WhistlePig The Boss Hog XII - Feather & Flame
WhistlePig The Boss Hog XII - Feather & Flame is a single-barrel, barrel-strength, 750mL straight rye whiskey — the twelfth installment of WhistlePig's iconic annual Boss Hog series — finished in pulque curado de cacao barrels inspired by ancient Aztec flavors, bottled straight from one individually numbered barrel (proof varies by barrel — see the label) — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
The Boss Hog is American rye's most experimental annual release: each year, WhistlePig sources barrels from around the world to finish its rye in ways no one else has tried. For the twelfth chapter, the team traveled to central Mexico, where two ancient Aztec drinks — pulque, the ancestral fermented agave beverage, and xocolatl, the bitter and spicy cacao drink — converged into inspiration for the world's first whiskey finished in pulque curado de cacao barrels. The rye — aged in new American oak to maturity — rests in barrels seasoned with pulque curado crafted with cacao and Mexican chiltepín, guajillo, and pasilla peppers, layering rich dark chocolate, earthy complexity, and bold rye spice. As head blender Meghan Ireland put it: the team "embraced the strength and power of the flavors" to bring "a rich, savory, aromatic, and earthy elevation to the complex character of rye whiskey." Each decanter carries a collectible feathered pig deity topper handcrafted by Danforth Pewter in Vermont, arrives in a gift box depicting the edition's mythologized origin story in Aztec art (one of twelve unique panels), and bears NFC authentication on the back label — single-barrel, individually numbered, and strictly limited.
Tasting notes (trade consensus): nose of cacao nibs, roasted spice, caramelized oak, and subtle herbal sweetness; a full-bodied palate of rye spice layered with cocoa, agave nectar, leather, and a hint of molasses; a long, warming finish of dark chocolate, earthy oak, and exotic bittersweet notes.
Why buy: A single-barrel Boss Hog only happens once a year — and this is the first whiskey ever finished in pulque curado de cacao barrels. It is equal parts collectible and drinkable: numbered, authenticated, and built to pour. Explore more WhistlePig and browse more rye whiskey — or more rare whiskey — at Del Mesa Liquor.
FAQ — people also ask:
Q: What is WhistlePig The Boss Hog XII Feather & Flame?
A: The twelfth annual Boss Hog release — a single-barrel, barrel-strength straight rye whiskey finished in pulque curado de cacao barrels (seasoned with fermented agave, cacao, and Mexican chiltepin, guajillo, and pasilla peppers).
Q: What is pulque curado de cacao?
A: Pulque is a traditional Mexican agave-based fermented beverage; "curado de cacao" means it is infused with cacao — a depth-and-sweetness treatment never before used to finish a rye whiskey.
Q: What proof is Boss Hog XII bottled at?
A: It varies by barrel, bottled between approximately 104.8 and 108.4 proof — each bottle comes from a single, individually numbered barrel with the exact proof printed on the bottle.
Q: Is it a limited edition?
A: Yes — ultra-limited, single-barrel, individually numbered, with a collectible pewter topper and NFC authentication.