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Pickerell’s WhistlePig Piggyback Rye celebrates bartenders
Vermont-based producer WhistlePig has released one of the final expressions created by late master distiller Dave Pickerell – Piggyback Rye Whiskey.
Piggyback Rye Whiskey celebrates the “bartenders who helped forge the WhistlePig brand”
Several years in the making, Piggyback was created by master blender Pete Lynch and Pickerell, who died in November last year.
Piggyback is made with 100% rye and has been aged for six years. The expression is said to be “the realisation of Dave’s dream to create the best aged rye whiskey” for cocktails.
Pickerell chose the name ‘Piggyback’ to “express the love and respect he had for the bartending community”.
The pig depicted on the bottle is wearing a stetson hat – a nod to Pickerell’s trademark hat that he was rarely seen without. The design of the bottle has been adapted to make it easier for bartenders to use.
“On behalf of Dave Pickerell, and all of us here at WhistlePig, we are pleased to share with you the latest expression in our unparalleled offering of aged rye whiskeys, one of Dave’s final creations,” said Jeff Kozak, CEO of WhistlePig.
“WhistlePig Piggyback Rye is a gift from Dave to his friends across the country and around the world, and of course, the bartenders who helped forge the WhistlePig brand from the very beginning.”
Tasting notes for Piggyback include fresh cinnamon, black peppercorn, tangerine and grapefruit zest on the nose. The palate is “powerfully spicy, with cocoa, cardamom and cured leather flavours” followed by a finish of baking spices, oak, vanilla and citrus.
WhistlePig Piggyback Rye Whiskey has an RRP of US$49.99 per 750ml. It will launch in the US in Illinois, Tennessee, Florida, Washington DC and Missouri.
Piggyback will be available to buy online from April 2019, shipping to most US states through retailer Caskers.
The release of Piggyback will see WhistlePig expand and boost its involvement in events, sponsorships, and activations on both a regional and national level.
Piggyback will be supported in the US with a marketing campaign, under the tagline ‘Together we Ryed’. The initiative will launch across several platforms including sports, entertainment, food and travel.
Earlier this year, WhistlePig sold a minority stake of its business to investment banking firm BDT Capital Partners to expand its international reach.