The Aussie and I took a brief road trip of the South so I could show him that America is much more than Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York. On the way to visit my aunt in Nashville, we stopped in Lynchburg, Tennessee so we could tour the famous Jack Daniels Distillery.
As everyone told me beforehand, Lynchburg is located in a dry county, so you won’t get any free samples on this tour. But that didn’t mean I didn’t want to learn about the process. I don’t drink much bourbon, but Tommy drinks a bit of it back in Sydney, so he was interested in the tour. We walked up and were signed up for the free tour 15 minutes later. The tour lasts for about an hour.
On the tour, we saw the rickyard where they create their very own barrels, the vintage fire trucks, still in working condition, which are on hand in case of an explosion, the safe Jack kicked that ultimately lead to his death, and of course the distilling vats with their potent creation inside. Just one whiff made my eyes water.
I was impressed that all the Jack Daniels in the world is made at this one location. With such a huge brand, I would expect there to be multiple distilling and bottling locations, but Lynchburg is mostly made up of JD employees. All of the trees and buildings in the area are coated black from the alcohol leaked into the air.
Although you technically can’t buy alcohol in the county, there’s a special loophole about being able to buy commemorative bottles. It just so happens that these bottles, which you can buy at the gift shop, have bourbon inside them. They have the original No. 7, in a special Lynchburg bottle, as well as new products like the 100 anniversary and the delicious Jack Daniels Honey.
Because it was a rainy Thursday afternoon, we didn’t get to go to Mary Bobo’s Boarding House restaurant, but we did peek into the stores in “downtown” Lynchburg. It reminded me of the many small Southern towns I’ve visited in my life, each charming in their own way.
For more Lynchburg loving, check out local Kristin Luna’s posts on her visits to both Jack Daniels and George Dickel distilleries.
Love it. No more mention of this fabulous aunt in Nashville? JK
Love me some Lynchburg! Funny, last few times we’ve gone down to do Miss Mary Bobo’s, it’s been raining, too, so we’ve skipped out on the square and distillery!
So “It’s Always Rainy in Lynchburg?” That should have been my post title instead! We were there at an odd time, from 3-5ish. But next time! I know I will be back through there soon.