Whistlepig Single Barrel Rye 10yo bottled for Nickolls & Perks


Whistlepig Single Barrel Rye 10yo bottled for Nicholls & Perks

Whisky: Whistlepig Single Barrel Rye 10yo bottled for Nickolls & Perks

Region: USA

ABV: 52.7%

Price: £105

Next up is single barrel pick from Vermont based distillery Whistlepig. Whistlepig was founded in 2008 by Raj Peter Bhakta, and the Vermont-based brand released its first bottling in 2015 created from a batch of 10-year-old whiskey that was purchased from a Canadian distillery. In 2017 WhistlePig debuted its FarmStock Rye, a bottling made from 100% of distillery’s own grain. Given the age this should also be the distilleries own whiskey.

Nose

Light menthol, sweetcorn, vanilla essence, tree sap, cinnamon, a fair hit of alcohol, and a lingering breakfast cereal sweetness.

Palate

Vanilla ice-cream doused in maple syrup, peppery spice tingles but overall quite subdued compared to other ryes - not fiery at all. Butterscotch, caramel, like being in a sweet shop, lightly roasted coffee beans on the finish that dissipates slowly.

Nose (water)

Bannoffee pie, milky, peppermint, oak tannins, toasted wood, a hint of red wine.

Palate (water)

Heavy menthol, pink peppercorns, the earlier sweetness and creaminess is no longer there, instead replaced with harsh peppermint and spice.

Conclusion

A perfect dessert dram, balancing sweetness and spice - unless you’ve added water, then it’s totally ruined. solid 8/10 without water. With water the overpowering mint and spice drop the score to a 6/10.

Score: 8/10 (or 6/10 if water added!)

  • 10 - Perfection. A whisky that we’ll remember forever.
  • 9 - Amazing. We’d pay through the nose for a bottle.
  • 8 - Great. Pick this up at RRP.
  • 7 - Good. Happy to have a dram or two but wouldn’t buy a bottle.
  • 6 - Passable. Would accept a dram, but wouldn’t seek it out.
  • 5 - Poor. Would drink if it was the only option.
  • 4 - Bad. Maybe it can be saved by ginger beer?
  • 3 - Awful. It can't be saved by ginger beer.
  • 2 - Pour it out
  • 1 - We’ve never tried a whisky rated this low and hopefully never will.

Have you tried Whistlepig Single Barrel Rye 10yo bottled for Nicholls & Perks? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Interested in trying drams like these? We've created the Two Whisky Bros Dram Club to help you get access to high quality, rare whisky by the dram.

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