In Duke Ellington’s memoir, he wrote about getting good whiskey from somebody in the Cotton Club. He revealed that his favorite was Chicken Cock Whiskey. Fast forward, years later, when entrepreneur Matti Anttila saw an old bottle behind a glass case, Chicken Cock Whiskey’s revival began.
We sat down with the Whiskey Ambassador for Grain and Barrel Sprits, Will Woodington, to talk about the Chicken Cock whiskey brand and its history. He walks us through tastings of several of their whiskies and tells us the details behind the partnership of the double-oaked, single-barrel, limited-release whiskey of PGA Golf Pro Kevin Kisner’s.
Chicken Cock Whiskey Ambassador Will Woodington + Kevin Kisner Limited Edition Whiskey | Old-Fashioned Football (Ep. 120)
With a name like Chicken Cock, you’re pulled in immediately. You ask yourself, what is this strange named whiskey? The bottle is unique-shaped and has a chicken wire pattern all along it.
Will Woodington tells us the name and bottle pull you in, but the whiskey is what keeps you there. He’s not wrong. The whiskey is smooth, but very flavorful. It holds its own in a cocktail and is great to sip on as well.
Will, the brand ambassador, walks us through their bourbon, rye, as well as a special limited edition release.
Kevin Kisner’s Whiskey
Chicken Cock Whiskey and Golf Pro Kevin Kisner struck a partnership last year. The Kiz worked with them to hand-select the whiskey for his double-oaked, single-barrel release. This whiskey is aged for nine years and bottled at cask strength, which is right around 120 proof.
However, it doesn’t drink like you’d expect a 120-proof whiskey to drink. Delicious warming notes of a baked dessert initially hit the pallet. Those notes are followed by a wonderful oakiness and long finish. Kevin’s personality fits perfectly with the brand they have restored.
Tune in to the full pod to hear about the history of Chicken Cock and its revival. Will also does an amazing job walking us through what makes their whiskey unique and the lengths they go to, starting from the wood used for barrelling. He also teases some new releases coming soon.
You can check out and order this whiskey on their website here. You can also follow them on their socials on Instagram and X (Formerly Twitter) to keep up to date on everything that’s new.
Time Stamps
00:00 – Intro
4:23 – Will Woodington
8:39 – Chicken Cock Bourbon
11:30 – History of Chicken Cock
19:29 – Duke Ellington
22:20 – What Makes Chicken Cock Unique
28:56 – Kevin Kisner
38:52 – Small Batch + New Offerings
