• They are Billboard’s highest-charting Danish act of the 21st century, with ten No. 1 rock singles and two Top 10 albums in the United States, six No. 1 records in their native Denmark, four No. 1 albums in Germany, and countless platinum and multi-platinum certifications all over the globe.
  
  Since the band began in 2001, their incendiary live show took them from small clubs to sharing stages with the biggest names in rock to major headliners in their own right, including performing to over 48,250 people in Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium – becoming the first domestic artist to sell out the venue and setting a record for the largest show ever performed by a Danish artist in Denmark.
  
  It was inevitable for the trio behind platinum anthems “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown” and “Warrior’s Call” to expand their creative vision into eclectic areas of lifestyle passions. After the success of two limited-batch spirits, the group launched Volbeat Rum III, a premium blend sourced in the Dominican Republic, Guyana, Jamaica, Barbados, Guatemala, and Trinidad. In 2024, they proudly introduce Volbeat Outlaw Gentlemen Irish Whiskey, crafted at Ireland’s historic Great Northern Distillery.

• Volbeat Outlaw Gentlemen Tripe Distilled Irish Whiskey Standard Edition has a pale, straw-like color in the glass, reflecting its relatively young age. The aroma is fresh and inviting, with hints of vanilla and toffee, typical of bourbon cask maturation. The whiskey offers a pleasant balance of sweetness and a touch of spice on the palate. The bourbon-matured grain provides notes of caramel and vanilla. The fruity elements come forward with a slightly zesty quality, reminiscent of crisp apples and a mild citrus zest. The finish is clean, with lingering caramel and vanilla notes and a mild, warming spice that adds depth to the finish as it gracefully fades.

• Volbeat Outlaw Gentlemen Double Distilled Irish Whiskey is aged 12 years. It has a rich, amber hue, glistening with subtle crimson undertones in the light, indicating its time spent in sherry casks. The nose is a captivating fusion of dried fruits and oak, with a burst of dark, plump raisins, sultanas, and a hint of fig. The sherry influence is pronounced, with a symphony of dried fruits and a mild spice kick. Think of juicy plums, dates, and candied orange peels, followed by a subtle warmth from oak. The finish is long and lingering, with a delightful sweetness, including hints of dark chocolate.

• Before he became the singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter in Volbeat, teenaged Michael Poulsen loved potent music (from heavy metal to rockabilly) and drinking socially. While building an English-style pub in his basement as an adult (which friends describe as “like something out of Peaky Blinders”), Michael discovered a deeper fondness for whiskey and the sense memories it can conjure.
  
  “I was opening all these boxes and deciding what to put on the shelves and what to throw out,” he remembers. “I opened a bottle, took a sip, and my mind just flew away. Suddenly, I was six years old again, on the moped with my dad, going to pick corn for the birds he kept at home. I could taste and smell the grass, green apples, and pears on the trees. I looked at the bottle, and it was a very old Irish whiskey. After that, I wanted to know everything about what makes Irish whiskey so special.”
  
  Plenty of rock stars and celebrities are content to simply slap a label on something. However, as demonstrated by Volbeat’s premium rums, that doesn’t cut it for Poulsen and his bandmates, including bassist and backing vocalist Kasper Boye Larsen and cofounding drummer Jon Larsen.
  
  “At the regular corner supermarkets, they just have one brand, and it’s so terrible I wouldn’t even polish my bike with it,” explains Poulsen. “I couldn’t understand why getting good Irish whiskey around the world was so difficult. You must really know where to go. After making a lot of rum, I thought it would be a great challenge for someone to make an Irish whiskey with a Danish band.”

Enter the Great Northern Distillery, the largest independent distillery in Ireland.

• Thanks to its proximity to the pure waters of the Cooley Mountains, brewing began in earnest in the historic Town of Dundalk in the late 1600s. The Great Northern Distillery operates on the former Great Northern Brewery site in Dundalk, Co. Louth; the original brewery on site was in 1896. The inaugural three-year-old Irish whiskey the Great Northern Distillery produced came of age in 2018.
  
  The late Brian Watts, master distiller and general manager at GND worked with Michael on the original blends for what became Outlaw Gentlemen. (Sadly, Watts passed away in late 2022.) Distiller, blender, and Head of Commercial Operations Brian Mongan saw the final product through.
  
  “We went for a walk of the distillery and saw how they were working, then sat down at a table and started talking,” Poulsen remembers. Over time, samples arrived in Denmark from Ireland. “Brian Mongan really did an amazing job helping me find the right casks, barrels, and everything for this.”
  
  Mongan remembers the collaborative process fondly. “Some people might say, ‘Oh, that guy didn’t make the whiskey himself.’ But Michael was very active in the direction of where the finished product went. A Michelin-star chef collects the best ingredients and assembles them. They don’t necessarily farm the animals and grow the vegetables. With a blended whiskey, you’re essentially pulling levers with flavor, pulling one thing back to accentuate something else. That’s one of our core competencies as a company: we distill, we mature, and we also produce whiskey blends.”
  
  Poulsen describes the process as not unlike songwriting. “I write songs that I want to listen to, using all the elements, inspirations, and tastes I want to put into the music. It can be very detailed or straightforward. It’s the same with whiskey, figuring out what you like the best. Do it with heart.”
  
  Ultimately, it was important for the Outlaw Gentlemen blends to capture that same immersion Michael experienced when a single sip sent him back into a fond childhood memory. “It’s a very personal whiskey. I wanted to have that feeling of being on my dad’s moped again. Everyone can come on a journey drinking it beyond just getting drunk. Great Irish whiskey can do that for you. ‘Oh my God, I’m back at my grandmother’s house. I recognize this smell.’ It’s beautiful.”
  
  Like Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (the multi-platinum album from which it takes its name) and everything bearing their name, Volbeat crafted Outlaw Gentleman with passion, intention, and authenticity.