Metallica and Sweet Amber Distilling Co. have announced the release of Blackened American Whiskey's Batch 100. To commemorate reaching the benchmark Batch 100, the Metallica-branded drink will be available exclusively in a limited collector's edition box set.
The package includes two 12-inch vinyl picture discs of the custom Metallica playlist used in the finishing process of the whiskey, plus the first edition of the Blackened Zine. The zine will delve into the behind-the-scenes story of how the whiskey was made, along with glimpses of Metallica's headquarters and rehearsal space.
Blackened was launched in 2018 by Metallica and late master distiller Dave Pickerell. In June of 2019, master distiller and blender Rob Dietrich joined the fold after the passing of Pickerell, overseeing the sourcing, blending and cask finishing of barrels for each batch.
Pickerell developed a process by which Metallica's music is used to literally shape the whiskey, with the vibrations of the music agitating the whiskey in its casks and extracting more flavor from the wood. Each batch of Blackened has a unique playlist curated by the band members themselves.
The Batch 100 playlist, a collaboration between Dietrich and Metallica's Lars Ulrich, is an eclectic mix of rare, live and studio recordings from various stages of the band's career.