Taste Test: Whistlepig Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song

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If you’re not a big rye whisky drinker, you might not be aware of the annual releases from Vermont’s famed WhistlePig. Specifically, we’re talking about the eagerly awaited WhistlePig Boss Hog releases. The ninth edition of the popular rye whiskey series, WhistlePig Boss Hog: Siren’s Song is the most collaborative, exciting release yet.

Two years ago, WhistlePig The Boss Hog VII Magellan’s Atlantic was crafted to taste like the various wood types Magellan would have encountered as he traversed the globe. It was aged for a full seventeen years in Spanish oak and South American teakwood, creating a slightly spicy, warming, highly complex rye whiskey. Last year, the distillery released Whistlepig Boss Hog VIII: LapuLapu’s Pacific, a whiskey aged in various Philippine rum casks. This resulted in a multi-layered, tropical fruit-filled, slightly sweet, spicy whiskey.

This year, the brand draws inspiration from the Greek Muses for its annual release. This single-barrel, bottled-proof whiskey starts as a straight rye American whiskey.

“You could say the Greek Muses guided us toward the discovery and persistence of creating Siren’s Song,” Liz Rhoades, Head of Whiskey Development at WhistlePig says. “In visiting Greece this summer to source ingredients and learn from experts at an original tentura distillery, we were drawn to the distinctly unique flavors of Greece and how they would interact with the bold flavor of our aged Rye Whiskey. We can’t wait for fans and collectors to indulge in The Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song. Yamas!”

It gets its unique flavor profile from being aged in charred, new, American oak barrels before being double cask finished in WhistlePig’s own Greek fig nectar and farm-scratch tentura. For those who don’t know what tentura is, it’s a Greek liqueur that was first distilled in the Peloponnesian city of Patras. WhistlePig’s version is made with flavors like nutmeg, clove, orange peel, honey, and cinnamon.

“Every year The Boss Hog is bigger, bolder, and more stupendous than the last. We are constantly trialing new finishes to find the next best whiskey experience, and in true WhistlePig fashion, this year’s edition is a world’s first,” Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig says. “Our ambition to unlock the ultimate flavor complexity – and the nectar and tentura, which were new trials in and of themselves  – was well worth the challenge once we landed the final product.”

Whistlepig Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song

What Does It Taste Like?

On the nose is gentle sweet cream, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, sticky toffee pudding, and light, peppery rye. The palate is a symphony of dried cherries, marzipan, orange peels, clove, cinnamon, buttery caramel, and more cracked black pepper. For the complexity of this whiskey and the kick of rye, the finish is surprisingly mellow, and warming, with just a simple, gentle peppery tingle at the very end. Truly a one-of-a-kind whiskey and one that you should absolutely get your hands on if you’re able to. It’s well worth the price tag.

Is It Worth It?

While this rye whiskey doesn’t come with an age statement, there’s a good chance it’s been aged as long (or longer) than the other WhistlePig Boss Hog releases. This means that it’s likely somewhere around fifteen years old. Also, since it’s bottled at bottle-proof, its alcohol by volume varies from bottle to bottle. You can bet it will be between 102.5 and 106.2 proof though.

What Does It Cost?

If you want to get your hands on a bottle of this highly limited-edition expression, you can purchase a 750ml bottle of Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song, adorned with an ornate “Boss Hog” figure, in a collectible box for the suggested retail price of $599.99. Yes, you read that right. This is a highly limited, very sought-after expression. If you have that type of cash burning a hole in your pocket and you want a highly nuanced, flavorful rye whiskey, you can preorder your own bottle right now at Whistlepig or wait for it to show up at your favorite online retailer or local liquor store. 

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