Floral Whiskey For Spring

One of several entries into Charbay’s catalog of whiskey distilled from beer, this is the third lot of the R5, a whiskey double-distilled Bear Republic Brewery's Racer 5 IPA. This lot was distilled in 2012 and bottled in 2014. It has been aged 28 months in French oak.

This sourced Canadian whisky was bottled in Oregon by Indio Spirits. This bottling celebrates the centennial of the famed Snake River Stampede rodeo in Nampa, Idaho which began in 1915. The whisky takes the original bottling of Snake River Stampede which is aged 4-8 years in bourbon barrels before spending the last 6 months in sherry. But for this anniversary bottling, the whisky is placed into ex-rye barrels for 2 additional years.

This is one of three bottlings released by Glenrothes in the fall of 2015 making up the Reserve Collection (the other two are the Sherry Cask Reserve and the Bourbon Cask Reserve). The Vintage Reserve is a vatting of ten vintages ranging from 1989 to 2007 and aged in both former bourbon and sherry casks.

Originally launched in 1879, I.W. Harper, the venerable Kentucky Bourbon returns to distribution within the United States this year (2015) after a long absence. Created by the Bernheim brothers, Isaac and Bernard, the brand was named after Isaac's first two initials (I.W.), but the surname Harper was chosen for broader market appeal. With a high corn mashbill (86%) this 15 year old offering was distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery in Louisville (now part of Heaven Hill) and aged most recently at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

Scotland's smallest distillery is run by a mere three men who produce only 12 casks a week. This bottle is sold only in 500 ml and as such, is not available in the US. The smallest distillery also boasts the industry's smallest pot-still. This particular bottle is aged initially in ex-bourbon casks before finishing its maturation in port pipes. It is bottled at cask strength.

Gibson’s Finest is a blend of grain whiskey (corn), with rye and barley aged in both ex bourbon and new barrels. Founded in Pennsylvania by Scottish immigrant John Gibson as a rye whisky but chased into Quebec due to Prohibition, Gibson's now calls the Hiram Walker distillery in Ontario home.

Brenne is a single malt whisky produced with copper alembic stills as opposed to copper pot stills. It ages first in new Limousin oak barrels, used typically to age brandy, before finishing in ex-Cognac casks. They are bottled in batches and never blend the barrels together. Each bottle is numbered with the barrel number from whence it came. Bottle variation will occur, but on average the whisky is 7 years old.

This distillery on the Isle of Arran, the only one on the isle, opened in 1995. Arran actually has a warm micro-climate for Scotland which speeds the maturation. This 14 year old bottling is aged in ex-bourbon for the first 12 years and then the final two years in fresh bourbon casks and fresh sherry casks. This sees no peated malt.

Using water from the surrounding rainforest, Tasmania produces Scotch style malts that are quickly gaining the attention they deserve. These are single barrel expressions, so slight variations can and will occur.

Malt whiskies from Yamazaki and Hakushu distilleries are blended with grain whisky from their Chita distillery; all are aged at least 12 years and some much older. All 3 distilleries are owned by Suntory so they can create exactly what they want. Another unique attribute is the placing of plum wine (Umeshu) into old American barrels to season them for 2 years and then aging some of their whisky inside.