Raj Bhakta is one of the most colorful personalities in the spirits world. And I know this from personal experience. I hung out with him for a few days at his brand campus/booze camp in Vermont, Bhakta-Griswold. Part of my time spent there involved a deep dive on this newest offering, Hogsworth. As the founder of the successful WhistlePig brand, Raj clearly has an affinity for swine, but the name is meant to be more than just a play on his pig-inspired past. In his cigar smoke-filled office, surrounded by spirits journalists from across the country, he emphasized that the name was his appeal to the brown spirits-lovers of the world tired of paying too much for too little. He wanted them to “get their ‘hogsworth.’”

So, what exactly does that entail? It’s not bourbon. At least not entirely. Raj’s second career in the spirits world saw him shift from a focus on rye whiskey to mostly Armagnac. In fact, he bought a chateau in Gascony and claims to oversee one of the largest vintage brandy libraries in the world. His Bhakta label has adorned several limited-release, single vintage brandies (and other obscure but impressive spirits). With Hogsworth, Bhakta is introducing a bit of Armagnac to the bourbon-loving public.

We missed out on the inaugural release in 2024 which launched with a bit of risqué marketing that’s entirely unsurprising given Bhakta’s colorful past (Google him). For this second batch, the blend has changed (less Armagnac) and the scantily dressed farmgirls aren’t the only label option (Batch 2 appears to be mostly adorned with well-dressed pigs). The contents include two sourced bourbons that hover around five-years-old (60% of the blend) and three different vintage Armagnacs, including a small amount of a 42-year-old 1982 release, comprising the other 40%. Let’s take this little piggy for a spin, shall we?

Hogsworth Batch 2 Review

On the nose, the Armagnac does a lot to elevate the younger bourbon with notes of golden raisin, new leather, and grape must riding atop undertones of caramel candy, creamed corn, and fresh oak. There’s a rustic and erratic quality initially to the aroma, but with time to open things coalesce somewhat into a mix of caramel apple and dark baking spice.

The same eventual balance is less evident on the palate which is sharp initially, kicking off with the kind of wood-driven astringency you’d expect from two very different, punchy spirits. That subsides somewhat into sweeter notes that still retain a bit of tannin and astringency: Demerara syrup and torched sugar, well-baked pear tart and licorice. The mouthfeel is light and silky and pleasant when the softer, fruitier notes find their bearing.

A peppery, warming midpalate interrupts that brief harmony, muddling things with too much ginger and chili flake, before returning on the finish to a mix of orchard fruits, butterscotch, and sandalwood that lasts just long enough to make me wonder how an older bourbon might fare in the blend or less Armagnac (or better yet, just an Armagnac finish). It’s certainly unlike anything else on the market right now, and while it shows some promise, I personally wouldn’t substitute it for my favorite $50 bourbon.

93.8 proof.

B / $50

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