The WhistlePig distillery out of Vermont has among its various rye whiskeys a range known as FarmStock, which has as its basis a crowd-blending element that was hosted by WhistlePig master blender Pete Lynch at various sessions around the country. For the latest related bottling, however, that could not be done because of the coronavirus pandemic, so instead for the new HomeStock it was done all virtually with fans of the brand.
The new WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey, according to those behind it, is described as a “a whiskey blended together, while apart.” To that end, WhistlePig teamed with online spirits club Flaviar to do an “an innovative, multi-faceted immersive crowd-blending experience” in which Flaviar members signed up to receive one of the hundreds of WhistlePig ‘Blend Your Own’ whiskey kits at home that they would use to “experiment at home before submitting their preferred recipe.”
These kits, of which I got to try one as a member of Flaviar, included samples of WhistlePig rye, wheat and barley whiskeys, along with blending tools and instructions. After recipe submissions were made from those that did the at home blending, Lynch analyzed the data and determined the three most popular styles of whiskey submitted.
He then turned to social media, along with spirits industry veteran Dan Dunn and others, to host a live stream session with consumers who had the kits in which “all three whiskeys were blended, tasted and then voted upon to decide which should be bottled as WhistlePig HomeStock.”
As for the winner, and what is now the new HomeStock, it was said that “despite over half of the submissions being rye dominant, the surprise winner, with 44.1% of the votes on the night, was Blend Number 3, which involved 45% rye, 30% wheat and 25% barley.”
“HomeStock is a truly special blend for us, not only due to how it was made but it’s the first time we’re releasing a whiskey that features something other than rye,” said Jeff Kozak, CEO of WhistlePig Whiskey, in a prepared statement. “We’re thrilled that this blend got voted as the winner, it could be a sign of things to come from us in the future as a natural extension of our famed FarmStock range.”
WhistlePig HomeStock Whiskey is now available for pre-order via Flaviar and Caskers, priced around $73 per 750 ml bottle and shipping starting in June. The brand plans to donate 20% of this whiskey’s online sales to the USBG Foundation’s Emergency Assistance Program, which provides COVID-19 relief grants to bartenders.
Official tasting notes for this whiskey reveal that “on the nose, HomeStock is sweet and fruity, with pipe tobacco, vanilla and orange vest. Upon tasting, one will experience a big hit of baking spice with toffee, with nutmeg, roasted nuts, ripe berries and a great mouthfeel. The finish on HomeStock is long, spicy and lovely.”
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