The multitalented queen of music, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, has heightened her entrepreneurial pursuits with the advent of a new whiskey brand - SirDavis. This illustrious venture is the fruit of her partnership with Moët Hennessy, a division of the high-end French establishment, LVMH. SirDavis whiskey, U.S.-made, has its operational hub in Houston, Texas, the hometown of the 32-time Grammy laureate.

This exclusive spirit was christened after Beyoncé's great-grandfather, Davis Hogue, a farmer and moonshiner in the days of Prohibition in the American South. Beyoncé delineates her affinity towards whiskey's empowering character and her ancestral ties that seem to make her fondness for it predestined. She further expresses her aim to deliver new thrills to consumers in partnership with Moët Hennessy, sharing a unique American whiskey recast in a modern, fashionable manner. SirDavis is expected to make a splash in the whiskey market in September at an asking price of $89.

Before the world came to a pause due to COVID-19, Beyoncé proposed her spirits brand plan to LVMH, attracted by the quality of Japanese whiskey. Beyoncé's spouse and billionaire hip-hop heavyweight Jay-Z has previously collaborated with LVMH, selling half of his Champagne brand, Armand de Brignac, to them. Dr. Bill Lumsden, famous for his unorthodox experiments with Scotch whiskey at the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg distilleries, is at the helm of the SirDavis whiskey project. Calling out Beyonce's hands-on involvement in every aspect of the brand, Cameron George, ex-Ardbeg ambassador and the current overseer of brand advocacy and mixing for SirDavis, exclaims how the spirit represents innovation and transformation in the world of whiskey, qualities Beyoncé herself embraces.

SirDavis, boasting a proof of 88, surprises American whiskey connoisseurs with its unconventional mash bill of 51% rye and 49% malted barley, making it an American rye with a distinct flavor profile that bears similarities with Scotch and Japanese whiskies. This fine spirit is aged in American oak barrels, aged again in Pedro Ximénez sherry casks from Spain, and bottled in Texas. The result is a smooth, ambrosial whiskey offering a complex savoring experience with its understated rye accent revealing itself only towards the end of each sip.

Dr. Lumsden outlines how they preferred to keep the spirit distinctly American while experimenting with the largely unexplored idea of Scottishness within the American whiskey framework. They settled on the Spanish Pedro Ximénez sherry casks to age the whiskey, gaining Beyoncé's approval with the final pleasing softness introduced into the spirit. Both Dr. Lumsden and George emphasize this whiskey creation as an authentic Beyoncé endeavor, one built on deep tasting sessions and consultations.

Beyoncé also designed the exclusive packaging for SirDavis that adds a luxury aroma to the brand. The whiskey rests in a stylish, vintage perfume-like bottle topped with a bronze horse emblem - a tribute to her Texas upbringing. The brand's awareness of its potential fan base is also conspicuous, with plans to open a visitor center in Houston.

Adding to its early appeal, SirDavis has won four awards even before its public debut. The whiskey bagged Platinum and Best in Class for American Whiskey at the 2023 SIP Awards, a Gold Medal from the 2023 New York International Spirits Competition, and a flattering 93-point rating from the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Dr. Lumsden, emphasizing the lead up to the unveiling, insists that the product has to be exceptional as it is backed by an icon like Beyoncé.