Raj Peter Bhakta, the enigmatic founder of BHAKTA Spirits and WhistlePig Whiskey, has unveiled a new and innovative brand, combining the boldness of American bourbon with the elegance of French Armagnac.
The very first Hogsworth bottling, Batch 1 Blend #9, will be released online in a limited edition of 1,700 sets, with an RRP of $50 per bottle.
Shaking Up The Bourbon Category
Raj Bhakta is no stranger to disrupting the traditional bourbon category. The entrepreneur saw great success with WhistlePig Whiskey, which today continues in its tongue-in-cheek and innovative approach to whiskey production.
Following the sale of his WhistlePig shares, Raj traveled to France where he discovered a deep and abiding love for ancient French Armagnac. And so, BHAKTA Spirits was born, a brand that finishes American bourbon in Armagnac casks sourced from Château BHAKTA, an Armagnac cellar acquired by Raj during his time in France. BHAKTA Spirits has seen enormous success, with bourbons winning multiple awards across various competitions.
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So, the innovation of BHAKTA Spirits certainly paid off. Hogsworth, however, goes one step further.
Hogsworth – Bourbon & Armagnac Combined
Hogsworth goes further than simply finishing bourbon in Armagnac casks. Instead, the spirit is a true combination of 52% 2019 bourbon and 48% Armagnac from the 1982, 2010, and 2012 vintages. Averaged out, the age of the spirit sits at about 9.4 years. The specifics of the blend are as follows:
Blend Specifics:
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o 42%: 2019 Tennessee Bourbon (4 years, five months old)
o 10%: 2019 Minnesota Bourbon (4 years old)
o 22%: 2012 French Armagnac (11 years old)
o 21%: 2010 French Armagnac (13 years old)
o 5%: 1982 French Armagnac (42 years old)
“I created WhistlePig Whiskey, sold it, and severed all ties. But I remained fond of pigs. My work felt incomplete—and American whiskey needs a shakeup,” says Bhakta. “So I present Hogsworth. It is the finest bottle you’ll find, at even ten times the price. Taste and see. Hogsworth marries America’s best bourbons with exquisite Armagnacs from France—some over forty years old. Older, richer, more complex. This is what it means to get your Hogsworth.”
Hogsworth Batch 1 Blend #9 will initially be offered as an online exclusive, with three-bottle collections priced at $150. Those who buy the collection will have the opportunity to select bottles from three different label sets: Modern Farm, Vintage Women, and Historial Pigures. The labels feature images snapped by fashion photographer, Carter Berg. According to a brand press release, the images were “the product of a weeks-long hunt-and-wrangle which saw Bhakta and his team trek through dense Vermont woodlands in pursuit of a hog iconic enough to grace Batch 1’s labels. Berg also led a parallel casting call for human models.”
Hogsworth constitutes Bhakta’s love for bourbon, Armagnac, daring disruption, and (of course) pigs. The self-proclaimed “antidote to bourbon boredom”, Hogsworth promises to deliver the fun.
Tasting Notes
Nose: Honey, crème brûlée, baking spices, ginger snap
Palate: Chai, green apple, black pepper, orange zest
Finish: A firm business handshake with oak spice, marmalade, and vanilla bean
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