Archie Rose Distilling Co and Kaiju Beer have collaborated to release the Behemoth Aged Spirit, which they have described as ‘extraordinary, extremely limited and deliciously weird’.
The Behemoth Aged Spirit has been created using a batch of Kaiju’s Double India Black Ale, which has been distilled two and a half times and then aged in 50l and 20l ex-bourbon casks. Archie Rose said that the spirit is best sipped neat “to appreciate the incredibly vibrant notes of pineapple, lychees, aged rum and soy sauce.
“Our nature at Archie Rose is to be innovative and progressive. We can be quite restless, and being a young company, we like to explore,” Dave Withers, Master Distiller for Archie Rose, said.
“Like Archie Rose, Kaiju Beer is driven by an appetite for discovery, so this was really cool way to launch our Concepts label as a way of sharing our most unique and unusual creations in limited quantities and single batches.”
The Behemoth Aged Spirit is the distillery’s first release under its Archie Rose Concept label. The label will see Archie Rose’s most progressive and experimental releases which will be produced in single batches and in very limited quantities.
The collaboration came after the two producers worked together on a previous project and realised they had a shared belief in innovation and pushing boundaries, as Kaiju’s Chief Boss, Callum Reeves explained.
“Having worked together before, it was our intention to do some sort of collaborative project together,” Reeves said.
“We had the completely bonkers idea of distilling one of the hoppiest and highest alcohol beers in Australia – Kaiju Beer’s ‘Where Strides the Behemoth’ Double India Black Ale – and of course the guys at Archie Rose were right up for it.
“The beer has been in two ex-bourbon barrels for nearly two years. We think people are going to be surprised by how the intense, tropical fruit and savoury notes of the original new make spirit have married with, and been enhanced by the ex-bourbon maturation. It’s a beast.”
The new spirit is being released today in extremely limited quantities and will be available at a small number of select bottleshops, bars, the Archie Rose bar and on the Archie Rose website. The 52 per cent ABV spirit carries a $249 RRP for a 700ml bottle.
Update: Behemoth Aged Spirit sold out very soon after its release, and according to Archie Rose, a total of only 81 bottles were produced. However, a few bars around Australia were lucky enough to secure a bottle: The Baxter Inn and Burrow Bar (NSW); Bad Frankie, Whisky & Alement, Boilermaker House, The Elysian Whisky Bar and Hatts & Tatts (VIC); Savile Row (QLD); The Dominion League and Bar Lafayette (WA); and Hains & Co (SA).