Chattanooga Whiskey

[dutch]

Any comments on the new Chattanooga whiskey that just hit the market? It's sourced from LDI and bottled elsewhere while they try to get distilling legalized in Chattanooga. Apparently two versions right now, 1816 reserve and 1816 cask.

The 1816 reserve is 90 proof, 21% rye, lots of corn (70%+?) 3 year old.

The 1816 cask is 113.6 proof, same mashbill.

[p_elliott]

I think if you look around there is another thread on here some place about this subject, I remember reading something about it.

[dutch]

I posted the same thing in the Bourbon Enthusiast forum, maybe you read it there, I didn't see anything in this forum on it.

[flintlock]

I bought a bottle of the "Cask" - I suppose meant to imply cask strength. I live in Chattanooga and want to be a booster for it, but it's not good, at least the 3 or 4 pours of it I've had so far. It's medicinal and I get very little of the corn/caramel notes that I drink the stuff for. Of course, it's not marketed as bourbon and I don't know what about the production process makes them label it as whiskey.

I haven't tried the regular, white label bottle, but I will. Or will at least add water to the Cask and see where that takes us.

They are apparently in the "talking" phase of having a change made to Hamilton County law so that they can conceivably start distilling here. Who knows when or if that will ever happen, or if it will be true bourbon, or if they'll take the mulligan and just do vodka and moonshine. I don't mean to sound cynical but it'll be hard for them to get any aged local made whiskey in the bottle before the bourbon fad is over.

[tmckenzie]

If it is the LDI whiskey I think they used, I have a sample of it and it is some of the dullest whiskey I have seen come out of LDI. It must be the really high corn recipe. Almost no nose to it whatsoever.

[dutch]

If it is the LDI whiskey I think they used, I have a sample of it and it is some of the dullest whiskey I have seen come out of LDI. It must be the really high corn recipe. Almost no nose to it whatsoever.

In listening to the interview with one of the owners he also stated it was a "high corn" recipe, the only percentage he mentioned was the 21% rye.

[flintlock]

So why is it not bourbon? Have they alluded to that yet?

[dutch]

So why is it not bourbon? Have they alluded to that yet?

I would assume it's because they don't use new barrels.

[p_elliott]

I would assume it's because they don't use new barrels.

That was going to be my guess

[p_elliott]

I posted the same thing in the Bourbon Enthusiast forum, maybe you read it there, I didn't see anything in this forum on it.

No, there is post on here some where, I can't find, it's about this distillery. I have read it and linked to the distillery web site. I know it's here I can't find it either. All I know is this place is a joke.

[sku]

I would assume it's because they don't use new barrels.

My guess is that it is bourbon but, given that they are in Tennessee, they want to refer to the tradition there of calling their whiskey Tennessee Whiskey, but make it more local, ergo Chattanooga Whiskey.

[flintlock]

My guess is that it is bourbon but, given that they are in Tennessee, they want to refer to the tradition there of calling their whiskey Tennessee Whiskey, but make it more local, ergo Chattanooga Whiskey.

I expect so. It's regular LDI bourbon, I expect, but there may be an aging/blending/barrel issue that changes things. Same old song and dance.

[dutch]

No, there is post on here some where, I can't find, it's about this distillery. I have read it and linked to the distillery web site. I know it's here I can't find it either. All I know is this place is a joke.

Of course it not a actual distillery, since they simply source the juice from LDI and have it bottled with their label on it.

If you're interested and have time, the "tiki bar is open" online blog did a interview and tasting and it's on their website. You can find it here http://www.tikibaronline.com/2012/04/tennessee-spirits-chattanooga-whiskey.html

It is a nice interview, but even the interviewer (Dave) didn't seem too impressed with the whiskey, I think he was just being polite to the owner, Joe Ledbetter.

[flintlock]

Well, I do applaud their choice of proof. It would have been cheaper to bring the stuff out at 40%, and I honor them for not doing that.

[fivedime]

Their website has it at 75% corn, 21% rye, and a mere 4% barley.