I am a huge fan WhistlePig 10. I find it worth wondering what will happen to that offering as WhistlePig transitions to expressions that feature their own distillate. The 10 is sourced from Canada, while this is a blend of 17% 10 year old Canadian rye, 31% 6 year old Canadian rye, and 52% is their own 3-year old. I’m viewing this as a sneak preview into the future of WhistlePig. Nose: Heavy rye spice and baking soda. Clove and nutmeg. Caramel and vanilla. Pistachio. Gala apple, apple cider, and black pepper. Oak rounds it all out. Spice definitely leads the way, but there are also some subtle sweet notes. Palate: Gala apple and black pepper. Rye spice, clove, and nutmeg. Caramel, brown sugar, and vanilla Pistachio and almond. Orange peel, as well as the citrus, and cocoa. Finish: Baking soda, rye spice, cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Caramel, cocoa, orange peel, and cocoa. Pistachio, almond, and oak. Somewhere between moderate and long finish. After trying this, I have faith in the WhistlePig distillate. I prefer the 10, but this is damn good in its own right. Considering that this stacks up despite being substantially younger than its 10 year counterpart, there is a lot of upside here. Nose is great, palate is just a hair behind but still solid, and the finish provides a strong conclusion to this experience. $76 is a hefty price to pay for this—at least on paper. However, it delivers, and then some. More importantly, this gives me reason to be optimistic about WhistlePig’s potential as a grain-to-glass distillery. 4/5.