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Sazerac’s Tennessee Whisky Distillery Fires Up Its Stills

Spirits company Sazerac is known to most whiskey drinkers as the owners of the Buffalo Trace and Barton distilleries in Kentucky. A master of the bourbon game, Sazerac last year decided it was time to get into Tennessee whiskey as well, acquiring the east Tennessee craft distillery once known as Popcorn Sutton. Word is that whiskey distillation has now kicked off there.

The Tennessee distillery’s pot stills, according to those behind it, are being helmed by master distiller John Lunn and distiller Allisa Henley for Sazerac. A few months back, the two 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.

Sazerac distiller Allisa Henley stamping barrels in Tennessee (image via Sazerac)

Following this, the whiskey-making duo began filling barrels with their newly made whiskey on July 5th. It will age 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 Lunn in a prepared statement. “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.”

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