Alexander Murray - Polly's Casks 750ml

There are many examples of beer being aged in whiskey barrels, but few examples of whiskey being aged in beer barrels.

Firestone Walker, based on California's Central Coast, operates the Firestone Union System, one of the few in the world that uses barrels for the main fermentation of beer, and also operates Barrel Works, which specializes in barrel-aged beer.

The experiment started when co-founder David Walker and his wife Polly Firestone Walker were having dinner with Steve Lipp, founder of independent whiskey bottler Alexander Murray, and discussing the possibilities of barrel aging. They soon shipped over 60 Bourbon barrels used to age Firestone Walker's limited edition Double DBA across the Atlantic to Scotland.

A beautiful circle of beer and whiskey that pursues the possibilities of barrel aging. A new challenge was launched to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Firestone Walker and the 50th birthday of David's wife Polly.

The whiskey chosen for the base liquor is "Tullibardine" from the Highlands. It is said that in 1488, King James IV of Scotland stopped by Tullibardine, which was a brewery at the time, to quench his thirst with beer, and was subsequently granted a royal charter to sell beer, making this a brewery with a strong connection to beer.

After a relatively short period of maturation in oak bourbon barrels, Tullibardine's whiskey is bottled into Double DBA barrels and aged for 12 months.

The light straw-colored liquid has a light and fruity aroma, with a hint of hay and vanilla from the bourbon barrels, and a cocoa-like aroma with oil from the Double DBA barrels. When you put it in your mouth, it spreads fresh stone fruit, salty, and youthful malt sweetness, and leaves a pleasant bitterness like lemon peel and a deep cocoa-like aftertaste.

The result is a truly unique and challenging whisky that combines the smoothness of Highland whisky with the complexity that comes from the beer aging casks.

• Region: Highlands, Scotland
• Distiller: Tullibardine
• Bottler: Alexander Murray
• Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
• Cask: ex-Bourbon and ex-Firestone Walker Beer Barrels (Double Barrel Ale)
• Age: -
• ABV: 40%