Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Moët Hennessy have joined forces to create a new whisky, the intercapitalized SirDavis, named for Knowles-Carter’s paternal great-grandfather, who was a farmer and moonshiner in the US south during Prohibition.
Davis Hogue was known to stash whisky bottles in empty knots of cedar trees for friends and family to find and enjoy.
‘When I discovered that my great-grandfather had been a moonshine man, it felt like my love for whisky was fated,’ said Knowles-Carter. ‘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. You can taste it better than I could ever tell you—welcome, SirDavis.’
It is the first spirits brand developed entirely internally by Moët Hennessy in the US.
Knowles-Carter said she had been a Japanese whisky enthusiast, and she was the one who sought out the luxury wine and spirits company, part of LVMH.
She also had a hand in the bottle design, which has ribbed glass to highlight the whisky, and a black medallion with a bronzed horse to honour her Texas roots.
LVMH chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said, ‘SirDavis is not only a revelatory and exceptional American whisky, which we are very proud of. It is also a testament of the unwavering dedication to craftsmanship, heritage and innovation shared by LVMH and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.’
The new whisky was formulated by master distiller Dr Bill Lumsden, who had worked on Glenmorangie and Ardbeg Scotches. Here, he selected a unique mash bill comprising 51 per cent rye and 49 per cent malted barley as the base. He used traditional whisky-making techniques for a mouth feel and texture reminiscent of Japanese and Scotch whiskies, while retaining the flavour of American rye.
He said, ‘With SirDavis, we looked to challenge the category norms and offer something new in the space. 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.’
The liquid had been anonymously entered into prestigious spirits competitions prior to launch, winning Best in Class for American Whiskey at the 2023 SIP Awards, outperforming 100 others, a Gold Medal from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and a 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge.
SirDavis is finished, blended and bottled in Texas, and the brand is HQed out of Houston.
It retails for US$89, and available for pre-order at sirdavis.com. US retail stores, select airports (LAX, JFK, SFO) and stores in London, Paris and Tokyo will stock the whisky from September.
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