WHISKEY INDUSTRY NEWS | Townsend — He’s says it’s the whiskey he and a group of industry friends always talked about making and it’s coming to a liquor store shelf near you soon. This week, former Jack Daniel Master Distiller Jeff Arnett announced the inaugural bottle at his new Company Distilling, a Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Maple Wood.
Arnett stepped down as Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller in September of last year after a 20-year career in Lynchburg, including 12 years in the Master Distiller position. As Master Distiller, Arnett was responsible for the overall whiskey-making operations in Lynchburg. Prior to that position, he oversaw quality control and the Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel program. Throughout his time at the distillery, he worked in a variety of capacities including warehousing, maturation, distillation, charcoal mellowing management, barrel quality and bottling, as well as enjoying a long tenure on the Master Tasters’ panel. He also traveled the world as a brand ambassador for the distillery. {To read our full coverage from last September, click here.)
Eight months later, Arnett announced that he and several fellow Tennessee whiskey heavy weights would be opening their own East Tennessee distillery named Company Distilling. At the time, he hinted that their first offering would be a straight bourbon whiskey finished in maple wood and the bottle now sitting on Middle Tennessee shelves is that whiskey.
Arnett and his crew faced multiple hurdles to finally get their inaugural product on local shelves including supply chain challenges caused by a global pandemic. When The Times spoke to Arnett in October at the Jack Daniel’s World Invitational Barbecue, he mentioned that the national shortage of glass bottles affected the whiskey’s eventual release date.
A sip of Company Distilling’s new Straight Bourbon Whiskey reveals a complex and exceptionally smooth pour. The whiskey opens with sweet notes of caramel and cinnamon toast paired with green apple and finishes with a silky blend of oak and maple. The straight bourbon whiskey is fully matured in oak barrels and finished with maple wood.
“This is a spirit we’ve had in the back of our minds for years. Approachable complexity is what we’ve been going for. Something that a novice or seasoned palate can appreciate. It’s taken some time to get it right, but I couldn’t be happier with where we landed,” said Arnett said.
The new offering will make wide release across the state this month. There’s a link to a product locator on their official website. If you happen to plan to attend the Grains & Grits Festival in Townsend on Saturday, November 6 you’ll be able to both taste and purchase the new bottle. For more information about that festival, click here. •
{The Lynchburg Times is the only daily newspaper in Lynchburg. Covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, Tims Ford State Park, Motlow State Community College, Moore County High School, Moore County Middle School, Lynchburg Elementary, Raider Sports, plus regional and state news.}