Legendary heavy metal band Metallica has made its mark on the beverage world by teaming up with Willett Distillery to release BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Madeira Casks. The band tapped Master Distiller Drew Kulsveen of Willett Distillery as well as Master Distiller & Blender Rob Dietrich, who helms the BLACKENED line of whiskeys, to craft this particular release of the new “Masters of Whiskey Series.” Inspired by the work of legendary distiller Dave Pickerell, BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye starts with a combination of low rye and high rye whiskey recipes. The end result is blended together and finished Madeira casks for up to 14 weeks for a whiskey that is equal parts buttery caramel, spicy rye, and sweet honey/vanilla. During that finishing process, the whiskey is treated to the low hertz frequencies of Metallica’s music with the band’s proprietary BLACK NOISE™ sonic-enhancement. Does the music have any significant effect? Who can say? (We’re a little skeptical.) But, hey it’s a fun story. And you can even check out the hand-curated playlists for each batch of BLACKENED. Plus, all that matters at the end of the day, is that the whiskey tastes damn good.
While it might seem easy to chalk this release up as yet another celebrity booze, it’s clear that some serious care was taken with the process behind BLACKENED and the ongoing “Masters of Whiskey Series.” The folks crafting the whiskey certainly have some impressive pedigree and the nod to Dave Pickerell is an especially nice touch.
BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Madeira Casks is bottled at cask strength at 109.6 proof (54.8% ABV) and retails for $140. You can check the brand’s store locator to find a retailer near you.
