Inside the Bottle: Concluding our cinephile meets whiskey connoisseur series

Filmland’s Quadraforce packaging // Courtesy Filmland

So, first things first, let’s address the elephant in the room. For the whiskey nerd, these offerings scream “marketing gimmick,” but that is to the unlearned whiskey nerd. It is only a gimmick if you can’t back it up or if the final product is different from the spirit of its creator. On both counts, Filmland Spirits again dispels those gimmick concerns.

A visit to the product website quite quickly answers the second question one might ask. This is, in fact, the same blend in all four bottles. While that might raise the gimmick hackles again, I would argue, from a collector’s perspective, it does not. It places the Quadraforce release into the same world as baseball cards, Beenie Babies, Hot Wheels, Happy Meal drinking glasses, or just about any other item we’ve been prone to gather in our childhood and adult lives.

So why is this not a gimmick? I would say this offering is even more true to the core of who Filmland is than any of their previous releases. “Stories you can drink” is their calling card, and this story, being told in the bottle through four characters, couldn’t resonate with that more.

The story of a failed atomic test mutating four strangers, imparting unique powers, and bringing them all together to fight for the survival of their country in an alternate universe USA is big enough to need four labels to tell it. Be sure to check out the trailer! That covers reason number one: Filmland stays true to its spirit as only it can. So, what’s the reason number two? That would involve the contents, so let’s dive in.

There is a strong oak presence, plus honey and muted baking spices. Hints of brown sugar, a little bit of dark chocolate, and a tiny hint of lemon zest hide in the background.

It starts sweet on the tip of the tongue and shifts quickly into a nice milk caramel note. Small pops of rye spice mingled with a powder sugar sweetness. There is a hint of oak char and tannin that is brushed softly with a lemon tartness.

It was a medium to short finish, and the oak was the dominant note for me. I found it just slightly drying as the finish wound down.

ABV: 47% ABV (94 Proof)

Rating: 90

MRP: $59.99

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 to20-39: Go ahead if you want to, experience is learning.0-19: You were warned.