Tennessee Spirits: Cumberland Cask Tennessee Whiskey

750mL Bottle
Paid about $30 at Bacchus Wine & Spirits

Background

Whiskey production has exploded in the Volunteer State in recent years. Once almost the domain of Jack Daniels—along with smaller players like George Dickel and Prichard—the change in state laws was the impetus for about a dozen newcomers to the industry in the past 6 or 7 years. One of those new Tennessee manufacturers is Capital Distilling Company, headquartered in Nashville, which partnered with SPEAKeasy Spirits to actually make the whiskey. Since I have a penchant for visiting distilleries AND a desire to support and promote the products of my home state, I do hope to make it to SPEAKeasy for a video tour at some point…but for now we will just talking about their primary product: Cumberland Cask Tennessee Straight Whiskey.

First let’s talk about “what is a Tennessee Whiskey.” Federal law stipulates that it is a “straight Bourbon Whiskey authorized to be produced only in the State of Tennessee.” Yes, while some Bourbon purists will argue otherwise, Tennessee Whiskies do indeed fall under the general category of Bourbons as defined by federal law. In 2013, Tennessee House Bill 1084 refined the definition a bit more, though. The law now requires “the Lincoln County process (which involves maple charcoal filtering) to be used for products produced in the state labeling themselves as “Tennessee Whiskey”, along with the existing requirements for bourbon.” The law also makes a specific exception for Prichard’s Tennessee Whiskey, which has proudly proclaimed themselves as the only Tennessee Whiskey to NOT use the process. In short, the Lincoln County process dribbles the clear whiskey through about crushed sugar maple charcoal before barreling it; this mellows out the beverage. (some information from Wikipedia)

According to the company’s website, Cumberland Cask was founded by Manuel Eskind, grandfather of the current owner of the brand:

Shortly after the Valstead Act was repealed in December of 1933, ending 14 years of Prohibition in the United States, Manuel Eskind began his life-long journey to reestablish the tradition of Tennessee Whiskey. He began by resurrecting the shuttered George Dickel Distillery and was instrumental in the iconic landmark’s re-opening. This experience began a life-long appreciation of fine whiskey and was a key factor in opening Capital Distributing Company in 1939…

In the last several years, Best Brands has worked to create a whiskey that not only pays tribute to the hard work and contributions of our founder, but embodies what a fine Tennessee Whiskey should be. We worked closely with those who were entrusted by Manuel to select and age only the best barrels of Tennessee Whiskey, waiting until they were ready to bottle before creating Cumberland Cask. Cumberland Cask is a true Tennessee Whiskey that is distilled, barreled, aged, and bottled in the State of Tennessee by the hands of the great grandchildren of those who worked with Manuel so many years ago.

Capital Distilling sells 3 variations on the theme, but for now I opted for the “Modern Expression.”

Our Whiskey is a small batch blend of 6.5 year old and 8.5 year old whiskeys. Unlike other Tennessee Whiskeys, ours is not charcoal mellowed or chill filtered. The mash-bill is a high corn mash with 70 percent corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley. The high percentage of corn gives our whiskey a sweet initial taste followed by the bold flavor of rye, and finishing with some smoke from the barley.

Modern Expression is filtered and blended to perfection, this whiskey is easy to sip or mix into a classic cocktail.

The Cumberland Cask Modern Expression is 40% ABV (80 proof) and I purchased my bottle at Bacchus Wine and Spirits in Hixson, TN.

Notes

The bottle is a shape that is becoming more common: tall and thin. I measured it at almost 13.75” tall, which makes it impossible to fit in my liquor cabinet…and I’m sure I’m not alone in that. The graphic on the bottle is a tilted rendition of the state of Tennessee, north east corner pointing down, but not quite vertically. At the north west corner of the state map is an image of a whiskey barrel with whiskey pouring out of a hole in the top, then taking on the approximate shape of the Cumberland River. Just a little geography lesson for you: the Cumberland begins in the Appalachians in eastern Kentucky, flows through the Bluegrass State (including Lake Cumberland, one of the largest man-made lakes in the Eastern U.S.), into Tennessee, through the heart of Nashville, then back into Kentucky (where it makes one border of the Land Between the Lakes before dumping into the Ohio River).

Pouring a couple fingers of whiskey into a glass, I could see the color was a medium amber, not nearly as light as many Scotches, not nearly as dark as the Cleveland Bourbon I sampled a earlier this month. Giving it a sniff, I picked up strong vanilla notes and a definitely oaky presence; underlying that was a touch of corn and a floral note.

The notable thing with this TN Whiskey is how it starts…almost absent of alcohol burn on the lips and tip of the tongue. I would guess that’s the charcoal filtering at work, mellowing and rounding the whiskey out a bit. Hold it in your mouth, and the burn will come, especially toward the finish, but it’s still not nearly as prevalent as other 80 proof drams.

As with the aroma, I got a definite vanilla note up front, with sweet corn coming in behind that and a touch of oak under all that. The rye spiciness is subtle, too. Overall, it makes for a fine sipping whiskey.

I believe the Cumberland Cask would pair well with many cigars, but for this piece I elected to go with a New World by A.J. Fernandez, which I reviewed in depth HERE. I enjoyed the cigar and the whiskey and thought they did a better-than-average job of complementing each other.