Bardstown, KY / August 26, 2019: Grain & Barrel Spirits’ investment in bourbon over the last 6 years has set the stage for the next evolution for Chicken Cock Whiskey, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which is being released as the anchor of the Chicken Cock line. Available immediately in most markets, the suggested retail price is $59.99/750mL.
Distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky, Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey has a rich, elegant mahogany hue; a nose which balances oak tones with sweet notes of dried fruit, caramel, and vanilla; and a palate that opens with soft tannins. A creamy, almost buttery mouthfeel is complemented by butterscotch notes and toasted oak, resolving with a vanilla finish. At 90 proof, there is a slight, welcome bourbon heat. The bourbon is bottled in a replica of the Prohibition-era Chicken Cock bottle.
Established in 1856 in Paris, Kentucky (ten years before Jack Daniels), Chicken Cock rose to fame as the house whiskey at the Cotton Club, one of Prohibition’s most legendary speakeasies. Known as “The Famous Old Brand” and “The Whiskey in a Tin Can,” Chicken Cock was smuggled into the Club in sealed tin cans, then ceremoniously opened tableside. After Prohibition, the brand enjoyed a resurgent couple of decades before a distillery fire just after World War II put it out of business.
In 2012, Matti Anttila, founder of Grain & Barrel Spirits, rediscovered the Chicken Cock Whiskey brand, and set out to resurrect to its Prohibition era glory. Master Distiller Gregg Snyder was brought on board to provide the knowledge and experience needed to help achieve that goal. Snyder’s impressive resume includes distilling, cooperage, and executive positions with Brown-Forman, Austin Nichols, and others, as well as Board positions with the Associated Cooperage Industries of America, Kentucky Distillers’ Association, and others. Chicken Cock Whiskey is proud to be associated with the Bardstown Bourbon Company’s collaborative distiller’s program.
- Chicken Cock Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- 45% ABV (90 Proof); SRP: $59.99/750mL
- 100% distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky
- Available in most markets, as well as online
- Managing Partner, Sales: Kevin Testa; m.305-458-1600; e-mail: [email protected]
Other current releases of Chicken Cock Whiskey
Current releases also include limited editions of Chicken Cock 160th Anniversary (8YO) (SRP: $99.99/750mL); Chicken Cock Double Barrel Bourbon (10YO) (SRP: $249.99/750mL); and the Chicken Cock Beer Barrel Select (SRP: $79.99/750mL), a blend of Kentucky Bourbons aged up to 11.5 years finished in Walnut Brown Ale barrels. To buy, please visit https://chickencock.passionspirits.com/chicken-cock.html.
“Everyone knew that bootlegged whiskey was being served at the Cotton Club… but its clientele was so prestigious that it had become off limits to the police, so long as the illicit sales were discreet. The usual whiskey purchased at that time was called ‘Chicken Cock,’ and it was a bottle that came in a sealed can.” – Duke Ellington, by Kent Smith
About Grain & Barrel Spirits
Founded in 2012 by Matti Anttila, West Palm Beach, Florida-based Grain & Barrel Spirits is an emerging craft spirits company at home in the Southeast with production and sales partners around the world. This month, the company was named to the Inc. 5000 list, coming in within the top 25% of America’s fastest growing, independently owned business. In addition to pre-Prohibition favorite Chicken Cock Whiskey, wholly owned brands include Dixie Southern Vodka, the ninth fastest growing spirit in the U.S., and The Endless Summer Spirits Company.
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More information, media samples, hi-res images, and interviews available upon request.