Racer 5 IPA Becomes Charbay’s R5 Whiskey
What do you get when you distill Bear Republic’s Racer 5 IPA into whiskey? You get Charbay’s much anticipated, newly released R5 Hop Flavored Whiskey. It comes in both aged and un-aged varieties.
Wine Enthusiast has already given the R5 Clear un-aged whiskey a very high rating of 93 points. According to the distillery’s website, the R5 Clear has “fruity, floral and green spicy aromas with hop and malt tones.”
The R5 aged whiskey sat in French oak casks for 22 months. Hops and malt flavors stand out in this whiskey. “You can really taste the beer that this Whiskey is made from,” says Karakasevic. Buy the aged R5 Whiskey here.
Fourteen years ago, Charbay distiller Marko Karakasevic experimented with distilling a pilsner brew into whiskey. The partnership with Bear Republic Brewing represents a growing trend of craft distilleries and breweries cooperating to create new products. St. George Spirits distills Sierra Nevada ale into its Single Malt Whiskey. Berkshire Mountain Distillers has distilled Sam Adams brews into whiskey, which will age until 2015. Several breweries, include New Holland and Rogue, are now also making whiskey out of their own beer.
