BOSTON – Harpoon Brewery announced today a collaboration withWhistlePig Rye Whiskey, the No. 1 distiller in the fast growing, ultra-premium and luxury rye whiskey category[1], for the newest rendition of its popular Baltic Porter. The two companies, with neighboring Vermont locations, came together to age Harpoon Brewery’s Baltic Porter in select WhistlePig barrels, for a lagered treat with a rye-like spice to stay warm on the coldest New England nights.
“When we decided to bring back our Baltic Porter, we wanted to introduce a special edge to make it our best one yet,” said Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Harpoon Brewery. “We thought, what better way to foster innovation than to partner with our neighbors at WhistlePig, bringing our brewers and their talented distillers together for a meaningful and delicious collaboration.”
Using Harpoon Brewery’s tried-and-true Baltic Porter recipe, each drop of this re-release is aged away in select WhistlePig Rye barrels to give the beer an added rye-like spice and soft hint of oak. Brewed at 9.5% ABV and containing notes of molasses, dark fruit, and bittersweet chocolate, this elegant porter could keep you warm and cozy during even the worst Vermont snow storm.
“Harpoon Brewery is well-known across New England, but our relationship stems from their proximity to our distillery with their Vermont location,” said Pete Lynch, Master Blender at WhistlePig. “We were excited about the opportunity to bring wintery warmth to this popular brew in a way that only our unique rye whiskey barrels can.”
The Barrel-Aged Baltic Porter will be released in 12-packs of 22 oz. bottles and will be available on draft starting this month at Harpoon Brewery’s Boston and Vermont locations. Launch parties will be taking place Tuesday, December 10th at City Tap in Boston andHarpoon Brewery in Windsor, VT.
About Harpoon Brewery:
The Harpoon Brewery was founded in 1986 by beer lovers who wanted more and better beer options. When the Brewery was founded, Harpoon was issued Brewing Permit #001 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, since it was the first to brew commercially in Boston after a dormant period of about 25 years. Harpoon’s line of craft beer features its award-winning IPA and seasonal beers, along with special limited releases. In 2014, Harpoon became an employee-owned company.
About WhistlePig:
Founded in 2008, WhistlePig is the premier aged rye whiskey, featuring the bold and often untapped flavor of rye. WhistlePig is leading a surge of innovation in the emerging field of North American whiskey. As the most decorated rye whiskey – having received the coveted ‘Best in Show Whiskey’ title from the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, WhistlePig is widely viewed as the world’s finest Rye. With the opening of its distillery on its 500-acre Vermont farm in the fall of 2015, WhistlePig has also become one of the leading farm-to-bottle rye whiskeys in the world. http://www.whistlepigrye.com
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[1]Ultra-premium and luxury rye category defined as all rye whiskies in the U.S. sold at $75 or higher per 0.75L bottle at retail (Source: IWSR 2016)