RAPID CITY, S.D. — In a departure from their usual whiskey tastings, the hosts of “Whiskey@Work” dedicated their latest episode to an unlikely subject: frogs. What started as a quirky conversation about amphibians ended up perfectly setting the stage for their review of Natterjack Irish Whiskey, a brand that features Ireland’s only native toad on its label.
Throughout the episode, hosts Mark and Rob swapped trivia and personal stories, recalling everything from pet snakes to using plastic frog lures for fishing as kids. But the conversation quickly hopped into the deep end, with the pair trading fun facts about frogs’ evolutionary history, unique survival traits, and the world’s deadliest amphibians.
“Frogs have been around for over 250 million years. They survived the extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs,” Mark said, sharing how these adaptable creatures thrive everywhere from Alaskan tundra to the Amazon rainforest.
Listeners learned that some frogs can freeze solid and revive in spring, while others, like the golden poison dart frog, are small enough to fit on a paperclip but potent enough to kill ten adults with their toxins. The hosts also highlighted the “hairy frog,” known for breaking its own bones to deploy claws, and the see-through “glass frog,” whose beating heart is visible through its translucent skin.
The focus soon shifted to the episode’s featured whiskey: Natterjack Irish Whiskey. Mark explained that the natterjack toad is the only toad species native to Ireland and rather than hop, it’s famous for running across the countryside. Its distinct yellow stripe and piercing call (which can be heard up to two miles away) make it a fitting mascot for a whiskey described as “doing its own thing.”
Natterjack Irish Whiskey is produced by Gortinore Distillers. According to the hosts, the spirit is triple-distilled, matured in ex-bourbon barrels, and finished in new charred American oak. The process gives it subtle flavors of vanilla, toffee, and baking spice, with a notably smooth finish. The distillery, founded in 2017, also offers a cask strength version and a rare limited edition called “Natterjack the Mistake.”
“Everything about Irish to me is subtle,” Rob commented during the tasting. “This one is really smooth, just a good, approachable whiskey.”
The episode wrapped up with a frog-themed trivia quiz and a reminder of the natterjack’s endangered status in Ireland. The hosts encouraged listeners to keep an eye out for Natterjack on store shelves and teased upcoming whiskey events in the Black Hills region.
For fans of whiskey, science, and offbeat conversation, this latest “Whiskey@Work” episode proved that sometimes, the best stories come from unexpected places.
