Sazerac Names Historic Tennessee Whiskey Distilling Foray AJ Bond Distillery Ahead Of Inaugural Release

Buffalo Trace's parent company Sazerac has finally named its Tennessee-based distillery nearly ten years after acquiring the property.

The newly christened AJ Bond Distillery is named after distillers Allisa Henley and the late John Lunn who began working together in 2004. The announcement comes just ahead of the facility's debut whiskey release, which is scheduled to hit shelves this summer.

The distillery was initially home to the Popcorn Sutton portfolio of whiskeys created by Henley and Lunn. The acquisition in 2016 marked Sazerac’s entry into the Tennessee whiskey category, but did not release any Tennessee whiskey in the years that followed.

Popcorn Sutton's former master distiller Lunn and master blender Henley joined Sazerac group after the acquisition. The pair have worked together for decades until 2023 when Lunn passed.

In 2018, Sazerac shifted its Tennessee operations from the original eastern site to the city of La Vergne to establish a more expansive footprint. This relocation involved the construction of an entirely new production hub including a new distillery, bottling plant, aging warehouses, and a dedicated visitor center.

The new whiskey is made from a mashbill developed by Henley and Lunn. It will be produced using the Lincoln County Process, which filters the whiskey through charcoal chips before ageing in barrels.

In the years ahead, AJ Bond has said it plans to introduce additional expressions and limited experimental releases designed to explore new possibilities in Tennessee whiskey, all while maintaining the traditional methods championed by Henley and Lunn.

Details of the inaugural whiskey will be shared in the coming months.