The other day (a few months ago, actually) I finally got around to visiting the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery, a celebration of the people banding together and changing the laws in this great state. It was a great tour and reminded me that I’ve been on this journey with Chatt Whiskey since the very beginning, as these old videos will attest. I ended up walking away with a bottle of Founder’s 12th Anniversary Blend whiskey.
The 12th Anniversary Founder’s is made of a mix of yesterday’s 1816 (the whiskey that the company sold to make money while they worked to change the laws), today’s Tennessee High Malt (the standard bourbon the company makes), and a mix from the Infinity Barrel at the Experimental Distillery. It’s bottled at 100 proof and will be around until it sells out.
The Founder’s 12 (it’s just easier to say) had a very pleasant nose with tons of oak, some vanilla, and a touch of cocoa. The mixing of the old and new whiskies makes for a blend that is sweeter than the current Chatt Whiskey 91, yet more complex than the old 1816 Reserve. In a way it reminds me of the 1816 Cask, which is still my all-time favorite product from the company. It had some alcohol burn to it, but nothing that can’t be cured with the addition of an ice cube or two. Highly recommended.
Note: at the time of this publication, the Founder’s 12 is long gone and the Founder’s 13 is on shelves…for about $10 more per bottle. I haven’t tried that one, yet.
