Reminisce is a special South African whisky made by Darling Brew from leftover craft beer during the COVID-19 lockdown. Using expert distillation and five years of aging in bourbon barrels, it keeps the unique hop flavors from the beer while turning crisis into creativity. This rare whisky, with only 650 bottles, tells a story of hope, resilience, and innovation. Each bottle is like a little treasure, inviting you to remember tough times and celebrate new beginnings.
Reminisce is a rare South African whisky crafted by Darling Brew from surplus finished craft beer. Distilled using advanced techniques and matured for five years in bourbon barrels, it uniquely preserves hop flavors while embodying resilience, creativity, and sustainability born from the COVID-19 lockdown.
In the undulating, fynbos-strewn landscapes of South Africa’s Western Cape, Darling Brew has carved out a reputation that extends far beyond its region. Since its inception in 2010, the brewery has championed the marriage of environmental mindfulness and creative daring. Drawing inspiration from African wildlife and conservation efforts, Darling Brew’s beers have not only garnered awards but also reflected a bold push for new flavors and techniques. Their pioneering attitude reached a milestone in 2016, when they became the first carbon-neutral brewery on the continent—a testament to their dedication to innovation and sustainability.
However, even for an enterprise accustomed to breaking new ground, uncharted territory remained. The craft beer scene demands continual reinvention, and Darling Brew has long thrived on the challenge. Their commitment to blending artistry with a deep sense of responsibility to both community and environment is evident in every pour. Yet, the most significant test of their ingenuity emerged not from the world of craft brewing, but from an unforeseen global crisis.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, and South Africa’s strict lockdowns brought breweries to a sudden halt. Kegs and bottles—once destined for lively taprooms and bustling restaurants—piled up in storage, untouched by customers. The industry’s abrupt standstill created a sobering visual: empty brewhouses, unsold stock, and a pervasive sense of uncertainty. While many in the industry lamented the waste, Darling Brew saw only untapped possibility.
Darling Brew’s leadership refused to let adversity dictate the fate of their products. Rather than discarding the unsellable beer, they envisioned a radical transformation: turning finished craft beer into a unique whisky. History shows that necessity often drives creativity, and this pivot placed the brewery in the lineage of innovators who have responded to crisis with invention. Just as artistic movements like Bauhaus and Surrealism sprang from tumultuous times, Darling Brew’s new direction sought to transform limitation into opportunity.
To bring this ambitious idea to fruition, the brewery enlisted George Dalla Cia, a master distiller with a heritage rich in winemaking and distillation. The Dalla Cia family name has long been synonymous with fine grappas and brandies, each crafted with a blend of tradition and originality. Despite his expertise, whisky represented new ground for George. This collaboration fused two worlds: the robust, hop-driven complexity of craft beer and the refined, contemplative art of spirit distillation.
George Dalla Cia approached the project with both respect and a spirit of exploration. Unlike traditional whisky-making, which often starts with un-hopped, uncarbonated wash, he chose to distill Darling Brew’s finished, fully hopped beer. This bold step preserved the beer’s signature malt and hop characters, which would ultimately define the whisky’s distinctiveness. Utilizing double pot stills and an advanced eight-plate fractional distillation setup, Dalla Cia extracted and heightened the beer’s best qualities. Employing a gentle bain-marie method, reminiscent of techniques from Cognac’s storied Charente region, he safeguarded delicate aromas, ensuring the resulting spirit would be both elegant and expressive.
The journey from beer to whisky required more than distillation. For five years, the nascent spirit matured in carefully selected bourbon barrels, chosen for their subtle influence—imbuing the whisky with hints of vanilla and caramel, while allowing the soul of the beer to shine through. The culmination of this patient process is Reminisce: an unfiltered malt whisky that embodies depth and nuance. Its deep amber color glistens with golden highlights, promising richness within.
Upon nosing Reminisce, one encounters a tapestry of scents: honey, mocha, and dark chocolate, uplifted by floral potpourri and a bright flash of orange zest. Each sip unspools layers of flavor—ginger spice mingles with nougat and vanilla, white chocolate interlaces with a gentle bitterness, and a whisper of earthiness, redolent of Cape fynbos, roots the whisky in its place of origin. Unusually, the subtle floral hop character endures, a rare achievement that pays homage to the beer’s beginnings. The result is a flavor profile that simultaneously honors tradition and signals a new direction for South African whisky.
Reminisce is as exclusive as it is intriguing; only 650 bottles exist, each meticulously hand-filled, labeled, and numbered. Collectors and enthusiasts have already begun to seek particular bottle numbers, eager to link their personal stories to this singular release. Darling Brew maintains a formal registry of each purchase, elevating every bottle from mere commodity to a piece of living history.
The allure of Reminisce extends beyond its contents. Designer Anja Roos crafted the packaging as a tribute to storytelling and familial bonds. Each bottle arrives encased in a gift box fashioned to resemble a vintage storybook, its cover adorned with the name “Reminisce” in ornate, evocative script. Inside, a library card waits to be filled with memories by its owner—who they shared their first sip with, where it happened, and what it meant. Hidden behind this is a whimsical fable inspired by South Africa’s oral traditions, celebrating stories passed down through generations.
The artistic direction invokes the spirit of the Arts and Crafts movement, where handmade objects carried deeper meaning and social conscience. The fairytale-like visuals evoke nostalgia and transformation, paralleling Reminisce’s journey from pandemic lockdown to celebration of resilience. Anja Roos describes the whisky as an emblem of change, likening its emergence to a butterfly from a cocoon: “From lockdown’s cocoon, something beautiful was born.” Her words echo timeless themes found in mythology and art—the belief that adversity can foster beauty, and new stories often rise from hardship.
Reminisce’s rarity only adds to its mystique. Available through Darling Brew’s website, specialty retailers, and select whisky clubs, it stands as both an exceptional drink and a collectible artifact. Some connoisseurs may debate its place within South Africa’s growing whisky landscape, but the story of its creation is undeniable. More than just a spirit, Reminisce serves as a tribute to ingenuity, collaboration, and the power of transformation in difficult times.
The tradition of distilling surplus or unsold product has deep roots, stretching back to medieval monasteries and Renaissance apothecaries who turned excess beer and wine into potent elixirs. Reminisce channels this heritage, reimagined for the demands and values of the 21st century. Its creation spotlights the intersection where ancient craft meets modern innovation, and where the boundaries between beer and spirit blur.
Darling Brew’s leap into whisky distillation marks a first for South Africa, echoing a trend pioneered by small experimental distilleries in Europe and North America. Managing Director Tewie Roos encapsulates the brewery’s philosophy: where others saw loss, Darling Brew saw potential. For this team, letting good beer go to waste was never an option—transformation always beckoned as the answer.
Reminisce stands as a beacon for those who appreciate craft, sustainability, and the stories woven into each bottle. Collectors may cherish its exclusivity, whisky lovers may savor its complexity, and creative minds may find inspiration in its bold narrative—a narrative where crisis becomes a catalyst, and invention emerges from constraint. Each bottle serves as a liquid chronicle of resilience and creative rebirth, inviting those who taste it to become part of a continuing saga.
Reminisce’s debut signals a new era for South African spirits—one that values narrative, innovation, and environmental stewardship as much as flavor. The whisky’s existence challenges conventions, showing that the line between beer and spirit is not fixed, but ever-shifting, like the history from which it springs. For those who have followed Darling Brew’s journey—through conservation-themed beers and green initiatives—this whisky marks both a natural progression and a bold leap into new territory.
Ultimately, Reminisce is more than a drink; it is a celebration of overcoming hardship through creativity and connection. Each bottle calls its owner to remember and record, to savor both the present moment and the story behind the spirit. In doing so, Reminisce becomes not just a whisky, but a testament to the enduring human ability to find beauty—and possibility—in even the most challenging times.
Reminisce is a rare South African whisky crafted by Darling Brew from leftover finished craft beer produced during the COVID-19 lockdown. Instead of wasting surplus beer caused by brewery shutdowns, Darling Brew distilled it using advanced methods and matured the spirit for five years in bourbon barrels. This process preserved the beer’s unique hop flavors, resulting in a whisky that embodies resilience, creativity, and sustainability.
Unlike traditional whisky, which typically starts from an un-hopped, uncarbonated wash, Reminisce is distilled from fully hopped, finished craft beer. This unconventional approach allows Reminisce to retain the distinctive malt and hop characteristics of the original beer, giving it a rare floral hop aroma and complex flavor profile uncommon in whisky. The distillation uses double pot stills and an eight-plate fractional column, along with gentle bain-marie heating, to preserve delicate aromas.
Reminisce offers a rich and nuanced tasting experience. Its nose reveals honey, mocha, dark chocolate, floral potpourri, and a bright zest of orange. On the palate, expect layers of ginger spice, nougat, vanilla, white chocolate, and a subtle bitterness balanced by an earthy note reminiscent of Cape fynbos. The enduring hop character is a unique signature, linking the whisky back to its beer origins.
Only 650 bottles of Reminisce exist worldwide, each hand-filled, labeled, and individually numbered. Darling Brew maintains a formal registry of all purchases, turning every bottle into a piece of living history. The packaging, designed like a vintage storybook with spaces for owners to record memories, adds sentimental and artistic value, making Reminisce not just a whisky but a narrative keepsake celebrating hope and transformation.
Reminisce exemplifies Darling Brew’s commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community responsibility. The brewery was Africa’s first carbon-neutral brewery and has long combined environmental consciousness with creative experimentation. The whisky’s creation from surplus beer during a global crisis highlights their philosophy of turning challenges into opportunities, emphasizing reuse, creativity, and storytelling rooted in South African heritage.
Reminisce is available exclusively through Darling Brew’s website, select specialty retailers, and whisky clubs. Given its rarity and complex profile, it is best enjoyed neat or with a few drops of water to unlock its full aromatic range. The whisky invites mindful sipping to appreciate its story and flavors, making it perfect for special occasions or as a unique gift for whisky enthusiasts and collectors.
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