What do you do when you’re in a heat dome from Hades but out and about exploring the Southside neighborhood? You book a tour at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery and learn about the history of whiskey in the Scenic City.
I booked the tour online prior to heading out and checked in 10 minutes prior to the start time to present my ID and receive my wrist bracelet. As I waited for the tour to begin the entire city block experienced a power outage, but it didn’t deter the staff from making sure I had an enjoyable experience. Eventually, midway through the tour, the power came back on.
Cherokee Indian Chief John Ross is a familiar name in Chattanooga. In 1816 he established Ross’ Landing which along with the railroad system made Chattanooga a major distribution hub for whiskey with more than 30 distilleries and 98 liquor dealers.
I learned that prohibition in Tennessee started 10 years prior to national prohibition, essentially killing the whiskey distillery business. Of course, folks are always going to try and get away with something and in 1915 the city’s Police Commissioner was caught trafficking whiskey out of the state in coffins.
Read that again COFFINS.
Even after the state of Tennessee repealed in-state prohibition in 1937 they only permitted three counties, Lincoln, Moore and Cooffee, to begin distilling whiskey again.
In 2011 the founders of Chattanooga Whiskey, Tim Piersant and Joe Ledbetter, learned that distilling whiskey in Hamilton County was still illegal. The company was formed in November 2011, with the goal of changing a century old local distilling law.
In 2012 Chattanooga Whiskey released their first whiskey called “1816” honoring the year the city was founded. But it was still illegal to distill whiskey in the county, so this batch was distilled out of state. The company launched their “Vote Whiskey,” campaign in 2012. The bill passed and was signed into law a year later and in 2014 the company began construction of their first distillery, a 100-gallon Experimental Distillery located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. In 2015 the company released Chattanooga Whiskey 100, the first whiskey distilled in the city in a century. A year later they built their other distillery on Riverfront Street where they have the capacity to store 50-60 barrels a week.
However, the Southside distillery is still where magic and creativity take place. At the Experimental Distillery the team invents and creates new flavors and whiskey styles.
Their High Malt Whiskey is made with at least 25% specialty malted grains. During the tour I got to sniff some of the grains and found the one labeled chocolate smelled like coffee beans which my tour guide said adds to the flavor.
The actual distilling process sounded a bit too scientific for me so thank goodness the pros know what they are doing.
Their Experimental batches are produced in batches of 20 barrels or less, each release—once gone—is never fully recreated. The whiskey typically found at the liquor stores is made at their Riverfront Distillery. The Experimental batches are sold only at the Market Street Distillery.
We went down to the basement where the barrels are stored and saw how the inside of the barrels is charred. I learned about the "Angel's Share" which is the bourbon that evaporates from the barrel during aging. And the "Devil's Cut" is the liquid that soaks into the wood.
At the end of the tour, I got to sample two of their current Experimental blends their Batch 48 Strawberry Infused Gin Liqueur and Batch Alpha 1, Intergalactic Comet Crusher.
Batch 48 is made with Pink Boots Malt and infused with over 170 pounds of dried strawberries. I could smell and taste the berries. It was sweet and went down smoothly. Their Batch Alpha-1 is infused with 42 ingredients. The Green Macha Tea was distinctly notable. I also got to sample their 99 Rye, Tennessee High Malt 91 and Cask 111.
The tour is roughly 45 minutes to an hour and an easy walk through the old historic building built in the 1800’s. It’s a fun and unique experience.
Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery
- 1439 Market Street, Chattanooga
- (423) 760-4333
- www.chattanoogawhiskey.com