Who is Sir Davis?

Davis Hogue, Beyonce's great grandfather, as it turns out was a farmer and moonshiner in the American south during Prohibition. It was said that during Prohibition, Hogue would stash whiskies in cedar trees in order to share it with his friends. And hence the inspiration for Beyonce's foray into the world of whiskies.

It's pretty well documented that Beyonce (and her husband Jay-Z) have quite the affinity for high end whiskies, in particular Japanese whiskies. Yet I suppose it would be most true to form if Beyonce were to have a whisky, that it'd be an American whiskey (as opposed to say a Japanese one - but who knows!).

And so the legendary pop singer has partnered with Moet Hennessy to come up with SirDavis.

What I do feel is worth pointing out is that unlike most celebrity whiskies - and yes, yes, I get the reputation and how it sounds - this one's made alongside someone who actually makes pretty great whiskies for a living, and that's Glenmorangie and Ardbeg's Dr Bill Lumsden. Which certainly gives me more hope that the SirDavis has a good chance of being something solid. 

The whisky itself is produced by MGP, as are many credible non-distiller producers (NDP) in the US, where the model of getting MGP to produce your whiskies whilst you focus on the taste profile you want and also the branding aspect of it is very common. So that's all fine and good by me.

Dr Bill Lumsden and Beyonce, a pairing I never thought I'd see!

It seems then that they - Beyonce and Dr Bill Lumsden, a combination you'd probably never thought you'd hear - had settled on a 51% Rye 49% Malted Barley whisky that was then matured first in American oak barrels, and then finished in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks. It's bottled at 44% ABV, and is non-chill-filtered with no colouring added. That not only makes it at least rather approachable but also appears that they've come up with something pretty unique and by all standards, definitely having the hallmarks of a quality whisky. The finishing, blending and bottling is all done in Texas - because as Jay-Z says "BK (Beyonce Knowles) is from Texas".

And so let's give this a go!

Whisky Review: Taste Testing Beyonce's SirDavis Whisky

Tasting Notes

Colour: Mahogany

Aroma: It opens with a combination of toffee and peanut cream, along with a slight herbaceous and medicinal quality of parsley and peanut shells. It's rich and feels fuller, and yet with equal parts brighter and deeper tones, has a completeness to it. It is accented by orange zest and some quince, along with some brown sugar. With time more on ginger snaps, candied ginger, whole white pepper, cloves and cardamom begins to take the fore. Yet that zesty citrusy accent persists. As it continues to open, lavender, pine wood and some marzipan begins to emerge as well, which makes it altogether really aromatic and elegant. Perhaps even alittle bit of maraschino cherries too.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, it takes a lifted and brighter sensibility here. Initially oranges, as well as some marmalade, along with toffee, burnt brown sugar, giving way to a slight savouriness. There's honey too, along with that candied ginger, and also those peanut shells and sprinkle in some of that parsley as well. Aromatic whole white peppercorns blend in seamlessly, keeping on with that bright citrusy note. 

Finish: Some woodiness appears, yet it is melded in seamlessly, striking just a bit of bitterness yet no apparent hint of that wood grain or tannin. More savouriness here of charred meats, along with grilled oranges, also some yuzu, and then it's back to the minty herbaceousness of parsley and white peppercorns. A hit of pepperiness into the finish which then goes on to a lingering note of zesty oranges, peanut shells and some sugared maple toast.

My Thoughts

A really complex yet approachable whisky! I was very pleasantly surprised by how much there was under the hood and how harmonious it was. Particularly on the nose, it kept on evolving and developing with time, and what impressed me most was how it became only more aromatic and yet kept this elegant sensibility, with the aromas coming together really cohesively and never jostling between one another.

The palate as expected came in much more lifted and approachable, if alittle lighter than some might be used to - but then again, this would be just right as a crowdpleaser. It's no high proof junkie monkey! It again keeps that overt rye profile, with all these lovely bright overtones of citrus, spices and herbaceousness, still very aromatic and harmonious.

The finish showcased some woodiness and savouriness, adding to the whisky's dimensionality without being distracting or an overkill, before breaking away to give this really nice yuzu quality and grilled oranges. Into the finish, they all come together once again, the citrus, the peanuts, and then now this sort of slightly overburnt maple sugared toast that leaves a slight savouriness that lingers.

Again, a really approachable whisky that is sure to be a crowdpleaser, leaning more towards its Rye aspects, yet very subtly offering up a whole lot of complexity that is so fun to peel down and discover.

For readers in Asia Pacific, you can now purchase SirDavis in Asia-Pacific Travel Retail at iShopChangi, Singapore – the only place in the region where you can experience it first.