Whiskey Wednesday: New Offerings From Lynchburg and Chattanooga

Last year I told you about the second release of Jack Daniel’s longest-aged offerings of whiskeys in a generation, their second bottling of a 10-year-old Tennessee whiskey and the first edition of another whiskey that had spent 12 years in oak. These were never intended to be one-offs and have become popular, albeit rare, additions to the Jack Daniel’s family of whiskeys. There's a goal of introducing even older spirits in the future.

The aged whiskey series, which is based in historical traditions of the distillery, may bring back favorite former products of Mr. Jack himself with 15- and even 21-year aged products in the future. With the latest release, the distillery shares an insight into what can happen to spirits as they rest in specific rickhouses on designated racks at different levels. Even with the same initial recipe, these two whiskeys are quite different from each other and also from last year’s releases.

Jack 10 batch #3 definitely shows off the oak in the glass, the color of a dark copper penny and a quite woody nose. Hidden behind the oak is an interesting citrus note that really shines through on the palate. Jack is well-known for exhibiting aromas of banana from their proprietary yeast and a little bit of apple on the mid-palate on the tongue, but this particular bottle leaned more to the tropical.

The bottle was slightly hot at 97 proof, but after the initial burn, the taste mellowed into lovely burnt orange and floral orange blossoms with a hint of nuttiness and a creamy mouth feel. It's very different from traditional “Old No. 7” and a fine example of the value of the cellarmaster in the distilling process.

Last year’s Jack 12 really impressed me by its differentiation from its younger brother, and somehow those extra two years had emphasized the baking spice notes hidden in the whiskey — like a Werther's Original in a glass. Batch #2 isn’t quite the butterscotch bomb that one was, and it is bolder and less delicate than last year’s edition. Still, it’s very complex, and it's interesting to see how the intricacies and unpredictability of pushing whiskey past the traditional 5-8 year range in barrels can change the spirit.

Oak dominates the nose, which is unsurprising after more than a decade in repose, and the first two sips were pretty tannic, like the aroma of wet leaves. I put it aside for a few minutes and added a drop or two of water, and it really opened up. This revealed the sweeter esters to reveal a little of that butterscotch along with leather and pipe tobacco. Bottled at a robust 107 proof, Jack 12 drinks surprisingly smoothly, especially after a little time in the glass.

Both of these products are very limited releases, but serious collectors will seek them out at suggested prices of $84.99 and $94.99 respectively.

The latest release from Chattanooga Whiskey’s cask-finished series is their fourth offering, and it’s quite a departure from their everyday products. Barrel Finishing Series: White Port Cask Finished blends the distillery’s traditional Chattanooga Whiskey 91 mash bill with a unique green malt recipe (which adds some tropical fruit notes to the blend) and a wheated mash bill (to bring baking spices and vanilla to the party).

This blend was aged in used casks that once held white port from the Carrazeda de Ansiães region of the Douro Valley of Portugal. Most port-aged whiskeys use red grape port as the secondary aging element, leading to a purplish hue and lots of serious jammy notes in the final blend.

However, this unusual use of white port demonstrates the talents of the distillers and blenders at Chattanooga Whiskey. The wine itself is characterized by elements of honey and vanilla, so the base spirit that they created from the three mash bill recipes plays very nicely with the barrels.

It’s not a secret that Chattanooga Whiskey 91 is one of my favorite daily (well, nightly) sippers, and I expected this new release to be more of an adjunct of that Tennessee high malt whiskey. Instead, this is a brand new beast, a delicate treat that would be an appropriate substitute for a glass of port after a nice meal.

Tennessee is one of the few lucky states that will see this on liquor store shelves at a suggested retail of $59.99 per bottle. If you can find it, this is definitely worth making the splurge for something truly unique.