Most distillery startups are staffed by people you’ve probably never heard of — perhaps an assistant distiller at a larger facility or just someone with an interest in being part of the industry and a little money burning a hole in his or her pocket. But Company Distilling is different.
Company is more like a musical supergroup of talented distillers allied with investors, marketing pros and scientific experts. The lead singer of this group would have to be Jeff Arnett, the former master distiller at Jack Daniel’s, where he spent two decades expanding the legendary whiskey brand’s offering from three products to a portfolio of 11. He’s joined at the still by a familiar name in Middle Tennessee distilling. Heath Clark was the owner of H. Clark Distillery in Thompson’s Station, where he produced award-winning whiskey, gin and an innovative Black & Tan made by distilling an oatmeal stout twice in Clark’s pot still.
When I heard that H. Clark had sold to Company, my first concern was whether the new whiskey-centric distillery would continue to offer a gin, because I was a big fan of Heath’s previous gin. I needn’t have been worried, because many distilleries start out offering clear spirits like gin and vodka while waiting for their whiskeys to mature. The new Company has continued to distill at Clark’s Thompson Station facility while they wait for their much larger distillery to open to the public in Townsend in East Tennessee in early July.
Before the big distillery opens at a grand celebration July 8-10, you can still visit the old H. Clark facility at 1557 Thompson’s Station Road West to tour and taste. Once Townsend is open, you’ll have two spots to visit, with the larger distillery featuring access to cycling, running and nearby mountain biking and hiking trails and a view of the Little River. They also plan a partnership with Maryville-based restaurant, Amici, to offer a permanent menu at the distillery.
But about that gin. Clark’s Tennessee Dry Gin won big at last year’s ASCOT Awards, taking home a double platinum medal and being named best in class for dry gins and best in class for all white spirits including gin, vodka and tequila. Unlike many gins that depend on a basketful of botanicals to add complexity, Clark’s product is notable for its simplicity.
It's rebranded as Ghost Rail after the abandoned railroad beds that still exist in the woods and valleys of East Tennessee, long after the rails have been taken up. Company only employs six botanicals to create a grain-forward spirit. In the Thompson's Station facility, Clark distills the gin old-school-style in an Alembic still that is heated with open fire, offering more control over the process than the more modern steam jacket heating.
The result is a spirit in which juniper is still the major flavor and aroma component, as required by the legal definition of gin. The botanicals are added to the base spirit by maceration, contributing a softer creamy mouthfeel than using a gin basket to steep the spirit under the pressure of the still. The Ghost Rail name is apt, because the gin does have an arboreal profile with hints of woody oak and peppery cucumber along with the bushy juniper.
Leveraging the size of Company, Ghost Rail will now be available statewide, something that would have been difficult at H. Clark’s former scale. It’s good to see a small company receive an infusion of capital from a larger group that still allows for producing quality spirits. I’ve always admired Jeff and Heath as distillers, and apparently their business acumen is also paying off. Once their new straight bourbon whiskey finished with maple wood reaches wider distribution, their profile will only continue to rise.
Their team includes Kris Tatum as president, and his experience managing distilleries and as a founder of the Tennessee Distillers Guild should definitely help out on the operations side of the business. Sales and marketing personnel from the wine, spirits and travel industries have also joined the team to help move product and encourage visitation. It really looks like Company Distilling has set itself up for success!
