Blackened Rye the Lightning (2022 Release)

Holy shit do I love Metallica. Seriously, likely my favorite metal or heavy rock band of all time. I do have the classic Blackened whiskey, but it's definitely not my flavor profile, and is a little weak for my tastes. When this one came out a few months ago (near my birthday), I do not have shame in saying that I begged a lot of people to get this for me as a gift. That did not happen, mostly because the pre-orders sold out almost immediately (why does nobody budget the correct amount of whiskey for pre-orders?), and it was far overpriced. Thankfully, I found it locally for far less, and I definitely couldn't resist. As I listen to the Ride the Lightning album (well, I cheat and am listening to the Call of Ktulu version with San Francisco Symphony Orchestra because it's amazing), I will enjoy this no matter what, because Metallica kicks ass and a rye is always better for me. There's lots of fresh rye grain on the nose, with an impressive spiciness for the relatively low proof. Candied cinnamon and a bit of citrus pop out, with the classic cut grass behind it. A great amount of caramel is also present, which I am guessing comes from the triple barreling of sorts. A light body is what starts off, but the rye grain is present with a sweeter flavor, likely from the rum barrel. There's also a very dry follower, which I attribute to the wine barrels. The gum penetration is moderate here, and the spice level is also moderate, but only because the flavors imparted by the barrels also deliver to an almost equal amount. The finish is pretty hot, but it ultimately ends with a dry finish, which does keep you coming back for more, to refresh the cycle. Maybe it's the music playing (very loudly) behind me, or because this whiskey is both delicious and unique, but I'm quite enjoying this. It's definitely not a front runner of any of my rye favorites, but it also isn't entirely in the rye category, since the Madeira and rum deliver their own flavor notes that definitely do come through. For ~$70, this is way steep, but if this ever dropped below $50, this would easily be both the most metal and layered rye whiskey out there, and created with no other method that can be rivaled by any other distillery, similar to how Metallica cannot be rivaled in their music; if there is such a rival, I definitely need to crank those tracks.

Rating: 14/23 N: It's kind of oily with dill and mint hints, along with a sweetness that makes me think of confectioner's sugar. Hints of orange peel, along with a rye richness buried underneath. Faint caramel. Light rye spices and faint grains. P: Richer than I'd expected, with lots of grain flavor that has wort hints, but avoids actually tasting like wort, particularly because it has a lot of caramel sweetness that is just a little on the light side and mixes with some vanilla. Rye spices with mild herbal notes. A faint touch of citrus. F: Clean, with light grains, some spices carrying some heat, faint herbs, faint clean water sweetness. It's pretty boring, actually. A long, lingering, faint, floral, herbal, vanilla sweetness. - Conclusion - This is easy to drink. It's tasty, but not all that interesting. It's kind of like a rye for people who aren't sure they like rye, but also don't want a rye that tastes like a bourbon. Russell's Reserve 10 (16/23) is way better than this. This is beating Red Blooded (10/23). I'm thinking a 12 to 14, but maybe an 11. Not a 15. I'd choose a 13 right now. Yeah, I'm thinking a 13. It could be a 12, but I'm leaning toward a 13. Coming back to this the next day, I'm leaning more toward a 14. Thank you to the always generous @Milliardo for sharing this sample :)

Nose is both unusual and appealing as the cask finish shows up here with fruity, jammy notes (strawberry, boysenberry) along with wintergreen, caraway, graham cracker, brown sugar, and black tea. Palate features the tea leaf promised in the nose, along with some lemongrass, fig, raspberry, and walnut. Hint of mint as well. This could really use some caramel or butterscotch maybe to balance it out, but sadly it just isn’t there. That said, the dichotomy between the fruity and herbal notes is an interesting one. Flavors are decently robust for the proof. Medium length finish has more tea, Spearmint, white pepper, and tannic oak. Mouthfeel is oily and on the lighter side of medium. Overall, while the secondary cask brings some nice elements this is more of a curiosity than a slam dunk. I can see what they were going for here, but I just kept wishing for things flavor wise that never really materialized and I’m not the biggest tea fan and this has a lot of it which I think is affecting my rating. At $70 it’s value is fair but I can think of dozens of other ryes I’d rather pick at that price point, and thus not a rebuy for this reviewer.

Aroma - rum is definitely noticeable… brown sugar, bold vanilla, peach, slight hint of leather, and tobacco leaf. Raisins also come to mind. Interesting and unique. Taste - follows the nose which is great…Brown sugar, vanilla frosting… again picking up an interesting fruit profile in peaches and figs. The rye profile is very subtle.. I have to reach for it. Overall - Is this juice or is this whiskey? It is stupid just how incredibly smooth this is and it has a great balance of flavors. At 90 proof the finish is non-existent and the viscosity is water-like (to be expected)… BUT……. It is honestly too light and smooth.. and barely resembles a whiskey. Really need to boost the proof on this to be honest. I brought this bottle to a bday party and it was crushed mostly by non-whiskey drinkers lol…There is absolutely zero burn

Tonight’s selection arrived on Sunday. It is not yet available in our market. I had to preorder this one. It is the newest release from Metallica’s Bkackened Whiskey line. It is a double cask rye appropriately titled Rye The Lightning. It is delicious. Smooth with no rye burn. Sweet and caramel. Finished in Madeira and Rum casks. Delicious. Going to have to use this one sparingly. At least until it makes it to this side of the US. Come on guys. It says born in Bardstown on the bottle, you cough Ave at least released it here first instead of Cali. @metallica @blackenedamericanwhiskey #ryethelightning

This offers many of the flavors of Willett 4 Year Rye with the addition of Seagrass fruitiness. At 90 proof, it drinks with an elegance that actually may be marred at a higher proof. Pretty nose, harmonious flavors and a fleeting, albeit, enjoyable finish; this is a "celebrity" whiskey whose distillers and blenders have apparently put considerable thought into making this an attractive, enticing entry into the finished rye market.