Chattanooga, TN (October 2026) – After over a decade of distilling and more than 50 experimental releases, Chattanooga Whiskey is announcing its first Tennessee Whiskey: Bad Chattanoogan.

Bad Chattanoogan is believed to be the first whiskey of any kind finished with toasted maple wood records. 30 records were cut from solid sugar maple, toasted for 24 hours, laser-engraved with two original tribute songs about Chattanooga, and set inside the barrels with the whiskey for 30 days. The songs were written by Chattanooga Whiskey Creative Director and Dollars Family frontman Rich Abercrombie. Unlike most music-themed whiskeys, the music didn’t just inspire this release – it literally flavored it.

The theme runs cover to cover. The whiskey is being released as two vinyl-inspired blends, Side A and Side B, each finished with its own song. Although the two blends are sold separately, every bottle comes with a playable 4-inch Tiny Vinyl hangtag featuring both tracks.

Underneath the records is a straight Tennessee whiskey drawn from three high malt mash bills of primarily Tennessee-grown grain, mellowed through sugar maple charcoal, aged more than four years in oak, and bottled at 100 proof.

Bad Chattanoogan will make its official debut with an intimate, 75-person listening party at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery on Thursday, October 22. The whiskey releases to the public the following day, Friday, October 23, for $64.99 for a 750mL bottle. Limited quantities will be available on Seelbachs.com and at stores across Tennessee in the coming weeks.

Full story, photos, and audio available on request, including how an 81-year-old engraver spent two hours per disc making a song play out of a block of toasted maple.

About Chattanooga Whiskey:
Founded in 2011, Chattanooga Whiskey fought to change Tennessee law—winning the right to distill whiskey in Chattanooga for the first time in over a century. That bold beginning laid the foundation for everything that followed, including the creation of the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery and the invention of their distinctive Tennessee High Malt style. To scale their most successful Experimental recipes, the company later opened their Riverfront Distillery, which transformed small-batch innovation into nationally recognized core expressions.
Since then, Chattanooga Whiskey has grown into one of the most innovative craft distilleries in the country and was just named Craft Producer of the Year for 2026 by Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky. Today, the Experimental Distillery continues to push the boundaries of craft whiskey, introducing more than 50,000 visitors annually to Chattanooga Whiskey’s now iconic story.

Chattanooga Whiskey: www.chattanoogawhiskey.com
Experimental Distillery 1439 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN
Riverfront Distillery 890 Riverfront Parkway, Chattanooga, TN