On The Road : Lynchburg , TN
CELEBRATING THE WOMEN OF JACK DANIEL ’ S
The Jack Daniel Distillery was founded by and named for a man — Jasper Newton “ Jack ” Daniel — but the Lynchburg , TN , operation today has a number of women in key positions . Jack Daniel ’ s hosted several female journalists in May to take an immersive look at the women responsible for making the world ’ s most popular whiskey .
Lexie Phillips , who was named assistant distiller in 2020 , led the group on a tour and a tasting . Phillips had previously worked in Jack Daniel ’ s quality control and distillery operations , most recently serving as distillery lead operator .
Passing by a vintage branded fire truck on the grounds , Phillips noted that the company has always had an on-site fire brigade . They specialize in fires involving whiskey , she added : “ It ’ s more about containment – you ’ re not going to put that fire out .”
Fire safety is also important because Jack Daniel ’ s burns sugar maple wood to create its own whiskey-mellowing charcoal . The whiskey drips through 10 feet of of the ground sugar maple charcoal .
The charcoal filter removes some of the corn and grainy notes , and some of the acids . This process “ flattens out any of the rough edges ,” Phillips said . It also lets some of the whiskey ’ s other flavors shine , such as the fruity pear and apple notes , she noted .
A visit to yeast lab with microbiologist Janessa Grieve revealed some of the chemistry behind the whiskey ’ s signature sour mash , For instance , lowering the PH helps with contamination , Grieve said .
Two quality control departments — North QC and South QC — monitor the sensory quality of existing products and innovations . Lab testing and reviews by expert sensory panels ensure the final quality of the product . The facility also includes a library of shelved sample bottles representing recent batches of Jack Daniel ’ s .
Top , exploring the barrel house at Jack Daniel ’ s . Directly above , the quality control lab revealed a library of shelved sample bottles representing recent batches of the whiskey .
The first product innovation was Gentleman Jack , which came out in 1988 ; the second was the 94-proof single barrel brand launched in 1997 . Tennessee Honey , which is mingled with a proprietary honey liqueur , made its debut in 2011 , the same year the company started making rye .
Jack Daniel ’ s , which has been owned by Brown-Forman Corp . since 1956 , released
2023 Beverage Industry Inclusion 5