Notes and Reviews for Whiskey Ring Podcast Episode 175: Chattanooga Whiskey with Founder Tim Piersant

High Malt Bourbon and Community Support, No LCP Needed: The Story Behind Chattanooga Whiskey

When making whiskey in Tennessee, it’s necessary to ask a simple question: will your whiskey made in Tennessee also be a Tennessee whiskey?

If so, you’ll need to use the Lincoln County Process. The LCP, as it’s commonly known, is a simple requirement: pass your new-make distillate through sugar maple charcoal. Beyond that, the regulation is laughably sparse. There are no guidelines on how long the whiskey must stay in the charcoal, how deep the charcoal is or how wide the container, the grit of the charcoal…I could go on. Jack Daniel’s uses ten-foot-tall charcoal vats, the whiskey taking days to filter through. Cascade Hollow uses just a few feet thick and from what I have heard a coarser break, like large gravel. There is historical significance to this process, but the drive-a-truck-through-wide limits merit a laugh, at least.

Putting the LCP aside, Tim Piersant and his co-founder knew that to stand out in Tennessee, they’d have to do something different. Their answer came in the form of Grant McCracken, a brewer by trade who had dabbled in home distilling and had an interest in specialty malts. The introduction came via godfather of rye Larry Ebersold, and Grant came from the same school of thought (and brewery!) as now-Master Distiller of New Riff Brian Sprance (we talked with Brian after his elevation in Whiskey Ring Podcast Episode 138).

As a result, all of Chattanooga’s High Malt bourbons are Tennessee bourbons, not Tennessee whiskies. At least 25% of the mash bill will be specialty malts, sometimes - often, even - experimental (you can see their current and former experimental batches here). They’ll play with mashbill, malts, finishes, casks, whatever they’d like to, because they can. And while that’s not always successful, as far too many brands have shown, at Chattanooga it’s become almost whimsical.

But, as always, it must start with the basics - what is the front-facing, biggest distribution product, the one that will introduce the whiskeyphile and the everyday drinker to your brand.

A few years is a lifetime in craft whiskey, and few brands epitomize this more to me than Chattanooga Whiskey. When I first tried them - most likely their now-gone 1816, which was sourced transparently but not representative of where they are today - I was not a fan. Something was off, and I resisted revisiting the brand for years. Then, The Whiskey Bard himself, Nino Kilgore-Marchetti, reached out asking if I wanted to try their new Islay Cask finish.

Why not - it's been a few years, and by my estimation, that's time for a retasting. And bravo to Chattanooga - their "new" whiskey, that is their Tennessee High Malt Bourbon, is excellent, and the Islay Cask finishing series release added to that.

There's a lot to cover in this episode, from uncovering Chattanooga's distilling past to a rip-the-band-aid-off brand transition, all the way to their wins for Craft Producer of the Year 2023 for both the US and the world. Throughout, this episode is a celebration of the craft whiskey movement and the passion driving its revival in Chattanooga. No Lincoln County Process here, folks - this is a Tennessee High Malt Bourbon, loud and proud.

Want to hear more of Chattanooga Whiskey’s story? Listen to the Whiskey Ring Podcast at whiskeyringpodcast.com or wherever you get your podcasts!

Thank you to Chattanooga Whiskey for providing these bottles free of charge. All opinions are my own.

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Chattanooga Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Specs

Classification: High Malt Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Chattanooga Whiskey

Mashbill: 75% Corn, 25% Specialty Malts (Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley & Honey Malted Barley)

Proof: 91 (45.5% ABV)

Age: 2+ Years Old

Barrel Type: 53 Gallon, Blended in 4000 Gallon Solera

Location: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $34.99

Official Website

Chattanooga Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Tasting Notes

Eye: Amber. Medium sloughing rims, medium legs fall quickly without droplets.

Nose: Heady air upon entering a brewery. The malts are clear and varied, making me search a bit for the corn. Sweet malt notes of honey wheat bread, unhopped beer, fresh corn on the cob that’s bright and fragrant once found. Toasting tamales.

Palate: More astringent than expected, piquant on the tip of my tongue. Malt is still the star, even if this is a bourbon. Black tea, oversteeped without sugar, a light cinnamon dusting and honeycake. Mouthfeel is silky and creamy like whipped cream melting in your mouth. Drying on the front half of my tongue. Dusty mixed nuts and homemade grape jelly, barely-there proof.

Finish: Still the malt show, and it’s a beautiful one, especially for 2+YO. Medium length, the different roasts on the malts still clear and discernible. Black iced tea, roasted corn on the cob hangs on in the background.

Overall: Only on the way back finishes this clearly a bourbon as perhaps we’d expect with a lower malt content or higher corn. The malted grains - barley in particular - reign supreme. The flavors of the caramel and honey malt are delicious. Drinks way below proof and has a great mouthfeel for 91 proof. This would also appeal to malt drinkers exploring the bourbon space.

Final Rating: 7.6

Chattanooga Barrel Finishing Series: Islay Cask

Brand Notes:

3 peated whiskeys, 3 peated malts, 3 peated finishing casks. Can you handle the peat?

This blend of pot distilled bourbon, column distilled bourbon and column distilled malt whiskey was made with 3 different peated malts from 3 different UK malthouses - each one bringing their own unique, rich, smoky malt character.

After primary aging in new charred oak, the whiskeys were finished in casks from 3 different Islay Scotch distilleries - each from the southernmost part of the Isle – near Kildalton. Together, the 3 whiskeys, 3 peated malts and 3 finishing casks merge into one peat-forward blend, with a smoky complexity that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Mash Bills: Pot Distilled Bourbon (4-grain), Column Distilled Bourbon (4-grain), Column Distilled Malt (3-grain)

Grains: Yellow Corn, Peat Smoked Malted Barley (3 types), Honey Malted Barley, Naked Malted Oats, Malted Rye

Age: 4 years, 2 mos

Proof: 111 (55.5% ALC/VOL)

Cooperage: Toasted & Charred Oak, 53 gallon

Finishing Cooperage: Islay Scotch Barrels (blend of 3 types), 250 liter

Finishing Time: 9-24 months

Batch Size: 8 barrels

Style: Blend of Straight Whiskeys finished in Islay Scotch Barrels

Release date: September, 2023

Chattanooga Barrel Finishing Series: Islay Cask: Specs

Classification: High Malt Bourbon Whiskey

Producer: Chattanooga Whiskey

Proof: 111 (55.5% ABV)

Chattanooga Barrel Finishing Series: Islay Cask Price: Sold Out

Official Website

Chattanooga Barrel Finishing Series: Islay Cask: Tasting Notes

Eye: Cherrywood. Thin circlet rims and moderately falling teardrops.

Nose: Earthy yet clean peat. Minimal saline, like a nearer-the-surface turf. Varied malt characters remain crystal clear, the peat an accent rather than the dominant flavor. Dark chocolate, fresh vegetation, minimal proof or oak.

Palate: Burnt-out embers, still earthy but with a little more flame, burnt ends on a smoker. Thick cut bacon grilled rather than crisped. Dark chocolate that’s gone full savory, with lapsang souchong tea smokiness. Cherries, tart and bright, peak through. Mouthfeel is tingly from mid-toungue to throat. A bit ashy, Ardbeg-like. Creamy and oily, medium heft, barely-there proof, burnt pancake edges.

Finish: Smoky breakfast - bacon, the crispy edges of pancakes and just-burnt toast. Peat is remarkably fruity on the front half of my tongue, coating and autumn vegetation, leaves in a pile after rain. Long lasting.

Overall: Remarkably balanced and restrained with a beautiful mouthfeel and complex smokiness. From tea to breakfast to dark chocolate, like taking various highland peats in a flight all at once. Malty just enough to know the whiskies are there, very mild proof and almost no astringency.

Final Rating: 7.8

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary

8 | Excellent | Exceptional

7 | Great | Well above average

6 | Very Good | Better than average

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary

4 | Has promise but needs work

1-3 | Let’s have a conversation