Wigle Single Barrel Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Wigle Single Barrel Bourbon
(Credit: Richard Thomas)

It is such a fixture of Craft Whiskey 2.0 that I get tired of saying it, only to find that saying it is necessary: whiskey made by small distillers is now properly mature more often than not. Many of the bottles coming out of Pittsburgh’s Wigle Distillery are a perfect example.

When an enthusiast thinks western Pennsylvania, my guess is they think rye, given the region boasts its own style of rye whiskey. Bourbon less so, which is a shame, because the bourbon is certainly worth a look. Wigle’s Single Barrel Bourbon is always at least 5 years old and typically bottled at 100 proof. My particular example is a 5 year old from Batch #6, bottle 186. Technically, this bourbon is a wheater, but with the wheat and malted barley proportions almost equal (15% wheat, 69% corn and 16% malted barley), it isn’t exactly wheat-forward. The barley malt is as much a part of the flavor of the new make as the wheat.

The Bourbon
Once in the glass, Wigle Single Barrel Bourbon is bronzed. The nose is like a cross between cherry and pumpkin pie; cherry leads, coupled to a dollop of maple syrup, but beyond that is the ginger and nutmeg one gets from the pumpkin spice jar. The flavor smears a layer of caramel to those same elements found in the scent, with a dose of Red Hots cinnamon coming up on the back end. The finish is light at first, but grows with time, coming over as a gentle, lapping wave of spiciness.

In a time when Blanton’s has gone from being scarce on store shelves to commanding a market value of $300 a bottle, I think it behooves us all to look elsewhere for our distinguished, single barrel pleasures. So, I give you this delightful offering from Pittsburgh. It is also hard to get, because it is offered only once or twice per year and not widely available outside the Keystone State. That said, you will only pay a fifth of what you would to get a bottle of Blanton’s, and just how much is that pony on the stopper worth to you?

The Price
This item is $60 a bottle at the distillery store.