It’s also ideal for use as the basis of a cocktail, meaning there are multiple ways to experience it for the first time. Hocking told Business Insider Indiana is "where all the corn is" – bourbons by rule must be at least 51 percent corn, according to the American Bourbon Association. Drake was looking to expand his brand into new terrain, and Hocking had previous experience working in the beverage space with his prior product DeLeón Tequila. Virginia Black is a collaboration between Brent Hocking (who created the DeLeón Tequila range) and Drake.

Acting used to be how I paid the rent," he said, "but I sold a tequila company for a billion f****** dollars. He bought a stake in the company, and Hocking said Drake wouldn't have been allowed to attach his name to the brand if he hadn't.It was launched in 2016 as a collaboration between Drake + Brent Hocking (creator of DeLeón Tequila) and received a significant amount of initial traction, but I haven’t heard much about it since. Virginia Black is a collaboration between multi-platinum selling Hip Hop icon Drake and Brent Hocking, the founder of DeLeón Tequila. As with all our gift hampers, the Virginia Black Whiskey Hamper will be packed with care and delivered by courier, so it arrives just as it left our warehouse – in perfect condition. Some combination of money and passion undoubtedly motivated Jay-Z to become part-owner of D'Usse cognac, and Matthew McConaughey to develop a whiskey for Wild Turkey (via Men's Journal). Uniquely positioned to redefine American whiskey, Virginia Black will engage enthusiasts irrespective of spirits preference or experience.

After realizing he had a nose for quality alcohol, as Forbes tells it, Hocking launched the award-winning DeLeón tequila and then sold it off. When Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston teamed up after Breaking Bad to make mezcal, they spent hours trekking across Oaxaca, Mexico, to find the perfect product to put their names on (via YouTube). The end product of Drake's new whiskey collaboration with Brent Hocking was Virginia Black; a personally selected collection of two, three, and four-year-old bourbon whiskey focused on a high-rye content and finished with a decadent profile. Marketing materials say the whiskey is finished with a "decadent profile," without bothering to explain what that means.It’s not uncommon for an artist to attach their name to a liquor brand; it’s been done dozens of times.