Whisky Mew are back at it again, this time with a set of two whiskies modeled after Kentaro Miura’s Berserk. Following collaborations with such legendary series as Fist of the North Star and Devilman, perhaps this dark fantasy classic was the logical next step – only, it is a little different from previous collaborations as it features both Guts and Griffith.
There are two varieties of Berserk whiskies on offer via Whisky Mew’s official website, coming in at 22,000 yen and 25,300 yen respectively. That’s a little bit more expensive than the collaborations that the company have done in the past, but when you look at what you get for the money, it’s definitely worth it.
The Guts and Griffith Berserk whisky (pictured above) is a 1993 vintage from Secret Speyside distillery, containing hints of mint and chocolate with a woody flavor. The Guts version, on the other hand (pictured below), is a 1996 vintage from Ben Nevis distillery with a dry flavor complimented by tropical fruits. The website even describes it as “sexy,” so there’s that.
It may surprise you to hear that the Guts bottle is the more expensive variation, considering the later vintage, but both bottles are undoubtedly worth the price. As distinct from the previous Devilman collaborations, these Berserk whiskies are much older malts and were even made using the antiquated floor malting technique.
Now, Berserk is not the kind of series that I would readily associate with whisky. Across many decades of serialization, I don’t think any of the characters have ever partaken in the spirit – beer, definitely – but that hardly matters. Whisky Mew knows its audience well, and the older demographic that enjoys Berserk will also surely enjoy partaking in some of these whiskies.
It is also unusual to see both Guts and Griffith honored by a collaboration. Previous campaigns, such as the one featuring Shigeru Matsuzaki, only featured Guts, even though he would not be nearly as iconic as he is today without Griffith. They are, after all, two sides of the same coin.
You can pick up both varieties of Berserk whisky via Whisky Mew’s official website.