Introducing Striped Pig Distillery

If you spend any amount of time on WhiskeyTube, this email may not come as much of a surprise. While we were in Charleston visiting our friends at High Wire, we managed a quick detour over to Striped Pig Distillery. Among the various barrels and spirits they have aging, one particular group seems to be catching the attention of whiskey enthusiasts: these almost 10-year-old, 70/21/9 Kentucky bourbon barrels.

Striped Pig opened in Charleston in 2013 and has built a pretty diverse spirits program over the years, collecting numerous awards along the way. Today, the woman-owned, family-run distillery produces everything from rum and gin to its own whiskey, but lately it’s these older cask-strength bourbon barrels that have really started turning heads.

The whiskey itself was distilled in Owensboro, Kentucky. From there, the barrels made their way to Charleston, where they’ve spent the majority of their lives aging in South Carolina.

We talk a lot about how aging conditions can shape a whiskey, and these barrels are a great example of what changing just one of those variables can do. Take a familiar Kentucky mash bill, put it into Kelvin barrels, then let it mature in the heat and humidity of Charleston, and you get something that drinks significantly deeper and more mature than its age might suggest.

After tasting through the barrels at Striped Pig, we knew pretty quickly there was something fantastic here worth bringing back to you all. There aren't many bottles left after PRO access, so grab yours while you can. 

Striped Pig Single Barrel #006 132.86 proof

The nose is big and oak-forward, but there’s a fun contrast between bright, playful citrus and toffee and a much denser, more mature side. Orange peel and caramel sit over this distinct peanut butter richness and deeply seasoned oak, reminiscent of older Willett, with a gently smoked Kelvin profile underneath.

The palate follows suit, opening with juicy peach ring candy before building into a nectary saturation of mixed stone fruits. Caramel and rounded brown sugar cola concentrate add weight through the middle, eventually giving way to warming oak spice and sweet, seasoned wood.

The finish is long, warm, and almost like boozy orange sherbet, with lingering peach candy, orange zest, toasted peanut, and mature oak.