WhistlePig Takes Inspiration From India With Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut
2024’s WhistlePig Boss Hog release is named The Juggernaut. (Photos: WhistlePig Whiskey)
On Tuesday, WhistlePig Whiskey, the Vermont-based distillery known for its experimental rye whiskeys, announced the 2024 iteration of its most prized annual series: The Boss Hog.
WhistlePig The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut takes its inspiration from Rajasthan, India. According to WhistlePig, its team was inspired after encountering Thandai — an Indian drink made from almonds, milk and plenty of spices — at the Holi festival in Jaipur.
From there, WhistlePig journeyed to the Khari Baoli spice market in Delhi, seeking ingredients to create the world’s first Thandai whiskey barrels.
WhistlePig ended up seasoning its barrels with aged rye whiskey mixed with saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, fennel, poppy and black peppercorn.
The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut was aged in new American oak barrels and finished in WhistlePig’s experimental Thandai barrels.
“Every year we challenge ourselves to craft a Rye that is more stupendous, inspired, and intricate than each edition of The Boss Hog before it,” WhistlePig Head Blender Meghan Ireland said in a news release. “After expanding our original five promises for The Boss Hog to ten tenants last year, we set out on our biggest challenge yet. When we discovered Thandai in India, we knew we had to find a way to translate its spice profile to a showstopping whiskey barrel for this precious Rye.”
As always, the pewter pig topper on 2024’s Boss Hog bottle is dressed to impress. This year’s is decked out in the style of the Indian elephant, WhistlePig says.
WhistlePig The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut is bottled between 103.8 and 105.2 proof and has a suggested retail price of $599.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. It is available across the U.S. at liquor stores, bars and restaurants, as well as online here.
Last year’s Boss Hog release was named The Commandments and was finished in craft mead casks and specialized resin barrels of WhistlePig’s own making.
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