The Plaza in New York? The American Bar at the Savoy? Iconic places that evoke a sense of luxury and class. In November Fairmont Hotels did a global relaunch of their cocktail program called Classics. Myself and five other journalists joined the group for the Tennessee leg of the trip. All of these whiskeys could be called bourbon if they wanted to be. There is nothing in the process that prevents them from being called bourbon.
They choose to call their product Tennessee whiskey. So you make your own. The distillery grounds are large with 87 barrelhouses with between 20k and 60k barrels in each.
The barrelhouses are spread over approximately acres. This spacing is important because if one warehouse should catch fire, you definitely do not want it spreading to another. After the tour, Mr.
We first tasted the raw distillate before and after mellowing. The difference is striking. Gentleman Jack differs from other products in their portfolio in that after aging, it is filtered through an additional 3 feet of charcoal. This produces a lighter whiskey, which is a bit too light for my personal tastes. If not, you might have to go another block. The Single Barrel Select comes from the top floors of their barrelhouses and thus boasts more oak, vanilla and caramel flavor from the extra wood contact.
We tried the Tennessee Fire and the Tennessee Honey. The Honey was predictably sweet, but I could see using it in cocktails. If I had my druthers, all whiskeys would release a barrel strength version. Make reservations in advance because they are very busy and only do a couple lunch seatings per day. Also, maybe fast for a week before going because there is so very much great Southern food.
