Whistle Pig 18 Rye

Got an offer for this today at $399. I think this is the oldest bottling of 100% rye they have released. I have only, ever had a small taste of the Boss Hog, which I liked quite a bit.

Based on that tasting, I am thinking I would enjoy this, but $399?? Am I just out of touch with this high flying whiskey market or is this way over priced?

If I like this style, but not the price, where else should I be looking?

I would say something like the Lock Stock & Barrel 18yr Rye is a better buy. Both are sourced Canadian ryes although the malt bills are different. Looks like the Whistle Pig is actually not 100% rye, it’s 79% rye, 15% malted rye, 6% malted barley. The LSB is also quite a bit stronger than the WP, 54.5% vs 46%. Full disclosure I have not tried either of these. In the world of expensive ryes I would try to source Sazerac 18 or Thomas Handy at a reasonable price. Otherwise you will find some overlap in Armagnac at much more palatable prices.

I haven’t heard of this release yet but my distributors suck. I have to tell them what’s coming out. It’s like my second job. Personally I prefer the younger WP’s. If you like the Boss Hog then you will probably like this. Boss hog wholesale in IL is $400 so I don’t think this is out of line. If you can find Sazerac 18 for this price buy all you can. I agree on the Handy. Good stuff indeed.

It’s price listed in NY but I haven’t seen it on shelves yet. I only know what I know from social media posts by WhistlePig peeps.

RE: Pricing–$399 retail would be normal markup based on cost but I expect to see it on shelves closer to $500 here because why not? That’s the current trend with limited bottling whiskeys in NY right now.

I also am not fond of the 43% abv but they seem to like that. Considering the Boss Hogs are all cask strength I also question ‘value’ in the relative sense. Plenty of Boss Hog IV & V on the shelves for similar pricing.

I haven’t tasted it so can’t make any comparisons.

I tried the WP 12 year rye last night and wasn’t impressed-pretty coarse with an unpleasant finish. Pinhook Rye much better and less expensive.

Whistle Pig is notorious for overpriced bottles. All their stuff is sourced, as for it being $399, it’s not a horrible price considering the BossHog line retails at 400/500 and is ~13-15 year age stated. You’ll most likely find it cheaper the next couple months as it sits on the shelves.

I should just add you to my list, at least you’d know what’s coming. Farmstock #003 is inbound too.

Truth is I commonly message my distributors asking about something after reading it from you. I’d love to be on your list.