WhistlePig Boss Hog 3rd Edition Arrives After Ex-Scotch Barrel Aging Time

WhistlePig Boss Hog 3rd Edition, The Independent, is a 14-year-old rye whiskey which was finished in barrels which at one point held Scotch whisky.

It is apparently WhistlePig Boss Hog time again. The Vermont distillery known for its big and bold sourced rye whiskies is back with a new release in this particular variant of its line up. WhistlePig Boss Hog 3rd Edition, The Independent, will perhaps become most notable down the line to drinkers for the fact it was finished in ex-Scotch barrels.

WhistlePig Boss Hog 3rd Edition, The Independent, according to the distillery, is a 14-year-old, 100 percent rye mash bill whiskey that’s been bottled at barrel proof. As we mentioned above, part of the aging time for this expression was done in “Hogshead barrels: 250 liter Scotch casks, which were … refitted with American Oak heads.”

WhistlePig Boss Hog 3rd Edition
image via WhistlePig

The resulting flavor profile, which is detailed at the end of this story in tasting notes, is said to have “a fine balance between rippling power and delicate nuance found nowhere else on the market.”

This particular WhistlePig whiskey is limited in release to the equivalent of just 30 barrels worth. It is also one of the most expensive ever, clocking in at nearly $300 a bottle! As part of the price of admission you get a 100% lead-free pewter stopper “hand-crafted in Vermont by Danforth Pewter, a multi-generational family business that has taken great pride in the pewter trade since 1755.”

Nose: oak and vanilla are predominant, with undertones of mint, caramel and baking spice.

Palate: Warm and bold, with lots of spices. Very faint hints of peat and smoke. Slightly earthy.

Finish: Surprisingly easy drinking for 125 proof with a long, warm, spicy finish.

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Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award-winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y globally. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert, and judge, he has written extensively about the subject, been interviewed in various media outlets, and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions.

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