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Chattanooga Whiskey Company is known is being pivotal in getting laws changed to permit distilling within Hamilton County, becoming the first to do so since Prohibition. Their "Tennessee High Malt" style and bespoke processes showcase the characters of specialty malted grains, garnering multiple awards for both their core offerings and their always-fascinating experimental series. Cask 111 is the full strength expression of Chattanooga Whiskey's flagship mash bill. It skips the solera finishing process of the 91 proof offering, instead opting for a small format blend which can lead to subtle variations between batches.
🛒Sourced: $38.99 for 750ml from Smyrna World of Beverage, GA ($5 incentive, normally $43.99)
🧪Proof: 111 proof, 55.5% ABV
🎨Color: R4 - a ruddy reddish-brown. Good Legs.
🥔Mash Bill & Production: Yellow Corn 75%, Malted Rye, Caramel Malted Barley & Honey Malted Barley (25% specially malted grains, exact ratios undisclosed). A Sweet Mash enables the formation of more delicate grain-forward esters by not stressing the yeast with acidic pH. Chattanooga whiskies have tended towards younger aging periods, both for economic reasons, and because the nuanced flavors of the "high malt" style start to become eclipsed or obliterated by barrel character and tannins over extended periods.
- Age - Greater than 2-years.
- Still Type - Copper Pot
- Fermentation - Attemperated (temperature managed), 7 days. This contrasts with the typical 2-4 days at heritage producers.
- Distillation Proof - Unknown, quotes as "low proof", suspect low 130s
- Barrel Entry Proof - multiple 113, 115, or 117 (single batch)
- Barrel Char - Chattanooga generally barrels whiskey in half #4 alligator and half custom 30-35 toasted and then #3 charred barrels, blending a combination in each batch.
- Chill Filtered - No
- Batch No. - 35E14R
- Barrel Lot. - 22F08R
- Lot Size - 6 to 10 barrels
👃Nose: Good lord do I love the nose on these, somewhere between your favorite German brewery and a French bakery, very malty, vaguely yeasty, and with more wood than I would expect. Tends towards an old oak far beyond its aging timeline.
😜Palate: Tannic with a burst of brown sugar and molasses that deepens into caramel. It prickles the tongue and isn't overly hot on the palate but grows red hot into the finish. There is some astringency a mix of the tannins and a cinnamon glow. Main burst of flavor tapers off with some barley malted sweetness which is quite nice.
💦Finish: Long and very warming. I'm surprised by the amount of heat which builds slowly over time to an electric blanket intensity, not overwhelming but thoroughly warming and strong.
🏆 Overall: 6/10 - Very Good - When compared to Chattanooga 91, Cask 111 definitely provides more octane though the rough edges do start to crowd out some of the nice high malt notes. The batch size is pretty small, and this one tastes a good deal different than the one I had onsite, a bit hotter throughout. I've had it open a few weeks and it hasn't mellowed substantially, so I think the warming character is part of the ensemble. To be fair, the heat is not altogether unpleasant and I find myself very much enjoying it on a fall evening. Maybe I'm getting old and washed up, but I think I actually prefer the mellowed solera profile of the Chattanooga 91. (Bonus: I thought about waiting for review 111 but got impatient.)
💵Would buy again? Sure, price is solid and experience is nuanced.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously