To celebrate its 120th anniversary, Four Roses distillery released two limited-edition bourbons this year, both bottled at barrel strength. The most recent, Mariage (right), wowed us this past November at Whiskyfest, so we got hold of a bottle to investigate further. (It's a good life.) We also grabbed the earlier 120th Anniversary Single Barrel, a complex 12-year-old that simply roars—it's the sort of whiskey you'd imagine a gunslinger sucking back before a duel. In other words, it's man whiskey—bourbon that should come with a leather recliner and a Faulkner novel. On the third sip, the fire cools to a cozy ember (though of course by the third sip you're drunk, son). The understated Mariage, by contrast, is a soft, caramel blend of two barrels (a 13-year and a 10-year). The stuff is well north of 100-proof, but—next to its single-barrel sibling—seems rather domesticated, not unlike its namesake. Still, there's time for both in any guy's life. And with only approximately 3,000 bottles of each of these well-crafted whiskies in circulation, that time is now.
About $80 for both the Mariage amd the 120th Anniversary Single Barrel, fourroses.us

The new collaboration between Red Wing and Nom de Guerre only makes sense: The former manufactured standard-issue boots for the American military during both world wars, and this season the latter took its inspiration from WWII servicemen. The results are intriguing—moc-toe work boots made from waterproof nubuck. They make for durable, handsome footwear, the sort that ought to sustain you throughout the season (but, sadly, won't be available until after Christmas).
$285, available Dec. 26 at Nom de Guerre New York, 640 Broadway, NYC, (212) 253-2707, nomdeguerre.net, and at Nom de Guerre's shop at Opening Ceremony Los Angeles, 451 N. La Cienega Blvd., L.A., (310) 652-1120

Reebok hasn't exactly been at the forefront of innovation in the kicks business over the past ten years (Voltron sneaks, anyone?), but the company's most recent collaboration strikes us as noteworthy. The brand has partnered with Orchard Street, the low-profile (read: hard-to-get) New York-based streetwear brand that's a favorite of folks like Jay-Z and Nas. The result is the Re-Up Lux, available today. Designed by the OS team, the canvas and suede footwear is available in a range of early-nineties colorways, but remains relatively restrained in styling (except the side laces, that is). They give us hope for Reebok's future—or a full-on sneaker line from Orchard Street.
$90, available at orchardstreet.com

Photographer Matthew Rolston refers to Andy Warhol as his mentor, but his interest in celebrity culture stems from the fifties Hollywood glamour portraits of George Hurrell. Rolston's grandfather was a Beverly Hills physician; as a kid, the photographer found the signed Hurrell portraits in his grandfather's consulting rooms fascinating. Years later, Rolston met Hurrell and asked him what "glamour" really was. "I dunno, kid," the master replied. "I think it's some kinda suffering look." It's that dark streak that sets Rolston's work apart from the celeb-snapping rabble, as evidenced by his new book of portraits, beautyLIGHT,starring the likes of Beck, David Byrne, Christina Ricci, and our favorite, a bloody Jack Nicholson. In addition to the standard coffee table version, there's an oversize collector's edition (at an oversize price) that includes a signed print of either Lenny Kravitz or a sexily suffering Penélope Cruz.

Click for pics >

$75, available at teneues-usa.com

Coming soon to London: a redesigned Routemaster, courtesy of Aston Martin and Foster + Partners. Those firms recently won (along with another company, Capoco) a contest to update the iconic double-decker—and boy do you feel sorry for anyone who went up against those two. The competition was commissioned by mayor (and former GQ U.K. car columnist) Boris Johnson, who wanted a "greener, lighter, and less noisy" bus for the city. Look for a slightly altered final version to hit streets in 2011.

[Times Online]

It's Oscar-bait time at your local googolplex, but if you want something a bit more classic, check out the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Martin Scorsese retrospective, opening next week. The festival includes all the classics (GoodFellas, the underrated Casino), as well as obscurities like American Boy, his 1978 documentary about recovered junkie (and former Neil Diamond roadie) Steven Prince. (It consists solely of Prince telling stories on a couch, but it's far more gripping than that sounds, as you can see in this clip, which inspired Pulp Fiction's famous adrenaline scene.) Not included, but worth mentioning all the same: Scorsese's short 1967 Vietnam protest, The Big Shave, which we've embedded below. (Happy holidays.)

Dec. 26-31, 70 Lincoln Center Plaza, NYC, (212) 875-5601, filmlinc.com

That's what one investor in the Broadway revival of Speed-the-Plow told the New York Post, anyway, after Jeremy Piven withdrew from his role due to mercury poisoning. (Allegedly, Ari became incapacitated because of his voracious appetite for sushi.) Another investor was more direct: "We didn't have star insurance, but we should have had asshole insurance." Playwright David Mamet, however, was more subtle (if just as pointed): "My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer." As yet, no word from Piven himself about his ailment—we wish him all the best!—nor from any other bedeviled sushi enthusiasts (like, say, the citizenship of Japan).

There's no question that Mercedes-Benz's latest features some fairly bold styling: The limited-edition 2009 McClaren SLR Stirling Moss comes equipped with swing-wing doors, a body that looks like it's ready for Le Mans, and, curiously, an automatic transmission. (Under the hood: a 650-hp supercharged V-8, capable of reaching 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds.) Sound expensive? It is, but the good news is that for the million bucks this will cost you, Benz will throw in a two-piece tonneau cover (stored in the trunk) that can encase the entire cockpit, or just the passenger side.

[via Autoblog]

The last thing this holiday season needs is more gloom, but that didn't stop the Times from running a piece on the downer-fest that is It's a Wonderful Life. Still, we're glad they did—the essay's as witty (describing the film as, among other things, "a nightmare account of endless home renovation") as it is insightful (noting that despite the film's happy ending, George Bailey would likely have faced prosecution and possible prison time for his banking misdeeds). If you find yourself craving more bah humbugs, check out Christopher Hitchens' Slate story on the "moral and aesthetic nightmare" of the holiday. Hitch naturally (and hilariously) compares enduring the season to living in a totalitarian state—and reveals he's on Phyllis Diller's Christmas card list.

Five things worth knowing today

- Joss Whedon's Neil Patrick Harris-starring science-fiction musical, Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog drops on DVD today.
- The International Circus Festival begins today in Enschede, the Netherlands. If you've ever thought of running away and joining the circus—and, well, those dreams don't seem quite as improbable in the current job market as they used to—here's where to go.
- For a New York-ier good time, the gentlemen of DFA throw a holiday party at (Le) Poisson Rouge that should make up for the fact that yours was, in all likelihood, canceled.
- Today in 1843, Charles Dickens' classic A Christmas Carol was first published in England.
- And today in 1997, the schmaltzy monster-hit Titanic was released in theaters. Below, Ben Stiller and a very young, very thin Vince Vaughn pitch James Cameron on an unlikely new film: the under-the-sea sequel.,