TOWNSEND, Tenn. — He served as Master Distiller at The Jack Daniel Distillery from 2008 to 2020. Then, in 2021, Jeff Arnett launched his own distillery, Company Distilling in East Tennessee. They started by making Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in maple wood and moved on to their own gin. Last week, Company and Arnett announced another offering in their line up with the addition of Seismic Rye Single Barrel.
The relatively new distillery prides itself on paying homage to their community roots in East Tennessee and Seismic Rye is no different. It’s named after monitoring station AS107, established in 1978. The station was built in the Tuckaleechee Caverns of Townsend to measure and report seismic activity for the eastern half of the United States.
“We’re thrilled to announce the first product in our experimental lineup. Being based in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, we knew that wood finishes would lead our exploratory efforts. We know it may not be earth-shaking, but certainly hope the first sip rocks your world,” said Company Distilling Master Distiller Jeff Arnett.
Seismic Rye Single Barrel (107 proof / 53.5% ABV) opens with aromas of rye grass, black licorice, oak, and vanilla with the addition of dark cherry, black pepper, and leather flavors. It finishes with warm and lingering hints of toasted cherry and oak wood.
Seismic Rye Single Barrel will be available at Company Distilling’s tasting room and bottle shop in Thompson’s Station starting on Monday, December 5, and Tuesday, December 6, in Townsend, Tennessee, along with the addition of a premium tasting experience. Visitors are invited to book a premium tasting and enjoy Company Distilling Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Maple Wood, Cask Strength Bourbon, and Seismic Rye Finished with Cherry Wood.
If you’d like to learn more about their distilling process, then cap the tour off with a premium tasting and filling your own bottle at the distillery in Townsend. Kris Tatum, President of Company Distilling, said, “the experience is one that you won’t soon forget. Few people get the chance to do a tasting with an internationally renowned and award-winning Master Distiller and leave with a bottle they filled themselves. It’s an opportunity to gather around and make a memory that will last a lifetime.” The experience will be $150 and only offered on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays in December. •
{The Lynchburg Times is an independently-owned, community newspaper located in Lynchburg, Tennessee the home of The Jack Daniel Distillery. We focus on public service, non-partisan, rural journalism. We cover the Metro Moore County government, local tourism, Moore County schools, high school sports, Motlow State Community College, as well as whiskey industry news and regional and state stories that affect our readers.}