As 2024 draws to a close, American whiskey producers are showcasing innovation through unique partnerships, experimental techniques, and the revival of fan favorites.
In new American whiskey releases, Chattanooga revisits an icon and Log Still collaborates with the Archdiocese of Louisville. Hidden Barn adds to the Series One line, and Wheel Horse unveils a 5 Year Old.
Log Still Faithfully Crafted: The Trinity Blend Bourbon
Log Still Distillery has unveiled a groundbreaking collaboration with the Archdiocese of Louisville: Faithfully Crafted: The Trinity Blend Bourbon. This unique release marks the inaugural production run on Log Still’s new bottling line. From now on, bottling will be completed on-site, beginning with this new collaboration.
“This partnership is a celebration of Kentucky’s rich bourbon history, blending the time-honored traditions of distilling with the values of faith, family, and connection,” said Wally Dant, Founder and President of Log Still Distillery. “We are honored to work alongside the Archdiocese of Louisville to create something truly special.”
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The bourbon combines three distinct barrel mash bills, delivering a layered tasting experience of butterscotch warmth, cinnamon, and clove depth, and a lingering finish of smoky spiced oak.
Available exclusively at Log Still Distillery and Monks Road Boiler House in Louisville, a portion of proceeds supports Archdiocese community initiatives.
Hidden Barn Series One Slow Fade
Hidden Barn continues its craft whiskey journey with Slow Fade, the tenth release in its Series One line. Master Blender Jackie Zykan selected five-to-six-year-old barrels from Neeley Family Distillery, featuring their signature 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley mashbill.
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The 106.5 proof bourbon showcases Neeley’s traditional production methods, including double pot distillation, wild-crafted Appalachian yeast, and open cypress fermentation tanks. “Very well balanced, with brown butter, black cherry, and a bit of orange zest on the nose,” notes Zykan. “Dark cacao and hazelnut lead the palate and the mouthfeel is perfectly viscous. The sweetness slow fades on the finish, rounding out with balanced warmth and clean longevity.”
Bottled with only sediment filtration, Slow Fade retails for $79.99 and is available at the distillery, online, and in select retailers across Kentucky, Indiana, New York, California, Georgia, Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico.
Chattanooga Vault Series 2024
Chattanooga Whiskey‘s return to the Vault Series pays homage to one of their most distinctive experiments. The new release features four single barrels inspired by their rare 2017 Batch 002: Smoked High Malt, each showcasing different hardwood-smoked malted barley varieties.
“The original Batch 002 has become something of a cult favorite,” says Head Distiller Tiana Saul. “For the 2024 Vault Series, we’ve returned to that classic recipe and taken it a step further by highlighting a range of different smoked malts, distilling them in our column still, and aging each one in a long-toasted and charred oak barrel.
“While specialty recipes such as these are usually reserved for larger blended releases to create greater depth, this year’s Vault is a rare opportunity to individually compare the nuances of multiple smoked malts, in an uncut single barrel context. Although each barrel has its own unique personality, all feature a subtle smokiness that asserts its presence without dominating the profile.”
Each six-year-old barrel contains approximately 18% smoked malted barley, with variations including mesquite, apple wood, and cherry wood. Two barrels feature mesquite-smoked malt, one uses apple wood, and the fourth combines all three varieties. The whiskeys are bottled at barrel proof in 375ml bottles, available exclusively at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery for $46.99.
Wheel Horse Double Oak 5-Year Bourbon
Wheel Horse Whiskey has expanded its portfolio with Double Oak 5-Year Bourbon, its first five-year-old expression. Limited to 2,100 bottles, this release showcases extended aging through a double-barrel process at Green River Distilling in Owensboro, Kentucky. The first barrels were Char 4, in which the whiskey spent 4.5 years.
“Our goal when crafting Wheel Horse Double Oak was to complement the underlying cherry note of the whiskey with bold flavors of raw sugar and cocoa,” says Barrel Master Stephen Corrigan. “To achieve this, we hand selected new Char 1 barrels whose staves had gone through extended air seasoning. After a little more than 6 months finishing in these casks, the end result is complex and balanced, and something that we can’t wait for others to enjoy.”
The 101 proof, non-chill filtered bourbon offers aromas of chocolate-dipped toffee and pound cake, followed by flavors of demerara sugar, vanilla custard, dried cherries, and cocoa. Available nationally with an SRP of $34.99, it joins Wheel Horse’s seasonal lineup alongside their Cigar Blend, Rum-Finished Rye, and Toasted Barrel expressions.
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