Review of Hogsworth Bourbon and Armagnac Batch 1 Blend

 

If your social media feed is anything like mine, you’re seeing a ton of ads for something called Hogsworth. It looks like whiskey, but is it?

 

“I created WhistlePig Whiskey, sold it, and severed all ties. But I remained fond of pigs. My work felt incomplete —and American whiskey needs a shakeup. So I present Hogsworth. It is the finest bottle you’ll find — at even ten times the price. Taste and see.

Hogsworth marries America’s best bourbons with exquisite Armagnacs from France — some over forty years old. Older, richer, more complex. This is what it means to get your Hogsworth. Now go get yours! OINK OINK.” – Raj Peter Bhakta, Founder

 

Okay… when a brand issues a challenge, I take them up on it. For the record, I’ve had several whiskeys from BHATKA Spirits, which Raj also owns, and they’ve been first-class sipping adventures. None, however, are priced anywhere near Hogsworth’s $50.00.  

 

Hogsworth is a blend of 52% Bourbon and 48% Armagnac. Here’s what’s in Batch 1, Blend 9:

• 42% 2019 Tennessee Bourbon (4 years)
• 10% 2019 Minnesota Bourbon (4 years 5 months)
• 22% 2012 Armagnac (11 years)
• 21% 2011 Armagnac (12 years)
• 5%  1982 Armagnac (41 years)

 

Hogsworth is packaged in a 750ml bottle at 46.9% ABV (93.8°). I reviewed BHAKTA 1928, an American Rye, Armagnac, and Calvados blend. I found it very enjoyable.

 

Is Hogworth worth a bottle ten times the suggested price? Thankfully, we’ll have the opportunity to #DrinkCurious because Hogsworth provided me a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured Hogsworth into a Glencairn glass to sip neat. This spirit had a rusty color; it could barely form a rim as it disintegrated into a thick curtain of tears.

 

Nose: The bouquet it produced while airing out on my bar was big and bold. The Armagnac aspect dominated the Bourbon with honey, ginger, and floral notes. Clamoring for attention were vanilla, brown sugar, and massive amounts of caramel. When I drew the aroma into my mouth, I found more honey.

 

Palate: Hogsworth’s texture was cloud-like and silky. Cocoa powder, nutmeg, and herbal tea were on the front. My mid-palate discovered old leather, orange peel, and ginger spice. The back offered freshly cracked black pepper, dry oak, and vanilla.

 

Finish: I timed the duration at 2:26, making it very long. There were no waves; it was pretty level. A plethora of vanilla, orange peel, leather, cocoa, and black pepper remained in my mouth and throat. The leather slightly outlasted the black pepper.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  If you’ve spent time reading my reviews, you’ll know I talk about how crucial palate shock is. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it means that when you take your first sip or taste of anything unfamiliar, your palate has no idea what to expect, and everything rushes out of you like the Running Of The Bulls in Spain. Your palate gets confused and concentrates, usually, on the negatives. That’s palate shock; you never want to judge how good or bad something is on that first sip. The next sip, your palate is prepared for what’s coming, allowing you to concentrate on the separate flavors.

 

The first sip was as if I took the driest cocoa and hottest pepper and stuffed it in my mouth simultaneously. Like I said, don’t judge by that. The second sip proved to be far more aesthetically pleasing.

 

I still have the BHAKTA 1928 on hand, and I was curious how the two compare. Granted, it had American Rye, not Bourbon, plus the additional Calvados component. It was, across the board, a far superior spirit, yet it cost $19.00 more.

 

Hogsworth is unlike anything else you’ll taste. It is… for lack of a better word… unique. I’m not in love with it. I don’t hate it, but of everything that Raj has released since detaching himself from WhistlePig, this is my least favorite. You’ll want to try this one at a Bar first. Cheers!

 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.