After Being ‘Thrown Out’ of the Company He Started, WhistlePig Founder Raj Bhakta is Back With a New Whiskey

(Photo: Bhakta Spirits)

Bhakta Spirits, the brand founded by WhistlePig founder Raj Bhakta, recently announced the launch of its first bourbon.

Sourced from MGP in Indiana, Bhakta Bourbon 2013 is made from a mashbill composed of 99% corn. It was aged for nearly 10 years and finished in French Oak barrels that formerly contained Armagnac vintages dating all the way back to 1868, including the ultra-rare Bhakta Vintage Armagnac. The bourbon will sell for a suggested retail price of $149.

Raj Peter Bhakta, founder of Bhakta Spirits. (Photo: Bhakta Spirits)

The inspiration behind the bourbon comes from a global journey Bhakta went on after being ousted from WhistlePig in 2019 in a move the Burlington Free Press described as Bhakta being “thrown out of his own company.”

After uncovering a historic cache of Armagnac vintages in a French château, Bhakta acquired the ancient cellar and property and went on an aggressive search for the world’s finest vintage spirits of all ages, expressions and categories.

Bhakta Bourbon 2013 is said to have a nose of vanilla, biscuits and butterscotch, spice notes on the palate and stewed pears and apples on the finish.

Bhakta 2013 Bourbon is now available in a limited release of 2,000 cases across 12 states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Vermont and Tennessee. It will be available in Michigan in April. You can also purchase it online through partners on bhaktaspirits.com with shipping to 41 states.

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