Chicken Cock Whiskey Drops Prohibition-Style, Cognac Barrel-Aged Bourbon
This $500 bourbon comes in an era-appropriate commemorative tin.
The best bourbons on the market naturally carry the weight of history behind it, from how the liquid is made and aged to how it’s delivered, and the clever distillers at Chicken Cock Whiskey have managed to shake up the barnyard and your bar cart with its newest release.
The story of Chicken Cock Whiskey, after all, dates back to 1856 and is so named thanks to an original Bluegrass regional whiskey style.
Now, the new, nearly $500 Chanticleer Cognac Barrel Whiskey quite literally blends the past and the present in a way that’s sure to please bourbon enthusiasts.
It was a 2011 revival that jumpstarted the historic brand once again, and the latest release distills that history handsomely, right down to the limited-edition, Prohibition-style tin nodding to the way in which whiskey was smuggled across state lines decades ago.
Most famously, Chicken Cock was the house whiskey of The Cotton Club in Harlem, and the rest (you might say) is history.
Although a 1950s fire shuttered the company for decades, spirits entrepreneur Matti Anttila revived the brand in the early 2010s, a revival that lends itself nicely to popular expressions like its Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye.
The luxurious holiday release — developed in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company — hits the right notes in terms of aesthetics and of course, the liquid contained within.
The cognac-aging process nods to the company’s original home in Paris, Kentucky (named after Paris, France, naturally), as well as the historical roots of Bourbon County (derived from the French Bourbon family).
Chanticleer is delivered in a pleasing, historical apothecary-style bottle, displaying the handsome mahogany leather color of this whiskey, which bursts with notes of vanilla, cherry, softened plums and candied dates.
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Savor notes of melted butter and hot caramelized sugar on the finish, and enjoy this warming whiskey on a cold winter’s night this holiday season (preferably in the company of fellow whiskey fans).
Available for nearly $500 at both Chicken Cock and Caskers, think of this luxe bourbon like the ultimate early holiday gift for the history — or better yet, yourself.