Black Butte Whiskey, the collaboration between Deschutes Brewery and Bendistillery, returns for 2020—and this year for the first time, it’s the five-year aged version that will be available starting this Saturday, December 19.

The duo first released the whiskey in 2016, in which the Bendistillery distilled a special batch of Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter (really, a Black Butte wash) to produce the spirit. There have since been several new releases that have all been popular, though it will be interesting to see the response to this five-year edition.

Here’s the press release:

Deschutes Brewery and Bendistillery’s Crater Lake Spirits are happy to announce the release of their limited Black Butte Whiskey collaboration this Saturday, December 19th, just in time for the holidays. 2020 marks the first release of the much anticipated 5-year aged Black Butte.

Black Butte Whiskey was awarded Best in Show and Double Gold at Sunset Magazine’s 2019 International Spirits Competition and was named Best American Craft Luxury Whiskey by Sunset. It also received a Gold Medal and 92 points from the prestigious Beverage Tasting Institute.

Crater Lake Spirits joined forces with Deschutes to create a unique whiskey that initially launched in 2016 as a 3-year aged American whiskey that will now be a 5-year-old whiskey. A true American malt whiskey distilled from the wash of Deschutes Brewery’s famed Black Butte Porter beer brewed with an artisanal selection of specialty malts and then double-distilled and aged for 5 years in new #4 char American Oak barrels. The resulting spirit is a 94-proof balanced, yet complex whiskey that retains the malty, chocolatey notes of Black Butte Porter and finishes with a soft, nearly sweet, character. Over the past few years since its release, Black Butte Whiskey has gained notable national recognition and praise.

“We’re honored to receive recognition that speaks volumes to the uniqueness and complexity of this whiskey,” said Deschutes Brewery founder, Gary Fish. “The idea for this partnership was born decades ago through conversations over beers and the result has generated incredible excitement from both craft beer lovers and spirits fans.”

“We are thrilled by the attention we’ve received, especially to earn Sunset’s Best in Show against such a deep field of brands is really an honor,” said Alan Dietrich, Crater Lake Spirits CEO. “It means even more to share this success with our partners at Deschutes Brewery. Both of our teams have worked tirelessly to redefine the traditional American whiskey category.”

Bottles of the exclusive 5-year 2020 batch will be available for sale to the public starting Saturday, Dec. 19, at Bendistillery’s Crater Lake Spirits Downtown Tasting Room located at 1024 NW Bond Street and Distillery Tap Room at 19330 Pinehurst Road in Bend. Pours will be available at both Deschutes Brewery pubs in Bend and Portland upon reopening for indoor dining pending COVID restrictions. Beginning in January, bottle sales will be available at select liquor stores across Oregon and a few select markets across the country.

In a fun bit of crossover, Deschutes Black Butte³ (cubed) was a special imperial version of the porter that was aged in Black Butte Whiskey barrels. It started as a periodic specialty release from the brewery and now appears to be available year-round in its Reserve Series lineup.