Whiskey: WhistlePig 15 Year Old Vermont Oak Estate Rye
Producer: WhistlePig Farm
Distillery: Alberta Distillers
Region: Vermont, USA
Whisky Type: Straight Rye Whisky (100% Rye)
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Aged in Cask: New charred American oak, ex-bourbon, and Vermont White oak.
Price Range: $$$$
WhistlePig is a distillery located in Shoreham, Vermont founded in 2007, known for cask maturation and finishing.
The core range includes:
- Piggyback 6 Year Old. This 100% rye whisky is ideal for cocktails due to its intense spice.
- WhistlePig 10 Year Old Small Batch. This high-rye whisky is bottled at 50% ABV.
- WhistlePig 12 Year Old. Canadian rye finished in a combination of Madeira, Sauternes, and Port casks.
- WhistlePig 15 Year Old. See notes below.
- WhistlePig 18 Year Old. A doubled malted whisky made from malted rye and malted barley for a deep and complex palate.
WhistlePig 15-Year-Old is the second oldest expression of the core range from WhistlePig farm. The straight rye whisky matured in New charred oak (level 3 char) and ex-bourbon barrels before spending the last six months in Vermont White oak (Level four char) grown on the WhistlePig farm. This last type of oak has more rings than standard American oak due to the shorter growing season in a colder climate, resulting in denser wood that imparts more complexity to the whisky.
Tasting Notes for WhistlePig 15 Year Old Vermont Estate Oak
Nose: Aromas of caramel, black pepper, and cinnamon.
Palate: A classic spicy Canadian rye with hints of caramel, cinnamon, vanilla, clove, and honey. However, This version of WhistlePig leans more toward the oak and spicy notes than the sweet notes. The palate is not as creamy as WhistlePig 12-Year-Old but tasty.
Finish: Long and warm with a spicy finish.
Conclusion: WhistlePig 15 is a tasty rye released for the first time in 2016. It brings a good amount of baking spices while showcasing the attributes of an older rye whisky. However, there a many other options in the market for less than $290. Therefore, I will not buy it at that price, but I understand those who might feel compelled to do so. Cheers!
Score: 4/5⭐
Check my review on WhistlePig PiggyBack 6 Year Old here. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Facebook.
Legend
$50 or less $
$51-$100 $$
$101-$150 $$$
$151 or more $$$$
