The first legal barrel of Tennessee bourbon made legally in Williamson County in 106 years was released last Monday by H. Clark Distillery.
The 106-proof, locally distilled, aged and bottled spirit was cause for celebration — and gratitude.
This past Thursday night, Barlines at the Omni Hotel Nashville hosted a launch party for the new spirit. H. Clark announced beforehand that the proceeds from the very first bottle would go to benefit the victims of the Gatlinburg-area fires.
“The fires in East Tennessee have devastated the region,” Heath Clark said. “Our fellow distillers in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge were among those impacted with at least 25 team members losing their homes. The Dollywood Foundation My People’s Fund has pledged to help families in the area and we want to help Dolly do that. Tonight at our launch party at Barlines, we are going to find a buyer for Bottle No. 1 from Barrel No. 1. The buyer for Bottle 1 will be the person who pledges and contributes the most to The Dollywood Foundation. Please join us in letting our East Tennessee neighbors know that Nashville is Smokey Strong.”
The bottle sold for $1,000 to a fellow distiller from east Tennessee who was affected by the fires; H. Clark matched it for a total of $2,000. Clark said the distiller, who had five of his own employees lose their homes, wanted to remain anonymous to keep all the focus on the cause.
“That is humbling that another distiller would do that and then you think this is a guy who– his own team is impacted; he has already paid a price,” Clark said.
The 53-gallon barrel of H. Clark bourbon produced 264 bottles and sold out almost immediately, but were available at the distillery and select local stores; each bottle from barrel number one will come with a poster created by Hatch Show Print as a celebratory package.
The distillery is hoping to roll out two more, smaller barrels before Christmas.
“We sold our first bottle last Monday at one and were out by 4 p.m.,” Clark said. “It was a huge, unexpected response. “Folks will take a chance on you if you are local, but they won’t come back if you aren’t good. So we strive everyday to make stuff as remarkable as the community we are in. If we want Williamson County residents to be proud of us, we have got to make good stuff.”
Barrel two, unfortunately because of a leak, should produce about 30 bottles; barrel three about 75.
H. Clark has other lines of spirits, like its Black and Tan or its unaged New Whiskey.
