LYNCHBURG — As everyone in Moore County knows, all the best whiskey is made on the top floor of a local rickhouse. The swings in temperature – warmer in the summer and colder in the winters – create barrels with more complex tasting profiles and a little extra something that’s hard to define.

Last year, Jack Daniel Master Distiller Jeff Arnett, Assistant Master Distiller Chris Fletcher, country music star Eric Church, and a small group of friends met in the top floor of the Coy Hill warehouse with a special project in mind. As Arnett pulled samples from barrels he had a hunch about, Church considered each pour thoughtfully. The result is the new limited-edition Eric Church Single Barrel bottle.

According to Church, his grandfather inspired his love of Old No. 7 but what started with a fondness for the charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey soon evolved into a love of the spirit of Lynchburg.

“My love for Jack Daniel’s is for the whiskey but it’s also about a can-do, small town attitude, where community, loyalty and hard work are the qualities the crafters of this American icon hang their hats,” said Eric Church.

Independent spirit in a glass

Had they lived at the same time and in the same place, Jasper Newton Daniel and Eric Church would have likely been friends. Both exude southern grit: honesty, realness, a passion for their path, and fierce independence.

At 94 proof, the new bottle’s a perfect sipping whiskey. It boasts aromas of vanilla and caramel with that signature charred oak heat. Like most barrels pulled from the top floor, the whiskey is complex and full.

“This special whiskey is reflective of Eric himself – bold, rich in character, forward and something that can be enjoyed by those with a taste for a well-rounded whiskey and a unique and memorable sipping experience,” Master Distiller Jeff Arnett added.

Jack Daniel’s Eric Church Single Barrel Tennessee Whiskey is now available in southern, middle Tennessee liquor stores as well as the White Rabbit Bottle Shop inside the Jack Daniel’s Distillery Visitor’s Center. •

{The Lynchburg Times is the only independently owned and operated newspaper in Moore County … covering Metro Moore County government, Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Nearest Green Distillery, the Lynchburg Music Fest, 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.}