144: Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey: Rob Dietrich’s Journey From Stagehand to Master Distiller

Taking a break from the metal and rock music at Louisville’s Louder Than Life music festival, Rob Dietrich joins the Bourbon Lens to talk whiskey.  Rob Dietrich is Master Distiller for Blackened American Whiskey and has taken over their reins from the late Dave Pickerell. Rob is a talented distiller (formerly of Colorado’s Stranahan’s) and even has a history of working in the music industry, so landing with Metallica’s Blackened brand is a natural fit for him. You’ll hear a lot about Rob’s philosophy of whiskey, his love for music, and his passion for this brand as they head international.  

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About Blackened Whiskey:

BLACKENED was created in 2018 by Metallica and late Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. It features a blend of the finest North American bourbons and ryes that were hand-selected by Dave and finished in black brandy casks. During finishing, the whiskey undergoes the BLACK NOISE sonic-enhancement where the low frequencies of Metallica’s music pummel the finishing barrel, visibly shaking it, causing greater interaction between the whiskey and the wood, thereby extracting more flavor and color. The playlist for the batches are traditionally selected by the members of Metallica and can be found on the website at https://blackenedwhiskey.com/batch-playlists/ 

The brand recently unveiled its new “Masters of Whiskey Series,” which partners Rob Dietrich with other renowned master distillers to reimagine craft whiskey. The series debuted with the BLACKENED x Willett Kentucky Straight Rye Finished in Madeira Casks created in collaboration with Drew Kulsveen and Willett Distillery. It’s crafted from a base of low rye and high rye recipes hand-selected by Rob and Drew from the Willett Family Estate Reserve Selection. The whiskies are married in Madeira Casks where they undergo the BLACK NOISE sonic-enhancement process using a playlist selected by both Master Distillers. It’s bottled at cask strength at 109.6 proof.

Image Credit: Blackened American Whiskey

Show Links:

• BLACKENED American Whiskey | Premium Bourbon-Rye Blend
• 3 ‘Drinking Rules of Engagement’ by Rob Dietrich
• Blackened Batch – Metallica Playlists on Spotify 
• Robb Report Review: Blackened, the Whiskey That’s Aged to the Sounds of Metallica – Robb Report
• Introducing Blackened American Whiskey… Whiskey Remastered | Metallica.com
• The Whiskey Wash Interview: Becoming ‘One’ With Metallica’s Whiskey Brand
• Guitar World Feature – Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey has been “pummeled by the low-hertz frequencies” of the band’s classic tracks
• Revolver Magazine – Metallica’s Black Album Meets Blackened American Whiskey: Inside Batch 114
• BLACKENED American Whiskey Introduces Limited Edition “The Black Album” Whiskey Pack
• SF Gate Feature – The secret ingredient in this whiskey is Metallica…no seriously
• Vulture.com Review: Metallica ‘S&M2’ Blackened American Whiskey
• Men’s Journal – Meet the Rebel Distillers Breaking All the Rules on Whiskey
• Maxim.com – Metallica Celebrates The Black Album Anniversary with Blackened Whiskey Pack
• The Manual Feature – Metallica Fuses with Willett Distillery To Create an Exclusive Rye
• Revolver Magazine – Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey: Rob Dietrich’s Journey From Stagehand to Master Distiller
• Forbes Feature – Metal and Rock’s Triumphant Return At 2021’s Louder Than Life Festival
• Watch METALLICA Play “Ride The Lightning” At Louder Than Life
• Blabbermouth.net – METALLICA Releases Pro-Shot Video Of ‘Ride The Lightning’ Performance From LOUDER THAN LIFE Festival 

Check out this episode!