A local company has introduced a new rye whiskey to the city through a limited release.

J.W. Kelly created the product, called Melrose, in Chattanooga.

“We age everything, we blend everything we do all the cask finishing, bottling and everything in Chattanooga,” one of the owners of J.W. Kelly Ryan Kohl said.

Background
James Watt Kelly, a pioneer of famous bourbons and whiskeys, began his journey from Ireland to the United States in 1863.

Kelly’s travels exposed him to the world’s most renowned spirits and inspired his infamous whiskey creations.

Kohl, his grandfather Ed and business partner Joe Griffin, continued to expand upon the J.W. Kelly legacy that began in 1866.

Melrose is produced in Kohl’s hometown Chattanooga and is sold in 43 states and eight countries across the globe.

The whiskey is distilled in Kentucky, but makers at J.W. Kelly are in the process of building a new distillery in Chattanooga.

“I’ve learned the old ways of doing things because everyone is always in love with the distillation, but it’s really the wood,” Kohl said.

How its made
Melrose incorporates a rye mash bill first matured in an American white oak barrel.

“We let it sit in these casks that we air dry for two years and really season these casks before we put anything into it and that allows us to get deep into the wood and pull out more oak components,” Kohl said.

After it sits in those casks for two years the blend it then put into Amarone wine casks which is a full-bodied Italian red wine from Valpolicella, a region outside Venice.

Melrose is the first American whiskey to be aged in Amarone casks.

“Fifteen percent of your taste profile comes from the raw materials that you have and then 15 percent more comes from your still and 70 percent of it comes from the wood,” Kohl said

The distinct aging process that Melrose undergoes adds spicy and dry flavors and heightens notes of cherry and cinnamon.

“I’m excited that it’s Chattanooga’s first-ever rye whiskey and I’m excited for a lot of people to see our passion and what were about,” Kohl said.

Melrose will be available for a limited release in most stores across Chattanooga beginning Monday.
Savannah Bennett is a contributing writer. She currently attends UTC where she is a feature writer for the student newspaper, The University Echo. She is a double major in communications and English. Savannah was also a participant in the Disney College Program during the fall of 2017.