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What kind of whiskey is WhistlePig?

WhistlePig produces premium rye whiskey in a range of vintages, including 12-year-old, 15- year-oldand 18-year-old bottlings. When it was first set up it used sourced whiskey from Canada which it then finished and released as WhistlePig. It generally releases bottles at around 96 proof (43% ABV) and above and finishes them in oak and rum casks. It is one of the best-known rye whiskey producers in the US and continues to source rye whiskey from Canada. 

Where is WhistlePig made?

WhistlePig Farm and Distillery is based in Vermont in New England, the six-State region of the United States that crosses many borders and traditions. It’s a suitably diverse location for an operation that set out to redefine the identity of rye whiskey. It was founded by entrepreneur and drinks executive Raj Bhakta and its first head distiller was Dave Pickerall, who was a chemical engineer before becoming a distiller and working with Makers Mark. Pickerall and his team reworked an old dairy farm and turned it and its 500 acres into WhistlePig distillery. Pickerall died in 2018. 

Who owns WhistlePig?

The French multinational LVMH Moet Hennessy took a minority stake in WhistlePig in 2020. The same drinks conglomerate also owns Ardbeg and Glenmorangie, putting WhistlePig among firm favourites in the whisky world. It is a craft distillery and operates a working farm with pigs, horses, sheep, bees and goats. It manages 20 acres of maple trees from which it harvests syrup. 

Is WhistlePig a bourbon?

No, WhistlePig produces rye whiskey. By law, Rye Whiskey must be distilled from a mash of at least 51% rye grain and the remainder is often a combination of corn and malted barley. Rye is considered to have a much fruitier flavour than bourbon which, with its dominant corn mash bill, is a sweeter whiskey. Rye whiskey must be matured for at least two years in oak to qualify. WhistlePig matures their whiskey for much longer than that. 

Which is the most popular WhistlePig release?

According to the team at WhistlePig the Small Batch Rye Aged 10 Years is still one of the most popular releases from their distillery. It was the first release they bottled and has been the most highly awarded whiskey in their range, they say. Bottled at 100 proof, this release comes stuffed with flavour and aroma. On the nose you can expect lots of zest, spice, oak and caramel, leading to layers of vanilla, mint, more caramel and spice on the taste. It has a medium finish with notes of butterscotch and more sweetness.  

What is the WhistlePig core range?

WhistlePig have a core range that includes Piggyback Rye, a six-year-old 100% rye bottled at 96.6% proof; Farmstock Rye, a non-age statement 86 proof rye, distilled from their own grain and matured in their own wood; a 12-, 15- and 18-year-old series, as well as the Boss Hog single barrel, barrel proof rye finished in rum casks.

What is WhistlePig Piggyback Rye like?

This six-year-old whiskey is distilled using 100% rye in its mash bill. No other grains are added so the flavour comes completely from the grain and the cask. Bottled at 96.56 proof (48.3% ABV) it is the entry level bottle in the range and  is especially popular in cocktails and long drinks. 

What is WhistlePig Farmstock Rye like?

This bottle is a non-age statement 86 proof bottling that is made from a blend of WhistlePig’s own grain-made whiskey as well as sourced whiskey. Released annually in limited numbers it is blended, bottled and matured on site.  

What is WhistlePig Boss Hog like?

The Boss Hog series is one of the most popular premium and collectible limited releases from the farm. It is put to market once each year and fans eagerly await each release to see where it might be headed. Casks are sourced for maturation from all over the world, including rum casks from the Philippines, Japanese umeshu casks and Armagnac casks from France, among others. Each bottle in the series is released at barrel strength from a single barrel and is intended to represent a new direction for the distillery with each release. The whiskey is sourced in Canada and matured, finished and bottled at WhistlePig in Vermont. 

How much does WhistlePig cost?

The entry level bottles of Whistlepig retail for around €75-90 for their core range, depending on the global market you are purchasing in. The annual Boss Hog series retails for around €500 but reaches higher prices at auction.

Recently WhistlePig released premium single casks that also achieve higher pricing and are particularly sought after by collectors. Included in this range is the WhistlePig Single Cask Rye 11 – the Rutland Barrel. This is a single cask release and represents the highest quality the distillery has produced. Bottled at 113.8 proof (56.9%), this barrel strength release was matured for 11 years in casks that were hand-selected by Dave Pickerall and left to rest on the Vermont farm. It is part of the Library Series, which is a five-part series of single casks in extremely small numbers. The first release from cask number 2413 had only 198 bottles in total. 

Is WhistlePig 10 rare?

WhistlePig is widely available throughout the world online and in specialist retailers and easily found in the United States. It has come to the attention of collectors in recent years when it experimented more with single cask releases such as the Single Cask Rye 11. This much rarer single cask release has moved WhistlePig from being seen as a widely available and popular craft producer to a select rye whiskey maker with premium global appeal. The annual Boss Hog series is also very popular and tends to sell out quickly, being released from a limit of around 30 casks each year.

Is WhistlePig a Canadian whiskey?

WhistlePig is an American brand but the original WhistlePig was made using rye whiskey that was distilled and matured in Canada. This was then finished and bottled in the US. Since then they have continued to source whiskey for their releases from Canada and elsewhere, as well as developing their production methods. They grow their own wheat and rye on their farm and use this in mash bills. 

Which Whistlepig is the oldest?

At time of writing the Double Malt WhistlePig 18 is the longest matured. This vintage release is made from a mashbill of 79% rye, 15% malted rye and 6% malted barley. This combination delivers the bold spice of rye coupled with the smooth mellow textures and flavours of malt which its makers say reflects the traditional way of marrying rye and malt.