Whistlepig Single Barrel Rye 10yo bottled for Nickolls & 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.

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