Chicken Cock Old Glory Blend of American Rye & Laird's Brandy Review

 

We’re starting to see an influx of whiskey/brandy blends. The trend started a couple of years ago.

 

If you hopped in a time machine and set it for 1856, you’d stumble on a new whiskey called Chicken Cock. Distilled in Paris, Kentucky, Chicken Cock has a rich history. Fast forward about 64 years, and you’d find this whiskey in speakeasies around the country during Prohibition, including Harlem’s famous Cotton Club.

 

“During the prohibition period, you could always buy good whiskey from somebody in the Cotton Club. They used to have what they called Chicken Cock. It was a bottle in a can, and the can was sealed. It cost something like ten to fourteen dollars a pint.” - Duke Ellington

 

A hundred years ago, when Prohibition was in full swing, $10.00 to $14.00 was a lot of money. Accounting for inflation, roughly between $182.00 to $254.00 in today’s money!

 

Unfortunately, in the 1950s, the distillery in Paris burned down, and the brand was dead. However, in 2011, Matti Anttila, while he was researching older distilleries, came across Chicken Cock, and he purchased the rights to the brand. His company, Grain & Barrel Spirits, entered into a collaborative distilling agreement with Bardstown Bourbon Company in 2017.

 

The little boy in me always giggles at the name Chicken Cock. Yet, the whiskey produced under the Chicken Cock name is completely serious.

 

Today, we’re exploring Chicken Cock Old Glory. Meant to celebrate the 250^th birthday of the United States, what makes it special is that the 30% of this spirit is blended with Laird’s Apple Brandy, which heralds from the oldest licensed distillery in the United States! It was founded in 1780 in Scobeyville, New Jersey, by Robert Laird. Its history can be traced back to Scotland, where, in 1698, William Laird was one of the first to distill Applejack, which became very popular in colonial America.

 

Robert Laird served under General George Washington in the Continental Army, and Washington had asked Laird about his “cyder spirits” recipe before the American Revolution even began. Today, Laird’s distills in North Garden, Virginia, and its apples are grown nearby. Its Scobeyville facility ceased distilling in 1972; it now blends, bottles, and ages its products.

 

Chicken Cock suggests that Old Glory is the first of its kind. I’m unsure if they’re talking about marrying whiskey with brandy, whiskey with Laird’s, or Chicken Cock with Laird’s. I can tell you that the first option has been done long before Chicken Cock came to the game. I’ll give Chicken Cock the benefit of the doubt on the latter interpretations.

 

Aged for at least 4 years and packaged at 50% ABV (100°), Old Glory has a 12,000-750mL bottle yield and comes with a suggested price of $64.99. It can also be purchased from Chicken Cock’s online store.

 

Is it worth picking up? Let’s #DrinkCurious and find out. I must take this opportunity to thank Chicken Cock for providing me with a sample of Old Glory in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to that!

 

• Whiskey Type: A Blend of Rye Whiskey & Brandy
• Distillers: Bardstown Bourbon Co. & Laird’s Apple Brandy
• Age: 4 years
• Mashbill: 70% Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Rye, 30% Laird’s Apple Brandy
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $64.99
• 12,000 bottle yield

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this spirit neat. While still retaining an amber hue, it was closer to that of filtered apple juice. A thicker rim produced random-width tears and left a sheen on the glass.  

 

Nose: After patiently waiting 15 minutes for this spirit to acclimate, I was ready to nose it. I smelled ginger beer, apples, gardenias, toasted oak, and still quite a bit of alcohol. I set it down for another five minutes, and when I tried again, much of that alcohol component dissipated, allowing me to discover cinnamon and nutmeg. I pulled the aroma through my lips and experienced ginger spice and apples.

 

Palate: A thick, creamy mouthfeel greeted me on that first sip, along with a palate shock of apple brandy. The second revealed baked apples, pears, and honey on the front, with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cilantro in my mid-palate. Notes of toasted oak, ginger ale, and caramel hit the back of my palate.

 

Finish: The finish featured baked apples, cilantro, gingerbread, clove, black pepper, and caramel. Early into this sipping experience, it was somewhat spicy. Later on, it was sweeter and milder. The duration was 1:11, placing it in the medium to long range.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Old Glory is most assuredly unique. It absolutely requires a lot of time to oxidize, far more than I’m used to, and the longer I waited, the more it opened up. The sweet spot took almost 45 minutes; I don’t know too many social drinkers with that kind of patience. I love to ponder over a pour, and even that’s too much for me.

 

Here’s the second concern: due to a genetic trait, about 14% of people find cilantro soapy. That doesn’t bug me, but I know of nobody who says, “Oh, soap, yummy!” Granted, that means 86% of people won’t.

 

On the flip side, I loved how the ginger beer morphed into ginger ale and then, again, into gingerbread. That’s just cool beyond words. I also appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making Old Glory.

 

Is it proofed correctly? I believe so. Is it interesting? Sure. Is it priced fairly? I’d say so. With all that said, the correct rating for Old Glory is a Bar. Cheers! 

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit, but begs you to do so responsibly.