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Top 10
Top 10 whisky ‘hybrids’
As the world of whisky begins to play with the prospect of serious innovation, it was but a matter of time before producers looked at cross-category creations to bolster their portfolios.
This is our selection of the top 10 whisky hybrids
Innovation is the name of the game in the spirits sphere – and as segmentation further diversifies categories, developing a USP has never been more crucial.
As the following brands have each discovered, one way to do this is to experiment with the very foundations of what defines a whisky.
From an expression crafted from an IPA to a Scotch and Japanese hybrid series, we’ve selected 10 unique ‘Frankenwhiskies’ for your perusal.
While not all of them would technically qualify as “hybrid” spirits by definition, they certainly could all be considered hybrid whiskies in one way or another.
Click through the following pages to discover our top 10 whisky hybrids. Have we missed out your favourite? Let us know in the comments below.
The Glover
The Glover is a range of hybrid whiskies created using liquid from Scottish and Japanese distilleries. The range, blended at the Adelphi Distillery in collaboration with Edinburgh-based TBG & Co Ltd and created with input from whisky expert Charles MacLean, pays homage to 19th century industrialist Thomas Blake Glover. To create the range, Adelphi Distillery used whisky from Scotland’s Longmorn and Glen Garioch distilleries, as well as “rare” whisky from the Hanyu distillery in Japan.
Huxley Rare Genus Whiskey
Aimed at “pushing the boundaries of blending”, Diageo’s experimental whisky arm Whiskey Union recently launched Huxley Rare Genus Whiskey, comprising Scotch, Canadian and American drams. The whiskey is named in honour of celebrated 19th century anatomist T. H. Huxley, and the label features a ‘Mobsprey’ – a mythical hybrid beast combining characteristics of Scottish, Canadian and American animals. Labeled as a “spirit drink”, Whiskey Union’s Boxing Hares release – Scotch whisky infused with hops – could also be considered to be a hybrid.
Kentucky Dram
Beam’s Suntory’s hybrid whisky blend, Jim Beam Kentucky Dram, first made its debut in 2015. The spirit is made by blending Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey with a “touch” of peated Highland Scotch from Ardmore distillery – which adds a “smoky flavour” to the “vanilla and oaky notes” of the Bourbon.
Bowmore Mizunara
Bowmore Mizunara Cask Finish the “first ever” Islay single malt to be finished in mizunara oak casks. Selected ex-sherry and ex-Bourbon matured liquid was finished for three years in virgin Japanese mizunara oak with the result described as a “marriage” of Scottish strength and Japanese elegance. While the release carries no age statement, the expression is confirmed to contain “different vintages of the nineties”.
High West Whiskey Campfire
The “world’s only, and possibly first” blend of Scotch, Bourbon and rye whiskeys. High West Whiskey Campfire combines a Bourbon whiskey from the old Seagrams plant, a straight rye whiskey from the same distillery, and a blended malt Scotch whisky made of 100% peated barley malt – location unknown, aside from that it’s “not from Islay”. The blend is said to offer vanilla, honey, toffee, blueberries and black cherries on the palate, along with chai spices, orange zest, salty caramel and gentle smoke.
R5 Hop-Flavored Whiskey
Now in its fourth release, Charbay’s R5 Lot No. 4 is crafted from Bear Republic Brewery’s Racer 5 IPA beer – chosen for its “upfront aromatic hops, great dose of bittering hops, high quality two-row barley, and smooth, clean finish”. The liquid is double-distilled for 10 days straight in a 1000 gallon Alambic Charentais Pot Still before it is aged in French oak for 29 months.
George Washington Distillers’ Reserve
Said to be the first of its kind, the “Scottish style” single malt whisky whisky was produced at George Washington’s reconstructed distillery. It is made from 100% Scottish barley, both peated and unpeated, which was shipped to the distillery’s water-powered gristmill. The liquid was aged at Mount Vernon for three years in used Bourbon casks re-coopered in Speyside. In the final months of maturation, the liquid was moved to barrels that previously held Madeira wine.
Teeling Hybrid
The first release from the Teeling Whiskey Co way back in September 2012; Teeling Hybrid was created to offer “more choice” to Irish whiskey fans. The expressions sees 10 year-old single malts from Cooley in Ireland and Bruichladdich in Scotland married together in oak barrels for an additional eight years.
The One
Cumbria’s first whisky distillery for over 100 years, Lakes Distillery, released The One back in 2013 – a blend of whiskies hailing from all over the British Isles. Said to be the first of its kind, the expression is described as “slightly smoky, sweet and fruity, nutty, with hints of spice”. The distillery has not specified where the liquid is sourced from.
Zaconey
In early 2013 Pernod Ricard released Zaconey, a blend of Irish and American whiskeys and natural berry flavour. Inspired by the funfairs and carnivals of 1950s Coney Island, Zaconey is designed to “capture the spirit of America”. Sourcing many of its casks from the US Bourbon industry, Pernod decided to blend the “pool of golden Bourbon resting inside” with whiskey from its Midleton Distillery.