Since we were in Alabama for a wedding over Memorial day weekend, we decided to make a mini vacation out of it and drive up to Nashville on Sunday for the night. On our way to Nashville, we stopped at the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. If you are ever in the area, I highly recommend stopping here. The scenery in Lynchburg is beautiful and the tour was very interesting and informative. We were on tour #7, which was pretty cool, considering the official name is Jack Daniel's Old #7. We learned how Jack Daniel started the distillery and the process that makes it so unique. One ironic thing is that the county that this distillery is in is a dry county. You cannot even sample the whiskey while you are there! We made sure that once we got to Nashville to order a Jack to get the whole experience.
The entrance to the distillery.
Here is where the wood is burned to make charcoal. They use the pure Jack Daniel's alcohol to burn it so the flavor is locked in. Then they mellow the the whiskey through the charcoal, which means they let is seep through like 10 ft of charcoal which filters it and gives it a smooth flavor.
This is our tour guide (the bald guy) letting us sniff the pure 100 + proof alcohol that is used to burn the wood.
Two old fire trucks that used to be used on the distillery.
This is the spring that brought Jack Daniel to this spot in Lynchburg. All Jack Daniel's whiskey is made with this pure spring water and that is what makes it taste so good.
Statue of Jack Daniel. He was only 5'2 feet tall! Jack left home at age 6 and went to live with a pastor. He started the distillery when he was 12 years old.The pastor had a whiskey still on his property but his congregation decided he needed to choose between the still and the church. He chose the church and sold the still to Jack for $25.00.
While on the tour, we learned all about the charcoal mellowing that makes the whiskey so smooth, the maturation process (there is no time exact time limit), and the proprietary barrels that are handcrafted at the distillery. There really is a fine tuned process that is used to make Jack Daniel's and that is what makes it have its distinctive flavor. It is amazing that all of the Jack Daniel's in the world is made right there at this distillery.
Eric inside one of the production rooms. I forgot you were not supposed to take pictures inside. Oops! That is pure alcohol coming up in those glass boxes. Notice the lock on them.
Posing for a picture after the mash room. That is where the yeast and everything ferments. It was quite rank. Eric stuck his head almost all the way in and got a big whiff. I refrained. It was really really nasty.
This is downtown Lynchburg. There were lots of motorcycles around the courthouse.
Lynchburg General and Hardware Store where they sell Jack Daniel's merchandise. We got some shirts and shot glasses.
I thought this house in the back ground was so pretty. Can't you just imagine living on this hill?
The drive from Decatur, AL to Nashville, TN was so beautiful. As we were driving, I couldn't help think of my relatives who have lived in Tennessee for generations and that this was their land. My mom's side of the family quite a long history in the state and we have several family members who still live there today. On a side note, there is a new Jack Daniel's Whiskey that is out called Tennessee Honey. We had it in Nashville and it is so good! It has a hint of honey and goes down so smooth! Try it over ice with a splash of water and if you ever have a chance, go visit the Distillery!
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