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Review #: 42
Description: Whistlepig The Boss Hog VI: The Samurai Scientist
Spirit: Rye
Background: The Boss Hog is reserved for Whistlepig’s biggest limited releases. The Samurai Scientist was distilled using koji fermentation (a mold used to convert starch into fermentable sugars) and finished in Japanese Umeshu Barrels. I believe bottles are technically single barrel, with the proof wavering between 120-122. It appears the whiskey does come from their stocks of Canadian Rye. Let’s not get bogged down with semantics though. Whistlepig aims for the Boss Hog series to be the best whiskey on the market and price it such with a whopping $500 price tag (as well as to discourage secondary markups). So is it worth it?
This was tasted at the Whistlepig Tasting Room in Waterbury, VT along side 3 other WP brands. The notes are slightly abbreviated as the room is small and I didn’t want to take away from other visitors waiting their turn.
Distillery – Alberta Distillers
Bottler – Whistlepig
Brand – Whistlepig
Selection – N/A
ABV – 60%
Age – 16 Years
Nose – Red wine, stone fruit, baking spices
Taste – Thick and oily, caramel apples, honey, baking spices. Like a dessert pastry
Finish – Long and warm, baking spices, drying oak and more oak influence as time goes on
Score: 8
Would I buy a bottle? Hell no
Thoughts: Let’s get this straight: this was absolutely delicious. The Umeshu influence was very apparent but worked very well with the flavor and the oak influence offered nice structure and balance. It definitely is on the level of flavor and complexity of the GTS I previously reviewed. But in no way is it worth $500. Maybe $150 would be more fair, but even then it’s hard to justify that much money on a single bottle. I’m glad I was able to taste this at the tasting room, and they offering for a far more reasonable $10 per 1/2oz.