It’s actually a relaunch, but wuith “a new and improved premium formula and packaging,” and is the first in a series of three flavored Eastside branded whiskies. It will be followed by Eastside Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Whiskey, and its new Oregon Cranberry Whiskey.
The Oregon marionberry, a cross between Chehalem and Olallie blackberries, was bred at Oregon State University as part of a berry-developing partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the 1950s.
It is named for Marion County in the Willamette Valley, where most of the field tests took place and where many marionberries are still grown today. It is beloved in the state and has often been described as the “king of the blackberries” because of its complex, rich, and earthy flavor that is sweet-yet-tart. A harbinger of peak Oregon summer, Oregonians look forward to marionberry season every year.
Eastside‘s Head Distiller, Jason Ericson describes it as “The Cabernet of Blackberries meets Bourbon Whiskey. I believe marionberry whiskey is where wine drinkers and whiskey drinkers meet.” He continues, “Many of the flavors and aromas of berry and oak will be immediately recognizable to oenophiles. The intense berry flavor mixed with notes of citrus, vanilla, and oak are the perfect introduction to the wide world of whiskey.”