Who Likes White Dog?

[cowdery]

I'm suggesting, and will believe this until I have evidence to the contrary, that they buy it and bottle it, and I'm not positive they even do their own bottling.

[cowdery]

I heard from Mike Williams, proprietor of Collier and McKeel, and he assures me that they made every drop of their Collier and McKeel Tennessee Whiskey. I have no reason to doubt him and stand corrected. Sorry about the misinformation. It came from a generally reliable source but one who is also prone to mischief-making. Mike was very nice about correcting me.

The current release is whiskey aged four to six months in new barrels.

He also provided the following information.

We make 100% of our product in a 575 gallon still in Nashville, Tennessee.

Our mash bill is 70% corn, 15% rye and 15% malt. We are currently aging in 15 gallon barrels, although we are beginning to fill some 53 gallon barrels for longer aging. Our plan is to migrate into larger barrels.

We burn our own sugar maple for the Lincoln County Process, it is cut on or near our farm in Middle Tennessee.

[Josh]

Thanks for updating us, Chuck. They seem to be using less corn than JD or GD. I'm glad their setting some aside in 53 gallon barrels. I'm surprised how few micros are doing that. Anyway, should be interesting stuff.

[fivedime]

Thanks for updating us, Chuck.

Ditto! Thanks for the added info! Sounds like the C & M folks are doing things right.

[cowdery]

Mike is a former lobbyist and state legislator. I'm glad he's finally found honest work.

[B.B. Babington]

...I'm glad their setting some aside in 53 gallon barrels. I'm surprised how few micros are doing that...

Yes, this bodes well for the future of micro industry! ...and our taste buds. Of course they want to sell a lot to quickly re-coup investment costs, but it seems prudent to produce excess for longer aging if they have storage facilities for barrels.

[tmckenzie]

there are several who are doing that right now. The majority of what we make goes into 53's. We should be completly done with the little barrels in another year or so.

[kbrighton]

Stopped in one of the 27 Binny's stores yesterday and saw that for $99 (tax not included) you can age a bottle of that Cedar Ridge Unaged Whiskey with the enclosed 1 liter barrel in the package kit now being sold. The packages were featured in the same area of the other holiday gift packages. I never paid much attention but think Wasmunds did this with 2 bottles and a 2 liter barrel at the same price a while back. I passed on the Cedar Ridge kit, thank you very much, and bought a Mellow Corn at $13.99 instead.

Binnys is the most expensive place to buy our products. You would be better off to make the 3 hour drive over here and get it from our retail store. We have the unaged whiskey for 25 bucks here, without the barrel.

[tommyboy38]

I've seen the barrel and bottle for less than $70.
The only problem I had with it was that the white dog was 80 proof and then they say to add water to top off the barrel. Can't you skip the water?
Do I want 60 proof bourbon coming out?
NO!
I want 120 proof bourbon!

I also had a chance to sample some Cedar Ridge this weekend at a local store. It was much better than I was expecting.

[T Comp]

...The only problem I had with it was that the white dog was 80 proof and then they say to add water to top off the barrel. ...

Tom, The one I saw, the kit that is, had the 100 proof white dog with it. Saw one at another retailer recently at $59 and that's not a bad price for the barrel alone based on what Independent Stave was getting for these tiny barrels at KBF iirc.