Blackened Cigars

A collaboration with Rob Dietrich, James Hetfield and Drew Estate.

I started smoking cigars while I was in the Army. There's a ritual to it — the slow pace, the attention it demands, the way it makes you stop and be present — that lines up perfectly with how I approach making whiskey. I also enjoy the fellowship it brings, sharing great moments around a firepit or on a patio somewhere with friends and kindred spirits. The 2020 pandemic brought me that time and opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of some close friends and companions, leading to the creation of a cigar line by myself, James Hetfield and Jonathan Drew. The idea was born in the quiet moments of fellowship between the stretches of chaos, and ultimately, it really was inevitable; this cigar had to be made.

Blackened Cigars is the result of that collaboration: two blends, created by three artists and crafted by Drew Estate, designed to be smoked with friends and in those quiet moments between the chaos.

M81 — Maduro to the Core

A full-bodied cigar wrapped in a dark, oily Maduro leaf. Expect notes of dark chocolate, espresso, cedar, and earth — flavors that stand up to the richness of American oak-aged whiskey. This is the cigar I reach for when I'm pouring from a new batch of Blackened. It doesn't just pair exceptionally well with the whiskey; it amplifies it.

S84 — Shade to Black

A medium-bodied smoke wrapped in a lighter Connecticut shade leaf. More delicate than the M81 — cedar, cream, a touch of grass — and the perfect counterpoint to a low rye. Where the M81 doubles down on richness, the S84 gives the whiskey room to breathe.

The Collaboration

James Hetfield is an incredibly talented artist with the ear of a master, the heart of a lyricist and the intensity of a wild desert storm. Jonathan Drew is one of the most creative minds in the cigar industry, pushing boundaries and kicking down the door of creativity with un-matched passion and ingenuity. Myself, I found my craft through understanding and mastering my palate to create whiskey as an art form and dive deep to take whiskey-making to a new level.

Three Masters, one result.

Getting to work with both of these masters on these blends — tasting through dozens of prototypes, discussing balance and complexity, debating what 'Blackened' should taste like in smoke form — was one of the best creative experiences of my career.

Where to Buy

These cigars are available through Drew Estate and select premium tobacconists. Follow @whiskeyrob on Instagram for events where both the cigars and the whiskey are poured together.

The Whiskey Behind the Music.

Crafted by Rob Dietrich. Finished by Metallica.

My work with Blackened American Whiskey is the culmination of my lifelong curiosity and obsession with the art of craftwork, striding powerfully in step with a legendary band whose music has always pushed boundaries, the iconic Metallica. As the master distiller and blender for Blackened, I oversee every barrel, every blend, and every batch that carries this name.

This is an exceptional and unique whiskey, crafted and directed with passion and creativity, with a vision leaning toward the unconventional and the unusual. This is a serious whiskey, originally built on the foundation laid by the late Dave Pickerell, then crafted and expanded by myself and championed together with Metallica's vision, always executed with the same precision and passion I have brought to every barrel I've ever made.

Having the ability to create new and unusual whiskies also lead me to create one of my favorite whiskies to date: Rye the Lightning, a high rye whiskey which I cask finished in Madeira barrels, then final-finished in Caribbean rum casks, earning the illustrious designation of being named the number one rye and one of the top 20 best whiskies in the world by Whiskey Advocate magazine in 2022.

The Black Noise Process

Every batch of Blackened is finished using a proprietary technique we call Black Noise. Low-frequency sound waves generated by Metallica music are directed at the aging barrels, causing the whiskey inside to move and interact with the wood in ways standard aging does not.

The physics are real. Sound creates vibration. Vibration creates movement. Movement drives the spirit deeper into the wood grain, accelerating the extraction of flavor compounds in ways specific to the frequency and character of each playlist.

Each batch uses a different Metallica setlist. Which means every bottle is slightly different from the last — and that's by design.

The Masters of Whiskey Series

The Masters of Whiskey Series is my ongoing collaboration program — a chance to partner with distillers I respect and admire, to create expressions with them that stand alone from the mainstream.

Blackened x Willett
Blackened x Wes Henderson
Blackened x Rabbit Hole

The Expressions

Flagship

Blackened American Whiskey — The blend that started it all. A marriage of straight bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys from across North America, Black Noise finished in new American oak. Rich, complex, balanced.

Limited Releases

Rye the Lightning — Named after one of Metallica's most iconic albums, this 100% rye expression is bold, spicy, and unapologetically loud. Gold, 2024 John Barleycorn Awards.

Masters of Whiskey — Collaborations that were compelled to be something unique and stand alone.