• It’s a very entertaining and informative show that I think will appeal to both the novice and seasoned whisky enthusiast.
• I’m interviewed several times during the show. (Let that be a warning to you…)

If you still haven’t had a chance to see it, or if you would like to watch it again, you can now catch it on Hulu. I’m including the link here. They excluded most of the commercials (thankfully), so the show is only about 45 minutes.

Check it out.  One bit of advice: having a whisky in your hand while watching it only enhances the pleasure!

As you know, I recently participated in the History Channel show on “Whiskey”, which just ran again this past Saturday. Well, this Friday (November 20th) I have a 2,000 word whiskey section going in The Wall Street Journal.

The special whiskey section covers some of the fundamentals (how whiskey is made, what distinguishes one country’s whiskey from the next, appreciating whiskey, etc.). I also address many new trends in whiskey (designer whiskies, artisanal distilling, extreme peating, no age statements, etc).

We even reached out to master mixologist Gary Regan and he added a great cocktail piece to the section, which includes a few really nice cocktail recipes.

Pick up a copy if you can this Friday.

There are some great distillery tours and interviews, along with some interesting historical discussions about whiskey. And yes, I am peppered throughout the show as the “independent expert”.

Be sure to watch it (or DVR it) if you haven’t seen it yet. I pasted the summary paragraph on the show from the History Channel’s website below.

So, my question is this: How much do single barrel bottlings differ from one barrel to the next?

No two barrels are the same, and that’s the charm of single barrel bottlings. But what are the chances that the next bottle you buy from that brand will taste drastically different than the last one?

Is it your experience that the variation from one single barrel bottling to another is relatively small, or have you noticed big differences? Be specific if you can.

Jimmy worked at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery for 40 year, the last 20 as the Master Distiller before retiring last year.

He was a great ambassador for the whiskey industry, and was always pouring Jack Daniel’s at our WhiskyFests. In fact, he was at our very first WhiskyFest in New York in November 1998, and he signed and dated a bottle of JD Single Barrel for me that night, which I have sitting on the coffee table in front of me.

I was very sad when he retired. And now this…

Jimmy, I will have a good measure of JD Single Barrel tonight in your name. I encourage the rest of you to do the same for the man who worked tirelessly to promote this great American spirit.

If you haven’t seen it yet, it is informative and entertaining. And yes, you’ll have to put up with several quotes from me throughout the show. I tagged some of the distilleries that they visit during the show.

If anyone wants to really see the difference between bourbon and Tennessee whiskey, this is the show to watch. They show the sugar maple charcoal mellowing vats. In fact, they actually show the sugar maple being burned to make the charcoal. Cool stuff!

Saturday’s LA Times discusses how “liquor” sales are slumping, with the exception of whiskey. “Sales of bourbons such as Jack Daniels and Maker’s Mark are bucking a slump in demand for distilled spirits…” the article goes on to say. You can read the whole story here.

This isn’t the first time this has happened, and it won’t be the last. I’ve blogged about misleading articles several times over the past year. Some of the other ones were far worse, but I think that perhaps the biggest misconception in the whiskey industry is that Jack Daniel’s is a bourbon.

(For those of you lurking who don’t know the difference, Jack Daniel’s is a Tennessee whiskey. So is George Dickel. They undergo on additional step beyond bourbon–the spirit is charcoal “mellowed” through vats of sugar maple charcoal before being put into barrels for aging. They taste different than bourbon.)

This shows that we still have a long way to go educating the mainstream press who have so much influence on the consumer because what they write is read by so many people.

The show is both entertaining and informative. If you can handle seeing me being quoted occasionally throughout the show, then you might want to watch it (or DVR it so you can watch it later).

JACK DANIEL’S NAMES JEFF ARNETT AS NEW MASTER DISTILLER

Tennessean Becomes Only Seventh Master Distiller In History of Storied Company; Will Attend Chicago Whiskyfest on April 4 

LYNCHBURG (pop. 361), Tenn. (April 2, 2008) – The Jack Daniel Distillery announced today that Jeff Arnett has been named Master Distiller. 

Arnett, 41, is a native Tennessean and will become only the seventh Master Distiller in the company’s history.  He replaces Jimmy Bedford, who announced his retirement from the position last month.    

The Master Distiller oversees the entire whiskey-making process of milling, yeasting, fermentation, distillation, charcoal mellowing and maturation.      

“I fully understand the huge shoes that I’ll be stepping into and can’t begin to express my appreciation to those who have entrusted me with this position,” said Arnett.  “It’s been a privilege to work with Jimmy Bedford and learn the trade over the past several years.  I look forward to carrying on the Jack Daniel’s tradition and following Mr. Jack’s guiding words of ‘every day we make it, we’ll make it the best we can.’” 

Arnett began his career at the Jack Daniel Distillery seven years ago in quality control and overseeing Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel.  Since that time, he has worked in a variety of capacities

throughout the distillery, including warehousing, maturation, distillation, charcoal mellowing management, barrel quality and bottling, as well as being a member of the Master Tasters’ panel.

Prior to his work with Jack Daniel’s, he served as production manager and engineer in the food and beverage industry for 10 years. 

“We have every faith and confidence that Jeff is going to do an outstanding job as Master Distiller and carry on the long tradition of the master craftsmen who have made the world’s best whiskey for more than one hundred years,” said Tommy Beam, senior vice president and general manager of the Jack Daniel Distillery, Lem Motlow Prop.   

Arnett and his wife, Lori, live in Lynchburg with their two young children, Will and Elizabeth. 

If you feel the same way, you might want to tune into the History Channel tonight at 8pm. The Modern Marvels series is debuting a one-hour show on whiskey (and whisky). I haven’t seen it yet, but I know that they went to Scotland, Ireland, Canada, Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado and New York to film it.

If you’re wondering why New York, they interviewed me (at the Brandy Library). I’m told I’m in the show. I wasn’t involved in the editorial aspect of the show, so I have no idea what to expect. Still, it should be an interesting hour. I’ll offer my thoughts on the whole thing right here tomorrow morning.

And if you are braver than I and you are heading out to the pubs, they’re going to rebroadcast the show at Midnight.

“This year marks my 40th with the Jack Daniel Distillery and my 20th year as the master distiller,” said Bedford.  “And it seemed like a good time to make the decision I’ve been thinking about for some time.  It’s time I step aside and let the next generation continue the Jack Daniel’s tradition.”

Anyone who has met Jimmy at WhiskyFest or other events knows what a great guy he is.

Jimmy, WhiskyFest won’t be the same without you. We will miss you dearly.

No decision on his replacement has been announced, but one is expected soon.