Chattanooga Whiskey

[Fat Boy]

I am not sure if bourbon country is strictly Kentucky but are there any thoughts on the Chattanooga Whiskey tour?

[PaulO]

Any U.S. state can make bourbon - as long as they follow the rules.

[Harry in WashDC]

15 hours ago, Fat Boy said:

I am not sure if bourbon country is strictly Kentucky but are there any thoughts on the Chattanooga Whiskey tour?

And, here is a short summary of the rules.  For the actual rules, go to the TTB site and look for the tag "regulations"

 

“whisky” (AKA “whiskey”) is defined by federal regs as spirits distilled from a fermented mash of grain at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to whisky and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).

 

 “bourbon whisky” is defined by federal regs as whisky produced in the U.S. at not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume (160 proof) from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn and stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers.

 

“straight bourbon whisky” is defined by federal regs as bourbon whisky stored in charred new oak containers for 2 years or more. “Straight Bourbon Whisky” may include mixtures of two or more straight bourbon whiskies provided all of the whiskies are produced in the same state.

 

SOURCE: page 4-2 of THE BEVERAGE ALCOHOL MANUAL (BAM), A Practical Guide - Basic Mandatory Labeling Information for DISTILLED SPIRITS Volume 2

Retrieved on 7/20/2017 from https://www.ttb.gov/spirits/bam.shtml

 

NOTE that bourbon can only be produced in the U.S., but it is not limited to a particular state.

[Fat Boy]

Thanks for the regulations. I had 2 reasons for the post. To get a feel for - if I should go out of my way to visit Chattanooga Whiskey. And, to get a feel for this forum so I can make appropriate posts. The title of the thread is "Whiskey Trips" but the sub-title is "Discussion of travel in Bourbon country". Are posts then suppose to be strictly Bourbon? The Chattanooga Whiskey website says it is bourbon but the bottle reads whiskey (not bourbon)

[dcbt]

1 minute ago, Fat Boy said:

And, to get a feel for this forum so I can make appropriate posts. The title of the thread is "Whiskey Trips" but the sub-title is "Discussion of travel in Bourbon country". Are posts then suppose to be strictly Bourbon? The Chattanooga Whiskey website says it is bourbon but the bottle reads whiskey (not bourbon)

I wouldn't sweat that too much.  As long as you're not posting a for sale ad, for example, it's a pretty forgiving community discussion-wise.  It's nice to keep the threads organized but sometimes there isn't an exact match so we do the best we can like you did.

[Harry in WashDC]

8 hours ago, Fat Boy said:

. . .  The Chattanooga Whiskey website says it is bourbon but the bottle reads whiskey (not bourbon)

Indeed, don't take us TOO literally (well, there are a couple of us who NEVER kid, but you'll figure out who among us they are).  RE: that whiskey vs. bourbon thing, especially when Tennessee whiskey is being discussed.  There are several threads here going back YEARS on whether, for example, Jack Daniels is a "bourbon" or not.  just a "straight whiskey".  Although I've never worked at the JD Distillery (or any other distillery, either), I am confident that it is made from spirits distilled from a fermented mash of grain at less than 95% alcohol by volume (190 proof) having the taste, aroma and characteristics generally attributed to whisky and bottled at not less than 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) and, therefore, meets the federal definition of "whisky".  Further, JD produces that whisky from a fermented mash of not less than 51 percent corn which is stored at not more than 62.5% alcohol by volume (125 proof) in charred new oak containers.  Thus, it meets the federal definition of "bourbon".

 

The Lincoln County Process, i.e., filtering it through maple charcoal, does not change that.  Or so the argument goes although some say otherwise.  Hence, those threads.

 

I'm agnostic on this.  While the current basic JD is no longer something I drink regularly, I keep one barrel proof open and at least one spare in my bunker.

 

OH YEAH, your original reason for asking the question - If you have the time and are in the area, visiting the Chattanooga Whiskey place and then reporting on what you think is something LOTS of us would read.  Pictures are welcome, too.

 

ONE LAST THOUGHT - The regs don't REQUIRE a producer to call its whisky "bourbon" if it meets the definition, BUT it cannot call it "bourbon" UNLESS it meets that definition.

 

[ASIDE - I lied about the "last thought", but I'll post it later.  BTW, anybody else think I've had too much unadulterated Diet Coke today?]

[fishnbowljoe]

I agree with Harry. Visit the distillery. Maybe they have samples so you can try before you buy. If you visit the place, take some pics and please let us know your thoughts.

 

Cheers! Joe

[Fat Boy]

Thanks - Harry's logic on JD & bourbon make sense to me. This forum is better than I expected!

[Richnimrod]

2 hours ago, Fat Boy said:

Thanks - Harry's logic on JD & bourbon make sense to me. This forum is better than I expected!

...Ain't none better!

[tanstaafl2]

I am told that Chattanooga Whiskey is now distilling but for a long time it was all MGP stock and what is currently on the shelf probably still is. I spent several days in Chattanooga in June and confess I didn't feel much need to check it out but I really only had time to explore in the evenings. It could be a perfectly lovely tour. I preferred to check out a few of the local cocktail bars on that particular trip.

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2017 by tanstaafl2

[Jawja Boy]

They are distilling now.  In fact, they recently had a release party where they brought out their Batch 001.  From what I gather, they will be aging their whisky at least 2 years and seem intent on aging some of it a good bit longer.  I haven't tried any yet, but a good friend has and he thinks highly of it.  Definitely going to give it a try when I can and I'm planning to take the tour next time I'm in Chattanooga.