The Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey: The Final Chapter In American Whiskey's Most Famous Tale

With new offering, Call Family Distillers spotlights a man of extraordinary contradictions.

About two thirds of this fascinating story has been told. The Reverend Daniel Houston Call was a 19th-century preacher, farmer, grocer, and distiller. As a young man, Call worked with two younger boys—Jasper “Jack” Newton Daniel and Nathan “Nearest” Green—at his family distillery in the hills above Lynchburg, Tennessee. All three would go on to help develop and define the category of Tennessee whiskey, and with it, the very trajectory of American whiskey. One of those boys would become the most ubiquitous name in American whiskey. The other is now memorialized with an award-winning whiskey that bears his name.

And what of The Reverend?

 
Today, Call Family Distillers completes the trio with a whiskey that acknowledges this Call family ancestor, a man of contradictions—distilling and drinking whiskey on Saturday, then sweating it out in the pulpit on Sunday—with the launch of The Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey.
 
Aged over four years in new, charred oak and first-fill bourbon casks, the liquid then undergoes the maple charcoal filtration process first developed in Lincoln County, Tennessee, to refine and enhance the spirit after it leaves the barrel.
 
Profile and Tasting Notes

• Color at 90 proof: Medium amber, just a hint of dark red
• Aroma: Ripe red apples, cinnamon buns, cardamom, raisin cake, and fresh ginger
• Mid-Range: Tart cherries, charred orange peel, honey butter, and roasted pecans
• Finish: Brown sugar-glazed peaches, rye spice, cured tobacco leaves, toffee, and light-toast American oak

 
Said Nick Scarff, Chief Innovation Officer B.A.R. Brands and Master Blender of The Reverend, “The recipe for The Reverend is a nod to its place in American whiskey history. Reverend Daniel Call was making whiskey before bourbon was a recognized category, so our spirit is a blend of high-quality sour mashes that drink like a robust, full-flavored bourbon. The maple-charcoal filtration — also known as the Lincoln County Process — changed how whiskey was made in Tennessee, starting in the 19th century. Utilizing this technique yields a clean, complex, and approachable whiskey, making The Reverend a go-to for smooth, neat pours, with a high percentage of rye that helps it stand out in a cocktail.”

Reverend Call eventually made the difficult decision to leave the spirits business due to the growing Temperance movement, but not before he co-founded Daniel & Call Distillery No. 7, District #4, and inspired a line of descendants who would carry on his legacy of fine whiskey making. The Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey is a new recipe and package for an old story and is crafted to inspire the next generation of rebellious whiskey drinkers full of contradictions of their own. It’s produced and bottled by the direct descendants of Reverend Call at the award-winning Call Family Distillers near “Hell’s Half Acre,” North Carolina.

• SRP: $35.99
• Distller: The liquid is sourced from KY, IN, and NC. The liquid is finished, blended, and maple charcoal filtered in Wilkesboro, NC.
• Allocation: Not on allocation
• Mash Bill: 76% Corn |19% Rye | 5% Malted Barley
• Where to find it: The Reverend is now available on- and off-premise in seven states, and on track to be distributed in 25 states by May 2024, and distributed nationwide by the end of 2024
• Current Distribution: NC, TN, GA, NH, OR, MI, and MA
• E-commerce availability: E-commerce available soon