Collaboration on Single Mash Bill Yields 'Wow' Wheat Whiskies from New Riff and Chattanooga

BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLERS: Chattanooga Whiskey and New Riff Distilling
• MASH BILL: Red Turkey Wheat 60% | Appalachian Malted Wheat 24% | Dark Malted Wheat 8% | Caramel Malted Wheat 8%
• AGE: 6 years, 6 months
• YEAR: 2025
• PROOF: 122 (61% ABV) and 117.8 (58.9% ABV) respectively
• MSRP: $69.99
• BUY ONLINE: This is a blend of distillery-only sales and some on Seelbach's

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Any whiskey drinker, especially those fond of wheated bourbons or wheat whiskies. When you taste these, your reaction will be, "Why even ask who to share these with?" Don't deprive any whiskey fan of the terrific work these two brands have performed with a shared mash bill.

WORTH THE PRICE: Definitely. Finding a whiskey like this has to be as fun for drinkers as it was for the distillers who created it. This is an E-ticket drink without the premium price.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottles, of course, since you'll want both for comparison. Sadly, the odds of getting both are slim.

OVERALL: Here's a summary of the story behind the Confluence Project Volume 1, cherry-picked from the press release:

Chattanooga Whiskey and New Riff Distilling created a joint release of Tennessee and Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskeys using the same mash bill, but distilling and aging it to their specs at their own plants. Their goal was to explore craft, contrast of products, and celebrate those differences.

It's also a work done between longstanding friends and master distiller peers, Grant McCracken (Chattanooga) and Brian Sprance (New Riff), who met as brewers at Samuel Adams Beer. After Sprance left to become a distiller at New Riff, he later helped McCracken land the same post at Chattanooga.

"(L)et’s just say I wouldn’t be here today without Brian and his friendship," McCracken said.

The name "Confluence" is a nod to the location where the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers meet (at Paducah, Ky., for brown-water marine nerds). Chattanooga Whiskey lies blocks away from the Tennessee River; New Riff is equally close to the Ohio where the river dips below Cincinnati.

“We wanted to create something new and exciting, so we agreed on a 100% wheat whiskey, which neither of us had done before," Sprance said. "The beauty of The Confluence Project is that it highlights what makes each distillery unique–our techniques, our barrels, our philosophies–yet it all starts from the same grain.”

Specifically, the mash bill's four wheats call on New Riff's popular Red Turkey Wheat choice for 60 percent of the blend, while the remaining 40% of the wheat blend with uses three malted varieties to reflect Chattanooga's signature high-malt style.

Each brand's distilling teams conducted a distiller swap, where each team spent time at the other’s place to discuss and share techniques and philosophies.

“At a high level, New Riff and Chattanooga Whiskey certainly have a lot in common; but ... there are a lot of nuanced differences in how we approach any given recipe,” McCracken said. “So, the thought of the collaboration was to agree on a mash bill and then let both distilling teams ‘do what they do,’ and celebrate those differences.”

To put a finer point on it, that included different yeasts, fermentation protocols, entry proofs and barrel choices. While New Riff chose a single barrel spec, Confluence (made part of Chattanooga's ongoing Experimental Single Barrel Series) will be released as 11 unique single barrels aged across a range of cask types (click here and scroll down for details) and using two different entry proofs. Iterations from both distilleries are bottled at cask strength.

My thoughts: Wouldn't American whiskey benefit from more multi-distillery innovation such as this? This would be especially impactful at the craft level. Collaboration such as this generates genuine excitement among consumers that competes strongly for share of mind and throat with "special releases" from large distilleries. Putting such creativity on display incentivizes and rewards distillers for making something truly unique.

That such cool whiskies are being sold for $70 is a huge plus for consumers and a big incentive to buy even when so many home bars are already crowded. In a time when so many are resorting to simple double-oaking or wine-cask finishing of the same whiskey they've made for decades, this stands out and generates relevant excitement.

So, do I like them? Absolutely! These are two excellent whiskies, both of which I'd buy if given the chance. Do I have a favorite? Yes, the Chattanooga done by McCracken's team.

Both whiskies are exceptionally flavorful and remarkably fruity. But the Chattanooga fruit moves to candied, polished and floral flavors, which I appreciate. New Riff's whiskey moves more traditionally to spice and oak character, which is delicious, but more predictable. Whether McCracken's processes or cask selection account for that difference, I don't know. (My sample bottle was aged in the V1A cask raised with staves dried for 18 seasons and charred to level 4). But I do know that Chattanooga's high-malt style is a significant differentiator between its whiskies and others'.

To my palate, it lends a creamier texture to the Confluence than the New Riff whiskey. Let it linger in your mouth and trust me, plenty of spice will rouse your palate. But the retreat to softness and subtlety is quick and welcome.

Where the New Riff iteration stands out is in its boldness. It is multi-dimensional, complex and practically yells, "Ya want me in a cocktail? Yeah! Do it. I'll show you spice and backbone!" And it will.

These were initially released late last fall at their respective distilleries, so if you can find them, rejoice and buy! If not, based on the "Volume 1" reference, we'll see more of these collaborations down the road. Based on the quality of these first releases, I envision these becoming "line up at the distillery early" spirits that make craft producers legendary.

BRAND NOTES

From Chattanooga Whiskey: Collectively, the release presents a bold, layered experience, with notes ranging from carrot cake, candied walnut, honey butter, apricot jam, and toasted oak, with a long, full-bodied, malty-sweet finish.

From New Riff:

NOSE: Clove, cinnamon, caramel, and a warm, woody cereal.

TASTE: Rich honey and toffee intertwined with oak.

FINISH: Lingering wood spice and cereal sweetness of frosted flakes and a hint of cinnamon.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.