Whistlepig Boss Hog 六 Samurai Scientist
DAVE PICKERELL'S FIVE PROMISES, FOR THE BOSS HOG ARE STEADFAST AND ETERNAL:
Single Barrel, Bottled at Proof, Powerfully Complex, Distinctly Unique From Anything We've Done Before, and Stupendous.
Dave was not only a Whiskey Master, but a chemist, a historian and a romantic. The pursuit of stupendous Rye Whiskey is both an art and a science, and Dave never eased to see the beauty - nor the story - in each.
The saga of The Samurai Scientist belongs to Takamine Jokichi, a kindred spirit from a past century. A descendant of sake brewers, intercontinental scholar of chemistry and intrepid entrepreneur, Takamine forever changed the American Whiskey industry in 1890 by introducing koji fermentation to the West. Koji, a naturally occurring rice mold, has been used for millenia in the production of sake and umami - rich foods. Thanks to Takamine's legacy, the illustrious mold was also the fermentation catalyst for this pure and powerful expression of The Boss Hog.
To complete The Samurai Scientist, Master Blender Pete Lynch embarked on an odyssey to find the perfect finishing barrel for this profoundly flavorful Rye Whiskey. He chose it in Yame City in Fukuoka Prefecture on Japan's southern most Island - also known for its famously tasty kurobuta pigs. Just once every decade, the Kitaya Brewery lays down a traditional, intensely flavorful Sanaburi Shochu that will mingle with locally sourced plums for more than eleven years to become their most prized umeshu. It's remarkably rich, nuanced and elegant profile lends soft, sweet notes that further color the mosaic of flavor found in the sixth edition of The Boss Hog.
Takamine, the Samurai Scientist, was the patron of the first cherry blossom trees to grace the banks of Washington DC. A gift to symbolize friendship between countries, cherry blossoms are an annual reminder that life - like this bottle of whiskey - is equally stupendous and ephemeral.
We hope you enjoy each and every sip.
On the rare occasion that Dave Pickerell’s five promises are realized, we release a whiskey that epitomizes WhistlePig’s odyssey to unlock the potential of Rye Whiskey.
The Boss Hog Edition 六 is the first American Whiskey finished using Japanese Umeshu, the result of a true collaboration between WhistlePig and Kitaya brewery on Japan’s Kyushu island.
This well aged Straight Rye Whiskey was created using koji fermentation. Each bottle is adorned with The Samurai Scientist – Jōkichi Takamine – who pioneered koji fermentation in the American whisky industry over a century ago.
Each bottle barrel is bottled at strength, between 120 – 122 proof.
