Blackened Whiskey and M81: A Metallica-Inspired Pairing

I recently picked up a bottle of Blackened Whiskey, curious to finally try this collaboration between the band Metallica and the late master distiller Dave Pickerell. Naturally, I paired the pour with a Blackened M81 cigar. The M81 itself is also a collaboration — this time between Drew Estate, Metallica co-founder and frontman James Hetfield, and master distiller Rob Dietrich, who has overseen Blackened Whiskey since Pickerell’s passing.

Blackened is a blended American whiskey, composed of straight bourbons, ryes, and other American whiskeys. Although it has been on the market since 2018, I had never gotten around to trying it. Interestingly, it was being served at the Metallica concert we attended earlier this year at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA — but only mixed with lemonade, with no straight pours available — so I passed.

The whiskey’s claim to uniqueness lies in its aging process. Barrels are placed in a room exposed to low-frequency, high-amplitude sound waves generated by curated Metallica playlists. These vibrations are said to increase interaction between the whiskey and the barrel wood, resulting in deeper flavor extraction.

On the nose, the whiskey presents relatively mild aromas of dark honey and caramel, along with soft sweet fruit notes. The palate delivers brown sugar, warm rye-like spice, and more sweet fruit, accented by a touch of smokiness. The long, spicy finish gradually grows sweeter as the evening progresses. Overall, I found the profile to lean toward the sweeter side, though a subtle spice keeps it from becoming cloying.

I’ve had a few Blackened M81 by Drew Estate cigars — a 5” x 43 Corona vitola — resting in the humidor since picking them up at a Drew Estate event in May 2024. These have been well-aged, as I held a couple back specifically for an eventual pairing with Blackened Whiskey.

The foot band proclaims “Maduro to the Core,” a reference to the wrapper, binder, and filler all being Maduro tobaccos, contributing to the cigar’s rich and intense character. The wrapper is Mexican San Andrés Maduro, the binder Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro, and the filler a blend of Nicaraguan Maduro and Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro, including bold ligero leaf.

The cigar delivers a robust flavor profile of dark chocolate, cocoa, and espresso, with black pepper undertones throughout. Perhaps due to 18 months of rest in the humidor, this particular example seemed slightly less intense than I recall from earlier experiences, though it remained full-bodied and richly flavored. As with the prior ones smoked, the draw was on the tight side.

Going into the evening, I expected the cigar might overpower the blended whiskey, despite the creators’ intention that the two be enjoyed together. Instead, the whiskey’s sweetness softened the cigar’s pepper and density — again, possibly influenced by the cigar’s age.

In the end, I enjoyed the Blackened pairing overall. The tight draw of the cigar proved distracting and limited some of the flavor expression. I’ll happily sip the whiskey neat again, though I suspect it would pair even better with a sweeter, creamier cigar. The ongoing search for better sip-and-smoke combinations is what keeps this hobby interesting.

Cheers!