WhistlePig is known for their rye whiskeys, with their most well-known flagship Small Batch Rye - Aged 10 Years being the most notable and the one that “started it all.”  WhistlePig’s distillery is based in Vermont, but the company is expanding to other parts of the country. The brand’s history dates back to 2007, when entrepreneur Raj Bhakta purchased the farmland for the distillery. The whiskey brand was launched in 2010, and the first product, this 10 year rye, was released in 2015. WhistlePig hired the late master distiller Dave Pickerell to help source their initial whiskey stocks.

‍‍The initial batches of WhistlePig 10 Year Rye were sourced from Alberta Premium Distillery in Alberta, Canada. However, the company also sources from MGP and began distilling at their Vermont distillery in 2015. According to a company representative, historically, the mashbill has been 100% rye, but has deviated from that for at least a portion of the blend at times. Despite this, WhistlePig Small Batch Rye - Aged 10 Years is believed to be derived from a very high rye mashbill ranging from approximately 97-100% rye.

‍‍The bottle in review is labeled “A product of Canada” and also a “Blend of straight rye whiskeys,” indicating at least a portion, if not all of it, was distilled in Canada. It is also the newest label for the brand, which was last modified in 2020 and represents the third label change since its introduction 10 years ago.

‍‍The bottle in review comes from Batch A/368.

Peppery rye spice is complemented by apricot and citrus zest. There are hints of dill, nutmeg, and baking spices underneath, but rye spice remains most prevalent. It has a certain light airiness to it that helps temper its rye-forwardness to an enjoyable degree.

Green apples and juicy citrus are joined by floral, almost herbal notes, which are best characterized as mint and fresh-cut grass. Rye spice appears a moment later and intensifies gradually throughout the sip, washing over the other flavors. As you reach the backend of the palate, the rye spice surges as it transitions to the finish.

The surge of rye spice lingers with a bold intensity for a few moments, not allowing any other flavors in and tickling your nostrils similar to the effect of eating wasabi. Eventually, ever-so-light hints of sweetness emerge in the form of honey and brown sugar. Floral flavors from the palate mingle in, along with a light peppery seasoned oak note that lacks sufficient  presence to give away the whiskey’s age. Despite a decrease in intensity from the transition from the palate, rye spice holds throughout and lingers for a really long time.

‍

There are a lot of ryes that have mashbills close to a bourbon mashbill, with just a little more rye than corn by comparison. These barley legal ryes taste like bourbons, or at least taste bourbon adjacent, with plenty of sweet flavors and complementary spice. WhistlePig Small Batch Rye’s at (or near) 100% rye mashbill is about as far away from bourbon as rye can get, going all-in on rye-inspired flavors that culminates with a spice-filled sip and finish that even tickles your nostrils in a way that’s reminiscent of eating wasabi.

For consumers who have only dabbled in rye, or only had sweeter ryes such as Sazerac Rye, Angel’s Envy Finished Rye, or Knob Creek 10 Year Rye, the contrast is significant and WhistlePig’s flagship product is probably going to be a little shocking. Moving deeper into rye territory, MGP’s popular 95% rye, 5% malted barley mashbill, used by Bulleit 95 Rye, Templeton ryes, and others moves closer to WhistlePig's level of rye influence. Still, even compared to MGP’s 95% rye, there is something different about WhistlePig’s rye that moves the flavor profile farther into rye territory. This nuance is due to its Canadian source, which is evident if you taste one of Alberta’s Cask Strength Ryes.

Something interesting that is rarely talked about and not apparent from the whiskey’s label is the fact that WhistlePig Small Batch Rye is “aged for at least ten years through a unique double-barrel process,” according to the company’s website. WhistlePig Rye’s previous label also stated “Finished in Bourbon Barrels,” though it was also labeled “straight rye whiskey” and not a blend of straight rye whiskeys. These factors raise some questions about labeling, which fall under the “Product of Canada” notation, allowing Canadian whiskey rules to apply, which provides for greater latitude than the United States’ laws allow. Regardless, the resulting product deviates from most ryes in the U.S. whiskey market and, with that, offers a rye-focused flavor profile most others don’t.

Rye has been a growing category over the past two decades, and there was a time when aged ryes were almost non-existent. Sazerac 18 Year Rye arguably set the stage for what a great high-aged rye could taste like, and if you were lucky to find one, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye confirmed rye’s potential. There were others of course, however, when WhistlePig launched their 10 year old small batch rye about a decade ago, there weren’t many ryes available, especially ryes with 100% rye mashbills and/or double digit age statements. WhistlePig’s product stood out on the shelf due to being both a rye and having a double digit age statement, and while it came in at a high price point (about $70 when it launched), it was a really unique product in the space.

Fast forward to today, and competition in the aged rye arena has increased dramatically. Knob Creek 10 Year Rye ($75), Bulleit 95 10 Year Rye ($50), Templeton 10 Year Reserve Rye ($85), Pinhook Tiz Rye Time Vertical Series ($85), and Barrell Rye ($90) are a few examples. Crown Royal released a 16 year old Canadian rye in 2020 for only $70, and even Alberta Distillers released a cask strength rye around the same time - it had a 100% rye mashbill and came in at only $70. That isn’t to say a 10 year old rye can’t command a higher price though, as Michter’s 10 Year Old Rye comes in at $200, but it delivers a dynamite flavor profile to justify it, causing prices to rise beyond MSRP.

Many of the rye releases have been one and done, so to be fair WhistlePig still maintains ready availability on the shelf along with its consistent 10 year age statement. However, given the wide access and more constant stream of available ryes for less, or about the same cost but with more curated flavor profiles, WhistlePig’s $90 asking price feels high by today’s standards.

WhistlePig was one of the early adopters of a readily available rye, and even more notable, one that has a high rye content in its mashbill and 10 year age statement. Being a product of Canada, however, allows the company to modify the rules United States ryes are required to abide by, so comparisons are not necessarily apples to apples.

As for flavor profile, WhistlePig dives headfirst into rye spice, and the whiskey is very rye-forward as a result, drinking about as far away from bourbon as an unfinished rye can possibly get. It’s a level of rye spice that should come with a warning, as it won’t taste like the barely legal ryes many bourbon drinkers might be used to. To that end, rye spice lovers will revel in it, while others will be thrown off.

My biggest issue is the price, which is a premium that is just shy of $100. There are a lot of options for less, and while WhistlePig Small Batch Rye - Aged 10 Years offers a good pour with plenty of spice, it just doesn’t command a $90 price point. On the other hand, barrel proof single barrel picks (of WhistlePig Rye), which tend to cost about the same, can be well worth it when you come across a good one.