WhistlePig Announces Double Malt 18 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey
WhistlePig has announced Double Malt, an 18 year old straight rye whiskey distilled from a mash bill of 79% rye, 15% malted rye, and 6% malted barley. WhistlePig Double Malt is described as an “experiment in how grain affects flavor early in the whiskey-making process, in particular, the bygone practice of malting rye.”
Before industrial catalysts were introduced to increase efficiency, farmer distillers would malt a small portion of their rye harvest in order to access the grain’s starch content and set off the fermentation process. Floral, earthy flavors imparted by malted rye would add nuance to the bold, peppery spice character of classic rye whiskey.
To harness these flavors for our oldest expression of WhistlePig yet, we selected a whiskey distilled from 79% rye, 15% malted rye, and 6% malted barley. These grains form a harmony that spans the flavor spectrum, at once soft and floral, rich and savory, and full of spice. Its complexity is only heightened after 18 years in the barrel.
WhistlePig Double Malt 18 Year Old is described as “sweet and aromatic, with toasted oak, berries, and nutmeg” on the nose, an “elegant and spicy, mildly fruity, and pleasantly floral” palate with “vanilla and oak notes appearing with time”, ending with a “long, clean, and spicy” finish.
WhistlePig Double Malt 18 Year Old is bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV) and presented in a decanter that features a custom glass stopper made for WhistlePig by AO Glass in Burlington, Vermont. WhistlePig Double Malt is set to be released annually in limited quantities, with the first release available in stores later this month at a suggested retail price of $399.99.
Photo credit: WhistlePig.
Source: whistlepigwhiskey.com.