Tennessee distillery Chattanooga Whiskey has revealed the fifth instalment in its Barrel Finishing Series, the Russian River Pinot Cask. Over the series, the distillery has experimented with different cask finishes for its Tennessee high malt whiskey.
The new release is the second in the series to be finished in a Californian wine cask (the first being the Silver Oak Cabernet Cask Finished, released in 2023). For the new expression, Chattanooga selected a Pinot Noir cask from the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, California.
“If there was one word to describe our finishing series, it'd be ‘focus’. ‘Focus’ on barrel origin, and ‘focus’ on whiskey recipe,” shared chief product officer Grant McCracken.
The whiskey was aged for four years, including six months of finishing in the Pinot Noir casks. To complement the wine casks, the Chattanooga team used a blend of five bourbon mash bills. Along with the distillery’s wheated and roasted mash bills, Chattanooga’s signature ‘Barrel 91’ recipe was used, distilled at a higher proof.
Tiana Saul, head distiller, explained: “These classic California pinot noir casks brought a dynamic balance of fruit-forward top notes and earthy, barrel driven base notes. To complement this wide range of flavour, we specifically chose a blend of whiskeys that spoke to both sides — resulting in a bright, juicy nose of fresh picked blackberries and cherry pie, followed by dark chocolate icing and brown sugar. This is a robust whiskey with a full mouthfeel, a punchy palate, and lightly tannic finish. Add a couple drops of water to enjoy the full evolution of flavour.”
Chattanooga is known for its innovative approach to whiskey making, and runs both the Chattanooga Experimental Whiskey Distillery, which crafts small-batch and single-cask experimental whiskeys, and the Riverfront Distillery, home to Chattanooga’s core expressions. In 2023, Chattanooga Whiskey was named Craft Producer of the Year in the Icons of Whisky.
Chattanooga Whiskey Russian River Pinot Cask (47.5% ABV) will be available in store and online in selected US states at RRP US$59.99.
