It’s also the oldest North American single malt release by any brand, but buyers be warned––supplies are extremely limited.
By Stinson Carter
WhistlePig keeps upping the ante every year with older and older single malt whiskey releases, but this one tops them all.
“The BigSheBàng is a flavor supernova – radiant, otherworldly, and unlike anything we’ve ever put in a bottle.” said Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig. The whiskey was distilled in Canada’s oldest single malt distillery in 1994 and aged for 30 years before making the journey to WhistlePig’s off-grid farm distillery in Vermont. There it was finished in Vin Santo barrels––a fine, rare Tuscan dessert wine that as a finishing cask for whiskey adds notes of honey, dried fruits, toasted nuts and spices.
Bottled at 90.4 proof or just north of 45% alcohol, its perfect for the slight dilution of a single large ice cube. A decadent whiskey without being overly dense, it has flavors of honeyed bread, wheat crust, and florality on the nose, followed by subtle notes of clove and honeysuckle, then finally a thread of toasted cedar wood that trails through the long and satisfying finish.
The fact that this originated in Canada ties it to WhistlePig’s roots. Founded in 2008 originally using rye whiskey from Canada, WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta and former Master Distiller and Head Blender Dave Pickerell together helped revive rye whisky as a category. WhistlePig began distilling in Vermont in 2015, but the Canadian connection still exists in this rare expression. “It’s amazing to see the evolution of WhistlePig,” says Noah Rothbaum, author of The Whisky Bible, “To move their specialty from rye whisky to rare and old styles of whiskey––including single malt.” Rothbaum also noted a connection between the sweetness of Vin Santo and another sweet WhistlePig product––their own Vermont maple syrup. Embedded in this 30-year expression is the heritage of the distillery and elements of all they’ve learned along the way.
If you want to try WhistlePig’s oldest-ever release, you may need to hunt it down. Limited to just four barrels, it will not be for sale online but will be available to taste at The WhistlePig Vault in Louisville, Kentucky this Fall and “the best establishments” nationally.
SRP: $4999
