Raj Bhakta helped launch the premium rye category when he founded WhistlePig in 2009. Back then, a $100 bottle of this nearly forgotten style of whiskey was ridiculous. Oh, how times have changed. Today, experts quibble over the brand’s annual BossHog limited edition, which is priced at $500.
In the meantime, a lot has changed for Bhakta, too. After an unceremonious exit from the company he founded, the serial entrepreneur took up residence in southwestern France. There, he fell in love with the region’s signature vintage brandy, Armagnac—the more rustic, column-distilled sibling of cognac.
Now Bhakta is returning to the whiskey world—sort of. With the upcoming release of Hogsworth, he’s combined his love of the two sides of the spectrum to create a completely unique blend of Armagnac and bourbon. He hopes to do for blended whiskey what he once did for rye: put them on the top shelf. So is this little piggy ready for that market? The answer is in the water.
Related: Bhakta's New Bourbon Has a Rare, Delicious, and Unique Mashbill
First, a few technical details. The first release of Hogsworth is 52% bourbon, mostly from Tennessee, a smaller portion from Minnesota, and all aged just over four years. The remaining 48% of the blend is rounded out with a trio of Armagnacs that came into barrel in 2012, 2010, and 1982. By keeping the majority of the product as a bourbon, Hogsworth can legally be sold on American shelves as a “blended bourbon.” A vague TTB category, of course. But then again, so was rye at one point in our recent past.
The copper-colored liquid delivers sweet aromas of molasses softened by cinnamon as it swirls in a glass. The bouquet here will be more familiar to bourbon drinkers than brandy fans. That trend holds true on the first sip, which shows a tannic boldness along with additional baking spice varieties; nutmeg and black pepper. Armagnac finally joins the party when the wine-like, dark fruit jam emerges on the finish. French oak can also be felt in the sip’s steady structure, which shows a refined elegance, especially when a drop or two of water is applied to the 93.8-proof liquid. It’s not too rich, and it’s not too dry.
Courtesy of Hogsworth Bourbon
Hogsworth isn’t as bold a proposition as it seems. Seasoned bourbon sippers have been exploring Armagnac for more than a decade, drawn by the distinct oak and caramel complexities of celebrated expressions like L’Encantada. If adventurous enthusiasts are willing to take the plunge at $49 a bottle, Hogsworth could be the next chapter in this ongoing movement.
Currently available exclusively in $150 three-packs from Hogsworth.com , that’s a big ask for a blended bourbon and a bold bet by Bhakta on this little-known category. But betting on the unknown has worked for him in the past.
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In fact, we had to ask whether the name of his new drink was a clear reference to Bhakta's old rye whiskey days.
“The simple truth is I like the name Hogsworth… and I have good luck with pigs,” he said.
If you are a whiskey fan or If Brandy agrees to follow her lead once again, they won't be the only ones living high.