Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whiskey from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.
Chattanooga Whiskey, in the business of Tennessee whiskey since 2011, initially had to overcome prohibition-type laws to win the right to distill whiskey in Chattanooga for the first time in 100 years. Led by Founder Tim Piersant, Chattanooga Whiskey today has two distilleries under its label, including the Experimental Distillery, which is said to be “the only standalone experimental distillery in the country.”
Of particular note is the distillery’s focus on a one-of-a-kind Tennessee High Malt style.
What’s in the bottle
The whiskey being reviewed here, Chattanooga Whiskey Russian River Pinot Cask Finished Bourbon, is the latest in this brand’s Barrel Finishing Series. It marries a custom blend of five bourbon mash bills, including their classic wheated and roasted mash bills, along with a one-off version of their signature Barrel 91 recipe, which was distilled at higher proofs.
Total aging is over four years, including six months in Pinot Noir casks from the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California.
“If there was one word to describe our finishing series,” said Grant McCracken, Chief Product Officer for Chattanooga Whiskey, when this was released, “it’d be ‘focus.’ ‘Focus’ on barrel origin, and ‘focus’ on whiskey recipe. This particular finishing release focused on one of the world’s best known pinot noir growing regions: California’s Russian River Valley. To these barrels, our distillers introduced a variety of mash bills which collectively spoke to the complex yet delicate fruit flavors of this region.”
This Tennessee “high malt” bourbon, bottled at 95 proof, is priced at $59.99 for a 750 ml bottle.
