Bad Chattanoogan is not only Chattanooga Whiskey Distilleries first Tennessee Whiskey, it’s probably the world's first Tennessee Whiskey (or any whiskey for that matter) finished with playable toasted maple wood records.
Yes, the records really do play.
Bad Chattanoogan is being released as two vinyl-inspired blends: Side A and Side B. Each blend was finished with 15 maple wood records, engraved with a unique song inspired by Chattanooga.
The Whiskey
They began with 3 high malt Tennessee Whiskey mash bills, all built from primarily Tennessee-grown corn, wheat malt, and barley malt.
But to give their distillers more options, these three mash bills varied in their makeup, as well as distillation method: two were pot distilled, one was column distilled, two were wheated, and one even contained 15% Tennessee-grown maple-wood-smoked wheat malt — putting maple into the whiskey before it was ever distilled.
After distillation, every drop was mellowed through sugar maple charcoal for more than 24 hours, known as the Lincoln County Process. From there the whiskey aged more than four years in a combination of charred and toasted and charred oak barrels, much of it Tennessee-grown oak!
Mash Bill #1: Pot Distilled combines 68% TN Yellow Corn, 15% TN Pilsner Malt, 13% Munich Rye Malt, and 4% Honey Malt. Mash Bill #2: Pot Distilled combines 65% TN Yellow Corn, 20% TN Pilsner Malt, and 15% TN Maple Wood Smoked Wheat Malt. Mash Bill #3: Column Distilled combines 64% TN Yellow Corn, 21% TN Wheat Malt, and 15% TN Pilsner Malt.
Side A Blend - "Bad Chattanoogan"
- Blend: Mash Bill #1: 50%, Mash Bill #2: 6%, Mash Bill #3: 44%
- Age: Greater than 4 Years
- Proof: 100 (50% Alc/Vol)
- Cooperage: Toasted & Charred Oak Barrels, 44% TN Oak
- Batch Size: 9 Barrels
- Finishing: 1 month with 15 maple wood records engraved with the song "Bad Chattanoogan"
Tasting Notes: Sweet tea, banana bread, chocolate covered dried cherry, and toasted maple granola
Side B Blend - "City I Love"
- Blend: Mash Bill #1: 0%, Mash Bill #2: 56%, Mash Bill #3: 44%
- Age: Greater than 4 Years
- Proof: 100 (50% Alc/Vol)
- Cooperage: Toasted & Charred Oak Barrels, 89% TN Oak
- Batch Size: 9 Barrels
- Finishing: 1 month with 15 maple wood records engraved with the song "City I Love"
Tasting Notes: Smoked apple crisp, crème brûlée, dark brown sugar, toasted walnut, and mulling spices
Experimental Distillery Release Date: Friday, October 23. Limited quantities will also be available on Seelbachs.com in the coming weeks after the Experimental Distillery release.
The Music
The maple records were engraved with two original tribute songs about Chattanooga, written in-house by Chattanooga Whiskey Creative Director, Rich Abercrombie, and his rock & roll band Dollars Family.
Unlike most music-themed whiskeys, the music didn't just inspire this release, it literally flavored it.
Along with the music-infused whiskey, every bottle carries a four-inch Tiny Vinyl hangtag — a genuinely playable record of both songs, made to spin at 33 rpm on most manual turntables.
Drop the needle and you'll hear "Bad Chattanoogan" and "City I Love" the same way the whiskey did.
Bad Chattanoogan Listening Party
Be one of the first to taste Side A and Side B, and hear stories from Rich, Grant (Founding Distilller), and Tim (Founder & CEO) about the creation of Bad Chattanoogan.
You'll also enjoy live performances from Dollars Family and Bad Chattanoogan-themed cocktails & light bites.
- Thursday, October 22
- 6:30–8:30 PM (Doors at 6:15 PM)
- Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery
- $100 | 21+ Only
- Tickets available at exploretock.com
What Is Tennessee Whiskey?
Let's clear the air: all of Chattanooga Whiskey’s whiskey has been made in Tennessee since they released Chattanooga Whiskey 91 and Cask 111 in 2019 (with the exception of the 1816 bourbon in their Founder's Anniversary Blend).
So while Bad Chattanoogan is their first Tennessee Whiskey, it is not their first whiskey made in Tennessee.
Tennessee Whiskey is a legally defined style of whiskey. It follows the same rules as bourbon plus it must be produced exclusively in Tennessee and it must undergo the Lincoln County Process, where new make whiskey is filtered through a sugar maple charcoal prior to entering the barrel.
And if you're not familiar with their history, 1816, and how they changed Prohibition-era laws to bring distillation back to Tennessee, you can learn more here.