Today we’re looking at two new releases from WhistlePig, and they couldn’t be more different. One is another oddball experiment from the Vermont operation — bourbon aged in barrels with two different types of Vermont maple serving as barrel heads, and the other a non-alcoholic offering made in collaboration with… Alice Cooper, who it turns out has been sober for more than 40 years.
We tried them both, and we have thoughts.
WhistlePig Snout to Tail Bourbon 10 Years Old Review
So this is actually sourced Kentucky distillate, with an unusual approach to barreling: “WhistlePig’s Snout-to-Tail Bourbon experiences a one-of-a-kind craft process with two different toasted barrel heads. One end features a Vermont oak medium toast and the other, a Vermont oak smoked maple wood toast. The barrel is flipped 180°– from snout-to-tail – during the final stages of maturation [the barrels are stored upright, which is why this makes sense], leaving time for the whiskey to get warm and cozy with each barrel head.”
That’s a complex setup and construction for a 10 year old Kentucky bourbon, aged with some exposure to Vermont maple, both toasted and smoked. The nose doesn’t really let on about the odd aging process, showing off a rather beefy quality that’s often a classic part of many older bourbons, but which surprises in its appearance in a 10 year old offering. Elements of honey wheat bread, brown banana, and BBQ brisket char all merge together in a surprisingly austere aromatic presentation.
The palate flips the script (hey, it’s snout to tail, right?) and sweetens up immediately. It’s hard to avoid comparisons to maple syrup here, so I won’t: Boldly sweet, with a clear maple syrup quality, and yes, a touch of smoke just as WhistlePig probably expected. Comparisons to sweet-smoked pork ribs would not be out of place, nor would evocations of both cranberry sauce and Thanksgiving stuffing, complete with hints of sage. Gently herbal on the finish with a classic smear of baking spices. My recommendation: Save this one for the holidays!
88 proof.
A- / $90 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
WhistlePig Sex, Drugs, Rock & Dry Old Fashioned NA Cocktail Review
“Crafted with 100% Rye Non-Whiskey, Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup, adaptogenic Cordyceps and Schisandra Berry, and aphrodisiac Damiana.” 100% of profits are being donated to Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit providing emergency assistance across the country for food service workers through financial support and a network of community resources.
All credit to Alice, but this stuff is pretty undrinkable, and unlike any Old Fashioned I’ve ever tried. Mushroom dominates alongside thin notes of sesame and watery maple syrup, evoking (at its best) the flavor of the thinnest mushroom soup you’ve ever encountered. Floral notes arrive in due time (courtesy of the Damiana), adding a slightly sickly-sweet honeysuckle layer to the proceedings. The finish is reasonably innocuous, but the damage is long done by that point.
D+ / $50
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