Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (June 30, 2023)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Our Top 10 Whiskies of 2022

This is always our favourite post to write each year. The Top 10 is something we first began way back in 2009 and within it we celebrate the finest new whisky releases of that calendar year. Our first selection crowned Benromach 10 years old as our Whisky of the Year. 

However, some time ago we decided to no longer give a top prize. Instead, each of the ten whiskies that we have chosen is a winner in its own right and for differing reasons. As the world continued to come out of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions in 2022, the whisky world responded with some excellent releases. It has been difficult to select just ten to be honest, given that we have sampled close to 150 whiskies this year. 

Review / Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old

This new bottling is the youngest expression from the Vermont-based brand of Whistlepig. As with the rest of the range Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old is made from 100% rye. It joins the 10, 12 and 15 year old expressions. The new whisky has been conceived following consultation with bartenders and is designed for use in mixing and cocktails. It was created by Dave Pickerell, the late Master Distiller at Whistlepig who sadly died just before its launch. Piggyback is bottled at six years of age and has been aged in American oak barrels. It was launched in America last month and saw its UK launch on Independence Day (July 4). Whistlepig Piggyback 6 years old is bottled at 48.28% ABV (96.56 Proof) and will retail for £45 per bottle.

Inbox / The Week's Whisky News (July 8, 2022)

Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information. 

Have just tried - Whistlepig 10 Year Old Straight Rye

The Whistlepig whisky company are located on a farm in Shoreham,Vermont and include former Maker's Mark head distiller Dave Pickerill among their staff. I came across their flagship 10 Year Old Rye on a recent trip to the United States and thought it was brilliant so brought a bottle back home with me. On closer inspection of the label I noticed the rather cryptic line “Hand Bottled on Whistlepig Farm, Vermont”. Why mention this? Surely it was distilled there as well, right?