BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Chattanooga Whiskey
• MASH BILL SPRING: B005 (20%), B005V2 (10%), B005V3 (20%), SB091 (30%) and SB055 (20%)
• MASH BILL FALL: SB055 (40%), B005 (40%) and SB101 (20%)
  • The impressive codes of these mash bills are decoded on Chattanooga’s website – Spring / Fall. If you choose to dive down that rabbit hole to understand them, good on ya, mate. It’s an interesting look, but we haven’t space enough here to do that.
• AGE: At least 4 years old
• YEAR: 2024
• PROOF: 100 (50% ABV)
• MSRP: Spring and Fall Releases are $52.99
• BUY ONLINE: Find where to buy both releases here.

STEVE’S NOTES

SHARE WITH: All whiskey fans.

WORTH THE PRICE: Yep. They’re unique and delicious.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle, both.

OVERALL: Because I haven’t liver or time enough to keep pace with all the bottles arriving weekly, it’s easy to push them onto a single shelf and lose track of what’s there. Long story short is I realized I’d not reviewed the Spring release in Chattanooga’s High Malt Bottled-In-Bond series before the Fall release of the same series arrived. Therefore, I’ll review them both here.

The product development team at Chattanooga is a prolific bunch, churning out endless experiments with–based on those I’ve tasted–terrific outcomes. (Visit its whiskey page to see what I mean.) Some, not all, craft distillers try similar creative endeavors, but more often than not, they fall short of Chattanooga’s achievements, not the least of which is a discernible house style in all its liquids.

Despite the wide-ranging grain combinations from which these whiskies originated, both of make sense on the nose and palate. Their biscuity-nutty aromas are born of the high malt portions of their mash bills, and their appreciated dose of cask character forms the backbone of these solid BIBs.

Comparing the noses of each, Spring (to borrow a meteorological colloquialism) is more lion while the Fall release is more lamb. Spring leads with abundant spice and fruit character, while Fall seems ready to recline into winter aboard a cushion of tobacco, clove and allspice. Spring’s floral aromas leave the glass voluntarily, while Fall makes you pursue its virtues with persistent sniffs.

On the palate, Fall speaks to time around a campfire or a flask secreted inside a heavy jacket for sips inside a football stadium. After the game, it begs for a stout pour with a slice of jam cake. As it was on the nose, the spice remains and coats every corner of the mouth. For just 4 years old, it has amazing structure and pleasant tannin that elevates its lighter fruit notes. This is a delicate pour I’d never drink any way but neat.

Spring is fruit-forward with golden apples and toasted brioche with honey. This is a happy pour … spring without tornadoes, spring with aromas of perennial flowers not devoured by deer, spring air imbued with honeysuckle and spring that poets fabricate for naive lovers. It’s simple, elegant, vivacious (yeah, that’s normally reserved for champagne, but I’m using it here) and, like its late season sibling, meant to be drunk neat.

Spring, like Fall, is surprisingly rich and mouth-coating, but it’s never cloying or overly honeyed. Less weighty flavors such as cinnamon and light-brown sugar lead into caramel, toasted bread and golden raisin. Could this become a good cocktail? Maybe, but why? You could drink this at breakfast … um, while on vacation, of course!

In conclusion, both are super supple and drink softer than their stated 100 proof. I really dig ’em.

BRAND NOTES

SPRING RELEASE: Tasting notes: Candied ginger, vanilla custard, orange blossom honey and muddled mint with a fresh oak finish.

FALL RELEASE: Tasting notes: Oatmeal raisin cookie, root beer, chocolate malt, pecan pie and sweet hay. Full bodied and approachable.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.