A touch softer than the brand’s usual ryes, Homestock is a whiskey for a good cause. (photo courtesy of the brand)

While some folks were baking bread, WhistlePig cooked up a new whiskey—with help from thousands of friends. Twenty percent of sales from the result, a limited-edition HomeStock release, are going directly to the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild (USBG) Foundation’s Emergency Assistance Program.

WhistlePig tapped Flaviar members and whiskey aficionados for input, distributing blend-your-own kits with tools and instructions to play around with at home. Participants were then asked to submit their favorite combination of rye, wheat, and barley. Together with spirits expert Dan Dunn, WhistlePig’s Master Distiller Pete Lynch guided educational online blending sessions and then analyzed the results to inform the new product. The winning recipe breaks down to 45 percent rye, 30 percent wheat and 25 percent barley, a departure from WhistlePig’s straight rye portfolio.

“HomeStock is a truly special blend for us, not only due to how it was made, but because it’s the first time we’re releasing a whiskey that features something other than Rye,” says Jeff Kozak, WhistlePig CEO. “We’re thrilled that this blend got voted as the winner; it could be a sign of things to come from us in the future as a natural extension of our famed FarmStock range.”

Inherently spicy, HomeStock exhales aromas of vanilla, orange zest, and pipe tobacco at first whiff, opening into nutmeg, toffee, toasted nut, and berry notes with a lush mouthfeel and long finish. Pre-orders of the $72.99 product are available through their website.