D&D General Beadle & Grimm's Matthew Lillard Launches D&D-themed Bourbon

Matthew Lillard announced his newest RPG-related project with the launch of Quest’s End, a custom line of bourbon whiskey.

The first in the line of limited edition, "super-premium" whiskeys will be the Paladin from the boutique company Blue Run Spirits. The custom bottle includes a dragon head embossed on the neck, a crest on the front, a hit point tracker along the side, and a dungeon map on the back visible through the bottle. The whiskey itself is a blend of straight bourbon bottled at 100 proof from Blue Run Spirits and distilled in Kentucky and Indiana.

Beadle & Grimm co-founder Lillard is joined by screenwriter Justin Ware and Blue Run co-founder Tim Sparapani to create the line, joined by Kate Welch (Acquisitions Inc. performer and former Wizards of the Coast developer) to refine the flavor profiles and sci-fi artist Tyler Jacobson (Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Magic: The Gathering) providing illustrations and maps. Plans are to eventually expand the line to 16 character-inspired liquors, but aside from Paladin, we currently only know the next three: Rogue, Warlock, and Dragon.

In an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Scooby-Doo and Hackers star Lillard described the reason for starting with the Paladin:

We wanted to build something that allowed us the ability to control our own destiny. The idea of a Paladin is somebody that has a vision; a really strong belief. We thought it was a great way to start our story: with somebody that has a conviction that she fully believes in. And we feel the same way about this company, the idea of building stuff for fandoms.

Quest’s End Paladin will be available on October 6 and there will be a 48-hour pre-sale for those who sign up on the website. It is not clear if the bourbon will come with the free dice bag in the style made famous by the Canadian whisky brand Crown Royal.

 

[Abstruse]

And you clearly weren't a Canadian if you called it Crowne Royale instead of Crown Royal! View attachment 293401

Really good quality and durible but VERY expensive dice bags from them. Thankfully, you got a bottle of whisky to go with it.

 

[sevenbastard]

Wild Turkey 101 (surprise!) is great for the cost - probably the best value in bourbons.

I'm Wild Turkey till I die. Did the bourbon trail as part of a work thing and it wasn't on the agenda but I pulled rank and made us stop by the distillery.

Wild Turkey neat with a beer back is my goto order.

 

[LordEntrails]

I checked other bourbons available from Blue Run and they range from $100 to $180 per bottle. Couldn't tell if they were a fifth or a quart though.

Well if I make out the image correctly, it appears this one is measured in Hit Points, and it appears to have 50 of them.

 

[Retreater]

I'm Wild Turkey till I die. Did the bourbon trail as part of a work thing and it wasn't on the agenda but I pulled rank and made us stop by the distillery.

Wild Turkey neat with a beer back is my goto order.

Did you get the virtual Matthew McConaughey tour at Wild Turkey?

 

[bostonmyk]

He always struck me as more of a weed guy but guess we're all more refined since the 90s.

Looking forward to the first reviews. I got burned badly by Red Sox wines some time ago. I still have a Manny Ramirez 2008ish if it isn't paint-thinner by now.

Mike

 

[Abstruse]

He always struck me as more of a weed guy but guess we're all more refined since the 90s.

It was sort of his niche in the 90s/early 00s. You can't watch Hackers, Scooby Doo, or Scream and think "That guy is definitely the clean and sober type!" But I'm not sure what the laws on advertising marijuana are and even in states where it's legal, it's still technically a controlled substance under federal law. And I think if he were going to market edibles, he'd lean in harder on Shaggy than he would D&D.

 

[cranberry]

I would like to try it but I know nothing about whiskey. I usually just drink crown royal. I would like to get into sippin whiskey but I don't know what would be good. This definitely has a cool factor.

Edit to add* I signed up and received an email but there's no link or anything just a thanks for signing up.

There are many good sipping bourbons. To start try Wild Turkey 101, Rare Breed, Knob Creek 9, "1792", Elijah Craig. Then move on to Old Forester 1920, Russell's Reserve, 4 Roses Single Barrel, Penelope, Barrell Bourbon, to name a few.

Unfortunately, a lot of celebrity or event whiskeys aren't that good. They are selling the name or the event, rather than the quality (or lack thereof) of the whiskey.

Check out YouTube for reviews

 

[Reynard]

I’m surprised people buy their products at all so sure over priced liquor sounds about right.

There is definitely a market for high end gamer stuff. I think it is a little insulting to intimate that there is something wrong with that.

 

[Reynard]

Honestly, I just enjoy Lillard so much as a player when he shows up on a stream that I am happy he is out there Making D&D Great Again. Between him and Deborah Anne Woll, I am like "Critical Who?"

 

[DarkCrisis]

There is definitely a market for high end gamer stuff. I think it is a little insulting to intimate that there is something wrong with that.

It’s not so much because it’s high end gamer stuff, just that I think 5E stuff is barely worth the regular price if that.

Spelljammer was received mostly negatively I can’t imagine someone spending hundreds on it.