Review: WhistlePig 15-Year Estate Oak
This past weekend I had a chance to attend a limited release tasting at the Orlando Whiskey Festival (full recap coming next week). Out of the five whiskeys, I tasted there was a definite stand out. It was a 15-year-old rye from WhistlePig. This is the oldest expression WhistlePig has ever released. On top of that the 100% rye whiskey (sourced from Canada) was finished in barrels made from oak trees on the WhistlePig farm/distillery. Here’s some more information:
The Vermont Estate Oak Rye is a highly matured rye whiskey aged for 15 years, and finished in custom charred barrels made from Vermont White Oak trees logged on The WhistlePig’s Farm. Due to harsh winters and a shorter growing season, these trees possess a denser wood grain, imparting a nuanced and distinct flavor into the rye. The Vermont Oak Rye is the next step in WhistlePig’s mission to become fully farm-to-bottle, with the barrels coming from wood grown on the farm.
Distilleries and brands are trying to push the limits of creativity with releases. To me, this is a pretty cool experiment. Others opinion may differ but ultimately it’s about taste.
Review WhistlePig 15-Year Estate Oak
The nose was reminiscent of a bourbon with toffee and vanilla but there was plenty of peppery/spicy notes to remind you it’s a rye. There was also a pretty distinctive fresh wood smell. Initially, it was sweet. The taste was fairly complex with a mix of vanilla and juicy fruit. The pepper notes popped at the end. While the taste was great the finished was a little too dry/oaky for me. A small disappointment for an overall good whiskey.
This bottle will retail for $199. That’s a really expensive bottle but there’s also not many aged rye options on the market. The whiskey is really good and I’ll be looking to buy a bottle when it hits shelves.
27 comments
Have never had this and probably never will, in my opinion there are several excellent Rye Whiskeys on the shelves of most good liquor stores for 20 / 30 dollars that paying this kind of money is ridicules.
but probably none of them were aged over 6-8 years… it’s extremely difficult for ryes to age over 10 years which is why whiskeys like this fetch such a high dollar amount. However, I agree $200 is pretty steep… $100 would be more reasonable
I can sometimes find regular 10 yr whistlepig for 59.99 at some poorly informed store in Massachusetts. Is this 15 year rye $140 better than regular 10 year wp?
Do you think regular wp is any good? Its always just seemed thin and boring to me. Wish i tasted befofe buying.
I do enjoy the standard whistlepig but it is certainly not something I consider a go to.
Nice review, but shocked that you would by a bottle. Very few bourbons are worth that price and the review did not seem to support that price to me. The price of bourbon is out of control and this looks like another example. I would like to taste it someday, but will not be buying a bottle. Thanks for the review!!
Its worth it if you can buy it right! Mine was a cash purchase for$100, bottoms up
Not a fan. Tried them all (but this). Don’t like the provenance either.
Is this an imposter Lu Cifer?
No. I posted from work & a “client” E-mail popped in.
$199?!?! LOL.
I buy all of my liquor in Vermont and while I enjoy Whistle pig (the 4-5 bottles I’ve bought since 2012), their prices are absurd. i skipped a few of their one-off releases.
If they think they can get $200 for canadian juice that’s “finished in Vermont”, I don’t want to know what they end up charging for their own distillate.
They won’t be happy until our pockets are empty 🙂
Sounds absolutely amazing. Can’t wait to try it. And wait I shall. The price is absurd.
I just don’t understand the Whistle Pig hype. What I’ve had has been decidedly average in taste – though certainly not bad – and vastly overpriced. Paying 3 times the price for finishing is just absurd.
I’m glad you liked it but count me out.
Love how they try to amp up the Vermont oak angle and imply that this is their 15 year old whiskey. Whistle Pig is a slimy bunch and nobody should support them. Seriously, don’t give your money to a shifty guy like Raj Bahakta. He should provide a bar of soap with every bottle so that you can try, probably in vain, to cleanse yourself after acquiring anything he has touched.
I was out in a bar last Sept in California , they had an un-open bottle of 10 yr whistlepig. When I asked about it the Bartender said it have been there like that for several years. I asked what a pour cost…. he looked for it on their price list… nothing so he charged Bar brand price 7.00, They were charging 14.00 for wild turkey, You know what I drank for the next three evenings.
I find it hysterical how many people care that it comes from Canada. Complain about their marketing if you think they’re being sneaky and/or complain about the flavor if you don’t like it. People seriously care where it’s distilled?! I don’t care if it’s from a small shack on the outskirts of Reykjavik and aged in Juarez. All I care about is if it tastes good. People need to CTFD.
It’s the same thing when people were upset that Beam was bought out by a Japanese company. It doesn’t matter
$199 for 15 yr canadian club? Whistle pig is MARKETING AT ITS FINEST!! Check them out in 5 to 10 years after they are making their own juice and see if its worth the price. $60 entry level canadian whisky? COME ON FOLKS WAKE UP!! Seek out some 12+ year canadian club for half the price and enjoy twice as much (its the same whisky going into WP). They want to talk about being the first farm to bottle rye? THEY ARENT, they have been beat to that market by a small distillery in CALI already, their whiskey SEED TO BOTTLE isnt even $50 much less $60+
Moving on from WP…. tired of getting tricked by the orphan barrels and templetons of the world…
It’s not Canadian Club. It’s the rye flavoring from Alberta Distillers. Even a comparably aged CC is going to consist mostly of aged grain whiskey which is not far off from aged vodka.
Nothing like Canadian Club…come on.
It’s Canadian but that’s pretty much the only thing WhistlePig and Canadian Club have in common
Woah…hold up man. Have you had the wp12? It is not just marketing. 12 year CC is not even in the same ball park. The nose is fruit cake, and likewise the taste. Finish goes for days. Stuff is amazing.
Dumb asses
Thanks for the insight, Jon
i picked a bottle today….when i got to the register the clerk said 84.99 , you have to click yes..agree to price on credit card. I didnt even think twice and Said Whooa You Better check that price again. The guy gave me a puzzled look and said..alright i will check it again. Then he said Oh shit..hold up let me give you a discount and knocked 10% off for me being honest. Im planning of my family and friends drinking it at my wake one day. Put it in Curio Cabinet