Review: Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend
Every year Chattanooga Whiskey celebrates its anniversary with what else: a special edition whiskey. This 12th installment is described as a look at the “past, present, and future” of the Tennessee-based distillery’s various endeavors, with three primary components in the solera-style mix.
Here’s what the finished product looks like (which is a lot like 2023’s version):
1816 (12%): Representing the company’s storied “Past,” 1816 is the smallest of the company’s three solera barrels, and holds their original founding recipe, originally launched in 2012. Now a relic of the Chattanooga Whiskey story, 1816 was Chattanooga’s first whiskey since Prohibition, and worked alongside the company’s Vote Whiskey campaign to help change century-old prohibition laws for dozens of counties across Tennessee. Aged between four and six years, this traditional high rye bourbon contributes a classic woody, lightly spicy bourbon character to the blend.
Barrel 91 (60%): Signifying the company’s “Present,” the largest of the three solera barrels is filled with Chattanooga Whiskey’s signature Tennessee High Malt recipe: “Barrel 91.” Born from their Experimental Distillery’s 91st barrel created, this recipe was developed over two years of experimentation and is built on a foundation of three specialty roasted and toasted malted grains. Pulling richness and depth from every step of the process, this solera component brings a classic high malt depth and complexity to the blend.
Infinity Barrel (28%): Symbolizing the company’s “Future,” the ornately designed Infinity solera barrel is filled with an innovative blend of malt and rye malt whiskeys from both their Experimental and Riverfront Distilleries. This year’s blend welcomes six new mash bills to the barrel, including the subtle addition of a cherrywood smoked “Danko” rye malt whiskey. Aged between three and seven years, this evolving blend of innovative recipes brings a dynamic array of dark fruit and spice flavors to the final whiskey.
“Tasted on their own, the whiskey from each solera barrel is wildly different from the other,” said Grant McCracken, Founding Distiller and CPO. “From the traditional essence of ‘1816,’ to the high-malt heritage of ‘91,’ to the expressive and ever-changing ‘Infinity,’ each barrel not only showcases the range of styles inherent to whiskey making, but also provides a range of options for blending.”
For ages, Chattanooga has been slowly migrating from Indiana distillate to its own juice. This year, only 12% of the liquid in the bottle is MGP stock. 88% is made by Chattanooga itself.
With that prologue, let’s dive in to year 12 and see how it acquits itself.
The nose is rather exotic, a mix of perfumed sandalwood, cinnamon sticks, well-toasted pie crust, and powdered ginger. The end result is an aroma that is spicy, oaky, and ringed with pepper. A light smokiness is omnipresent, with notes of spearmint emerging with time in glass. Complex but engaging, and ultimately more cohesive than an initial nosing would suggest.
The palate brings a lot of fruit into the equation in the form of mixed berries, heavy on cherry, swirled together into something approaching pie filling. Ample spice backs that up: More ginger, more cinnamon. The midpalate builds to find a bracing mix of mint and oak, tempered by soothing vanilla notes and a layer of chocolate cream. Sweet and lightly woody on the finish, it takes you on the easy way out after a surprisingly powerful ride.
I like this expression more than I have previous Chattanooga Founder’s bottlings, thanks to better balance and a richer, racier construction; here’s hoping that trajectory continues.
100 proof.
A- / $60 / chattanoogawhiskey.com
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