Huge dose of wild grapes on a vine | Hints of mellon | Fresh & unexpected

Baking chocolate | Sweet mellon | Light ground pepper | Earthy tones | Complex and incredibly intriguing

Oak | Earthy tones | Vine grapes | Hint of hay | Lingering

There are intriguing whiskeys and then there is Charbay R5 Lot 5. This is the 5th release of Charbay R5 and it is composed of a 10 barrel run that is double-distilled from Bear Republic Brewery's award-winning Racer 5 IPA beer (7% ABV). This latest batch was distilled in 2013 and aged for 5 years.

Lot 5 is one of the more complex and intriguing whiskeys on the market. It combines an incredibly fresh and sweet nose with a more earthy and complex palate. The sip ends with a combo of both earthy and sweet, and makes you sit back and ponder how this was created. It is unlike anything else being produced in the American whiskey market and will instantly be a love-it or hate-it whiskey for most. To me this is one of the most challenging and different whiskeys I’ve tried, and I love that it pushes you to really ponder it. If you’re looking to expand your knowledge of what can constitute a whiskey, look no further than Charbay R5 Lot 5.