Sazerac’s Tennessee Distillery Goes Operational
Distilling has commenced in Tennessee as Master Distiller John Lunn and Distiller Allisa Henley have cranked up their pot stills and started distilling Tennessee whiskey.
A few months ago, John and Allisa sourced sugar maple from a sawmill in Tennessee and burned four ricks in John’s backyard to make the charcoal they are using for the Lincoln County process, essential for making Tennessee whiskey. To be classified a Tennessee whiskey the whiskey must be filtered through maple charcoal, which distinguishes it from bourbon whiskey.
John and Allisa began filling barrels with their newly made whiskey on July 5th, a fitting day to start a new American-made product, on the heels of our nation’s 241st birthday. The whiskey will be aging in the barrels for several years, although the age, brand name, and even the distillery name has not yet been decided. Announcements will be forthcoming as new developments are made.
“We’re so excited to start distilling and to have the opportunity to make Tennessee whiskey again,” said John Lunn, master distiller. “We did a lot of tweaking to get the distillation just right, but we’re really happy with how it turned out and are anxious to taste it along its aging journey.”