Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by WhistlePig. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
WhistlePig released a second grain-to-bottle expression alongside their FarmStock Beyond Bonded Rye. This whiskey marks their first-ever bourbon. The WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon slightly pushes the proof over the bottled-in-bond standard to 100.1 proof. No sourced whiskey, like previous FarmStock bottlings, combines with liquid from WhistlePig’s own distillation.
The WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon is a high rye bourbon made with dent corn and two varieties of rye grown on the 500-acre WhistlePig farm. Dent corn, named so because of the dimples in the kernels, has a high soft starch content capable of yielding lots of ethanol. The Remington and Rifle strains of rye are winter varieties that can withstand the cold Vermont climate.
Distiller Emily Harrison started in Kentucky amongst the large bourbon distilleries before working for WhistlePig. The WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon is close to Harrison’s heart, and 16 barrels of the bourbon were released this year for the series. The WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded series will have collectors searching for bottles, at least until the spring of 2022 when the next release comes out. Each bottle has a QR code linked to thirty facts about the process of making the Beyond Bonded series.
The Beyond Bonded Rye is an experiment, but there is no word if WhistlePig will increase the ABV as Orphan Barrel did with their Rhetoric 20-year to 25-year series. Although WhistlePig has been distilling their own whiskey for a few years now, hybrid ryes are not quite leaving the distillery’s portfolio yet. The distillery will continue to create delicious whiskey, both hybrid and grain-to-bottle alike.
Tasting Notes: WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon
Vital Stats: 50.05% ABV, 100.1 proof. 51% dent corn and 49% Remington and Rifle rye varieties harvested from ‘North Orwell 1’ and ‘North Orwell 2’ fields on WhistlePig’s 500-acre Farm. Aged for a minimum of 4 years. 750ml $100.
Appearance: Coppery amber
Nose: Acetone with lemon verbena first greets the nostrils. I can really smell the grain, but it mostly smells sweet like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Once opened up a little more, the whiskey begins to soften.
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Palate: It burns at first like nail polish remover, but past that, lemon and orange peel bring the flavor. The whiskey has a mellow sweetness compared to other bourbons, but it tastes like demerara or brown sugar. Overall, the WhistlePig FarmStock Beyond Bonded Bourbon reminds me of porridge with cinnamon and nutmeg.
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