Alcohol tasting notes are always all over the place. Wine that hints of leather, beer with a whiff of horse blanket, and now some truly fascinating spirits. Tamworth Distilling brings adventurous flavors to our alcohol, including one whiskey made with beavers’ anal glands. Yes, we’ll let you digest that. There’s also another unique whiskey that tastes of crabs… And even one that has the flavor of turkey.
We learned about these unique drinks thanks to Boing Boing. Tamworth Distilling sells a wide range of spirits, including sweet potato vodka and venison whiskey. But the beaver musk-infused whiskey definitely caught our eye.
Beaver Anal-Gland Whiskey
Before you scoff, just know that you’ve probably consumed castoreum, or oil from beaver anal glands, before, and not even while you drank whiskey. The product exists in imitation vanilla flavoring and Tamworth says it, “exudes a leathery, raspberry taste, and acts to fortify the whiskey flavors.”
And don’t worry, no beavers came to harm in the making of this anal gland whiskey. The distillery gets provided “with the castoreum sacs, which would otherwise be discarded, to produce the infused bourbon whiskey.” It’s all very sustainable and apparently tasty. We guess we’ll have to give this beaver whiskey a sip sometime after it’s back on sale.
Green Crab Whiskey
Another of Tamworth Distilling’s special creations is their unique Crab Trapper whiskey. And yes, there are actually crabs in it. Tamworth Distilling’s Crab Trapper whiskey uses green crabs in the recipe. It’s a non-native and very invasive species in New Hampshire, where the distillery is located.
Green crabs are originally from Europe and out-compete native crabs, destroying the environment and food webs. They have also spread to the western United States. More than 70,000 were caught in Washington state last year as part of eradication efforts. A bottle of green crab-flavored whiskey will set you back $65 and you can count it as part of your conservation efforts for the year.
Not to mention, according to Tamworth Distilling, “The crab is present lightly on the nose, accompanied by coriander and bay to smooth out any high notes.” So basically a crab boil, which sounds delicious.
Turkey Whiskey
It can be Thanksgiving all the time with Tamworth Distilling’s Bird of Courage Roasted Turkey Whiskey. n fact, you can skip the cooking outright because, according to this uniquely flavored whiskey’s description there’s “a Thanksgiving dinner in every bottle.”
The official website further shares of this interesting drink, “The essence of roasted sweet potato and squash combine with the buttery heart of fresh baked flint cornbread to fortify this whiskey’s deep oaky spirit. A mid-palate of sweet, New England apples and herbs support the ethereal aromas of freshly roasted turkeys sourced from historical Behr Farm in Tamworth, NH.” Apparently, it’s a cornucopia of fall flavors that will bring Thanksgiving to life. And it sounds kind of… good? definitely not boring, in any case.
Other Unique Spirits
We’d also feel curious to try Tamworth Distilling’s durian-flavored brandy one day, for a little whiskey break. Durian fruit is a delicious delicacy, even if it is banned in public places in some countries due to the intense smell. And we’re sure it would take our taste buds on an adventure.
Tamworth isn’t the only company making unique and interesting whiskeys and other spirits, though. There are also Glenlivet Whiskey pods, XXX Distillery’s Hellboy-themed cinnamon whiskey, and even a Game of Thrones-inspired scotch from Johnnie Walker to enjoy. Cheers!
Originally published on July 11, 2022.
Melissa is Nerdist’s science & technology staff writer. She also moderates “science of” panels at conventions and co-hosts Star Warsologies, a podcast about science and Star Wars. Follow her on Twitter @melissatruth.
