Review: WhistlePig “The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame” Rye Whiskey 2025
We’re twelve years in on WhistlePig’s Boss Hog collection, officially the most insane thing anyone ever does with a whiskey — and they do it every year, always differently.
The name of the game with Boss Hog is unusual finishing of its well-aged rye whiskey, and this year’s release is of course no exception. (Who can forget release X, inspired by the Ten Commandments?)
This year’s release, Feather & Flame, is slightly closer to home, with WhistlePig noting it’s the first time the series has found inspiration from North American flavors since Boss Hog II. Here’s all the info about this crazy undertaking. (Remember, as usual these are bottled as single barrel releases, so proof with vary from one to the next.)
Feather & Flame rises to new sensory heights through flavors forged in the fires of creation and inspired by two ancient Aztec drinks of the gods: pulque – an earthy, ancestral fermented beverage born from the agave plant – and xocolatl – the ancient bitter and spicy drink made from cocoa beans from which modern chocolate is derived. When the WhistlePig team traveled to central Mexico and the two flavors converged, they were struck with inspiration for the next chapter of The Boss Hog’s story of exploration and discovery.
“Pulque and xocolatl are two powerful flavors in central Mexico. Pulque’s continuous fermentation process means it has to be consumed quickly before it spoils, and xocolatl doesn’t match what most people think of as ‘chocolate,’” said Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig. “We embraced the strength and power of the flavors and created the world’s first whiskey finished in pulque curado de cacao barrels to bring a rich, savory, aromatic, and earthy elevation to the complex character of Rye Whiskey.”
After countless calendar cycles spent aging in new American Oak barrels, Aztec flavors merge in maturation within barrels seasoned with pulque curado crafted from agave, cacao, and Mexican chiltepín, guajillo, and pasilla peppers. When uncorked, aromas of caramel cream and fresh-cracked caraway seed meet the nose. Bright citrus leads the way at first sip, balanced by soft oak and cocoa with the subtle earthy spice of rain-soaked slate in the background. Finally, savory cacao gives way to a herbaceous chili pepper finish.
Adorning each bottle of The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame is a collectible feathered pig deity wielding an Aztec chocolate whiskey – handcrafted at Danforth Pewter in Vermont. The limited edition is enclosed in a gift box depicting the edition’s mythologized origin story, reimagined through Aztec art. Each gift box features one of twelve unique panels, and the back label of each bottle is embedded with NFC authentication.
Ready to get your pulque on? Let’s go!
WhistlePig “The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame” Rye Whiskey 2025 Review
Boss Hog releases can often be overwhelming, even blown-out with oddball flavors, but Feather & Flame is actually surprisingly approachable and only minimally weird.
The nose is quite sweet and fragrant, with flowery perfume quickly giving way to a milk chocolate character. Nutmeg takes a more prominent role with time in glass, the whiskey soon meandering its way into headier notes of spearmint and grassy serrano-like peppers, albeit tamed in their heat. It’s hoppy at times, reminding you it is, in the end, a rye.
The palate’s quite a delight, sweet and heavily laden with mild milk chocolate notes, intermixed with notes of candied oranges, tinned pears, and juicy figs. The chocolate fades quickly, leaving behind some peppery spice, but not much, again heavy with nutmeg and, this time, cloves. The finish is — again — quite sweet and immersive, with lingering notes of brown butter and Bit-O-Honey.
This may not be as unhinged as some of WhistlePig’s previous Boss Hog experiments, and that may well be a good thing. All told it’s a real delight as an after-dinner sipper that work perfectly for the holidays.
104.8 proof as reviewed (bottles vary from 104.8 to 108.4 proof). Reviewed: Barrel #10.
A / $600
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