WhistlePig The Boss Hog X: The Commandments |

Every year, many whiskey launches occur, but the one that catches the passionate drinker’s interest is the annual Boss Hog release by WhistlePig. Now in its 10th year, each Boss Hog release is a unique, experimental, and strong rye whiskey.

The eighth edition of the Boss Hog series had the distinct feature of being aged in Philippine rum casks, while the next release, Boss Hog IX: Siren’s Song, was exclusively finished in Greek fig nectar casks and tentura casks – a unique process. Continuing the path of innovation, this year welcomes the official release of WhistlePig The Boss Hog X: The Commandments.

WhistlePig The Boss Hog X continues the tradition of the original five commandments that go into the creation of each Boss Hog release. It needs to be a single barrel, bottled at proof, be powerfully complex, and incredibly unique from anything they’ve made before, whilst also being “stupendous.” However, this year’s release adds five more prerequisites. It has to be “Fearlessly first amongst all whiskeys, inspired by the unfamiliar, irreverently inventive, designed for drinking, and knowing no bounds.”

Those 10 commandments can be found on The Boss Hog X gift box, showcasing the whiskey through a spinning entrance with the bottle topped with an attractive pewter lid.

The whiskey itself is pure rye that was matured in fresh American oak barrels and then moved into two interesting finishing casks. The initial cask was flavored with WhistlePig’s experimental spirit, a mix of rye and whey distillate saturated with resins from frankincense and myrrh. The second cask previously contained mead.

Although the choice of casks is somewhat peculiar, the practice of finishing whiskeys is common — the usage of wood resins, however, is a novel approach.

The Boss Hog X from WhistlePig features a distinct finishing procedure.

“I began to question whether it was feasible to utilize resins after the initial few trials. However, the discovery of the whey/rye spirit was a revelation and absolutely worth the effort,” expressed Meghan Ireland, the chief blender at WhistlePig. “This represents not only a global premiere, but also an anticipation of the upcoming harvests with the successive decade of The Boss Hog.”

This whiskey is grand and robust; nonetheless, it manages its alcohol content exceptionally and the scents are not overpowering. It has an aroma of honey, flowers, toasted nuts, and baking spices. The taste introduces more honey accompanied by dessert-like notes of creamy vanilla and rich creme brulee. The sweeter elements are balanced by dried fruits, bitter chocolate, sharp black pepper, and aromatic herbs. Despite sometimes being slightly peculiar and complicated, it offers an exhilarating tasting adventure. The flavors metamorphose from tasting to the finish, making it worthy of a sit-down, slow-tasting experience.

The restricted edition WhistlePig The Boss Hog X: The Commandments is bottled with proofs, and individual bottles have an ABV ranging between 52.6%-53.5%. It comes with a suggested retail price tag of $599.99. While it’s not the most affordable, given the excitement it generates each year, and considering that Boss Hog X is the 10th version in this series — those who are interested ought to grab a bottle swiftly when they spot it in stores.