WhistlePig 10-year San Diego Barrel Boys Single Barrel Rye Whiskey 17-year #19139

WhistlePig San Diego Barrel Boys Single Barrel Rye Whiskey 17-Year Barrel #19139. WhistlePig Farm, Shoreham, Vermont — a 17-year single barrel of WhistlePig straight rye hand-selected by the San Diego Barrel Boys, filled February 28, 2003 and bottled at 109.4 proof (54.7% ABV) from Warehouse 2, Rick A, Level 2 — the most provenance-documented San Diego Barrel Boys WhistlePig selection in the Wooden Cork collection, with specific barrel number, fill date, warehouse location, and proof all traceable on the label.

Barrel #19139 was filled on February 28, 2003 — a winter fill that entered the warehouse as temperatures were rising toward spring, beginning its aging cycle in the warming months before reaching the first full summer extraction. Warehouse 2, Rick A, Level 2 at WhistlePig's Vermont facility is a specific position in the aging environment: mid-level in the rickhouse, which typically means a more moderate temperature cycle than the extremes of the top or bottom floors. Over 17 years, those specific conditions shaped this barrel's development into the allspice, orange peel, anise, and oak character that the San Diego Barrel Boys identified and selected.

At 17 years, this is the oldest San Diego Barrel Boys WhistlePig selection in the Wooden Cork collection — seven more years of Vermont aging than the standard 10 Year expression, producing a structural depth, oak integration, and dried fruit complexity that the younger selections cannot approach. The 109.4 proof reflects 17 years of evaporative concentration in Vermont's four-season climate.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Allspice, orange peel, anise, oak, char, and caramel. The 17-year aging is immediately evident in the aromatic depth and integration.
• Palate: Sweet with hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by rye spice and mint. The decade-plus oak contact creates a rounded sweetness beneath the rye's structural spice.
• Finish: Long with warm butterscotch and caramel. One of the more sustained finishes across the SDBB WhistlePig barrel program — the 17-year aging creating depth that the younger selections cannot match.

Specs

• Distillery: WhistlePig Farm, Shoreham, Vermont
• Selector: San Diego Barrel Boys private barrel pick
• Barrel: #19139
• Fill Date: February 28, 2003
• Warehouse / Rick / Level: 2 / A / 2
• Age: 17 years
• ABV: 54.7% (109.4 Proof)
• Style: Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey
• Size: 750ml

Browse our full selection of rye whiskey at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What does the fill date and barrel location tell us? Fill date February 28, 2003 is the exact day this barrel was filled at WhistlePig's facility. Warehouse 2, Rick A, Level 2 is the specific aging position — mid-level rickhouse placement with a more moderate temperature cycle than top or bottom floors. These details document the specific conditions that shaped this barrel's 17-year development.
• How does the 17-year barrel compare to the other SDBB WhistlePig selections? The Wooden Cork collection includes SDBB picks at various age points. The 17-year Barrel #19139 is the oldest — more oak depth, dried fruit, and structural complexity from seven additional years of Vermont aging over the standard 10 Year selections.
• Is 109.4 proof high for a 17-year rye? At barrel strength after 17 years in Vermont's four-season climate, 109.4 proof reflects substantial evaporative concentration. Vermont's dramatic summer/winter temperature swings drive more active extraction than milder aging climates, which can accelerate flavor development but also increase proof through selective evaporation over long periods.