In 2010, WhistlePig’s founders came out of the gate with tantalizingly smooth and spicy rye whiskey and a great story—they were going to grow their own rye on a farm in Vermont and make a true farm-to-bottle, single-site whiskey. The problem was that the initial spirit was sourced from Canada; their rye wouldn’t be available for years. It’s still not quite ready, but they used their own rye for a fifth of this whiskey, blended with some Canadian and Indiana stock. Vermont and Canada were both aged in native Vermont oak, as well. The result is a delicious—and highly encouraging—debut, fruity, spicy and bright, as rye should be. Whiskey ages slowly in Vermont, so it might be a while until that mature, 100-percent version comes around. But Farmstock is plenty to enjoy while we’re waiting.
Spirits Type:
Rye Whisky
ABV:
86%
Importer:
WhistlePig, Shoreham, VT
Price:
$85/750ml
Jordan Mackay’s writing on wine, spirits and food has appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Decanter, the Art of Eating and many other publications. While Secrets of the Sommeliers, the book he wrote with Rajat Parr, won a James Beard Award in 2011, it’s certain winemakers that he credits with some of his most important tasting lessons.
This story appears in the print issue of Winter 2017.
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