Credit: WhistlePig
WhistlePig Estate Oak Rye Aged 15 Years is a year-round rye whiskey produced by WhistlePig.
First released in May 2016 with a $100 MSRP, WhistlePig 15 Year uses a 100% rye mashbill and is bottled at 92 proof. It is sourced from Alberta Distillers in Alberta, Canada, before being barrel-finished on WhistlePig Farm.
While the 12-year old expression uses a blend of Madeira, Sauternes, and Port wine finishes, this expression is double-oaked and finished for 6 months in Vermont Estate Oak barrels that were toasted and heavily charred. Vermont Oak trees have tighter rings than Kentucky white oak, which “deliver more flavor and depth into whiskey,” according to the company.
The barrels are constructed from trees harvested from WhistlePig’s Shoreham, VT farm. It marked the first WhistlePig release to use Vermont oak barrels, which continued in 2017’s Farmstock series.
Private Selection
In late 2019, WhistlePig began offering single barrel selections of WhistlePig Estate Oak Rye. Like the 10- and 12-year selection, these single barrels are bottled at cask strength and can be 115 proof or more.
The single barrel selections are recognizable by their silver lower front label, as well as a selection sticker on the bottle shoulder. As of 2023, these single barrels are often packaged in a box as well.
