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Whistle Pig Boss-Hog


Dolph Lundgren
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Whistle Pig is coming out with a 12 (and 1/2 year) barrel strength rye. Suggested retail is $130-$150.

http://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com/the-boss-hog-2/

It doesn't say whether its NCF. Hopefully it is...

I'm a fan of the Alberta Ryes and loved the Jeff 10 NCF. This release should compete against Lock/Stock Rye. The price is high but I'm definitely intrigued by a barrel proof Alberta rye (hopefully NCF) and might grab a bottle in November.

Thoughts?

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Justin, what did you think of the WP 11/111? I've never had it, thought that the WP10 was marginally better than the Jeff10 CF version, and lagged pretty far behind the NCF. I'm a bit leery of dropping that much coin on a Canadian rye, even if it is BP and NCF. I'm a fan of the style in general, I just want to hear a couple glowing reviews before I decide to take the plunge. But really, I guess there's only one way to find out :drinking:

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Sorry guys but need to know the PRICE $$$ first before I can comment on anything. At $45 looks awesome. At $145 not awesome.

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Seems really pricey but that is not surprising for WhistlePig. The LS&B, while very good, seemed a stretch at $120+ and this would have to be even better to warrant the additional cost.

That said, when I see it I will probably buy at least one being the liquor whore that I am! Although surprisingly I have managed to stay away from the WP11/111.

And its hard to justify any of them with a couple of Jeff10 NCF still in the bunker.

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I'm a bit leery of dropping that much coin on a Canadian rye, even if it is BP and NCF.
Sorry guys but need to know the PRICE $$$ first before I can comment on anything. At $45 looks awesome. At $145 not awesome.

Yup.

For perspective Alberta Premium put out a 30yo here in Canada for 50 bucks. Granted, it was watered down to 40% and most likely chill-filtered, but 30 years old!!!

Bottom line, all indications suggest the whistlepig is basically the same distillate at one third the age. Until AP (or their owners Beam) gets their heads out of the sand and bottles a BP, NCF whisky themselves (instead of selling it to an NDP to re-package and mark-up several hundred %) I'm on the sidelines on Canadian whisky >$50.

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Whistle Pig is coming out with a 12 (and 1/2 year) barrel strength rye. Suggested retail is $130-$150.

http://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com/the-boss-hog-2/

It doesn't say whether its NCF. Hopefully it is...

I'm a fan of the Alberta Ryes and loved the Jeff 10 NCF. This release should compete against Lock/Stock Rye. The price is high but I'm definitely intrigued by a barrel proof Alberta rye (hopefully NCF) and might grab a bottle in November.

Thoughts?

The product sounds great and I'd definitely be interested as I'm a massive WP fan....but I'm not a fan of that price. Sheesh....

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The product sounds great and I'd definitely be interested as I'm a massive WP fan....but I'm not a fan of that price. Sheesh....

Definitely agree. I'm looking forward to a bottle materializing on the Gazebo table some day, but I won't be purchasing one. Like portwood said, just release this same product straight from the distillery and charge $70. You'd move it like nobody's business.

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Justin, what did you think of the WP 11/111? I've never had it, thought that the WP10 was marginally better than the Jeff10 CF version, and lagged pretty far behind the NCF. I'm a bit leery of dropping that much coin on a Canadian rye, even if it is BP and NCF. I'm a fan of the style in general, I just want to hear a couple glowing reviews before I decide to take the plunge. But really, I guess there's only one way to find out :drinking:

I haven't tried the 111 yet, either. I agree with everything you said. I think, really, its going to come down to whether this is CF or not. I'd love to have a BP Canadian NCF - even at 12 (and 1/2) years. NCF Jeff 10s are the bomb - imagine 2 (1/2) more years and BP! I'll email them and report back.

As far as prices, the msrp on this is becoming the new norm and no worse than grabbing a BTAC on the secondary market (or from greedy retailers). I've (begrudgingly) accepted things for what they are and shifted my price expectations for good whiskey about $40 to the right. At this point, the bunker is big enough to buy less...still sucks, though, and doesn't take away all of the sting.

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Sorry guys but need to know the PRICE $$$ first before I can comment on anything. At $45 looks awesome. At $145 not awesome.

Sorry again, I read the O.P. too fast and missed the part where he actually quoted the actual MSRP. My 145 was me guessing what would be the stupidest price they would want to charge for this, and there it is.

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If AP has enough 30 year old whisky to launch a brand then apparently they have unsold stock on hand. Perhaps they believe the NDPs can both move and set higher prices for the product.

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If AP has enough 30 year old whisky to launch a brand then apparently they have unsold stock on hand. Perhaps they believe the NDPs can both move and set higher prices for the product.

To be clear, the 30yo was a limited edition released in 2011 and sold out. The sad part is that it wasn't a "brand" per se. In fact, it was sold in the same ugly 1970's style bottles as the regular AP - with a more modern label.

They may not have more old (30yo) stock sleeping in their warehouses but it appears they have plenty of 10-12 year old stock to sell to NDP's.

Edited by portwood
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I'll be interested in this. I like Whistlepig

You like the taste or the fact that it is is well priced from a producer/marketer's point of view?;)

A rising price tide lifts all boats ...

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Right from the Pig's mouth: Justin,

Depending on what market you are looking in we expect it to start hitting the market early November.

The Boss Hog is not chill filtered.

Cheers,

WP

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I don't think any iteration of WhistlePig was like that 30 year old unless the latter was a flavouring-style whiskey, but was it? This would seem unlikely and its price point wouldn't suggest it. E.g. CC 20 and 30 years old are not flavouring whiskeys, but basically the regular CC aged to a much older age, showing that is a lot of wood but relative neutrality of palate. CC 20 is still only about $50 here so similar in that sense.

However, I never did get to try the AP 30.

I feel caution must be exercised when people speak of "Alberta rye". The only rye from Alberta I've had that breaks the mold of regular Canadian whisky is this group that has largely been sold in the U.S. including Masterson's, WP and Jefferson. Some of it is now 12 years old and being released at that age. This stuff was aged in all-new charred barrels and meets the other requirements for straight U.S. rye. That is very different than the regular AP, say, which I believe in a blind tasting with other Canadian Whiskies of the usual type could not be picked out for its all-rye content. And this would be due to regular AP and all AP Canadian whisky I've had except for "the group" again being composed largely of whisky distilled to a very high proof to virtual neutrality.

Incidentally, any of the group at 12-13 years old should be very good. There is a lot of "distillery" (waxy, slate-like) character in the 10's that would age very nicely I think over 2-3 years and probably even longer.

Gary

Edited by Gillman
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All excellent points Gary but one simple fact remains: "flavouring whisky", new vs old barrels, straight vs blend, etc the costs of production, storage, financing, etc do not add up to a difference of $50 for a 30yo vs >$100 for a 12yo.

The simple fact is that the stuff being bottled by these American NDP's, existed and/or still exists INSIDE Canada. Therefore, if a Canadian distiller can put out a 30yo product for $50, they CAN and SHOULD bottle the product being sold to the NDPs themselves!!! Cut out the middleman, charge a (smaller) premium and still make higher margins.

I suspect this is not happening because the large Canadian producers are owned by multinationals that do NOT want the Canadian products competing with their high-end "small batch"/single barrel/etc Bourbon/Rye products.

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I think Masterson's came in from the States so that roundabout route surely explains the high price here, the extra taxes tacked on and other charges. As far as I know, no other flavouring whisky has been sold here uncut (that is, not blended as, say, even Dark Horse is) except possibly for Lot 40. It is a flavouring whiskey surely, and sells at a fair price. So that shows we "can do it" but as to why not, I am not sure. Your suggestion may be true, or part of it, I don't know. I wonder how much flavouring whiskey can be spared - Alberta Distillers apart evidently - for a new brand... There isn't a lot made I think. Remember too, CC doesn't have any - it's all barrel blending (at birth) that they do. Seagram - not sure what they can spare again. We just don't know enough..

Gray

Edited by Gillman
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I wish some of the Canadian whiskey's I've had tasted as good as the flavoring whiskey that is being sent over here (Jeff, WP, Mastersons...).

Looking around the web, there is a lot more stuff going on at WP that is pretty interesting. Apparently they are getting some heavy push back from their neighbors and it's getting catty. It's being painted as a corporate vs. citizens battle royale'.

Here are a few interesting reads:

http://www.wcax.com/story/21771523/whistlepig-makes-its-case-in-act-250-dispute

Raj v. Neighbor

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/98133/whistlepig-case-challenges-definition-farm/

Is WP a farm?

http://www.nrb.state.vt.us/lup/enforcement/comments/gross.pdf

God I hate you, WP

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I tried their standard 10y.o. It is a really fine rye. I'm looking forward to when they distill their own juice from the rye they grow on their farm. Of course that is several years away.

But as much as I liked the 10y.o. I feel WP prices are way out of line as others have pointed out. They are really milking this "hand bottled in Vermont" b.s. Believe me, I'm from Vermont and I know the marketing routine. For some reason, lots of folks buy into this pastoral state romanticism stuff on labels. I bet that's worth a good 20 bucks a bottle right there on the 10y.o. But you can get Jefferson's Rye (also an Alberta rye) for a little more than half the price with only slightly lower proof. At $70 a bottle WP is asking us to pay as much (in some cases more) than you would for a recent BTAC bottle of juice. This seems to defy any supply and demand equation to me.

Ah but then I must remember....BTAC isn't "hand bottled in Vermont."

Edited by Merrymash Monk
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So why such a wide price discrepancy between Rye and Bourbon of about the same age? Purely marketing, or some weird science/maturation divergence I'm not aware of.

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So why such a wide price discrepancy between Rye and Bourbon of about the same age? Purely marketing, or some weird science/maturation divergence I'm not aware of.

Rye is the flavour of the day (i.e. demand is high). Supply is (supposedly) low.

When the seller has the upper hand prices go up.

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Rye is the flavour of the day (i.e. demand is high). Supply is (supposedly) low.

When the seller has the upper hand prices go up.

That is an interesting comment on the supply side. We genuinely have to take their word for it since they don't publish stock levels in maturation.

No chance I'm dropping $150 on "the Boss Hog". Is there an equivalent in age/style? (Akin to Jeffersons/Mastersons/WP relationship)

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