SirDavis Rye Review
In-Depth Review
Beyonce is probably one of the most well-known people in the world. Her music, her fashion, and her image have made her brand an icon. And while the world may think they know Beyonce – one thing people may be surprised to find out - she loves whisky. In fact, she loves it so much that she has partnered with Dr. Bill Lumsden from Ardbeg and Glenmorangie on a new venture called SirDavis – based out of her hometown of Houston, Texas. Why is Beyonce entering the world of age spirits? In her own words:
“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.” - Beyoncé Knowles-Carter
For an opening act, SirDavis has released a flagship product that is sourced from MGP but with a very unusual mashbill: 51% rye and 49% malted barley. Aged for an undisclosed amount of time in Indiana, it then finishes the aging process in Houston, Texas where it’s transferred into Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for 6 to 9 months. Bottled at an unusual 44% ABV and with no additives or chill filtration, the specs make it an unusual take on a rye whisky. But enough discussion - let’s see if this is just another celebrity endorsed bottle of “meh” or if Beyonce has captured some magic here.
Age: Non-Age Stated
ABV: 44%
Cask: American oak then finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry cask
MSRP: $80
Distillery Name: Distilled at MGP, finished aging in Houston, TX.
Review Date: 7/19/25
Color: Medium Caramel
Nose: The nose begins very rye forward with fresh cut herbs, mint, eucalyptus, tree bark, and underripe honeydew melon. I can sniff out a touch of kiwi and lavender, but the key player here is rye spice. Despite the unusual mashbill and sherry finishing process, I am getting quite a few of those classic rye notes.
Palate: On the palate it’s hard to look past the big initial rush of rye spice and herbal morning tea. After the first sip, notes of raw ginger root, eucalyptus, and a candy corn yellow sweetness make an appearance. It never leans into the sweeter style of rye that you get some many Kentucky ryes and instead stays floral and herbal with a well-contained heat and a good mouthfeel. It’s balanced but comes across as softer than you’d expect from such a strong-willed rye. I’m struggling to find any of the sherry cask sweetness, which seems to struggle to compete with the strong rye flavors.
Finish: Short to medium length finish with more herbaceous spice, mixed with dried fruits, and anise seed. Finally, the sweetness from the PX cask makes an appearance giving lingering notes of dried red fruit and raisins.
Final Thoughts: What SirDavis is attempting to do is admirable – make celebrity whisky into something legitimate. More than just branded, beautiful bottle, their unique take on the often-overlooked category of rye whisky is interesting - however, this flagship bottling doesn’t quite jive with my palate. It’s far more rye forward than you’d expect with a mashbill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley. It hits the nose with mint and eucalyptus and never lets up on its herbaceous character. It’s not until the finish that I got any of the expected sherry cask notes of dried fruits and sweetness. But regardless of how it connects with my palate, there will be a lot of rye lovers out there who will absolutely adore this bottle – never realizing it’s a celebrity at all. And for that, the team at SirDavis have accomplished their mission. They’ve made something unique in the market, and have shown that they are committed to building their brand around great whisky – not just the name of Queen B.
