For these following craft distilling’s development in the USA, Chattanooga Whiskey is not any stranger. Because the distillery approaches their twelfth anniversary — and with extra of their in-house distillate coming of age — they proceed to pump out releases that bend contentions on mixing and cask finishes.
Certainly one of their newest whiskeys is a mix of malt mashbills completed in Silver Oak Cabernet casks. It’s the third of their restricted launch “Ending Sequence,” that are all Tennessee-distilled malt whiskey completed in various kinds of casks.
(Observe that this differs considerably from their “Experimental Single Batch Sequence,” that are distillery exclusives encompasses a better number of grain mashbills and finishes.)
This explicit expression options 5 single malt mashbills — based on the model, “every containing a spread of toasted, roasted, and caramel malts” — aged longer than 4 years, which incorporates an 18+ month end within the Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon casks. The ensuing batch was bottled at 95 proof. Let’s dive in.
On the nostril, there’s a telltale word of malt, and likewise some wealthy darkish fruit leaning closely towards blackberry. I additionally get toasted nuts (on this case pecans) and vanilla extract proper behind. It’s wealthy, candy, and borderline decadent. Wait a pair minutes, and spice is available in stronger, with a noticeable — and dare I say, fascinating — interaction between candy/fruity and spicy. There’s additionally only a contact of smoke that creeps up on the very finish, such as you walked onto a campground an hour after the final fireplace pit had been extinguished. The model is trying to marry malt whiskey and wine ending, and up to now, they reach creating a pleasant interaction between distinguished components of the 2.
Whereas fruit hits early on the nostril, it’s way more subdued on the primary sip, with caramelized and toasted notes from the malt taking heart stage. It’s simply the tiniest bit jarring in comparison with the nostril, and that pretty blackberry word isn’t abundantly current at first. Nonetheless, it does come out increasingly in subsequent sips, sufficient that I discovered I reached again for the glass to actually revisit that exact profile. Toasted pecans, vanilla, and honey are additionally current right here and provides technique to caramelized banana towards the again of the tongue. This will get a lot sweeter with every subsequent sip till lastly that darkish fruit — once more, blackberry — makes its means into the dialog.
On the end, the smokiness makes itself way more identified, together with spice — nearly like a rye whiskey! There’s additionally a lingering espresso word, only a tiny bit bitter however (largely) balanced with residual sweetness on the palate. The end has some good size, and a number of layers of flavoring keep current for a protracted whereas.
I’m undecided how a lot wine affect is current on the finish, which is a slight letdown given the distinguished ending interaction on the nostril. Nonetheless, overpowering wine finishes are a far-too-common prevalence in American whiskey nowadays, so there’s one thing (perhaps so much) to be mentioned for taking a extra delicate method.
Total, it is a enjoyable, layered mix of single malt mashbills. Although the wine affect isn’t tremendous constant all through, I love Chattanooga Whiskey’s restraint in not ending to the purpose of dropping the whiskey for the wine. My predominant criticism is towards the end, which has a contact an excessive amount of bitterness that holds it again from punching up much more in scoring.
Chattanooga Whiskey’s Ending Sequence is on the market each on the distillery and in broad distribution.
95 proof.
A- / $60 / chattanoogawhiskey.com
Chattanooga Whiskey Silver Oak Cabernet Cask Completed Malt Whiskey
$60
About Publish Creator
