Highly decorated brand Chattanooga Whiskey is known for its award-winning limited edition releases which don’t cost the Earth, and now it is coming out with a new barrel finished release. The fifth entry in the Barrel Finishing Series uses California wine casks to add fruity, spicy notes to a new bourbon blend.
The Russian River Pinot Cask Finished makes use of Pinot Noir casks from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. The wines from this region have notes of berries and nuts, which the Chattanooga team say inspired them to use the casks for finishing.
“If there was one word to describe our finishing series, it’d be ‘focus.’ ‘Focus’ on barrel origin, and ‘focus’ on whiskey recipe. This particular finishing release focused on one of the world’s best known Pinot Noir growing regions: California’s Russian River Valley,” said Chief Product Officer Grant McCracken. “To these barrels, our distillers introduced a variety of mash bills which collectively spoke to the complex yet delicate fruit flavors of this region.”
They used a combination of five mash bills, including some familiar to Chattanooga fans like the classic wheated and roasted bills, and also a special version of the Barrel 91 recipe that was distilled at a higher proof for more character.
“These classic California Pinot Noir casks brought a dynamic balance of fruit forward top notes and earthy, barrel driven base notes. To complement this wide range of flavor, we specifically chose a a blend of whiskeys that spoke to both sides – resulting in a bright, juicy nose of fresh picked blackberries and cherry pie, followed by dark chocolate icing and brown sugar,” explained Head Distiller Tiana Saul. “This is a robust whiskey with a full mouthfeel, a punchy palate, and lightly tannic finish. Add a couple drops of water to enjoy the full evolution of flavor.”
Russian River Pinot Cask Finished will be released online and in retail in certain states for $60 per 750 ml bottle.
