Chattanooga Whiskey Co. 111 Cask Bourbon Review

In the 1860s, Chattanooga, Tennessee, was a major distilling hub, home to over 30 distilleries. The do-gooders crushed the industry a mere 40-some-odd years later, when Tennessee voted to go dry in 1909. It was illegal to produce whiskey in the state. That was a decade before the Volstead Act made it a national tragedy.

 

Of course, some found loopholes in Tennessee’s Prohibition law, and while some distilleries continued operating, in 1915, the law was modified, forcing them all to shut down. Two years later, Tennessee banned the mere possession of alcohol.

 

When Prohibition was finally repealed on a national level, Tennessee wasn’t quite ready to give up the ghost. It wasn’t until 1937 that the state allowed three of its 95 counties to resume distilling: Lincoln, Moore, and Coffee. The rest of the state remained dry until 2009, when another 41 counties were granted distilling licenses. And, it took another four years before Hamilton County (and Chattanooga) were granted permission by the Tennessee General Assembly to begin distilling.

 

However, our story doesn’t begin in 2015. We have to skip back to 2011, when Tim Piersant and Joe Ledbetter started their lobbying campaign to bring distilling back to Chattanooga. They founded the Chattanooga Whiskey Co., and while they couldn’t yet distill, they launched a grassroots social media campaign asking Tennesseans, “Would you drink Chattanooga Whiskey?” It went viral, and the response was heavily in favor.

 

In January 2012, Chattanooga Whiskey Co. purchased 20 barrels of Bourbon from LDI (which would later become MGP and then transform into Ross & Squibb). Remember, they still didn’t have a license to distill! In April, Chattanooga Whiskey Co. releases 1816, meant to honor the founding of Ross’s Landing (later incorporated as Chattanooga).

 

In March 2015, Chattanooga Experimental Distillery opened its doors, becoming the country’s first single-experimental distillery, and 8 months later, Chattanooga Whiskey 100 was bottled. It is unaged white whiskey commemorating the end of 100 years of Prohibition in Chattanooga. In 2016, construction began on the Riverside Distillery, and a year later, Batch 001: Tennessee High Malt became its first aged whiskey from the experimental distillery, while Riverside is fully operational.

 

All of this lays the foundation for the subject of today’s review: Cask 111, a Tennessee High Malt Straight Bourbon and one of two of the brand’s first core offerings introduced in 2019.

 

“Our malt-forward approach to whiskey is made with at least 25% specialty malted grains. Each mash bill—or blend of mash bills—is crafted to highlight the range, depth, and complexity of our Tennessee High Malt style.” – Chattanooga Whiskey Co.

 

Cask 111 is distilled from a mash of yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley after a 7-day fermentation cycle. It aged at least two years in new, 53-gallon charred and toasted oak barrels. Packaged at 55.5% ABV (111°), each unfiltered batch is made from between 6 and 10 barrels.

 

I purchased Cask 111 at a local liquor store for $45.00. I’ve known about Chattanooga Whiskey Co. for several years, and I’ve tried a handful of its expressions; I’ve just never had the opportunity to review it until now. Let’s #DrinkCurious and see if I made a smart purchase.

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Chattanooga Whiskey Co.
• Age: At least 2 years
• Mashbill: Yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon toasted and charred oak barrels (6 to 10 barrels per batch)
• Alcohol Content: 55.5% ABV (111°)
• Price per 750mL: $45.00
• Unfiitered
• Batch #24D23R / Barrel Lot #21I14R

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. The liquid possessed a butterscotch hue and formed a thin rim with a curtain of slower, husky tears.

 

Nose: I allowed Cask 111 to acclimate for about 15 minutes before engaging with its aroma. My olfactory sense identified notes of cherry cola, honey, toffee, orange peel, and malt. Drawing the air into my mouth, I discovered roasted pecans.

 

Palate: With the first sip, I experienced a creamy texture with spicy and oaky warmth. The second had my tongue initially bathing in flavors of cherry cola, dark raisins, and pecans. On the mid-palate, I tasted caramel, malt, and nutmeg. The back featured dry oak, allspice, and leather.  

 

Finish: What remained on my tongue and throat included pecans, honey, caramel, nutmeg, leather, allspice, and cherry cola. It was an interesting tango of sweet and spicy notes; as it closed out, spice seemed to have won, but then honey came roaring back and held to the very end, which occurred at 1:04. I’d classify that as a medium duration.   

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I was stunned by how un-young Cask 111 performed. It had a ton of character, yet lacked qualities that so many younger Bourbons have: there were no sharp, bitter, overoaked notes that I’d expect at this proof, and it didn’t taste rushed. At the same time, Cask 111 reminded me that this wasn’t some 80-proof Bourbon; it carried enough heat to keep my attention.

 

Whereas there is a decent selection of $45.00 craft whiskeys on the store shelf, how many of those are at this proof? Very few. Chattanooga Whiskey Co. delivers a high-quality, unusual, affordable Bourbon for a reasonable price. That goes a long way with me.

 

It might be interesting to see what would happen if the Lincoln County Process (LCP) were employed. At the same time, perhaps it would dilute some of its more pronounced aspects (Note to Chattanooga Whiskey Co.: You have an experimental distillery; why not try it?).

 

Regardless, I really enjoyed what was in my glass. I think I made a good purchase. Buy a Bottle; you won’t be disappointed. 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.