Diageo Brings Forth A Blonde Whiskey (?) From Tennessee

Spirits giant Diageo has been doing some rather, shall we say, unique experimentations with whiskey coming out of Tennessee from its Cascade Hollow Distilling operation. What’s emerged so far in 2018 from the home of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky includes a Dickel variant that’s been influenced by ex-Tabasco barrels. Now we are seeing a so-called “blonde whiskey” emerge known as Cascade Blonde.

Cascade Blonde American Whiskey, according to those behind it, is said to be “a new style of blonde American whiskey” that’s lighter in color due to the fact it has gone through double chill filtering. Chill filtering is a process known for making whiskey look clearer in the bottle, so in a way what Diageo is describing makes some degree of sense. That being said, blonde whiskey is a category that doesn’t technically exist as such, Asheville Distilling’s aptly named Blonde Whiskey aside.

What you end up with in bottle for Cascade Blonde is a non-age statement whiskey that’s distilled from a high corn mash bill and limestone filtered water fresh from Cascade Spring in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It is bottled at 80 proof and prices around $20 a bottle. It comes with a rather quirky bottle design which includes a cork that can be transformed into a fishing bobber with a few quick moves. The shape of the bottle itself is inspired by the buoys of America’s waterways.

Cascade Blonde is initially being released in Michigan and Texas. It is being targeted by Diageo as a summer sipping whiskey, friendly either on its own or in simple cocktails.