Master Distiller Rob Dietrich Shares His Preferred Way to Drink Metallica’s Blackened Whiskey

Recently, Ultimate Metallica had the chance to chat with Rob Dietrich, Master Distiller and Blender for Metallica's Blackened American Whiskey. We covered a lot of ground, from his early days as a kid listening to rock and being introduced to Metallica through Master of Puppets all the way to how he started working with the band on this amazing whiskey journey. You can read the full conversation here.

As with any interview, there were a few comments that were left on the cutting room floor, like how everyone in the band "has been hands-on" with Blackened.

"Everyone in the band, they all take it very seriously," Dietrich states, proudly. "To them, anything they do to connect with their fans, they take very seriously. They're all involved. I've really appreciated that, the fact that they make decisions—all decisions—as a band."

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In a conversation with a guy like Dietrich, it's easy to keep the focus on Metallica or his own personal journey to get to where he is today, but eventually, you just have to ask the burning question: What's your favorite way to drink Blackened?

"If I'm tasting Blackened—that is, if I'm building the blend—I like to drink it neat," Dietrich says. "I nose it first in a Glencairn glass and taste it neat."

But if he's not working, how does Dietrich drink it?

"My preferred cocktail is a three-finger pour of Blackened whiskey and ice," he answers quickly and confidently.

"That's it. It's pretty simple. That way, you're hydrating while you're drinking whiskey."