This New BBQ-Inspired Whiskey Was Made in Collaboration with Traeger Grills

WhistlePig's new limited-edition whiskey is made to pair with your next cookout.

whistlepig traeger whiskey
Courtesy of WhistlePig
Courtesy of WhistlePig

Wood is one of the most important aspects of any whiskey. Generally, when we're talking about wood and whiskey, we're talking about the barrel and, by extension, age statement. 

WhistlePig Whiskey, best known for its rye whiskies, has teamed up with Traeger Grills, best known for its wood pellet grills, to bring a distinctive woody flavor to its latest limited-edition release. The collaboration has birthed WhistlePig SmokeStock Wood Fired Whiskey, a whiskey inspired by BBQ smoke. 

The spirit is aged in American Oak No. 3 char barrels before getting smoked with Traeger's all-natural Apple BBQ wood. The process also includes further smoking during the proofing process, per the company, which says that the final touch imparts "campfire smoke and subtle savory notes" into the whiskey. 

The campfire taste is immediately present on the first taste. It still carries some of the spice expected from WhistlePig, but also has woody notes reminiscent of barbecue smoke, of standing around a grill in the backyard waiting for dinner to be ready. 

This is not the first time WhistlePig has played with unexpected woods recently. Earlier this year, it collaborated with Red Sox legend David Ortiz on a limited edition whiskey that was finished with a toasted baseball bat. While that was a unique release, the SmokeStock carries a more engaging and distinct flavor that makes it worth returning for another taste.

SmokeStock was released in July, and the 86-proof whiskey can now be grabbed for around $73 per 750ml bottle. If nothing else, it makes for a fun pairing with your next mid-summer cookout. 

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Dustin Nelson is a Senior Staff Writer at Thrillist. Follow Dustin on Twitter.