Caramel apple | Cinnamon | Honey | Toasted oak | Toasted oats

Cherry | Green tea | Orange blossom honey | Cantaloupe

Toasted cinnamon | Rye spice | Dark caramel | Blackberry | Dried apricot | Nutmeg | Oak

Chattanooga’s Bottled in Bond series is a semi-annual release, with each highlighting one of the two distillation seasons - spring or fall. These vintages are crafted using a wide selection of unique mashbills and contain a high percentage of malted grains, including at least 25% specialty malted grains. Batch sizes are small, with only 10-12 barrels per batch, and the Spring 2022 Vintage is aged in both toasted and charred oak.

The people who are Chattanooga Whiskey’s biggest fans are usually the ones who get the most out of their Bottled in Bond Bourbon Vintage Series. There is an incredible amount of variation between releases, but they are far more nuanced than the complexity of the mashbills suggests. Nuance is part of what makes Chattanooga, ‘Chattanooga,’ and that rewards those who go along for the ride. But with Chattanooga slowly expanding their distribution reach, more might finally be able to come across a bottle of their Bottled in Bond Bourbon Vintage Series.

The Spring 2022 vintage would be a great place to start for newcomers and fans alike. This edition features a much more forward flavor profile that isn’t overly vast in its array of flavors; intensity plays a much larger role this time out.

The aroma features a strong caramel apple scent up front, followed by cinnamon, honey, toasted oak, and even toasted oats. The palate isn’t far-reaching, but is surprisingly varied, with notes of cherry, green tea, orange blossom honey, and cantaloupe. The finish has toasted oak upfront, with rye spice, dark caramel, blackberry, dried apricot, nutmeg, and oak.

For newcomers, I’d always suggest starting with their 91 proof and 111 proof releases as a baseline before getting into the finer nuances of other Chattanooga Whiskey Co. bourbons. With the Spring 2020 Bottles in Bond release, the company’s trademark high malt mashbill is present throughout, offering a sweeter, richer, and more dessert-like flavor profile overall. This edition of Chattanooga Whiskey’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon Vintage Series works great for me as it wears its heart more on its sleeve.