BLACKENED® WHISKEY ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE OF CASK STRENGTH

BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength is a Blend of Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys Finished and Sonically-Enhanced in Brandy Casks Bottled at Cask Strength

NEW YORK, May 2, 2023 -- Today, award-winning BLACKENED Whiskey^® announces its release of Cask Strength, starting with Volume 01, as a nationwide rollout and will include Canada. BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength features the same award-winning blend of the finest North American bourbons and ryes as in the original expression. The whiskeys are then married and finished in brandy casks, bottled at cask strength, and non-chill filtered, offering a viscous mouthfeel with an even bolder flavor profile. Each volume of Cask Strength is its own unique batch and limited in quantity.

After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on previous limited Cask Strength releases, which have received a 91 rating from Whisky Advocate and Gold from the John Barleycorn Awards, BLACKENED Whiskey is answering consumer demand with this expression and rolling it out across the U.S. and multiple provinces in Canada.

The makers of BLACKENED Whiskey sonically-enhance their whiskeys to extract more flavor from the finishing casks, using a patent-pending scientific process co-developed by the sound engineers at Meyer Sound, a global leader in sound technology. Dubbed Black Noise™, this sonic-enhancement process produces low hertz sound waves causing the whiskey to reverberate at a fast rate, interacting with the oak staves of the finishing barrel, measurably releasing wood compounds and flavors.

BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength features notes of rolled oats, vanilla wafer, fig, maple sugar, and toffee on the nose. On the palate are hints of walnut, caramel, and vanilla crème with a brown sugar, ancho chile, and a cinnamon spice finish.

"I absolutely love cask strength whiskey," said BLACKENED Whiskey Master Distiller & Blender, Rob Dietrich. "You are drinking whiskey in its purest form; unfiltered, uncut and born straight from the barrel with one unapologetic purpose - to be savored."

"When creating BLACKENED, we didn't want to create just another whiskey. Our goal was to create something unique and refined that would appeal to even the top notch whiskey experts," said Metallica bassist, Robert Trujillo. "We are so proud of Rob's latest accolades with Rye The Lightning receiving the #14 spot on Whisky Advocate's Top Whiskies of 2022. We know fans are going to be excited for the release of BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength, starting with the newly released Volume 01."

BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength is on shelves now with an SRP of $69.99. To find local retailers or gather information, visit BLACKENED Whiskey's website www.BlackenedWhiskey.com and follow on social at @BlackenedAmericanWhiskey. To hear the playlist, visit blackenedwhiskey.com/batch-playlists/.

ABOUT SWEET AMBER DISTILLING CO.

Established in 2018, Sweet Amber Distilling Co. is a producer of hand-crafted spirits. Helmed by Co-Founder and CEO John Bilello, Sweet Amber launched with the creation of BLACKENED^® - a masterful collaboration between late whiskey luminary Dave Pickerell and rock icons Metallica, which is now available in all 50 states and parts of Canada, with plans to expand rapidly. In 2019, Rob Dietrich took the helm as Master Distiller & Blender, introducing new expressions like Rye The Lightning™, which was celebrated as one of the 20 best whiskies in the world in 2022 by Whisky Advocate. Sweet Amber is a nimble, dynamic organization that is completely virtual, allowing a greater flexibility, efficiency, and geographic coverage across the U.S. with depth of experience in the spirits and music industries.

ABOUT ROB DIETRICH

Rob Dietrich is the Master Distiller & Blender of BLACKENED^® American Whiskey, and the former Master Distiller for Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey. Rob has more than 15 years in the industry and gained notoriety during his time at Stranahan's for producing unique, award-winning whiskies such as the limited edition, cask-finished Snowflake, and more recently, the Master of Whiskey series with BLACKENED. Rob is responsible for every aspect of production and is committed to not only maintaining the original recipe of Blackened, using artisanal methods and a handcrafted approach, but is also dedicated to creating contemporary and unique world-class whiskey. Rob Dietrich initially learned the art and science of distilling from legendary distiller Jess Graber whom he proudly calls his mentor. His passion for music was honed across 10 years spent in the music business, beginning with working with Bill Graham Presents, and also as a freelance agent for a variety of venues like Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheater and The Fillmore in San Francisco and Denver, as well as producing and managing many tours and festivals. He is a veteran of the U.S. Army's 10th Mountain Division and served from 1992 to 1995. His two tours in Somalia as well as relief operations in Haiti helped shape his life-affirming philosophy.

ABOUT METALLICA

Formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, Metallica has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. Metallica's catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, … And Justice for All, Metallica (commonly referred to as The Black Album), Load, Reload, St. Anger, Death Magnetic, Hardwired…to Self-Destruct, and the forthcoming 72 Seasons, out April 14, 2023, on the band's own Blackened Recordings label. Metallica's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize. In 2017, Metallica established the All Within My Hands Foundation to give back to communities that have supported the band. To date, All Within My Hands' collective efforts have raised nearly $12 million – providing $5.9 million in grants to career and technical education programs, over $2.5 million to combat food insecurity, and more than $3.3 million to disaster relief efforts.