A few good ryes: Whistlepig 10 review

Whistlepig Rye 10 year

Distillery: sourced from around Canada, bottled in Whistlepig farm & distillery, Addison county, Vermont
Mash Bill: uncertain, at least 51% rye
Age: 10 years
Proof: 100 proof/50% abv
Price 80usd by the fifth

Aroma was very medicinal and sweet at first, like an aspartame soda or bubblegum cough syrup, which worried me greatly. The alcohol and medicine left, and the sweetness developed a bit more. Vanilla, brown sugar, burnt sugar, cake, early morning doughnut shop. Saying it smells like creme brulee feels pretentious, but...

Flavor also takes a few sips to open up; I suppose I've been drinking too many 80 proof bourbons recently. It is initially much, much hotter than I expected or hoped. The mouthfeel is pleasantly creamy: it sticks around past the aftertaste without feeling oily. Sweet for straight rye, like honey, and as oaky as you'd expect it to be. Tastes like baked custard, before the rye spice and an herbal, grassy flavor come in and linger for a good while. Aftertaste is sweet, spicy, and very smooth, like tupelo flower mead.

For the longest time I'd roll my eyes when people say rye taste like dill. I get it now. Maybe not fresh dill herb, but more like dillseed. It's there, in moderation, and I like it.

Would I buy it again? Eventually. It's fairly tasty but a bit pricey for me. There are a few single malts I want to get ahold of in that price range, and for the same price I could get a bottle of Roundstone and a bottle of Four Roses Single Barrel. Is a glass of Whistlepig as good as a glass of FR SiB and a glass of Roundstone? No, I don't think so.

Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes. Some people dislike sourced whiskey principle for being mass produced, and I'm friends with a few of them. But I think this goes to show that larger, "corporate' distilleries can make a fine product, and a little care and time can make it a great product.

Would I give it as a gift? Hell no. It's mine, it's all mine. My precious.

As an aside, "A few good ryes" was supposed to be a review of four rye whiskies I have been enjoying recently. But I decided I don't want it to seem like a comparative review, so I split it up in two four parts.