WhistlePig Whiskey and Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake have announced a whiskey collaboration.
Limited Edition PiggyBack Legends Series: Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel is a high rye whiskey selected by the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake drivers, with barrels trialed in their wind tunnel.
This third iteration in WhistlePig’s Single Barrel PiggyBack Legends Series comes bottled at 96.77 proof, a nod to Valtteri Bottas’ racing number, 77.
Inspired by Zhou Guanyu, the first Chinese F1 driver, this rye finished with lychee and oolong tea. Herbal and floral notes of the oolong tea complement the herbaceous notes of WhistlePig’s signature PiggyBack 100% rye, rounded out with a juicy tropical fruit finish and a touch of spice, the company says.
Like Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake’s C43 racing vehicles, trial barrels were tested in the team’s wind tunnel in Switzerland before hitting the track. Select barrels then endured varying levels of G-Forces at the WhistlePig farm and distillery, “accelerating the interaction between the whiskey and the wood,” the company says.
“Partnering with WhistlePig has been a very exciting experience. Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake is dedicated to being the best on the track, and the crew at WhistlePig is fearless in their pursuit to create the best whiskey out there,” says Bottas. “We’re really looking forward to fans tasting our custom Rye Whiskey and raising a glass to the rookies, veterans, legends and the exhilarating sport of F1.”
The Limited Edition Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake Barrel will be available at retailers nationwide and for purchase online this month for the suggested retail price of $49.99 per 750-ml. bottle.
“Joining forces with WhistlePig to release a Single Barrel Rye Whiskey that represents my culture and team has been an honor,” says Guanyu. “Formula 1 brings together fearless, thrill-seeking motorsports professionals, and WhistlePig has a shared passion for boundary-pushing innovation. Together, we’ve selected something alarmingly good for fans to enjoy this season when the cars are not on track.”
Consumers can win VIP merchandise by scanning the QR code on the back of each bottle.
“We’re taking our third Legends Series release on a ryed like never before,” says Meghan Ireland, WhistlePig Head Blender. “Our experiments with dynamic aging went full throttle during finishing trials at the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake wind tunnel, in turn inspiring new ways to expose barrels to G-forces back at the WhistlePig Farm. The herbal and floral notes of the lychee and tea barrel selected with the team create a new, podium-topping experience for PiggyBack Rye.”
The WhistlePig PiggyBack Legends Series also includes a collaboration with Major League Baseball Hall of Famer, David Ortiz (“Big Papi”), followed by Country Music Duo Brothers Osborne in November 2022.
