Bad Chattanoogan: Tennessee Whiskey Finished on Wood Records

After more than a decade of distilling and over 50 experimental releases, Chattanooga Whiskey has released its first Tennessee Whiskey, Bad Chattanoogan. It is believed to be the first whiskey of any kind finished on toasted maple wood records.

The distillery cut 30 records from solid sugar maple and toasted them for 24 hours. Each was laser-engraved with one of two original songs about Chattanooga, then placed inside the barrels with the whiskey for 30 days. Rich Abercrombie, Chattanooga Whiskey’s Creative Director and frontman of Dollars Family, wrote both songs. Plenty of whiskeys are inspired by music, but here the music actually flavored the whiskey.

Side A and Side B

Bad Chattanoogan comes as two vinyl-inspired blends, Side A and Side B, each finished on records engraved with its own song. The two are sold separately. Every bottle includes a playable 4-inch “Tiny Vinyl” hangtag with both tracks.

What’s in the bottle

Style: Straight Tennessee whiskey
Mash bills: Three high malt mash bills of mostly Tennessee-grown grain
Charcoal mellowing: Sugar maple charcoal
Age: More than four years in oak
Finish: 30 days on toasted, engraved sugar maple records
Proof: 100
Price: $64.99 (750mL)

Availability:

Bad Chattanoogan debuted at a 75-person listening party at the Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery on Oct. 22. It went on sale to the public Oct. 23. Limited quantities are available on Seelbachs.com and are rolling out to stores across Tennessee.

About the distillery:

Chattanooga Whiskey was founded in 2011 and fought to change Tennessee law, winning the right to distill whiskey in Chattanooga for the first time in over a century. It created the Tennessee High Malt style. Whisky Magazine’s Icons of Whisky named it Craft Producer of the Year for 2026. Its Experimental Distillery at 1439 Market Street welcomes more than 50,000 visitors a year.