New Jack Daniel's Master Distiller Chris Fletcher
All of a sudden, my inbox has been flooded with all sorts of info about beer and spirits. It's like pulling the trigger on a two-story beer bong. I hope you’ve got the capacity for what I’m about to shoot through your brain funnel, because it’s a lot, and it’s important.
First off, the biggest news in the whiskey business of late is the appointment of Chris Fletcher as the new Master Distiller at Jack Daniel’s Distillery after the rather sudden departure of former JD MD, Jeff Arnett. Fletcher is no stranger to the company, having started as a part-time tour guide at the distillery in 2001 while studying for a degree in chemistry at Tennessee Tech. After graduating, Fletcher took a position in R&D at Jack Daniel’s owner Brown Forman’s Louisville headquarters. He has spent the past six years at Arnett’s right hand, serving as Assistant Master Distiller, and in my interactions with him he has proven to be a very thoughtful and talented distiller.
Whiskey runs in Fletcher’s family, as he was born and raised in Lynchburg and lives about three miles from the distillery. As a youngster, he used to play in the cave spring that supplies the water for Jack Daniel’s while visiting his grandfather, Frank Bobo, who served as Master Distiller from 1966 until retiring in 1989 after more than 40 years working at Jack. The owners of Jack Daniel’s didn’t go far looking for a new head man, but I’m confident that they made a fine choice!
On the same day that Jack Daniel’s announced its new leadership, there was also some breaking news from the second-largest Tennessee Whiskey producer, George Dickel in Tullahoma. We’ve been waiting to hear what the talented young distiller Nicole Austin was planning to release as her first special distillate. While she has released two remarkable bottled-in-bond editions of George Dickel from aged stock that she discovered in the rickhouses and blended, she has a reputation for innovation, so we’re still waiting for whatever she’s been distilling to mature enough for release.
In the meantime, she’s been crawling through the rickhouses again to discover some barrels to blend that are exceptional in that they wouldn’t necessarily fit in the consistent flavor profile of George Dickel. Under the umbrella of Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., Austin now has the chance to select from the thousands and thousands of barrels to create brand new (old) whiskeys. Her first product outside of the Dickel brand is Cascade Moon Edition No. 1, a new whiskey that Austin says is “inspired by, and features, similar tasting notes found in a gose-style beer.” For those of you not familiar with this particular summer stalwart beer, a gose is usually brewed using malted wheat and may exhibit flavors like lemon, coriander and salt, with those last two often added as ingredients to the mash.
With Cascade Moon Edition No. 1, Austin has created an 11-year-old 84 proof whiskey that she describes as having “savory pretzel-like notes, along with bright and fruity notes of raspberry, pineapple and coconut.” While this sure doesn’t sound like any Tennessee Whiskey I’ve ever tried, I am intrigued. I also trust Austin’s ingenuity, so I look forward to sampling it soon.
The initial launch of Cascade Moon includes two variants that will be released over the next year. Beginning this fall, Cascade Moon Edition No. 1 will be regionally available in Tennessee, California and Texas for a limited time at a suggested retail price of $89.99. Consumers can also expect a second release from the series coming later this fall.
In another fun little bit of local whiskey news, remember when I told you about Four Roses Small Batch and how it was one of my favorite pours of the year? Well, the experts at Gertie’s Bar at The 404 Kitchen apparently agree with me, because they’ve set aside a bottle of the 2020 edition for their upcoming Whiskey Wednesday deal on Oct. 14. The first 25 guests to ask for one that evening will get to sample a one-ounce pour at a very special price, so that might be your last best chance to experience this fantastic bourbon. Make plans now!
It’s time to switch to the beer side of this news dump. First up are the details of a fun upcoming virtual beer tasting, the next installment in the popular Rhiz(Home) series of events. For the past few months, Rhizome has been partnering with Nicky’s Coal Fired to provide the delectable charcuterie samples that have been included in the pack of food and beers to enjoy during the Zoom brewery presentations, but for the session on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 2 until 4 p.m., Nicky’s is stepping to center stage as it presents a “Rhiz(H)ome X Nicky's Coal Fired Pizza X Beer” tasting.
The pizza pros at Nicky’s have put together a box containing an antipasti plate with olives, roasted peppers, tomatoes and cannellini bean spread, plus a six-slice take-and-bake square pit with three different topping types chosen to accompany different beer pairings. The selected beverages come from local breweries and represent Nicky’s idea of the best choices to complement the pizza toppings. Here’s what you’ll find in the box:
Classic Cheese
- New Heights Brewing Company Yin IPA
- New Heights Brewing Company Yang IPA
- Southern Grist Brewing Company Southern Fest
Pepperoni
Mushroom
- Living Waters Brewing Trent English Barley wine
- Blackstone Brewing Company St. Charles Porter
- Walker Brothers High Gravity Kombucha Blackberry
Each package is $109 (plus tax) and designed for two people to share. Sign up to take part at the event website
Lockeland Table wants to send you home with a little box of goodness, too. Playing off their successful “Community Hour” tradition of donating proceeds from their special happy hour drinks and snacks to neighborhood beneficiaries, the folks at Lockeland established a new version of a CSA that they’re calling a CSB, for Community-Supported Beverage.
The program will begin on Nov. 5, and they’re only accepting 100 signups for the first edition. How does it work, you ask? Here’s how Lockeland describes it, straight from their official invitation:
How does it work?We will work with local brewers/distillers and producers to map a seasonal calendar. We will divide up a curated choice of delicious alcoholic beverages among CSB shareholders. Share boxes will be distributed at Lockeland Table on scheduled Thursday afternoons.
This fall, we will bring you beers from local taprooms, but we see a future filled with wines, cocktails, and assorted beverages from the bar. Stay tuned!
CSB is Supported by Shareholders
CSB shares are prepaid so that you can pick them up, ready to go, at Lockeland Table on your designated date. Simply walk up, scan your ticket, and get your box.
Shareholders will enjoy five installments each season. Share boxes will include five pours and a house-made snack from Lockeland Table's kitchen… the perfect early set-up for your weekend!
Cost?
$200 for the season — five (5) distribution dates over three months. Price includes $36 per share, plus a $20 membership to cover your initial kit.
One of the unique benefits of the CSB is a return to the “milk man” model. Shareholders will receive their “kit” at the first distribution. When you return for your next installment, you will exchange your glass container for a pre-filled set. All glassware will be washed and filled before the next installment. Nothing to recycle. No waste.
If this sounds like fun to you,
sign up todaybefore it fills up!
Again, thinking back to the past: Do you remember when I told you about Yazoo Brewing Company's participation in the national “Black Is Beautiful” initiative, where more than a thousand breweries in 21 countries all created their own version of the same beer to raise money for social justice programs? Now it’s Black Abbey's turn with its version of “Black Is Beautiful,” an imperial stout they’re releasing on Saturday, Oct. 10, with proceeds from the sale of each can or draft pour donated to Nashville’s Partners in the Struggle — a local nonprofit organization that supports families that have been victims of gun violence.
“We became familiar with Partners in the Struggle through Adams BBQ which has been serving amazing food in our taproom since their inception. As a result, they have become part of our extended brewery family,” said Black Abbey Brewing co-founder Carl Meier. “We are honored to be supporting Partners in the Struggle through principles our company was founded upon: fellowship, friendship and community.”
The release event will take place at Black Abbey’s Fellowship Hall taproom located at 2952 Sidco Drive from noon to 8 p.m. Black is Beautiful stout will be available on draft and in four-pack 16-ounce cans.
Finally, there’s one more beer collaboration happening this weekend as Bavarian Bierhaus at Opry Mills is teaming up with local favorites East Nashville Beer Works and Yazoo to expand its already cavernous restaurants into an open-air biergarten for a celebration of Oktoberfest and all things Bavarian Oct. 9-11. The weekend will feature local and imported beers, live music, traditional biergarten foods, giveaways and fun for the whole family.
To make the event safer, Bavarian Bierhaus will observe social distancing and mask protocols, and they encourage guests to opt for guaranteed seating by pre-purchasing a standard or VIP package for four or eight adults to reserve a time window for arrival. Walk-ins are welcome, but immediate seating availability is not guaranteed. For more information about pricing and to reserve your package, please visit the bierhaus' Eventbrite page.
