Review: SirDavis Rye Whiskey
No, I never would have pegged Beyonce as a rye whiskey drinker, but I’ve gotten in trouble for stereotyping in the past, so let’s just forget about that. (Turns out she’s a Japanese whisky enthusiast.) This collaboration between one of the most successful singers of all time and Moet Hennessy is billed as “the future of American whiskey,” and it was designed to create a “one-of-a-kind flavor profile” that reflects Ms. Knowles-Carter’s “whisky ideal.”
There is substantial street cred here, as the whisky was developed with Dr. Bill Lumsden, who selected a weird mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley and then “combined traditional whisky-making techniques to impart an elegant mouthfeel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the robust and deep flavors typical of classic American rye.” The aged product is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, though no age statements are provided for either aging period.
As for the name, “SirDavis is named in honor of Davis Hogue, Knowles-Carter’s paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and a moonshiner in the American South during Prohibition. He stashed whisky bottles in the empty knots of cedar trees for friends and kin to find and enjoy. For Knowles-Carter, it was this discovery that made the idea of creating a whisky brand feel predestined.”
Ready to give it a whirl? You know it, we came to slay.
It doesn’t take long for the pungency of rye to reveal itself here. In the absence of corn in the mash, it rides herd on the softer barley, providing aromas of toasted caraway-heavy rye bread, then tobacco, anise, and some racy green pepper. Herbal and spice-laden through and through, it’s as powerful up top as any 95/5 rye you’ve had of late.
The palate softens things up. While the rye spice still dominates with heavy notes of savory spices and green herbs, it manages to be tempered by some softening sweetness: almond nougat, vanilla, and then a stewed, raisiny sweetness clearly driven by the PX finish. A dusting of dark chocolate and some well-charred caramel continue as the finish builds, alongside a reprise of the spice cabinet, here finishing on cloves and a bit of white pepper. Hints of ginger and some expressed orange peel play out as the finish fades.
SirDavis is a true oddity but one that’s more worthwhile than your typical celebribooze. The ping-pong of savory to fruity and back again makes for quite a journey. Or, as someone might say, it’s unapologetic when you fuck up the night.
88 proof.
B+ / $89 / sirdavis.com
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