Lock Stock & Barrel vs. Whistle Pig

[Hedonist]

I got a bottle of Lock Stock & Barrel rye for Xmas. A fan of Alberta rye (Whistle Pig and Jeff 10 in particular) I was pretty excited about it. I was expecting something not unlike Whistle Pig, only more aged and a slightly bigger flavor. I was disappointed - LSB did not fare well in a side by side comparison with Whistle Pig. I found Whistle Pig to be a little smoother than LSB and have a bigger, more pleasant flavor.

Some people think Whistle Pig is overpriced. More and more, I'm starting to believe it's not. I've now tried 5 ryes from the Alberta distillery (Whistle Pig at $65, Jefferson 10 at $40, Masterson's at $75, Pendleton at $35, and Lock Stock & Barrel at $120), and Whistle Pig for me easily has the best flavor, Jefferson 10 being a close second.

Oh well, at least the Lock Stock & Barrel bottle and outer wooden box are really cool.

Next up, I'm going to have to try Whistle Pig Boss Hog Spirit of Mortimer.

[DBM]

That's a great comparison, thanks for the notes. LS&B has lingered on shelves for over a year now, and on a few occasions I have considered grabbing one just to know if it stacks up against anything comparable, specifically WP. I haven't seen it at a bar yet, but I will be happy waiting to try a pour before committing to a bottle.

[GaryT]

At those prices, I would agree. Around here, it seems the WP is $70+, and Jeff 10 (when it was around) was $30-$35. I also found them to be very close, but for double the price - I've never brought a pig home. I've tried LSB and thought that if it were closer to the price of WP, I might buy a bottle. I keep passing the same couple bottles at $113 and thinking the store will cut the price at some point - but not thus far. If they go on sale for $79, I might think about it.

[TunnelTiger]

Price aside (although very important) LSB beats WP hands down, but that's just me. Some of that may be that I just can't get over WP's lies of who they are and what they claim their product to be.

That being said LSB is overpriced at least $50, but then again so is WP.

[Hedonist]

Tiger, do you like the taste of LSB better than WP or is it that you don't like Raj's spin? Have you tried them side by side? I'd be curious to hear somebody's impressions of LSB over WP.

The more ryes I taste, the greater my appreciation for Whistle Pig.

[TunnelTiger]

H - yes I've had them sbs but that's been more than a year ago. If they were priced the same and with no WP spin I'd still prefer the LSB because for some reason I really enjoy longer aged bourbons/ryes than the majority on here. Oaky wood must be my thing.

That being said I think MWD beats them both hands down.

[Hedonist]

Tiger, that's interesting. I found WP to taste oakier than LSB even though it's younger. But I'm still relatively new to this, so perhaps I'm getting what aged whiskey tastes like mixed up... I'm not an expert by any means. But WP tasted more aged to me even though 3 years younger than LSB.

What's MWD?

[TunnelTiger]

What's MWD?

High West's Midwinter Nights Dram. If you enjoy ryes you must give this one a try.

[Hedonist]

I just saw this out at the bar last night but didn't try it. Not sure what they were charging by the glass. Quick research indicates Midwinter is Rendezvous mash bill with extra finish, is that right? I'll have to give this a try.

[flahute]

I just saw this out at the bar last night but didn't try it. Not sure what they were charging by the glass. Quick research indicates Midwinter is Rendezvous mash bill with extra finish, is that right? I'll have to give this a try.

Yes - finished in port casks and it's magnificent. Give it a try for sure.

[tanstaafl2]

I just saw this out at the bar last night but didn't try it. Not sure what they were charging by the glass. Quick research indicates Midwinter is Rendezvous mash bill with extra finish, is that right? I'll have to give this a try.

Indeed! Standard Rendezvous with finishing in a mix of port barrels and french oak (typically wine casks. I would guess they were used barrels from Quady Winery, home of Vya vermouth which is the vermouth used in the HW barrel aged manhattans).

[flahute]

I tried Lock Stock last week at a friend's house and thought it was actually pretty good. Not good enough to pay retail, but enjoyable enough to try. I'd probably take this over standard Whistle Pig (if price was not a factor). Given the price though, I won't buy either.

[mopgcw]

Hedonist, I agree, for me the LSB was OK, but I really did think WP is a much better rye much more going on there.

[TunnelTiger]

Given the price though, I won't buy either.

In my area the pricing is the same. Having tried both I really prefer the LSB. Having said that it is overpriced IMO, but that is the new standard.