Whistlepig 18 Year Double Malt Rye (1st Edition)

Rating: 15/23 Thus far, I haven't been super impressed by Whistlepig. For the money, I'm a fan of the PiggyBack, but the others have been pretty underwhelming and very expensive. N: It isn't a big nose at first, but the spicy, dry wood starts to build. I start getting some muted herbal elements to the wood, but mostly it just smells like slightly more complex wood. Then it starts smelling really leathery. I can get onboard with that. Some bitter vanilla (not floral) comes out of the leather too. And maybe a bit of soap with a dash of lemon? OK, this smells fine, but nothing to write home about. P: This is super woody and leathery. I'd might go so far as to say that it tastes over-oaked. The soap comes out with the leather and I get a bit of lemon zesting too. It also has a spicy kick that comes across as a bit harsh. I can't say I like that soapy flavor. I eventually start tasting some of the vanilla, which is kind of nice, but not super exciting. F: It finishes, mercifully, with a solid dose of the vanilla. A bit of lemony soap still lingers along with a subdued leather backing. This could be an improvement on the palate, but it still isn't very good. - Conclusion - Side-by-side, I prefer the PiggyBack. It's just more interesting. This doesn't have much going on and once I noticed that weird soapiness, I couldn't stop. The leather in here is quite nice, though if I want big leather, I can go get Joseph Magnus for less and enjoy it more. Considering the leather, the quality here does come pretty close to the PiggyBack though, so this isn't bad by any means. I'm looking at a 14 to 15. I think I'll give it the 15.

It’s been a while, friends! Tis the season for vacations.... and holiday parties.... and +1’s. I will keep this brief as holiday parties are neither the ideal place for detailed notes nor Glencairns. But I do consider myself lucky for getting to test the limits of just how “open” the open bar was. It was pretty open considering I got my hands on a very generous pour of Whistlepig Double Malt Rye 18 Year Old... Very light and fresh herbal nose. Surprising lack of spice. Soft, creamy, and relatively light bodied on the palate, with predominantly herbal notes. Vanilla, lemongrass, mint, and other garden herbs. The finish was nice and long, with oaky chocolate and a bit more spice coming through. All in all, an inoffensive offering but it didn’t really jump out to me as extraordinary and it definitely didn’t make me want to run out and drop $600+ for a bottle (even if it has a very classy, hand-pressed top). I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a bottle - try to find a pour first if you are deeply curious about it but even then I’d hesitate to pay the asking prices. I’d rank this along with other drams that are fairly well executed but also not all that memorable. Thank goodness I didn’t have to pay the iron price to sample this! 3.5 ~ Above Average

It’s December 18, and I’m going to try a new rye whiskey every day this month. And while my rye game is not as weak as my Scotch game was this time last year, I’m always up for suggestions on good rye whiskies. And now that I have goals (it’s good to have goals), there are some key players I could use your help finding. Send me your most intense contender. Goals (abridged): 5 ryes. 4.5 stars. Readily available. (3/5: WT101, Whistlepig 10, Whistlepig 12) I want to recognize the difference between any bourbon and any rye. First try. One of these must be an Empire Rye. I want a rye that makes you cuss. I want the one that tastes like spilling your first 2 ounce pour all over the carpet. I wish I were making this up. I could do the math on the exact dollar amount that is now a carpet stain. I will not. >>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Very good. Nose: Honey, Mint, Vanilla, Grass, Dill, Cloves, Caramel, Cherries, Peaches, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Pears, Red Apples, Papayas, Oranges, Mangoes, Walnuts, Lemon Syrup, Grapefruits Palate: Dark Chocolate, Oranges, Peaches, Raisins, Apricots, Cherries, Caramel, Mangoes, Guava, Pepper, Cloves, Sourdough, Vanilla Finish: Vanilla, Anise, Licorice, Oranges, Apricots, Papayas, Pineapples, Pears, Kiwis, Honey, Peaches, Honey, Nectarines, Spearmint, Grass

I can’t believe everyone hasn’t rated this with a full five!! Hands down best Rye to cross these lips. Sorry if I don’t live in your Woke Cancel Culture where you might get shamed if you rate something as excellent, heaven forbid you hurt someone’s feelings...gimme a friggin break! You’re doing yourself an injustice if you don’t drop a dime & have a little nip of this smoothy goodness. Dr. Seuss says cheers homie.

Soft on the nose and in the mouth, this leans more to a bourbon palate than the spicy signature I expect of Whistlepig. Where it redeems itself is on the finish, which is long and chocolatey. Worth tasting if you’re offered a pour - I got a couple at a tasting event this evening - but there’s no reason to add to your home bar unless you must have the beautiful bottle it comes in.