WhistlePig has emerged as one of the clear leaders in terms of customer recognition and overall satisfaction for rye whiskey. 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 for the American Bourbon consumer. The rest is history.

WhistlePig's commitment to bold barrel aging experiments continues — and this one's special. The team at WhistlePig created very few of these proprietary custom Maple Brûlée casks, using some of the same barrels previously used to age their house maple syrup. Only a handful of barrels of this whiskey were ever made, and last we checked, we're the only store on the market right now with a Maple Crème Brûlée Cask 12 Year Aged.

Whereas WhistlePig ryes typically lean heavy on the spice, this is a welcome approach as we head into summer. The Maple Crème Brûlée Cask screams summer barbecue, and the possibilities are endless — pair it with anything off the grill, or save it for those cool summer nights post-meat-sweats with a side of banana pudding.

Bottled at 86 proof from a mashbill of 94% rye and 6% malted barley, this one opens up (of course) with maple syrup – alongside bananas foster, toasted brown sugar, and cinnamon. The palate is approachable, with graham cracker and toasted sugar up front leading into a sugar crème brûlée and banana pudding, with light fruit notes rounding everything out.

Given the mashbill, this isn’t an overly sweet rye, but it comes in sweeter than most other WhistlePig’s, and has the classic rye spice on the back palate that you’d expect to really drive this one home, offering a much-needed and healthy balance. Medium length in finish with plenty of icing sugar and burnt maple and a hint of spice lingering throughout.