Food & Drink

Review: WhistlePig PiggyBack Devil’s Slide Non-Alcoholic Whiskey

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Ever since they transformed an previous Vermont dairy farm right into a craft whiskey operation in 2007, WhistlePig has made fairly a reputation for itself with their persistently extremely acclaimed rye whiskeys. They ante up on their restricted version particular releases 12 months on 12 months, which incorporates ultra-premium expressions such because the 17 year Boss Hog VIII and 18 year old rye (with ultra-premium costs as well.)

So how would such a luxury-end rye producer enter into the booming non-alcoholic spirits market? By going the additional mile by truly making the whiskey — distillation, getting old, and all — after which eradicating the alcohol. (The Satan’s Slide begins with PiggyBack 6 year old 100% rye.) It’s a daring strategy, however fairly on model for the producer.

The “whiskey” itself is opaque, with the colour and muddiness of apple cider. It seems to be like a liquified Werthers. The nostril is peculiarly “thick” with muted pastry parts, equivalent to a yeasty parker home roll that began with apple flour. The palate is a really tempered model of mulled apple cider, together with a form of spiciness and warmth delivered within the distinctive method of a cinnamon stick lingering in your drink. It’s skinny in taste however dense on the tongue, with a viscosity extra akin to honeyed water. The truth is, when drunk neat, this tastes like a tender chai tea at room temperature.

I used to be turned off by my first pour on account of a neat pour falling fairly in need of the unavoidable expectations and hopes of it tasting like, effectively, whiskey. It doesn’t. However as soon as that maybe unfair bar is ready to the facet, I began to take pleasure in its character by itself deserves. I’m undecided its greatest displaying is neat, primarily based on the profile shared above (except muted chai tea is your jam). I then handled myself to a mocktail quaint on the rocks and located it fairly refreshing, with a kick that was sufficiently convincing.

The difficult proposition with non-alcoholic spirits is whether or not the drink is supposed to be a one-to-one different to its alcoholic counterpart; and thus far nobody, together with WhistlePig, is coming as shut as non-alcoholic beers have been to the alcoholic model. Within the current increase of spirit-alternative choices, the extra profitable components appears to be to supply a special drink expertise altogether. Many depend on an infusion of botanicals, significantly to attempt to mimic the warmth, bitterness, and oakiness of whiskey, with common complaints that some varietals can upset the abdomen. Satan’s Slide is a safer guess, since it truly is created from distilled grains.

Satan’s Slide is an fascinating sufficient spirits different, and it’ll discover each followers and detractors since everybody’s cause for being sober-curious differs, as do their preferences. This launch could also be a little bit missing, however I feel they’re actually on to one thing. I anxiously await what they’ll consider subsequent.

B- / $50 / whistlepigwhiskey.com

WhistlePig Satan’s Slide Non-Alcoholic Whiskey

$50

Score


7.0/10

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