Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Blackened Whiskey was originally created by legendary musicians Metallica and Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. After Pickerell’s untimely passing a few years back, Rob Dietrich, formerly of Stranahan’s fame, joined the project. Blackened Masters of Whiskey Series debuted in 2021 with Blackened X Willet.
This version of Masters of Whiskey I’m reviewing is the Blackened x Rabbit Hole Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskey, featuring a base of 13-year-old straight Tennessee bourbon whiskey (mash bill of 64% corn, 36% rye) and Rabbit Hole Heigold High Rye Double Malt Kentucky straight bourbon (mash bill of 70% corn, 25% malted rye, and 5% malted barley). The blended bourbon is then finished in Calvados casks, imparting sweeter notes as Calvados is an apple brandy.
The resulting expression, according to those behind it, features notes of apple butter, rhubarb, honey-suckle, graham cracker, and macadamia nut on the nose and hints of ripe pear, cinnamon stick, smoky campfire, field clover, honey, and black walnut on the palate.
Blackened uses a proprietary process known as Black Noise. During finishing, Blackened whiskey is “sonically enhanced” to extract more flavor from the finishing casks, using a patent-pending scientific process co-developed by the sound engineers at Meyer Sound. The process uses low hertz sound waves interacting with the whiskey to reverberate and interact with the oak staves of the finishing barrel.
In a press release at the time of this whiskey’s release Deitrich said, “It was great working with Kaveh, as we came in with different backgrounds and similar mindsets, with a passion to create something unusual and unique to see where we could take it. We were both interested in starting with the 13-year-old Tennessee bourbon whiskey, and then worked back to see what was going to pair well with that as far as mash bill and blending different whiskeys from their distillery.
“We were really looking for something that balanced and layered the flavor profiles together, then adding a dash of flavor through the Calvados cask finishing. I’m ecstatic at what we came up with!”
Tasting Notes: Blackened x Rabbit Hole Blend of Straight Bourbon
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Vital Stats: blend of of 13-year-old straight Tennessee bourbon whiskey (mash bill of 64% corn, 36% rye) and Rabbit Hole Heigold High Rye Double Malt Kentucky straight bourbon (mash bill of 70% corn, 25% malted rye, and 5% malted barley); finished in ex-Calvados casks; 106.59 ABV; $149.99 SRP
Appearance: Copper
Nose: Red apples, candied nuts. It is sweet with peaches and cherry pie crust, a simple note of pine. It is intriguing and inviting.
Taste: Very dry and cloying to the teeth and tongue. Flavors burst of cherries, brown sugar, warming quickly with rye spice, and char. I found a note or two of mint and wood shavings. The finish is bright with brown sugar and cigar tobacco before slowly fading off the tongue. Warms the upper chest and hlds like a nice ember.
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