Last year during the holidays, WhistlePig—the cult producer in Vermont—paired up with Robb Report to offer the chance for one reader to create and age his or her own custom barrel of whiskey with the distillery. The program was so appealing that WhistlePig decided to make it a regular offering. The new customized Reserve Barrel program gives individuals the rare chance to craft their own expression with master distiller Dave Pickerell using either 10- or 12-year-old rye expressions.
The 10 Year Single Barrel is a single-barrel whiskey, which means enthusiasts get to select the type of barrel the liquid is finished in, choose something that matches their custom flavor profile, and put an original label with their chosen name on it. Each barrel will produce 132 bottles of barrel-strength custom whiskey (which will be divided into 22 six-pack cases).
The 12 Year Single Bespoke Blend is a combination of three different cask finishes (Port, Sauternes, and Madeira), so the customer has the opportunity to customize the balance between the finishes in addition to the type of barrel the liquid is aged in. The blend is bottled at 86 proof. To further customize the blend, consumers will be able to choose the bottle label.
WhistlePig Reserve Barrel program Photo Credit: Courtesy WhistlePig
As part of the program, customers can visit the distillery in person and select the barrel their whiskey will be finished in. If desired, they can pick up their private label bottles at WhistlePig; otherwise, the bottles will be shipped to them.
The whiskies are priced from $11,000 to $19,000, and order fulfillment will take up to 12 weeks.
If you’d like to start with a smaller sample of WhistlePig’s whiskey to find out what the fuss is all about, opt for a bottle of FarmStock Rye Crop No. 002 Whiskey or one of the distillery’s award-winning Boss Hog expressions. Last year’s Black Prince won gold in a blind tasting at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
WhistlePig Reserve Barrel program Photo Credit: Courtesy WhistlePig
