It’s the start of October, so Jon and I have some scary good bottles of whiskey we need to recommend to help you enjoy this beautiful Fall weather. As always, you can find our recommended picks at the original Market Square Liquors on Timberlane Road in Tallahassee. Enjoy!
Luke’s Pick – Chattanooga Bottled in Bond Vintage Series (2018)
Typically, as the weather starts to get cooler, I find myself gravitating more to rye whiskeys or higher-rye bourbons. However, now that Fall has officially set in here in North Florida, I’ve found that I have been reaching for higher-malt mash bills more and more. And when I think of malt, Chattanooga Whiskey is the first distillery to come to mind.
Chattanooga is known for their experimentation with malting different grains to different levels, and employing a variety of mash bills, and I personally think they are putting out some of the best craft whiskey available. It should come as no surprise then, that my pick for the month of October is coming straight out of Tennessee. Say hello to the Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled in Bond 2018 Vintage!
This 100 proof, 4+ year-old whiskey is made from a blend of the following proprietary bourbon mash bills: 30% SB091 (yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, honey malted barley), 30% B002 (yellow corn, hardwood smoked malted barley, caramel malted barley, caramel malted, honey malted barley), 20% B005 (yellow corn, malted wheat, oak smoked malted wheat, caramel malted wheat), and 20% R18098 (yellow corn, pale malted barley, naked malted oats, double roasted caramel malted barley, peated malted barley, cherrywoood smoked malted barley, chocolate malt, de-husked chocolate malt). If that mash bill doesn’t impress you, I don’t know what will!
So what does all that malting do? Well, you will find out as soon as you pop this bottle! But I will give you some thoughts. On the nose I found warm oatmeal with a huge scoop of brown sugar, a slightly herbaceous green apple note, and a nutty aroma of freshly roasted coffee bean developing. If you’ve ever been to a good coffee roaster this will resonate with you! On the palate, this whiskey has an above-average viscosity and that coffee note is present with some added sweetness (think milk chocolate covered coffee bean), along with more toasted cereal grain and some caramel apple. The finish is long, with a slight smokiness developing. That nutty flavor also tapers off slightly, revealing a more sweet and subtle note of toasted coconut and some oak tannins to create a mild astringency.
This is a delicious whiskey that provides a truly unique experience, especially if you enjoy malted grains. I don’t know how Chattanooga came up with these individual mash bills and this blend, and frankly, I don’t care! It works, and at an extremely favorable price no less. Grab yourself a pour and enjoy some of this beautiful North Florida Fall weather!
Jon’s Pick – Evan Williams 1783
Boy, do I have a pleasant October surprise for you! Bourbon drinkers…you can scrounge around in your cushions and sock drawer for enough change to pick up a bottle Evan Williams 1783 bourbon! MSL is fortunate to have a good supply of the older (86 proof) and the newer 90 proof offering. Spoiler alert, both are very good pours. Here’s the kicker – the 86 proof is $18. The 90 proof is $20. You can’t beat that!
The nose on each portends the taste. You’ll pick up the charred caramel with vanilla and maple. The 90 proof being slightly more robust. When you taste the 86 you get the full experience with a bonus of a slight citrus rind mouthfeel on the finish. The finish is short so you need to pause before diving back in.
The newer 90 proof sports a more modern bottle and it brings a little more mid range and bass fullness to the table. Imagine a vanilla-bourbon muffin with a pleasant caramel top crust. Imagine a rum cake. Now substitute bourbon! That’s it. Nothing more complicated than that.
Introducing someone to bourbon? This is a good one to have on the bar.
As always, grab yourself these bottles if you haven’t tried them, enjoy a few pours, and then come find us on the porch. Cheers and Happy Halloween, Y’all!