Artisan Whiskey Lures The Hearts Of Whiskey And Beer Drinkers
ST. HELENA, Calif., Aug. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Marko Karakasevic, 13th generation Master Distiller, has been quietly distilling batches and batches of R5 Whiskey. "R5" stands for Racer 5 IPA, America's popular artisan beer from Bear Republic. Karakasevic has been preaching 'great beer makes great whiskey' since 1999 when the father-son team distilled 24 barrels of bottle-ready Pilsner. Back then, everyone said, "whiskey from beer?" It was unheard of. Finally he's rolling out Charbay's long awaited R5 Whiskeys: 'Clear' plus 'Aged' in French oak.
Marko & his father, Grand Master Distiller Milorad Karakasevic, are known for their consistent quality of small batch spirits. Hand-distilling with an Alambic Pot Still means they are beside the still 24/10 or more per batch. They have never been fazed by the ratio: 10 gallons of beer distills down to one gallon of whiskey. It's all about rich body and layers of flavors. "Taste this," they often say.
Marko suggests a sensory adventure with a flight of Racer 5 IPA Beer and the two R5 Whiskeys. Fruity, floral and green spicy aromas with hop and malt tones are followed by flavors of tropical fruit like lychee, dried papaya and toasted barley. Wine Enthusiast already gave the 'Clear' 93 points. The Aged is amber color with tones of vanilla, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon and smoky toasted oak. Smooth at 99 proof, they're an experience that will leave you asking: what else does he have in that little distillery?
"You can really taste the beer this Whiskey is made from," said Marko Karakasevic. "Our goal was to balance the spice from the hops and the barley flavors with just the right amount of oak." Distilling concentrates the flavors of the beer. R5 Clear Whiskey, aged 22 months in stainless, is $54/bottle. R5 French Oak Aged, $75/ bottle. These are small lot releases, 250 and 450 cases respectively.
Whiskey R5 was inspired by Marko's love of Bear Republic's hoppy Racer 5 IPA. Bear Republic's Norgrove Family quickly took a liking to Marko and his distilling genius. The two families shook hands and the Racer 5 whiskey program leaped full steam ahead. Marko has been stacking up barrels and kegs of the smooth whiskey ever since.
Don't wait too long to try some. Marko is often on to the next whiskey! Or Port. Or…
CONTACT: Susan Karakasevic, +1-707-963-9327 ext.16, [email protected]
SOURCE Charbay Winery & Distillery
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