Master Distiller David Pickerell will be conducting an in-store tasting and bottle signing of WhistlePig "100/100" Straight Rye Whiskey at The Chelsea Vault Wines.
WhistlePig Straight Rye Whiskey
WhistlePig “100/100”, “the finest rye whiskey available anywhere,” according to Master Distiller Dave Pickerell, is opening to extraordinary praise from whiskey critics. Pickerell, after crafting Maker’s Mark for over 14 years, spent over a year scouring North America to uncover this gem. The result is a whiskey selected by the Wall Street Journal as among its Top Five whiskies of 2010 and awarded 96 points by Wine Enthusiast—making it their highest rated rye whiskey ever.
“100/100” is a unique full-bodied whiskey produced solely from rye grain. Its intense flavor profile, characteristic of rye, is superbly finished through a 10-year-old double-barrel aging process. WhistlePig offers consumers more rye, at a higher proof, with a remarkable balance between flavor and age. It is bottled attentively by hand on WhistlePig Farm in Shoreham and available in limited supply.
David Pickerell
Master Distiller, WhistlePig Farm Distillery David Pickerell is the Master Distiller of WhistlePig Farm Distillery, located in Shoreham, Vermont. In 2010, WhistlePig Farm Distillery launched its first whiskey, WHISTLEPIG STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY, hand-bottled at the distillery at 100 proof, made from 100% pure rye. Before becoming the Master Distiller of WhistlePig Farm Distillery, Pickerell served as the Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark Distillery for 14 years from 1994 to 2008. He was involved in ensuring the quality standards of their 19-barrel bathes from selecting the grains to choosing the white oak barrels and the final bourbon tasting.
In 2008, Pickerell performed as the Master Distiller at George Washington’s Distillery at historic Mount Vernon to restore the original stills built by the first President of the United States back in 1814. During the project, Pickerell oversaw the first commercial production of George Washington’s Rye Whiskey.
Throughout his career, Pickerell has provided engineering services for beverage alcohol facilities around the world including in Russia, Scotland, China, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Canada. In the U.S., he has also designed distillation equipment and systems for many of the bourbon and Tennessee Whisky distilleries. With his extensive background in distilled spirits production, Pickerell served as a board member and past chair for the Kentucky Distillers Association, as well as the chair of its technical committee. He also served on the technical committee of the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), Washington DC based trade organization and lobbying group.
Pickerell is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point with a B.S. in Chemistry. Upon graduation, he served in the U.S. military for 11 years as a cavalry officer with logistics, training and parachutist specialties. He later received his master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Louisville. He and his wife, Jeannette and their four children reside near Louisville, KY.