New Tennessee Whiskey Made With Rare Heirloom Corn

In the world of Tennessee whiskey, the names of Jack Daniel’s and George Dickell come to mind for most. There are a range of small- and mid-sized size craft distilleries in this state however, with some making use of rarer corn types to create fascinating bottlings. One of these is Fugitives Spirits.

Fugitives Spirits, according to those behind it, recently debuted Grandgousier Tennessee Whiskey, a whiskey made from a local, sustainably grown heirloom corn variety known as Hickory Cane. This corn, said to be one of the oldest in the South, is blended with malted barley and mashed, fermented and copper pot distilled on site. It is then filtered through their own handmade Tennessee Sugar Maple charcoal, a method known as “The Lincoln County Process” that defines Tennessee whiskey, and aged in new charred oak barrels.

“We set out to create a more grain-forward Tennessee Whiskey, bolder on the palate yet more refined in its execution,” said Fugitives distiller Jim Massey in a prepared statement. “And while the grain complexity shines through, the real surprise for me is the depth of sweetness attained.  It all starts with the exceptional heirloom corn from our local farmers, and then our distillation methods coax the maximum flavor from our mash.  Our unique sugar maple charcoal we make also adds an unexpected nuance.  We take pride in genuinely hand crafting our spirits from the absolute best grain grown in Tennessee.”

This new whiskey is bottled at 96 proof and available in Tennessee only at this point, You’ll find official limited tasting notes for it below. The name Grandgousier, by the way, means big throat in French and also is in deference to the poem by John Crowe Ransom, one of the Fugitives Poets, alluding to the “Good King” who enjoyed food and spirits.

A spectrum of complex grain folded into a hint of butter biscuit. The nose is robust with caramel & sweet corn while the full body leaves a note of fresh apple.