Chattanooga Poised To Release Experimental High Malt Whiskey

By Richard Thomas

Chattanooga Whiskey Company has had a bumpier road than most craft distilleries, having had to campaign to amend local laws and ride out internal controversies regarding one of their founders. The perseverance in the project is about to pay off, however, as the distillery is poised to release it’s first in-house project, Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Batch 001.

This is a “high malt” whiskey, although not with the high proportion of malted barley in the whiskey that term usually implies. Experimental Batch 001 is instead a four grain bourbon, with a mash bill of 75% corn and 25% coming from a mix of malted grains: rye malt, caramel rye malt and honey malted barley. The whiskey saw two years of aging in 25-gallon new barrels made by Kelvin Cooperage, and then finished for several months in used barrels that used to hold Chattanooga Whiskey Company’s sourced 1816 brand.

Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Batch 001 is bottled at 102 proof and will launch from the distillery on Friday, August 11th, and initially be available for purchase there. Batch 002 and 003 are set to follow later this autumn.