Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship women’s flyweight champion
Valentina Shevchenko is partnering with California-based Sespe Creek Distillery to produce a limited-edition whiskey under its Warbringer brand.
Warbringer Bullet Edition was developed with distiller John Campbell, who previously spent 16 years at Laphroaig Distillery in Scotland. The single-barrel release is set to debut on November 3, with 170 bottles available.
Valentina Shevchenko picks the barrel of the Warbringer Bullet Edition ahead of its debut on November 3rd
The suggested retail price of 114 proof or 57% alcohol by volume bottled whiskey is $95. Its mash consists of 65% mesquite-roasted Bloody Butcher red corn, 10% hand-roasted yellow corn, and 25% malted rye. It is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks.
The distillery describes notes of honey, spices and eucalyptus. Campbell said Shevchenko chose the barrel in a blind tasting.
“This is Valentina’s whiskey and so the process was to find something that she would be really happy with,” Campbell said. “We tasted through a lot of different casks, but when he chose Bloody Butcher as a blind, it was like, ‘Ahh, of course!’ It was a fun moment. He chose a delicious cask.”
Shevchenko said its rustic character and smoky flavor reminded him of his home in Kyrgyzstan, where cooking over an open fire evokes family celebrations.
The whiskey will initially be available through Warbringer’s online store and select retailers in California, Texas, Arizona and Colorado.
