Metallica announces Rye the Lightning whiskey

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Metallica has announced Rye the Lightning, the latest spirit from the band’s signature Blackened Whiskey brand.

Named after the 1984 ‘Tallica album Ride the Lightning, Rye the Lightning is a 90-proof Kentucky straight rye whiskey with “notes of dried fig, hay, pinewood, pear, and rum cake on the nose, and on the palate, clover honey, mint, corn husk, sugar cane, walnut, and cinnamon.”

As with previous Blackened Whiskeys, Rye the Lightning was made using “Black Noise,” a method that involves playing Metallica songs during the distilling process. Apparently, the low-frequency sound waves of the band’s music helps “shape the flavor” of the whiskey.

Fittingly, the playlist used in crafting Rye the Lightning features Metallica’s reverse-order performance of Ride the Lightning at the 2012 Orion Music + More festival.

“Orion Music + More was an awesome experiment and experience,” recalls bassist Robert Trujillo. “The vibe from the crowd was electrifying, and it’s really cool that we get to capture that energy in this release.”

Adds Trujillo, “We’ve used a few live songs in our playlists before, but never a full live playlist. So to be able to incorporate our fans in the Blackened journey and have them be a part of the whiskey-making process is really unique.”

You can pre-order your bottle of Rye the Lighting now via BlackenedWhiskey.com.

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