With frankincense and myrrh, there’s a biblical bent to this year’s Boss Hog release.
Every year, WhistlePig’s The Boss Hog expression pushes the boundaries of whiskey crafting and ageing. For its 10th Edition, the Vermont distillery embarked on a unique journey inspired by the birth of Christ and the legend of the 3 Wise Men. The result is Boss Hog X: The Commandments, a whiskey that takes on the flavours of frankincense, myrrh, and craft mead, offering whiskey enthusiasts a truly distinct and delightful experience.
WhistlePig’s Boss Hog X started with their traditional Straight Rye Whiskey, which was aged in new American Oak barrels. However, the distillery did not stop there. In a bold move to incorporate the inspirations from the New Testament, WhistlePig introduced two additional finishes, creating an unconventional flavour profile.
The first re-cask involved using barrels seasoned with an experimental rye and whey spirit. These barrels were infused with frankincense and myrrh resins, drawing from the famous gifts brought by the Wise Men. This infusion added a layer of complexity to the whiskey, melding herbaceous notes with a touch of mysticism.
Working with resins presented challenges for the WhistlePig team. The gooey and sticky consistency of the resins made it difficult to achieve the desired maturation. Any direct contact with the resins proved to be less successful, leading the team to experiment with different approaches.
After numerous trials, the breakthrough came when WhistlePig crafted a whey/rye spirit to carry the resins as a previous fill to the barrels. This discovery was the key to successfully harnessing the flavours of frankincense and myrrh. The combination of the rye spirit and the resins produced a unique and powerful flavour profile that complemented the whiskey’s herbaceous punch.
“We’d been interested in exploring resins for some time as a new way to harness the flavor of trees through wood,” explains Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig’s Whiskey Blender, of the inspiration to play with resins in the finishing process. “After many trials around specific resins and how exactly to capture those flavors in the secondary aging process, we landed on two of the most famous ones: frankincense and myrrh. “These brought incredible notes of crème brûlée, lemongrass and rosemary to the final whiskey, and fueled a disruptive story to help bring to life the whiskey journey under the theme of The Commandments.”
To further enhance the whiskey’s character, WhistlePig transferred the rye to casks that previously held craft mead. This addition of mead brought forth notes of red berries and freshly crushed black pepper, while also adding a rounded body to the potent rye. The sweet pop of honey character from the mead gave the final finish a balanced and harmonious taste.
It comes as no surprise that the demand for WhistlePig’s Boss Hog line continues to grow with each new edition. The latest batch, Boss Hog X: The Commandments, sold out in a mere two hours, leaving whiskey enthusiasts eagerly awaiting the next release.
Boss Hog X: The Commandments is not only defined by its exceptional flavour profile but also by its exquisite packaging. Each bottle comes in an elaborate revolving door box adorned with a handmade pewter topper of Mortimer Jr., WhistlePig’s Chief Pig, Lawmaker, and Rule Breaker of Rye Whiskey. This attention to detail reflects the distillery’s commitment to providing a singular and memorable experience for whiskey connoisseurs.
WhistlePig’s Boss Hog X: The Commandment is a testament to the distillery’s relentless pursuit of innovation in whiskey crafting and ageing. By drawing inspiration from the New Testament and experimenting with resins and craft mead, WhistlePig has created a whiskey with a unique and captivating flavour journey. As the legend of WhistlePig’s crown jewel, Boss Hog, continues to grow, enthusiasts can eagerly anticipate future releases that push the boundaries of whiskey exploration.
