What makes a distillery’s limited-edition bottles better than its standard offerings — and should you be paying an inflated price? Plus: Pharaoh Brown is earning his wings — and finding surprising parallels between football and flying.

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Is Premium Whiskey Worth the Splurge?

BY JOHNNY MOTLEY

Woodford Reserve ranks among my favorite bourbons. When the Kentucky distillery released Double Double Oaked, a limited-edition bourbon aged in two separate barrels, I couldn’t resist the splurge. Silky smooth with whiffs of maple syrup, pipe tobacco and apricots, it’s an exquisite treat.

I’m always tempted to save up for other premium whiskeys — Master’s Keep from Wild Turkey, Private Selection from Maker’s Mark and Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Selection come to mind — but I can’t help but play the skeptic: Am I paying for a genuinely superior bourbon or just falling for clever marketing? And while I believe money spent on fine whiskey is money well spent, I need to know I’m not getting suckered.

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Meet the NFL Player Who Flies Planes in His Free Time

Pharaoh Brown is a father, a husband, a graduate of the University of Oregon and a nine-year veteran of the NFL. Soon, he’ll be able to add a pilot’s license to his impressive resume.

This spring, the new Miami Dolphins tight end has been taking flying lessons — pushing past fear, chasing discomfort and learning to appreciate the little things at 10,000 feet. “You can’t let fear stop you,” he says. “You’re gonna learn a lot about yourself, and it’s really gonna help build your character.”

We caught up with the 31-year-old to discuss his offseason training routine, the surprising ways that football relates to flying, and the importance of trying new things.

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Breitling Debuts a Special Version of the First Swiss Watch to Go to Space

Now, in time for the 100th anniversary of Carpenter’s birth, Breitling is releasing a special limited-edition platinum version of the Cosmonaute. Dubbed the Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Scott Carpenter Centenary and limited to just 50 pieces, it features several crucial changes from the 60th Anniversary Navitimer B02 Chronograph 41 Cosmonaute Limited Edition from 2022.