Whistle Pig Piglets

A while back, we were in my favorite regional grocery chain scoping out the bottles behind the counter in the liquor section. It was there that I spied Whistle Pig Piglets Rye Whiskey. Now, truth be told, rye whiskey is not always my favorite - some definitely strike my palate better than others. And what better way to sample three well-aged rye whiskeys than with an attractive sampler pack of shooters. 

Made for Cocktails 

The Whistle Pig family of spirits has humble beginnings, founded at an old dairy farm in Vermont. First questions, first - what’s a whistle pig? Technically it's a woodchuck - better known as a groundhog - as in Punxsutawney Phil fame. At this old farm, though, there was an actual pig - named Winston - who snoozed (and whistled) just outside the barn.

Dave Pickerell served as its first Master Distiller after serving in the same capacity at Maker’s Mark. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because he also helped to develop Blackened. Dave left us in 2018, but Whistle Pig bottles display a pig (Winston) wearing Dave’s signature Stetson hat.

The rye whiskey was designed specifically for bartenders to use in cocktails. Many subscribed to the notion of the Cocktail Triangle - balancing strength (or proof) with sweet and bitter elements. Rye whiskeys historically originated in cooler, more northerly areas, where corn did not grow as well. 

The Monogahela Rye varieties that grew plentiful in West Virginia and Pennsylvania were eagerly sought after by early distillers. Those same distillers on the frontier were also the ones who, in 1794, touched off the Whiskey Rebellion in response to the first tax instituted by the new republic’s Congress - on distilled spirits.

The Tasting     

The sample pack included three Whistle Pig expressions: Piggyback Rye, Small Batch, and Old World. Here’s what we thought:

	Piggyback Rye	Small Batch	Old World
Proof	96.56	100	86
Age	6 years	10 years	12 years finished in wine barrels
Mashbill	100% rye	100% rye	100% rye
MSRP 750ml	$40	$99	$170
Eye	Honey. Thin legs are neatly spaced around my Glencairn glass	Honey. Medium legs.	Apple juice. This is surprisingly light in appearance for a 12 year-old spirit
Nose	Mint, nutmeg, Christmas spices	Vanilla, spearmint, cedar, gentle rye spice	Stone fruit compote, vanilla, eggnog
Palate	Mint, creamy, sweet and spicy. Very smooth for the proof.	Muted mint, spice, oak, cherry, and cedar	Plum and cherry lead off, with soft spice and a silky mouthfeel
Finish	Medium-long with mint, dry oak, and spice	Drying with oak, tobacco, wood tannins, leather	Warm with cinnamon, nutmeg, cedar. Slightly dry with an oak finish
Overall	Definitely the sweetest of the three with honey notes	Surprisingly the smoothest of the three	The finishing in wine barrels led this one to have the most fruity sensations

One other note here - unlike bourbons I’ve typically sampled, there was no significant change in color between these three whiskeys - which was interesting as there was six years aging difference from youngest to oldest. 

Would I buy any of these for myself? Probably not - even if these are really good rye whiskeys. While cocktails are nice, my palate does enjoy whiskey neat or on ice.  There are other rye whiskeys, such as the Willet Family Reserve that I enjoyed better, as well as some that are definitely more “bourbon-like” with sweeter notes like the Old Forester Rye and the Woodford Reserve Rye brands.