consamp
WhistlePig The Boss Hog IV: The Black Prince
Rye — Indiana (bottled in Vermont), USA
Reviewed
September 5, 2018 (edited June 9, 2019)
I decided to buy myself an early birthday present and so here we are.
I cannot understate how beautiful the color of this whiskey is. When I think of the color "amber" this is exactly what I expect. I also cannot understate how heavy the pewter topper is on this thing.
Anyways. Wow. This is genuinely unlike anything else I have ever tried in any whiskey category and I feel any distillary would be hard pressed to mimic it unless they too had some Armagnac casks laying around. When you think of this as a rye (which it is) you think major spice but the balance of the Armagnac (brandy) barrels really balances this out into something special. I had to hunt for it but the MGP dill and mint is present on the nose adding another layer of nuance to this insanely well done rye. This just hits the rich, sweet, fruity, spicy flavors all at once.
Is it worth the price of admission? That's your call. If you can go in with some friends to split a bottle, do it (and trust the one storing it) or buy a dram if you can find it at a watering hole.
4.75/5
500.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@consamp they (whistle pig) came out with a new one: Spirit of Mauve, which is finished in apple cider casks. Same price, which I can’t understand —-I get it that Armagnac are harder to get, but cider casks?
I bought my bottle of $430, after trying 1oz pours at $50-something... twice. I agree, this is worth it. My whisky of the year, last year, and I'm a scotch snob. Great review.
@Rick_M No apologies needed! All fair points.
@consamp - My apologies! After rereading my comment it seems a little rude. It’s not my place to dictate to the world how they should spend their money. I was quite pleased to spend $170 for Whistlepig’s 15yo Vermont Estate Oak, but to someone else that may seem crazy.
@Rick_M - Totally fair. Regardless of the "whisk(e)y of the year" accolade it very well may not be worth $500 to you. It may not be worth $50. I would not buy this again at this price point, one time deal and to date the most expensive whisk(e)y I own. My favored retailer also has had these bottles stocked for almost a year, but so has the Macallan 25 for $1800. Way more than i'm willing to spend and a collector's item for sure but the WhistlePig was obtainable and I open every bottle I buy to share with friends. Yes, they are not selling well, but I decided to splurge and honestly am glad this is what I splurged on.
@consamp - I’m sure it’s good but $500 good? I doubt it. My favored retailer bought a case of 6 and is still sitting on all of them after 9 months. It brings its price at auction but it’s a collector item and not a drinker at that price.