- Approximately $51, 750mL bottle
- Purchased at Chattanooga Wine & Spirits
Background
Somehow it’s fitting to have Chattanooga Whiskey represented in my final month of regular reviews here on Leaf Enthusiast. Ten years ago I was one of the first to have the privilege of introducing the world to Chattanooga Whiskey when I interviewed Joe Ledbetter, one of the brand’s founders. We talked about the origins of the whiskey and what they hoped to achieve as a company. You can see the interview here:
And here:
Fun times to be sure and a blast to be part of their opening salvo of marketing efforts. That original whiskey was made at MGP in Indiana while they worked to get the laws changed in Hamilton County and get the right to distill the whiskey in the city it’s named for. They succeeded in that effort and have been selling Chattanooga-made Chattanooga Whiskey for several years now. They have kept their experimental spirit alive with low-volume runs of liquor aged in different barrels, or made with different mash bills, or just tweaked in some fashion to be different. Some are wildly successful…some are less so.
In that spirit, they released the Founder’s 10th Anniversary Blend in 2022. This is a blend of 3 different whiskies: 51% B002, 9% SB091 (both made in Chattanooga), and 40% 1816RES (made in Lawrenceburg, IN). They call it a combination of traditional and innovative mash bills which showcases “the unique influence and balance between the 3 whiskeys – each symbolic of our founding creed: ‘Rules are Good, Change Them.’” The founder I spoke with 10 years ago is long gone from the company…now the “founder” of the name is talking about Tim Piersant, who co-founded the brand with Mr. Ledbetter a decade ago.
Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 10th Anniversary is 100 proof, or 50% alcohol by volume. I bought my bottle at Chattanooga Wine & Spirits.
Notes
I love how the bottle harkens back to the original 1816. Even though it’s not exactly the same shape, it’s very close and put me immediately in mind of it. And, yes, that is a bottle of original 1816 Cask in the picture…that is my unopened, original release bottle of 1816 Cask…how can I prove it’s original? It has a misprint on the label. If you know, you know.
The mix of Bourbons was a dark reddish amber color in the glass with strong notes of oak and vanilla coming through most of all. There were more subtle notes of chocolate and apple in there, too. Even though it’s 100 proof, the Chattanooga Whiskey Founder’s 10th Anniversary was smooth and sweet on the lips and tip of the tongue, with ample honey and apple flavors up front, melting to notes of caramel and vanilla before sliding down my throat with a slight alcohol burn. It really was a very nice, complex expression of whiskey that shows the maturity of the blenders involved in the whole process.
I fired up a Herrera Esteli limited edition cigar, basically a “Flying Pig” size that I got at a recent event, to go with this whiskey. While the cigar was more medium-bodied, I reckoned it would pair well with this full-bodied, but sweet, bourbon. The cigar had a very good prelight draw with notes of cedar, hay, molasses, and bell pepper. Fired up it had tons of wood and grassier flavors, backed up with earth and mild dark fruit sweetness and black pepper.
As expected, the Founder’s 10th Anniversary definitely amped up the sweetness quotient in the pairing, but the pairing also brought out more leathery notes, possibly from the whiskey, but more likely from the mixing of the two. I was happy with this new Chattanooga Whiskey when I bought it, but after letting half the bottle sit for more than a couple weeks, I’m even more impressed. It’s truly one of the most complex and fascinating whiskies they have produce to date. I’m not sure how much of this special juice they are making, so my advice is to get it while you can.
