Chattanooga Whiskey 91

I've had the 111 and really like it - it's killer for the price. Let's see how the little brother stacks up. Purchased to do a finish in my Ten30 barrel, but this taste is neat before any fiddling. Just an FYI, I'm finishing 600ml of 91 and 200ml of 111 in a barrel that previously aged an Ardbeg Islay, which should make for an interesting dram when it's aged. The nose is caramel, nougat and slight ethanol. The alcohol notes aren't too close to the surface, so the nose is actually quite pleasant. There is a youth to this whiskey's aroma that says it hasn't spent an eternity in wood, but it doesn't have the same effect as an under aged bourbon. Sweet, slightly spicy and a bit hot are what I gather from sticking my nose in the NEAT tasting glass. On the palate this isn't sweet, but neither is it overly spicy or bitter. There's a good level of barrel char, a sweet brown sugar foundation, some sour cherries and a dry, oaky finish. The malted barley gives this a different personality than a young bourbon, but it's not scotch-like either. It's something else. Something halfway. Mostly this is notable for its lack of corn influence. The sweet corn sugars found in bourbon take a back seat here to dry oak, wood charcoal, sour cherries, and rye spices that manifest as dark baker's chocolate, almonds and roasted walnuts. There's clearly some corn in the flavor profile but to my taste buds its more like an under-roasted corn cooked in the husk. Its tasty and good, but not a sweet dram. This loves sweet vermouth. It's a great base for a Manhattan, especially with a solid cocoa base like Cocchi Vermouth di Torino supplies. Really nice in a mixed cocktail. Very good in an Old Fashioned as well. Great affinity to smoke too, if you're in the camp that likes to pull out all the stops. This isn't going to displace the deep cherry flavor and solid presence of its Chattanooga 111 bigger brother, but its very approachable and respectable on its own. This is a good dram and a solid choice under $40.

I'm impressed this whiskey is a long way off from typical lincoln county process bourbon/tennessee whiskey and yes Jack D. is just a bastardized bourbon and yes I drink it and the select/barrel proof stuff. Not sure if Chattanooga is a craft distillery at this point but there are no craft notes here but the taking of small batch literally like 8-12 barrels screams craft. Age says 2+ year and screams young craft but the product in the bottle says 4-6 year quality. The malting of the rye isn't new but I think they do it well and the increasing of the malted barley almost make this a wheat bourbon in terms of sweetness, softness and approachability. This nose is just lovely to live in; it's light caramel, vanilla, sweet cling peaches in light syrup (by product of the corn sweet-ness associated with bourbon), a hint of dried apricot even a touch of cherry flavor (think cough drop) and light wood accents even a bit of floral, milk chocolate and honey. This is the closest nose that I've found to Old rip van winkle 10 if you remove the cherry and chocolate. Palate is the honey comes off as a thick molasses, corn sweet ntoe, the peaches are more prevalent than on the nose, cherry rounds out the fruit, the wood is just an underlying thread flowing through some baking and rye spice rounds out the palate late as it goes to the finish. Finish is kind of hard to gage. The wood and general sweetness make this seem medium because they stick around a bit but the spice fruit and any floral notes are long gone very quickly. I'm going to say short finish but be aware that a sweet woody note will linger as almost an after taste. Price is great for what you get on the nose and palate, finish eh could hang around a bit longer rather than fall off a cliff. Can't wait to get the 111 proof and see if more flavors develop or are just ramped up and see if they have a 5 star superstar bourbon on our hands.

A malty sweet, softly spicy, fruity, and a bit dusty nose. Honeyed cereals with apple, peach, and cherry notes are followed by almonds, vanilla, and candy corn. Then comes brown sugar and mild charred barrel spice more typical of bourbon but with tannins more reminiscent of sweet tea. In the mouth it’s candied yet prickly, with a nice balance between sweet and heat. Old fashioned wild cherry sugar sanded hard candies, herbs, and pepper float around in more of that sweet tea from the nose with a slice of lemon or grapefruit citrus on a caramel rim. The body is satiny, and lightly coats the tongue. Legs develop quickly but hang on long and straight before finally breaking down into an intricate smattering of droplets. The medium finish is pleasant, slightly dry with more of the same flavors from the palate but more oaky and with just a hint of leather, tobacco, and even milk chocolate. Nose: 9 Taste: 9 Body: 9 Finish: 9

So my son was only able to find the 91 in Florida after loving the bottle of 111 I took down at Thanksgiving. I'm back in Florida and this bottle has been open a couple months. Gotta try it. Immediately, I recognize the similarity to the 111 albeit more subtle. Same beautiful mahogany color. The nose is less hot but the alcohol is still a tad noticeable. Mama baked some cherry cobbler, WOW. Never got the cherries on the 111 but they're here tonight and very pronounced. Even get the pastry. Early on its tart cherries but it evolves to sweet cherries with cinnamon and caramel. This one evolves through the evening and oddly, the alcohol is more prevalent late as opposed to earlier. The 91 is only $5 less than the 111. Assuming both are available I'll stick with the 111,which has become a permanent fixture at my bar

Aroma - light and bright. apple, peaches, melted butter and brown sugar, vanilla. At 2 years… oak is absent (as expected). Taste - caramel and apples. Slight baking spice.. butterscotch also noticeable and getting a slight herbal note (bay leaf comes to mind). Overall - At the price point of $30-$35 I find this to be fantastic. Makes a fantastic cocktail as well due to its fruity and sweet profile. Chat 91 and 111 are unique in their flavor profiles and I always try to have them on hand.. problem is these bottles are extremely crushable.

Nose - Layers of lovely sweetness. Butterscotch and light caramel. Fresh apricot and honey on white toast. Glazed lemon pound cake. Hints of sweet mint. Palate - Big notes of apricot, butterscotch, and toasted oak. Warm barrel spices and vanilla. Nothing too complex, but absolutely delicious. Finish - Lingering toasty oak Summary - A fantastic pour for an equally great price. Keep an eye out for all they do.