimentation and craft at the edge of the Lake District. As the distillery's first permanent single malt expression, Signature showcases a sherry-led style shaped by the rare practice of élevage, a progressive maturation technique more often associated with wine and cognac. Under the guidance of whisky maker Sarah Burgess, formerly of The Macallan, the whisky evolves through purposeful cask movement, microclimate variation, and blending strategies that amplify nuance and depth. Drawing on the groundwork laid by the Whiskymaker's Reserve series, Signature is rich and textural, opening with aromas of polished oak, dark chocolate, and dried fruits before unfurling into layers of baking spice, citrus, treacle, and orchard fruit. It is an ambitious and assured statement of intent from a distillery helping to redefine English whisky - expressive, well crafted, and unapologetically modern in its approach. The Macallan's 18 year old Sherry oak cask release The Macallan's recent 18 Year Old Sherry Oak release is among the finest whiskies available. Matured exclusively in carefully selected sherry seasoned oak, it gains richness, structure, and natural depth. With time in the glass, it reveals a layered complexity: honeyed ginger, fig, orange rind, pepper, and raisin. The texture is beautifully oily, with sweet spice woven throughout. Its depth, as expected, is the result of time, patience, and the steady influence of cask. Though often associated with winter, the 18 is drinking exceptionally well in warmer months. Its aromas of dried fruit, citrus peel, subtle spice, and polished wood unfold with grace and clarity, and without excessive weight. In a world short of attention, where trends and styles come and go like the wind, there is comfort and appeal in this slowly matured whisky. Enjoy with the same patience and reverence.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
How Wayne Lineker has made Ibiza the go-to destination for Premier League stars this summer after building 'adult Disneyland' on party island - and the one player who spent £51,000 there
After playing football for 11 months of the year, players in the professional game just want to blow off steam. Early nights, good nutrition, and intense training go out of the window - they want to escape the pressure that is on their shoulders. Like many who get granted their annual leave, a lot of stars will spend quality time with their families, who they have spent many a day away from during the season. The locations of their holidays are slightly more glamorous than where the average Joe gets to go, with Dubai, Barbados, and Marbella among the popular destinations for footballers who enjoy family time. For players jetting to those trio of locations, it's time to kick their feet up, relax, and get a tan. However, not all players chase tranquility. After working as hard as they do for so long, and with how disciplined they have to be to stay in tip-top chase, many want to let loose. Where do they go to do that? Well, where better than Ibiza? It's the party capital of the world. And the one place that they seem to go more than anywhere else is Ocean Beach, owned by Wayne Lineker. Launched by the brother of now former Match of the Day presenter, Gary - also a national treasure - in 2012, O Beach is a hot spot for the game's biggest stars, as well as a whole raft of other celebrities. 'In June, it's like a PFA meeting in Ocean. It's that many of them. It's good fun,' Lineker told talkSPORT last week. Even Liverpool boss Arne Slot was seen living it up there earlier this month, following the Reds' Premier League triumph. The season hadn't even finished at that point, but the partying at Ocean Beach was in full flow. Slot could be seen getting a kiss on the cheeky from Lineker - no, not Gary - before he went behind the DJ decks as Queen's 'We Are the Champions' blared out. It was originally thought that the Dutchman opted to go to Ibiza on his own, while his Liverpool squad had a big bash in Dubai. However, that was not the case. 'Who did we have last week?' Lineker continued. 'Harvey Elliott was in the other day. I ended up in Pacha with Elliott at six o'clock on Sunday morning.' Jude Bellingham is the latest high-profile footballer to have been welcomed to the venue with open arms by Wayne. The Real Madrid star, 21, chose to celebrate his brother Jobe's promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland. English football's golden boy was all smiles as he enjoyed several beverages with his pals, and Lineker, as they sat in an exclusive VIP area. But what is it about O Beach that entices so many stars? Every year, Wayne can be seen partying with the next big name in football, or even music. The turnover of top stars in the club is just remarkable. The 63-year-old's path has been very different from older brother Gary's from an early age. While one was doing big things with the ball at his feet, the other was dropping out of school at 14 to pursue a career in business. In 1986, Wayne opened his first bar as he looked to break into the hospitality scene. It was the same year in which Gary won the Golden Boot award at the World Cup in Mexico, so he named the venue in Tenerife, Lineker's Bar. The bar was a huge success, and Lineker's reputation in the industry grew rapidly, taking him to Marbella, and then Ibiza in 2008. Four years later, Ocean Beach was opened, and it has only grown in popularity with each passing year. Lineker himself regards it as 'Adult Disneyland', as celebrities and party-goers flock in their thousands to get a glimpse of the silver fox. 'I compare it to Mickey Mouse at Disneyland when he comes out and everyone runs to get a picture," Lineker once quipped. 'But I'm the Mickey Mouse of adult Disneyland. 'I literally have to plan my day around it because it's got so intense, 500-600 pictures a day.' It's true, snaps of Lineker and stars flood timelines on the daily. You can always see him posing with a celebrity at this time of year, usually Jack Grealish. Lineker admitted that 'it's like a parade' when Irish UFC star Conor McGregor arrives at the club Grealish is a regular at Ocean Beach with Lineker once joking about the prospect of a four-week loan deal for the Manchester City man at his beach club, following his omission from the England Euro 2024 squad. Believe it or not, though, Grealish is not believed to be the biggest spender at Lineker's party empire. In fact, it's not a footballer at all. Controversial mixed martial artist Conor McGregor and YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI are the individuals who splashed the most cash, with Lineker opening up on what it was like to host the pair. 'I had sorted everything out for KSI. Made sure he was on the owner's table - it's the best spot,' he told the Let Me Land podcast last year. 'And, because they've got the boat with 100 bottles of champagne on, that was all going to the table. They did it right. But yeah, KSI was probably, as far as celebrities go, the biggest party. 'We have other people that just go crazy and spend a lot of money. Obviously, Conor McGregor... he parties! When he walks in it's just a parade. He's got all his security with him.' It is believed that KSI spent a whopping £51,000 on 600 bottles of champagne during his trip to Ocean Beach in June 2023. Don't scratch your eyes, that is a real sentence. Meanwhile, McGregor made his infamous visit in 2022 for his 34th birthday alongside family and friends, with the Irishman even getting into an argument with a fellow partygoer who threw a hat at him. Not all celebrities have had positive experiences, mind. Jonathan Hutchinson - a former Birmingham City footballer - was paralysed after breaking his neck following a dive into the Ocean Beach swimming pool back in 2016. The ex-pro, who played in the Blues backline during the Premier League 2001-02 season, was found floating in a pool, unmoved, before being rushed to hospital where it was discovered that he had sustained devastating spinal injuries. The now 43-year-old now requires 24-hour care, and in 2020 decided to take legal action against the club, suing Lineker for £8.5million in damages. Lineker's reputation remains unblemished in the celebrity party scene, however, and Bellingham's recent trip to his club signals the start of a wave of footballers who will hit Ibiza over the summer. He may even get another visit from Love Island presenter Maya Jama - who has been on numerous occasions in the past - due to her relationship with City star Ruben Dias. What we know for certain is that O Beach will be packed to the brim with celebrities once again this year - it always is.
The Sun
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Rihanna's boyfriend A$AP Rocky rushes to be with pregnant star after her father Ronald Fenty dies aged 70
RIHANNA'S man A$AP Rocky rushed to be by the pregnant popstar's side after her father's passing. The Umbrella hitmaker, 37, who is pregnant with her third child, lost her Barbados-born dad Ronald Fenty yesterday. 7 7 7 The 70-year-old passed away in Los Angeles after a brief illness. Now the Savage x Fenty mogul, who shares sons RZA, 2, and Riot, 1, with her rapper partner A$AP Rocky, has been supported by her man through her difficult time. He was seen looking sombre as he stepped out in New York to be close by to her grieving partner. The Praise The Lord hitmaker was sheltered from the rain by his assistant, who carried a huge umbrella. He strode towards a waiting car before making his way to his family. Rihanna, real name Robyn Fenty, had a close relationship with her father, and paid for him to go to a $58,000 rehab unit in Malibu to battle his booze demons. Ronald previously spoke fondly of being a grandfather and his daughter's maternal qualities after the birth of her first son, RZA. He told Page Six: "She's loving it. She's a very overprotective mother.' "Everybody says [the baby] looks like me,' he told Page Six at the time. "But you know, babies change, faces change. He [resembles] a lot of Rihanna and Rocky together.' Rihanna fans suspect she's pregnant with TWINS after catching strange comment on Met Gala red carpet Rihanna had sparked pregnancy rumors in recent weeks by appearing to hide a bump under baggy clothes. And at the Met Gala she confirmed her third maternity journey donning a tight-fitting top and skirt which showed off her baby belly. TWIN TIME? Yet her appearance at the swanky event also sparked suggestions she is expecting twins. She was seen walking into The Carlyle hotel while debuting her growing bump with a form-fitting outfit ahead of her Met Gala appearance. Rihanna & A$AP Rocky's Relationship Timeline Rihanna and A$AP Rocky have been Hollywood's "it Rihanna and A$AP Rocky met in 2012 but didn't become romantically involved until late 2019 Rumors began to circulate that Rihanna and A$AP were an item in January 2020 after they'd been spotted on numerous outings together That December, it was reported that the celebrity duo made their relationship official In May 2021, A$AP expressed his feelings for Rihanna during an interview with GQ In January 2022, the lovebirds revealed they were expecting their first child by showing off Rihanna's pregnant belly in a series of photos of them in Harlem, New York Later that May, they welcomed their son, Riot In February 2023, Rihanna announced she was expecting again by flaunting her baby bump on stage during her Super Bowl Halftime performance Rihanna gave birth to their second son, RZA, in August 2023 She then took to the iconic red carpet, which was in fact blue, as she posed up a storm for the 2025 event. While at The Met Gala, Rihanna revealed she was expecting when she said: "I brought the kid." Posing up a storm with her blossoming bump on display, as the rain poured down, one reporter asked her if she brought her "umbrella, ella, ella, eh?" in reference to her iconic hit. Rihanna explained how her man A$AP Rocky "brought that". She then pointed to her stomach and said: "I brought the kid." Several people think Rihanna may have said "I brought the kids", with speculation now rampant among fans. "She said kids?!?!?" said one. Another echoed: "Kids? As in twins?" READY FOR A GIRL? She recently revealed she wanted more kids, and said she wants a baby girl after having two boys. She told Entertainment Tonight: 'I wanna have a girl. I wouldn't know what to do 'cause I only know about boys so far. It will be a new adventure! '[It's] The best, I live for it. It's never a dull moment," she said of being a boy mom. "I love when they climb off the chandeliers. I love when they literally are so scary that I'm forced to have fun. Me running around, me lifting them up, it's all fun." 7 7 7 7
Telegraph
a day ago
- Business
- Telegraph
How England lured Jacob Bethell away from West Indies
'Jacob is a sponge, so he will have learnt a lot from Virat.' Michael Powell should know because he was Jacob Bethell's cricket coach at Rugby School. Bethell spent six years there, where Powell and his wife Michelle were guardians to the boy who arrived from Barbados aged 12, with a reference from Sir Garfield Sobers and Brian Lara in his back pocket. Now he is an England cricketer who has opened the batting in the Indian Premier League with Virat Kohli and marked his first international at his home ground, Edgbaston, on Thursday night with a man-of-the-match performance against West Indies, waving his bat to Powell when he reached 50. In the second ODI in Cardiff on Sunday he has a further opportunity to push for keeping his Test place for the India series. Powell, the former Warwickshire captain recently made a club life member, was sitting in the chairman's box beaming with pride on Thursday. Bethell has not forgotten his upbringing. He acknowledged afterwards that Powell was the reason why he was in the UK and joined Warwickshire's academy almost as soon as he arrived in this country. He handed over signed shirts for a couple of the pupils at Rugby after the game. Powell took him to Edgbaston as a wide-eyed 12-year-old and said one day he would play there for England. 'You know what, it felt funny,' he told Telegraph Sport. 'I played under-19s for England with Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan, and Jacob reminds me so much of them. They all use Gunn & Moore bats, and stood out from others their age. Then I see Tres at Edgbaston [working as England's batting coach] throwing balls to Jacob. It's just weird how the stars have aligned.' Powell took Bethell to the Edgbaston museum to see photos of Brian Lara scoring his 501 at the ground. Bethell stopped for a picture next to a framed one of his mentor. 'We had a laugh about that,' Powell says now. It used to be that every 10 years or so in English cricket a player would come along with a natural air of permanence at an early age, relishing the scrutiny and pressure of international cricket. The 18 county academies and cricket's pathway are now producing those players more regularly. Think of Joe Root in 2012, Ben Stokes a year later making a hundred in his second Test in Australia and Harry Brook. Bethell, 21, is the latest with cricket in his blood and a grounding in the game that was fine-tuned on the fields of Rugby. Powell would spend hours on the school grounds where the sport of rugby union was born, hitting balls in the air for the teenage Bethell to dive around and catch. 'You know what? He never, ever dropped a single one. He was a phenomenal fielder. Hand on heart, the first time I saw him swing a bat, I thought he'd play international cricket,' he said. Bethell arrived at Rugby with a burgeoning cricketing reputation. He joined the Franklyn Stephenson Academy in Barbados aged 11, and was coached by Lara at 12. His grandfather played for Barbados, his father Graham club cricket in Sheffield with Vaughan and the family had strong links and contacts in English cricket. In 2015, his academy side played Loretto, a touring school from Scotland and Bethell scored a 50. Watching was John Patterson, who worked with Bethell's dad years previously and whose sons were at Rugby, looked after by Powell. He tipped Powell off about Bethell and Rugby beat a number of other public schools offering scholarships because of those links. Rugby's close ties to Warwickshire helped, too. 'First time I saw him, he didn't have a bat or kit. I threw him some tennis balls and he just cut and pulled them to shreds,' Powell said. 'I later discovered a video of him taken in the back garden in Barbados, where there was a ball on a string hanging up and every morning from 6am he would be out there hitting it. When people say Tiger Woods was born with a golf club in his hands, it applies to Jacob in a cricket sense. But for us it was about supporting him, this young kid growing up a thousand miles away from his parents. It was about pastoral care as well as cricket.' Like Brook, who went to Sedburgh, Bethell benefitted from a full sports scholarship at a top public school. English cricket relies heavily on the public-school system, skewing the perception of the sport, although there are fears within the ECB that the government's VAT levy will affect the number of scholarships handed out to those like Brook and Bethell who would otherwise have been unable to afford the privilege. 'He would get frustrated because he did not have the strength to pierce the infield so I had to tell him to be patient,' says Powell. 'I remember saying, 'Right now you're getting 20 off 80 balls, but there were 17 dots today that you drove and the fielders cut them off. Soon they will pierce those gaps so there's an extra 68, so that's your 88 off 80 balls.' He was frustrated because the guy at the other end, who was older, was smoking it. I just said in 10 years' time, he will be playing club cricket. They will not be doing what you're doing.' What Bethell is doing is building on that talent. He had no problem finding the gaps against West Indies. After finding his feet with 20 off 26 balls, he exploded with 62 off his next 23, with eight fours and five sixes. He recently told the Professional Cricketers' Association magazine, Beyond The Boundaries, that he was spending his time in India facing Bhuvneshwar Kumar swinging the new ball round corners in the nets while training with Bangalore. 'Pretty good prep for red-ball cricket,' he said. 'My technique and the way I bat is very much suited to red-ball cricket. it is a case of becoming more or less expansive depending on the scenario I'm faced with.' He may have lost his Test No 3 spot to Ollie Pope for the time being, but perhaps the upside of staying in the IPL is his exposure to Indian conditions, and the benefit that will give England across formats over the long term. Just living in the goldfish bowl with Kohli can only help. 'I think he quite enjoys the overseas boys because we're just pretty chill around him,' says Bethell. 'He's definitely got that aura and it's pretty electrifying to walk out to bat with him. I don't want to give away everything I learnt, but obviously you go to India and the first thing you think of is spin. And just the way those batters go about thinking about playing spin. They're pretty clinical in how they pick length and the deliveries they try and hit for four and six. That was nice to have more of a power-game input into my game rather than a bit of touch around spin as well. So then just trying to mesh the two together would help a lot.' It proves Powell is right about his sponge-like tendencies. 'It is just very rewarding to see him realise his dream,' he added. 'But also go out there and grab it with both hands.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Rihanna's boyfriend A$AP Rocky rushes to pregnant star's side after devastating family tragedy
Rihanna 's boyfriend A$AP Rocky rushed to her side amid a devastating family tragedy this weekend. The rapper, 36, appeared be downcast as he headed out to support his girlfriend and the mother of his children while she is mourning the loss of her father. The 37-year-old superstar — who is currently pregnant with her and her partner's third child together — is grieving the loss of her dad Ronald Fenty, who tragically died at the age of 70 on Saturday. Rocky, born Rakim Athelaston Mayers, rushed out in rainy New York City on his way to be there for his girlfriend. Rihanna's father reportedly had a brief illness and died in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 31, according to TMZ and the Fenty family's native Barbados' Starcom Network. Rihanna, who is one of the children Ronald shared with ex-wife Monica Braithwaite, has not yet publicly addressed their devastating family tragedy. The rapper, 36, appeared be downcast as he headed out to support his girlfriend and the mother of his children while she is mourning the loss of her father; the couple seen on May 19 Rocky was dressed in black, sporting a leather jacket and sunglasses to cover his eyes. He donned long, jean shorts paired with matching socks and sneakers for a monochromatic look as he and his team headed out of his hotel. Earlier this week, Rihanna's brother Rajad Fenty was pictured on his way to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Rihanna was reportedly also in the car though she was not seen in the photos obtained by TMZ. Meanwhile, Rocky was reportedly on the other coast and trying to rush back to be by his family's side. Previously, Rihanna and her father were estranged before they eventually reconciled in recent years. In 2019, she sued her dad and claimed he capitalized on her business empire. In her filing, she alleged that his Fenty Management talent firm profited off of her Fenty Beauty line and other trademarked eponymous ventures. The 37-year-old superstar — who is currently pregnant with her and her partner's third child together — is grieving the loss of her dad Ronald Fenty, who tragically died at the age of 70 on Saturday Previously, Rihanna and her father were estranged before they eventually reconciled in recent years; Fenty pictured alongside daughter Rihanna and son Rajad Fenty in February 2012 Two years later, she filed to dismiss the lawsuit and had seemingly mended her relationship with him. In 2023, when Rihanna and Rocky were expecting their second child together, Fenty gushed over his daughter and shared his excitement of becoming a grandfather to another one of their babies. Fenty shared three children with his ex-wife Braithwaite including Rihanna, Rajad and Rorrey. Around the time Rihanna's career in music was taking off in 2002, her parents split up. In addition to Rihanna, Fenty is survived by his grandchildren including Rihanna and Rocky's sons RZA, two, Riot Rose, 18 months, and their baby on the way. He is also survived by his other children Rajad, Rorrey as well as Kandy, Samantha, Jamie and multiple grandchildren.
