lucky13 Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Made my first trip to Geo. Dickel this past Saturday. There isn't a whole lot to add to what others have said -- it's a bit challenging to find (it would be easier if they listed their address as Normandy, Tennessee, rather than Tullahoma, which threw us off), it's small, in a pretty but fairly typical Tennessee holler, a bit quaint, etc. One bit of news that I haven't seen yet is that the new master distiller, following the departure of John Lunn, is a woman, which may be a first for one of the established distilleries? If I got her name right, it is Alyssa Hensley. She already has some autographed bottles in the gift shop, though most of them are still Lunn's. I asked the tour guide what her background was. She said that Alyssa was a local, had started about ten years ago in the gift shop, and Lunn took her under his wing and showed her the ropes. She also spent a couple of years in Scotland, presumably at one of Diageo's numerous distilleries there. Although this seemed a bit informal, I suppose most distillers started out in menial positions. Albert Blanton was an office boy, they say. I forgot to ask if she would have any role with the new Shelby County, Kentucky distillery. As far as Lunn's departure goes, the tour guide offered (on being asked) that he had been offered a significant raise by the Popcorn Sutton crowd, and as he is single and had no roots in the area he saw it as an opportunity and a challenge. You never know what line a tour guide is giving you, but I didn't detect any signs of tension or defensiveness about it, so I tend to believe there was no bad blood. One other bit of unrelated info: Somebody asked if the distillery workers got free whisky. The answer was no. Quarterly they get a chit that can be used for any Diageo product. Apparently when you work in distillery all the time you don't necessarily crave what you're making (and smelling) all day. In the Seventies, according to the tasting shop person, and if I heard this right, the federal revenue agent in residence would reject bottles that weren't up to snuff, but would just put them out back and let the workers have them. In those days there was a lot of this whisky being consumed at lunch! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richnimrod Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Nice review and tidbits of info from your tour, lucky13,Glad to see you posting. Welcome to 'the board'. Have FUN!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry in WashDC Posted April 20, 2015 Share Posted April 20, 2015 Yes, welcome, and thanks for the comments on Dickel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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