NAS
Macabre Spirits
47.5%
NAS
Years after the debut of their Dungeons & Dragons-themed whiskey, "Scream" star Matthew Lillard and screenwriter Justin Ware have reteamed for a barrel-aged sotol. Bottled at 47.5% ABV, the spirit is produced at an undisclosed Texas-based distillery (we have a few guesses where that may be) before aging an unknown amount of time. Much like the actor's previous foray, this one comes with a genre. The name of the game is horror, punctuated by a 70-page novella written by "Midnight Mass" director Mike Flanagan that accompanies each bottle. Since this is a liquor review, not a book review, we'll keep our thoughts on the latter relatively brief. One sentence summary: A bizarre tale of a supernatural fine wine that that takes its obsessive drinkers into the mind of a serial killer, complete with worm-like appendages, true crime podcasts and an errant mention of the Na'vi from "Avatar."
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Two very different influences tug in opposite directions on the nose. On the one hand, there's a candied oak character brimming with maple sweetness, cream soda and faint bubblegum. On second whiff, you'll begin to unearth a whole lot of the exact opposite: leathery, grass-soaked hints of lemongrass, patchouli, tobacco and potent spearmint. A collision of disparate aromas if there ever was one.
Toffee, vanilla, toasted oak, blood orange and lemon peel make way for subtler flavors of anise, fennel seeds and dried herbs. Once again, mint plays a big role, evolving into a slightly sweeter, almost gum-like vibe with a tingling menthol mouthfeel. Based on the palate and hue, we'd guess this was aged at least one year, potentially longer.
Settles in with warm, spicy notes of white pepper, chamomile, rose water, cane sugar and milk chocolate. The throughline of the experience — mint — once again makes an appearance, though in fresher, more astringent form.
Somehow, there's more going on inside this bottle than the twisty novella it comes packaged with. It's a fascinating experiment, toeing a line between barrel-aged flavor and sotol influences without coming down firmly on either side. That, in addition to the prevailing mint note peppered all across the spirit, adds up to a thoroughly odd spirit — perhaps by design. And there's no denying it's wholly unlike anything else in your liquor cabinet. I'd recommend this to anyone who's willing to take a dive into the deep end of avant garde liquor.
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Disclosure: The producer provided this sample to review free of charge, and without expectation of review or rating.
