CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After years of waiting as their treasure aged in wooden barrels, Old Glory Distilling Company has released their first small batch of Tennessee Whiskey.

Founder Matt Cunningham said that when they opened their doors in October 2016, they knew they wanted to be a Tennessee whiskey and bourbon distillery, and to do that, they had to start making barrels early.

“When we first started laying down these barrels of Tennessee Whiskey that we are releasing today, we knew it would be at least four years before we could touch them,” Cunningham said at a release party on Saturday.

Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., signs a bottle at the Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., signs a bottle at the Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets a customer at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
The Inaugural Release of the first batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets a customer at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets customers at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets customers at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
The Inaugural Release of the first batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
The Inaugural Release of the first small batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., signs a bottle at the Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
The Inaugural Release of the first small batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Old Glory staff members at the Inaugural Release of the first small batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Customers at the Inaugural Release of the first small batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Customers at the Inaugural Release of the first small batch of Old Glory Distilling Company’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets customers at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).
Matt Cunningham, Founder of Old Glory Distilling Co., greets customers at his Inaugural Release of the distillery’s Tennessee Whiskey and Bourbon on Sat. Nov. 27,2021. (Lee Erwin).

Their whiskey is a blend of eight barrels. “We’ve got over 800 barrels put away now, and we selected these eight barrels for this release to give everybody the taste of the Tennessee Whiskey we’ve been making for the past five years.”

He added that over the years they have been able to produce vodka, rum and shine, and those products helped carry Old Glory to this point.

“What people have seen for the past five years is just a very, very, small portion of what we actually produce on a day-to-day basis,” Cunningham said. “What people don’t realize is the majority of what we do here, day in and day out, is make Tennessee whiskey and bourbon.”

The Old Glory Tennessee Whiskey is 90 proof. It’s 73% corn, 19% wheat, and 8% malted barley. Cunningham said it’s what is known as a “wheated whiskey.”

“This is a sugar-maple-charcoal mellowed whiskey – very smooth, very soft with nice notes of vanilla and caramel in it. It is a really nice sipping whiskey,” he said.

Many customers ordered their bottles online ahead of time and stopped by to pick it up on Saturday. Some ordered two of the signed bottles, saying they wanted one to drink for the holidays and another as a collectible.

Cunningham said he signed around 1,400 bottles for the inaugural release.

Old Glory Distilling Company is at 452 Alfred Thun Road, and they are open seven days a week except on major holidays. They are open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday noon-6 p.m., and tours are available noon-6 p.m.

For more visit the Old Glory Distilling Company website, email cheers@oldglorydistilling.com, or call 931-919-2522.