Review: Charbay R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey Lot 3 (2015)
Review: Charbay R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey Lot 3 (2015)
Three years back, Charbay released its first edition of Charbay R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey, a unique whiskey made from Racer 5 IPA. Last year, it struck again with Charbay R5 Lot 511A. Now there’s another version of R5 coming out. Lot 511B? No: This one is called Lot 3.
Confusing matters further, Lot 3 is aged for 28 months in French oak barrels. (The first edition was 22 months, Lot 511A was 29 months.) Otherwise, it’s made with the same production techniques, double pot distilled and bottled at 99 proof. Same price, too.
Not a lot seems to have changed from Lot to Lot with this spirit. The nose is pure IPA — evergreen notes, dusky sherry, and some mushroomy/hoppy notes. The body builds on this with a smokier-than-expected core, chewy ginger candy notes, and plenty on plenty of hops. As with the prior bottlings of R5, this is an unusual whiskey with a unique profile that’s unlike most anything else on the market. Big IPA fans will likely love it, while drinkers of more traditional whiskeys may find it a bit overpowering and odd in comparison to what they’re used to.
That said, it’s such an oddball offering that I recommend any whiskey fan give it a try and see for themselves.
B+ / $79 / charbay.com [BUY IT NOW FROM CASKERS] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Charbay R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey Lot 3 (2015)
$79
Looks like another great tasting whiskey. I will have to get some and then have my son-in-law try it, because I know that he will definitely like it