WhistlePig is launching a 100 percent rye whiskey in collaboration with Hall of Fame inductee David Ortiz using wood from his signature bats.
Dubbed the WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series: Big Papi Barrel, the product is aged for six years in American oak before being finished for six weeks in barrels containing Ortiz's toasted DO34 maple wood bats, then bottled at 96.56 proof.
Ortiz’s toasted maple bats add layers of spice and caramelized notes to the Big Papi Barrel.
The bats are convection toasted to get the perfect toasted consistency, and then go through an extra fire toast to increase the caramelized vanilla flavors that impart deep flavors into the whiskey.
It has a nose of fresh cinnamon with notes of caramel sweetness, a palate of powerfully spicy flavors with a balance of dark chocolate and maple syrup, and a long finish full of vanilla and caramel notes from the bourbon.
The product is billed as the first of three iterations of a new single barrel series and is being released in partnership with Barstool Sports.
Less than 100 barrels were produced with 750-milliliter bottles available for pre-order at shop.whistlepigwhiskey.com for $49.99 each.
A limited quantity of these bottles that have been signed by David Ortiz will be available for $340 with proceeds benefiting the David Ortiz Boston Heart Classic, which raises money for children in need of heart surgery.
The two other iterations of the "Legends Series" celebrating other living sports legends are slated to launch later this year.


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