Whisky Rye 12 Years Old Whistle Pig

The Vermont distillery Whistle Pig presents its Whisky Rye 12 Years Old, a precious and complex rye whisky that combines Old and New World styles. Indeed, this original US distillate is aged for 12 years in American oak barrels and then for a further period in wooden casks previously used to age Madeira, Sauternes and Port wines. The practice of transferring the distillate before bottling into a container other than the one in which it spent most of its ageing is called 'finishing' and the 12 Years Old Rye Whisky shows all the mastery of the Whistle Pig distillery in this art.
Whistle Pig Farm's 12 Years Old Rye Whisky is made from ground rye grains and steeped (mashed) in order to break down the starches contained in the grain into simple sugars. The sugars are then metabolised by yeasts during alcoholic fermentation and the fermented product is then distilled in stills. The ensuing ageing phase takes place in American oak barrels and lasts a good 12 years, after which 63% of the mass is finished in ex-Madeira barrels, 30% in ex-Sauternes barrels and the remaining 7% in ex-Port barrels. The process ends with blending and final bottling.
Rye Whisky 12 Years Old Whistle Pig has a dark amber colour with mahogany highlights. On the nose, intense aromas of sweet spices, winter fruits, dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla emerge, followed by notes of sultanas and honey. The taste stands out for its enveloping softness and warm roundness, with sweet spicy and fruity sensations consistent with the nose.