Inside the Bottle: A pitch-perfect blend of cinema and spirit?
Filmland Whiskey // Photo by Mike Dahlor
If you’ve been into whiskey for any length of time, this has surely happened to you: A bottle shape caught your eye. A shiny, foil-embossed label shone out to you from the top shelf of your favorite store.
You bought that bottle you knew nothing about, but it looked so damn cool. The marketing team chalks one up and you go home completely in the dark about what’s inside that gorgeous bottle.
The majority of the time, this scenario ends with, Marketing Team – 1, Whiskey Enthusiast – 0.
When I first saw Filmland Spirits, there were two factors holding me back from making a purchase. My fear of being a repeat offender to the above scenario and the fact that it was not readily available in Missouri. Then the stars aligned.
Filmland Spirits opened their Kansas City market. They saw the kindred spirit in you, The Pitch reader, and reached out to ask if I’d be interested in writing a review. Let me say, my fears of being a repeat offender to a pretty label were misplaced. What is in this intriguingly unique bottle saved me from repeating the scene above because Filmland Spirits delivers on the inside while knocking it out of the park on the outside.
Hailing from the Golden State of California, lifelong friends Troy Bolotnick and Charlie Flint set out in 2020 to blend their three passions: whiskey, storytelling, and a love for the old B-Movie sci-fi genre.
They share a belief that all whiskey nerds do: “Every bottle has a story to tell” and they wanted to tell it. How they share that narrative is one of the most interesting things about Filmland.
It starts by developing an original B-movie concept complete with characters and cast. Once they know the story they want the whiskey to tell they work it backward, sourcing spirits from across the country and artfully blending them to tell it.
Once the whiskey is hitting its marks and delivering its lines, each expression is wonderfully wrapped with labeling describing the story, introducing the main characters, providing a synopsis and finishes with a glorious retro-style B-Movie poster.
As I poured this for sampling I was swept back to the days of my youth, when Saturday morning consisted not only of delightful sugary cereal in a bowl but reading through all the puzzles and games on the back of the box. Filmland Spirits provides the same immersive experience as one can enjoy the content while they enjoy the wrapper. Each expression even gets its own trailer. Take a peek at Moonlight Mayhem.
Filmland Spirits Moonlight Mayhem Small Batch Straight Bourbon
On the Nose
Oak char and baking spices have the lead in this ensemble. The supporting cast includes notes of cacao and lemon zest. A hint of pear skin makes a cameo to be rounded out with deep notes of caramelized sugars.
On the Palate
The curtain opens to a very sweet, confectionary sugar note on the front palate. This sweetness slowly gives way to the hints of a deeper caramelized sugar one found on the nose. The high rye grain crashes the party toward the finish with pops of peppery spice like the flashes of paparazzi cameras.
Finish
The finish is shorter than expected, but it is pleasant. Bringing a curtain call to all the flavors that debuted through the tasting experience. While I found this pour slightly less complex than I expected, I realized what it lacked in complexity it presented in balance. From beginning to end it is a whiskey that stays level to the notes it wishes to present. This is a perfect bottle for anyone who is beginning to venture into the world of neat whiskey. It is pleasant, sweet, and very approachable.
ABV: 47% (94 proof)
Rating: 80
Price: $54.99
Filmland Spirits Moonlight Mayhem Extended Cut Straight Bourbon
On the Nose
Everything one finds on the nose of the standard label Moonlight Mayhem is in the extended cut, just thicker. The nose is denser and more present. The confectioner’s sugar is sweeter, the cacao is deeper. Everything just dials the knob up a few digits.
On the Palate
In this cask strength offering, it seems all the players take the stage together. The deeper caramel notes don’t wait for the middle palate but push forward to play with the powdered sugar notes. The pops of rye spice that were a curtain call on the back palate become a full encore in this unfiltered offering.
Finish
Cask strength extends this finish, pulling all the notes a little farther. I found a surprise hint of honeyed lemon in this finish. While still slightly less complex than I expected, the cask strength holds the line on balance. This is a perfect bottle for anyone who wants to begin to explore the world of cask-strength whiskey, or even if one simply wants to up their cocktail game, this is a bottle to grab.
ABV: 57.5% (115 proof)
Rating: 82
Price: $84.99
Rating Key:
90-100: Buy & hoard it. Share it only with Whiskey nerds you want to be indebted to you.
70-89: Buy it, enjoy it liberally because you can get more when you want to.
40-69: Worth it to try because you can always make a cocktail if you need to
20-39: go ahead if you want to, experience is learning.
0-19: You were warned.
