Fresh tropical fruit salad | Honey Grahams | Tree bark | Malted barley | Toasted oak | Muted bubble gum | Lemon rind | Toast | Intriguing combination

Caramel | Malted barley | Earthy | Sassafras tea | Oatmeal cookie | Silky mouthfeel

Subtle rye spice | Faint caramel | Dry oak | Oats | Short burst of heat

Chattanooga Whiskey Co. has been consistently producing interesting bourbons using a host of malted grains and complex mashbills, and their bottled in bond series is no exception. Producing fall and spring releases annually, the series provides a window into the ongoing evolution of the company’s distillation capabilities over the years. For this latest release, which is made in four batches of 10 barrels each that were barreled from July 2020 through December 2020, the company introduced a new mashbill to the Bottled in Bond series named “SB101.” The company states that it is “named after the 101st barrel filled at the company's Experimental Distillery, this 5-grain mash bill contains two varieties of drum-roasted caramel malted barley.”

A fresh tropical fruit salad note is captivating in the nose and is supported by a cast of scents that run the gauntlet from sweet to earthy to unexpected. Its midpoint pulls out earthy notes that ride on a silky mouthfeel, with oatmeal cookie and sassafras tea sharing the main attraction. The sip ends with subtle rye spice, dry oak, and oats, producing a short burst of heat before mellowing out.

Chattanooga Bottled in Bond Fall 2020 had a hard act to follow, seeing as the company’s Spring 2020 release was a very good bourbon that was one of their best bottled in bond releases to date. The company stepped up to the challenge with their fall release, however, producing a whiskey that is intriguing yet different from its spring counterpart. It may not reach the same highs as the release from the spring, but the addition of SB101 to the blend produces an intriguing pour that will give fans of the brand something to look forward to.