Chattanooga Whiskey introduces the Confluence Project: Volume 1, a unique distilling collaboration between Chattanooga Whiskey and New Riff Distilling of Newport, Kentucky.
Born from friendship and mutual respect between founding distillers Grant McCracken (Chattanooga Whiskey) and Brian Sprance (New Riff), The Confluence Project unites the two award-winning distilleries in a shared exploration of craft, contrast, and a celebration of their differences.
Not many folks realize it, but both company's founding distillers previously worked together in the craft brewing industry prior to moving into craft distilling.
In fact, Sprance not only hired McCracken for Grant's very first job in craft brewing, but also introduced him to the Chattanooga Whiskey team back in 2014.
Named for the meeting of two rivers, and in this case, two distilleries, The Confluence Project begins with a single mash bill, influenced by each distillery’s philosophy and style of whiskey making.
For Volume 1 of this project, both distilleries set out to make a whiskey neither had made before: straight wheat whiskey. Made from 100% wheat and malted wheat, this recipe was built on New Riff’s heirloom Red Turkey Wheat and shaped by Chattanooga’s signature High-Malt style.
From mash to barrel, each distilling team applied its unique techniques, philosophies, and traditions, resulting in two collections of single barrels that tell the story of each distillery’s unique approach to whiskey making.
Aged 6+ years, Chattanooga Whiskey's 11 single barrels were filled at varied entry proofs into a range of cask types, offering a clear window into the whiskey-making process of two world-class distilleries.
- Mash Bill: 60% Red Turkey Wheat, 24% Appalachian Malted Wheat (Custom), 8% Dark Malted Wheat, 8% Caramel Malted Wheat
- Fermentation: Attemperated, 7 days
- Distillation Proof: 132
- Entry Proof: Variant (see below)
- Cooperage: Variant (see below)
- Age: 6 years, 6 mos
- Filtration: None. Bottle occasionally captures barrel sediment
- Style: Straight Wheat Whiskey
Chattanooga Whiskey will be releasing 11 unique Experimental Single Barrels as Volume 1 of the Confluence Project. Aged across a range of cask types and all bottled at cask strength, each barrel delivers its own distinct profile, reflecting each cask’s character and the influence of differing entry proofs.
The first two single barrels of the Tennessee Straight Wheat Whiskey will be available at Chattanooga Whiskey's Experimental Distillery on Thursday, October 30 for $69.99 a bottle. They'll be releasing more single barrels from this project on a rolling basis - as one sells out, a new one will be released.
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