Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission if you purchase a product or service through a link on our website. WhistlePig, a farm and distillery in Vermont, has gained a reputation for its high-quality rye whiskeys sourced from Canada and Indiana, which are then blended and finished in the Northeast. However, WhistlePig has also been producing its own whiskey on-site and releasing it under the FarmStock label. The newest batch of Vermont whiskeys, part of the Beyond Bonded series, brings a new addition and an interesting change from previous releases.

The initial Beyond Bonded expressions, a bourbon and a rye, were introduced in 2021 as limited releases made entirely in Vermont, from grain to bottle, with a unique twist. The bottled-in-bond designation carries certain requirements, such as being produced at one distillery during one distilling season, at least four years of aging, and a bottling strength of 100 proof. The name Beyond Bonded seemed to play on this legal marker, as the whiskey was bottled at 100.1 proof. However, some people saw this as an unnecessary and misleading marketing tactic. The latest release has adjusted the proof slightly to exactly 100, making the whiskey more “actually bonded” than “beyond bonded.”

The new batch consists of 23 barrels, with three of them being straight wheat whiskey made from 100 percent wheat mashbill. The remaining barrels include 11 rye whiskey barrels (made from 100 percent rye mashbill) and nine bourbon barrels (made from a mashbill that’s 51 percent corn and 49 percent rye). WhistlePig provides extensive information about each release on its website, including details like barrel fill date, char level, grain varietal, and even soil chemistry for those who are truly interested in the intricacies of the process.

Meghan Ireland, the chief blender, described Beyond Bonded as WhistlePig’s greatest experiment, allowing them to have complete control over every aspect of the whiskey-making process on their farm. The goal is to create whiskeys that are uniquely high in quality and complexity. While these whiskeys are currently only available in Vermont at the distillery, Quechee’s tasting room, and select bars, restaurants, and stores, previous Beyond Bonded releases can be found for sale on websites like Caskers and Total Wine.

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Sources:

– Robb Report. (n.d.). Vermont Distillery Unveils New Batch of Limited-Edition Whiskeys. Robb Report. URL: [link]