Episode 6: Whistlepig Boss Hog "V" Spirit of Mauve

The Pot Still Column: Episode 6

Whistlepig Boss Hog “V” Fifth Edition - The Spirit of Mauve

Barrel #66

Proof: 117.6

Age: 13 Years

Finish: Calvados Barrels

Source: Sourced from Canada by Whistlepig Distillery (Shoreham, Vermont)

Price: $500.00

For most, spending $500 on a bottle of whiskey is ridiculous and stupid. Don’t do it. My review of this bottle is not a condonation of spending every penny of your rent money on a painfully finite container of spicy yeast water.

That being said, this bottle of Boss Hog: The Spirit of Mauve is nothing less than spectacular.

Boss Hog is Whistlepig Distillery’s most premium line of distilled spirits, and an annual release currently on its eighth chapter (2021). Whistlepig markets the premium line as their “biggest, most profound whiskey for the Boss Hog in all of us.” I think they should’ve named it “Position of Power Pig” instead for the alliteration, but I am no marketing consultant.

The Spirit of Mauve, the fifth installment of the Boss Hog line, is all but extinct at the time of this review, making it an even more special bottle to review. The much-anticipated expression was announced in 2017 for release the following year, and bottles did not last long on store shelves, as Whistlepig has somewhat of a cult following in certain circles. The bottle retails for $500 USD, but liquor store and secondary market prices have soared well over $1,000, making it either impossible or extremely inconvenient to acquire. The spirit itself is a 13-year Canadian rye finished in Calvados barrels, none of which is Whistlepig’s own distillate. For context, Whistlepig has only recently begun to distill its own product, blending homemade distillate with its traditionally sourced whiskey in the Farmstock bourbon and rye releases. The Spirit of Mauve is bottled at 117.6 proof, although the label is curiously misleading in its claim that the whiskey is both 58.8% ABV and 117.5 proof. The decision to finish the rye in Calvados, an apple or pear brandy from Normandy, France, is supposedly an ode to the company’s mascot, a pig named Mauve with a love for apples. While I admittedly have not done the appropriate research to confirm this speculation, the elaborately sculpted cork-topper on the bottle suggests that Mauve, the loveable porky mascot, may no longer be with us.

Jumping into the nose after a brief rest in the glass, I am not immediately able to pin down the scents with which I am met. While scents, as they do in this case, can jump aggressively out of the glass, inspiration for descriptive tasting notes is often shyer in its approach. I can definitely smell the apple, although it isn’t the crisp green apple that is frequently found in scotch. Instead, I would describe it as more of a dark, oxidized apple, such as you might find in homemade applesauce or on the outer layer of an apple slice that has been left out on the cutting board. Cinnamon is also present, although not quite baked, and not quite candy. It is more of a cinnamon stick, clean and unadulterated. Rye grain comes through very clearly from underneath the finish, carrying with it the slightest note of briny dill, playing nicely with the sugary apple. Even without knowing the source, one might suspect that this is Canadian rye by its lighter and refreshing impression on the palate.

The flavor manifests itself in waves, beginning as an ethanol burn that quickly fades into an herbal caramel sweetness. However, to say that “sweet” is the dominant note on this whiskey would be selling it short, as the complex interaction between the rye and calvados finish produces a savory component as well. The rye element is delicious but not overly complex. The finish is short and a bit bland, leaving something to be desired, especially considering the potential for a barrel finish to expand a whiskey’s legacy on the palate to a great extent.

Closing Impression:

This is a lovely take on rye whiskey, and the calvados barrel finish is tasty and unique. The unusual exhibition of the apple flavor as an oxidized fruit is refreshing and light, while the whiskey itself is quite full-bodied. I would be very happy with this bottle at somewhere around $90, but the price for which it is actually available is unreasonable. One can appreciate the value of this bottle beyond its contents, as it contains a spectacularly heavy metal topper emblazoned with the Whistlepig logo and carved into the shape of a porcine angel. The rarity and reputation of the bottle also come into play, but for the consumer who cares little for presentation and hype, the whiskey is a hard sell. Whistlepig’s Boss Hog: Spirit of Mauve is a fantastic rye whiskey with a respectable age statement and a bold finish, but it would be more appealing at a more accessible price. Grab a pour at a bar if you can find it for under $50, as it is most certainly worth the experience-- as a bonus, you can say you’ve had the chance to try it!

Nose: 96/100

Taste: 85/100

Finish: 80/100

87/100