WhistlePig 15 Year Estate Oak Rye

Rating: 15/23 I'm a fan of Whistlepig Piggyback (at least for the price) and I thought that the Whistlepig 12 Old World was decent enough (but way too expensive). The Whistlepig 10, on the other hand, I have not found to be enjoyable. I'm hopeful that the 15 will continue the upward trajectory of the 10 and 12. N: Hmm, this is fairly woody, but it has a bit of some sort of fruit (lemon and ripe cherry?) balancing it out and adding complexity. I'm getting a little bit of leather in with the wood too and some nice herbal spices. I like this nose: it's decently complex with some well-executed notes. P: Whoa! This is weird. It took me a moment to identify, but there's this kind of sweet, floral-herbal, lightly spicy light flavor that's pretty prominent (because the rest of the dram is pretty mild and mellow). Once it clicked, I realized that it tastes like dry vermouth. It isn't a bad flavor, but I'm not exactly looking for my rye to be pre-flavored with vermouth. It's also slightly numbing (clove). Side-by-side, the complexities stand out more here than in Whistlepig PiggyBack and certainly more than in Whistlepig 18, but I think that the PiggyBack's and 18's flavor profiles are more generally acceptable. I could try digging into what the floral and other flavors are here, but at the end of the day, it really just does taste like a little dry vermouth was mixed into a spicy, dryly woody rye. F: Floral-herbal spice with some super mellow wood. It's hard to believe that this is 15 years old. Sort of like I.W. Harper 15 in that regard, I guess. This isn't a super great finish and it continues to remind me of vermouth. - Conclusion - This one is hard to rate. It has an interesting and generally tasty flavor profile, but it tastes really weird. I feel like I could take a different (cheaper) rye, mix it with some dry vermouth, and produce a comparable product. As sort of a cocktail experience, this is really good. As a neat whiskey, I have reservations. The flavors here are expressed very precisely and it avoids being as sweet as the PiggyBack, but it just also doesn't taste as much like neat whiskey. I sort of have two opinions here. Either this is definitely better than the PiggyBack and it's up in the 16 to 17 range or it's not as good and it's more like a 14 to 15. I like the PiggyBack's funky complexity, but it's sweeter and has more of a distinct alcohol flavor (though not harshness). I've gone in circles here and I think that I am landing on a 15. Pulling out Russell's Reserve 6 (a 15 to 16) for a quick side-by-side sanity check, this doesn't seem as good. I might go down to a 14, but right now I'm going with 15. That weird vermouth flavor here is hard to get past and there's also a lot of beet bitterness going on. I appreciate elements of this, but it's uninspiring overall.

Nose - peppermint, pine, clove, anise, cinnamon, lemon and grapefruit zest, pineapple, cocoa, leather, barrel char, menthol, rye bread, graham cracker, marshmallow, peanut butter, green apple, black tea, honey, white pepper, vanilla, butterscotch, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - peppermint, sweet and spicy oak, marshmallow, pine, licorice, cinnamon, clove, graham cracker, dark chocolate, rye bread, butterscotch, barrel char, leather, tobacco, honey, vanilla, ginger, black pepper, apple, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with dark chocolate, spearmint, and sweet and spicy oak flavors. The 15 year has more depth of flavor and a thicker, oilier mouthfeel than the rest of the WhistlePig line I’ve tasted. The nose is softer than the others, with some cocoa, peanut, and marshmallow aromas to differentiate it from the 10 and 12 year old expressions. Understated, but very pleasant indeed. Similarly, the palate lets you know it’s obviously a WhistlePig, but again there’s greater depth, with dark chocolate, graham cracker, and leather flavors making an appearance. I’m actually getting a bit of an Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel vibe going on here, albeit not nearly as sweet and s’moresy, but I think the multiple cask types involved may have something to do with that. This concludes my WhistlePig series. I think the 15 year slightly edges out the other offerings I reviewed. Unfortunately, the price insanity is raised to a whole new level with this one. It’s $250 a bottle near me, which is astronomical for the age and quality you’re getting. Better to try this as a sample than to buy a bottle.

The Whistle 15 brings the mash bill back to 100% rye, it also reintroduces the aroma of sweet (caramel, vanilla, or toffee) with an oaky/wood complexity. Aromatics—immediately the sweet aromas (caramel, vanilla, toffee) are noticeable, in tow are a wood (oak) and subtle buttery notes. Several sniffs in, it reminded me of a kettle corn aroma which drove my taste buds mad. Taste—the taste is fairly complex as there was a lot to unpack, in the first go my start was warm welcoming sweet caramel/vanilla flavor that was quickly interrupted by notes of spice and pepper. In my second taste, it was much smoother, and welcoming as I could anticipate the intense/complex change of characteristics. The warm welcome of sweet caramel was more welcoming in transition of heat from the rye and spice from the peppery notes, minor hints of herbal/earthy notes accompany a semi-complex finish that dribbles a small dribble of caramel sweetness that leads you wanting more. The WP15 is definitely a more complex and intimidating dram, while the aromatics are fantastic and are well put together. The taste is a charismatic flow of multiple flavors from sweet caramel, to pepper and herbal/earthy notes that stick with your palette much longer than the WP10; the lingering taste leaves you wanting another go. Fans of the WP10 may be left wanting more of the velvety vanilla forward notes that dominate the experience for an easy sipper—meanwhile the WP15 is more complex, adventurous, and rewarding dram with each taste. For the price it may not offer enough to justify the amount—be advised. — a scotch guy”

Bottled in 2020. This is a $200 bottle that lacks intensity and complexity. Other than that, it’s perfectly fine. At 15 years, this is not very oaky, but it does smell and taste a little dusty, like an old Scotch - I guess aging in Vermont is different than aging in Kentucky. There’s tobacco, cinnamon powder, and sawdust with just the right amount of toasted oak. The palate has plenty of familiar caramel, vanilla, and honey; but there’s also a nice musty mushroom funk as well. This WhistlePig does not give itself away as a rye until the finish, which is a rather smooth linger of clove, black pepper, and cardamom. This rye is very drinkable, inoffensive, and sure to please people who are not that into ryes. The flavors are muted, but there’s great balance and maturity. It’s priced in the same league as Johnnie Walker Blue and is going to appeal to the same people who love Blue for its silky smooth refinement. Alas, I feel the refinement is created by holding back and watering down. For those unafraid of intensity and complexity and want to spend $200 on a bottle of rye, I am of course going to recommend the bottle I last reviewed, Kentucky Owl 10 year old rye Batch #3. Score: 0 (forgettable) How Much Does a Bottle Cost?: $190-230 How Much Do I Think a Bottle is Worth?: $110

Part of a “piglets” variety pack for $20 and with a full bottle retailing for well more than I am comfortable with, I’m eager for the opportunity to sample this. The nose is really, really faint. I’m talking like almost non-existent. I’m getting some grass, lemon pepper, and a floral sweet note (magnolia?) Kind of an inauspicious start. Of course with a nose this mild there isn’t even a trace of ethanol. On the sip, not sure if I have had a whiskey THIS well rounded. Picking out individual flavors is a bit of a struggle, but getting butterscotch, honeysuckle, lemongrass, caramel, and gentile rye. Definitely tasty, but very mild. Finish is short and dry with grains of paradise and fresh oak. Mouthfeel is soft, delicate and silky. Overall? Oh boy. Let me start by saying it’s clear this is a finely crafted product, but it just didn’t deliver for me. Flavors too soft and WAY to rounded for my palate. Honestly, I enjoyed the standard 10yr much more. And I’d be remiss not to tackle the elephant in the room; at $159 (in my area) for a 750ml, the pricing on this is in my opinion, insane. With its mild softness this is bound to be somebody’s cup of tea, but it’s just not mine.

The last and best part of the piglet trio Christmas set ($20). I am very hesitant on buying this bottle for $250 so this Christmas set was a no brainer. Nose: honestly way different than the 10 year. Very rich nose with more complex fruit. It just smells considerably older. Palate: oily immediately but fruit starts to shine through earlier than the 10 and 12. Much more complex palate as well. I don’t get much oak on this like I figured I might. Everything has been further diminished here from the 12. Very very smooth and scotch-like (as for being clean and such). Finish: very short finish. You have to dig hard to catch anything lingering. Overall: very very underwhelming whiskey. For $250 I will never purchase this. Not saying it’s bad but I like the 10 year better than this. Glad I found this Christmas set to help me realize this.