WhistlePig 12-year-old Old World Rye / 43% / 0.7l

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey debuted in 2010 to much applause from whiskey connoisseurs and reviewers. It came from Jim Beam’s Alberta Distillery in Canada and was distilled from 100% rye.

In early 2014, the company began experimenting with a whiskey finish (this time distilled using a 95% rye and 5% malted barley formula at MGP Indiana) in Madeira, Sauternes and Port barrels, and each finish was released in a limited edition. A year later, WhistlePig Old World was released, a version blended from the aforementioned finishes in the proportions of 63% Madeira, 30% Sauternes and 7% Port. It won a double gold medal at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Aroma: fruity and spicy, plums, apples, strawberries, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, caramel and mint leaf.

Palate : excellent balance between fruit and spices, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, buttered toast, honey, vanilla, bananas, plums, raisins and delicate notes of oak in the background.

Finish : long, with notes of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, vanilla, raisins and oak.