We are already quite accustomed to rock bands launching their own alcoholic beverages. Such is the case of Iron Maiden and their brand-new beer. Or Sepultura’s official cachaça spirit. Motörhead came up with a whole range of liquors – wine, whiskey, and beer. Even Slayer didn’t stay behind and launched their own wine called Reign in Blood Red Wine. And the list goes on…
Now, it’s time for Metallica not to Enter Sandman, but rather the big beverage scene with a thrash metal-infused whiskey that harnesses the power of sonic aging. Titled ‘Blackened’—as a tribute to the first song off their …And Justice for All (1988) album—the spirit was brought to life thanks to the help of Dave Pickerell, a master whiskey distiller, a chemical engineer, and a chemistry professor.
What makes the Blackened whiskey unique is the way the specialists aged it. And no, it’s not matured in space like the one Jameson Irish Whiskey ‘crafted’ just recently. This distilled drink uses a more sophisticated method to pamper the connoisseurs’ taste buds. Stored in special barrels, the drink was aged while being exposed to the band’s music. Aren’t you curious how a genuine “Whiskey In The Jar” tastes like?
Honey and caramel tones complement the woody flavor the whiskey has, an aroma the drink graciously borrowed during the sonic process. And that is, ladies and gentlemen, the key procedure in crafting this special drink. Pickerell and his team stored the liquor in brandy barrels for maturing and then exposed it to low-frequency sound waves, which were played by a proprietary subwoofer crafted by Meyer Sound that amplifies the sound waves.
The drink is indeed unusual, thanks to the “Black Noise” process that lies behind it and uses low bass frequencies to give new flavors to the popular liquor. In this case, the whiskey is Metallica-infused, with its final taste being shaped by a playlist selected by the iconic rock band itself. The liquid was then caressed by the low hertz sound waves that helped to enhance the molecular interaction and its final taste. And this was not achieved just by this unusual aging process, Blackened also underwent the classic maturing procedure.
Metallica has been working on this project for over a year, during which the band decided to establish an even stronger connection with their audience. Plus, the rock band stated in a press release that by launching this whiskey, they mean to literally show to the world how devoted to the fans they really are.
“We are obviously not just slapping a Metallica label on a pre-existing mediocre whiskey but have been working on this for the last several years and overseeing every detail from the first idea to your first taste with careful precision. The ultimate goal is to make a whiskey that fits into the Metallica experience and sets itself apart from all the others,” claims the band on their webpage.
Blackened is available on the US market starting this week. The impatient fans can also order the drink online, at thinkliquor.com or spiritedgifts.com. But if you really want to enjoy the full ‘Blackened’ experience, you should head straight to blackenedwhiskey.com, where you’ll also find the playlist that complements the drink.
If you would find it difficult to get your hands on a Blackened American Whiskey, any whiskey will probably do. Just hit play on the “Blackened” song while admiring the bottle’s label which carries the soundwave of this song in its looks. Finally, take a sip of your drink. That’s how one should drink a glass of whiskey. Enjoy it and keep on rockin’! Possibly with the Blackened on the rocks?
Credits:
Director: Evan Dennis
DP: Rik Zang / Albert Salas
Editor: Mischa Meyer
Colorist: Tom Poole
Music + Sound Design: Echolab
Composers: Leo Pearson / Gavin Little