WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey is a 10-year old, 100 proof, 100 percent Canadian rye spirit bottled at the WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. The whiskey officially launched in November, and its first batch of just 1,000 cases has already received some impressive reviews, including a rating of 96 points by Wine Enthusiast. Now for some thoughts from Cocktail Enthusiast —
WhistlePig Rye is dark golden amber with aromas of oak, pepper, cinnamon and honeyed vanilla. It tastes of caramel and vanilla, with some nutty flavors as well as an interesting background of mild mint. It finishes moderately long, with pleasant flavors of toffee and butterscotch. It’s very rich and smooth on the palate, with no harshness going down. A drop of water opens the whiskey up, revealing another layer of flavors, including baking spices like clove and nutmeg.
I was almost hesitant to mix this whiskey into cocktails, since I’ve been happy drinking it straight (and because of its steep price tag), but I’m glad I did. It made a lovely Manhattan — complex and spicy with sweet, woody undertones. The Old Fashioned was equally good.
WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey is a unique spirit in a world of very affordable, quality ryes. But the world needs another good rye, and this is it. It’s a great representation of what a good rye spirit can be, without any corn or other grains diluting the rye and detracting from its natural flavor.
Stats:
– 50% Alcohol by Volume
– $70
CE Rating: ★★★★
Sounds like a really nice drop. I love caramel, vanilla and nutty flavours so it’d definitely one for me. Will have to see if I can get my hands on a bottle but at 50% I’ll be sure not to down too many cocktails in a short period.