Nashville Barrel Company Mint JulepTour and Tasting with Co-Founders Mike Hinds & James Davenport
to the best distilleries in Tennessee. I learned all about the history and process of whiskey making and was happy to get a firsthand tasting experience of some the best whiskey in town at the Nashville Barrel Company. Surrounded by a room stacked with whiskey barrels, Co-founder’s Mike Hinds and James Davenport took us through an interactive and educational tasting of smooth aged whiskeys. Because of my affinity towards tequila, they let me try a barrel of their aged agave, which was 112 proof compared to the standard 80 proof typically seen on tequila bottles. The pair happened into the whiskey business because they loved traveling around the country and picking single-barrels with friends. Those barrel picking experiences became fewer so they decided to buy their own batch of barrels in 2018 to share with friends. Their selection of barrels became so popular that friends were asking if they could pick their own barrels from their stock. In February of 2020, they released their first single barrel rye - and people on social media blew it up. Soon, groups from all over the country were calling to ask to come pick a barrel for themselves and the rest is history. In 2021 they opened their own distillery to house all of the barrels and now conduct tours, tastings, and soon to host concerts in a new outdoor venue being built directly behind the distillery. t