Filmland Spirits: Midnight Mayhem! Extended Cut & Ryes of the Robots Extended Cut Whiskey Reviews

 

We’ve seen whiskey featured in many movies and television shows. But where do film and whiskey actually meet?

 

Filmland Spirits markets its whiskeys in B-movie fashion, including writing brief scripts and even movie posters. There is a heck of a lot of imagination involved, and I appreciate that kind of creativity. If nothing else, the backstories, not only of the whiskeys themselves but also of the cast and crew at Filmland, are entertaining and unique.

 

Troy Bolotnick is a former Hollywood screenwriter and now the CEO of Filmland Spirits. He headed a team that created the Internet’s first episodic show. About a dozen years ago, he caught the whiskey bug and looked to make his own brand. In the process, he visited about 70 distilleries, was disheartened by a lack of colorful labels, and looked to marry his passions for entertainment and whiskey. His title is The Creative Crusader.

 

Charlie Flint is Troy’s lifelong best friend and Filmland’s co-founder. From what I can determine, he also serves as Filmland Spirits’ brand manager. Charlie selects the barrels and packaging designs. His skill set includes 20 years working in operations, logistics, and sales, and he has dabbled in screenwriting. His title is Master of the Mystical Ops.

 

According to Filmland Spirit’s script, in 2015, Troy and Charlie were on a distillery tour and decided they wanted to geek out over whiskey.

 

Rick Dukhovny is a CPA, CIA, CISA, and CRISC. If you don’t know what that means, take it as he’s brilliant with numbers, risk assessment, and auditing. A kneejerk reaction is to assume that means he’s a Vice President of Finance, but his official title is The Ideator, and he is credited with coming up with ideas. Perhaps that translates to a VP of Creativity?

 

The script indicates that Troy and Charlie approached Rick in 2020 at a backyard gathering and discussed their vision of combining screenwriting and whiskey.  

 

Kristin Killpack is the Vice President of Sales. Her responsibility is to get the brand in stores and bars, and she has decades of experience in sales and distribution. Her title is Captain Convincing, and she’s been honing her skills over the last 20 years.

 

Troy and Charlie meet with Kristin at her suburban home in Orange County, California, where she has agreed to the meeting as a favor to a friend who may consider investing in Filmland Spirits. She’s not enthusiastic and suggests, “The world needs another Bourbon brand as if it needs more Zumba instructors.” Troy and Charlie present a PowerPoint, and suddenly, Kristin is completely on board.

 

Daniel R. Clarke is Filmland Spirits’ Vice President of Marketing. His official title is International Man of Mystery, and he is skilled in creating and directing strategic partnerships. Filmland Spirits isn’t his first foray with alcoholic beverages; his experience includes Pernod Ricard.

 

Troy and Charlie meet Daniel at a sushi restaurant to discuss Filmland Spirits’ future. Daniel asks Troy what his marketing budget is, and he asks how big should it be? Suddenly, Daniel is on the team.

 

Steve Canepa, listed as The Whiskey Baron, serves as Filmland’s Chief Financial Officer. He spent 22 years in biotech as a senior manager and executive director.

 

Everyone gets together in a Zoom meeting and is ready to move forward with a new whiskey brand that Kristin initially thought nobody needed or wanted.

 

How does all of this fun translate into good whiskey? To answer that, we #DrinkCurious, and today’s review covers two of its expressions: Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut, a barrel-proof Bourbon, and Ryes of the Robots Extended Cut, a barrel-proof Rye.  

 

Thankfully, Filmland Spirits has provided me with a sample of each in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. For brevity, I sipped each whiskey neat from a fresh Glencairn glass.

 

Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut

 

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: MGP
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: White American oak
• Age: At least four years
• Alcohol Content: 57.5% ABV (115°)
• Price per 750ml: $79.95

 

“It's Romeo and Juliet with fangs in this story of two star-crossed lovers living in a modern world just like ours but with one startling difference – the dominant species on the planet has become the Werewolf. Can a human and his shape-shifting, carnivorous girlfriend protect their love from disapproving families and dangerous foes? Or will she be unable to resist sinking her teeth into the delicious snack that is her sweetheart?” – Filmland Spirits

 

Appearance: The brassy liquid produced a microthin rim, casting a series of tightly spaced, thick tears, some of which were watery.

 

Nose: The scene was filled with cherries, plums, oak, cocoa, and old leather. When I gasped and opened my mouth, that air tasted of cocoa.

 

Palate: Slowly, the rim of the glass and my lips met as if to begin a kiss. The texture was thick, coating my entire tongue. The first scene suggested cherries, caramel, and chocolate. Those transitioned to leather, nutmeg, and cocoa powder. Suddenly, I encountered charred oak, black pepper, and orange zest.

 

Finish: There was a very slow fade to black, which included sensations of orange zest, plums, caramel, cocoa powder, leather, and black pepper. Oak and black pepper returned for an encore. The running time was 4:12, making it an incredibly long production.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Moonlight Mayhem! Extended Cut is a classic MGP Bourbon using its 21% mashbill. It is well-balanced, flavorful, and provides a lasting impression. My only concern is the price. Several four-year MGP cask strength Bourbons on the market cost less than $80.00. The genuinely unusual aspect is the length of the finish, which would cause you to sip less and savor more. I enjoyed this; I really did. Only due to the price is my recommendation to try this one at a Bar first.

 

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Ryes of the Robots Extended Cut

 

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: MGP
• Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
• Cooperage: White American oak
• Age: At least four years
• Alcohol Content: 54% ABV (108°)
• Price per 750ml: $74.95

 

“In the aftermath of the Automation Wars of 3050, the world has rejected technology and embraced a simpler time where cocktail clubs are the new state houses and bartenders hold sway. When a fallen technology titan builds an army of robotic bartenders to conquer the world, the only hope is Courtney Winters, the Cocktail Consortium’s number one bartender. Can she fend off this despotic army of mechanized mixologists or will this be the world’s unhappiest hour!?” – Filmland Spirits

 

Appearance: The star of this show is presented with a coppery color. It developed a medium-thin rim accompanied by medium-spaced, fast, thicker tears.

 

Nose: An aura of oak, light mint, caramel, and what reminded me of Pine Sol hit my nostrils. I handed my glass to Mrs. Whiskeyfellow, and she agreed. Allowing that air to engage with my mouth exposed me to dill and vanilla.

 

Palate: The creamy mouthfeel made a lovely impression. The front spotlighted vanilla and rye bread coated in Irish butter. It transitioned to chocolate, cinnamon, and light mint. The back featured mild oak, nutmeg, and a hint of sassafras.   

 

Finish: The curtain call lasted 1:52, with flavors of chocolate, rye spice, oak, and cinnamon. There’s also a heavy bread-like quality that makes this whiskey chewy. I was surprised at the lack of any real burn with this American Rye.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: American Ryes out of MGP have aromas that are either super minty or lack any whatsoever. Ryes of Robots Extended Cut is an outlier in that aspect. The palate was soft, especially considering the proof; it drank closer to 100° than 108°.

 

Ryes of the Robots is an excellent MGP rye, and I enjoyed drinking it. Again, the price is steep compared to other 4-year barrel-proof Ryes of this caliber from this distillery.

 

Final Thoughts: I’ve had crummy MGP Bourbons and Ryes, and I’ve had mind-blowing ones. All the fun and marketing schtick aside, Filmland Spirits definitely falls into the latter category. While bottling has been done on-premises at Filmland, there’s no indication they’ve done the blending themselves. The labels and website are fun but don’t add value at the cash register.

 

Overall, the cast and crew know how to pick good whiskey. I’m very interested in Filmland Spirits’ other expressions. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.