Review: WhistlePig Small Batch Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old (Updated 2025)

Fifteen years ago we drank our first sip of WhistlePig rye, and we haven’t looked back since. A cursory look back at Drinkhacker reviews over that time frame reveals some 60-plus WhistlePig reviews, and it often feels like a month doesn’t go by before another WP product lands on our doorstep.

WhistlePig is famous for its move from sourced whiskeys to homegrown products made entirely on its Vermont farm, but a lot of WhistlePig is still made in Canada just as it was 15 years ago. Case in point is the flagship 10 year old rye. It was called merely “Straight Rye” in 2010, when Dave Pickerell was running the show. Today, years after Pickerell’s passing, it now carries a “Small Batch Rye” moniker, though it’s hard to imagine this is now being produced in anything but the absolute largest of batches. Still 10 years old. Still made in Alberta. Still 100% rye.

But has anything really changed with WhistlePig 10 since 2010? We’re finally diving back into this spirit, long overdue, to re-experience the snout for the first time. Our old (and plenty naive/vague) 2010 review follows for the sake of nostalgic comparison.

WhistlePig Small Batch Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old Review (2025)

On the nose: Very spicy and full of peppery rye, though an underbelly of caramel and vanilla help to settle at least some of the heat. The rush of greenery is unmistakable and rather bracing, the 100 proof presentation offering a toasty mix of petrol and savory umami notes.

The palate shows off all of the above and more, but the base layer leans lightly into a sweeter groove, with a more forceful caramel apple character, with ample baking spice notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground ginger all well represented. Apple continues to pop brightly but eventually migrates into dried fruit and a backing note of dried florals and, eventually, pear. Caramel moves toward a clearer butterscotch quality on the finish with time in glass, showcasing echoes of black pepper.

It’s still a very solid rye whiskey — and arguably one of the top non-limited-edition ryes on the market. And here’s a fun fact/surprise ending: It’s actually the same price or a bit cheaper today than it was in 2010. (Back then, $80 was “pricey.”)

100 proof.

A- / $78 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey 10 Years Old Review (2010)

In the glass, this is impressive stuff. Crafted by Dave Pickerell, a 14-year veteran of Maker’s Mark, this rye is characteristically spicy, with pepper and ginger notes laced atop a moderately sweet (but not overly so) core. Nicely balanced, the elements are all in harmony here, though that spice — coupled with the kick of extra alcohol — is always at the forefront. The finish offers notes of coal, reminding you this is not a vanilla-scented Bourbon but rather a rye. Pricey, to be sure, but in a world with too-few high-grade rye whiskeys, it’s worth it.

100 proof.

A- / $80 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

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