Benjamin Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey

The whiskey brand and distillery were founded by Phil Prichard, who is now the company's master distiller. He named it after his ancestor Benjamin Prichard, who operated a distillery in Davidson County, Tennessee, in the early 1800s, who bequeathed his distilling equipment to his son after his death in 1822.[1]

The first Prichard's Distillery location was opened in an old schoolhouse in Kelso in 1997, making it the first new legal distillery to open in the state since the repeal of Prohibition.[5][6] A second Prichard's distillery opened in May 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee, on the grounds of the Fontanel mansion in Whites Creek neighborhood.[7] Both sites have distillery tours. The Fontanel site was owned by country music singer Barbara Mandrell from 1987 to 2002, and since 2010, it has been a tourist attraction, including a winery, zip lines, hiking, an amphitheater with live concerts, lodging, dining, shopping, and a tour of the Mandrell mansion, one of the largest log homes in the world.[8][9] Prichard's Nashville location closed in 2021.

Prichard's rums come from American molasses sourced from Louisiana.[10]

As of 2018, the Prichard's line of whiskeys includes:

• Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey (40% ABV/80 U.S. proof): This product is made from white corn instead of the yellow corn used for most Tennessee whiskeys. It doesn't use the Lincoln County Process that is normally required to qualify as Tennessee whiskey and is the only Tennessee whiskey that isn't required to meet this legal requirement.[1]
• Prichard's Double Barreled Bourbon Whiskey (45% ABV/90 proof): This bourbon was given a score of 92 and described by whiskey-writer Jim Murray as "a classy effortless delivery…" in his 2009 Whisky Bible.[11][12] It uses a re-barreling process that involves cutting down the proof level after 9 years of aging and then putting the spirit into new charred oak barrels again.[13]
• Prichard's Double Chocolate Flavored Whiskey (45% ABV/90 proof): This flavored whiskey blends bourbon with artisan chocolate. It is the result of a collaboration between Prichard's and the Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company.[14]
• Prichard's Rye Whiskey (43% ABV/86 proof): This product was named one of the five best value rye whiskies by Gayot in 2014.[15]
• Prichard's Tennessee Malt Whiskey (40% ABV/80 proof): This product is a malt (barley-based) whiskey.
• Prichard's Lincoln County Lightning Corn Whiskey (45% ABV/90 proof): This "moonshine" is made from white corn and bottled straight from the still.[16] Southern Living said it has "an agave-like aroma" and "a salty, grassy taste."[17]

The current line of rums and liqueurs made at the Prichard's distilleries includes:

Prichard's Tennessee Whiskey and various other Prichard's spirits have earned awards from the American Distilling Institute and Ultimate Spirits Challenge on several occasions, as listed below.

Lincoln County Lightning was rated by Southern Living as the "#2 Legal Moonshine in the U.S."[17]

For its rums, Prichard's won gold and silver medals at the International Cane Spirits Festival across a span of several years (2006–2009):[30] Fine Aged Rum (Gold), Crystal Rum (Gold), Peach Mango Rum (Gold and Silver), and Key Lime Rum (Gold). Additionally, the American Distilling Institute gave the distillery's aged rum a silver medal in 2007,[31] and the Ultimate Spirits Challenge recognized the Aged Rum, Crystal Rum, and Private Stock Rum with ratings and recommendations that ranged from good to very good in 2012.[32]

In liqueurs, Sweet Lucy received a gold medal from the American Distilling Institute in 2010[33] and a very good rating and recommendation in the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2012.[32]

• Prichard's Distillery official website