Tastes

Nose - peppermint, pine, clove, anise, cinnamon, lemon and grapefruit zest, pineapple, cocoa, leather, barrel char, menthol, rye bread, graham cracker, marshmallow, peanut butter, green apple, black tea, honey, white pepper, vanilla, butterscotch, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - peppermint, sweet and spicy oak, marshmallow, pine, licorice, cinnamon, clove, graham cracker, dark chocolate, rye bread, butterscotch, barrel char, leather, tobacco, honey, vanilla, ginger, black pepper, apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with dark chocolate, spearmint, and sweet and spicy oak flavors. The 15 year has more depth of flavor and a thicker, oilier mouthfeel than the rest of the WhistlePig line I’ve tasted. The nose is softer than the others, with some cocoa, peanut, and marshmallow aromas to differentiate it from the 10 and 12 year old expressions. Understated, but very pleasant indeed. Similarly, the palate lets you know it’s obviously a WhistlePig, but again there’s greater depth, with dark chocolate, graham cracker, and leather flavors making an appearance. I’m actually getting a bit of an Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel vibe going on here, albeit not nearly as sweet and s’moresy, but I think the multiple cask types involved may have something to do with that. This concludes my WhistlePig series. I think the 15 year slightly edges out the other offerings I reviewed. Unfortunately, the price insanity is raised to a whole new level with this one. It’s $250 a bottle near me, which is astronomical for the age and quality you’re getting. Better to try this as a sample than to buy a bottle.

Nose - mint, pine, rye bread, allspice, clove, cinnamon, butterscotch, vanilla, anise, black cherry, date, plum, sultana, honey, orange zest, black and white pepper, black tea, bitter herbal notes, barrel spice, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - peppermint, allspice, clove, cinnamon, cherry, plum, salted caramel, red wine, vanilla, licorice, ginger, black pepper, sultana, tea, orange and lemon zest, tannic oak, honey, rye spice and bitter herbal notes, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium short with prickly spearmint, strong baking spice, dark fruit, and tannic oak flavors. This is obviously a WhistlePig; the backbone is the same as the 10 year offering, but there’s more happening here on the nose. The baking spices are ramped up and there is a nice assortment of jammy dark fruits in the mix. It’s reminiscent of A Midwinter Nights Dram, but not as well executed. The palate follows along, with the WhistlePig character accentuated by the addition of fruit and a more tannic, oaky finish. Overall, this is good but I don’t think it’s necessarily better than the 10 year. It’s just different and therefore an even worse value at $130 a bottle near me. And you’re only getting 86 proof, instead of the 100 that the 10 year offers. If you want a finished rye, I’d say go for AMND and bank the $30 you saved for the next bottle. That one’s also overpriced, but nowhere near the complete insanity of WhistlePig prices.

Nose - spearmint, pine, oak, caramel, vanilla, bitter herbal notes, cardamom, berry, honey, rye bread, clove, cinnamon, anise, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - berry, pine, cardamom, caramel, spearmint, vanilla, green tea, barrel spice, clove, allspice, cinnamon, apple skin, herbal and floral notes, tannic oak, ginger, chili and black pepper, apple skin, high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with tannic oak, caramel, and baking spice flavors. For reference, this is a Total Wine store pick at 119.3 proof. Compared to the standard 10 year, the nose is much more concentrated and closed off. It takes a while of breathing to open up, but never quite becomes as fragrant as the 100 proof offering. On the other hand, the palate is richer than on the standard expression, with many of the same flavors but cranked up a notch in depth and heat. I bought this one, as Total Wine was running a special that made this essentially the same price as the normal 10 year. It’s still way too expensive for what it is, but the extra proof provides a bit more value. Still, I won’t buy another, or any other WhistlePig product for the matter, until and unless the prices align more closely with reality. It’s a solid, tasty rye but there are better options for the money.

Nose - berry, vanilla, caramel, pine, cinnamon, cardamom, honey, juniper, pine, apple skin, spearmint, anise, green tea, black pepper, clove, orange zest, bitter herbal notes, toasted oak, moderate to high ethanol burn. Taste - clove, allspice, honey, rye bread, caramel, vanilla, spearmint, ginger, black pepper, licorice, apple, unidentifiable citrus, red berry, cola, herbal tea, bitter oak, honey, pine, cinnamon bark, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with bitter oak, rye and baking spice, and spicy mint flavors. I’m a sucker for high-rye ryes and this one is prototypical of the category. The nose is herbal, spicy, and slightly sweet. There are nice berry and apple notes to balance the prickliness, as well as some honey, vanilla, and caramel. It’s far from masterful, but it has what you want in a 100% rye. The palate carries many of the same flavors found on the nose. It’s oaky, minty, and spicy, rounded off with the berry, caramel, and honey sweetness to add some depth. Again, it’s not amazing but covers the fundamentals well. Overall, this is a nice rye. I think I prefer the New Riff rye profile a bit more, but this is a solid sipper and a delicious mixer. So why don’t I permanently stock it in my bar? It’s $90 near me. That’s why. $90 is absolutely absurd for a 10 year old rye, and completely prices it out of consideration. New Riff is half the price and fulfills the same requirements for me, so that’s what I stock. This is one to try as a sample, but not to keep as a bottle unless you just really love the profile.