This week in Auckland, Chris Fletcher tantalised Kiwi whiskey fans, sharing his tales from the Jack Daniel distillery in Lynchburg, where he is the Master Distiller of the iconic Tennessee whiskey brand.
It was a quick trip down under for Chris – who is only allowed to be away from the distillery for eight days at a time – in what was the first visit to our shores from a Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller in more than 20 years.
Two hundred guests (mostly Jack Daniel’s superfans) were treated to a Jack Daniel’s cocktail selection from some of Auckland’s best bars (Panacea, Kismet, The Last Word and Clipper), followed by a three-course meal courtesy of FISH restaurant’s Des Harris and a selection of Jack Daniel’s whiskey pairings to top it all off.
Chris guided guests through each tasting and gave insight into his role back home in Tennessee and his family connections to the distillery, with his late grandfather, Frank “Frog” Bobo, also having held the title of Master Distiller during Chris’ childhood.
Chris’s visit was to hero the newest addition to the American whiskey brand’s offering, Jack Daniel’s Bonded. Bonded is a big, bold Tennessee Whiskey with layered notes of caramel, rich oak and spice, and it is ‘bottled in bond’ at 100 proof (50 percent abv).
