Whiskey has a reputation of taking itself seriously—especially in the realm of single-malt Scotch. It's among the most traditional spirits, crafted with unwavering dedication, in largely the same way it has been for centuries. Some bottles of whisky sell for six-figure sums.
But on the opposite side of the Atlantic, WhistlePig Whiskey proves that you can also fashion a fine dram with self-aware playfulness. In recent years, the Vermont-based farm distillery has made a habit of releasing great whiskey with somewhat silly storylines, such as an F1-themed whiskey that was subjected to wind tunnel trials typically reserved for race cars and a barrel-aged maple syrup collab with the Super Troopers, sold in a mustachioed bottle. Boss Hog, it’s top-of-the-line release, hits shelves annually with a comically rendered pewter pig stopper.
Now, the brand is aiming its irreverence directly at the Scotch industry, while simultaneously serving up its oldest and most expensive expression ever. The Badönkådonk (yes, that is how it is spelled on the label) is a 25-year-old North American single malt, finished in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels from celebrated California winery Silver Oak. The lush, 91-proof smells of peach and nectarine in its nose and tastes butterscotch and cedar wood before a sustained, spicy finish leaves lingering notes of cigar box.
It's a seriously good sipping spirit. And it brandishes a serious price tag, too: $2,000 for a 750ml copper-corked bottle. But just to prove that it’s not taking itself too seriously, this absurdly-named whiskey was unveiled in an announcement video starring the legendary British comedian John Cleese of Monty Python fame.
As the cheeky 90-second spot makes clear, he was paid handsomely to have a say here—and to share the spotlight with an oinking pig. If you’re the one shelling out the cash, however, The Badönkådonk delivers on the promise of a superior single-malt. The complex offering was sourced from a distillery in Nova Scotia, Canada. And actually, at 25 years old, the whiskey brandishes the most sizable age statement for any single-malt made on our native continent and widely distributed.
It’s a notable mark of distinction at a time when whiskey fans are lining up to try more American single-malts. This one surely shows signs of that quarter-century age, but more importantly, it exhibits the wisdom of maturity. Not something we’d expect to say of a product packaged with unnecessary umlauts. And that’s no joke.
Related: We've Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. These 16 Bottles Are the Best of 2024
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