Whistlepig is a relatively new entrant on the American whisky scene – and one that is gaining in popularity.

The 100% rye whisky that makes up the core Whistlepig 10 Year Old is barreled and matured initially by Alberta Distillers in Canada, before being shipped to Vermont for re-barreling and additional aging in Whistlepig’s hands. This is the main difference from Masterson’s, which I believe just bottles the Alberta whisky straight from the Canadian barrels. Whistlepig 10 yo was created by Dave Pickerell, the former Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark.

This is an unmalted rye, as Alberta Distillers has developed its own proprietary enzymes for converting rye starch into sugar. In order to meet American standards for a straight rye, the source Canadian whisky for Whistlepig must have been distilled to an alcohol content of 80% or less (thus keeping a higher proportion of congeners than most Canadian whiskies, which can be distilled higher). It must also have entered into virgin charred oak barrels for aging (which is relatively less common here). The end result is a more flavourful experience than most Canadian rye whiskies. Note these aspects are equally true for the Masterson’s 10 Year Old Straight Rye, which I recently reviewed.

Bottled at an impressive 50% ABV, the Whistlepig 10 yo rye is sold at an eye-popping price of $147 CAD at the LCBO. That makes it considerably more expensive than any of the other premium fully-Canadian rye whiskies.

Here is how the entry-level Whistlepigs compare to other Alberta Distillers products in my Meta-Critic database:

Alberta Premium: 8.24 ± 0.56 on 11 reviews ($)
Alberta Premium Dark Horse: 8.61 ± 0.37 on 15 reviews ($)
Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye: 8.34 ± 0.42 on 14 reviews ($)
Masterson’s Straight Rye 10yo: 8.87 ± 0.40 on 17 reviews ($$$$)
Masterson’s Straight Wheat 12yo: 8.64 ± 0.23 on 9 reviews ($$$$)
Masterson’s Straight Barley 10yo: 8.57 ± 0.61 on 7 reviews ($$$$)
Whistlepig 10yo: 8.83 ± 0.42 on 16 reviews ($$$$)
Whistlepig The Boss Hog: 8.81 ± 0.28 on 9 reviews ($$$$$)

The Whistlepig products do about as well as the Masterson’s Straight Rye 10yo, as you might expect. Note however that even the entry-level budget-priced Alberta ryes do fairly well for their price.

Let’s see how the other higher-end Canadian ryes compare:

Canadian Club 20yo: 8.63 ± 0.31 on 10 reviews ($$$)
Canadian Rockies 21yo: 9.00 ± 0.29 on 7 reviews ($$$)
Caribou Crossing Single Barrel: 8.61 ± 0.42 on 10 reviews ($$$$)
Crown Royal Hand Selected Barrel: 8.82 ± 0.26 on 8 reviews ($$$)
Crown Royal Monarch 75th Anniversary: 8.75 ± 0.48 on 9 reviews ($$$)
Crown Royal Reserve: 8.53 ± 0.65 on 13 reviews ($$$)
Forty Creek Confederation Oak (All Batches): 8.79 ± 0.39 on 18 reviews ($$$)
Gibson’s Finest Rare 18yo: 9.01 ± 0.33 on 10 reviews ($$$$)
J.P. Wiser’s 18yo: 8.66 ± 0.39 on 14 reviews ($$$)
J.P. Wiser’s Legacy: 9.02 ± 0.33 on 15 reviews ($$)
J.P. Wiser’s Red Letter: 8.85 ± 0.35 on 11 reviews ($$$$)
Lot 40: 8.90 ± 0.35 on 20 reviews ($$)

On the whole, these are fairly similar average scores to the Whistlepig 10 yo. So the rather large price premium for Whistlepig in Canada (i.e., it costs ~2-3X as much as any of the above) is a little hard to swallow, so to speak. 😉

Of course, cost is only one aspect to consider – how does it taste?  Let’s see what I find in the glass:

Nose: Very sweet nose, with red berries, cola and touch of cream. Orange citrus. Caramel and vanilla. Rye spices, mainly sweet cinnamon and tangy cloves. Tobacco. There is definitely a similarity to Masterson’s Straight Rye (which is also sweet and fruity) – but this Whistlepig seems a bit less complex (and less woody). Faint hint of solvent, but its subtle. More floral with water (also some dill appears).

Palate: Caramel and butterscotch up front, and not as fruity in the mouth. Woody. Hay and tobacco, but again not quite as earthy as I would have expected. Rye spices come next, with pepper added to the mix. Mouthfeel is very thick and syrupy, I might almost say velvety. Powerful dram, but needs a bit of water. Much less syrupy with water, but water doesn’t add anything new – so go easy if you want to try it. Lingering spices (allspice?).

Finish: Medium length. Sweet cherry cough syrup, hiding a touch of bitterness. That oaky bitterness builds over time. Tobacco lingers too. Water helps here, but the bitterness still persists. I recommend you add a few drops.

While Whistlepig 10 Year Old is a decent rye whisky, there is nothing that really makes it stand out for me. I personally find Masterson’s 10 yo Straight Rye superior on each of the sensory axes above, with richer flavours across the board. The palate and finish of Whistlepig also has more woody bitterness than I would like.

While I know a couple of the Reddit reviewers prefer Whistlepig over Masterson’s (e.g. Neversafeforlife), this is not the case for most reviewers in my database who have tried both. In particular, Davin of Whisky Advocate, Jason of In Search of Elegance and Jim Murray all strongly favour Masterson’s 10 yo rye – and give Whistlepig average or just-below-average scores (as I would). S.D. of Whiskey Reviewer is a big fan of both ryes, and likes them equally (see here and here), and the guys at Quebec Whisky are also fairly similar in their scores – with Andre being one of the most positive. The most negative review I’ve seen for Whistlepig comes from Serge of Whisky Fun.