A First Taste of SirDavis, the New American Whisky From Beyoncé

If anyone was going to play the celebrity spirits game differently, it was bound to be Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

The megastar’s new American whiskey, SirDavis, is a collaboration between the singer and Moët Hennessy. The striking bottle features intentional design elements inspired by the story of Davis Hogue — Knowles-Carter’s great-grandfather — who was a farmer and moonshiner. According to the brand, the vessel’s finely ribbed glass evokes the Art Deco style of Hogue’s era. The bottle also features a black medallion with a bronzed horse, “emblematic of strength and respect and symbolizing Knowles-Carter’s Texas roots.” (In another nod, the whiskey is finished, blended and bottled in Knowles-Carter’s home state of Texas.)

The whiskey gets really interesting when discussing the grains and maturation — this is an unusual 51% rye and 49% malted barley mashbill, and the whiskey undergoes a secondary maturation in sherry casks, which isn’t too common for American spirits.

That unique makeup can be partially attributed to the work of Dr. Bill Lumsden, the acclaimed master distiller known for his work on Scotch brands Glenmorangie and Ardbeg — in the past, we’ve lauded his whisky and called him “one-part bon vivant, one-part mad scientist.”

“With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space,” said Lumsden. “The distinctive grain selection and unusual secondary maturation in sherry casks helped us achieve a signature profile completely unique to SirDavis, one of bold sophistication.”

As for Beyoncé’s angle, the singer was inspired by both her family history and passion for Japanese whisky. “I’ve always been drawn to the power and confidence I feel when drinking quality whisky and wanted to invite more people to experience that feeling,” says Knowles-Carter in a press release. “When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated. SirDavis is a way for me to pay homage to him, uniting us through a new shared legacy. In partnering with Moët Hennessy, we have crafted a delicious American whisky that respects tradition but also empowers people to experience something new and unique in the category.”

Going in, we’re looking at a luxury product that attempts to evoke American rye whiskey and elements of Scotch and Japanese whisky. It’s quite nice — the kick of the rye isn’t lost, but there’s a rich mouthfeel and notes of caramel, malt, dark red fruits and cloves. It’s a great sipper, and the sherry doesn’t overwhelm. Does it land somewhere between a sherry-aged Scotch and a classic American rye? Certainly.

The whiskey has already done well in competitions. It received a Platinum award and was named Best In Class by the 2023 SIP Awards, 95 points and Gold from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition and 93 points from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.

SirDavis retails for $89 and is available for pre-order via SirDavis.com and at ReserveBar.