Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and St. George Spirits are set to release a limited-edition malt whiskey distilled from grains and hops.
The 45% abv whiskey, named Ruthless, has been eight years in the making and is scheduled to launch on 18 December.
In 2013, the brewer and distiller previously came together to create the Sierra Nevada beer, Ruthless Rye IPA and have also been longtime friends for more than two decades.
Ruthless whiskey began as a fully hopped and finished beer prior to distillation and was then laid down in new American oak and used French oak port casks in 2013.
For this first release, St. George’s head distiller/blender Dave Smith has blended whiskeys from seven Ruthless Rye IPA casks and married in a small portion of the first barrel of St. George Single Malt Whiskey, which was brewed by Sierra Nevada and distilled by St. George Spirits in 1997.
Ken Grossman, founder and chairman of Sierra Nevada said: “I have been a fan of St. George’s products for many years and I think they’re some of the most talented and creative distillers in the world. St. George’s friendship has been very meaningful over the years, and I am thrilled that we were able to work together to craft such a special and unique product.”
St. George’s head distiller/blender Dave Smith added: “Ruthless honours and celebrates our friendship as well as our collaboration. This is a spirit that has been in barrel for eight years – older than many craft distilleries. Of course, our friendship dates back even further as Sierra Nevada has brewed the wash for our Single Malt Whiskey programs since 1997. At St. George we’ve always looked to propel the art of distillation in all categories and have consistently found ourselves inspired by the creativity and excellence of our friends at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. Ruthless Rye IPA has long been one of our team’s favorite beers and now our collaborative efforts are finally ready to share with our incredible fans.”
Ruthless will be available for US$75 per bottle exclusively at the St. George Spirits Distillery in Alameda, CA. A limited number of bottles will be available for sale, in-person only, with a limit of two bottles per person.