WhistlePig Whiskey

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is WhistlePig based?

WhistlePig is based in Shoreham, Vermont, on a 500-acre farm that was formerly a 150-year-old dairy operation. All distilling, ageing, and bottling takes place on the farm.

When was WhistlePig founded?

Raj Bhakta purchased the Vermont farm and founded the brand in 2007. The first whiskey — the 10 Year Straight Rye, sourced from Alberta Distillers in Canada — was released in 2010. On-site distillation began in 2015.

Is WhistlePig bourbon?

No. WhistlePig produces rye whiskey, not bourbon. Bourbon must be made from a mash bill of at least 51% corn; WhistlePig uses 100% rye in its mash bill. They are entirely different spirits with entirely different flavour profiles. WhistlePig does produce a PiggyBack Bourbon, but the brand’s identity and core range is rye.

Does WhistlePig source its whiskey?

It did, and some of it still does. The original 10 Year-and-older expressions were built on rye whiskey sourced from Alberta Distillers in Canada. WhistlePig was relatively transparent about this. In 2015, the brand started distilling its own whiskey on-site in Vermont. The FarmStock expression, released in 2017, was the first to blend Vermont-distilled rye with the aged Canadian stock. Today the range includes both fully estate-produced and blended expressions.

Who was Dave Pickerell?

Dave Pickerell was WhistlePig’s founding Master Distiller, brought in to source and shape the brand’s initial product. He was previously Master Distiller at Maker’s Mark for over a decade and went on to consult for dozens of American craft distilleries. He is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the American whiskey revival. He died in November 2018. The PiggyBack Rye, his final project at WhistlePig, carries a tribute to him on the bottle.

What is Boss Hog?

Boss Hog is WhistlePig’s annual ultra-limited cask strength rye release. Each edition is aged 12 to 16 years, drawn from a single barrel or small batch, and finished in a unique cask type with a specific concept or story behind it. Previous editions have included barrels of pulque curado de cacao from Mexico, Japanese Umeshu casks, and Philippine rum barrels. It is one of the most consistently well-regarded limited releases in American whiskey.