Empirical Charlene McGee

As one of our original spirits, Charlene McGee is like a time capsule that brings us back to our roots, a smoky reminder of all the hard work, sweat, and DIY equipment experiments of the early days at Empirical.

Named after the underage pyrokinetic main character of Steven King’s novel, Firestarter, Charlene McGee is made from Danish juniper berries, juniper wood, Pilsner malt and Belgian saison yeast. 

Juniper berries are smoked with their own wood, lightly crushed, macerated, and gently distilled at low temperatures to preserve the fruity, vibrant integrity of the botanical and the seductive smoky flavor profile. 

The final blend is matured in Oloroso casks to impart a faintly sweet and cozy note of woodiness. 

The spirit has refreshing base notes of fresh juniper, fruity blackberries, and resinous, fragrant juniper sap that leaves a smooth, smoky finish.