WhistlePig 10-Year Bourbon Finished in Rye Casks Debuts at 100 Proof

WhistlePig is taking its 10-Year Bourbon in a distinctly more rye-forward direction.

BourbonBlog.com‘s Tom Fischer got an early look at the new WhistlePig 10-Year Bourbon Finished in Rye Casks during the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, Kentucky in the video above.

The new expression takes WhistlePig’s decade-aged Bourbon, raises the proof to 100 proof, and finishes it in Rye casks — deliberately bringing some of the spice and character of the whiskey category WhistlePig is best known for into its Bourbon.

Watch: WhistlePig’s New 10-Year Bourbon Finished in Rye Casks + The Boss Hog XIII

WhistlePig Takes Its 10-Year Bourbon to 100 Proof

This represents a notable evolution for WhistlePig’s 10-Year Bourbon.

The new release moves to 100 proof and adds a Rye cask finish, creating a direct connection between the richness of an aged Bourbon and the spicy Rye character that has defined WhistlePig since its beginnings.

Following BourbonBlog’s coverage at Kentucky Bourbon Festival, EO Alex Roberts shared thoughts with us explaining the thinking behind the release.

“Building on that momentum while honoring our roots, we’ve taken our 10 Year Bourbon to the next level—upping the proof to 100 and finishing it in Rye casks to give the Bourbon WhistlePig’s signature Rye backbone.”

Roberts says the resulting whiskey is designed to bring the two sides of American whiskey together.

“The result is a bolder, more complex whiskey that balances the richness of Bourbon with the distinctive spice and character of Rye.”

From WhistlePig Bourbon to a Rye Cask Finish

WhistlePig built its reputation around Rye whiskey, so finishing a mature Bourbon in Rye casks is an especially natural experiment for the brand.

Rather than taking the Bourbon into the flavor territory of wine, rum or another specialty finishing barrel, WhistlePig is using Rye casks to layer another form of American whiskey character onto the Bourbon.

The company describes that influence as giving the Bourbon WhistlePig’s “signature Rye backbone.”

WhistlePig CEO Alex Roberts also points to the response to the company’s original 10-Year Bourbon as a reason to continue expanding beyond Rye.

“While WhistlePig is best known for creating and defining the premium Rye category, the success of that release proved there is a strong appetite for our Vermont-born craft, innovation and boundary-pushing approach across American whiskey.”

Where Can You Get WhistlePig 10-Year Bourbon Finished in Rye Casks?

For now, you’ll have to go to Kentucky.

WhistlePig tells BourbonBlog that the new WhistlePig 10-Year Bourbon Finished in Rye Casks is currently exclusive to The Vault in Louisville, Kentucky.

We first encountered the whiskey during the 2026 Kentucky Bourbon Festival, where WhistlePig offered an early look at the release.

The exclusivity won’t last forever.

WhistlePig says the new 10-Year Bourbon is scheduled for a national rollout in 2027, making the current release at The Vault an advance opportunity to taste what could become an important part of the brand’s expanding Bourbon portfolio.

Watch Our WhistlePig Interview from Kentucky Bourbon Festival

BourbonBlog spoke with Kevin Didio of WhistlePig’s The Vault during Kentucky Bourbon Festival about the new whiskey.

We also taste WhistlePig The Boss Hog XIII: The Golden Pharaoh during the conversation.

Watch our full WhistlePig interview here.

The new 10-Year Bourbon gives WhistlePig an interesting way to bring its two whiskey worlds together: a decade-aged Bourbon with the higher proof and Rye influence that longtime WhistlePig drinkers will immediately recognize.

For now, Louisville gets it first. The rest of the country will have to wait until 2027.