An Icelandic holiday beer, flavoured with smoked whale testicles, has sparked outrage among conservationists.
Stedji Brewery is whipping up Hvalur 2, which is the sequel to 2014's popular holiday libation made with the endangered fin whale, for the annual month-long winter celebration of Thorri, honouring the Norse god Thor, Stuff.co.nz reported.
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society said that it was "immoral and outrageous" that fin whale meat was used in the first Havalur (Whale) brew in 2014 and 2015's offering is "a load of b*lls" and "highly provocative and a cheap marketing ploy."
The organisation said in a statement that right-minded people would no sooner drink beer brewed with whale testicles than they would order similar drinks made with tiger, elephant or rhino testicles and they hope that visitors to Iceland will treat this latest offering with the disdain it deserves.
Brewery co-owner Dabjartur Ariliusson said that actually, they don't consider the fin whale to be an endangered species here in the North Atlantic as they have a fisheries system in Iceland with all the fish kinds that is really self-sustainable and responsible.
Ariliusson added that they work the testicle by the old traditional way, in which they smoke it with dried sheep sh**, that gives it a unique smoked flavour and they also get a bit of the meaty taste in the beer.
Stedji, which opened in 2012, will brew 20,000 bottles, and one whale testicle is used in each batch for 2015's festival, which runs from mid-January to mid-February.