492. Old Glory Distilling Co: Clarksville's Grain-to-Glass Story with Devin Puckett

Jim Shannon and Todd Ritter welcome Devin Puckett, Brand Representative for Old Glory Distilling Co. out of Clarksville, Tennessee, to the Bourbon Road. Devin shares the remarkable origin story of Old Glory — from founder Matt Cunningham's days as a firefighter devising a distillery plan in his mid-twenties, through the COVID pivot to hand sanitizer that ultimately funded a towering 24-foot Vendome copper column still, to the 8,650-barrel warehouse that stands today. Devin also reveals his own path into the industry: a Ball State grad from northern Indiana who married into the Cunningham family, sold RVs, and answered a text message that changed everything.

**On the Tasting Mat:**

- **Old Glory Tennessee Bourbon Small Batch (90 Proof):** A grain-to-glass Tennessee bourbon distilled on a Vendome copper column still from a mash bill of 73% corn, 19% rye, and 8% malted barley, aged approximately three and a half years in new char #4 Kelvin barrels. Bright and clean on the palate with a dry finish, green apple, caramel drizzle, and light citrus — an accessible everyday pour at an approachable price point. *(00:09:50)*

- **Old Glory Tennessee Bourbon Bottled in Bond (100 Proof):** Drawn from 15–20 hand-selected pot still barrels and aged five years — an extra year beyond the minimum bonded requirement — this expression steps up the complexity considerably. The same 73/19/8 rye mash bill opens into darker fruit, rich brown sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and a wave of baking spices, with a noticeably fuller, rounder texture. *(00:30:34)*

- **Old Glory Tennessee Bourbon Single Barrel #271 (121.7 Proof / 5 Years 9 Months):** Selected by master blender Caleb Martin, this cask-strength pot still expression offers an entirely different dimension — a lush dessert character of blackberry cobbler, buttery dark fruit, and a lingering finish that keeps unfolding. One of the early pot still barrels that helped define Old Glory's identity before the column still era. *(00:44:10)*

From a cornfield off I-24 to nearly 9,000 barrels of aging Tennessee whiskey, Old Glory is a distillery doing it the long way — grain to glass, family owned, community rooted. With a double oak release on the horizon, 100% rye and wheat casks quietly maturing in the warehouse, and a thriving on-site restaurant and event venue, there's plenty of road ahead for Clarksville's homegrown spirit. If you find yourself between Nashville and the Kentucky border, Old Glory Distilling Co. is more than worth the detour.