Of all the Canadian-sourced rye whiskies on the market, WhistlePig has emerged as the clear leader in terms of customer recognition and overall satisfaction. The late Dave Pickerell, former master distiller for Maker’s Mark, knew exactly what he was doing when he helped establish WhistlePig’s flavor profile, guiding its whiskies right to the sweet spot of the American Bourbon consumer. The rest is history.

Whereas other Canadian-sourced rye whiskies focused on proof and potency, Pickerell took a line from Maker’s Mark and ensured WhistlePig’s flavor profile gave sophisticated whiskey drinkers the experience they longed for: a smooth and rounded character with richness, weight, and body. Part of that profile was achieved through blending, but a large proportion of the 15 year old’s personality comes from its extended aging in local Vermont oak.

While its older expressions are sourced from Canada, WhistlePig is a functional distillery located on a small farm in Vermont, and its locally-sourced, sustainably-harvested Vermont oak barrels have put a unique, terroir-based stamp onto some of its rye whiskies. When tasting through cask samples earlier in the year, we were completely blown away by this particular barrel, both because of its exciting flavors and the fact that it just tasted expensive!

When you’re charging $299 for a bottle of 15 year old rye whiskey, then it had better be damn good. Luckily for us, this particular single barrel of WhistlePig hits all the notes you want it to, as it rolls over the palate with sweetness and spice. The woody notes from the Vermont oak are clear and present, adding a toasted element to the mid-palate richness, and bolstering the nuttiness with almost an acorn-mash sweetness. The baking spices bring up the rear, allowing the weight of the whiskey to carry them through the finish with a warm and mouth-tingling potency.

There was a time in retail when finding a single barrel of great whiskey was exciting on its own merit, but in today’s market when just about any corner liquor has its own barrel of Bourbon, finding a cask that truly delivers is paramount to maintaining that excitement. If you’re looking for a unique bottle of whiskey that is beautiful, bold, and downright lavish in both its presentation and its profile, we think you’ll be quite pleased with this one.