Chattanooga Whiskey Releases More Experimental Whiskeys

Several months back, Tennessee based Chattanooga Whiskey debuted a new experimental whiskey series, with its first release referred to as a “high malt” whiskey. The distillery is now back again with two new releases from this lineup, including one with smoked malt as part of the mash bill.

The new Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Series Batch 002 and Batch 003, according to those behind them, take different directions in exploration of how whiskey is done. For Batch 002 Smoked High Malt, a mash bill which consists of non-GMO yellow corn, rye malt, caramel malt and cherrywood smoked malt was aged in a combination of 53 gallon and 25 gallon barrels for at least two years before being bottled at 102 proof.

Only 90 cases of Batch 002 were released. Very limited official tasting notes suggest “notes of dried fruit, smoke, chocolate cake and gingerbread.”

Batch 003, meanwhile, is named Native Barrel because, while containing a very similar mashbill to Batch 002, it was finished in smoked beer barrels that originally held an experimental whiskey from their Native Series. In this other line up, the distillery teamed up with local brewers to further mature some of its whiskey in former whiskey barrels of its own which had been loaned out for beer aging.

In the case of this particular expression, the beer aged previously in the casks was a smoked doppelbock from OddStory Brewing which utilized both stave-smoked and cob-smoked malt in the beer, and both of which were produced from distillery ingredients. The whiskey was aged for at least two years in 25 gallon barrels before being finished for 30 days in the Native barrels.

Just around 135 cases were yield for Batch 003, and very limited official tasting notes for it suggest “a complex flavor profile with notes of maple, molasses, cocoa, chocolate malt and a light smoky finish.”