The Sazerac Company today announced the beginning of their new whiskey projects in Tennessee.

In December of 2016, Sazerac purchased Popcorn Sutton Distillery in Newport, Tenn. The company acquired the facility but not any of the brands that had been produced there. 

Distilling has commenced in Tennessee as Master Distiller John Lunn and Distiller Allisa Henley (both pictured atop) have cranked up their pot stills and started distilling Tennessee whiskey.

A few months ago, John and Allisa sourced sugar maple from a sawmill in Tennessee, the company says. They burned four ricks in John’s backyard to make charcoal for the Lincoln County process, essential for making Tennessee whiskey. To be classified a Tennessee whiskey the whiskey must be filtered through maple charcoal, which distinguishes it from bourbon whiskey.

John and Allisa began filling barrels with their newly made whiskey on July 5. The whiskey will age in the barrels for several years, although the age, brand name and even the distillery name has not yet been decided.

Further announcements will follow as new developments are made, the company says.

“We’re so excited to start distilling and to have the opportunity to make Tennessee whiskey again,” says Lunn. “We did a lot of tweaking to get the distillation just right, but we’re really happy with how it turned out and are anxious to taste it along its aging journey.”