I came across WhistlePig when I made it a point to try out more bourbons and whiskey. Here was this 10 year-old, 100% proof, 100% rye out of Vermont (the state of my college alma mater) that I had never tried before. Not only that, but I had never tried 100% straight rye whiskey and the farm being in Vermont, made me want to try it even more.  If you recall from my previous posts, by law in order for a whiskey to be considered a Rye; it has to have 51% rye in its mash (grain mixtures), as opposed to a bourbon that has to have 51% or more corn in their mash to be considered bourbon.  There aren’t that many whiskey’s out there that are 100% rye.

Before I even tried this whiskey I went on a quest to find it because the few places here in Boston I looked for it told me their stock was back ordered in all those instances. I finally got a bottle and the long awaited search was well worth it. I LOVE this whiskey!

What you need to understand about WhistlePig is that it’s technically not an American Whiskey. The WhistlePig farm is located in Vermont and is owned by Raj Peter Bhakta who purchased it back in 2007. He then purchased the 100% rye whiskey from Canada, in bulk, and bottles it with the WhistlePig name creating the incredible product I went searching for.

The WhistlePig farm is now set up to distill and produce their own whiskey with the help of Dave Pickerell who was a longtime master distiller at the bourbon distillery that started it all for me, Maker’s Mark. Although their farm is now set up, they have yet to distill a product from their farm.

Learning that the whiskey product was purchased from Canada and not actually distilled in the farm was a bit disappointing, however it didn’t make me love the rye any less. It is hands down a great tasting rye. I actually enjoyed a dram last night after watching some American Football and yes, I will admit drinking the dram while watching “Downton Abbey”. I am honestly looking forward to seeing what comes out of the farm.

Tasting Experience:
Nose: spices and oak
Palate: spicy, sweet with hints of leather and woodsy
Finish: It is a smooth rye with a nice burn. I felt the burn in my throat and this whiskey kept me quite warm. Although 100% proof you can’t tell by the taste. It has a great earthiness to it.

I ended up purchasing a bottle while it was on sale, so I was lucky when it came to that. If you are looking to buy it will cost about $70 depending on where you buy.

This is a rye I will continue to drink and buy. I do believe it is worth a try for all those rye lovers and for anyone who wants to try a very good tasting product. If you have tried it I would love to hear your thoughts about it and your thoughts on the product being classified as an American Whiskey.

Cheers!

Note: The contents on my blog are solely my opinion. To me every palate is different! Although I may or may not like a product, I always recommend for people to try it and make up their own minds.