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Whiskey Review: Blackened X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye

We review Blackened X Willett Kentucky Straight Rye, which answers the question: What happens when you combine Metallica, Madeira casks, and cult American whiskey?

OVERALL RATING

8
$139.99
  • Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer.
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Blackened x Willett Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Madeira Casks

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Dark amber, almost brown.
Nose:
The Madeira-cask finishing makes itself apparent immediately. This is a whiskey that has a sweetness on the nose, almost a plumminess, which I attribute to the influence of the sweet wine. I get strawberry, blood orange and fresh-ground mint.
Palate:
It may not have smelled like a traditional rye, but you taste the rye spice as soon as you take a sip. It hits you immediately, then dissipates just as quickly. Behind the spice, there’s – at the risk of the obvious cliché – a darkness. I’d equate it to pomegranate, fig preserves, charred wood and sweet tobacco leaves.
Finish:
Comments:
Sweet Amber Distilling, the company behind Blackened, declined to tell me how many cases of this release it made for the 38 states in which it’s available. But it emphasized that it is a “limited” release only, as will be the future releases in the Master of Whiskey Series. Most likely, that means it will go fast and you’ll see it pop up soon on secondary market prices.rnrnThe bottom line is that this rye holds up well next to some of the ones I like best on my bar, which is a good sign. It’s distinctive, with those telltale madeira notes. Metallica fans, or whiskey drinkers who want to collect a heavy metal series of whiskies, will want this for sure. But rye fans who couldn’t care less about sonic enhancement can also enjoy this one. I look forward to seeing what future Master of Whiskey releases will bring to the table, too.rn

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Scott Bernard Nelson

Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer based in Portland, Oregon. While currently working in higher education, he previously dedicated 22 years to journalism, covering impactful events such as 9/11 in Manhattan, crossing into Iraq with U.S. Marines, and contributing to The Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of abuse in the Catholic Church, which inspired the film "Spotlight." Since 2019, Scott has shared his insights as a whiskey reviewer for The Whiskey Wash.  

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