Table Of Contents

The Details

Rating 87
Style
Whiskey
Produced In United States
ABV 50%
Availability Limited
Price $60.00 
Reviewed By
Review Updated 2024-06-10

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Review

Chattanooga Whiskey’s annual Anniversary Blend has quietly become one of craft whiskey’s quirkiest — and sometimes most fun — releases. To create each blend, the distillery draws whiskey from three large solera casks, each time in custom proportions.

The 2024 release — the distillery’s 12th Anniversary Blend — takes whiskey from the following solera barrels across specified percentages.

  • 12 percent comes from “1816,” a 625-gallon cask containing 4-6 year old high rye bourbon distilled at MGP Indiana. (Chattanooga Whiskey initially launched with this high rye bourbon recipe in 2012.)
  • 60 percent comes from “Barrel 91,” a 4000-gallon cask filled with the distillery’s Tennessee High Malt, which is distilled from a mash containing yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. The whiskey is aged at least two years.
  • 28 percent comes from Infinity Barrel, a 1645-gallon cask filled with a mix of malt and rye malt whiskeys from Chattanooga Whiskey. According to the brand, this barrel recently gained additions from six new mashbills, including a cherrywood smoked “Danko” rye malt. The whiskey is aged between three and seven years.

Chattanooga Whiskey is never afraid to take big swings, and in my tasting experience, that adventurous approach has led to some home runs along with a few ground balls. Let’s see how its latest Anniversary Blend — quite the complex mix — stacks up.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend: Stats and Availability

Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is available at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery (it also has a “Riverfront” facility for distillation). It’s also available for retail sales in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Some bottles are also available via select online outlets, though a number have already sold out at the time of this writing.

Suggested retail is around $60 for this release, though I’m seeing it trend slightly higher online.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Malted cereal grain leads on the nose — no surprise given the 60 percent of the blend pulled from Chattanooga’s Tennessee High Malt recipe. It’s halfway between hot porridge — heavy on the oats — and Grape Nuts in milk, lightly sweet with traces of honey and brown sugar. A touch of nuts, mostly almonds, is present; it’s a barely-there aroma closer to almond milk than the nuts themselves.

That initial cereal note opens up into surprisingly powerful spice, notably finely powdered ginger, cloves, and star anise. At this point, Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is actually coming across slightly hotter than its listed 100 proof. A thread of cooling menthol continues throughout; paired with that initial grain-forward sweetness, the whiskey noses like honey eucalyptus cough drops.

A blend of this pedigree warrants some extra time, as different components will take longer to evolve on the nose. Patience is rewarded with a final aroma of chocolate malt and cinnamon-forward rye spice. It’s not the richest, most captivating nose I’ve encountered recently, but there’s certainly a lot going on here.

Taste

Graham cracker and sourdough bread slowly coat the tongue, and the flavors aren’t in any rush to develop, so it takes a few sips to get acclimated. That honey-sweetened porridge gradually folds in, again heavy with an element of rolled oats. It’s far more bready than it is oaky, giving the impression that the grain is very much in the driver’s seat compared to any wood influence.

Spice develops and builds toward the midplate, and here it’s somewhat unexpectedly paired with sour raspberry and blackberry. It’s mildly sweet and slowly becomes more and more tart, though it (fortunately) never tips over into truly sour territory.

The liquid is plenty viscous for 100 proof, and while the flavors aren’t particularly punchy — I would have welcomed more pronounced fruit, for example — the mouth feel affords them time to develop across all phases of the palate.

Finish

The finish turns quick from spice back to sourdough bread and oatmeal flour pancakes. It’s doughy and tart without the berry influence on the midpalate. Oak leaves a small mark here, with a kiss of wood tannins that left me wanting more from the wood.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Rating

87/100

Recap

Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest Anniversary Blend isn’t the brand’s best release in recent memory, and it never quite punches high enough to be something I’d return to on a weekly basis.

However, it’s easy to take that blunt assessment out of context. If the distillery’s goal is to showcase its breadth of distillates and flavors, then mission accomplished. By consistently taking big swings, Chattanooga Whiskey pushes its own envelope in admirable ways. And when it strikes upon a hit, the distillery (or distilleries, if you’re counting both the Experimental and Riverfront facilities) releases some of the best craft whiskey in America.

Fans of the brand will likely clamor to add this particular bottle to their collections for future tasting flights. After all, because of the solera system used, next year’s Anniversary Blend is guaranteed to be different.

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87
POINTS
Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend
Chattanooga Whiskey’s annual Anniversary Blend has quietly become one of craft whiskey’s quirkiest — and sometimes most fun — releases. To create each blend, the distillery draws whiskey from three large solera casks, each time in custom proportions. The 2024 release — the distillery’s 12th Anniversary Blend — takes whiskey from the following solera barrels across specified percentages.
  • 12 percent comes from “1816,” a 625-gallon cask containing 4-6 year old high rye bourbon distilled at MGP Indiana. (Chattanooga Whiskey initially launched with this high rye bourbon recipe in 2012.)
  • 60 percent comes from “Barrel 91,” a 4000-gallon cask filled with the distillery’s Tennessee High Malt, which is distilled from a mash containing yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. The whiskey is aged at least two years.
  • 28 percent comes from Infinity Barrel, a 1645-gallon cask filled with a mix of malt and rye malt whiskeys from Chattanooga Whiskey. According to the brand, this barrel recently gained additions from six new mashbills, including a cherrywood smoked “Danko” rye malt. The whiskey is aged between three and seven years.
Chattanooga Whiskey is never afraid to take big swings, and in my tasting experience, that adventurous approach has led to some home runs along with a few ground balls. Let’s see how its latest Anniversary Blend — quite the complex mix — stacks up.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend: Stats and Availability

Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is available at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery (it also has a “Riverfront” facility for distillation). It’s also available for retail sales in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Some bottles are also available via select online outlets, though a number have already sold out at the time of this writing. Suggested retail is around $60 for this release, though I’m seeing it trend slightly higher online.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Malted cereal grain leads on the nose — no surprise given the 60 percent of the blend pulled from Chattanooga’s Tennessee High Malt recipe. It’s halfway between hot porridge — heavy on the oats — and Grape Nuts in milk, lightly sweet with traces of honey and brown sugar. A touch of nuts, mostly almonds, is present; it’s a barely-there aroma closer to almond milk than the nuts themselves. That initial cereal note opens up into surprisingly powerful spice, notably finely powdered ginger, cloves, and star anise. At this point, Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is actually coming across slightly hotter than its listed 100 proof. A thread of cooling menthol continues throughout; paired with that initial grain-forward sweetness, the whiskey noses like honey eucalyptus cough drops. A blend of this pedigree warrants some extra time, as different components will take longer to evolve on the nose. Patience is rewarded with a final aroma of chocolate malt and cinnamon-forward rye spice. It’s not the richest, most captivating nose I’ve encountered recently, but there’s certainly a lot going on here.

Taste

Graham cracker and sourdough bread slowly coat the tongue, and the flavors aren’t in any rush to develop, so it takes a few sips to get acclimated. That honey-sweetened porridge gradually folds in, again heavy with an element of rolled oats. It’s far more bready than it is oaky, giving the impression that the grain is very much in the driver’s seat compared to any wood influence. Spice develops and builds toward the midplate, and here it’s somewhat unexpectedly paired with sour raspberry and blackberry. It’s mildly sweet and slowly becomes more and more tart, though it (fortunately) never tips over into truly sour territory. The liquid is plenty viscous for 100 proof, and while the flavors aren’t particularly punchy — I would have welcomed more pronounced fruit, for example — the mouth feel affords them time to develop across all phases of the palate.

Finish

The finish turns quick from spice back to sourdough bread and oatmeal flour pancakes. It’s doughy and tart without the berry influence on the midpalate. Oak leaves a small mark here, with a kiss of wood tannins that left me wanting more from the wood.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Rating

87/100

Recap

Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest Anniversary Blend isn’t the brand’s best release in recent memory, and it never quite punches high enough to be something I’d return to on a weekly basis. However, it’s easy to take that blunt assessment out of context. If the distillery’s goal is to showcase its breadth of distillates and flavors, then mission accomplished. By consistently taking big swings, Chattanooga Whiskey pushes its own envelope in admirable ways. And when it strikes upon a hit, the distillery (or distilleries, if you’re counting both the Experimental and Riverfront facilities) releases some of the best craft whiskey in America. Fans of the brand will likely clamor to add this particular bottle to their collections for future tasting flights. After all, because of the solera system used, next year’s Anniversary Blend is guaranteed to be different.

Reviewed On: 06-11-2024
87
POINTS
Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend
Chattanooga Whiskey’s annual Anniversary Blend has quietly become one of craft whiskey’s quirkiest — and sometimes most fun — releases. To create each blend, the distillery draws whiskey from three large solera casks, each time in custom proportions. The 2024 release — the distillery’s 12th Anniversary Blend — takes whiskey from the following solera barrels across specified percentages.
  • 12 percent comes from “1816,” a 625-gallon cask containing 4-6 year old high rye bourbon distilled at MGP Indiana. (Chattanooga Whiskey initially launched with this high rye bourbon recipe in 2012.)
  • 60 percent comes from “Barrel 91,” a 4000-gallon cask filled with the distillery’s Tennessee High Malt, which is distilled from a mash containing yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. The whiskey is aged at least two years.
  • 28 percent comes from Infinity Barrel, a 1645-gallon cask filled with a mix of malt and rye malt whiskeys from Chattanooga Whiskey. According to the brand, this barrel recently gained additions from six new mashbills, including a cherrywood smoked “Danko” rye malt. The whiskey is aged between three and seven years.
Chattanooga Whiskey is never afraid to take big swings, and in my tasting experience, that adventurous approach has led to some home runs along with a few ground balls. Let’s see how its latest Anniversary Blend — quite the complex mix — stacks up.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend: Stats and Availability

Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is available at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery (it also has a “Riverfront” facility for distillation). It’s also available for retail sales in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Some bottles are also available via select online outlets, though a number have already sold out at the time of this writing. Suggested retail is around $60 for this release, though I’m seeing it trend slightly higher online.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Review

As with all of VinePair’s whiskey reviews, this was tasted in a Glencairn glass and rested for at least five minutes.

Nose

Malted cereal grain leads on the nose — no surprise given the 60 percent of the blend pulled from Chattanooga’s Tennessee High Malt recipe. It’s halfway between hot porridge — heavy on the oats — and Grape Nuts in milk, lightly sweet with traces of honey and brown sugar. A touch of nuts, mostly almonds, is present; it’s a barely-there aroma closer to almond milk than the nuts themselves. That initial cereal note opens up into surprisingly powerful spice, notably finely powdered ginger, cloves, and star anise. At this point, Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend is actually coming across slightly hotter than its listed 100 proof. A thread of cooling menthol continues throughout; paired with that initial grain-forward sweetness, the whiskey noses like honey eucalyptus cough drops. A blend of this pedigree warrants some extra time, as different components will take longer to evolve on the nose. Patience is rewarded with a final aroma of chocolate malt and cinnamon-forward rye spice. It’s not the richest, most captivating nose I’ve encountered recently, but there’s certainly a lot going on here.

Taste

Graham cracker and sourdough bread slowly coat the tongue, and the flavors aren’t in any rush to develop, so it takes a few sips to get acclimated. That honey-sweetened porridge gradually folds in, again heavy with an element of rolled oats. It’s far more bready than it is oaky, giving the impression that the grain is very much in the driver’s seat compared to any wood influence. Spice develops and builds toward the midplate, and here it’s somewhat unexpectedly paired with sour raspberry and blackberry. It’s mildly sweet and slowly becomes more and more tart, though it (fortunately) never tips over into truly sour territory. The liquid is plenty viscous for 100 proof, and while the flavors aren’t particularly punchy — I would have welcomed more pronounced fruit, for example — the mouth feel affords them time to develop across all phases of the palate.

Finish

The finish turns quick from spice back to sourdough bread and oatmeal flour pancakes. It’s doughy and tart without the berry influence on the midpalate. Oak leaves a small mark here, with a kiss of wood tannins that left me wanting more from the wood.

Chattanooga Whiskey Founder's 12th Anniversary Blend Rating

87/100

Recap

Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest Anniversary Blend isn’t the brand’s best release in recent memory, and it never quite punches high enough to be something I’d return to on a weekly basis. However, it’s easy to take that blunt assessment out of context. If the distillery’s goal is to showcase its breadth of distillates and flavors, then mission accomplished. By consistently taking big swings, Chattanooga Whiskey pushes its own envelope in admirable ways. And when it strikes upon a hit, the distillery (or distilleries, if you’re counting both the Experimental and Riverfront facilities) releases some of the best craft whiskey in America. Fans of the brand will likely clamor to add this particular bottle to their collections for future tasting flights. After all, because of the solera system used, next year’s Anniversary Blend is guaranteed to be different.

Reviewed On: 06-11-2024