Every now and then, I’d say a few times a year, I throw caution to the wind and blind-buy an expensive bottle of spirits just because.  I feel like treating myself; I want to try something special.   The bottle grabbed my eye, impulse… any number of reasons may lead me to bring something special home to the basement bar.  WhistlePig Straight Rye was the latest bottle I couldn’t say no to.  I had no preconceived notions; I’d never heard of it.

Like any whiskey I buy, I start my experience with a straight-from-the-bottle half-shot.  I drink a fair amount of rye and know what to expect.  This WhistlePig threw me a little but not in a bad way.  The spiciness and strong peppery notes were right there.  The finish to the mouthful changed as the liquid washed down my throat.  It coated the tongue and pallet longer with that rye-richness and with more complexity than other premium ryes I’ve experienced.  This is a one-hundred proof, 100 % rye whiskey, so along with the complexity, came a fairly smooth fierceness of a higher-proof.  She should have biten more, but she didn’t; more on this in a sec.

WhistlePig Distillery is located on an old Vermont farm, and they managed to entice Kentucky Master Distiller, Dave Pickerell  to make the trip North, roll up his sleeves and create this rye. His work paid off in higher-end circles; it was awarded Wine Enthusiasts highest rating ever for a rye whiskey, coming in with 96 out of 100 points.  Sounds good…but does she make a good Manhattan?

The rye is aged for ten+ years in new American oak barrels, and Distiller Pickerell said that he was looking for high notes in proof, purity and age with this one.  He found it.

The nose on WhistlePig is very pleasant.  The vanilla, spice, and citrus smells are there, and hold up for the duration of your drink; I only wish they came across a bit stronger.  For such a complex whiskey, I’d like a bit more strength as I breathe it in.  Still, I was satisfied.  As long as my rye-spice is there, as it was in this one, I’m happy.  The WhistlePig shone in this department, but still managed to carry in some taste surprises.

I found the sipping part, when opened up with a few pieces of cracked ice, most delightful.  Rich, nutty, peppery and warming, the WhistlePig coats the mouth, but a lot softer than my high-end Templeton Rye, or even Wild Turkey’s Rye or Old Overholdt.  WhistlePig seems a thinner rye – the subtlety almost too apparent.  But…hold the phone!  Right when you feel a taste loss, a second finish comes up (this was confirmed by guests who shared).  The higher proof and pure rye taste hits you again with a flavor that takes its own sweet time exiting.  For a higher-proof whiskey, the bark that can oftentimes turn this drinker off, just wasn’t there.  I couldn’t find it; it was too smooth.

As swell as the WhistlePig is as a straight pour or over a few pieces of ice, the one-hundred proof and enormous shoulders of the straight rye, begged to be mixed in a cocktail.  My WhistlePig Manhattan, made with 2 ounces rye, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, and a couple dashes orange bitters, was as perfect a Manhattan as I’ve ever tasted.  Orange bitters teamed with the subtle citrus-orange note in the rye and caused me to drink the damn thing much too quickly.  A single old fashioned the next evening proved WhistlePig’s worth to me as a top-notch build in a rye cocktail.  I quickly corked the bottle and placed it out of site in my bar….  No need to get greedy; I want this one to last for a while.

I paid $69 for my bottle, which is a bit more than I’m used to spending on rye.  Still, as I mentioned at the start, as a treat to yourself, the WhistlePig rye is worth it.  A good rye is almost an essential in your home bar today.  Top-shelf whiskey cocktails, as long as whiskey is the main pour, are some of the best reasons to home bartend.  Premium cocktails in restaurants and bars can set you back some major cabbage.  Having a few excellent bottles of whiskey at home will satisfy that premium-whiskey tooth, and can be considered an occasional affordable luxury.  I say, “go for it!”  WhistlePig Straight Rye would be a great addition to the top-shelf of your home bar.  Just don’t let too many friends know you have it.

I was recently provided with a bottle of this English gin for review and wanted to share my reaction with you guys.  I cracked it a few months ago, and since I tend to really rotate the spirits and brands I quaff, I just now laid the empty bottle to rest out in the glass bin. With each drink I poured using Bulldog, I tried to recall, sometimes successfully and without fog the next day, my experiences with the gin.  Here are my overall and positive reactions.

The bottle itself is my biggest complaint.  I know some love the look of it – a dark smoky-black one with an incorporated spiked bulldog collar around the neck.  I find it almost too bold a statement like a too-hep twenty-something sporting too much ink and facial hair. The Bulldog barks atop your bar. I want a bottle that sits, pops a little, yet stays quiet till you need her.  There, there’s my whine.  Bottle doesn’t really thrill me….but the gin inside, now that’s another story.

When I cracked the bottle and took a strong whiff, the nose of the gin wanted me to immediately make a martini. The juniper used in distillation, along with eleven other botanicals from eight countries, was subtle and delicious.  Bulldog smells special, and the perfume of a spirit usually crosses over into the drink.  Bulldog’s woodsy, flowery-sweet scent also settled into my drinks which I appreciated.

I am happy to write that these smells of nature (lavender, poppy and pine) made their way into the smooth taste of the gin.  When I poured my Noilly Prat French Dry Vermouth into the pitcher with my Bulldog, along with a couple shakes of orange bitters, the resulting martini carried a pretty friendly, yet complex, gin flavor into the pool.  One of the better martinis I’ve ever tasted.  Of course, some credit has to be given to my amazing martini-making skills – just thought I should mention that (wink).

Bulldog is quadruple distilled in the UK, so harshness is not an issue.  I found this robust gin to be as smooth as any I’ve tasted.  Within its first week on my shelf, I made a martini, a gin ‘n tonic and a gibson.  Bulldog played well with the standards, but would she hold up with the juices and sours?  I found out.

Tom Collins is a quiet fave of mine, and I insist that he’s made old-school with fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, club soda, fruit and lots of discernable gin.  I want my gin to stand up and out in my juice cocktails. The glow one gets after a couple well-made gin hi-balls is appreciated, sure…but not as much as the botanicals and the smack of a gin that works in concert yet holds its own.  Bulldog works in a collins, a pink lady, a vesper martini and a gin bramble. I know ’cause I made ‘em all with the Bulldog.

Look for this gin. It would be a nice starter gin for the vodka or white wine drinker you know, yet it stands beautifully complex enough for the serious cocktail lover to appreciate, and that aforementioned novice to stay with, as he/she grows into gin cocktails.  Running between $25 & $30 a bottle, this is a pretty affordable gin.  Keep your eyes peeled for it.