WhistlePig Distillery
Straight Rye Whiskey
Barrel #103354
16 Years Old
100.7 Proof

Get ready for a killer rye!

While this bottle says Ten Years old on it, we have confirmed with WhistlePig that this particular barrel is actually SIXTEEN years old! Where you gonna find sixteen year rye for $115 these days?? Here, that's where! This is so good it has earned our coveted "Bee's Knees" title for 2021! If you recall our previous Bee's Knees (Boone County 12 yr, Barrell Bourbon 7yr MGP rye) you know it's in good company!

This barrel # 103354 is a total butterscotch bomb! It comes out of the glass with sweet candy. Like those delicious butterscotch sucking candies! Underneath that creamy candy glory comes the spice - black pepper, some garden spice (sage?), then there's some beautiful subtle oak and leather, nicely charred sweet wood smoke. As the glass takes air, the butterscotch and the oak come together beautifully for a deep, rich nose.

As great as the nose it, the palate is really where this rye comes into its own. It's almost got the beautiful sweetness and richness of a bourbon, but with the big poppy flavor of a rye. The butterscotch candies continue, mingling in with some little pops of sweet lemon, cocoa, more of that lovely leather polish and charred wood, and then we get some baking spices - something in the nutmeg/cloves category. Loads of vanilla come in late in the taste, and it all combines for a really stellar taste.

The finish absolutely coats the tongue in butterscotch. It's really pretty nuts, almost like you actual just finished sucking on one of those little butterscotch balls. The sweetness lasts right through the finish, creating a remarkably smooth experience with absolutely zero alcohol burn. This is a cask strength whiskey, though it's only 100.7 percent. And you can tell! It gives you an incredible depth of flavor with just wild smoothness and balance.

This shit really is THE BEE'S KNEES! And $115 for a 16 year rye? Come on, who's kidding who? We highly recommend 2 bottles "One for the shelf & one for the throat!" Only 132 bottles and then this beauty is gone, so act quick.