WhistlePig Adds 10 Year Old Bourbon, Readies New Bar and Brand Center in Louisville

A decade after launching its flagship 10 year old small batch rye, Vermont-based WhistlePig has added a 10 year old bourbon to its portfolio with the debut of Snout-To-Tail. While WhistlePig has built its business predominantly on rye, the new offering is a fresh take on bourbon made with a unique finishing and aging process. To complement this release, WhistlePig has announced plans to open a new bar and brand experience center in Louisville, Kentucky this summer, with the goal of setting down roots for its Vermont whiskey in Bourbon Country.

Snout-to-Tail bourbon 10 year old gets its name from the toasted barrels in which it rests. The barrels feature two different toasted heads—the “snout” end has a Vermont oak medium toast while the “tail” end boasts a Vermont oak smoked maple wood toast. The barrels are stored vertically to age, and during the final stage of maturation a forklift flips the barrels 180 degrees—from snout to tail—so the whiskey inside is exposed to both heads. Snout-to-Tail bourbon ($90) is bottled at 44% ABV, or 88 proof, a nod to the 880 miles between WhistlePig’s Vermont farm and its new Kentucky outpost, to be called The WhistlePig PiggyBank in Louisville. The whiskey is distilled from roughly 80% corn, with the remainder coming predominantly from rye and a small amount of malted barley. It’s available now at retail stores and bars nationwide, and on the brand’s website.

The PiggyBank bar and retail space will be situated in Louisville’s historic bank building at 403 East Market St., which formerly housed Bank Shot Billiards. It will feature an interactive experience for guests, including exclusive tastings of WhistlePig whiskeys. Making full use of the bank space, the property’s historic vault will house the brand’s most rare and collectible labels. PiggyBank will also have a bar that the company cheekily describes as bringing “Big Pig Energy” to Bourbon Country. The bar will offer barrel-aged maple cocktails and product personalization options, special events, and special-edition whiskeys. Local food trucks will serve as partners to the space, offering fare to complement its drinks.

WhistlePig is well-versed in experimenting with the whisky-making process. The brand’s portfolio includes a wide variety of offshoots made with different aging and blending techniques, including the Farmstock series made with grain and water from the WhistlePig farm and aged in oak harvested from the property, and the Boss Hog series, featuring single barrel cask strength whiskeys that are designed to stand out in the American whiskey landscape. The brand also offers several older-aged labels, including a 15 year old rye and an Old World Cask Finish rye aged for 12 years in a blend of sauternes, madeira, and port casks. While rye dominates the WhistlePig portfolio, the brand does offer a few other bourbons, including PiggyBack 100 Proof and Beyond Bonded Farmstock.