Grain-to-glass whiskey maker Black Button Distilling recently partnered with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra to release a limited-edition “sonic-aged” bourbon.
The Black Button Distilling and RPO Sonic Aged Bourbon was unveiled at the orchestra’s Feb. 15th concert at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater in Rochester, NY.
The evening was co-hosted by Music Director Andreas Delfs and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, the orchestra’s artistic leaders. Together they revealed the orchestra’s upcoming concert calendar and invited audience members to join them in a post-concert cocktail hour featuring selected Black Button Distilling products.
“Composing and performing a great piece of music is not unlike producing and carefully aging a great bourbon,” said Jason Barrett, Black Button Distilling founder and master distiller. “Both take time, both take great care and practice, and both produce something worthy of a standing ovation. Black Button Distilling decided to meld both great arts through an experimental process known as sonic aging.”
He explained that sonic aging of whiskey involves playing a piece of music directly to the aging barrel, where the pulsating sound waves agitate the bourbon, making it more vibrant and flavorful.
Black Button Distilling worked with the Rochester orchestra to find a performance featuring accents of brass and percussion, as well as great highs in order to give the proper vibrations to the barrel.
Beethoven’s Egmont Overture was chosen from a recording made at a benefit Concert for Ukraine in Kodak Hall on March 12th, 2022. A speaker was strapped to the head of the barrel and played the piece consistently for six straight months.
In January, Black Button Distilling opened the barrel and the distiller’s notes explain that the increased wood interaction had increased wood overtones, while bringing balance to the spice character. On the nose, it features oak notes, dried apricot, and an undertone of vanilla and clove.
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The whiskey has a medium body with a burst of raisin turning into dark chocolate. At the finish, a dry and woody note returns, followed by a lingering sweetness and warmth.
The limited-release whiskey, of only 100 bottles, is available online at www.blackbuttondistilling.com.
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