WhistlePig has made a name for itself with bold, experimental whiskey, and its latest limited release is no exception. In a surprising summer collaboration, the Vermont distillery teamed up with Liquid Death Mountain Water to create GraveStock, a wheat whiskey proofed with canned mountain water and aged in custom-built coffin barrels.
It’s part craft spirit, part marketing mischief, but behind the skulls and slogans is a genuinely interesting whiskey. Here are three unexpected things you probably didn’t know about one of 2025’s strangest (and smoothest) releases.
1. It’s Proofed With Liquid Death’s Mountain Water
One of the most unusual things about GraveStock is how it’s proofed. In whiskey production, “proofing” is the process of adding water to cask-strength spirit to bring it down to bottling strength. Most distilleries use their own water source, but for this release, WhistlePig turned to their collaborators, Liquid Death.
Instead of using Vermont spring water, GraveStock was diluted using Liquid Death’s mountain-sourced water, the same water they can and sell under the slogan “Murder Your Thirst.” It might sound like a gimmick, but the choice was deliberate.
According to Liquid Death’s VP of Marketing, many bottled waters are just processed municipal tap water. By contrast, Liquid Death sources from genuine American mountain springs. That purity, they say, adds a layer of quality, not just attitude.
So while it fits the irreverent branding, this proofing decision also plays a role in the whiskey’s final character. It’s not just water in a can, it’s part of the liquid’s story, and a key detail that sets GraveStock apart from other summer releases.
2. It Aged in 380-Gallon Coffin Barrels
GraveStock’s aging process is as over-the-top as its label, but it’s not all for show. The whiskey started life in traditional new American oak barrels, where it matured like most WhistlePig releases. But for its final stretch, it was transferred into custom-built 380-gallon oak foeders carved in the shape of coffins.
To put that in perspective, standard whiskey barrels hold around 53 gallons. These coffin-shaped giants are more than seven times the size, and are believed to be the first of their kind in the whiskey world.
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WhistlePig’s Head Blender Meghan Ireland described the concept as a “bucket list experiment” and said the team “literally went big on it.” Beyond the obvious visual statement, the goal was to see how the unique volume and shape might influence the whiskey’s development.
Larger vessels expose the spirit to less surface area of oak per gallon, often resulting in a softer, slower finish. In GraveStock’s case, that gave the wheat whiskey extra nuance without overwhelming it. The coffin wasn’t just a prop, it was the whiskey’s final resting place, and it left a mark.
3. It’s Actually a Wheat Whiskey, Not a Rye
WhistlePig is best known for its bold rye whiskeys, so the decision to make GraveStock a wheat whiskey might come as a surprise. This limited release leans heavily on wheat in the mashbill, what the distillery calls a “high (nearly all) wheat whiskey”, with just enough rye to add a subtle kick.
Wheat whiskeys tend to be softer, sweeter, and more approachable than their rye or bourbon counterparts, and that’s exactly the vibe here. GraveStock delivers delicate notes of honeysuckle, caramel, and biscotti, followed by a gentle finish of black pepper and butterscotch. It’s smooth and mellow, designed for sipping neat on a hot day or mixing into a fizzy highball.
Despite the coffin barrels and death-themed branding, the whiskey itself is surprisingly light on the palate. WhistlePig clearly intended it as a summer pour, not a stunt bottle. Whether you’re sipping it straight or building a “DeathBall” cocktail with Liquid Death mixers, the wheat base gives this release a softer edge, adding yet another unexpected twist to the collaboration.
GraveStock might look like a marketing stunt, but it’s more than just a clever label. From coffin-shaped barrels to mountain spring water proofing, this one-off release blends real craftsmanship with tongue-in-cheek flair. It’s light, smooth, and built for summer, whether you sip it straight or mix up a DeathBall. Either way, it won’t be around forever, so now’s the time to raise a glass to the unexpected.
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