Chicken Cock Whiskey joining double oak trend with home run

Chicken Cock Whiskey, an old and storied brand, has joined in with the trend of double-barreled whiskies and did it well with their new Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey.

If you’ve never heard of, or tried, any of the Chicken Cock Whiskey offerings you’re missing out on some great bottles. They have a variety of bourbons and ryes in their core lineup as well as some limited edition offerings that whiskey-hunters still seek out.

Their latest release joins in the growing trend of double-barreled spirits that whiskey lovers are gobbling up. Jack Daniels, Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, and all the big distilleries have been releasing variants on the double-barrel theme, and now Chicken Cock, part of the Grain and Barrel portfolio, has its own version.

Chicken Cock has released a Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey, which they describe as a “combination of two distinct barrel finishings – seven-year-old Kentucky Whiskey which was aged in used barrels and then transferred into new white American oak barrels.”

The barrels were then aged for about 18 months on the top floor of the Bardstown Bourbon warehouse during a very hot summer, maximizing the effect of the barrels on the distillate contained within.

From a Matti Anttila, founder of Grain & Barrel Spirits, press release:

"“You can’t have great whiskey without great wood and this expression is the perfect marriage of age and wood. That’s why we aged our eight-year-old whiskey in American oak barrels twice. This process allows us to extract all the great flavor within the oak to create a robust and intriguing sipper that’s likely to not last long on the shelves.”"

Chicken Cock Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey Description

Mash bill: 80% corn; 11.5% rye; 8.5% barley
ABV: 46 %
Color: Light chestnut, red oak
Age: 8 years
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Private Barrels Available: N/A
MSRP: $99.99

Chicken Cock Whiskey Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey Tasting Notes

Nose: The first thing to hit your nose is a very distinct brown sugar note. That’s soon followed by a sweet cocoa and dark berry mixture, with some very slight hints of the barrel char. The nose is quite warm, with almost zero ethanol present. It’s not incredibly complex, but it does offer a departure from most of the standard notes associated with a traditional bourbon or Kentucky whiskey.

Palate: Immediately noticeable is the mouthfeel, which is creamy and viscous, coating your palate right from the start. The berries — with raspberry being the most prominent — really take front and center at the front of the tasting, with the palate then moving to more subtle notes including brown bread, vanilla, and chocolate buttercream. Each note moves to the next with relative ease, as if they were planned in succession.

Finish: The initial creamy mouthfeel would indicate a long finish is to be had, and it doesn’t disappoint, The notes linger for some time, and as the finish hits its peak you really get a good taste of the oak and some baking spices, most notably a warm cinnamon. This is a pour that you want to take your time between sips and just let the whiskey take you on its journey.

Conclusions: This is quite a delicious pour, with plenty to love from nose to finish. The only fault I can find is the low proof. This seems like an offering that’s just begging for a little more punch, and it feels like the flavors within would only be enhanced at a higher-proof level. Despite that, I would absolutely recommend this. Even at the $100 price point, which isn’t surprising for a smaller distillery like this, it’s still worth having a bottle on hand.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆