Charbay Whiskey S
Charbay Whiskey S is beer, reincarnated — a 99-proof (49.5% ABV) whiskey in a 750mL bottle, distilled from bottle-ready Big Bear Black Stout brewed by Bear Republic Brewery in Northern California. "S" is for stout: Master Distiller Marko Karakasevic double-distilled the finished beer in Charbay's Alambic Charentais pot still, then aged it 50 months in French oak — distilled February 2011, bottled November 2015, just 686 cases. The result is a whiskey that drinks like the space between a great stout and a great brandy. Order it online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 99 proof (49.5% ABV) — 750mL
- Base: Bear Republic Big Bear Black Stout (Centennial + Cascade hops), double pot-distilled
- Aging: 50 months in French oak; distilled 02/2011, bottled 11/2015
- Origin: Charbay Distillery, Ukiah, Mendocino County, California — 13th-generation distilling family
- Release: small batch — 686 cases
From Stout to Spirit
Charbay's lettered whiskeys are experiments with a still — the "S" takes a fully finished craft stout and runs it through a Cognac-style pot still twice, then gives it four-plus years in French oak. What comes out keeps the beer's chocolate and roast but wears them like a whiskey: 99 proof, unhurried, unrepeatable. Explore the Charbay collection or browse Del Mesa's American whiskey.
Tasting Notes
Chocolate, caramel, hazelnut, and dark roast coffee on the nose; soft and creamy on the palate with chocolate-candy sweetness; a short finish of black pepper and marzipan (Mash & Grain review, 49.5%).
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn — this is a tasting-room pour, not a mixer. It also makes a fascinating side-by-side with the stout it came from.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Charbay Whiskey S made from?
Finished beer — Bear Republic's Big Bear Black Stout — double-distilled in a pot still, then aged 50 months in French oak.
Who distills it?
Marko Karakasevic of Charbay Distillery in Ukiah, California, from a 13th-generation distilling family.
How many cases were made?
686 cases — distilled February 2011, bottled November 2015.
Beer became whiskey — order Charbay Whiskey S online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.