Chris Fletcher, 39, was named the new master distiller for the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, succeeding Jeff Arnett, for whom he worked for the last six years.
“For the past six years, Chris has been right there and involved in every major distillery innovation, product and enhanced production process while ensuring our Tennessee Whiskey is of the highest character and quality,” said Larry Combs, Jack Daniel Distillery SVP/General Manager.
“Chris has whiskey making in his blood, but he also has this incredible and unique combination of knowledge, expertise and creativity that will position us well into the future. Folks like Chris don’t come along every day, and backed by our tremendous senior leadership team, I have no doubt that he will flourish in this new role.”
“I’ve grown up around this distillery,” Fletcher said, sitting at his grandfather’s desk. His grandfather, Frank Bobo, was master distiller for Jack Daniel’s having been hired by Lem Motlow. Bobo started working for the distillery Jan. 2, 1957. In 1966, when Bobo 37 years old, he was promoted to head distiller and retired in 1989.
Fletcher said he didn’t anticipate Arnett’s departure. “The opportunity to work for Jeff was a major reason to come back home” from Louisville, where he was working for Brown-Forman. In college he had studied chemistry. “I get really lucky, as I was about to graduate, there was an open position in Brown-Forman’s research and development department in Louisville.”
Most challenging part of his new role? “I take pride in telling people that we make whiskey the same was my grandfather did in 1957. It’s really important to represent the Lynchburg families who make whiskey.”
Asked what will be his first innovation as Jack Daniel’s master distiller, he pointed to the Tennessee Taster line, which he said they view as their experimental line. Also the Single Barrel Special Release. He promised to “really push the capabilities of what we do here in Lynchburg.”
The priority is to insure the consistency of flavor of Old No. 7 “is tried and true.”
Fletcher was asked if there were any secret projects that might surprise him. “If there are,” he said, “I haven’t found them yet,” adding he doesn’t expect to since for the past six years he had been in constant daily conversation with Arnett.
Combs, the general manager of the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, said the distillery has continued to operate during the pandemic. In addition to producing Jack Daniel’s, the distillery has been able produce hand sanitizer for the local community.
Combs addressed the recently announced Distillers in Training program. “To have the best talent, we have to have everyone at the table. Our industry has room to grown in terms of diversity and representation.” Leading this initiative will be one of the key responsibilities for Fletcher, he said, adding that one of the goals behind the Jack and Nearest program is leadership acceleration.
On a different topic, Combs said Jack Daniel’s has been slowly reopening its visitor center and tour operations, after suspending them in March because of Covid. Tours resumed in the second week of August, subject to social distancing, temperatures being taken, etc. But it doesn’t go into any actual production areas, a move intended to keep workers safe.
Fletcher’s work at Jack Daniel’s stretches back to 2001 when he worked as a part-time tour guide while attending college. He graduated with a B.S. in Chemistry from Tennessee Technological University in 2003 and began work as a chemist with Brown-Forman in Research & Development for eight years. Following several years working in the bourbon industry, Fletcher came back home to the Jack Daniel Distillery and was named Assistant Master Distiller.