Bourbon tasting will take on a whole new form when you describe its smokiness, smoothness, and whether you taste a hint of beaver secretion.
A New Hampshire-based distilling company named Tamworth Distilling has unveiled a new bourbon it’s calling Eau de Musc. And, while the bourbon itself looks like any other whiskey, Tamworth’s booze has a secret ingredient: secretions from a beaver’s rear end. Those secretions are known as castoreum.
While it might sound rather unappetizing to drink alcohol with beaver secretions, it’s actually not so unorthodox. In fact, castoreum has found its way to perfumes, and some food products have included castoreum in their products. According to Snopes, which did a deep dive on castoreum in 2013, it’s found to have no ill effect on humans and can actually improve the taste of food products you consume.
Tamworth Distillery, whose bourbon was earlier reported on by the local news outlet Concord Monitor, hasn’t been shy about including beaver castoreum in its booze. There’s a beaver on the bourbon bottle and in a statement, the company referred to the “sac excretion,” saying that it “exhibits bright and fruit qualities (raspberry) and rich leathery notes along with creamy vanilla aroma.”
The company added that the bourbon’s “medley of charming flavors” will “impress” you.
If you’re in the mood for some beaver-infused bourbon, Tamworth Distilling is selling it now at its facility in New Hampshire. The company didn’t announce a price.