Chicken Cock Nods to Storied Roots With Red Wine-Finished Whiskey Presented in Prohibition-Era Commemorative Tin Cans
Chicken Cock Red Stave is the latest whiskey from “The Famous Old Brand.” (Photo: Chicken Cock Whiskey)
On Monday, Chicken Cock Whiskey announced a new limited-edition release: Red Stave.
A celebration of the Kentucky bourbon and California wine industries, Chicken Cock Red Stave is a Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Petite Sirah barrels from Santa Barbara, California-based vineyard J. Wilkes.
Bottled at 102.4 proof, Red Stave is distilled from a mashbill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley.
Founded in 1856, Chicken Cock was a popular whiskey during Prohibition, where it was smuggled in tin cans to speakeasies like the famed Cotton Club. As an ode to the brand’s rich history, Red Stave is sold in a “Prohibition-era commemorative tin.”
“Red Stave is another excellent example of our devoted, continued mission of resurrecting the brand and bringing Chicken Cock Whiskey back to the high-quality reputation it was known for many years ago, beginning in 1856,” Chicken Cock Whiskey Master Distiller Gregg Snyder said in a news release. “Red Stave is an exquisite, epicurean delight – from the rich Mahogany color, to its creamy, viscous mouthfeel, to the wide-ranging but balanced complexity of aromas and delectable flavors, all the way to the spectacular finish that never wants to leave your taste buds.”
According to Chicken Cock, the Petite Sirah finish gives the whiskey a “balanced stone fruit taste profile and a beautiful red tint.
“We are very excited about this partnership,” a J. Wilkes Winery spokesperson said in the news release. “Thoughtful, premium products are what J. Wilkes and Chicken Cock have both committed to create and have demonstrated over time. To be able to share a crossover of our products is an exciting and fun opportunity to share our passions with the world.”
With a suggested retail price of $199.99, Chicken Cock Red Stave is available to buy from select retailers nationwide, Chick Cock Whiskey’s website and other online retailers.
Chicken Cock Whiskey has early roots, but the brand vanished after a fire at the distillery ended operations in 1950. In 2012, entrepreneur Matti Anttila founded Grain & Barrel Spirits and revived Chicken Cock.
When Anttila first brought back Chicken Cock, the whiskey was produced in South Carolina and sold in aluminum bottles as a nod to the brand’s tin-can roots. Today, Chicken Cock is sold in glass bottles and made in its home state of Kentucky. In 2018, Chicken Cock returned its production to the commonwealth when Bardstown Bourbon Company announced that the brand had joined its Collaborative Distilling Program.
Chicken Cock Red Stave Petite Sirah Barrel Finish Tasting Notes, Via the Brand
Appearance: Rich, dark mahogany color with a deep cherry wood hue.
Nose: Hints of dark chocolate, toasted oak and dried fruit
Taste: Traditional dark chocolate, bold caramel and vanilla notes that evolve into pear, apple, cherry and red currant fruit flavors
Finish: Long with bright cranberry tartness and a hint of black pepper. Finish: complex, long, lingering, nutmeg and clove spice.
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