Ukiah, Calif. — California’s pioneering Charbay Distillery enters their 35th year as one of the first craft distilleries in California and the US, celebrating with the release of the 2018 Doubled & Twisted (D&T), a unique blend of select aged 3 and 7 year old Charbay Whiskeys. The flavor profile pleases both whiskey connoisseurs and beginners alike, with balanced flavors and smooth body.
“Doubled and Twisted” is an old distilling term for when “the best stuff” begins to run off the pipe from the still. The D&T story begins when Marko was working on his “liquid thesis” in 2009 to become the 13th generation Master Distiller in his family. Following the bottle-ready beer whiskey program he and his father started in 1999 (the first known whiskey distilled from bottle-ready beer in the US), Marko chose an IPA beer for his recipe. As this was the family’s first non-oak aged whiskey, he was finally awarded the title after 30 years of apprenticeship.
Today, Doubled & Twisted combines the best of the years since that first thesis project (a departure from Charbay’s award winning hoppy whiskeys), a double Alambic pot distilled blend of 50% Aged Single Malt (3 year); 30% Aged Stout Whiskey (7 year); and 20% Aged Pilsner Whiskey (3 year). The final juice exudes floral, green spice notes, warm aromas of baking spices (nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, allspice) and oak-smoked malted barley. French and American Oak impart flavors from smoky, toasted vanilla to dark roasted coffee.
660 cases will be available this spring nationwide in select stores including Winfield Flynn (NY, NY), Sunshine Market (St. Helena, CA) and K & L Wine Merchants (SF & LA). D&T (45% ABV/90 proof) will be sold in 750 ML bottles for $50 SRP.
Charbay begins each batch of whiskey with bottle ready beer, and this blend includes distillations of two custom brewed beers made for Marko by Bear Republic. “We had a fun time picking these 10 barrels. Making a blend of three different types of whiskey really stacked up the flavor profile. Drinking this at 90 proof is pretty dreamy.”
About Charbay Distillery
Owned and operated by the Karakasevic family, Charbay is celebrating 35 years of distilling in California – a pioneer in distilling elegant American brandies and whiskeys as well as producing fresh fruit vodkas for 20 years. Marko, Charbay’s 13th generation Master Distiller, distills award-winning, small-batch spirits in Charbay’s classic Alambic Charentais pot still. Charbay is also the sole U.S. importer of Tequila Tapatìo.
