Normally, I am not a fan of celebrity whiskey. However, as a child of the 80’s, an avid metalhead and Metallica freak, I have been fascinated with Blackened Whiskey since it first hit the shelves. It wasn’t until my amazing brother-in-law gifted me a bottle that I did more than admire this cool black beast on the store shelves.
This particular bottle was a Missouri exclusive and one of the limited edition, cask strength offerings. Specifically, it was the Show-Me State, Volume 1 edition. There is no age statement and no mash bill on the bottle, but it does tell us it was batch 124. It was bottled at an impressive 112.8 proof. As a lover of higher proof whiskies, this is right in my “sweet spot” of 110 to 120 proof. A quick check of the Blackened Whiskey website states it is a blend of straight rye and bourbon whiskies, finished in black brandy barrels.
Blackened Show-Me State, Vol. 1
Sampled in a Glencairn glass, after letting it breathe for about 20 minutes. Beautiful deep amber color, with great legs.
Nose – Apples, dried fruit, brown sugar, and a definitive earthy note reminiscent of older whiskies. Also picking up a pretty nice floral note.
Palate – Has a great mouthfeel. Major sweetness (brown sugar? honey?) Quite a bit of warm spice. You can definitely pick up a brandy note on the back end.
Finish – Fairly long. Brandy dominant. The sweetness shines through here as well.
This whiskey stands out, especially when it comes to celebrity whiskies. In fact, this whiskey stands on its own compared to 90% of the bottles on the shelves. Could this be because Rob Dietrich is a genius master distiller? Could it be because of the unique process of Black Noise Sonic Enhancement used during the aging/finishing process? Well, we know Rob is a genius master distiller and the fact this whiskey tastes much older than what it likely is, I’d say sonic enhancement shows promise.
