The journey of the WhistlePig distillery in Vermont from highly regarded non-distilling producer to a full-fledged distillery of its own has been a long one. Under the watch of master distiller Dave Pickerell, they’ve been releasing some highly regarded and sought-after sourced ryes from Canada and the United States. Now they’re releasing what I’ll call their first transition whiskey, which sees the marriage of some of their own in-house rye with product from other places. Enter WhistlePig Farmstock Rye Whiskey, Crop One.
WhistlePig Farmstock, according to the distillery, is made up of the following (and kudos to WhistlePig, by the way, for being so transparent in its blend):
- 20% 1.5 to 2-year aged whiskey made entirely on the WhistlePig farm, which means distilled from rye grown on site and aged in Vermont oak barrels
- 49% 5-year aged whiskey from Alberta Distillers finished in WhistlePig’s Vermont oak
- 31% 12-year aged whiskey from MGP’s Lawrenceburg distillery
Crop One was hand bottled at 86 proof, and will price around $90. It is called Crop One in part because there will be future releases under this moniker. You’ll find full tasting notes courtesy of WhistlePig at the end of this story.
“FarmStock is our story,” said Raj Peter Bhakta, Founder of WhistlePig, in a prepared statement. “It’s the realization of years of hard work to redefine how we understand craft and quality. As our first triple-terroir release, this is a historic whiskey deserving of two bottles: one to enjoy with good company and one to be collected for years to come.”
“Finally, we are ready,” added Dave Pickerell, Master Distiller of WhistlePig. “I keep getting asked, ‘When are we going to see the distillate from YOUR still?’ I didn’t want to just release a white whiskey. We worked tirelessly to create a product that showcases our young estate whiskey in context with the elegance of our premier aged rye. FarmStock provides a unique opportunity to tell the story of our transition to a triple-terroir product using our water, our grain, and our wood to age the product. It is truly the best of all worlds.”
Nose: Abundant oak, vanilla, caramel, toffee, and mint.
Palate: Caramel, cinnamon, and baking spices prevail with hints of citrus and stonefruit.
Finish: Complex and enduring finish featuring winter fruit, dark chocolate, tobacco, butterscotch, and vanilla founded in classic rye spice.
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