WhistlePig

Type: Distillery and brand

WhistlePig's first rye was ten years old before its Vermont distillery had made a drop. Launched in mid 2010, that Canadian whiskey was proofed and bottled on a farm in Shoreham. The converted barn distillery followed in 2015. Today, rye remains the centre of a range that also reaches into bourbon, wheat whiskey and single malt.[1][3][4][6]

What WhistlePig is known for

Mature rye gave WhistlePig its start. The launch whiskey was already ten years old when it reached the market, putting an aged spirit in the bottle years before the business opened its own distillery. Dave Pickerell, previously master distiller at Maker's Mark, partnered with the founders and sourced that first whiskey in Canada.[1][6]

Experimentation became the other defining thread. The published range brings together farm-associated releases, older rye expressions and The Boss Hog, an annual limited cask-strength series first released in 2013. Recent editions have concentrated on finishing: the additional period a whiskey spends in another cask before bottling.[1][12][13]

The distinction between sourcing and distilling is central to understanding the brand. WhistlePig has a Vermont home and its own production, alongside a history built on sourced whiskey. The Canadian distillery behind the original rye has not been reliably identified in the supplied record.[1][6]

From Canadian rye to Vermont distilling

The launch comprised 1,000 cases of 10 year old, 100 percent rye. Pickerell sourced the whiskey in Canada; proofing on the Vermont farm adjusted it to bottling strength. Vermont Business Magazine later reported that Bhakta and Pickerell had acquired more than about 18,900 litres (5,000 US gallons) for the mid 2010 launch.[1][5][6]

The farm initially served as the brand's home and its proofing and bottling location. That ten-year age statement belonged to whiskey made before Vermont production began: WhistlePig was a Vermont producer, but its launch whiskey was not Vermont-distilled.[1][4][6]

Farm distillation followed in autumn 2015, when the converted barn opened. According to the producer, its first still was a hybrid named The Mortimer. The producer also describes growing rye, feeding spent grain to pigs and making barrels from oak logged on the property: grain, distillation and wood brought together on the farm.[1][4]

WhistlePig now reports distilling seven days a week, an operating schedule checked in November 2026 rather than a published measure of annual output.[2]

Production timeline

The founding story and its disputed dates

WhistlePig's founding has no single agreed account. The producer's current history credits co-founder Wilco Faessen and a group of partners with buying a run-down Vermont dairy farm in 2007. Earlier independent reporting names Raj Peter Bhakta as founder, while a 2019 report dates the founding to 2008.[1][4][5][6][8]

The production milestones are clearer: the Canadian-sourced whiskey launched in 2010, and the Vermont distillery opened in 2015.[1][4][6] The source map below keeps those milestones separate from the disputed founding claims.

Story box: A farm, sourced rye and a new distillery

Verdict badge: Who founded WhistlePig, and when?

Disputed

• Claims: Founder attribution and a founding year of 2007 or 2008.
• What the record shows: Faessen and partners receive the producer's credit; independent reporting names Bhakta. The dates and attributions remain unreconciled.[1][6][8]
• Evidence against or gap: These accounts do not establish a single agreed formulation.
• Earliest known source in the supplied record: Forbes, 25 March 2012, naming Bhakta.[6]
• Sources: WhistlePig FAQ; Forbes founding account; BeerNet investment report.
• Last checked: Exact date not documented; editor to verify.

Reading the WhistlePig range

Read the whiskey type before the age. Small Batch Rye and Snout-To-Tail Bourbon both carry 10 years in their published names, but they are different whiskey categories. Old World Rye, Estate Oak Rye and Double Double Rye then take the named rye range through 12, 15 and 18 years. “WhistlePig” identifies the producer and brand, not a single kind of whiskey.[1][3]

The producer also lists single malt releases aged 21, 25 and 30 years. Other published names include PiggyBack 100% Rye, PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon, FarmStock Rye, Beyond Bonded Rye and Bourbon, and Declaration Wheat Whiskey. Rye is the brand's starting point, not the boundary of its catalogue.[1][3]

The Boss Hog has its own place in that line-up. First released in 2013, it developed into an annual limited cask-strength edition. Recent names include X The Commandments in 2023, XI The Juggernaut in 2024 and XII Feather and Flame in 2025.[12]

On 9 September 2026, WhistlePig announced XIII: The Golden Pharaoh. The producer describes it as a straight rye finished in barrels seasoned with Egyptian black honey and tiger nuts. Those details describe the announced release and its finish; availability and an independent tasting are not confirmed in the record.[13]

Ownership, leadership and the New York operation

Two minority investments mark WhistlePig's documented ownership history. BDT Capital Partners took what was described as a “significant” minority equity stake in January 2019. Moët Hennessy followed with a minority stake on 16 December 2020, alongside an international distribution partnership outside North America.[7][8]

The documented minority investment establishes Moët Hennessy's involvement, not outright LVMH ownership. Equity and distribution are separate relationships, and the later end of the distribution partnership does not, by itself, establish a change in the equity holding. On 31 March 2026, Cask Liquid Marketing became the UK distributor, ending the international distribution partnership with Moët Hennessy.[7][11]

Leadership changed too. In January 2025, Jeff Kozak stepped down as CEO, Marty Birkel became interim CEO and Wilco Faessen was named chairman. In February 2026, Alex Roberts succeeded Charles Gibb as CEO. Roberts had joined the business as CFO in December 2017.[9][10]

Beyond Vermont, WhistlePig began warehousing in New York through subsidiary Moriah Ventures in 2017. The Moriah site in Mineville was sold to Zags 26 in March 2026. According to The Spirits Business, the sale did not affect day-to-day operations or production.[10]

Three common mistakes

“WhistlePig has always distilled its whiskey in Vermont.” The farm is central to its identity, but the original 10 year old rye came from Canada. The Vermont distillery opened five years after the brand launched.[1][6]

“Moët Hennessy's involvement means outright ownership.” The documented deal combined a minority investment with a distribution partnership. Neither relationship identifies the current majority owner.[7][11]

“A whistlepig is a pig.” It is a groundhog, a marmot. Mascot pigs also feature in the producer's farm story, but they are different animals from the creature behind the name.[1]

Where to go next

• Maker's Mark: follow the distillery connection in Dave Pickerell's career.
• Michter's: explore another American whiskey producer and brand.
• Westland: continue with another American distillery profile.

Sources

1. WhistlePig. Whiskey FAQ. Producer's account, undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com/faq
2. WhistlePig. The Farm. Producer's account, undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com/the-farm
3. WhistlePig. WhistlePig: Join the Rye Whiskey Revolution. Producer's website, undated web edition, checked November 2026. https://www.whistlepigwhiskey.com/
4. Vermont Business Magazine. WhistlePig becomes premier 'Grain-to-Glass' whiskey operation with opening of distillery. 15 October 2015. https://vermontbiz.com/news/2015/october/15/whistlepig-becomes-premier-grain-glass-whiskey-operation-opening-distillery
5. Vermont Business Magazine. History in a bottle: Raj Peter Bhakta, Green Mountain College and Bhakta 50. 13 February 2022. https://vermontbiz.com/news/2022/february/13/history-bottle-raj-peter-bhakta-green-mountain-college-and-bhakta-50
6. Forbes. World Class Whiskey: From Vermont? 25 March 2012. https://www.forbes.com/sites/larryolmsted/2012/03/25/world-class-whiskey-from-vermont/
7. Business Wire via AP. Moët Hennessy and WhistlePig Announce International Partnership. 16 December 2020, company announcement. https://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/business-consumer-products-and-services-distillery-operation-north-america-food-beverage-and-tobacco-products-manufacturing-c366c6c5eb4644b5866c96ee60c74fe0
8. Beer Business Daily. Merchant Bank Takes Stake in WhistlePig. January 2019. https://beernet.com/wsd/wsd-article/merchant-bank-takes-stake-in-whistlepig/
9. Shanken News Daily. WhistlePig CEO Jeff Kozak Stepping Down After 10 Years. 14 January 2025. https://www.shankennewsdaily.com/2025/01/14/36719/whistlepig-ceo-jeff-kozak-stepping-down-after-10-years/
10. The Spirits Business. WhistlePig offloads New York warehouse. July 2026, headline shortened under the site's rule against monetary figures.
11. The Spirits Business. Cask takes over WhistlePig distribution in UK. March 2026. https://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2026/03/cask-takes-over-whistlepig-distribution-in-uk/
12. Food and Wine. How WhistlePig Turned The Boss Hog into Rye Whiskey's Most Coveted Annual Release. Web edition, checked November 2026. https://www.foodandwine.com/whistlepig-boss-hog-series-11848969
13. Breaking Bourbon. WhistlePig Unveils The Boss Hog XIII: The Golden Pharaoh. WhistlePig press release reproduced on 9 September 2026. https://www.breakingbourbon.com/bourbon-whiskey-press-releases/whistlepig-unveils-the-boss-hog-xiii-the-golden-pharaoh

This desk-researched article follows verified fact sheet TOP-A300, distinguishing producer accounts, company announcements and independent reporting.

Last checked: November 2026