Black currant | Black cherry | Concord grape | Molasses | Barrel char

Black currant | Blueberry | Blackberry | Vanilla | Oak | Potent fruit flavors

Roasted malt | Seasoned oak | Prune | Dark chocolate | Tannic dry oak | Lingering grape aftertaste

Chattanooga Whiskey Russian River Pinot Cask Finished Bourbon is the latest in the company’s Barrel Finishing Series. They have really settled into a groove over the past year with their finished bourbons. For their more recent releases, the company has managed the difficult task of striking a balance between the finishing barrel and their base bourbon allowing both to have equal say (or close to it).

This is partly true with Chattanooga Whiskey Russian River Pinot Cask Finished Bourbon. This release is much more finishing-barrel forward as the tasting notes convey. Right from the start, the aroma is fruit forward with a wonderful mix of dark fruits mixed in with a touch of molasses and weighty barrel char. The palate doesn't stray far, but pulls back a touch and focuses on a delicious blend of black currant, blueberry, and blackberry, before adding in vanilla and more oak. The finish contrasts the nose and plate and showcases the depth of the bourbon’s complex mashbill, but is also a bit heavy handed. Roasted malt is tasted first, before layering in seasoned oak, prune, and dark chocolate. It finally concludes on a dry and tannic oak note.  

Sourcing their finishing barrels from Russian River Vineyards in California, they are well known for their pinot noir wines thanks to the cool climate and great soil conditions in the region. Fans of both pinot noir wines and finished bourbons will find a lot to enjoy here. The only thing that may turn some off is the bourbon’s slightly dry, tannic finish as this is a much more finishing barrel focused release by Chattanooga than their few previous ones. This often comes with the territory, as barrel finishing isn’t an exact science. Finally, it's worth pointing out how Chattanooga Whiskey Co. goes the extra mile to create a bespoke blend of mashbills for this release instead of simply using their standard one. They continue to offer reasons to taste their products as their whiskey makers are never standing still.