WhistlePig The Boss Hog IV: The Black Prince

PRICE: $400-800. The suggested retail is $500. Some stores do have it on shelf for less, some still try to mark up an already high price. INFO: Indiana rye whiskey distilled at MGP, barrel aged for 14 years, and finished in French casks that once contained Armagnac. This is bottled barrel-strength at 59.6% ABV. This won best whisk(e)y in the world at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. NOSE: 96/100. Bottomless complexity. Definitely fruit forward, but the rye spices are not quiet either. I’ve tried the 3rd Boss Hog, The Independent, which was aged in ex-Macallan casks, and the rye was really shut out by the scotch. Since then, WhistlePig has changed the source to MGP rye, which is definitely standing up firmer than Alberta rye. There’s plums, toffee, molasses on top; dark, dark, sweet, rich stuff. Underneath, white grapes and Bartlett pears; vibrant and juicy stuff. Deeper still, are the herbs: dill and mint. PALATE: 98/100. Huge breathtaking explosion of fruit on the arrival that on my first try literally made my eyes bulge. I am instantly reminded of one of my white whales I finally got to try this year: Bruichladdich Black Art 4. But this is even better. Full disclosure: I don’t like strong American ryes yet. I’m trying to develop the appreciation, like someone new to peat might take a while to appreciate Laphroaig 10. Rye is a mere passenger in this bottle, which may upset traditionalists, but I am more than fine with that. In fact, somehow by combining aged rye with Armagnac, there are flavors from almost every other spirit here. There’s a fruity Speyside scotch in here, dark sugars and molasses of rum, roasted cactus of mezcal, caramel and cinnamon of bourbon, and the green herbaciousness of rye. There’s a Christmas baking element to it; and there’s a Christmas tree, pinecones and all, element to it. The intensity is turned up to a thousand, but you don’t get any burn, and this does not need any water to enjoy. FINISH: 97/100. Long, satisfying finish, that is wood-dominant, but has great complexity. I am reminded of roasting marshmellows impaled on a Maplewood twig on an open campfire. Crème brulee. Flowery essential oils. Apricots. And the gentlest amount of peppers and pine needles. OVERALL: This is my whisky of the year. Black Prince translated to the fine dining world would be like Eleven Madison Park. If you like something traditional, like grandma’s lasagna, you’re not going to get it there. But you’ll get something new, bold, and yet honest enough to win over a curmudgeon like me. It’s aged 14 years and costs $500. Why? Because Armagnac casks are expensive and hard to find. Plus it tastes great, is an experience you cannot find in any other bottle, and is presented elegantly. Conveniently, it also prices the bourbon flippers out of the picture, and you actually find this on a shelf. MARK: 97/100. VALUE FOR MONEY: I paid $480 for my bottle, and was previously paying $55 per ounce at a bar. Whether or not you think it’s worth it paying that much to have a whiskey better than any other one you’ve had all year is a matter of how much you make, and how much of it you are willing to spend on a dram, isn’t it? MY RUNNERS UP (i.e. what Black Prince beat): to qualify, this had to be a whisk(e)y that I tried for the first time in 2017 (not necessarily released in 2017). 1) Yamazaki 18 year 2) Longrow Red 12 year Pinot Noir finish 3) Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1 4) Octomore 7.3 Islay Barley 5) Cadenhead 1984/2013 Caol Ila 29 year

I’m not as gaga for this whiskey as I once was, when I tried a pour for $55 an ounce and instantly knew I had to buy a bottle without any regards to how much it would cost. Go figure that the first “rye” that I loved and the first bottle of rye that I bought was $480. My palate has changed since then; I recently had somewhat of a religious experience with a Kentucky Owl Rye Batch 3, and I’m finding that I’m starting to get a taste for actual rye, which the Boss Hog really isn’t. This is a category 5 hurricane of delicious flavors. The fruitiness hits you first with juicy white grapes, red delicious apples, raspberries, and plums. This is followed by waves of herbs and spices in an earthy, savory clay pot stock. The dill and coriander nip, however, is barely there. Even when I have this side-by-side with other finished ryes, like Midwinter Night’s Dram, this just doesn’t satisfy if what I’m looking for is rye flavor. But if I’m merely in the mood for something unlike anything made before it and completely bonkers with concentrated and complementary delicious flavors, The Black Prince still does not disappoint. The price for this whiskey is actually commendable. WhistlePig is brave for inciting the wrath of the average painfully frugal American bourbon/rye drinker, who questions anything over $50. This whiskey is age stated and at cask strength, so there’s no funny business. You get the sense that the armagnac casks were expensive and integral to creating a unique final product. I don’t know if those casks were in reality so expensive, but what’s important is that this whiskey is correctly priced for the market, right off the bat; and there is very little secondary market money to be made for flippers with this series of whiskey. I would much rather pay $500 to a store owner than to a dude I arranged to meet in a library parking lot, who paid $100 for the bottle just to re-sell it (maybe after doing questionable things with it). Score: ** (unimaginably good) How much does a bottle cost?: $400-600 How much do I think a bottle is worth?: $400

$550 Nose surprised me at first as it didn't smell like anything mainstream, but after the 1st sniff I started getting notes of oak, caramel, vanilla, spices, apricots, burnt sugar. Very satisfying and complex as well. On the palate so delicious and smooth yet having a very bold taste with hints of oak, nuts, fruit, and sugar. Very long finish of that burnt sugar again. Is it worth $500, well not much is but to me it's worth it because it not only tastes good but more importantly it's different than anything I've had before as well. That pewter top is also a great collectors item :) on a serious note though it really does have a complex nose, palate, and finish that lasts which to me makes a great whiskey. Well it didn't take me long to have another pour this afternoon after a very long day because I wanted to see if the hype was still there. And guess what this keeps getting better. On the finish I noticed there's a nice mild peppercorn spice to it, not the normal in your face spice that a lot of whiskeys share. Really digging this. Going to pick up another bottle because this isn't going to last me long.

I decided to buy myself an early birthday present and so here we are. I cannot understate how beautiful the color of this whiskey is. When I think of the color "amber" this is exactly what I expect. I also cannot understate how heavy the pewter topper is on this thing. Anyways. Wow. This is genuinely unlike anything else I have ever tried in any whiskey category and I feel any distillary would be hard pressed to mimic it unless they too had some Armagnac casks laying around. When you think of this as a rye (which it is) you think major spice but the balance of the Armagnac (brandy) barrels really balances this out into something special. I had to hunt for it but the MGP dill and mint is present on the nose adding another layer of nuance to this insanely well done rye. This just hits the rich, sweet, fruity, spicy flavors all at once. Is it worth the price of admission? That's your call. If you can go in with some friends to split a bottle, do it (and trust the one storing it) or buy a dram if you can find it at a watering hole. 4.75/5

Nose- Big, bold rye spice; Kit-Kat candy bar; coconuts; fresh baked bread; bananas; wood spice; hint of maple syrup Palate- Initial wave of aged, funky oak; baking spices; cinnamon; rich vanilla; cherries; polished saddle leather; herbaceous/earthy notes near the end Finish- Long, spicy yet mouth coating finish; Baking spices; dark fruits (plums, red grapes); earthy with a hint of barrel char Great stuff. Nose is the highlight of this rye. Big, bold rye spices, but delicate at the same time, with an unmistakable note of Kit-Kats and tropical fruits. The palate is a tidal wave of flavors. Funky, aged oak, vanilla, baking spices, the list goes on and on. Very enjoyable. The finish is long as well, with just the right amount of a drying factor, while still coating the mouth in rye goodness. This is an expensive bottle, there’s no way around it, but with the juice inside, bottle design, and if money isn’t a big issue, I recommend you grab one.

This is a amazing tasting rye and is it worth the 499.00 price tag no but I was able to trade up and get this beautiful dram. Here is my review that on my Facebook Group I run call What it’s titled “Whiskey 🥃 Grilling Time Review!” “WHISTLEPIG THE BOSS HOG IV: THE BLACK PRINCE REVIEW!” Best of Show San Francisco World Spirits Competition 17’ Taste Note: "The nose reveals warming spices, with cinnamon, oak, rye bread, and spearmint. The palate slowly starts spicy, delivering the potent punch of its high proof. What follows is brown sugar and crème brûlée, with a medicinal and herbal organic taste, almost savory, background with a hint of smoke. A dash or two of water tames the beast and delivers more of its vanilla sweetness. This is a finish is long, with char, spicy oak, and vanilla." This hit all the points of a G.O.A.T. whiskey 🥃 “A full belly, a heavy hog, and a light of luck!” Cheers!