When Nashville’s longest-running alt-weekly puts your name in the headline of their dedicated whiskey column, you pay attention. The Nashville Scene’s Whiskey Wednesday feature on Nashville Barrel Company wasn’t a puff piece — it was a signal that something real was happening on Fesslers Lane.
The Scene has been covering Nashville food and drink since before most of the current craft spirits scene existed. Their Whiskey Wednesday column is written for people who actually know what they’re drinking — not for tourists looking for something to tick off a list. When they say big things are afoot, it’s worth understanding why.
What They Found
A DISTILLERY MOVING FAST.
At the time of the Scene’s coverage, Nashville Barrel Company had already moved from a small group of friends buying single barrels together to a full production facility in Nashville’s Southside. The story tracked what that trajectory actually looked like from the inside: the moment a passion project becomes something other people want a piece of, and how NBC navigated the growth without compromising on the thing that made it worth covering in the first place.
The Scene’s coverage came during a stretch when NBC was picking up significant competition recognition — Double Gold, Platinum, and what would become a Best in Class win at the world’s largest spirits competition. The timing wasn’t coincidental. This is what happens when you spend three years saying no to volume and yes to quality: the people who know the difference start writing about it.
The Full Story
READ THE ORIGINAL PIECE.
The Nashville Scene article covers the expansion, the single barrel program, and the experience side of the business in detail. It’s the kind of coverage that holds up — not because it flatters NBC, but because it asks the right questions about what makes a craft spirits operation actually worth visiting.
Nashville Scene · Whiskey Wednesday
Whiskey Wednesday: Big Things Are Afoot at Nashville Barrel Co.
The Nashville Scene’s dedicated whiskey column covers the distillery’s rapid growth, award-winning barrel program, and what visitors can expect at the Fesslers Lane facility. Required reading for anyone who wants to understand why NBC landed on every serious Nashville whiskey itinerary.
Read the Full Article at Nashville Scene →Since Then
WHERE WE ARE NOW.
The Scene caught us mid-acceleration. Since that piece ran, NBC has added a Downtown Tasting Room at 425 Church Street, named to Tennessee Blender of the Year, ranked #4 in Fred Minnick’s national blind tasting, and expanded distribution to 30+ states and three countries. The Louisville Rickhouse location is next.
The single barrel program that caught the Scene’s attention is now the centerpiece of what we offer to visitors. Every week, groups come in to taste from the actual barrels, pick their favorite, and leave with a bottle — custom-labeled — that didn’t exist before they walked in. That’s still the thing we’re most proud of, and it’s still the thing people come back to talk about.
Experience It Yourself
COME SEE WHAT THE SCENE SAW.
The Single Barrel Experience ($150) lets you taste four award-winning barrels with James as your guide, pick your favorite, and take home the bottle with your own custom label. Walk-ins are welcome for flights and tastings at both Nashville locations. If the Scene’s piece made you curious — come settle it in person.
