WhistlePig PiggyBack Small Batch 100 Proof 6 years Rye Whiskey
About the Brand
In 2006, a band of dedicated Rye enthusiasts purchased a 500-acre dairy farm in the rolling hills of Vermont's Champlain Valley. Just recently, until his passing the WhistlePig farm had been home to Master Distiller Dave Pickerell. After he graduated from West Point with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, Pickerell served in the military for eleven years as a cavalry officer. Later he received a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville, before serving as chairman of the Kentucky Distillers Association and master distiller at Maker's Mark in Loretto, Kentucky for 13 years. "This is what I was meant for," said Pickerell of the whiskey business. After leaving Maker's Mark, Pickerell embarked on a journey to find the perfect rye whiskey. "Rye, in its own essence, is just a brilliant grain... I wanted to do rye because it's America's historical whiskey." During the Revolutionary War, English blockades of American ports prevented the colonists from purchasing molasses used to make rum. As a result, American distillers, including George Washington, started making rye whiskey. This stunning 100% rye is one of the final expressions created by late Master Distiller and whiskey luminary Dave Pickerell. His dream was to create the best aged Rye Whiskey perfect for any rye cocktail. PiggyBack has an intensely powerful, spicy profile, imparted by its time in oak barrels. You can expect complex and smooth notes that shine through, yet don't overpower your drink. An outstanding in any concoction. Aged 6 years and bottled at 96.56 proof (56 is the year Dave Pickerell was born).
In summer 2018, Dave Pickerell returned to our warehouses to realize his dream of creating the best aged rye whiskey for your cocktail – 100% rye for full spice flavors, aged six years for unprecedented complexity and bottled at his ideal strength. Stir or shake in good company.
TASTING NOTES
EYE: Light copper
NOSE: Copper, fresh rye bread, cinnamon, spice, caramel, orchard fruit, grainy and a light bit of bergamot.
PALATE: Rye bread, butterscotch, cinnamon, raspberry candy, oak, fruit, spice and some citrus.
FINISH: Med-long -> Sweetness, rye spice, copper and oak.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL: Good sense of balance, med-full body and a velvety feel.
