WhistlePig 6 Year PiggyBack Bourbon

Drinks nice on ice with just a splash of water. Smooth and easy, yet complex. Commendable nose, palette, and finish. This is a buy

Despite how difficult it usually is to find Whistlepig products, I continuously see this new bourbon in some of the worst liquor stores in Ohio, but ironically not so much the Piggyback rye. I think Whistlepig trying a bourbon is a great idea, especially to round out the market while still staying true to their rye specialty. Having said that, I hope that this is one of their very few products that isn't sourced, so we can finally see what the distillery is capable of other than buying and bottling other distilleries products. Even still, 6 years and 100 proof on a bourbon is a pretty decent combo, and may have some legs to stand against some other craft distilleries, so long as the "super high" corn mash bill doesn't overpower on the sweet side. #3 charred barrels seems like a great choice to even out some sweetness, though, while still providing the classic bourbon taste notes. Finally, the large, out-of-place "100%" in gold print on the back label has absolutely no context and makes no sense, but is very negligible if the liquid inside distracts enough. The color is quite light upon first glance, but not too far off considering the char and age time used. The nose is definitely full of sweet and candy, like those homemade chocolate or caramel bourbon balls you can find at some craft distilleries or even during the tours. Some of the raw corn can also be detected, but is not as harsh as much younger bourbons. The ethanol is hot, but doesn't burn through the nose, and is very well balanced. This same ethanol makes it very difficult to detect any rye, and without an actual mash bill, I can only hope the taste gives more insight. The body is extremely light at first, tasting weaker than most 80 proof products, but becomes spicier after a few more sips. The sweetness that was smelled is still here, but is much less potent alongside the light body; the chocolate is prominent, next to vanilla and some caramel. The rye is not tasted on the tongue, but instead inside a medium penetration of the gums long after the finish. Speaking of finish, it's full of semi-dry oak and somehow some malt that causes the end flavor to be more like a single-malt or blended whiskey that's been finished in several different bourbon barrels to concentrate that flavor aspect. All things considered, this costs a little bit more than what I would expect for a baseline, flagship craft distillery whiskey, and yet it delivers considerably less of an experience even if it were priced appropriately. The Piggyback line had already been established by this brand as their mixing whiskey, but whereas the rye whiskey nails this expectation and then some, the bourbon is far too weak to enjoy neat, and would likely fall apart in most cocktails as well. I would try it in cocktails where you need that sweet whiskey flavor, but would never make it the highlight; things like a bourbon smash or hot toddy would work well, but I'd never reach for this when making an old fashioned or mint julep. Even still, if I needed a bourbon with a wide palate like this, I would purchase one of at least a dozen other competitors that would deliver that flavor for a fraction of the price.