LYNCHBURG, Tenn. -- In a cold warehouse poking over the trees atop a hill, the smell of whiskey and charred wood aging hangs in the air, reminding visitors of the building's purpose.
The long rows of ricks, or wooden planks, stored over seven floors, hold more than 20,000 barrels of Jack Daniel's whiskey in various stages of aging. Some of the barrels have last year's date written on the top. Others go back several years.
For about $9,000, you can buy one.
That's right, the whole barrel of Jack Daniel's premium brand Single Barrel for you and 239 of your closest friends. Each barrel averages about 240 bottles, all of them 94-proof.
When you do buy a barrel, your name can be burned onto wood panels on a distillery wall. Country singer George Strait has bought one. Military bases around the country have bought them. Then there's a buyer identified only as "The Immortal Head Bubba."
For Jack Daniel's owner -- Louisville-based Brown-Forman Corp. -- selling its finest aged whiskey by the barrel is another way to build the company's leading spirits brand and its upscale image.
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