Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey Joins Flavored Whiskey Race

So I was thinking the other day when I wrote the story on the new Rouge Chipotle flavored whiskey that it was an odd concoction, but now I’m wondering if an even odder one is the recently unveiled Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey. This new bottling is said by those behind it to be “turning a new leaf on flavored whiskey.” Get it, turning a new leaf, green tea whiskey, hahaha (not really).

Marlee’s Green Tea Whiskey, currently making the rounds in Florida, is a relatively inexpensive expression that’s priced around $18 per 750 ml bottle. It also barely registers on the whiskey ABV scale, coming in at a very modest 14.95% ABV, or around 30 proof. It is a more modern and hip play on the age old tradition of mixing tea and whiskey.

The whiskey, said to have been “crafted in the whiskey capital of the world, Bardstown,” takes American rye whiskey of unmentioned origins and blends it with Chinese gunpowder green tea and a trace amount of organic Mexican blue agave. It is created in the following manner, according to those behind it,

It begins with its proprietary blend of green tea, a special formulation created by tea sommeliers uniquely for Marlee’s Green, sourced from select farms in China. The tea is then brewed and blended with American rye whiskey and a touch of agave, which not only provides sweetness and fullness to the flavor of the whiskey, but also makes Marlee’s Green a low calorie alternative to other flavored whiskeys. The mixture is then filtered to remove the larger particles that form when working with all natural ingredients. It is then bottled and labeled in Bardstown– ready to be opened, poured and enjoyed.

Marlee’s was created by one Jared Berlin, a man who seems to have had a career more as an investor versus a maker of crafted spirits. His company, Marlee Beverage Corp, was only formed in June of last year, and is described as a venture focusing upon making “artisan combinations of tea, spirits and other natural ingredients.”

This whiskey, according to press materials, lays claim to some of the reported health benefits associated with green tea consumption. The tea in this spirit is said to be unfermented and thus “bursting with antioxidants and natural energy.” To be more specific, it reportedly contains “140.8 mg of polyphenols per 8 ounce serving, more than most cups of green tea! Polyphenols are the central compound in green tea that delivers much of its antioxidant benefit.”

“When properly blended, whiskey and tea together create a stunningly refreshing drink that retains the integrity of both the tea and whiskey,” said Berlin in a statement. “I set out to develop a product unique from anything else currently in the market – using only amazing ingredients in the right balance – to celebrate this fantastic combination.”

As to how to consume this, the options include the obvious over ice and in cocktails. Perhaps maybe a green tea whiskey popsicle as well? I kinda have my doubts on this product, personally, but if we ever end up getting hold of a sample we will do a review and let you know, minus the health benefit claims, of whether or not it actually tastes good.