I had been eyeing the WhistlePig 12 Year Old World for a while now. I kept telling my boyfriend that I was going to buy it and right before I got the chance to, he surprised me with the bottle. Thank you James!

For this 12 year-old Master Distiller Dave Pickerell and the WhistlePig team experimented with European casks and ultimately ended up selecting the following three finishes: Madeira 63%; Sauternes 30% and Port 7%.

If you are wondering how it compares to the WhistlePig 10 year-old Straight Rye and WhistlePig 11 year-old Straight Rye TripleOne, in my opinion, this 12 year-old is better. There is bite to the 10 and 11 year-old and although this 12 year-old is not bite free, the European cask finishes do help mellow this rye out. The 12-year-Old World is simply smoother and it’s very drinkable.

Tasting Notes
Nose: sweet, vanilla and spices
Palate: honey, rye, spices and toffee
Finish: smooth, with ending notes of vanilla and caramel

I now own this bottle and the 10-year-old bottle but if I could only have one of the two, I would reach of this 12 over the 10 and definitely over the 11 as that is my least favorite of the three. Everywhere I looked I saw this bottle priced at $118. I assume that is what my boyfriend paid for it.

What I really like about this rye is that the rye itself is not so much in your face. With the 11 year-old you get rye punched, while there is grace and elegance to this whiskey. Plus, if you didn’t know already, the 11 year-old has a similar price tag as the 12 so, if you are debating between the two, I’d go with the 12.

For rye lovers, honestly these are great rye’s to try but if you are looking for a softer rye, that is where this 12 year-old comes in play. It is balanced, complex and it is quite unique tasting.

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.