The company says it has been designed to take whisk(e)y drinkers into “uncharted territory”.

Huxley is said to draw on fine drams from across the globe, combining scotch, Canadian and American whiskies/eys to craft a blend greater than the sum of its parts.

Huxley Rare Genus Whiskey is named in honour of T H Huxley, the 19^th Century anatomist and the label features a ‘Mobsprey’ – a mythical hybrid beast combining characteristics of Scottish, Canadian and American animals.

Like its two earlier Whiskey Union launches, it will initially be made available in on-trade markets in Germany and Austria.

Whiskey Union is described by Diageo as a “new experimental whiskey collective”.

It says its whiskey makers have “extraordinary levels of expertise and experience, and are able to work with the best and most diverse selection of whiskey stocks in the world. Most importantly they have thrown off the shackles of convention to discover what whiskey can be. They are focused on the exploration of flavour and pushing the boundaries of blending.”

Whiskey Union’s aim to recruit new consumers into the expansive whiskey category with distinctive and exciting brands that are cultural discovery magnets.

“These brands, and our new way of bringing them to market, will allow us to reach a new group of people who may not have engaged with whiskey before,” it says.