Boss Hogg, the rare annual limited edition that whistle It unveils like a clockwork every fall, and according to the Vermont farm distillery, the version is meant to be big and bold, unlike anything the brand has done before. For the ninth iteration in the series, they’ve sailed far to find inspiration. Enter WhistlePig Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song.
Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song is a straight, single-barrel malt that holds a barrel strength between 51.3 and 53.1 percent ABV (depending on particular packing). Although officially a smoothie that does not indicate age, we know that it starts with a base of 12-year-old whiskey which is then finished in a double barrel – first in wood that once held Greek fig nectar, then in Coopage The former tent is Greek, the original herbal liquor of the Peloponnesian city of Patras.
“We visited Greece this summer to get ingredients and learn from the experts at an authentic tent distillery,” explains Liz Rhodes, who heads whiskey development for WhistlePig. “We were drawn to the unique, distinctive flavors of Greece and how they would interact with the bold flavor of our ancient rye.”
The process of maturation is a decidedly unconventional journey. But distinguishing premium rye as uniquely epic is the fact that Rhodes — and head mixer Megan Ireland — made the spice ingredients themselves, using Greek ingredients alongside herbs and spices fed from around the farm.
“We are constantly experimenting with new finishes to find the next best whiskey experience, and in true WhistlePig way, this year’s edition is a world first,” Ireland says. “Our ambition to unleash the final flavor complexity—and nectar and melancholy, which were novel experiences in themselves—was worth the challenge once we got to the final product.”
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