Bourbon

Bourbon Review: Wigle Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

We review Wigle Single Barrel Straight Bourbon. This super-limited release from the Pittsburgh-based distillery rarely makes it outside the state of Pennsylvania.

OVERALL RATING

7
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Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Dark amber, almost orange. Thin, watery legs.
Nose:
Fresh-cut ginger and pumpkin pie spices. Eventually, more traditional bourbon scents come to the fore, with vanilla, caramel and a hint of farmer’s market honey.
Palate:
Red Hots candy, raisins, maple syrup, vanilla chai tea. The finish is long, warm and spicy.
Finish:
Comments:
A Pennsylvania bourbon is still a relatively rare thing, and Wigle makes a decent argument for it here. I reviewed batch no. 5, one of 242 bottles. It’s not the most luxurious bourbon I’ve ever tasted, lacking some of the complexity and sweetness found in top-flight Kentucky whiskies. I did feel, though, like I could taste the local corn and wheat. This is a whiskey I’ll be happy to share alongside bourbons from Texas, Kentucky and elsewhere in a tasting flight. It holds its own and offers a distinctiveness that is worthwhile.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Scott Bernard Nelson

Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer based in Portland, Oregon. While currently working in higher education, he previously dedicated 22 years to journalism, covering impactful events such as 9/11 in Manhattan, crossing into Iraq with U.S. Marines, and contributing to The Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of abuse in the Catholic Church, which inspired the film "Spotlight." Since 2019, Scott has shared his insights as a whiskey reviewer for The Whiskey Wash.  

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