What’s old is new again as the George A. Dickel & Co. team at Cascade Hollow Distillery in Normandy, Tennessee dust off some old Tennessee whisky barrels and an old brand name.
A distillery that could have been called Sleepy Hollow Distillery just a few years ago has been awakened by Distiller and General Manager Nicole Austin. The distillery has been around for 150 years but recently the releases from this distillery have been pretty ‘safe’ (except for maybe that Tabasco release but that’s another story). Austin is mixing things up by crawling through some dusty rickhouses with a mallet and whisky thief in-hand searching for some unique flavors. Her latest find is a blend of 11 and 16 year old whiskies.
The name of the series, which is inspired by Cascade Hollow’s original Cascade Pure Whisky that used the tagline ‘mellow as moonlight’, strikes a balance between the traditional and contemporary. The first release from the lineup, Cascade Moon Edition No. 1, brings the best of Cascade Hollow to market by blending a specialized whisky that is inspired by, and features, similar tasting notes found in a gose-style beer.
Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 was blended with a 16-year-old whisky that was aged in refilled casks, as well as an 11-year-old whisky that brought out more of the 16-year-old’s fruit notes. It has a mash bill of 84% corn, 8% rye and 8% malted barley. In a bourbon crazed world refilled casks sound almost blasphemes but in the Ireland where Austin spent nearly 2 years it’s not uncommon at all to refill casks.
“Over the past few years, I’ve loved blending for George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, creating innovations that respect the heritage and history of Tennessee Whisky. In that process, I’ve found some incredible whiskies we’ve produced at Cascade Hollow that wouldn’t necessarily fit within the George Dickel portfolio,” said Austin. “With the release of Cascade Moon, I’m excited to have found a way to showcase these amazing whiskies and be able to showcase our depth as a distillery, outside of George Dickel and the traditional Tennessee Whisky category.”
Austin says each variant in the Cascade Moon series will differ based on her current inspirations and will offer drinkers a unique tasting experience. Cascade Moon Edition No.1 is unusual and rare, taking inspiration from gose-style craft beers both in flavor and pack, with bright colors featured prominently on the packaging and hints of fruity flavors with unexpected savory character coming through in the liquid. Even the bottle of Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 is highly unique, with the use of a clear resin label providing more grip than a standard glass for bartenders and the ability to change the design for future Cascade Moon variants.
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Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 Tasting Notes
Tasting notes from the distillery say Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 offers savory pretzel-like notes, along with bright and fruity notes of raspberry, pineapple and coconut. At 84 proof (42% ABV), Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 is surprising and unexpected, encouraging you to sip again and again to taste its unique flavors.
The initial launch of Cascade Moon includes two variants that will be released over the next year. The first Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 will be regionally available in Tennessee, California and Texas for a limited time at a suggested retail price of $89.99. Edition No. 2 in the series is expected later this fall.
Learn more about Cascade Hollow Distillery.
View all Tennessee Distilleries.
Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 Whisky
The Original Cascade Distillery Cascade Pure Whisky – Mellow as Moonlight
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