Whistlepig 10 Year Straight Rye Barrel Strength

My initial experience with Whistlepig was quite intriguing. I must say, I enjoyed it immensely, finding exceptional and uncommon tasting and aroma notes. I value the effort when a whiskey presents new characteristics. This is a Straight Rye, bottled at 57.6% alcohol by volume. It possesses a pleasing tawny color. The nose is distinctive, with some remarkable aroma notes. BBQ sauce is the primary scent; glazed pork and rich spiciness. It genuinely smells like pork and a glass of flat Coca-Cola. Rye spirit, cotton candy. The BBQ/greasy notes are dominant. Sweet, cheap hard candy. Meaty. Sweet and greasy. Very interesting; it doesn't alter after several sips. If allowed to breathe for 10 minutes, it releases burnt caramel. Even a grassy, burnt hay note appeared. The palate is less complex but enjoyable. It begins very sweet, with red fruits; a sweet red fruit syrup. Then a powerful spicy explosion occurs with chili and wasabi, though pleasantly so. Caramel is also present. It's nice and rewarding, but excessively one-dimensional. The aftertaste is rewarding but simple. A dry, grainy rye finish, long-lasting with a pleasant spiciness. Overall, this was a fairly enjoyable dram, with meaty and greasy notes, combined with sweetness derived from the rye spirit. I genuinely liked it and wished for greater complexity. My rating is a solid 84 out of 100. Cheers!

From a single barrel, this 13-year-old MGP bottling picked by Bob’s Lake City Liquor offered aromas of maple syrup, candy corn, caramel, milk chocolate, and baking spices. The taste brought maple syrup, sweet bread, caramel, damp oak, cinnamon, marshmallows, and honey. It concluded with a medium, spicy finish featuring baking spices and maple syrup. This was a delicious pour, a significant improvement over the standard Whistle Pig, with abundant maple syrup and baking spice notes.

I got a bottle for my father for his birthday, and he was not impressed. He gave it back to me, and I'm letting it age in my oak barrel to mellow the intensity. I'm not particularly impressed either. It has a lot of harshness and not great flavors, at least to my palate. I tried the Boss Hog a few years ago, and it was outstanding, so I expected this to be similar, but I was mistaken.

This is the third bottle from our holiday whiskey exchange (bottles around $80). On the nose, expect warm, buttery spices, caramel, vanilla, and a hint of acetone. The palate offers sour grain, grassy notes, intense spice, and leather. It concludes with a long, rather fiery but pleasing finish. A superb rye.

Honey. A hint of citrus. Black pepper and rye in the finish. It doesn't burn at all for a 117.1 proof spirit. Offers a very pleasing mouthfeel. A lengthy finish. Comparable to the 117.3 proof version but with less sweet tobacco notes. Selected by the State of NH in 2018. Proof 117.1.

A potent aroma with rich notes of apple and pineapple, a pleasant black pepper warmth, and a slow-burning aftertaste of lingering fruit. An enjoyable initial taste of orange. A solid rye foundation. Works excellently served on the rocks.