Metallica already has its own coffee and beer, so it probably shouldn’t be surprising that the band decided to get into the spirits game as well.
Metallica recently announced Blackened, a new American straight whiskey that was created by master distiller and blender Dave Pickerell. Pickerell worked for Maker’s Mark and now works at WhistlePig.
The whiskey uses Metallica’s music to “shape the flavor.” So, if you ever wondered what happens when a whiskey ages while listening to metal, this is it.
According to Pickerell, the idea behind the whiskey came from his days at West Point. There, the church organ would cause the building to tremble, something that could potentially enhance the whiskey aging process.
Meyer Sound had already worked with the band to build a special subwoofer to enhance the low tones in its music, so the subwoofer seemed like the natural choice for aging the whiskey as well.
As for how the sound impacts the whiskey, he says that the whiskey is still aged as long as it would be traditionally, but the sound waves help bring some flavor elements out of the barrels.
“Blackened is a testament to the creative process, to the hard work and determination required to make something from nothing. It’s a monument to the ones who charge into the fray and come out the other side stronger, together,” a site dedicated to the whiskey says. “Fueled by decades of creative passion, Blackened is a distillation of the incomparable bond between the band and their community of fans.”
You can grab a bottle of Blackened toward the end of September in limited markets. You can also order a bottle online. It’s priced at $53 a bottle, plus shipping.