October 22, 2024, marked the twenty fifth anniversary of the discharge of The Finest Man, filmmaker Malcolm D. Lee’s 1999 directorial debut that earned excessive praises from each critics and moviegoers. Now, 25 years for the reason that launch of the film, its stars Morris Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau, and Malcolm D. Lee have reunited with a brand new enterprise. Nevertheless, as an alternative of receiving a remake of this nice comedy-drama, the solid of The Finest Man has reunited to launch Sable Bourbon, a high-quality spirit impressed by their friendship.
The 4 artists banded collectively to create their very own bourbon after Harold Perrineau expressed his curiosity in persevering with their camaraderie and dealing relationship previous The Finest Man, its sequel, and the restricted miniseries The Finest Man: The Ultimate Chapters, which aired on December 22, 2022. Perrineau got here up with the thought and found Bespoken Spirits, a cutting-edge, Earth-conscious craft whiskey producer recognized for its sustainable manufacturing strategies. Quickly, the remainder of the solid of The Finest Man joined in.
Lee and Chestnut have been instantly on board with Perrineau’s thought, whereas Diggs, who not often leaves his personal consolation zone, ultimately joined after being motivated by the attraction and the maturity the 4 of them convey as Black males on this planet of spirits. In reality, he joked about his private evolution going from Zima Clearmalt — a transparent, vodka-containing, and barely carbonated various to beer — to nice bourbon.
Thus, we are able to comfortably say that his private evolution resonates with a way of progress tied to the characters Chestnut, Perrineau, and himself, portrayed in The Finest Man. Malcolm D. Lee is the movie’s director, however he additionally made a quick look within the film. Sable bourbon is crafted utilizing a mash invoice of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, leading to a daring 94°P (94-proof) deep golden-brown spirit whose tasting notes characteristic the aroma of burnt sugar and nutty marzipan.
Because of Bespoken Spirits’ progressive method to growing old and taste profiling — which earned the corporate greater than 200 awards in simply three years — Sable bourbon delivers wealthy flavors of darkish chocolate fudge with mocha, complemented by an oak-forwards and medium spice end. The gents from The Finest Man have been very concerned with the flavour profiling course of, bottle design, and even the title, with “Sable” which means “black,” symbolizing the depth and richness of their friendship.
For many who haven’t seen The Finest Man, the film follows Lance, Harper, and Julian (Chestnut, Diggs, and Perrineau, respectively) as they reunite for Lance’s wedding ceremony. Harper, who’s the perfect man and an creator, realizes that his debut novel would possibly fire up secrets and techniques from their previous, creating pressure among the many group. With the marriage approaching, the trio should mend their outdated wounds and navigate the complexities of their friendships to assist each other and make sure that the massive day goes as easily as potential.
In fact, with The Finest Man being a comedy-drama with a marriage theme, hilarity ensues. The film was a industrial and important come across its launch in 1999. Its success helped launch the careers of Taye Diggs, Nia Lengthy, Morris Chestnut, Regina Corridor, and Terrence Howard into the stratosphere, who gained important recognition and alternatives in Hollywood following the movie’s launch. Not solely that, but it surely additionally solidified Malcolm D. Lee’s status as a gifted director.
What contributed to the movie’s success is the illustration of younger, upwardly cell Black males, which was utterly completely different from the stereotypical roles related to the vast majority of Hollywood depictions. All of the characters have been contemporary out of faculty and attempting to determine issues out and discover their footing within the grown-up world, and this illustration resonated properly with Black audiences in addition to extra mainstream viewers.
The launch of Sable Bourbon arrived alongside the twenty fifth anniversary of The Finest Man, so the actors took the chance to prepare a photograph shoot to advertise their venture. In addition they employed stylist J. Bolin to good their model for the occasion. Through the promotional shoot, Malcolm D. Lee additionally hinted at new storytelling initiatives he’s at present engaged on. Perrineau, nevertheless, added that there’s a secret agenda behind the liquor, and it includes intoxicating Malcolm in order that he’d write one other chapter in The Finest Man sequence or movies.
Sable Bourbon is accessible on-line on the model’s web site at a instructed retail worth of $60 per 750mL bottle (25-ish fl.oz.) and is at present being shipped out to retail places throughout the USA. For those who’re keen on studying extra, you possibly can try the Sable Bourbon and Bespoke Spirits on social media. Then again, for those who’re keen on watching The Finest Man, the film is at present out there on Prime Video, the place you possibly can hire or purchase a digital copy.