The Holiday season is officially here, and for most of us, it’s the period when we need the most alcoholic fortitude to slog through those torturous office parties and endless family gatherings. In our neck of the woods, we tend to be partial to whiskey as our primary go-to liquor when the mercury really starts to dip. Whether you drink it neat or on the rocks, it goes to work in no time: warming you up and giving you a nice tipsy glow. We discovered WhiskeyPig at a gathering we attended earlier this year, and it’s been on our mind ever since. We reached out to Daniel Khan, one of WhistlePig’s brand stewards and the NE Director of Marketing and Sales to ask him about what makes this Rye so unique and tasty. Read more below ….
“Nothing warms the belly quite like a neat glass of WhistlePig…”
Can you give us a brief background of WhistlePig?
WhistlePig was born in 2007, when Raj Bhakta bought a failing dairy farm in Shoreham, VT. After spending his last dime on the purchase, he recognized an imminent need to make the farm productive. After conducting his due diligence, Raj partnered up with Master Distiller Dave Pickerell (of Maker’s Mark fame) to launch an ambitious campaign to revive the rye whiskey industry in the States.
What sets it apart from other Ryes/Whiskeys on the market?
WhistlePig is a fundamentally unique whiskey. We offer a 10 year aged, 100% straight rye whiskey in a market replete with younger whiskeys with mixed mash-bills. We emphasize the potent flavor of the unadulterated rye grain, as opposed to the sweeter corn input found in bourbon, and ensure that the whiskey enters the bottle after more than a decade of careful aging across two different barrels. The result is a robust, yet balanced, single grain rye that has received critical acclaim from Wine Enthusiast, Whiskey Advocate, and Forbes as a truly peerless rye whiskey.
WhistlePig was originally distilled in Canada as a flavoring stock for blended Canadian whiskeys. Before Raj and Dave ‘rescued’ this truly unique whiskey, it was previously mixed in small percentages with younger spirits to add more body and flavor. However, no one had ever taken and bottled one of these flavoring stocks all on its own. Recognizing how exceptional this straight rye was when allowed to age longer, Dave and Raj brought it to Vermont to finish for a full 10 years. Currently, we are still working with the original distillery in Canada but have also contracted with a number of other distilleries in the US and Canada.
Rye is still stigmatized as a man’s beverage, but as of late, whiskey overall (including rye) has adopted on a different perception in the female market. We just recently hosted a group on the farm out of NYC (that was featured on CBS) called Women Who Whiskey. They are an organization of women who meet up at various hot spots in the city to enjoy whiskey, both neat and in cocktails, and who travel around visiting distilleries and encouraging other women to get into the category. Anywhere you look now you will see women ordering rye and bourbon at the bar. If you need anymore proof check out all the new female actresses and women of note that profess their love of whiskey; Rihanna, Mila Kunis, Lady Gaga, Hillary Clinton etc.
(1) Nothing warms the belly and the throat quite the way a neat glass of WhistlePig can. The bolder flavors of caramel, mint, and char that come from the barrels, and the viscous quality in your mouth, is a heartier and more satisfying choice during the winter.
(2) The advent of delicious hot winter cocktails that include whiskey. Hot whiskey cider usually does the trick on the farm, especially when steeped with all spice and lemon juice, and finished with a spoonful of honey.
(3) Gifts: It is a thoughtful, unique gift to the special people in one’s life.
(4) Gatherings: This season is notorious for the unreasonable number of house parties, special dinners, and, most importantly, family events. Amidst the mayhem of it all, a refined drink will reflect well on you (or at the very least dull the rest of the holiday havoc). Just don’t run out preemptively, or you’ll have familial mutiny on your hands.
(5) Last note of advice: There are two types of drinkers: those that put WP on their home bar, and those that put the bottle in their bedside table. While it is important to share, winters can be long, and the remedial value of a simple glass of whiskey and make a world of difference.
For more information, visit the WhistlePig website here.
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