WhistlePig Just Released Its Oldest, Most Expensive Whiskey Ever — and We Tasted It

(Photo: WhistlePig)

On Wednesday, WhistlePig Whiskey launched its oldest, most expensive whisky to date, a 30-year-old single malt called The BigShǝBàng. The release marks the Vermont distillery’s latest move into aged single malt after introducing 21- and 25-year-old — named The Beholden and The Badonkadonk — expressions in recent years.

The BigShǝBàng is the oldest known North American single malt on the market, according to WhistlePig. Fewer than four barrels are available for purchase, each with a suggested retail price of $4,999.

The whisky was aged for three decades in American oak before finishing in Vin Santo barrels, a rare Italian dessert wine cask. Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig’s head blender, said the team had pursued Vin Santo casks for years before securing a small allotment for this release.

“We didn’t wait for our Single Malt’s 30th birthday just to play it safe. The BigShǝBàng is a flavor supernova – radiant, otherworldly, and unlike anything we’ve ever put in a bottle,” Ireland said in a news release

We had a chance to taste The BigShǝBàng early. Click here to check out our review.

Bottled at 90.4 proof, it is available only through select national accounts and at The WhistlePig Vault in Louisville, Kentucky, later this fall.

The new release completes WhistlePig’s three-part North American single malt lineup:

• The Béhôlden (21 years) – finished in WhistlePig rye barrels, SRP $899.99
• The Badönkådonk (25 years) – finished in Silver Oak cabernet barrels, SRP $1,999.99
• The BigShǝBàng (30 years) – finished in Vin Santo barrels, SRP $4,999

Limited quantities of the 21- and 25-year-old single malts remain available online.