Chicken Cock Whiskey Review
Meet Luke
Luke is a Level I Certified Whiskey Specialist with a passion for exploring and unearthing the best whiskeys around. Luke has a preference for Rye whiskeys but has tasted over 250 different whiskeys to date varying from bourbons to scotches. He continues to expand upon his whiskey knowledge by tasting dozens of bottles monthly and reviewing them here on Barrel and Brew as he pursues his Masters of Whiskey certification.
A decent looking bottle and a great name. That’s all it took for me to pick up a bottle of Chicken Cock Whiskey to review. Chicken Cock Whiskey is sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Co and was first established in 1856. However, they were just revitalized within the last 15 years. I figured all of this would make for an interesting review.
We’ll cover more on the history and basics behind Chicken Cock Whiskey shortly, but that’s not our main focus here. We’re here to figure out if Chicken Cock Bourbon is good and if it’s worth the price. Let’s find out.
Chicken Cock Whiskey History
Chicken Cock was first established in Paris, Kentucky in 1856. Originally known as “The Famous Old Brand”, Chicken Cock Whiskey found great success in the late 19th century and even through prohibition. That success came at a cost though.
The owners of Chicken Cock had to sell the whiskey brand and distillery to a distiller in Montreal, Canada. Production would take place outside the US, but the whiskey still found prominence in the states.
Chicken Cock Whiskey was a staple, high-end whiskey that could be purchased at speakeasies across the US. One such speakeasy was The Cotton Club where famous Jazz musicians would play – most notably, Duke Ellington. Ellington recalls, in his memoir, that you could always buy Chicken Cock at The Cotton Club. It was whiskey sealed in a tin can and would cost $10-14 for a pint.
After changing hands again after prohibition, Chicken Cock began to struggle. Partly because of the 2nd world war and partly because of America’s drinking habits. The brand completely fell off in the 1950’s.
Chicken Cock Whiskey Revival
Chicken Cock Whiskey was brought back to life in 2011 by Matti Anttila. He began sourcing whiskey from some of the best distilleries, and purchasing original Chicken Cock bottles as a marketing scheme.
In 2017 he released the first Chicken Cock Bourbon since the 1950’s. It was an 8 year old bourbon to celebrate the 160th anniversary. All the bottles were purchased within 48 hours for $100/bottle.
Chicken Cock Whiskey Overview
- Spirit: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
- Owned By: Grain and Barrel Spirits / Matti Anttila
- Distilled By: Bardstown Bourbon Co
- Aged: NAS – Minimum 4 Years
- ABV: 45%, 90 proof
- Mashbill: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley
- Price: $60
Chicken Cock is distilled and bottled in Kentucky and there is no age statement on the bottle. Per laws and regulations, bourbon can forgo an age-statement on the bottle so long as all the whiskey in the bottle is at least 4 years old.
What Does Straight Bourbon Mean?
‘Straight’ is a term you’ll often see in front of ‘whiskey’ or ‘bourbon’ – as in ‘straight whiskey’ or ‘straight bourbon’. While ordering a glass of whiskey, straight may refer to neat, but that is not the case when we’re talking about the type of whiskey or the labeling of a whiskey.
Straight whiskey and straight bourbon must be aged a minimum of two years, distilled to no higher than 160 proof, contain no additives, and all the whiskey in the bottle must be distilled from the same state.
Regular old bourbon – anything labeled as bourbon – must already be distilled under 160 proof and cannot contain additives. So, when it comes to straight bourbon, straight essentially means that the bourbon is aged at least two years and all the batched bourbon was distilled in the same state.
Grain and Barrel Spirits
While Chicken Cock is the brand of the whiskey we are reviewing, Grain and Barrel Spirits is the non-distilling producer of the whiskey. Grain and Barrel Spirits was founded by Matt Anttila.
Who Distills Chicken Cock Whiskey?
Chicken Cock Whiskey sources whiskey from multiple Kentucky distilleries; however, their flagship straight bourbon that we are reviewing is wholly sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Company.
In our tasting, we’re going to look for similarities to the Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series that I reviewed recently. You can read our full review of it below by clicking the title. If you’ve had Bardstown’s Origin Series, that may be a more comparable expression.
Bardstown Bourbon Fusion Series #8
Chicken Cock Proof, Price, and Mashbill
A 750ml bottle of Chicken Cock Bourbon will cost your around $60, give or take ~$5 depending upon your location and individual store you buy from. It is a fairly expensive bottle, so we’re looking for this to be a good whiskey.
Chicken Cock is bottled at 90 proof, which is really the low end of what I, and a lot of people who spend $60 on a bottle of whiskey, am looking for.
Lastly, there’s nothing too crazy or atypical going on with the mashbill. 70% corn is right in the middle of your typical bourbon mashbill. 21% rye puts Chicken Cock Whiskey right on the line of a high-rye bourbon, so we should see a decent amount of rye spice from this whiskey.
Chicken Cock Whiskey Tasting Notes
Let’s dive into the real reason you’re here. Is Chicken Cock Bourbon good? Is it worth the $60 price tag? Time to pour myself a glass and find out.
Nose: a lot of sweet vanilla and roasted corn, wet oak, clove, thyme, rye spice, a touch of citrus, wild flowers, and nougat. slightly medicinal, light sugar.
Palate: The sweet vanilla comes through first followed by rye spice and pepper. The oak is that wet/earthen oak that was on the nose, but it comes with roasted corn. A touch of cinnamon sugar works it’s way in. Very sweet with a lot of spice makes things more intriguing. Very average viscosity.
Finish: Oak and the sweet vanilla start things out, then pepper, and more of the rye spice round things out. Fairly pleasant finish. Medium to long in length. The oak and rye spice sticks around for awhile.
Taste Summary
Chicken Cock Bourbon makes for an interesting glass of whiskey. It’s not super unique, it just plays both sides of the sweet and spice. There’s a lot of spice and a wide array of spices, along with what is a very sweet bourbon with corn and vanilla.
The nose was perhaps my least favorite part, which I contend is a good thing, but it came together after a sip and letting it sit for a couple minutes. The flavors on the nose transfer to the palate and finish quite well, so there weren’t any real surprises.
The major downside to Chicken Cock Bourbon, in my opinion, is the mouthfeel. I think this would be fantastic whiskey if it was a bit thicker and/or had a more creamy mouthfeel.
Chicken Cock Whiskey vs Bardstown Fusion Series
In regards to Bardstown’s Fusion Series, I see a lot of crossover with the oak, the dominance of the spice, and the sweetness of Vanilla. I actually like the flavors of Chicken Cock better… the bourbon…. than the Fusion Series, but the mouthfeel was so much better with the Bardstown Bourbon, likely from the decent percentage of 12 yr whiskey they use in their fusion series.
Value
My first couple sips, I really thought Chicken Cock Whiskey was average and overpriced. Now, I still think it’s overpriced, but it’s definitely grown on me.
Chicken Cock is good whiskey, I like it, but I can’t get over the $60 price tag coupled with the viscosity. It’s not thin, but it’s not thick, rich, or creamy. For $40, yeah, I’d be all over this.
Bardstown’s Origin Series is $45, aged 6 years, and uses a mash with 36% rye. I’m taking that over Chicken Cock.
Chicken Cock Whiskey Summary
Bardstown Bourbon Company is one of the big up-and-coming distilleries that produces good whiskey. Matt Anttila has capitalized on that by sourcing whiskey from them for Chicken Cock’s staple whiskey.
However, the issue with sourcing whiskey, and good whiskey that is, is that you have to mark up the price from what the actual distiller can sell it for.
The whiskey itself is good, the price associated with it – not so much. If it were more viscous and thick, Chicken Cock would be an amazing whiskey. Instead, it’s a good bourbon that’s slightly overpriced.
Regardless, I wouldn’t try to talk anyone out of buying it because I’ve enjoyed my glass and will continue to enjoy the rest of the bottle. It all depends upon what you’re comfortable spending.
