Description

Blackened began as a project between the metal band Metallica and renowned master distiller, blender, and chemical engineer, Dave Pickerell. The base whiskey is a blend of bourbon and rye that is finished in black brandy casks for an undisclosed amount of time. The whiskey is also subjected to the company’s trademarked Black Noise sonic enhancement process, which uses specially made subwoofers that amplify low-frequency sound waves (featured in Metallica’s music) that, according to the company, “disrupts the whiskey inside the barrel, causing increased wood interaction that kicks up the wood-flavor characteristics in the whiskey.” The bottle is adorned with sound waves on its label that are from Metallica’s song, “Blackened.”

Dave Pickerell passed away just after the launch of Blackened in 2019. Former head distiller of Stranahan’s, Rob Dietrich, has since taken over the role as Blackened’s master distiller. The inaugural batch was labeled 081, to honor 1981, the year Metallica formed.

Blackened offers their Cask Strength Limited Edition whiskey as retailer “selects.” While you may see a store sponsor a specific batch, Blackened also releases them as state-specific batches, where any store has the opportunity to offer their state’s batch. Our review bottle is from Batch 115 and dubbed, “The Empire State Edition.”

NOSE

Hard classic bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak draw you in. Potent, but far more delicate scents of plum, apple and a mix of dried fruits follow. The aroma as a whole is rich, but not overly aggressive either. It features just the right amount of warmth and sweetness, teamed with mild complexity to create a satisfying aroma overall.

palate

A flavorful burst of fruity sweetness is warming as it is eye opening. It packs a punch, as robust notes of dark raspberry, blackberry, apricot, and supple plum make a lasting impression. This fusion of delicious flavors works well, and forms a cohesive and impressive sip. This is a flavor profile that hit its mark.

finish

A pepper pop is followed by rich caramel, brown sugar, vanilla, and robust oak. Traces of the palate’s fruitiness linger, creating a layered aftertaste that is subtly different with each sip. It will depend on what your taste buds decide to pull out: more of the fruit found in the palate or more of the savory parts that appear in the finish. As a result, the finish is dynamic and constantly interesting, but still suffers from being a bit too hot at times.

uniqueness

I don’t doubt that many will find Blackened’s Black Noise sonic enhancement process gimmicky, but thanks to the renowned master distiller and blender Dave Pickerell’s involvement, it’s hard to completely disregard it.

Blackened’s Black Noise sonic enhancement is certainly one of the more “out there” innovations he was involved with. Working with metal band Metallica, the process and concept was a synergetic one, that from a branding standpoint, makes a ton of sense. With metal music bringing up thoughts of loud vibrating speakers, it takes a creative mind to take that and apply it to whiskey in a meaningful way.
Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, this “gimmicky” finishing process is a worthwhile one. The standard Blackened features an unexpected amount of refinement and a ton of flavor, especially for a 90 proof whiskey. Going higher proof doesn’t dramatically change the fundamentals of the brand, it simply shows a different side to its unique finishing process.

value

At a mere $9 over its 90 proof standard version. It’s hard not to lean towards the cask strength version if given the choice between the two. That’s not to say the 90 proof version doesn’t have something unique to offer on its own. The marginal upcharge in price and its more punchy flavor will likely make people reach for the higher proof version if given the chance. With the cask strength release’s more limited availability. It wouldn’t surprise me to see price fluctuation between stores offering it. With the standard Blackened already providing a great value for what it offers, the cask strength edition falls right in line, perhaps even going one step further. Beyond the names involved, its unique black brandy cask finishing, and of course its one-of-a kind finishing process, offering a cask strength version for so little more than their standard product is largely unheard of for a non-distiller producer. With its resulting quality pour and sweet and fruity flavor profile that many will likely find agreeable, Blackened Cask Strength packs in the value.

overall

A jump in proof not only makes this unique whiskey more potent where it counts, it does so for a marginal markup over its lower proof brethren. A cask strength version of Blackened is everything you’d expect it to be if you’re familiar with the 90 proof version. Because the black brandy casks used to finish the base whiskey already provide a wealth of dark fruit flavors, increasing the proof allows these great flavors to shine even more. The higher proof doesn’t reinvent the Blackened profile, but finds a nice complementary point to the standard release. With both releases providing something special in their own right, the company makes a compelling case that there’s a reason for having both in your collection. That isn’t always true when it comes to other brands where their lower proof edition comes across as simply lacking, especially for seasoned drinkers. Despite this, it is still a welcomed ramp up of intensity for those who love the brand and it continues to showcase the agreeable flavor profile of Blackened whiskey

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Shipping & Delivery

Shipping policy

Name: Blackened Cask Strength Limited Edition
SKU: 9467
Price: 69.99 USD
Availability: InStock

Can I check my order and shipping status?

You can check the status of your order and shipment tracking here.

Where do you deliver?

At this time, our vendors only deliver within the United States*. Due to state regulations, certain spirits can only be shipped to certain states. Please see the shipping information for the product you are interested in at checkout to determine where it can be shipped.

Where do you ship from?

We work with a network of licensed retail partners across the US. Your orders will ship from the vendor with the best price that is closest to you, in this order. Our vendors rely on various third-party courier services, you can track order in your Caskers profile.

When will my order arrive?

Our vendors usually require 1-5 business days to prepare your shipment. Shipping times vary according to your delivery address and availability of the ordered items. We always provide a link with order tracking that contains a delivery estimate once an order ships. If you order multiple items, they may ship separately.

Is there anything else I should be mindful of?

You must be of legal drinking age in your country to purchase alcoholic beverages. All orders must be received and signed for by an adult. By placing your order, you represent that you are of legal drinking age, and the person to whom your spirits will be delivered is also of legal drinking age. When your spirits are delivered, the person receiving delivery will be required to show identification.

As orders are typically delivered during business hours, we strongly encourage you to ship to a business address to ensure someone is present to sign.

Shipping Costs

Shipping is $14.99 for the first bottle you order and $3 for each additional bottle.

For example, if you order 4 bottles, you will pay $14.99 shipping for the first bottle, $3 for the second bottle, $3 for the third bottle, and $3 for the fourth bottle. This amounts to $23.99 for four bottles.

Can I return an order?

You can cancel an order for a full refund within three days of purchase, provided it hasn’t shipped. Once an order has been safely & successfully delivered, we do not accept returns due to change of heart or taste. Due to state regulations, we cannot accept the return of alcohol purchased by a customer in error.

Product images on the website are intended for illustrative purposes only and may not always be exact representations of the item in stock. Actual products may vary in, for example, edition or batch. If the edition or batch isn’t specifically mentioned in the product name or description we cannot guarantee which edition you’ll receive.

What happens if my order returns?

If the delivery address you provide is incorrect, if you refuse any shipments, or if delivery is not successful after the final delivery attempt, your order will be refunded minus the costs of return shipping (see Return Costs).

In case of a failed delivery attempt, the courier will leave a door tag. Make necessary arrangements with the courier service to ensure delivery or pickup at the nearest courier depot before the shipment returns.

If something goes wrong due to courier-related issues, our customer care is quick to assist, and we always resolve things in your favor—either by resending or fully refunding, depending on the circumstances. In some instances, we might require your help with resolving the issue.

Return Costs

Instances where customers are liable to pay return shipping costs are outlined on this page.

We do our best to keep return shipping costs to a minimum; however, the return fee is mutually exclusive to any discount applied to an order and the fee we charge initially. This means that the return shipping might differ slightly from the outbound shipping (standard shipping rates apply).

What if there’s an issue with my shipment?

In the rare case of receiving damaged or incorrect goods, please notify us within 1 week of the delivery date, and we will be happy to arrange an exchange. If a replacement item(s) is not available, you will be issued a refund once the item(s) in question are returned in the condition they were received.

In such cases, please send over photos of the product(s) and a photo of the packaging, as this will speed up the resolution time. Hold onto the product(s), even in case of breakage, as the vendor may request it be returned for successful resolution.

If your tracking details suggest that your order has been delivered but you have not received the goods, please notify us within 1 week of the stated delivery date at the latest. In order to locate the package, we will require your cooperation and assistance with getting relevant information from people and services that have access to your deliveries.

If your order tracking has not shown any progress within the last 10-14 days please reach out and our team will assist.

Blackened Cask Strength Limited Edition