It’s that time of year again. And no, we aren’t discussing the beginning of “spooky season.” No, we’re talking about the annual release of WhistlePig’s popular Boss Hog series. It’s called Boss Hog XI: the Juggernaut and the Vermont-based brand’s “oldest and boldest” straight rye whiskey to date.
Boss Hog XI: the Juggernaut
Not only is this the oldest rye whiskey ever released by WhistlePig, but it might also be the most unique. First, the whiskey is matured in new American oak barrels, which is when things get really creative.
If you’ve ever had Thandai, you know it as a spiced drink imbibed during the Holi festival in Jaipur, India. Not only did the folks at WhistlePig set out to make a whiskey that embodied the aromas and flavors of this drink, but they actually found the right spices at Delhi’s Khari Baoli spice market, made Thandai whiskey barrels, and then used them to finish this complex whiskey. It’s then bottled at barrel proof (103.8 – 105.2 Proof) so as not to dilute it.
The result is sublime sipping rye whiskey with Indian spices, cardamom, cracked black pepper, allspice, clove, orchard fruit, saffron, fennel, ripe tropical fruits, and gentle baking spices.
“Every year we challenge ourselves to craft a Rye that is more stupendous, inspired, and intricate than each edition of The Boss Hog before it,” Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig, said in a press release. “After expanding our original five promises for The Boss Hog to ten tenants last year, we set out on our biggest challenge. When we discovered Thandai in India, we knew we had to find a way to translate its spice profile to a showstopping whiskey barrel for this precious Rye.”
Where can I buy it?
This exclusive, limited-edition expression is available on WhistlePig’s web shop, restaurants, liquor stores, and retailers throughout the US for a suggested retail price of $599.99
