Apr 22, 2026
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.